Well, we are 8 weeks into school! Wow! How time has flown! The students have learned so much and are progressing at a great rate. I am very pleased with each of them and all of their hard work.
This week in whole group we are discussing T as in Turkey. I know it is a little early to talk about turkeys, but all those great holidays are just around the corner! Better get prepared. We are just talking about the bird this week. We will talk about the holidays as we get closer to them. The students will also talk about tigers, turtles, and several other things that start with the letter T. Make sure to point out when things start with the letter of the week. For example, when you are outside near a tree, see if your student can give you the beginning letter of tree. I am not sending home ReadWell homework this week. Since I was out sick on Monday, and had to play catchup on Tuesday, I am going to give the kids a break. Relax a little this week. But use library books and old ReadWell homework for your 20 minutes of reading for this week. We will also have a Word Wall quiz this week. This quiz will be on all the words from this nine weeks.
Please make sure that when your child is ready to test on a book you place a sticky note on the front telling me and your child that they are ready to test on that book. It appears that everyone has been working hard to take 3 tests a week. Please don't stop. We appear to be doing really well on our tests. Expect to see a computer print out on Friday of all the tests that your child has taken so far. It will list their scores. If you have questions after receiving the report, let me know and I will be glad to go over the report with you.
We are doing a math drill this week. Please continue to practice your math facts at home as well as the math drill. Students are only given 1 minute to answer all 20 problems. Your child should be able to answer 20 facts in 1 minute. Please practice, it is very important for your student to know their math facts. In class, we are covering subtraction. Expect some homework this week on subtraction. I will be sending some home on Wednesday and Thursday.
I can tell that you have been working with your children on the phonogram and sentence corrections at home. It shows in class as we do them daily, and it also shows on the Friday quizzes. Keep up the good work. Let me know if you have questions.
This week we had to say goodbye to Emily. Her family is moving to Virginia and her last day was Tuesday, September 30th. It was sad to see her leave, but we will be keeping up with her and sending her notes occasionally.
If you have not sent your Innsbrook Fundraising materials in, they were due Monday, Sept. 29th. Please send them as soon as possible!
**We have made 100% for PTA Membership! Anything above this will go to Mrs. D's Class.**
Since the students were so generous with their memberships and wanted to help Mrs. D, I would like to reward them with a popcorn or cookie party. If anyone would like to help, let me know. We will need juice and popcorn or cookies. I will let the students vote for either popcorn or cookies and we will go from there.
Monday, October 6th is a holiday. Please make sure to enjoy your day...go to the fair and have some fun!!!
Fall pictures will be October 9th. I am not sure if we will be able to wear street clothes that day or if we will have to wear uniforms. As soon as I know, I will let you know. It may be the day prior, so if your student comes home saying they can wear regular clothes, don't be surprised.
Tuesday, October 14th we will be going to ASF to see Charlotte's Web. Your child needs to wear their First Grade T-shirt and jeans. Parents, please do not show up at the field trip expecting to get into the theatre with us. If you are not one of the two chaperones that are signed up to go, I will have to ask you to leave in front of everyone. I really don't want to have to do that, it would be embarrassing for me and you.
I am loving this fall weather! I hope that you are getting out and enjoying it too!
Ms. Messick
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
September 22-26, 2008
Well, it's Autumn! I trust you all enjoyed the wonderful weather this past weekend.
This week in reading we will cover "N" as in Nest. The students will complete activities that involve birds and nests in the writing center this week. Students will also use the word Nightingale to make new words. These activities will give the students to work with words and discover smaller words within that larger word. Students will also learn more about birds during the writing center. We take these activities very serious as they aid us in our reading and understanding of the week's sound and poem.
Students have adjusted well to reading group and centers. They are all very productive during their center time and at the reading table. We are moving right along as we should be. Some of us need to remember to use our whisper voice during our center time. It has not become unbearable, just a little bothersome at times. A gentle reminder from me is usually all that is needed.
Please make sure that you are reading nightly with your child. EVERYONE should be taking at least 3 tests a week, maybe more. I do not think that this is an unreasonable request. I would for our class to try to make more 100s and few less 80s. While 80 is a good indicator of comprehension, I would like for us to make model classroom. Too many 80s will not help us get there. Please make sure that your child has read the book and if they are prepared, place a sticky note on the book that they are prepared to test on. I also placed ReadWell homework in the Reading folder for tonight. Most of the groups are actually ready to leave that unit and move to the next, use that homework, but do not be surprised if I send the next unit's homework home as well this week. Just do what you can, I will not take a homework grade on ReadWell this week.
We will cover Chapter 6 in Math this week. After completing this chapter we will go back and pick up chapters 3 and 4. From that point forward, we will be going straight through the book. Please practice math facts. Students need to know their math facts from memory. Practice at home using the worksheet I sent, and you could print more from http://www.themathworksheetsite.com/ , just keep in mind that the once you request a worksheet and close it out, that same worksheet will not pull up again. This is a good way to practice a 1 minute drill. You may also want to make some flashcards. Students will need to memorize all facts through sums of 18. Start out simple with all the 0 facts, then move to the 1 facts, and so on.
We have begun math centers. These are not as structured centers as our reading centers, but they do give the opportunity for extra instruction when needed. I will have time to do additional work with some of the students to make sure they are understand the concepts as well as work on math facts at school with the students.
Thanks to all of you that have joined PTA. We are currently at 94%, so all we need is about 4 more memberships to make 100%. We are so close, please help us make 100%!
Our t-shirts came in today. I will get those sent home on or by Thursday. I need to make sure we have all of them and sort them. These will be for Friday Spirit wear as well as on field trips, like to see Charlotte's Web on October 14th. We are going to check with Mrs. Green to see if we can wear our shirts on days that we have a speaker coming into the school, as well. As soon as I know about that, I will let you know.
I hope that you have a wonderful week! As always, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to email me and I will try to get with you as soon as possible.
Happy Fall!
Ms. Messick
This week in reading we will cover "N" as in Nest. The students will complete activities that involve birds and nests in the writing center this week. Students will also use the word Nightingale to make new words. These activities will give the students to work with words and discover smaller words within that larger word. Students will also learn more about birds during the writing center. We take these activities very serious as they aid us in our reading and understanding of the week's sound and poem.
Students have adjusted well to reading group and centers. They are all very productive during their center time and at the reading table. We are moving right along as we should be. Some of us need to remember to use our whisper voice during our center time. It has not become unbearable, just a little bothersome at times. A gentle reminder from me is usually all that is needed.
Please make sure that you are reading nightly with your child. EVERYONE should be taking at least 3 tests a week, maybe more. I do not think that this is an unreasonable request. I would for our class to try to make more 100s and few less 80s. While 80 is a good indicator of comprehension, I would like for us to make model classroom. Too many 80s will not help us get there. Please make sure that your child has read the book and if they are prepared, place a sticky note on the book that they are prepared to test on. I also placed ReadWell homework in the Reading folder for tonight. Most of the groups are actually ready to leave that unit and move to the next, use that homework, but do not be surprised if I send the next unit's homework home as well this week. Just do what you can, I will not take a homework grade on ReadWell this week.
We will cover Chapter 6 in Math this week. After completing this chapter we will go back and pick up chapters 3 and 4. From that point forward, we will be going straight through the book. Please practice math facts. Students need to know their math facts from memory. Practice at home using the worksheet I sent, and you could print more from http://www.themathworksheetsite.com/ , just keep in mind that the once you request a worksheet and close it out, that same worksheet will not pull up again. This is a good way to practice a 1 minute drill. You may also want to make some flashcards. Students will need to memorize all facts through sums of 18. Start out simple with all the 0 facts, then move to the 1 facts, and so on.
We have begun math centers. These are not as structured centers as our reading centers, but they do give the opportunity for extra instruction when needed. I will have time to do additional work with some of the students to make sure they are understand the concepts as well as work on math facts at school with the students.
Thanks to all of you that have joined PTA. We are currently at 94%, so all we need is about 4 more memberships to make 100%. We are so close, please help us make 100%!
Our t-shirts came in today. I will get those sent home on or by Thursday. I need to make sure we have all of them and sort them. These will be for Friday Spirit wear as well as on field trips, like to see Charlotte's Web on October 14th. We are going to check with Mrs. Green to see if we can wear our shirts on days that we have a speaker coming into the school, as well. As soon as I know about that, I will let you know.
I hope that you have a wonderful week! As always, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to email me and I will try to get with you as soon as possible.
Happy Fall!
Ms. Messick
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
September 15 - 19, 2008
This should prove to be a very exciting week at school. On Tuesday, several parents are coming to help us with a class project that will be displayed in the hallway. We will be painting and cutting. This is the first time we have painted at school this year. We will also have a guest reader for our read aloud after lunch, Mr. Pinkham. Then on Wednesday, we will have a guest speaker from the Montgomery Humane Society. The speaker will be discussing Bite Prevention and Animal Safety. This should prove to be a busy and fun week!
I hope that you are reading with your child every night. I want them to be able to take AR tests as often as possible. I am hoping that some of us are able to take a test 3-4 times a week. We are moving right along in our ReadWell units. Everyone is progressing quite well, and I am happy with the progress that we have made thus far. Please make sure to do Homework 4 BEFORE reading everynight. This will help with reading the passages. Please repeat all 3 readings on Thursday nights. ReadWell homework is due on Friday. I will be returning earlier ReadWell homework for repeated readings. Re-reading not only helps increase fluency and comprehension, it is also motivating for the children.
We started Chapter 5 in Math this week. We should finish and then move into Subtraction, Chapter 3. I know this seems strange to skip around like this...but we will be moving straight through the book from this point forward. We will continue and finish Chapter 5 this week. I expect to possibly give that test on Friday or Monday. Keep an eye out for homework this week.
In Grammer, we are continuing the phonogram journals. Those should be coming home every night. Please make sure your student knows that the beginning of the sentence needs to be capitalized and the end of the sentence has a period. We have not gotten into questions and exclamations at this point. Those should appear in about a week or so. Students also need to attempt to find as many phonograms as possible in the sentences. I choose sentences that I used during the week and the students have to correct those, so the journal is a good way to study. This week's phonograms are ir, ur, wor, ear.
Check out the slide show on the blog site. It has photos from the first day of school, popcicle party, Arboretum, and I will continue to add to the pictures throughout the year.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about anything, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a great week!
I hope that you are reading with your child every night. I want them to be able to take AR tests as often as possible. I am hoping that some of us are able to take a test 3-4 times a week. We are moving right along in our ReadWell units. Everyone is progressing quite well, and I am happy with the progress that we have made thus far. Please make sure to do Homework 4 BEFORE reading everynight. This will help with reading the passages. Please repeat all 3 readings on Thursday nights. ReadWell homework is due on Friday. I will be returning earlier ReadWell homework for repeated readings. Re-reading not only helps increase fluency and comprehension, it is also motivating for the children.
We started Chapter 5 in Math this week. We should finish and then move into Subtraction, Chapter 3. I know this seems strange to skip around like this...but we will be moving straight through the book from this point forward. We will continue and finish Chapter 5 this week. I expect to possibly give that test on Friday or Monday. Keep an eye out for homework this week.
In Grammer, we are continuing the phonogram journals. Those should be coming home every night. Please make sure your student knows that the beginning of the sentence needs to be capitalized and the end of the sentence has a period. We have not gotten into questions and exclamations at this point. Those should appear in about a week or so. Students also need to attempt to find as many phonograms as possible in the sentences. I choose sentences that I used during the week and the students have to correct those, so the journal is a good way to study. This week's phonograms are ir, ur, wor, ear.
Check out the slide show on the blog site. It has photos from the first day of school, popcicle party, Arboretum, and I will continue to add to the pictures throughout the year.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about anything, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a great week!
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