Happy New Year!

If you have thawed enough to read this, Happy New Year!  I had a wonderful Christmas break despite the low temperatures and I hope your family did too.  I am always excited and rejuvenated when the new year comes around.  I am a goal setter, so January is BIG for me.  I invite you to set some goals for your family this year and especially for your child(ren) and their academic achievements.  Here is where we are going in First grade.

Winter and spring are full of special days and themes that finish our Science and Social Studies state standards.  It is a fun time to learn about weather, presidents, seasons and much more!  We will share some of these special events with you during our February Music Program.  This is a new program this year for our first graders and we are excited to work with Mrs. Nelson in sharing it with your family.

We have set a foundation the first half of the year by working hard on number sense.  It is time to move quickly into algebraic equations, simply put, addition and subtraction.  Please begin to work on these facts as the students are required to know them fluently up to 20.  We will begin weekly timed tests to build their fluency.

Our reading groups have changed based on the students fluency scores from the winter IRI.  Those that were below expected fluency rate (26) will be working on phonics instruction and fluency.  Those at grade level will be focusing on prediction, summarizing, and comprehension skills.  The students that are above grade level(53) will be extending their reading skills through non fiction books, comprehension and building vocabulary.  If you have any questions about where your child is and what you can do to help in their reading progress, please give me a call.

I am very dependent on parent volunteers to work one-on-one with the students who need help in meeting their reading goals. Thank you to those who have been able to commit to a day each week to assist me.  I am always in need of extra help so if you are able to come in for an hour or more each week, please let me know.

My New Year's Goal:  giving struggling readers one-on-one assistance EVERY day! 

I need YOU to meet this goal!

Thank you for the amazing attendance at our Christmas plays.  I was overwhelmed by the support from the families.  It touches my heart when I see the sacrifices parents make to encourage their child and it choked me up to think of the amazing responsibility I have in teaching your most valued possession.  I truly am blessed in the job that I do and deeply love and care for each precious soul.

Last reminder, PLEASE send your child to school with extra warm clothing!  We go outside every day for a quick breath of fresh air and a "Brain Break".   Coats that zip, hats, gloves, thick socks, pants and warm shoes...if your family has any needs for these items please contact Mrs. Davis our school counselor.

Happy New Year!  I wish you and your family the best in 2013!

November 26-30

Be sure to check Family Access at this link https://skyweb.msd134.org/ to check your child's progress this quarter.  If you have any questions or concerns, please email me and I will schedule a time to sit down and talk.  Some assessments and grades will not be posted until Friday.

We have 4 full weeks before our Christmas break!  It is so hard to believe it is that close.  We will be working hard these next 4 weeks to prepare for the winter IRI and meeting our first grade fluency goal of 30 wpm by January.  It is an exciting and busy time, not just for the students, but for us adults as well.  Please help your child to remain focused in school by making homework a priority, adequate sleep at night and daily attendance and punctuality.  I will try my best to keep the room a positive learning environment with high learning expectations during this exciting season.

We have finished Unit 3 in our reading curriculum so your child should have brought home a bundle of their books from their bookring.  Please add these to your child's shoebox library and look forward to new books on their bookring.  Don't forget to review the old books, especially if your child is having difficulty reading the new books.  I encourage you to participate in the BINGO homework.  If your child does one square a night and is working towards a BINGO, they will have practiced reading, math, spelling, sight words, and a family activity that week.  That is my goal each week for homework!

Math skills this month is geometry, fractions and addition.  The students will be working on math facts to 10, adding 1 more to any number, using tools such as counting on, the number line and part-part-whole mats. Our number focus is 0-60:  rote counting, identify numbers, ordering numbers and counting objects.

Thank you to the many parents that have stepped up since conferences and volunteered their time in the classroom.  This month I will grow to depend on volunteers more as we prepare for the state IRI and do many Christmas projects.  If you have time and are able to help, please email me or better yet, just come on in!

Our school will begin their annual food drive.  Please send in a canned food item that will be donated to the local food bank, if you are able.  Also, if your family is in need of assistance this time of year please contact our school counselor, Mrs. Davis to discuss help that is available.

There is a list of items we will be needing for our Christmas projects to the right of the blog.  Check it weekly because I often forget of things we need until I get ready to do it.  If you can make a donation it would help to offset the costs that I spend each year to give the students opportunities to make ornaments and gifts for their families.