Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and you are enjoying 2009!

I can't believe that we are beginning our second semester! We have much more to learn before May. I'm ready to get started. Right now I can think of a few new changes beginning when we return. The first is a new classroom management system. I'll have a detailed letter for you explaining this new system. This new system is using tickets and will help prepare the children for second grade. The second new thing is a spelling grade. I have detailed information to give you explaining this procedure also. Look for those the first week back. One last thing is that children will begin doing our DOL differently, look for the new DOL to come home on Tuesday.

In reading we will begin the new semester with the sound for short e, /e/ as in Ed and egg. We will continue to practice our Grammar Rules that have been introduced this far.

We will begin Chapter 13 in Math. Not having my teacher's edition with me, I'm not sure what it will cover. I'll let you know when I get back to the classroom. We will also begin, not immediately, time math drills on addition facts. So brush up on those addition facts using flashcards. This website,
http://www.mathfactcafe.com/build/
will let you create a math facts worksheet that your child could practice at home.

Hopefully the library will be on a more regular schedule now that the holiday rush is over. It has been really hard for children to get to the library to check out new books. We need to really get back on that once we return to school. I haven't sent home a report due the the amount of times the library had been closed. I'll have a new one ready to go home next Monday.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:
January 5th Teacher Work Day
January 6th Students return to school
January 8th Class (group) pictures and Signed papers
January 13th PTA meeting
January 15th Report cards
January 19th Holiday MLK Birthday
January 22nd and 23rd Muffins for Moms

Let's start the new year off with fresh supplies. Please send in the following for your child:
box of 24 crayons
package of sharpened pencils to put in community pencil can
box of Crayola markers
4 glue sticks

Possibly a new notebook for their take home folder. Some of the children's were looking pretty bad. Just slip out their cover page and put it in the new one if you choose to buy a new one.

I'm looking forward to getting back to school and into a routine, my family and I just work better when we're on a schedule. I'm sure the children will be glad to get back to see their friends. I am looking forward to seeing all of them and hearing about their Christmas adventures!

Enjoy the last few days and I'll see you Tuesday.