I wanted to send out a big THANK YOU! for believing in me and allowing me to teach and train your most valuable present of all, your child. It is a privilege and honor to be their teacher. I wish you and your family the most wonderful Christmas and pray that you will be blessed this season and throughout the new year. Remember the true meaning of Christmas and take time to share your beliefs with your children this holiday season.
Merry Christmas,
from my family to yours!
Mrs. Platt
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
December 12-16
We are only 8 days away from our Christmas break! Boy, can you feel the excitement! Please make sure your child is getting to bed on time and starting the day with a nutritious breakfast. This helps them to focus on the lessons, make better choices and perform better for assessments. This week I will be giving the final assessments for their report cards. Please make sure they are at school every day so that there is no missing work. Report cards will be going home with your student on December 21st.
Homework will be simplified this week. Focus on sight word recognition, spelling (long e sound), and reading fluency. The goal for 2nd quarter is 26 (correct) words per minute.
This Friday is your next opportunity to support Mill Creek with the Papa John's fundraiser. Mention Mill Creek and our school gets 20% of the purchase price.
Please send in one large (9x12) Christmas gift sack for your child to use for your Christmas gift. I would like to send those home on Friday. If you have an extra, I am sure there will be some who forget or can't. Thank you for sharing any extras you might have.
We will be having our Christmas party on December 21st, starting around 12:00. If you have any ideas to share or would like to help organize it, I would be grateful. I will be sending home a volunteer sign up sheet in their homework folder. Please return these ASAP.
Don't forget to send in a wrapped gently USED book for our book exchange. Make sure your child's name is on the tag so we know who to thank.
Homework will be simplified this week. Focus on sight word recognition, spelling (long e sound), and reading fluency. The goal for 2nd quarter is 26 (correct) words per minute.
This Friday is your next opportunity to support Mill Creek with the Papa John's fundraiser. Mention Mill Creek and our school gets 20% of the purchase price.
Please send in one large (9x12) Christmas gift sack for your child to use for your Christmas gift. I would like to send those home on Friday. If you have an extra, I am sure there will be some who forget or can't. Thank you for sharing any extras you might have.
We will be having our Christmas party on December 21st, starting around 12:00. If you have any ideas to share or would like to help organize it, I would be grateful. I will be sending home a volunteer sign up sheet in their homework folder. Please return these ASAP.
Don't forget to send in a wrapped gently USED book for our book exchange. Make sure your child's name is on the tag so we know who to thank.
Monday, December 5, 2011
December 5-9
Mill Creek is participating in a food drive. If you would like to participate in the "Compassion" virtue this month and send in an item, we are asking for peanut butter, jams, and cereals. Of course, any canned food item will be accepted.
Please send in one gently used book for our Christmas gift exchange. It needs to be wrapped with your child's name on the tag.
Homework this week will be focusing on fluency and sight words. Please practice 1 minute timed reads every night. Review sight words every night. All assessments for this semester need to be done by next Friday, so this additional practice will be beneficial to your child's grade. Spelling test will be on Friday this week. Our focus is on the silent e rule. Remind your child about the e telling the vowel to say its name.
If you would like to help plan or donate an item for our Christmas party on the 21st, please let me know.
This is a busy and exciting time of the year for the children (and myself!). Please remind your child that when they are in class it is a time for learning. Our classroom has had many disruptive behaviors since Thanksgiving break and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to get through each days lessons. Sometimes a simple reminder from home can make a difference. Thanks for your support.
Please send in one gently used book for our Christmas gift exchange. It needs to be wrapped with your child's name on the tag.
Homework this week will be focusing on fluency and sight words. Please practice 1 minute timed reads every night. Review sight words every night. All assessments for this semester need to be done by next Friday, so this additional practice will be beneficial to your child's grade. Spelling test will be on Friday this week. Our focus is on the silent e rule. Remind your child about the e telling the vowel to say its name.
If you would like to help plan or donate an item for our Christmas party on the 21st, please let me know.
This is a busy and exciting time of the year for the children (and myself!). Please remind your child that when they are in class it is a time for learning. Our classroom has had many disruptive behaviors since Thanksgiving break and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to get through each days lessons. Sometimes a simple reminder from home can make a difference. Thanks for your support.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
November 28-Dec 2
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and reflected on the many blessings you have. Thank you for coming and supporting your child during their performance on Monday. I know many had to sacrifice time from work, but these moments pass quickly and before you know it, your child is grown! A special thanks to the parents that helped set up, clean up and prepare costumes and food. Many hands went into a very successful performance. Please take time to thank Mrs. Hansen for her hard work in preparing the students with song and her efforts in writing the script for the pageant. Our school is blessed to have such talent working with our children.
It's hard to believe we are getting ready for the "Countdown to Christmas", but it's true! We only have 3 1/2 weeks of school and so much to accomplish in this short amount of time. Report cards will be sent home before Christmas break this year, so we need to make sure we stay focused on our reading, math and writing skills while celebrating and anticipating the holiday season. Please make sure your child is in attendance daily, as it is difficult to make up assessments and projects (we have many!). I also have hopes for the class to present some "mini Christmas plays" for the kindergarten students and parents. Please check your email daily, as I will most likely have some last minute thoughts, needs and information for the class throughout this month. I also will need LOTS of parent support in the classroom to do assessments, sight word drills, reading/math support groups for students, prepare for the plays and do Christmas ornaments and gifts. What a busy month!! Please let me know if you can volunteer at least once this month. With only 18 days, if every parent comes in once we will have all the help we need!
Homework: Every night listen to your child read, review sight words, practice the spelling words and look for opportunities to use math. Our math will be focusing on measurement this month, providing perfect opportunities for learning while wrapping gifts, baking, and budgeting Christmas shopping.
Some deadlines coming up and reminders for you:
- If you participated in the Wahooz activity calendar, please return them this week.
- The Book It Pizza Hut calendar for November is due at the end of this week.
- Please send in 1-2 wire hangers for an art project we will be doing this week.
- We need mini candy canes for the Christmas Parade/float
- Progress reports are available through Skyward Family Access on Monday, November 28
Sunday, November 13, 2011
November 14-18
Thanksgiving is almost here! I am looking forward to our Thanksgiving Pageant on Monday, November 21st. Mrs. Hansen has put so much work into this program and it MY highlight of first grade! Be sure to mark your calendars for 9:30 and bring your cameras!! You won't want to miss it! Remember to send in your item for our Thanksgiving feast this week.
We will be making Pilgrim and Indian costumes on Wednesday. If any family has pheasant feathers for our headbands and would like to donate them, I am sure the students would love to have REAL feathers. I could use some extra hands on Wednesday as we take on necklaces, vests, headbands and hats! I could also use a parent to cut out the Indian vests and have them ready for Wednesday.
I hope you are finding the homework more meaningful and less stressful. Remember that first grade homework consists of reading, counting and spelling! As our schedules get busier during the holiday season, take every day learning opportunities to reinforce these skills. They are all around us: shopping, cooking, driving, sending out cards, etc.
We will be making Pilgrim and Indian costumes on Wednesday. If any family has pheasant feathers for our headbands and would like to donate them, I am sure the students would love to have REAL feathers. I could use some extra hands on Wednesday as we take on necklaces, vests, headbands and hats! I could also use a parent to cut out the Indian vests and have them ready for Wednesday.
I hope you are finding the homework more meaningful and less stressful. Remember that first grade homework consists of reading, counting and spelling! As our schedules get busier during the holiday season, take every day learning opportunities to reinforce these skills. They are all around us: shopping, cooking, driving, sending out cards, etc.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
November 7-11
Homework is similar to last week. Read every night for 10-15 minutes, include the bookring in that time, sight words and any other reading for entertainment. Math activities are at your discretion. Some of the best counting activities are quite simple. Use your imagination. We are focusing on counting and number sense. There were some suggestions sent home in the homework folder. Spelling should be reviewed every night. We are focusing on the /sh/ sound and the /ar/ sound with 5 sight words.
This years theme for the PTA Reflections Program is : "DIVERSITY MEANS..."
Students may submit works in any of the following categories: Literature, Photography, and Visual Arts. Entries must be submitted by November 14,2011. I hope to see many of my students participate this year. If you did not get the entry form, please stop by the office to pick one up.
Don't forget to mark your calendars for November 21st. We will be presenting the "First Thanksgiving" music pagaent at 9:30 followed by our traditional feast in the cafeteria. Invite the whole family to come!
Dress in red, white and blue on Friday to honor our Veterans!
Have a great week!
This years theme for the PTA Reflections Program is : "DIVERSITY MEANS..."
Students may submit works in any of the following categories: Literature, Photography, and Visual Arts. Entries must be submitted by November 14,2011. I hope to see many of my students participate this year. If you did not get the entry form, please stop by the office to pick one up.
Don't forget to mark your calendars for November 21st. We will be presenting the "First Thanksgiving" music pagaent at 9:30 followed by our traditional feast in the cafeteria. Invite the whole family to come!
Dress in red, white and blue on Friday to honor our Veterans!
Have a great week!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
October 31-November 4
Thank you for a wonderful Parent Teacher Conference! It was so nice to be able to sit down and discuss the progress your child has made this year. I am excited to see where they will go from here.
I am still in the process of adding more parent helpers in the classroom. Please email me if you have a time that you can come in and help with small groups and individuals to help them meet their goals.
If you are carving pumpkins this weekend, please dry and save 1 cup of seeds for the class. We want to count them and then dye them for a mosaic art project. Look for the pictures of the kids enjoying their pumpkins during our math and science time on the blog. Also, please send in a picture of your child carving their pumpkin and I will post it on our bulliten board and blog as well.
We will be having a Halloween party Monday starting at 1:00. Your child may BRING their costume to school. DO NOT SEND THEM TO SCHOOL IN THEIR COSTUME. We will change after last recess to prepare for our party. Please do not use face paint or fake blood as it is against our school dress code and policy, as well as sending in weapons to accommodate their costume.
Homework will be less and different this quarter. Please be patient with me as I adjust the homework format. If you have any questions or concerns as these changes take place, please contact me. The three things your child should do nightly is: READ (10 minutes), COUNT (give them any number of miscellaneous items to count, sort, group, etc.) and SPELL (spelling words are on the blog and sent home on Monday, also include the 2nd quarter sight words. Remember that you should not be spending more than 20 minutes on homework. My suggestion is to break it up into 2 or 3 10 minute sessions focusing on each subject.
I am still in the process of adding more parent helpers in the classroom. Please email me if you have a time that you can come in and help with small groups and individuals to help them meet their goals.
If you are carving pumpkins this weekend, please dry and save 1 cup of seeds for the class. We want to count them and then dye them for a mosaic art project. Look for the pictures of the kids enjoying their pumpkins during our math and science time on the blog. Also, please send in a picture of your child carving their pumpkin and I will post it on our bulliten board and blog as well.
We will be having a Halloween party Monday starting at 1:00. Your child may BRING their costume to school. DO NOT SEND THEM TO SCHOOL IN THEIR COSTUME. We will change after last recess to prepare for our party. Please do not use face paint or fake blood as it is against our school dress code and policy, as well as sending in weapons to accommodate their costume.
Homework will be less and different this quarter. Please be patient with me as I adjust the homework format. If you have any questions or concerns as these changes take place, please contact me. The three things your child should do nightly is: READ (10 minutes), COUNT (give them any number of miscellaneous items to count, sort, group, etc.) and SPELL (spelling words are on the blog and sent home on Monday, also include the 2nd quarter sight words. Remember that you should not be spending more than 20 minutes on homework. My suggestion is to break it up into 2 or 3 10 minute sessions focusing on each subject.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
October 18-21
We will be doing our final quarter assessments this week. Please make sure your child is in attendance this week and has had a good nights sleep and a good breakfast so that I can get accurate results.
Parent Teacher conferences are scheduled for October 27 and 28. Look for your scheduled time in your child's homework folder. We will not be having Spring Conferences, so please make every attempt to make your time. I have personally asked for longer conference times to be able to answer any questions you may have concerning your child's education.
Spelling this week will remain the same. The students did not perform as expected on the test and after reflecting on the time we had in class (or lack of), I realize that I did not provide adequate instruction and practice. Sight words have always been the hardest for the students to learn. Please help your child by reviewing these words every night. Because of the two short weeks, the test will be on Wednesday, and a new list (a review of sight words learned) for next week will be sent home on Thursday.
Bookrings are still not coming back every day. Please make sure your child keeps their bookring in their backpack so that it is at school every day. Take time to listen to your child read at least 3 books each night. To become better readers, they need to READ! If you do not have time for any other homework, make time to listen to them READ. Pizza Hut reading program is in place this month, even though I did not send home a calendar. Every night you listen to your child READ mark it down. Turn in your reading log at the end of the month for a FREE personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.
We will have a Halloween celebration on the 31st of October starting at 1:00. Children may BRING their costumes to school and change after last recess. We will parade through the other 1st grade classes. Students are asked to NOT wear their costume to school all day. Please let me know if you want to be a part of this celebration. I will need snacks, a craft activity, and 2 games.
Red Ribbon Week starts on the 20th through the 27th. Our theme this year is "Celebrating a Drug Free Life". Each day there will be a slogan and a suggested dress up idea (see the days on the right of the blog). I encourage you to take this time to talk with your children about making good choices and the harmful affects of drugs.
Parent Teacher conferences are scheduled for October 27 and 28. Look for your scheduled time in your child's homework folder. We will not be having Spring Conferences, so please make every attempt to make your time. I have personally asked for longer conference times to be able to answer any questions you may have concerning your child's education.
Spelling this week will remain the same. The students did not perform as expected on the test and after reflecting on the time we had in class (or lack of), I realize that I did not provide adequate instruction and practice. Sight words have always been the hardest for the students to learn. Please help your child by reviewing these words every night. Because of the two short weeks, the test will be on Wednesday, and a new list (a review of sight words learned) for next week will be sent home on Thursday.
Bookrings are still not coming back every day. Please make sure your child keeps their bookring in their backpack so that it is at school every day. Take time to listen to your child read at least 3 books each night. To become better readers, they need to READ! If you do not have time for any other homework, make time to listen to them READ. Pizza Hut reading program is in place this month, even though I did not send home a calendar. Every night you listen to your child READ mark it down. Turn in your reading log at the end of the month for a FREE personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.
We will have a Halloween celebration on the 31st of October starting at 1:00. Children may BRING their costumes to school and change after last recess. We will parade through the other 1st grade classes. Students are asked to NOT wear their costume to school all day. Please let me know if you want to be a part of this celebration. I will need snacks, a craft activity, and 2 games.
Red Ribbon Week starts on the 20th through the 27th. Our theme this year is "Celebrating a Drug Free Life". Each day there will be a slogan and a suggested dress up idea (see the days on the right of the blog). I encourage you to take this time to talk with your children about making good choices and the harmful affects of drugs.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
October 10-15
Bookrings and Shoeboxes
Your child brought home a decorated shoebox on Friday. Please use this as their special library to add books to when we complete a reading unit. DO NOT REMOVE THE BOOKS FROM THE BOOKRING. I will send home books with a rubber band if they are to be kept in the shoebox. Continue to read the books on the bookring nightly. This week we are getting two books each day. You will notice the reading difficulty increasing.
Practice the list of sight words with your child. These are very important to increase their fluency rate.
Pictures
Individual pictures will be taken on Thursday, October 14th. If you plan on purchasing them, please make sure your money is turned in to my by then. Send your child to school with clean clothes, combed hair and washed faces. We want these to be the greatest! (we use them for gifts for you!)
Book Read Reading Program
October is the kick off for the Pizza Hut Book It program. I am late at sending home a calendar, but please note the days you are able to listen to your child read and/or read to them. Mark the days and return the calendar at the end of the month for a free personal pan pizza. You do not need to keep track of the minutes.
How do you get to Grandmas house?
Please help your child cut out a picture from a magazine or newspaper to how they get to grandma's house, you can send two different photos to show the ways to get to each grandma. We will be reading the story and learning about Transportation in the upcoming weeks.
Parent Helpers
If you asked to help in the classroom and I have not contacted you, I appologize. My evenings have been very busy lately. Please drop me an email or call to remind me that you are wanting to help out in the classroom. I will gladly give you a day to volunteer. I have many needs and children who could use some additional help. Your time is always welcome.
Your child brought home a decorated shoebox on Friday. Please use this as their special library to add books to when we complete a reading unit. DO NOT REMOVE THE BOOKS FROM THE BOOKRING. I will send home books with a rubber band if they are to be kept in the shoebox. Continue to read the books on the bookring nightly. This week we are getting two books each day. You will notice the reading difficulty increasing.
Practice the list of sight words with your child. These are very important to increase their fluency rate.
Pictures
Individual pictures will be taken on Thursday, October 14th. If you plan on purchasing them, please make sure your money is turned in to my by then. Send your child to school with clean clothes, combed hair and washed faces. We want these to be the greatest! (we use them for gifts for you!)
Book Read Reading Program
October is the kick off for the Pizza Hut Book It program. I am late at sending home a calendar, but please note the days you are able to listen to your child read and/or read to them. Mark the days and return the calendar at the end of the month for a free personal pan pizza. You do not need to keep track of the minutes.
How do you get to Grandmas house?
Please help your child cut out a picture from a magazine or newspaper to how they get to grandma's house, you can send two different photos to show the ways to get to each grandma. We will be reading the story and learning about Transportation in the upcoming weeks.
Parent Helpers
If you asked to help in the classroom and I have not contacted you, I appologize. My evenings have been very busy lately. Please drop me an email or call to remind me that you are wanting to help out in the classroom. I will gladly give you a day to volunteer. I have many needs and children who could use some additional help. Your time is always welcome.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
October 3-7
Cookie dough fundraiser envelopes are due on Monday! Please be sure to return the completed order forms along with the payment to school with your child. Your support of this ONLY fundraiser is greatly appreciated!
Thank you for working with your child at home. I can see the improvement in those students who are consistently doing their homework and reading. Remember that homework should only take about 20 minutes for first graders. If you find your child needs more help in one subject than another, please feel free to alter the homework to meet your childs needs. Most important for ALL students is to take time to listen to them read every night.
Shoeboxes should be coming home this week. Inside will be the first Unit of reading books and sight words. Please keep these as a special library for your child. At the end of every unit, your child will be able to add their books to this library. These are books they will be able to read independently and are a great tool to use for their independent reading at home.
Halloween will be here before you know it! If you have any ideas or want to be a part of this event, please let me know. I will also be needing candy corn, black jelly beans, candy pumpkins and miniture marshmallows for our Math Halloween stories. If you can donate any of these treats, please send them in with your child.
Thank you for working with your child at home. I can see the improvement in those students who are consistently doing their homework and reading. Remember that homework should only take about 20 minutes for first graders. If you find your child needs more help in one subject than another, please feel free to alter the homework to meet your childs needs. Most important for ALL students is to take time to listen to them read every night.
Shoeboxes should be coming home this week. Inside will be the first Unit of reading books and sight words. Please keep these as a special library for your child. At the end of every unit, your child will be able to add their books to this library. These are books they will be able to read independently and are a great tool to use for their independent reading at home.
Halloween will be here before you know it! If you have any ideas or want to be a part of this event, please let me know. I will also be needing candy corn, black jelly beans, candy pumpkins and miniture marshmallows for our Math Halloween stories. If you can donate any of these treats, please send them in with your child.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
September 26-30
Thank you for taking time to work with your child each night. Bookrings are an important part of our reading curriculum. Please listen to your child read these books every night they are brought home. It is also very important for your child to bring these to school every day for independent practice during class time. I appreciate those who are keeping their red folders home all week and sending them to school on Mondays. If you have a note or message that I need to see for that day, please send it seperately, as I do not check folders until Monday afternoons.
Student progress is available on Family Access. If you have any questions or concerns or are unable to access it, please let me know. Sight words and fluency will continue to increase, as this progresses through out the year. End of year fluency expectation is 53 words per minute, this is divided by 4 to determine their expected progress for the semesters.
It's cookie dough selling time! Please help us with this one and only fundraiser this year by asking your friends and family for their support. The selling continues now through October 3. Our goal is to finally purchase our climbing wall, finish off replacement of some student computers, and many other things as voted on by our awesome PTA members! We need your support!
Come walk with us (or run) every Friday during lunch. The kids love to see their parents showing the importance of fitness too! Your laps can added to our class total as well! We have 2 great prizes to encourage everyone to get moving! For participating 3 weeks in a row you'll earn a water bottle; and for 6 weeks in a row; you'll earn a Friday Fitness t-shirt courtesy of Fred Meyer. Hope to see you on Friday! Don't forget to sign in at the office for the safety of the students.
Student progress is available on Family Access. If you have any questions or concerns or are unable to access it, please let me know. Sight words and fluency will continue to increase, as this progresses through out the year. End of year fluency expectation is 53 words per minute, this is divided by 4 to determine their expected progress for the semesters.
It's cookie dough selling time! Please help us with this one and only fundraiser this year by asking your friends and family for their support. The selling continues now through October 3. Our goal is to finally purchase our climbing wall, finish off replacement of some student computers, and many other things as voted on by our awesome PTA members! We need your support!
Come walk with us (or run) every Friday during lunch. The kids love to see their parents showing the importance of fitness too! Your laps can added to our class total as well! We have 2 great prizes to encourage everyone to get moving! For participating 3 weeks in a row you'll earn a water bottle; and for 6 weeks in a row; you'll earn a Friday Fitness t-shirt courtesy of Fred Meyer. Hope to see you on Friday! Don't forget to sign in at the office for the safety of the students.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Week of September 19-23
We will begin our Science Unit on Apples. Please send in 1-2 apples by Wednesday. We will be graphing, sorting, describing and tasting these wonderful pieces of fruit. I am looking for a variety, so please send in different sizes and colors.
Book orders are a great way to get children excited about reading! They are inexpensive and make nice incentives for your child. Fall book orders are coming home. Please have your order returned to school by Friday. You can always order online and our class earns FREE books! Visit http://clubs.scholastic.com/ to place an order.
Grades have been posted to Family Access. Please check your child's progress and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. We have not completed a Science unit yet and Social Studies is still being finished. Your child is expected to read 13 words per minute by the end of first quarter. Please continue to work on the sight words for first quarter. Math tests will be sent home in their homework folder. Please take time to review the questions your child missed and continue to work on those skills needed. Please sign and return the tests.
Spelling this week will be posted on the blog Monday. I left my list and school and was not able to post it over the weekend. Remember that proper letter formation and capitalization counts toward a correct word. Many students missed words because of these mistakes.
We will be having our annual Cookie Dough fundraiser kickoff on Monday. This fundraiser helps to provide the students, school and classrooms with additional supplies and monies to provide opportunities for your child. Some of the things PTA has purchased with the fundraiser money in the past are: safety lights, computers, fieldtrips, playground equipment, instruments and much, much more! We are so grateful for the support of our parents and community during this fundraiser event. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school or a PTA officer.
Attendance has been outstanding this year. I appreciate the fact that I have had very few tardies this year. Thank you for setting an example to your children by having them here on time.
Book orders are a great way to get children excited about reading! They are inexpensive and make nice incentives for your child. Fall book orders are coming home. Please have your order returned to school by Friday. You can always order online and our class earns FREE books! Visit http://clubs.scholastic.com/ to place an order.
Grades have been posted to Family Access. Please check your child's progress and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. We have not completed a Science unit yet and Social Studies is still being finished. Your child is expected to read 13 words per minute by the end of first quarter. Please continue to work on the sight words for first quarter. Math tests will be sent home in their homework folder. Please take time to review the questions your child missed and continue to work on those skills needed. Please sign and return the tests.
Spelling this week will be posted on the blog Monday. I left my list and school and was not able to post it over the weekend. Remember that proper letter formation and capitalization counts toward a correct word. Many students missed words because of these mistakes.
We will be having our annual Cookie Dough fundraiser kickoff on Monday. This fundraiser helps to provide the students, school and classrooms with additional supplies and monies to provide opportunities for your child. Some of the things PTA has purchased with the fundraiser money in the past are: safety lights, computers, fieldtrips, playground equipment, instruments and much, much more! We are so grateful for the support of our parents and community during this fundraiser event. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school or a PTA officer.
Attendance has been outstanding this year. I appreciate the fact that I have had very few tardies this year. Thank you for setting an example to your children by having them here on time.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Spelling
Spelling is a very important part of a first graders reading and writing experience. Spelling words will come home in their Monday Homework Folder. These words are drawn from our reading-writing experiences. Each Friday I will give the spelling test. Please help your child study these words at home. Also know that correct penmanship will count toward the spelling grade. If a word has a backwards letter, capitalization or incorrect penmanship, it will be counted wrong. Their name is always counted as a spelling word. I pass out bubble gum to those who receive 100% on their spelling test.
Water Bottles
You child is encouraged to bring a water bottle from home during this hot weather. It is very time consuming to wait for 21 students to get drinks after recess. Please make sure their bottle is labeled with their name and only contains WATER. Also, please send only water bottles with a "pop-up" top. Those that unscrew tend to spill on their work.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Book Rings
Your child will be bringing home their "Book Ring" this week. It is a collection of the decodable books our curriculum uses in teaching sight words, decoding and phonics. These need to be returned to school EVERY day!! We use them daily for independent reading, partner reading and small group fluency practice. At the end of each unit, I will remove the books and rubberband them together along with the sightword flashcards, for you to place in their library shoebox at home to continue to practice (we will be working on the library shoeboxes this month). Please read the new book at least three times, and review a few of the other books as well, don't forget to return them to school EVERY day!
Parent Helpers
I am so excited to get the parents involved. If you have filled out a volunteer sheet and returned it to school and have not heard from me, please call me. I think I have made contact with each parent that was willing to come in and help in the classroom. I am looking forward to working with each of you. Please know that my door is always open and if you ever have a chance to come in for an hour or so to help, PLEASE DO! I really feel like it is important for every parent to visit the class at least once a year.
Homework
Just a note about my homework policy. I send the complete weeks worth of homework home on Mondays. I ask that your child do only ONE sheet per night, reading on one side, math on the other. This reinforces what we have learned in class, please do not do them all at once. Keep ALL the completed homework in the red folder and return on Monday. Please check your childs work before returning it to school. Your child will also have a spelling list each week to work on at home, the list will also be posted on the blog. Last, but most important, please have your child read EVERY night or have the chance to be read to. A final note, homework should only take about 20 minutes. If it is taking longer, please call me. Thank you for your support. We are a team and I desire to see your child reach their potential.
Monday, August 29, 2011
First Week!
What an awesome group of students. I hope they enjoyed last week as much as I did. We are hitting the ground running this week, so continue to work on an evening schedule to help them be prepared for the next day. Having a regular time to do homework helps establish the importance of homework and a n early bedtime gives them the rest they need for the next day. Your child should have brought home their first homework folder. Inside there are 5 papers stapled together. Only do one sheet a night. Place back in the folder and return the folder next Monday. I am looking forward to a great year. Thank you for sending back your volunteer information. I will be contacting you soon to set up a time.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Welcome to First Grade!
I am so excited to begin this exciting journey with your family. I look forward to a new class each year and anticipate all the exciting learning that will take place. I can't wait to meet you!
I love working with parents to see their child achieve their potential. As a part of this team, I encourage you to find a time (weekly or monthly) that you can come in and participate in your child's learning. By being active in your child's class you show them the importance of education, observe your child in a different setting outside of the home, see how your child is performing in relation to his/her peers, meet their friends, and stay connected with the skills, vocabulary and structure of first grade. I am so excited to be able to work with you this year.
My blog will be my main form of communication. On it I will post homework, upcoming events, important news concerning our class, educational links, bookorders, and much more. I usually update my post on the weekend for the following week. Please check it weekly.
I have so much more to tell you. Please be patient as I continue to send out more information as the school year approaches. I look forward to meeting everyone at our Open House on August 23rd from 4-6pm. Remember, school starts at 8:05 on Wednesday, August 24th. Come with smiles!!!
I love working with parents to see their child achieve their potential. As a part of this team, I encourage you to find a time (weekly or monthly) that you can come in and participate in your child's learning. By being active in your child's class you show them the importance of education, observe your child in a different setting outside of the home, see how your child is performing in relation to his/her peers, meet their friends, and stay connected with the skills, vocabulary and structure of first grade. I am so excited to be able to work with you this year.
My blog will be my main form of communication. On it I will post homework, upcoming events, important news concerning our class, educational links, bookorders, and much more. I usually update my post on the weekend for the following week. Please check it weekly.
I have so much more to tell you. Please be patient as I continue to send out more information as the school year approaches. I look forward to meeting everyone at our Open House on August 23rd from 4-6pm. Remember, school starts at 8:05 on Wednesday, August 24th. Come with smiles!!!
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