Summer Break

Please read with your child this summer. Statistics show that kids can lose up to 70% of what they learned if it is not reinforced.

After looking at our reading scores for the last two years, I can see big losses between the end of first grade and the beginning of second. I know that the test is harder at the beginning of second but the losses are significant!!!

Do your child a favor. . .READ, READ, READ!!!

Week 36

It is hard to believe that we have almost finished this school year. It has been a great year. I am really proud of the accomplishment of many of the kids.

AR has been a huge success. The children have really worked hard. Dariun passed over 200 tests. Kade, Lauren, and Tyler made it to 100. Many have shirts. I am really pleased with the participation.

Kade has passed the first 1000 sight words. That is a giant accomplishment. I am so proud of him.

This week is full of things to do. REMEMBER:

Tuesday - walk to the park. Send a lunch, wear sunscreen and comfy shoes.

Wednesday - water party at school. Clothes and shoes for water, towel, dry things to wear home. Don't forget the undies, if you aren't wearing a bathing suit.

Even if you can't walk to the park with us I hope you can drop by sometime while we are there to have lunch or just to say hello to your child. They really look forward to that.

We have lost lots of books this year. Please take a little time to look around your house and see if you find some. If you find them over the summer save them to return next school year, or drop them by the office this summer.

This week will be spent reviewing, cleaning, playing, sorting, etc. I will send everything home with them on Thursday so be sure they have backpacks.

The biggest thing you can do to help you child succeed in school is to have them read just a few minutes everyday. Making reading a priority and a habit will only be a lifelong benefit. The new library should be open so that will provide a great outing for you and your child.

Thank you for sharing your child with me this year. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!! Drop by to say hello next year.

Thanks,

Tharon Sass

Week 35

It is hard to believe that we are at the last story in our reading series. It is an informational fiction piece called "Baboon." Parts of this story are made up but parts give information about different African animals. The phonics skill is /oo/ making the sound it does in the word cool. The new vocabulary is:

against

careful

fine

quietly

shook

We continue to review in math. We will also continue doing timed tests. We are really winding down toward the end of the year.

We will be having a water party one afternoon this week, hopefully. Our grounds man has been gone so we haven't been able to talk to him about a good day for him to turn the sprinklers on in the back field.

We will be walking to Ramsey Park, on May 19th. I will need parents to walk with us. I may need more than normal because I don't know if the doctor will give me permission to walk that far yet. We will walk back to the dome at the end of our play day and catch a bus ride back to the school. I the wind is horrible like it was last year, we will NOT go. We do walk over the hill but the police will block it off so we will be safe in doing that. Please watch for permission slips.

I have started the website. It is really time consuming and I have hit a roadblock. Once I get help learning how to hyperlink, I will be on a roll again. I plan on working backwards so the kids will get the hardest things to practice first. The first thing I intend to get on is the vocabulary that has sound bytes with it. They can look at the word and hear it also. You will have to download special software to make it work. I will have a product code available for you to put in so you can get the software.

I also have some math activities that can go on the website. It will be a work in progress over the summer. You will just need to keep checking back to see what is new. I will also post on my blog when things have been added. That may be an easier way to check on things. I am not going to worry about spelling words and sight words right now. Those can be gotten from the blog. Maybe I'll even learn how to link the two together.

Happy next to the last week of school. Have a great week.

Week 34

This week we are reading "Sleep Is for Everyone." It is a nonfiction story giving information about why sleep is important. and giving details and facts about sleep. The phonics skill is the short e sound made by the letters /ea/ as in the word head. The new vocabulary is:

afternoon

bicycle

carry

hours

parents

We have reached the review chapter in math. Time and money remain the skills that need work. Most are comfortable with time on the hour and half hour. The quarter hour and 5 minute intervals are still a work in progress. Please use opportunities for your child to practice counting money over the summer break. They have gotten much better since I started paying them for homework, agenda sentence, etc. They can trade money at the bank but only if they can tell my how much they have and what coin they want to trade for.

I can't believe we are so near the end of the year. Time flies!!!

Have a good week.