January 9-13

Happy New Year!
I hope the long vacation has provided rest and plenty of quality time with family. As I approach the New Year I am filled with anticipation! I look forward to the last half of the year, it seems this is the time we see so much growth in the children.

Our class will be seeing a new face this semester. We will be welcoming a student teacher for one of the two quarters. I am anxious to meet her on Monday and will fill you in on her schooling and schedule as I find out more. Please welcome her and discuss with your child the importance of continuing their daily schedule as taught from the beginning of the year and their respect to ALL adults in the building. This will make the transition much easier for her and your child.

I am excited for the decision of the school to participate in a School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support (SWPBIS). It provides positive behavior expectations for students that focus on being safe, responsible, respectful and cooperative. Students will be recognized regularly and for those that continue to exhibit these behaviors on a daily basis could be nominated for other recognition events. We have high expectations for all our students and enjoy being able to reward those that continually strive for excellence. What a great time to make positive changes!

Homework will be sent home on Monday. There will be two activities a night. If time is tight, remember that the most important thing you can do is listen to your child read. New sight words will be sent home for this quarter. In math we will be moving into the concept of 10's. You can reinforce this skill by counting by 10's, putting objects in groups of 10 to count, counting on from 10 and talking about how a number is 10 and some more. Understanding this concept will prepare the children to move into addition. Our science topic this month is weather. When you get ready in the mornings discuss the weather and how to dress appropriately. At the end of the day talk about how the weather changed throughout the day. Remember to practice spelling every night. This week there are only 10 words.

I am looking forward to seeing all the students this week and am excited to get back on a schedule, both at work and with my family. I am sure you are ready as well. I would love to get parents back on schedule with classroom help, too ! I will be contacting many of you to see if we can schedule a time to volunteer in the class that works for you.

Happy New Year!