Sass Class

New AR Stars

2012-01-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

Look at these cute kids. Congrats to Torren and Kandalyn. I am still trying to get Shaylee to stand up straight. . .my picture not her. She is such a wonderful worker.

Week 20

2012-01-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

Monday is the 100th day of school. We will be doing activities that deal with 100 all day long. It should be a fun day.

We are starting a new reading book this week. It is hard to believe that we are starting book four already. This is only one more left when we finish this one. You will notice a jump in reading level in this book. It seems much harder than the last one and the stories are longer.

The book is called Time Together. Our story this week is "A Bed Full of Cats." The phonics sound is long e, made by e, ea, and ee. The new vocabulary words are:

also

anything

know

moved

only

room

should

those

write

We will continue working on time to the hour and half hour in math. Half hour is proving to be a little challenging.

In spelling we will be on list 12. This will be challenging for some. I will write in each SMART book what list your child is on. Your child should be able to tell you the list. I have caught some taking the spelling book to take the test. Those tests will be ignored if they can not pass the written test I give them.

Another problem seems to be getting any kind of task finished. I only have a few that regularly do all their work. I do take morning and afternoon recess if they don't do their work. I rarely take lunch recess. Some are starting to have to miss special activities (like the movie we watched Friday afternoon to kick off our Penguin study) because of lack of completed work.

AR is really moving along. Congratulations to Torren, Kandalyn, and Shaylee for earning their shirts. Reading fluency is certainly increasing as they read. I am requiring that work is finished before they go to the AR boxes. They are welcome to come in before school to read and test or stay in from recess to do the same.

Remember that Friday is an Early Release. We will be discussing the new Core Standards we are moving to. You might want to google them or look them up at the AZ Department of Education website - www.azed.gov. They are moving to a common core that will be standard across the US. They will be the standards used in Kindergarten and First Grade next year.

Have a great week!

Week 19

2012-01-14T23:57:00.000-08:00

We are reading the last story in this book. It is a fable called "The Fox and the Stork." A fable is a story that teaches a lesson. The new sound this week is the long o sound made by ow or oa. The new vocabulary words are:

door

kind

made

who

would

In math, we will be doing time to the hour and 1/2 hour. If you can work in practice at home that would be great. To the hour seems to be pretty easy but sometimes the half hour get tricky. . .especially 12:30. We will continue to take timed tests on addition facts to build automaticity.

I am in love with the class T-shirts. I wish I had found that site years ago. I am thinking we will wear them on the even numbered Fridays and some other special occasions. . .field trips, etc. This Friday will be one to wear the shirts. If you have other ideas please let me know.

It is Monster Sandwich Day on Friday. Your child will not need a lunch. I will furnish the food. It is a fun and special day for all of us. They have had good behavior so they have earned it.

Reading fluency is still our main objective for the rest of the year. Progress monitoring sessions take place every other Monday to see if we are building speed. Your child will be expected to read 46 WPM by May to reach first grade benchmark.

AR seems to have taken off. Congratulations to Tucker and Kandalyn for earning shirts. I am seeing such growth in reading. Practice does make for better readers. That is my ultimate goal. It is nice to see so many chose to stay in from recess to read.

This is the last letter I am putting in all SMART books. I should have done this ages ago but haven't. If you have computer access, I will expect you to check the blog for the weekly news. It is getting tight on paper so I am going to cut all that I can. If you really need one on paper and have the internet, let me know.

Have a great week. I hope you enjoyed the long weekend.

Great Kids in Cute T-Shirts

2012-01-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

These are our new class T-shirts. We had doughnuts and milk to celebrate their arrival.

Week 18

2012-01-08T02:06:00.000-08:00

The story this week is called "Friends Forever." It is a non-fiction story. The phonics sound for the week is 'le' as in the word middle. The new vocabulary words are:
each
great
other
place
school
talk
together

In math, we will finish the unit on subtraction by learning about fact families. Then we will start a new unit on telling time. We will only do on the hour this week. We will start doing timed tests to begin building automaticity with math facts. I would like the facts to 10 to be automatic by the end of the year.

I am pushing spelling. Your child should pass List 10 this week at the very least. I am trying to get those that are behind caught up. I hope you will help your child practice the spelling lists at home. They are on the blog and also in the book I sent home with you.

I am having the kids spend more time on self selected reading. They are starting to work on AR. My goal for them is to become fluent readers and they will only do that by reading.

Congratulations to Torren for earning his AR shirt. I have 2 more boys who are very close.

Our shirts should be here Monday or Tuesday. FINALLY!!! Hopefully your child will come home wearing one, one day this week.

I sent home new exercise logs. Please check your child's SMART book for it.

Have a great week.

Back from Break

2012-01-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great Break!!! It is great to relax and spend good family time.

These few days are going to be spent reviewing and catching up on spelling. As I was doing report cards I am finding that spelling is the forgotten issue. Everyone needs to be on list 8. Not all are. We will be trying to catch some of that up this week.

The T-shirts shipped and were somehow taken to the wrong address and returned. I had them shipped to my home this time. Hopefully they will be here in the next week. Sorry this has been such a long process!!! I had hoped for something less complicated.

Hopefully the transition back into a routine won't be too rocky.

AR seems to be going well for many. Some are going to need a push and I am going to try to give that. Reading is learned by reading. That is the practice I am trying to give with the incentive program.

Thanks for all your support and help.

Happy New Year!!!

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD

2012-01-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

The day before vacation started the first grade teachers did a 'Christmas Around the World' rotation. They learned and ate their way around the classrooms. One of my students told me that everyone served good food but me. They started with England so I took mincemeat and fruit cake. . .it did have fruit skewers for Hawaii so I think I redeemed myself. They seemed to enjoy and the day. Thanks to my first grade team for putting together such a fun day for the kids.

Nancy Davis came to teach them the Hukilau. I had wanted to accent her opera talents but that didn't happen. The kids loved it though. Thanks for being a trooper, Nancy. Hopefully this short video of the hula will work and give you a chuckle. They are such cute kids.

More AR Stars

2011-12-19T00:10:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Mollie, Skyler, and Kimball. I have done this twice and I can't get Kimball going the right way. SORRY!!! It shows it is right on iPhoto but not translating here.

Week 17

2011-12-11T23:17:00.000-08:00

We will be taking a week off from the reading series. We will still be reading but we will be doing literature that fits the season. I love Christmas so we are going to enjoy it. We have worked hard so we are going to lean back and enjoy the time. We will be doing activities that are related to Christmas.

Congratulations to Mollie, Skyler, and Kimball. I gave away 3 more AR shirts this week. It seems that the spirit of reading is getting infectious. Several of these children chose to stay in during recess to read and take tests. I am so proud of them. Every Thursday is AR day. If you have passed 3 tests in the week from Thursday to Wednesday you can have lunch in the room. They like it and so do I. They are working hard and I love rewarding their efforts.

I did hear from the T-Shirt people. I think we are finally going to press. It seems to have been a much longer process than I had hoped. Sorry!!!

On Dec. 19, we will be doing a rotation of Christmas Around the World. The kids will go to all the teachers and learn about customs through out the world. It should be a fun day of activities.

We will have our Christmas Party on the morning of Dec. 20. I have cereal and milk covered. It might be fun to have some hot chocolate (I bought fun marshmallows), doughnuts, and whatever else you can think of for the party. Let me know your thoughts. I have a craft. . .emptying out the boxes for the last time. Since it is an early release day we will be out of school by 11:30.

Please remember if you wish to do the tax credit donation it needs to be done by Dec. 31. It is a great program and helps us tremendously.

Have a great week!!

Our First T-Shirt Star

2011-12-04T01:57:00.001-08:00

Week 16

2011-12-04T01:28:00.000-08:00

The story this week is "On the Way to the Pond." The phonics skill is the /er/ sound made by er, ir, ur. The new vocabulary words are:

find

found

four

full

these

way

were

This group of words is pretty hard because you have 5 words that start with the letter f.

In math we will be finishing up the concentrated work on addition skills. We will learn about doubles and doubles plus 1.

Congratulations to Jaelynn. She has earned the first AR shirt in the room. She has successfully passed 50 AR tests. Congratulations to Mollie, Skyler, Kimball, Tucker, and Torren. They have earned their AR zipper pulls for passing 25 tests and are in hot pursuit of a shirt. By the end of this week I am sure I will have given away some more shirts. We have started having AR lunch in the room on Thursday. If your child passes 3 tests per week they will be allowed to have lunch in the room. If your child has earned a shirt he/she needs to wear it every Thursday. It is his/her ticket to lunch in the room.

Spelling is coming along. Your child should be taking list 7 this week at the very least. If not, we will be doing some extra spelling work. . .probably at recess. I am going to spend some extra time working with those that are having trouble keeping up. Our computers have been terribly slow this last week. It has led to lots of frustrations for ALL of us in spelling and AR. Hope the hiccup there is gone by Monday.

We are entering the holiday season. The kids will be excited and the rest of us will be frazzled trying to get everything done. I hope we can keep the lid on and make this time productive. Thanks for all of your help both at home and in the room.

The book order has been placed. I will notify each of you when it arrives, in case you want to give it for Christmas.

Anyone have time to come play a game with the kids this week or listen to them read??? If so, give me a call or send me an email.

Have a great week.

Week 15

2011-11-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for all the help at the feast. I am just amazed at the number of people that showed up to eat. Sorry if any of you didn't get food or a place to sit. It was our largest turn out ever. We calculate that between 360 and 380 people were there. That is just AMAZING!!!

This week's story is a biography called "Tomas Rivera." Tomas was a young boy who picked crops with his family. He developed a love for reading and writing. He grew up to be an author and a teacher. The phonics sounds we will be working with this week are qu and wh. The wh sound is particularly hard because the kids don't really say wh anymore. They replace it with the sound of just w. This story also seems to be the story that takes us into a whole new reading level. It will get way more difficult from here on out. The new vocabulary words are:

about

books

family

grew

read

work

writing

In math we will continue to work on addition and introducing several ways to solve the problem besides counting on fingers. By the end of the year we want these facts to come to automaticity. The methods include counting up and using the number line.

Four children have earned the zipper pull in AR. I am so proud of them. One child is really close to a shirt. The kids are working hard and doing their best. I am so happy with every step they take into becoming fluent readers. That is our goal.

I will place a book order at the end of the week. If you are wanting to order for Christmas gifts you can order and I will contact you when the order comes in. You can stop by and pick them up so they will be a surprise. If you order online it gives me free books for the classroom.

Our SMART books aren't looking too smart anymore. I guess you do get what you pay for. If Santa would like to bring your child a new one for Christmas, that would be great.

Thanks so much for all you do to help your child. That in turn helps me. This is a GREAT class. What a way to exit!!! I am so lucky.

Have a great week.

Thanksgiving Week

2011-11-21T01:28:00.000-08:00

This week we will take a week off from the reading series. We will do some review and vocabulary work. There will also be no question to answer for homework. There will be a reading assignment on Monday night.

Tuesday will be the feast. If you haven't sent your $3/person for those attending, please do so. We will have posse stew, fruit salad, bread, butter, and milk. In the afternoon, we will have pumpkin dip and cookies in the room. Your child will be involved in preparing most of the things we are serving. They love this project.

You are welcome to come but please let us know so we can have enough food.

I only have 3 parents who have signed up to help. If you could give us some time with preparation, serving, or clean up on Tuesday, please contact me.

This feast has nothing to do with the school cafeteria. Your lunch account will not be charged for this meal, only for the carton of milk they drink.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Week 14

2011-11-13T00:39:00.000-08:00

This week our story is a play called "Did You See Chip?". This is the first time we have hit the play genre. It will be an interesting read. The phonics sound is /ar/ as in the word bark. The new vocabulary words are:

city

house

sometimes

take

there

In math we will be finishing up the graphing chapter and starting a new unit on addition. The kids will learn several strategies that will make addition more user friendly, such as counting on and the commutative property of addition.

Remember next Tuesday is the Thanksgiving Feast. Please send $3/person attending. I am not going to send a special note about this. I need to shop next weekend so please let me know how many will be coming. We'd hate to run short on food. The menu will be posse stew, fruit salad, homemade butter, bread and pumpkin pudding with whipped cream. The children will help prepare the meal. I need parents to help with preparation, set up in the cafeteria, and clean up afterwards. I have 3 parents that have offered. If anyone else can help, please let me know.

This will be a busy week getting costumes ready for the feast and learning about the trip to America on the Mayflower.

Have a great week.

Week 13

2011-11-06T02:30:00.000-08:00

We are starting a new reading book this week. It is called "Here and There." The difficulty of the reading level will increase in this book. The stories will become much longer and the vocabulary more difficult.

The first story is "I Am a Butterfly." This isn't a great time to study butterflies. We will do some activities now but will save most of them until Spring when I order butterfly larvae to watch grow and hatch.

The sound the week is /ch/ made by the letters ch and tch. The new vocabulary is:

air

animals

around

fly

live

soon

turns

In math we will continue reading and making graphs. Practice on math facts and skip counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's are to your child's benefit.

Spelling is moving along. The kids are getting better at moving thru the program so it is becoming easier.

We will be doing our yearly Thanksgiving feast on Tuesday, Nov. 22. If any of you can come help prepare food, set tables, clean up, or whatever please let me know. The cost will be $3 for each person attending. It is a fun time where we dress up in Native American or Pilgrim costumes and sit to eat with all the first and second grade classes.

Remember that Thursday is an Early Release for Professional Development and Friday is No School in observance of Veteran's Day.

Have a great week.

Halloween Party

2011-10-31T04:25:00.000-07:00

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Week 12

2011-10-29T02:48:00.000-07:00

I am not sure we are going to know what to do with a full week of school. I am excited. Maybe we can return to a routine and stop feeling so rushed to get everything crammed in. In the past I have slowed down during the weeks of conferences and Fall Break, but this group seems to be quite capable of going on and still learning what they need to. We didn't get to spend as much time on vocabulary practice as we usually do. You might go to the page before each story in the blue book and review all the vocabulary words with your child. This is our last week in this reader. Next week will be a new book and you will start to see a change in the reading difficulty. When we hit the story "Tomas Rivera," you will notice a definite leap. It just keeps getting harder from there on.

The story this week is a non fiction story called "Fun with Fish." The phonics sound is the digraph /sh/. The kids really enjoy this story. They like the different kinds of fish the story talks about. The vocabulary words are"

away

food

funny

hide

how

many

some

their

We are going to be working on increasing reading fluency and blending whole words in phonetically correct words and nonsense words. Our winter testing will happen the first week of December so I would like to have them comfortable with the skills they will be asked to do.

We are studying all kinds of graphs in math. This week we will do picture graphs, bar graphs and tally marks. These are usually pretty easy for most kids. Sometimes tally marks can be tricky. Especially the one that goes across. They usually get it for 5 but then it is hard to remember the one for 10.

Spelling has taken on a new dimension. The kids are having to learn to navigate the program and to type carefully. I think this may make them better at keyboarding and maybe spelling also. We are slow starting but speed will pick up with familiarity of the program. I also have a couple of old, cranky computers that on any given day may choose not to be cooperative. We are going to do the best we can with what we have. . .we have no choice.

Last week was interesting. The kids were quite helpful on the days that I had no or limited voice use. They were quiet and good listeners. I am so grateful for that. It made things much more pleasant for all of us.

Thanks for the outpouring of goodies for our Halloween party. Everyone seemed to have a good time and certainly get enough to eat. Also thanks to those of you who sent things for our soldier. He is going to be well supplied by Room 136.

Have a great week.

Thanks

2011-10-25T18:39:00.001-07:00

I have everything I need for the party. Please send the veggies on Thursday so I can make the monster tray!! It is going to be an interesting few days. I have no voice right now. I hope the kids are helpful. I have found they are either really helpful or really not!! Hope it is the helpful one.

Week 11

2011-10-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

This week is another busy week. We will continue on in the reading series and there is an Early Release and the Halloween Party on Friday. There are still lots of things available to send. I forgot to bring the list home so I can't tell you exactly what. No one has signed up for veggies or white frosting. I do remember that and the red gummy life savers. I will take care of whatever can't be sent.

This week's story is a realistic fiction piece called "Try Your Best." The phonics sound is /or/ made by the letters or and ore. The vocabulary words are:

good

Mr.

need

our

right

saw

time

try

Sorry about the homework goof last week. I have no idea how I put the same stuff on both sides but I did manage to do that. HOLY COW!!! Then I threw the originals away and they were on my home computer. We will try again this week. Thanks to those of you that just rolled with the punches.

In math this week we will be learning to organize and use data. We will start with sorts and then move on to picture graphs and problem solve. It will be a fun time. We already do a lot of this so it should be easy for us to accomplish.

With reminders most of us remembered to take a spelling test this week. It will be easier when we get into the habit. Those are new routines I have to build.

Have a great week!!!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

2011-10-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

The Halloween Party has been changed to October 28th at 9:00. Only 2 of us wanted it on Monday. We lost. This does change some of the plans. I will need the veggies on Thursday so I can prepare the tray for Friday. Menu and all other plans stay the same.

The children may wear costumes. . .just not masks or really scary or gory things.

Monster Sandwich Day

2011-10-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that I am taking this vacation to catch up!

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Ants on a Log

2011-10-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry that you may be getting ads but that is the free way. I don't want to buy a subscription. Just look at the cute kids.

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Meet the Class

2011-10-17T04:01:00.000-07:00

I finally found another site that makes slideshows. The one I have always used is no longer available.

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Week 10

2011-10-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of information in the blog this week. Please read ALL of it.

This week's story is called "Where Do Frogs Come From?" It is a non fiction story about the life cycle of frogs. The kids really seem to enjoy non fiction stories. The new phonics skill is /ng/ as in the word song. The new vocabulary words are:

eat

from

gone

grows

two

Spelling will change this week. We will start individualized spelling. I expect each child to pass at least one test per week. Everyone will start on List 1. If they miss only 1 they can move on to the next list. Each child has a book of spelling lists in their desks to use for practice. The words are also available on the blog. The link is on the side under spelling. Remember we are now linked on the elks.net website.

Flu vaccinations will be offered on Oct. 24. The information came home on Thursday in the backpacks.

There will be an information meeting on the bond issue on Oct 19th.

I am ready to order the T-shirts. If you have not sent your money, please do as soon as you can. I am looking forward to getting them.

The uncle of one of the students is serving in the war zone. We are going to adopt him as a pen pal. We will write letters, etc. I'd like for us to collect things for goodie boxes to send once in a while. There will be a box that the kids can put non-parishable items in to send to him.

I have purchased brag tags. They are really fun!!! They will be awarded by different means: some by achieving goals (math timed tests, AR, spelling, writing, etc) and some just happen (Valentines Day, birthday, etc) and some by my judgement call. I am going to visit with each child about some goals I would like for them to achieve. When they have done that, they will receive an award tag. The tags are on a long chain necklace. They will remain at school. They will be allowed to wear them home when they receive a new tag. I want them to celebrate that with you. Please return it the next day. They will be kept on hooks in the room. If grandma comes and you would like your child to share his/her achievements with that special person, write me a note and we will send it home that day. LOST TAGS WILL NOT BE REPLACED.

I am planning the Halloween Party. It will be on Halloween at 12:10. I would like to do these things. Make mummies, make spooky eyeballs, and decorate pumpkin shaped cookies. We can eat 2 of the items and then I would like to make a monster style veggie tray to serve also with some apple cider to drink. This is the item list I need. Let me know what you can provide. If someone has already signed up for it, I will ask you to send something else. I am trying to make this a small cost for everyone. I already have plates, cups and napkins. Each child will need to bring a roll of toilet paper. Needed items are:

30 small powdered doughnuts

30 red gummy lifesavers

4 tubes of red gel frosting

30 pumpkin shaped sugar cookies

2 tubs of white frosting

3 bottles of apple cider

1 bunch leafy lettuce (not iceberg)

1 bunch broccoli

1 head cauliflower

2 English cucumbers

1 bag carrot slices

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 can black olive slices

1 bunch radishes

1 large bottle ranch dressing

2 moms to help

I will need the veggies at school on Friday, Oct. 28 so I can use them to make the tray.

Thanks for reading all this. Have a great week!

Week 9

2011-10-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

Our new story is "Space Pup". He is a super hero type guy. Since this class really does well in the reading aspect for the most part we are going to forge ahead in the 2 short weeks we face. The phonics sound is short u. The vocabulary list is long:

gives

night

out

people

says

when

your

Spelling words are:

bus

bug

rug

mug

must

with

then

she

use

In math we will continue to concentrate on subtraction. Some are having trouble with the concept. You might just do a quick check at home to see if your child can tell you the signs, follow their directions, and do the problems correctly.

In writing we are working on using capitals, a punctuation mark, and leaving spaces between words. They are learning to add to existing pictures and stories. We are also starting to reread the story to see if we left out words.

Thanks so much for conference attendance. I will soon have met with every parent. That is such a good feeling. I have enjoyed visiting with you about y our child's strengths and weaknesses. Each of us needs a goal to work on.

I hope to get the T Shirts ordered so please send your money and make sure I have pictures and sizes. I would like to get these here as soon as possible so we can enjoy them to the max!!!

Remember, Thursday is an early release and Friday and Monday are no school for fall break. ENJOY!!! I think I will be ready to just sit around for a few days. This has been a busy few days. Thanks for being patient with my absences.

Week 8

2011-10-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

The story for this week is "Boots for Beth." It is about a little pig who outgrows her boots. Her friends try to help her solve her problem. The sound this week is the voiced and unvoiced /th/. Vocabulary words are:

could

friends

new

put

she

use

Spelling words are:

then

them

this

that

path

with

men

set

was

said

We will be introducing subtraction this week. The series seems to be going pretty fast thru the concepts. I think they are assuming that lots was introduced in K. I think it probably has been but we will be doing lots of extra work on it. Subtraction is a difficult concept. They are using the missing part early and that seems hard for kids. Wish us luck!!!

Thanks you so much for the great turn out and response to conferences. By the end of this week, I will have visited with every parent in my room. That is a really good feeling. I can already see the results of our visits. The kids commented on the positive comments and even on a few of their challenges. Their behavior was awesome. They were really showing me their best!!! Now I know it is possible and will be the goal we work for every day.

This is another busy week at school, These are the important dates:

Oct. 4 - I will have a substitute and "Reading Under the Stars" from 6:00-7:00 at school. They are serving hot dogs, etc. Please come out and enjoy the evening.

Oct. 6 - PICTURE DAY!!! If you want pictures, please send your money. Also our pictures will not be taken until 1:30 in the afternoon. I cannot promise you perfectly groomed children by that time of day. If you want them to be gorgeous, you might want to come at a little before 1:00 to get them groomed. I cannot do 24 hairdo's etc.

Oct. 7 - Please have your child's drawing and info back for the T-shirt by then. I would like to get them ordered.

Oct. 7 - It is Monster Sandwich Day. Your child does not need to bring a lunch. We will just enjoy the day together.

Have a great week!! I am going to. My daughter is coming from Ohio. I haven't seen her since her wedding last September so I am really excited. Thanks for understand that I will be gone a few days.

Week 7

2011-09-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

We have finished our first reading book. The new book is called "Catch a Dream." This week we are reading "Dan's Pet." It is a story about a little boy who gets a pet chick. the phonics focus this week is short e as in hen. The vocabulary words are:

day

every

her

said

was

with

Spelling words are:

hen

pen

men

end

send

set

all

call

very

that

want

walk

In math we are going to continue working on addition. This series goes very quickly. We will have to do lots of extra practice. I really want us to learn the facts to 10 to automaticity. We have started doing Math Facts in a Flash on the computer.

Important things for the upcoming weeks. There is NO SCHOOL on Thursday for RVPS ONLY!!! They have given us this time for conferences. Friday is an Early Release. We have math training in the afternoon.

October 4 is "Reading Under the Stars" and Picture Day is October 6.

Have a great week! I hope to see you at conferences. If your time doesn't work for you feel free to call me and we can reschedule.

Warnings and Updates

2011-09-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

A student just broke out with foot, hand, and mouth disease. You might want to keep your eyes open for signs of it. I know it has been other places in our room.

Also be watching for a Conference Schedule. Next Thursday the Primary School ONLY will not have school all day. We are allowed to have this day for conferences. Friday is also an Early Release.

Week 6

2011-09-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

This week's story is "All That Corn". We will be learning the short o sound of the letter a as in ball. It is anon fiction story that traces corn from the farm field to your home.

Vocabulary words:

buy

that

very

where

Spelling words are:

all

call

fall

wall

ball

tall

not

We will continue to work on the concept of addition. They are introducing things very quickly. We will do hands on activities to help with the material. We are still working on skip counting by 2's, 10's, and 5's.

We are going to have a class T-shirt. I found a great idea and would love to do it my last year. They will be $8 at the most. If you have a problem with it please let me know.

I also have to make a confession. In a senior moment I have misplaced all the permissions for blog posting and email. That is why you all are still getting info in the notebook. I thought they would show up but they haven"t. I am going to make a new document and send it. Sorry for the double work.

Remember that Friday is Early Release. We will make headbands and flags for the kids to take to the parade. They can show their ELK support.

Have a great week.

E-Mail

2011-09-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents

My school email does not seem to be working at school or at home. Please use my home email address. Get ready to either laugh or be offended but my husband came up with it because we are Rick And Tharon SASS. It is ratsass@frontiernet.net. It does work!!! The Elks one has been down for ages!!! Nothing seems to fix it.

Week 5

2011-09-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

The story this week is called "Todd's Box". The new sound is short o. We will be reviewing short a and i also. We will continue to blend new words that are easily decodable. The new vocabulary words are:

don't

Spelling for this week is:

hot

hop

pop

pot

dot

not

back

pick

now

want

walk

they

In math, we continue working on addition. I have decided to tear the math book apart and send it home daily. It is big and cumbersome. The kids have trouble finding where they are. I am also hoping this helps you see where they are and what we are doing. This week's biggest concept will be the + and + signs.

We are going to fire up the computers. We will start Facts in a Flash this week. It is a program that allows the kids to practice the math facts. They must get 40 problems correct in 4 minutes with no mistakes. It will take some time just to get used to using the program. Don't expect perfection the first few days.

If your child has shoes that tie, please practice at home. I can't keep them all tied. They are too dangerous untied. I have been told that if you teach them to go around the first loop two times, it works like double knotting but will untie easily when you pull one side. You might consider teaching that.

Please send a picture of your family and one of your child. We are going to be making some 'About me' posters.

Remember that Wednesday is an Early Release. Your child will be coming home at 11:25.

Have a great week.

Week 4

2011-09-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

This week's story is a fantasy story called "Jack and Rick." It is about a bear and a rabbit that want to play together but are on opposite sides of the stream. By working together they solve their problem. We will be working on the digraph ck. The vocabulary for this week is:

help

now

play

too

want

Spelling words are:

pick

pack

tack

back

sack

sick

big

they

walk

In math this week the big new concept is addition. We are also counting to 20 by 2's, to 50 by 5's and by 1's. Some are still struggling with this.

You all have done a great job with SMART books. They are appearing everyday and for the most part homework is done. THANKS for helping and making your child's life so much easier.

Our biggest challenges in the classroom are working quietly and getting work finished. This is a very social class. Many would much rather visit than work. I really want your child to become a happy, quiet, independent, and confident worker. That is my goal for the year. They are great kids with great potential. I hope I can tap all that potential to make them life long learners!!!

Have a great week!

Week 3

2011-08-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

This week we are reading a non fiction story called "Ants." The phonics focus sound this week is short i as in the word fin. The vocabulary words are:

make

they

walk

Spelling words for this week are:

pig

wig

win

fin

pan

yes

and

Math this week consists of finishing number 1-20, testing that concept, and introducing addition. We are also counting to 50 by 1's and 5's. Counting by 5's isn't as automatic as I had hoped it would be. You might check if your child is successful doing that.

I am impressed that nearly everyone is doing homework every night. This puts your child at such an advantage. Things that only take 10-20 minutes make such a difference in his/her success.

In the SMART Book, please remove the letter and focus page weekly. That notebook isn't very big and will get full very quickly. If you do this for one child it keeps me from having to do it for 25. Time is a big thing with very little aide time and so many kids. I'd like you to also remove the homework page that has been filled up. You may want to keep it so you can see the growth of your child over the year. It is pretty amazing the steps they will take.

Remember there is no school on Labor Day. Have a great long weekend.

2011-08-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

Week 2

We are entering our second full week of school. We are working on establishing routines and quiet work habits. I am still trying to assess all the children and get them into reading material at their level. I know that "Sam and the Bag" is not challenging for some students. We will be moving into more appropriate reading material this week. The first two reading books are pretty phonetic and pretty easy. The reading difficulty takes a big jump in book 3. Be prepared!

We are still reviewing the 23 sight words from kindergarten and focusing on short a.

This week our new vocabulary words are:

and

yes

The spelling words for the week are:

ham

had

bad

bag

rag

cap

mad

In math we will be reviewing the number to 20. The teen numbers seem to be the hardest. I have already seen several children confusing 12 and 20 and 13 and 30. Please take a look at your child's work when it comes home. You may see some problems that you can help remediate.

The air conditioning is on. If your child complains of being cold, please send an old sweatshirt or sweater that they can leave at school. They can keep it in their cubbie and get it when they need to.

If you have not returned your Blog Permission form please do. I really can't post any pictures until I have it. I have some pretty cute ones of Hat Day that I would love to share.

Thanks for keeping up in the SMART Books. Hopefully we are getting better at getting them and their reading material home after school. Routines take a while to learn. We work on those everyday. But once we learn them things will b much freer in the classroom.

Studies show that children that spend more than 2 hours engaged in video media, are 50% more likely to have attention difficulties.

Have a great week!

Week 1

2011-08-13T05:55:00.000-07:00

We will be starting our first week in the reading series. The story is called "The Hat". We will be working on the short a sound (the sound in the middle of cat) and the -at word family. We will continue to review the words learned in Kindergarten and will add these three new words:

down

got

We will also take the first spelling test on Friday. They are all short a words that each child should be able to use phonics skills to sound out. We will practice in class but you might want to practice at home also. The words are:

hat

cat

can

cap

tap

map

mad

the

We will be using the spelling tests that come with the reading program for the first 8-9 weeks. Then we will go into individual spelling. Those lists are the ones listed on the blog. I will list the first ones weekly in my update.

There will be homework every night this week. Each night there will be something to read and a question to answer in the SMART Book. Please sign in the box when homework has been completed.

In an effort to save paper, I will be using this blog for communication. I will send paper copies to those without internet access. Please sign and return the blog permission form. If you need another one please send me a note or call and I will send one with your child.

If you have any questions, please call 333-6536 (room) or 333-4529 (home). My husband gets up very early for work (3:30 a.m.) so please don't call the house after 8 p.m. We are early to bed and early to rise people.

Remember Parents' Night is August 16 at 6:30. Come to the classroom. I will be explaining my procedures and expectations for this school year. Bring your questions. Hopefully this meeting will make things much easier for all of us.

I could use another mom of Thursday afternoon if someone could come in. If you can, let me know!! Thanks.

Have a great week!!!

Another Freebie

2011-08-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

Cole's Little Pups is having a give away. Pop over to her site to join.

Great Giveaway!!!

2011-08-01T14:38:00.001-07:00

Teacher friends and blogging friends Finally in First is having a great giveaway at her blog!!! Go check it out!

New items!!!

2011-07-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

I follow lots of teacher blogs. In order to get some free things, I have to post on my blog. Check out this cute unit. First Grade Awesomeness

AR Stars

2011-05-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

Week 37

2011-05-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it is the last week of the school year. Please read with your child this summer. Statistics show that a child can lose up to 70% of what they learned if it isn't reinforced. Help your child not be a statistic.

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

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Tell me 5 words with the /igh/ sound.

Tuesday - What did you like best about game day?

Wednesday - What did you thing was the most fun about park day?

Thursday - What are your plans for the summer?

It has been a great year. Thank you for sharing your child with me. Be sure to check back because I forgot my camera. I will post more AR pictures later this week.

I'd like for us to all wear our AR shirts on Thursday again. I'd like a picture of all of us. I had several absent last Thursday.

I hope you and your child will participate in my summer reading challenge.

TOMORROW WILL BE MONSTER SANDWICH DAY. Your child will not need a lunch.

Have a great summer.

Week 36

2011-05-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

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 /00/ making the sound it does in the word cool. The new vocabulary is:

against

careful

fine

quietly

shook

Questions of the Week

Monday - What was your favorite activity at Dome Day?

Tuesday - Would you like to be an astronaut?

Wednesday - Tell me 4 words with the /oo/ sound.

Thursday - Use the word against in a sentence.

Friday - Use the word quietly in a sentence.

Math for the rest of the year will be a review.

On May 25 we will be walking to Ramsey Park. Be on the lookout for a permission slip. We will leave school at about 10:30 and arrive there about 11:00. I hope some of you will be able to walk with us. The Springerville Police Department will block off the hill while we walk over it. Thanks to them for helping keep us safe!

Have a great week.

WE WON!!

2011-05-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

OUR LITTLE CLASS OF 19 OUT PULLED ALL THE OTHER CLASSES!!! They were awesome. No homework over the weekend. I didn't want to deal with backpacks so they are still at school. Please believe your child!! Many were kind of bothered by it. They will bring it home on Monday!! They are by their chair in the room.

Week 35

2011-05-09T04:56:00.000-07:00

This week we are reading "Sleep is for Everyone." It is a nonfiction story giving information about why sleep is important, and giving facts and details 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

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Tell me 3 words that rhyme with head.

Tuesday - What would you do with $20.00?

Wednesday - Look out your window. Tell me 3 things that you see.

Thursday - What do you look forward to doing this summer?

Friday - What was your favorite part of Dome Day?

We are down to only 3 students who don't have AR shirts. Mrs. Sloane is working hard with them to accomplish this goal. I have given away several in the last 2 weeks. It will be wonderful for everyone to do that.

Some of us still need to work harder at spelling.

Remember that Dome Day is Friday. If your child does not have a signed permission slip, he/she will not be allowed to go. Please return them ASAP. It is a fun day for everyone. Your child will need a lunch that day. You can get one from the cafeteria but they usually aren't too good. Part of the fun of going on a field trip, is getting to choose what is in the lunch.

It is hard to believe that the year is almost over. What a great ride!!!

Have a great week!

We will reach the review chapter in math this week. 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.

Week34

2011-05-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

Our story this week is "Poppleton Everyday". The phonics focus this week is long oo sound made by u-e as in tune. The new vocabulary is:

boy

bought

few

head

ready

Questions of the Week:

Monday - It is a new month. What one is it? How many days does it have?

Tuesday - Sunday was May Day. Did you give someone a May Basket?

Wednesday - Tell me 5 words with long u made by u-e.

Thursday - Tell me 5 words that describe an apple.

Friday - Tell me 3 other ways to make the number 6.

In math we will be solving number grid problems and working with fractions this week. Once we get the new concepts with fractions it will be pretty much review from here on out.

It is a busy week. We will be watching the High School Show Choir on Monday. On Thursday afternoon we will watch the kindergarten program.

Thanks to all you for supporting the carnival. Seems like everyone had a great time.

Have a great week.

Carnival

2011-04-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

The school carnival is on Friday from 5:30-7:30. From the phone call I just got it sounds like we need cupcakes or cakes for the cakewalk. If you can help us out call 333-6500.

More AR Stars

2011-04-25T04:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Gage, MacKenzie, Felicity, and Taelynn.

Week 33

2011-04-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

Our story this week is a non fiction one called "How to Be a Nature Detective." The phonics sound to review is long o. The new vocabulary words are:

clues

detective

floor

nature

piece

pulls

Questions of the Week:

Monday - First Seeing Eye Dog, 1928. Describe something you see.

Tuesday - What plants and animals do you see around your house?

Wednesday - Name 5 kinds of trees.

Thursday - The first TV ball game, 1939. Are you playing ball this summer?

Friday - Tell me 5 things you can do instead of watching TV.

Math this week will be mostly about the number grid. We will locate numbers on it and solve puzzles using it.

Mrs. Sloane is coming in daily to help those who are still working on getting an AR shirt. It is so nice to be able to have her do this. Hopefully everyone will be wearing one by the end of the year.

Congratulations to Taelynn!! She earned her Sonic card this week. She has passed 150 AR tests.

Remember we walk to the Forest Service this week on Thursday. If you haven't returned your permission slip, please do so. We will leave at about 12:15. If you are a chaperone, please come at about 12:05. We will need to use the bathroom, etc before we leave.

Have a great week.

Week 32

2011-04-17T07:17:00.001-07:00

We are doing some switching around. The Forest Service cannot do us this week so we are skipping the story, "How to Be a Nature Detective." We will read it next week. We will go to the Forest Service on Thursday, April 28, at 12:15. Please watch for a field trip permission slip.

This week we will read "The Puddle". The story has a mix of realistic and make-believe parts. The sound for the is that -ge and -dge both make the /j/ sound. The vocabulary is?

angry

okay

nearly

sorry

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Keep America Beautiful. Tell me 2 things you can do to help.

Tuesday - Sports & Fitness Day. How many sit ups can you do?

Wednesday - National Garden Month. What would you grow in a garden?

Thursday - No Homework. Happy Easter!!!

In math we will begin the study of fractions. On Thursday we will do some serious math dealing with jelly beans. I hope it is fun for the kids.

In AR this week, Felicity earned her shirt and MacKenzie got her watch. Those that are working are really working and those that aren't are not making the progress I had hoped for. One or two are getting more excited as they get closer to their goal. I would like to see every child in a shirt by the end of the year.

Thursday is AR lunch. If you have earned a shirt and do not have it on you will not be allowed to eat in the room. Please remind your child of this. I know things get misplaced but they now have 3 days to find it.

A couple important dates: remember Friday is No School for Good Friday! The next week is early release on Friday for the school carnival that will be at our school than evening from 5:30-7:30.

Have a great week and Happy Easter!

Week 31

2011-04-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Our story this week is a non-fiction piece called "Fishing Bears." It is an informational story about the Alaskan Brown Bear. The phonics lesson is reviewing the long sound of i, especially in words like kind and wild. The vocabulary list is short, only three words. They are:

both

during

ready

Questions of the Week:

Monday - It is Wildlife Week. Tell me 5 animals you might see in the forest.

Tuesday - Tell me 5 things that live in trees.

Wednesday - Tell me 5 things that live in the lake.

Thursday - Tell me 5 things that live in the ocean.

Friday - Tell me 5 things that live in the jungle.

In math we will doing lots of new things. We will be learning about hundreds, tens, and ones in place value, telling number stories, making change, and starting a section on fractions. Making change is probably the most difficult part.

Spelling is coming along. Most students are making adequate progress.

AR still is exciting in the room. Watching these kids become readers is so exciting. I can honestly say that every child in this room can read fairly comfortably in the reading book we are in. We are still working toward meeting the May goal of 40 WPM in fluency on unseen text. Please keep encouraging your child to reach the next AR goal. I would love it if everyone earned a shirt!!!

Hopefully on Thursday, April 21, we will walk to the Forest Service to see the mural and look for all the animals in it. Our story next week is "How to Be a Nature Detective" so we will go there to see how good we are. The woman I have to schedule with was out of town at training last week, so I should know by Monday afternoon. I had hoped to go on Wed, the 20th but I can't because Jodi Goodsell will be coming for three Wednesday afternoons to teach us about good nutrition.

If you would like to walk with us please let me know. We will go at about 12:15 and should be back by 2:00. WATCH FOR THE PERMISSION SLIP THAT YOU WILL NEED TO SIGN AND RETURN.

Didn't the kids do a great job at the program on Friday. Have a great week!!!

Week 30

2011-04-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS POST. Our first grade music program is Friday, April 8 at 1:30. Be sure to come see your child be a star!!!

Our story for this week is "Frog and Toad All Year." It is a fiction piece that has a story within a story. The phonics focus is long a made by ai and ay. The vocabulary words for the week are:

caught

cold

hurried

near

son

sure

Question of the Week

Monday - The Pony Express was established in 1860. What did it carry?

Tuesday - It is National Humor Month. Tell me a joke.

Wednesday - It is Dandelion Day. Do you think a dandelion is a weed or a flower?

Thursday - It is National Garden Month. If you had a garden what would you plant?

Friday - Today is Pick Your Own Name Day. What name would you choose?

In math, we will be continuing money practice, learning about hundreds, tens and ones, and writing number stories.

Thanks to all of you who ordered books online. Every time you order online the class gets a free book. That is helpful. I try to choose something that fits AR so it is a double for us.

Have a great week. I hope to see you at the program on Friday.

Week 29

2011-03-26T02:59:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great break. Hopefully we are rested and ready to finish up this school year.

We will be starting our last book of the year. Can you believe that??? The first story is called "The Story of a Bluebird." It is a fiction story about a little bird who is afraid to fly. The phonics focus for this story is long i made by igh. The new vocabulary words are:

afraid

flew

join

learn

nothing

thought

wonder

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Tell me three things you did over spring break?

Tuesday - What season came while we were on break? What is going to happen in this season?

Wednesday - It is National Goof Off Day. Tell me 5 things you like to do for fun.

Thursday - List 4 ways we can communicate with people who live far away.

Friday - List 5 words that have the long i sound made by 'igh'.

In math we will be continuing our geometry section, with more polygons and naming 3 dimensional shapes. We will also review counting money.

AR continues to roll. I hope we didn't lose the enthusiasm over break. We are becoming so much better readers because we are reading more. It is just amazing to see the growth in reading fluency.

Our music program will be on April 8th at 1:30 in the cafeteria. You might want to put this on your calendar.

If things go as planned, we will be walking to the Forest Service to look at the mural on April 21st. If anyone can go with us, let me know. We will go after lunch. This is a tentative plan at this point.

Have a great week!!

Way to Go MacKenzie and Kayden

2011-03-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Week 28

2011-03-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

This week we will be reading 'Busy Buzzy Bee." It is a non fiction story that will give us lots of information about bees. The phonics focus is long o made by o-e. The new vocabulary words are:

another

change

field

touch

twelve

wait

wild

Questions of the Week

Monday - Tell me 5 things that make noise.

Tuesday - It is Nutrition Month. Tell me 5 things that are good for you to eat.

Wednesday - Tell me 5 words that have the long o sound made by o-e.

Thursday - It is St. Patrick's Day. What did you wear that is green?

Friday - It is Youth Art Month. What do you like best. . .paints, crayons, watercolors, etc?

We will spend this week on geometric shapes, both 2 and 3 dimensional. We will continue to do timed tests to build automaticity. Time and money are always something that we work on.

Congratulations to Kayden. He earned his AR shirt this week. Kids seem to be reading all the time. What a difference it has made for the fluency of those who do this. It is so exciting to watch the light bulb go off. Watching children become fluent readers is the highlight of my job!!!

Have a great week!!

Congratulations to all.

2011-03-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

It was a VERY busy Friday. Five children received AR awards. . .Caden, Tae, Felicity, Trevor, and Jessica!!!

Congratulations Gage!!!

2011-03-07T06:18:00.001-08:00

Week 27

2011-03-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

This week we are reading "Little Bear's Friend." It is a fantasy story where animals talk and take on human qualities. The sound for the week is the long i sound made by the letter y at the end of a word as in why. The new vocabulary words are:

again

blue

high

love

opened

hello

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Today is Save Your Vision Day. List things you can do to have healthy eyes.

Tuesday - "Remember the Alamo." Where is this famous fort? Name someone who fought there?

Wednesday - Happy birthday, cornflakes, 1897. What is your favorite cereal?

Thursday - Alexander Graham Bell's first phone message, 1876. List some good phone manners. Do you know your phone number?

Friday - List 4 words where the y is making the long i sound.

In math we will be doing attributes, pattern blocks, and polygons.

This will be a crazy week with two early release days on Wednesday and Friday. I have scheduled conferences on both days. If you have forgotten your conference time please call me.

Congratulations to Felicity for earning a zipper pull. Trevor earned his shirt, Taelynn and Caden earned watches, and Jessica got a Sonic card. I am so pleased with everyone's enthusiasm and reading growth.

Have a great week.

Week 26

2011-02-27T05:38:00.000-08:00

This week we are reading a non fiction story called "On the Job with Dr. Martha Smith." This story is written in the interview style to gain information about her job at an animal shelter. The phonics focus this week is /ou/(what you would say if I pinched you) made by the letter ou and ow. The new vocabulary words are:

any

Dr.

busy

care

eight

took

Questions-of-the-Week

Monday - Tomorrow is a new month. What one is it? How many days are in it?

Tuesday - Use the word busy in a sentence.

Wednesday - Today is Pick Up the Phone Day. Who would you call? What is your phone number?

Thursday - Tell me 5 words that name animal sounds.

Friday - List 5 words with /ou/ sound.

Math this week will be time to the 5 minutes, which we do not have to master but only introduce, and quarters. The touch points are two at the top, one in the middle, and two on the bottom for a quarter. They will still count money by 5's. We will continue with problem solving, graphing, and timed tests on math facts.

We are going to spend some time on handwriting. Ours seems to be deteriorating rather than improving. We are almost second graders so this has to improve.

Spelling is going pretty well. You child should be on List 18 this week. If not, he/she will be in during morning recess working on spelling.

I will be sending out conference schedules this week. Please be on the look out for yours.

Reading fluency seems to be improving. This is a really important skill and we have been working hard on it. The kids that are getting to AR every day are really doing better. Their fluency speed is building and they will probably meet benchmark by the end of the year. Reading practice is so important. I don't know at this time how the kids are going to be tested, but if they are not on grade level by third grade they will be retained. This is a state mandate, not a local one. This means the pressure is on for all of us. Your help at home is so important.

Congratulations to Gage. He earned a shirt on Friday. I didn't have my camera so no picture yet. MacKenzie will get a zipper pull on Monday. I am so excited to see the enthusiasm for reading. It is showing in their reading ability.

Have a great week!

Two more AR Stars

2011-02-20T18:24:00.002-08:00

Valentine Party

2011-02-20T18:24:00.001-08:00

Week 25

2011-02-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

This week we are reading a science fiction story called "My Robot". It is by Eve Bunting. The phonics lesson is c sounding like s as in cent. The new vocabulary words are:

almost

always

does

even

once

pretty

say

sound

Questions of the Week:

Monday - holiday

Tuesday - What did you do over your long weekend?

Wednesday - The first bathtub was installed in the White House in 1851. How many bathtubs are in your house?

Thursday - It is Wilhelm Grimm's birthday. What is your favorite fairy tale?

Friday - Use the word always in a sentence.

On Friday I taught the kids how to play a math game by using a deck of cards. Remove all face cards, jokers, and 10s. Lay out the cards in three rows of three cards each. Then pick up each partnership that adds up to 10. When you can make no more pairs, replace the missing cards to make the 3 by 3 grid. Keep going until you have picked up all the cards or can make no more moves. The kids loved it and it was great practice for addition facts of 10.

This week we will be measuring by centimeters, reviewing "What's My Rule?", and adding the quarter to our study of money.

The kids loved the Valentine Party. Thanks to all of you who stepped in to help. Wish I could have been there. I think I am finally on the mend. If only this cough would go away!!!

Congratulations to Race for earning her AR shirt. It does my heart good to see these kids pick up books and read. It will definitely help build our fluency skills, which is what we are judged on at the end of the year.

Have a great week!!!

Week 24

2011-02-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

This week's story is a fiction story called "Tell Me a Story." It is about a little girl who likes to listen to her Abuelita (grandma) tell her stories of times gone by. The phonics sound is long i as in the word time. The new vocabulary is:

because

cook

front

listen

most

picture

why

young

Questions of the Week

Monday - What does your favorite valentine say?

Tuesday - The first public school was established, 1865. What is the name of our school?

Wednesday - List 5 words where the c sounds like/s/.

Thursday - The US Weather Bureau started in 1870. Write about today's weather.

Friday - List 5 words with the long i sound.

Math is going well. We are in the second book. It has fewer lessons than the first one so we will have plenty of time to finish. This week will center on fact families.

Congratulations to Caden for earning his AR shirt. We just keep doing better. The kids are really getting the hang of it and I am already seeing reading improve. This is a good thing.

I have the crud!!! I will not be there tomorrow since I still have a fever today. I hope the kids have a good party. Thanks to all you moms who have stepped up to help me out. I am taking this day by day. I feel better today than yesterday so maybe this won't be a long term thing.

Have a good week.

Monster Sandwich Day

2011-02-09T06:26:00.001-08:00

Monster Sandwich Day

2011-02-09T06:17:00.000-08:00

Monster Sandwich Day

2011-02-09T06:09:00.001-08:00

Monster Sandwich Day

2011-02-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

AR Stars

2011-02-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

Addie managed to get a Sonic card before she left. She passed 150 AR tests.

AR Stars

2011-02-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

Week 23

2011-02-06T04:58:00.000-08:00

This week's story is a non fiction one called "At Home Around the World." The phonics emphasis will be on y making the long e sound as at the end of the word bunny. We will also review the long vowel sounds we have had so far. The reading level of this story is much higher than the one we had last week. The vocabulary words are:

above

hold

warm

different

old

water

years

Questions of the Week:

Monday - It is School Nurse Day. List some ways she helps us.

Tuesday - Use the word above in a sentence.

Wednesday - Tell me 5 words that end with y making the long e sound.

Thursday - Use the word different in a sentence.

Friday - It is Chocolate Month. What is your favorite thing made from chocolate?

We will start our new math book this week. We will be doing probability, turn around facts, the addition/subtraction table and number collection boxes. Along with this we will continue working on problems solving, graphing, and building speed with math facts.

Many have really worked hard to catch up in spelling. We should be on List 16 this week at the least. That is only passing one list per week since we have started spelling. I would hope that many can accomplish more than that.

AR is moving along well. Several have really caught the bug to earn a shirt or a watch or more. Trevor has earned his zipper pull but is having to wait until my new order comes in. I'm glad he is being patient. I'm sure Jessica has her watch now and Addie earned a Sonic card for passing 150 tests before she moved.

Please start sending valentines before next Monday. It is really hard to get them all passed out on one day. Our party will be on Monday, Feb. 14 at 12:10. Please have your child put his/her name on the card, so we can do an activity with the cards after recess.

Remember Friday is an Early Release Day.

Have a great week.

Week 22

2011-01-31T00:11:00.000-08:00

Our story this week is "Me on the Map." It is a non-fiction story. The sound this week is long a as in cape. The new vocabulary words are:

country

Earth

over

special

town

world

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Tomorrow will start a new month. Which one is it? How many days in it? Any other special things about the month?

Tuesday - List 5 words that rhyme with lake.

Wednesday - Use the word special in a sentence.

Thursday - Use the word country in a sentence.

Friday - List 5 words with the long a sound.

Friday will be Monster Sandwich Day. Your child will not need a lunch that day. We earned the reward two weeks ago but because of Early Release and the fact that I have to notify the cafeteria a week in advance, we have to wait to have it. The kids seem to like it and they eat so much better.

Math kinda got put on the back burner this week as far as the math book is concerned. I found a new way for the kids to learn to count money. Let's see if I can explain it. A nickel gets one dot and a dime gets two. Then the children count by fives. It makes it so they don't have to count by 10's then count by 5's and then by 1's. When we get the quarter, it will get 5 dots and they will continue to count by 5's. When your child is developmentally ready to not use that method they will give it up. For now it makes it so much easier. Everyone caught on to it in about twenty minutes. WHAT AN EXCITING THING!!!

This week we will finally get to "What's My Rule?" and will begin a new math book. It starts with probability and turn around facts. We are studying the facts of 10 and taking timed tests on them daily.

Spelling is getting better. Most are catching up. This week your child needs to be on List 15. They have worked hard to get there.

Have a great week!!!

Week 21

2011-01-23T00:23:00.001-08:00

Monday is the 100th day of school. We will be doing activities that deal with 100 all day long. It should be a fun day.

The book is called Time Together. Our story this week is "A Bed Full of Cats." The phonics sound is long e, made by e, ea, and ee. The new vocabulary words are:

also

anything

know

moved

only

room

should

those

write

Questions of the Week

Monday - What did you like best about the 100th Day?

Tuesday - List 5 nouns.

Wednesday - List 5 words that rhyme with me.

Thursday - List 5 words that have the long e sound.

Friday - What is your favorite TV program?

In math we will be doing the "What's My Rule?" routine. We didn't get there last week. We will continue to work on math facts daily.

Spelling is still a problem. Some are starting to catch up. This week they must be on List 14. If not, we will spend morning recess on spelling. You should have the book, I gave you with the words in it and they are also on the blog. www.thesassclass.blogspot.com.

AR has become important. I am so glad. I think we will see reading fluency improve as they spend more time reading. Congratulations to Caden and Race for earning zipper pulls this week.

Remember that Friday is an Early Release Day.

Have a great week!

Congratulations AR Stars

2011-01-17T01:41:00.000-08:00

Addie has passed 100 tests to earn a watch.

Jessica has passed 50 tests to earn a shirt.

Week 20

2011-01-17T01:20:00.000-08:00

door

kind

made

who

would

Questions of the Week

Tuesday - List 5 words with the long o sound.

Wednesday - List 5 words that rhyme with low.

Thursday - What would you do with $20?

Friday - List the people in your family

In math this week, we will continue working on building speed with math facts. We will also be doing work with probability and learning the "What's My Rule" routine.

Spelling isn't progressing as I had hoped. Many just aren't remembering to go to the computer to take a test. Your child should have passed at least one test per week. This week he/she should be on List 13. If your child is not on that list, there will be no morning recess until he/she catches up. Please have your child practice spelling words at home. We have practice time every morning for at least 10 minutes.

Reading fluency is still our main objective for the rest of the year. There will be a progress monitoring session on Tuesday to see if we are building speed. Your child will be expected to read 40 WPM by May to reach first grade benchmark.

AR seems to have taken off. The kids seem to be more interested now. I am hoping that the reading necessary to take the tests will also help us build fluency. Congratulations to Addie for earning a watch. She has really been working hard to earn as many awards as she can before she moves in February. Congratulations to Jessica for earning her AR shirt. Also Congratulations to Taelynn for earning a zipper pull.

Have a good week!!

Week 19

2011-01-09T00:21:00.000-08:00

We are continuing to work on reading fluency. The story for this week is called "Friends Forever." It is a non-fiction story. The phonics sound for the week is "le" as in the word middle. The new vocabulary words are:

each

great

other

place

school

talk

together

Questions of the Week

Monday - What things let you know that winter is here?

Tuesday - What activities do you like to do in winter?

Wednesday - What is your favorite sport?

Thursday - Use the word 'together' in a sentence.

Friday - Write 3 words that have 'le' at the end.

In math, we will be working on greater than and less than and then moving into how much greater than or less than. We will continue to do timed tests to build automaticity in math facts.

I am pushing spelling. I am trying to get those that are behind caught up. I hope you will help your child practice the spelling lists at home. They are on the blog and also in the book I sent home with you.

I have changed our Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders games. I have put words on the cards to be used. They must read the sight or vocabulary word to be able to move. I am hoping this will help us practice those words that are so important to fluent reading. If any of you are interested in doing this at home, let me know. I have the word lists typed up and would be willing to print you a set of labels to put on the cards.

I am also having the kids spend more time on self selected reading. They are starting to work on AR. My goal is for them to become fluent readers and they will only do that by reading.

Have a good week.

Week 18

2011-01-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope 2011 is kind to everyone.

The resolution in our room is going to be to build reading fluency. The previous skills have been mastered very well. Now we need to build speed. We will be working on it daily. Your child will be expected to read 40 words per minute on unseen text with no picture clues by May to reach benchmark. Please remember that the new state law says that any third grader not reading on grade level by whatever standard they choose can and will be retained. I find that pretty frightening so we will really be working hard.

The story this week is "On the Way to the Pond." The phonics skill is the /er/ sound made by er, ir, ur. The new vocabulary words are:

find

found

four

full

these

way

were

This group of words is pretty hard because you have 5 words that start with the letter f.

Questions of the Week:

Monday - What was your favorite Christmas gift?

Tuesday - First roller skates, 1884. Is roller skating good exercise? Why?

Wednesday - It is Flower Day. What is your mom's favorite flower?

Thursday - Use the word full in a sentence.

Friday - Write 5 words with the /er/ sound.

In math we will continue with place value. Math facts are an emphasis. We will continue to work on getting them to automaticity.

Spelling is not going as well as I had hoped. Many are just not taking the time to get to the computer to test. We have practice time every morning as a part of our morning routine.

We will start having AR Day a week from Thursday. We will have lunch in the room if you have earned a zipper pull, a shirt, or have passed 3 tests in the previous week. If you have a shirt you need to wear it on Thursday. It is the ticket to lunch.

We did win a pizza lunch on Friday. Then they told me it would be ice cream. We will have pizza in the room as promised even if I have to buy it. The kids did well and deserve what they were promised. Do not plan on sending a lunch on Friday. We will have a pizza party in the room.

Thanks for all the help and support you give me and our class. Have a great week.

WE WON!!

2010-12-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

We won the food drive sponsored by the high school student council. Our class brought in 220 food items. Thank you so much for your participation. We will have our party on January 7th. I will get the details to you when we all get them worked out.

The First AR Shirt

2010-12-14T00:58:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Addie for earning the first AR shirt of this school year. She passed 50 AR tests to earn this. I hope this is just the first of many. Last year 20/22 earned them and I gave away 17 watches. It is GREAT reading practice.

Week 17

2010-12-13T01:21:00.000-08:00

We are taking a week off from the reading series. We will still be reading but using other materials this week. I love this time of year so we will be doing activities that go along with the season.

Our party will be Friday morning at 9:00. Since it is an early release day we will need to do it early. Hopefully this will allow some clean up time so the room will be ready to back to in the new year.

Questions of the Week

Monday - What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?

Tuesday - If you could only have one gift, what would it be?

Wednesday - What should Santa bring me for Christmas?

Thursday - What would you like to get your family for Christmas?

Friday - MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We seem to be getting the hang of spelling on the computer. It is different than having someone give you the test orally. The hardest part is getting some of the kids to go to the computer to take a test. They are getting better at that also.

Reading Fluency seemed to be the hardest part for us on the DIBELS test. This will be the emphasis for the next semester. It is going to take lots of practice to bring those score up. The benchmark for December was 20 words per minute on unseen text. In May the benchmark is 40 words per minute. This is going to require some hard work on all of our parts.

Please have Santa bring new glue sticks. They are wonderful but they sure don't last very long. I bought 100 before school started and we only have a few left. Guess next year I'd better buy at least 200.

I am making a classroom wish list: Glue sticks, dry erase markers, cheap paper plates both large and small, paper cups, another Candy Land game, and anything else you think might be useful.

I will not be sending homework over the holiday. It would really be helpful if you child read some over the vacation. I am not sending reading books because sometimes they get left at grandma's, etc. Just use any books you have at home.

Have a happy and safe holiday season. See you in the new year.

Week 16

2010-12-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

about

books

family

grew

read

work

writing

In math we will continue working with the facts of 10 and learning them to automaticity. We will also be learning about place value. We will be doing ones and tens.

Questions of the Week

Monday - Tell me 5 things you see that let you know that Christmas is coming.

Tuesday - Tell me 5 things you hear that let you know that Christmas is coming.

Wednesday - Tell me 5 things you taste that let you know that Christmas is coming.

Thursday - Tell me 5 things you smell that let you know that Christmas is coming.

Friday - Tell me 5 things you touch that let you know that Christmas is coming.

Is anyone willing to contact parents to organize the Christmas party. I have a craft and a game. I will need paper goods and food. It will be in the morning on the 17th. Seems like donuts and hot chocolate might be a good thing. Also can someone do tree shaped sugar cookies that the kids can decorate??? I even have a cutter if someone will do them. We would need green frosting also. I have all kinds of sprinkles, etc. to decorate them.

Have a great week.

PSA

2010-11-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

It is pretty cool in some of the rooms at school. If your child has an old sweatshirt or sweater that he/she can leave in the cubby it might be a good idea. That way he/she will always have something available if the temperature is not comfortable.

The kids will go outside when it is cold. Please make sure your child has a warm coat, gloves, and a hat that covers the ears. If this is a problem for you please let me know. We can find some clothing to keep your child warm.

Week 15

2010-11-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to all of you who helped with the feast preparations. It seemed to be a great success!!! I am so glad that so many of you were able to come. Your children love it when you are at school. I love to see the excitement on their faces.

city

house

sometimes

take

there

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Use last week's lined pages to tell me about your vacation.

Tuesday - Tomorrow starts a new month. What month is it? How many days in it? Anything special about this month?

Wednesday - What did we use to make butter last week?

Thursday - Happy Birthday Bingo, 1929. What is your favorite game?

Friday - Tell me 5 things you can do with a toy animal.

In math we are working on math facts. Memorizing the facts through 10 is really important. We will be taking timed tests daily to work on this.

Spelling is progressing. The kids are learning to use the program so that is making things much better. This is another learning curve added to the academics. I like the fact that I am not using volunteer time or aide time to give spelling tests.

We are working hard on building reading reading fluency. You can help by reading and rereading stories at home. Also checking to see if your child is learning the vocabulary words will help. We are doing lots of games and computer work to accomplish mastery. The important part of this is that the state has passed a law that says that if your child is not reading on grade level by third grade, they will be retained. The crunch is on!!!

Have a great week.

The Feast

2010-11-28T07:55:00.001-08:00

Making Butter

2010-11-27T09:24:00.000-08:00

Veteran's Day

2010-11-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

We had a great discussion about soldiers. I love the things the kids wrote about them.

More Thanksgiving Activities

2010-11-24T04:44:00.000-08:00

We read the book "If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620". The kids learned lots about the Mayflower and the people who sailed on it. I have taken pictures of the books we made after reading the story. I took pictures of the insides of several of the books. The kids were totally taken with the fact that even the children had to drink beer because the water turned sour. They were also pretty undone by the fact that the Pilgrim children didn't get to take toys and had to wear the same thing day after day and didn't put on jammies to sleep.

Cereal Boxes

2010-11-22T04:56:00.000-08:00

I don't eat much cereal at my house so could you save me the fronts of your boxes? I have some activities I would like to do with them.

Thanks!

Thanksgiving week

2010-11-21T04:24:00.000-08:00

Tuesday will be the feast. If you haven't sent your $3/person for those attending, please do so. We will have posse stew, fruit salad, bread, butter, and milk. In the afternoon, we will have pumpkin pudding in the room. You child will be involved in preparing most of the things we are serving. They love this project.

You are welcome to come but please let us know so we can have enough food.

I only have 2 parents who have signed up to help. If you could give us some time with preparation, serving, or clean up on Tuesday, please contact me.

This feast has nothing to do with the school cafeteria. Your lunch account will not be charged for this meal, only for the carton of milk they drink. I think that many of you are confusing it with the meal that the cafeteria served on Wednesday of last week.

Have a great and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Week 14

2010-11-15T02:35:00.001-08:00

The sound the week is /ch/ made by the letters ch and tch. The new vocabulary is:

air

animals

around

fly

live

soon

turns

Questions of the Week

Monday - It is Children's Book Week. What are two of your favorite books?

Tuesday - List 5 words with the ch sound.

Wednesday - List 5 words that rhyme with hatch.

Thursday - It is Child Safety Month. What can you do to stay safe?

Friday - It is Homemade Bread Day. What is your favorite kind of bread?

We are starting Rocket Math this week. We will be taking timed tests on math facts each day. We will also be finishing up the unit on measurement.

Remember the Thanksgiving Feast on Nov. 23. So far I have received very few notes and no money. I will need to shop next weekend so please take care of this. It is $3 per person attending. We will be making our costumes for the feast this week.

Remember that Friday is an Early Release Day for the kids. We will be doing professional development that afternoon. I know that some of you don't send your kids on ER days because it is so short. We do go on with the curriculum so your child is missing valuable instruction on those days.

Have a great week!!!

Week 13

2010-11-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

away

food

funny

hide

how

many

some

their

Questions of the Week

Monday - Where is your house? (Physical address)

Tuesday - How many door knobs are in your house?

Wednesday - How many windows are in your house?

Thursday - Holiday

Friday - What color is your house?

In math this week we will continue measurement. We are doing the foot, the inch and using the 6-inch ruler. We will continue to work on memorizing math facts. That is ongoing for the whole year.

Remember that Thursday there will be no school in observance of Veteran's Day. We will be back on Friday.

Have a great week!

Monster Sandwich Day

2010-11-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Below are the veggie tray and eyeball brownies we had at Monster Sandwich Day. I got so busy making sandwiches that I didn't get any pictures this time. The kids really seemed to enjoy it. They can earn it again by having good classroom behavior. Hope we get to do it again soon.

Halloween Party 2

2010-11-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

Halloween Party 1

2010-11-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

Week 12

2010-11-01T03:59:00.000-07:00

Finally!!! A normal week of school. It seems like forever since we have had one.

This week's story is a realistic fiction piece called "Try Your Best." The phonics sound is /or/ made by the letters or and ore. The vocabulary words are:

good

Mr.

need

our

right

saw

time

try

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Tell me 5 things to do with your pumpkin.

Tuesday - List 5 things that make noise.

Wednesday - List 5 things that are quiet.

Thursday - List 5 words that rhyme with more.

Friday - Use the work right in a sentence.

The new material in math will deal with measurement. We will be measuring using nonstandard units, feet, and inches. Please continue to work with money at home.

I have purchased a spelling program that will allow the students to take their spelling tests on the computer. This program tracks their scores and lets me see what words they have missed. You child will be allowed to take one test per day. I will be checking to see if they are using their words correctly when they write. If they consistently misspell a word from their spelling list, I will send them back to that list to start over. The purpose of spelling is to learn words to use correctly, not to have taken the most spelling tests.

I am very concerned about vocabulary and fluency. Many are having trouble learning the words. I have set up lists on the computer that they will be practicing daily. Any extra time you could give to this at home would be helpful.

We will be studying changes over time. I have a bag that has a few things in it to study changes. We will be looking at the moon. I did the first page so you can see what to do. Each night a different child will be allowed to take the bag home to do the recording. Please read the first page which explains the assignment, then record, and then return the bag to school the next day so another child can have a turn.

Friday will be Monster Sandwich Day. I will provide lunch that day. Your child does not need to bring anything. We will have sandwiches, veggies, chips, milk, and a dessert. We eat in the room. It is an activity that my students have enjoyed for years. This will become a behavior reward that can be repeated throughout the year.

The Halloween Party was a huge success. We still have lots of candy. I decided to use some of it as a treat now and then. We had sooooo much. I figure a little treat will taste better every once in a while than having so much on Friday. Thanks to all of you who helped with the party fun.

Early Release and Halloween Party

2010-10-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

The kids get out early tomorrow for us to finish up conferences. WE ARE THE ONLY SCHOOL HAVING EARLY RELEASE!!! Your older kids will have to go to school all day.

The kids are allowed to wear costumes on Friday. No masks or accessories. . .like swords, etc. Please try to keep them not to scary or gory!

Field Trip Part 2

2010-10-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Field Trip

2010-10-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Week 11

2010-10-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

This will be another busy week. I am looking forward to having a normal one. Guess that will happen next week.

This week's story is called "Where Do Frogs Come From?" It is a non fiction story about the life cycle of frogs. The kids really seem to enjoy non fictions stories. The new vocabulary words are:

eat

from

gone

grows

two

Spelling will change this week. We will start individualized spelling. I expect each child to pass at least one test per week. Everyone will start on List 1. If the miss only 1 they can move on to the next list. Each child has a book of spelling lists in their desks to use for practice. Each parent who does not have internet access will receive a book of spelling words at conferences. Those who have internet access, the words are available on the blog. The link is on the side under spelling. Remember we are now linked on the elks.net website.

Questions of the Week

Monday - It is Canning Day. List some foods that come in cans.

Tuesday - List 5 words that rhyme with sing.

Wednesday - The first movie with sound was shown in 1927. What is your favorite movie?

Thursday - Teddy Roosevelt was a popular president. What toy was named after him?

Friday - Tell me the 3 stages in the life cycle of a frog.

Sight words and vocabulary words are a problem for some of the kids. Please try to review these at home. They are also available on the blog.

We are also spending time rereading for fluency. In December your child will take a DIBELS test. He/she will need to read 20 words per minute to make benchmark. This will not be an easy task for some. The test is all words, there are no pictures to give them visual clues.

In math this week we will be doing domino addition and thermometers. Domino addition is simply looking at the parts on each end of the domino and then adding to get the whole. Reading the temperature on the thermometer will require the use of our skill in counting by two's.

Thanks to those of you who came to conferences. I will be making up the ones that have had to reschedule on Tuesday afternoon. It is an early release day. Please remember that your child will leave school at 11:30.

Friday will be our Halloween Party. It will be from 12:10-1:00. We will use the rest of the afternoon to undecorate and clean desks, etc. Thanks to all the parents who are helping with this.

Have a great week!!

Week 10

2010-10-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone enjoyed the Fall Break. It was a great chance to relax a little bit.

Our story this week is "Space Pup". He is a super hero type guy. The sound we will be working on this week is short u, as in pup. There are several vocabulary words this week. They are:

gives

night

out

people

says

when

your

Spelling words are:

bus

bug

rug

mug

must

with

then

she

use

Questions of the Week:

Monday - no school

Tuesday - It is National Pizza Month. What do you like on your pizza?

Wednesday - It is National Pasta Month. What is your favorite pasta?

Thursday - It is Grouch Day. Tell me three things that make you grouchy.

Friday - It is School Lunch Week. What is your favorite school lunch.

In math we will be learning about dimes and counting combinations of coins that include pennies, nickels, and dimes. If you can help at home, that would be great. Money is a difficult concept.

I have done some conferences, and will be continuing to do them for the next 2 weeks. We have very little time allotted for them so we will be doing most of them after school. Thank you for taking the time to come in to discuss your child's progress.

I am asking one more time for a parent to coordinate the Halloween Party. I have most of the items. I just need someone to arrange for the treats. Please contact me, if you can do this.

Week 9

2010-10-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

This is going to be an unusual week. Since last week and this week have become 3 1/2 day weeks, I am making some changes. We will be finishing last weeks story "Boots for Beth, and reviewing the vocabulary and phonics sound /th/. We will also start our new story "Space Pup". The phonics sound is short u. We will also finish this story next week. There will be no spelling list this week. The vocabulary list is long:

gives

night

out

people

says

when

your

Questions of the Week:

Monday - Ready, Set, Relax Day. . .no homework

Tuesday - Tell me 5 words that rhyme with pup.

Wednesday - Tell me 5 words that have the short u sound.

Thursday - Fall Break. . .no homework.

In math, we will be doing two very difficult concepts: time to the half hour, and frames and arrows. Frames and arrows is a concept of skip counting and figuring out the rule being counted by.

Please remember your conference time. If you have forgotten please call me. I will be contacting those of you who missed your appointments. We really do need to visit at this time of year.

Thanks for all of your help on the field trip. It would have been much better if the wind had not come with us!!!

Does anyone want to be the room mom? I have the plates, cups, etc. but would love it if someone would plan the party. Give me a call if you would like to do that.

Have a great week and fall break!!!

Week 8

2010-10-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

Once again this post will have lots of information. Be sure to read all the way through.

could

friends

new

put

she

use

Spelling words are:

then

them

this

that

path

with

men

set

was

said

Questions of the week:

Monday - How is the weather changing?

Tuesday - It is Alaska Day. What might you see if you went there?

Wednesday - Tell me some things you saw on the field trip.

Thursday - It is Circus Day. Have you ever been to a circus?

Friday - It is Make a Difference Day. What can you do to make a difference?

In math we will continue counting pennies and nickels. The new concept this week will be time to the half hour. Any help you can give at home will be greatly appreciated. Your child should be able to count to 100 by 5's and 10's and to at least 20 by 2's. You might want to check this out at home.

Conferences are starting this week. I have received confirmations from most of you. If your time doesn't work, be sure to call me so we can reschedule. It is very important that we sit down for a visit at the end of this grading period.

The Fitness Coalition has provided exercise logs for your child. One child from our school will win the North Pole Experience that takes place in Greer. There will be tickets for 4. This is about a $300 prize. Be sure your child is logging their exercise time. There are also prizes for families, teams, etc.

Remember our field trip on Wednesday. Your child will need a lunch and good walking shoes. A jacket may also be necessary. I think the weather is supposed to cool off. If it is raining on Wednesday, we will reschedule for another time.

Friday is an early release for homecoming. We will release at 11:30. It is also black & gold day. Thursday is pajama day.

Most kids are doing better about getting homework done. Please initial in the yellow box when your child reads to you. If homework isn't done at home, we do it during afternoon recess.

Thanks for all you do. Have a great week.

OOOOOPS!!!

2010-09-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

We did a group Field Trip note. I changed the date but didn't change the day of the week. The trip is next WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6. Sorry.

Also if you are having trouble getting on the blog, there is now a link for it on the district website. You can go to www.elks.net, go to schools at the top of the page, select the primary school, then scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see it. Hope this helps those of you having trouble.