September 28 - October 2, 2009

Wow! We are coming up on week 8~can’t believe how fast it has gone by.

I’m so pleased with the progress we have made in learning our routines and procedures. Thank you for your support by encouraging your child to do their best at school.

SMALL GROUP READING AND WORK STATIONS
Our whole group sound for this week is /T/ as in the word “turkey”.

READING HOMEWORK
Please continue to read every night! Reading and rereading the Read Well homework stories will help build fluency* and accuracy*. This practice each night really helps more than you know, so please make sure you are listening to your child read. Spend a few minutes reading over the word wall words to date also.

*Fluency is the rate at which your child is reading the text.
~not speed reading ~not choppy, robotic reading ~but a smooth even rate, as if you’re speaking to someone.

*Accuracy is how accurately your child is reading the words in the text, making as few errors as possible. The goal for these stories should be 0 errors since it’s familiar text.

ACCELERATED READER
Thanks for helping prepare your child for AR tests. Continue to send in a sticky note when your child is ready to take a test. I would like to see each child take at least 2-3 AR tests a week.

MATH
We are in Chapter 7. I sent the Family Involvement letter home last week. This chapter will focus on subtraction strategies. Homework for math will be Chapter 7 lessons in the math practice workbook. We will test on this chapter probably Thursday or Friday. Look for the Test Review sheet to come home the night before the test.

LANGUAGE -(DOL)
We have covered rules 1-6. Rule 7 will be introduced next week. These rules can be found in the take home notebook. We will continue to practice Rules 1 - 6 in the sentences this week. Be sure to look in the Keep at Home side each day for DOL papers ~look over them Thursday night to prepare for Friday's daily DOL grade. Sentences for Friday come directly from the sentences practiced Monday-Thursday.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION AND REMINDERS
*We will have a word wall check, Wednesday or Thursday, on the last three weeks of words for a daily reading grade.

*I have ordered TIME for Kids for our class. Thanks for sending in you money for your child’s subscription. We’ll incorporate these in our routine once a week.

*September 15th-30th-Innisbrook Fundraiser-Hope you’re selling lots and lots of wrapping paper to help our school.

*Library Day September 29th-make sure your child brings their library book to school if they are ready to return it and check out another one.

*September 30 - Mrs. Itson's last day with us:(. We will miss her very much! She will spend the next 8 weeks in fifth grade.

*October 1- Signed Papers

Future dates in October to remember:

October 9th-End of first nine weeks
October 12th-Inservice~holiday for children
October 15th Fall Festival~more information to come
October 22nd-Report Cards

Thought for the week:
Expect something great to happen - and it usually will.

Have a wonderful week!!