So long September!

It is hard to believe this is the last week in September! Room 123 has been an extremely busy place this past month.  Thank you so much for your support of all that goes on in our school and in our classroom.  Take a look at what is going on this week.

READING

Our whole group sound will be /d/ as in dinosaur.  We will spend time learning  new facts about some of our favorite dinosaurs.  This is a review week for word wall words.  Your child should be able to read all of the word wall words to date without hesitation.  Remember word wall words should not be sounded out but memorized and read without any hesitation.  We will have unannounced word wall checks three times during the nine weeks.  All groups should have at least 2  homework story pages by now.  Do not remove homework stories, the children will need these for partner reading.  Practice these as often as possible as part of the 20 minutes of reading. Old homework stories should also be read, research shows repeated readings is one of the best ways to improve fluency and increase comprehension.  Homework stories should be read  fluently (at smooth rate) and accurately (no mistakes while reading the passage).

Many of the children have been taking AR tests! Please continue to send in a note letting me know when your child is ready to take a test.

MATH

We will continue in Chapter 5 and test at the end of the week.  Just look for the review sheet, it does not have to be returned.  We will also continue with our number sense activities.  This week I will introduce Math Fact in a Flash to the children. Math Facts in a Flash is a computer program that quizzes the children on their math facts(beginning with addition) and times them at the same time. Please watch for a detailed letter to come home explaining Math Facts in a Flash.  I hope you read your Home Connect letter that gave you your child’s user name and password to use so you may view and receive by email each time your child takes an AR test or Math Facts Test.  If you are unsure how to do this please contact me and I will help you! I really encourage the children to practice their Math Fact at home because it will help them to memorize their facts instead of counting on their fingers.

LANGUAGE

I am introducing our next grammar rule tomorrow, specific places begin with a capital letter.  Once a rule is introduced we will continue to practice it in sentences.

A Few Reminders

• Nancy’s Italian Ice will be served EVERY Monday beginning tomorrow. YAY!! That will be so much easier to remember!!  Please send in $1 labeled Ice if you want your child wants one.  Flavor choices are Cool Blue and Birthday Cake.

• If your child is absent, please send me an email letting me know.  We are required to document that we’ve made contact with you if your child is out.  An email will really be helpful so that I don’t have to make a phone call during our busy day.  THANKS!

• Our Just Give campaign has been extended to November 1.  Also if you haven’t joined the PTA please do so.  The children will be looking for the 100% to go up by our class name in the lunchroom when everyone has joined.  Membership is $10.

• Our Fall Festival is scheduled for October.  This is a really fun event.  Wristbands can be preordered until October 13th, t-shirts can be ordered until October 1.  These t-shirts can be worn as Spirit wear on Friday.

Have a wonderful week and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Thank you for sharing your greatest blessings with me!

Hugs!

Yummy! Yummy! Applesauce!

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We spent a lot of time outside enjoying the cooler temperatures.  Room 123 was smelling yummy on Friday! We made applesauce and the children loved it!! So.much.fun!!!! This week promises to be just as busy as last week! Take a look!

Language

We will continue to work on grammar rules: capital letters at the beginning of the sentence, and periods at the end. Our new rule is the names of people and pets always begin with capital letters.     

Reading

Our whole group reading is /a/ as in apple.  We will continue doing lots of apple related things this week.  We will also learn about John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) the “father” of apples.

Please refer to the Word Wall Sheet in the take home folder for this week’s words.

We had a good week of learning our reading work station rotations and the children really seemed to enjoy it.  Everyone has a job whether it’s with me in my group or independently around the room.  This will be our routine for reading each day.

Please continue to send me a note if your child is ready to take an AR test. 

Math

In math we will finish up Chapter 2 and test on it Thursday.  Look for the review sheet to come home Wednesday.  Along with working through the math book we will also work with games and manipulatives  to help build their number sense.  I found this definition of number sense that I thought you may find helpful.

“Number sense refers to a person's general understanding of number and operations along with the ability to use this understanding in flexible ways to make mathematical judgments and to develop useful strategies for solving complex problems.”

I will introduce different games using dominos, dice, decks of cards and other manipulatives.  We will use these activities in groups and then they will be added to our math work stations for future use by the children during math work stations.

Science / Social Studies

We will continue working on our Apples unit and Johnny Appleseed

Reminders

New Policy on Absences

If your child is absent, please call the office at 244-0078 to let the secretary know of the absence or, send me an email letting me know of the absence.  If your phone number is  local you will still get the computer generated phone call alerting you about your child's absence.   If I don’t hear from you I will have to call you during the day asking about the absence.  Our day is quite full and finding that time to make a phone call is going to be difficult. This is a new policy from Montgomery Public Schools.  Thank you for helping me out with this new policy.

Nancy’s Italian Ice will be back Monday SEPTEMBER 26.  Your child will need $1 to purchase a Little Owl.  They are YUMMY!!!

Spirit night at Burger King on September 20th.

Box Tops due September 30th

Room 123 is an amazing place to be each day! I feel so very blessed to work with these precious children.  We are off to a wonderful start! Thank you parents for all your help and encouragement as we begin the exciting journey of First Grade! Please contact me if you have any questions about anything.  I am here to help!

Big Hugs!!

Weekly News

I hope you were all able to enjoy this amazing weather this weekend! We are going to have a super busy week filled with lots of fun and learning in Room 123!

READING

We will begin our small groups and I will also explain the Reading Stations to the children. We will most likely spend Monday and Tuesday practicing our rotations and making sure everyone knows where to go and what to do while I am working with small groups.  Please look for a Read Well homework story to come home on Wednesday. 

Several children have been asking me about taking Accelerated Reader tests.  I normally do not start letting the children take AR tests until the second nine weeks.  However, if your child would like to take AR tests then I will allow them to start this nine weeks.  This is not at all required right now.  Later on in the year I will require that the children take a certain number of tests per week depending on their reading level.  For those who would like to go ahead and begin taking tests please make sure your child can read the book independently.   They should read the book three times, for one of the readings I would encourage you to read the book to them. When they are ready if you would simply write me a quick note saying they are ready to take a test on their book.  Right now I will be assisting the children as they take tests, so they may not take it the day they bring me the note.  After they take their test I will let them go to the library and check out another book.  Our class library day is every Tuesday.  So everyone can get a new book each Tuesday regardless as to if they have taken an AR test or not.  I will be sending home STAR Reading Reports tomorrow that the children took on the computer last week.   These reports will tell you exactly what level books will help your child become a better reader.  If you have any questions about AR, the STAR Reading Reports, or Read Well please do not hesitate to ask me!

Our focus sound for this week is Mm as in monkey.  Our word wall words this week are me, our, pretty, going, ate.

During our DOL we will continue to focus on capitalization at the beginning of a sentence and a period at the end of a sentence that tells us something.

MATH

We will continue to work on addition in Chapter 1.  Please look at your child’s homework page in their take home notebook as to what lesson we complete each day.  Remember that the night before our math test I will send home the review page out of their math workbook.  That will be a reminder to you that our test is the next day.  The homework review page does not have to be returned, it is simply for review in preparation for the test.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES

We will continue our APPLE unit, please send in an apple on Wednesday. 

IN OTHER NEWS

This week we will rotate our specialists.  Our class will now go to Coach Rader for PE for the next three weeks.

Tomorrow (Monday) is our first day to purchase Nancy's Italian Ice as a refreshing sweet treat.  A variety of flavors will be sold for $1.00.  Italian ice will be sold every other Monday. This is a school fundraiser not a PTA fundraiser. 

Thank you to everyone who ordered Scholastic Books, they should be here by the beginning of next week.

IMPORTANT DATES:
August 22-October 7:  PTA membership drive

September 12: Nancy’s Italian Ice $1.00 for sale during school.

September 13:  Spirit Night at Jason's Deli

September 20:  Spirit Night at Burger King on Chantilly

September 26: Nancy’s Italian Ice $1.00 for sale during school.

September 28:  Spirit Night at Nancy's Italian Ice 

Can’t wait to see all my sweet firsties in the morning! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Hugs!

First Grade Happenings!

In reading this week, we are learning Ee as in "emu" and ee as in “bee.”  Our word wall words for the week are:  see, down, find, good, please. We will continue to work on procedures and routines this week in preparation for next week when we will begin our Literacy Center Rotations. We will also be learning many things about readers and how to select just right books.

In Language we will continue to practice Grammar Rules 1 and 2.  A sentence is a complete thought.  A sentence begins with a capital letter.  A sentence that tells something ends with a period.  We will continue to practice our DOL (daily oral language) sentences each day.  Last Friday I did take their DOL for a grade.  Many children forgot to put capital letters and periods on their work.  I am going to review it with them tomorrow and give them the opportunity to correct their mistakes.  I will not do this every week so please be sure and review the DOL that comes home in their take home notebooks each day.  If you  have any questions feel free to talk to me.

In Math we will begin Chapter 1 Addition Concepts.  We will begin by learning how to write the appropriate numbers and mathematical symbols related to addition stories, pictures, and sentences.  We will use a variety of manipulatives as we create problems. stories and addition sentences.

Science and Social Studies will be combined for an “Apple” unit the rest of the month of September.  We will learn all about how apples grow and what happens to the apple orchard during each of the four seasons. We will also learn all about Johnny Appleseed.  I will send a note home next week asking each child to bring in an apple and we will use our own special recipe to make homemade applesauce! While our applesauce is cooking we will discuss our five senses. Yummy!

Did you hear all about our surprise visitor on Friday? Zero the Hero dropped by Room 123!!  He plans to make an appearance every ten days of school.  Unfortunately, we were at lunch when he stopped by our classroom.  He left a special treat in the shape of a zero for all of us to enjoy.  Zero the Hero is an excellent way to help us learn to count by 10s.

Tuesday is our Back to School Bash! First grade will not have Open House since we had our small group meetings last week.  However please do come and enjoy the  inflatables, face painting, and many vendors that will be there.  It all begins at 5:00! The Volunteer Round Up and PTA Budget Approval will meet in the lunchroom at 7:00.  At the bash, go ahead and sign up for the PTA and get your wristbands for the Fall Festival.  The fall festival is a favorite with the children!  Our PTA does an outstanding job of supporting our school.  They are always in need of volunteers so please join them!

This is a short week so only send in $2.00 for snack and $2.00 for juice this week.  Please send the correct amount for snack/juice.  I am unable to make change.

You may join us for lunch any time.  You do not need to make reservations.  Be sure to sign in and wait for us at the office.  Our lunch time is 11:00-11:30.  

Scholastic Book Order Forms will be sent home tomorrow.  Book Orders are completely voluntary! If you would like to order from this months selection please place your order online or send it in to me by this Friday, September 9th. 

Have a wonderful week and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!!

Hugs to all my new firsties!!

Shaving Cream Fun on Friday!!

Wacky Watermelons!!