The weather has finally caught up with the season. I hope that you have jackets ready! We should be putting them to good use this week! I love the cooler weather...of course, I LOVE fall (and spring)! Please make sure that your child has a jacket, as we are going to PE for the next two weeks and the students must go outside to get to the PE trailer or the PE areas.
In whole group reading this week, we are studying C as in Cat. We will have two guest readers this week. On Tuesday, Mr. Pinkham will be coming to read to the students and on Thursday, Mrs. Sarris will be coming to read. The students love to have other people read to them. This is a good change of pace for the students. If you would like to read, let me know, I can send you a book or you could provide one of your own. Next week's whole group reading will involve R as in Rabbit followed by Sh as in Sheep.
We are beginning some graphing in Math. I did not send home the Math Drill sheet for this week on Monday. That will come home on Tuesday. I did, however, send home some graphing homework tonight. I will probably send one more Math homework sheet this week. We will do a Math Drill on Friday, like normal. Please practice...this week will be on facts for 3.
FYI...We will take our Phonogram/Grammar Quiz on Thursday, October 30th, this week. This way all the excitement about Friday will not harm our grades on the quiz. So, we will have a phonogram for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday...we will quiz Thursday and take Friday off from phonograms. Students will not bring home phonogram journals Thursday or Friday nights this week.
Announcements:
Please make sure to send a note if your child is absent. You only have 3 days to get an excuse to the school, then the absence will become unexcused. If you are going on a trip (short or long) send a note for possible preapproval from Mrs. Green. I will pass it along and send you a copy back.
We will be sending home signed papers on Thursday, October 30th. Please review these papers, sign the envelope, and return the papers as soon as possible. (Progress reports will be sent home on Thursday, November 6th).
****I will be providing snack on Friday, October 31st. Please send your student a drink, but I will provide the students with a snack to eat!!*****
We are coming to the end of October's Book It log. November's Book It log will begin on Monday, Nov. 3rd. There will be a November Book It log in the B.E.E. book on Monday. None of the October quizzes will count toward the November total. 12 AR scores of 100 will win a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. Make sure to read and test to earn a free pizza.
October Pizza Winners: Spencer Lindemood, (as of 10-29-08) Minjae Jung, Alexandra Pinkham, and Elizabeth Sheffield.
Upcoming Events:
October 31st - November 7th: Book Fair (I will send more info about this!)
November 2nd: FALL Back an hour (Make sure to set that clock back!!)
November 6th: Progress Reports
November 11th: NO SCHOOL...Veteran's Day Holiday
Have a wonderful week. We are learning so much and finding ways to have fun everyday! Thank you for blessing me with your children, EVERYDAY! They make me smile, more than you will ever know! I appreciate all that you do to help...it shows here at school. I can't wait to see how much smarter we become! The sky is not even close to the limit!
Thanks!
Ms. Messick
P.S. If you read this blog, send me a comment. I want to make sure they are working. Thanks!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
October 20th - 24th
This year is flying by! Wow, we are at week 11. AMAZING!
This week in whole group reading we will be discussing H as in Hippo. So, I am sure that our Hobie the Hippo will be on the student's mind a lot this week. Please make sure that you are reading EVERY NIGHT with your student, especially ReadWell homework. I am required to check reading homework at least 3 times a 9 weeks. There will not be a note sent home stating that I will be checking reading homework any certain week. If you are doing the homework it will show during reading group as well as during homework check. I realize that football and fall ball are in full swing, but we should not be neglecting homework for these things. Please make sure that you are keeping up with your homework.
Let me know if you want to come read to the class, you may bring your own books or I can provide a book for you. Next week we will cover C as in Cat, then R as in Rabbit. I think the students would enjoy having someone different than me reading to them all the time.
Thank you to the parents that went to Charlotte's Web with us. Sorry to those of you that wanted to go, but could not due to seating availability. Hopefully, there will be openings in future field trip or other first grade outings. The play was FABULOUS! We really enjoyed the whole experience. We had a great time reading the book, watching the movie, seeing the play, and making our own pig shape books. Hope you enjoyed hearing about it and seeing the shape books.
Monday afternoon be on the look out for a set of flashcards for math. I quizzed the students using flashcards last week and most everyone needs to learn the addition facts for 2. So, I made the cards and will send them home on Monday. Please use them, this week's math drill will be on the addition facts for 2, mostly.
Have a wonderful week and find some time to get out and enjoy the wonderful Fall weather.
Ms. Messick
This week in whole group reading we will be discussing H as in Hippo. So, I am sure that our Hobie the Hippo will be on the student's mind a lot this week. Please make sure that you are reading EVERY NIGHT with your student, especially ReadWell homework. I am required to check reading homework at least 3 times a 9 weeks. There will not be a note sent home stating that I will be checking reading homework any certain week. If you are doing the homework it will show during reading group as well as during homework check. I realize that football and fall ball are in full swing, but we should not be neglecting homework for these things. Please make sure that you are keeping up with your homework.
Let me know if you want to come read to the class, you may bring your own books or I can provide a book for you. Next week we will cover C as in Cat, then R as in Rabbit. I think the students would enjoy having someone different than me reading to them all the time.
Thank you to the parents that went to Charlotte's Web with us. Sorry to those of you that wanted to go, but could not due to seating availability. Hopefully, there will be openings in future field trip or other first grade outings. The play was FABULOUS! We really enjoyed the whole experience. We had a great time reading the book, watching the movie, seeing the play, and making our own pig shape books. Hope you enjoyed hearing about it and seeing the shape books.
Monday afternoon be on the look out for a set of flashcards for math. I quizzed the students using flashcards last week and most everyone needs to learn the addition facts for 2. So, I made the cards and will send them home on Monday. Please use them, this week's math drill will be on the addition facts for 2, mostly.
Have a wonderful week and find some time to get out and enjoy the wonderful Fall weather.
Ms. Messick
Monday, October 13, 2008
October 13 - 17, 2008
Wow, what a weekend. I spent it relaxing and enjoying the fall weather. I hope that you enjoyed your weekend too. We have a whole lot of things going on this week. So, hold on tight and enjoy the ride!
First, I want to make sure I tell you what your child should wear on the field trip. Every student needs to have on their First Grade T-shirt and blue jeans. I did tell the students that they might want to bring a light zipper jacket or sweater (it must be red, white, or blue). Sometimes the theatre is cold and that will keep us a little warmer. We will be leaving the school for the field trip at 8:30 am. Make sure you get to school on time. There will be no refunds for those that miss the bus.
Please make sure that your student arrives to school on time. We start our day as soon as the students enter the room. It really messes the students up when their friends are going to centers and reading group and they have missed those things. You would be surprised how much being late to school can stress out a first grader. It really does, some of your children cry when they are late. So, please do all that you can to make sure they arrive on time.
I messed up...BIG TIME! Oops! We were supposed to have spelling words last week and be off this week, so we are going to have spelling words this week instead. This week's spelling words are: and, mat, need, sad, Sam, the, was, we, in, sit. Please practice these words every night. We will have a quiz on Friday. I will call the words out and the students will have to spell them correctly. I suggest writing them at least 3 -5 times every night and quiz them at home on Thursday nights. From this point forward, I will not send the words home. The purpose of the spelling quiz is for the students to use the sounds they have learned during the week, not to be able to just spell a set of memorized words from working on them through out the week.
This week we are talking about I as in Insect. We will talk about ladybugs, spiders, and butterflies this week. If you would like to come and read a story that you have that is about one of these insects, email me and let me know. It will have to be on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. I would like for parents to come and read more often. I am going to start posting the upcoming letters of the week and you can email me if you decide that you want to read one week. We usually do reading right after lunch (around 11:30 or so).
October 20 - 24: H as in Hippo
October 27 - 31: C as in Cat
Everyone received Reading Homework. Red Group will get their second sheet later in the week. All other groups should be bringing home 2 sheets of reading homework. We have been changing units in the middle of the week and this will help with that transition. Please start with the lowest unit number and work to the highest. Please do homework 4 as a practice prior to reading any of the stories. If you have questions, please email me.
Student also received a Math Drill sheet for this week. I know it seems like a lot, but we are maturing as first graders. Homework is part of the maturing process. It makes us smarter and better equipped students. Please practice the Math Drill. Some of the students are still struggling and using their fingers. Use flashcards to help them memorize their facts.
Report Cards go home on Thursday, October 16th. I will be available for conferences on Tuesday and Thursday of the following week. Please let me know if you would like to discuss any issues with your child and their academic or behavior status.
Fall Festival is also on Thursday, October 16th. I hope to see you all there, I will be working in the concession stand from 6 - 7 pm. Come out and join us for lots of fun!
Keep enjoying the wonderful weather!
Happy Fall!
Ms. Messick
First, I want to make sure I tell you what your child should wear on the field trip. Every student needs to have on their First Grade T-shirt and blue jeans. I did tell the students that they might want to bring a light zipper jacket or sweater (it must be red, white, or blue). Sometimes the theatre is cold and that will keep us a little warmer. We will be leaving the school for the field trip at 8:30 am. Make sure you get to school on time. There will be no refunds for those that miss the bus.
Please make sure that your student arrives to school on time. We start our day as soon as the students enter the room. It really messes the students up when their friends are going to centers and reading group and they have missed those things. You would be surprised how much being late to school can stress out a first grader. It really does, some of your children cry when they are late. So, please do all that you can to make sure they arrive on time.
I messed up...BIG TIME! Oops! We were supposed to have spelling words last week and be off this week, so we are going to have spelling words this week instead. This week's spelling words are: and, mat, need, sad, Sam, the, was, we, in, sit. Please practice these words every night. We will have a quiz on Friday. I will call the words out and the students will have to spell them correctly. I suggest writing them at least 3 -5 times every night and quiz them at home on Thursday nights. From this point forward, I will not send the words home. The purpose of the spelling quiz is for the students to use the sounds they have learned during the week, not to be able to just spell a set of memorized words from working on them through out the week.
This week we are talking about I as in Insect. We will talk about ladybugs, spiders, and butterflies this week. If you would like to come and read a story that you have that is about one of these insects, email me and let me know. It will have to be on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. I would like for parents to come and read more often. I am going to start posting the upcoming letters of the week and you can email me if you decide that you want to read one week. We usually do reading right after lunch (around 11:30 or so).
October 20 - 24: H as in Hippo
October 27 - 31: C as in Cat
Everyone received Reading Homework. Red Group will get their second sheet later in the week. All other groups should be bringing home 2 sheets of reading homework. We have been changing units in the middle of the week and this will help with that transition. Please start with the lowest unit number and work to the highest. Please do homework 4 as a practice prior to reading any of the stories. If you have questions, please email me.
Student also received a Math Drill sheet for this week. I know it seems like a lot, but we are maturing as first graders. Homework is part of the maturing process. It makes us smarter and better equipped students. Please practice the Math Drill. Some of the students are still struggling and using their fingers. Use flashcards to help them memorize their facts.
Report Cards go home on Thursday, October 16th. I will be available for conferences on Tuesday and Thursday of the following week. Please let me know if you would like to discuss any issues with your child and their academic or behavior status.
Fall Festival is also on Thursday, October 16th. I hope to see you all there, I will be working in the concession stand from 6 - 7 pm. Come out and join us for lots of fun!
Keep enjoying the wonderful weather!
Happy Fall!
Ms. Messick
Monday, October 6, 2008
October 7th - 10th, 2008
I hope that you all enjoyed your Fall Break. I know it was short, but we really do not have long until we will get an entire week off. So, keep up the hard work and we will take a real break soon.
This week in whole group we will be discussing W as in Wind. We will have lots of activities that revolve around the letter W and weather. You should see some really interesting Writing activities coming home this week. I may not send them until the end of the week. I think that you will get a better idea of what is going on in the classroom if you can see the writing activities that the students are completing. Remember to point out things that begin with the letter of the week, since it helps the students remember what letter and sound it is that we are talking about this week. We WILL have Readwell homework this week. I will send several sheets for each student. I would like for them to practice as many as possible. We will also have a homework check this week in reading.
We will begin the Book It program this week. I will place a chart in the student's Bee Books to help keep up with tests that they score 100% on. There will be a notation from me if the students color in a box. If I have not noted the box, then it should not be colored. Once a student has colored all 12 boxes, they will be awarded a pizza ticket. Please make sure to read with your student and send a sticky note that they are ready to test on their book. Remember, they must read the book with a parent/guardian 3 times prior to testing on the book.
This week in Math we will continue working on subtraction. Please complete any homework sent home and return it to school the following day. I know that I did not take up homework from last week yet. I will take it up this week and get that folder cleared for you. We will continue our Math Drills for addition. Please practice at home. The grades on the drills are starting to look much better. I am seeing more and more of the students finishing the drills, which lets me know that they are learning their facts.
We will cover 2 grammar rules this week. The rules we will cover this week are rule 5 and rule 6. We will continue to work on previous rules, but we will concentrate on these two this week. Let me know if the study sheet helped you, as parents, last week. The grades looked a little better than they have in the past. If it did help, I will try to continue to send them on Thursday nights.
We have almost finished reading Charlotte's Web in class. If you have the video(not the DVD) at home, I have gotten permission to show it in my room. I would like to borrow it if I could. I will return it as soon as we have finished watching the movie. I am hoping that we will be able to finish both the book and the movie this week.
This week we have Fall pictures. I have not heard anything about what the students will be allowed to wear. As soon as I know, I will pass it along. Like I said before, do not be surprised if your student comes home on Wednesday saying they can wear regular clothes on Thursday. If we are able to wear regular clothes, please send your child in something that they can wear all day. Please DO NOT send students in clothes that they will need to change before/after pictures. Pictures will be on Thursday, October 9th. I do not know what time our pictures will be taken. After pictures are taken, they will send a proof home at a later date and you can decide then if you want to buy pictures or not. EVERYONE will have their picture taken on Thursday. There will be a makeup day if your student is absent.
I will be sending home some Scholastic book orders on Tuesday, October 7th. Anyone that wishes to order books needs to have the order back to me by Friday, October 10th. I will place the order by mail this month. Next month, I will have ordering online set up for parents that would rather order that way. Please order books, this gives me a way to order free books for our classroom. I will also place a classroom wish list on the order, if you would like to order any of these books for the classroom, please feel free to do so.
This past weekend, Hobie went home with a broken arm. Hobie does break...or tear. He did have some minor surgery on Friday, and had a cast on his arm when he left school. We think that he is going to heal nicely, but we have to be careful with him. Hobie will be visiting the doctor this week to see how he is healing. The students will give you an update on what the doctor says about Hobie's arm.
Have a wonderful Fall week! About 25 days until Halloween!
Ms. Messick
This week in whole group we will be discussing W as in Wind. We will have lots of activities that revolve around the letter W and weather. You should see some really interesting Writing activities coming home this week. I may not send them until the end of the week. I think that you will get a better idea of what is going on in the classroom if you can see the writing activities that the students are completing. Remember to point out things that begin with the letter of the week, since it helps the students remember what letter and sound it is that we are talking about this week. We WILL have Readwell homework this week. I will send several sheets for each student. I would like for them to practice as many as possible. We will also have a homework check this week in reading.
We will begin the Book It program this week. I will place a chart in the student's Bee Books to help keep up with tests that they score 100% on. There will be a notation from me if the students color in a box. If I have not noted the box, then it should not be colored. Once a student has colored all 12 boxes, they will be awarded a pizza ticket. Please make sure to read with your student and send a sticky note that they are ready to test on their book. Remember, they must read the book with a parent/guardian 3 times prior to testing on the book.
This week in Math we will continue working on subtraction. Please complete any homework sent home and return it to school the following day. I know that I did not take up homework from last week yet. I will take it up this week and get that folder cleared for you. We will continue our Math Drills for addition. Please practice at home. The grades on the drills are starting to look much better. I am seeing more and more of the students finishing the drills, which lets me know that they are learning their facts.
We will cover 2 grammar rules this week. The rules we will cover this week are rule 5 and rule 6. We will continue to work on previous rules, but we will concentrate on these two this week. Let me know if the study sheet helped you, as parents, last week. The grades looked a little better than they have in the past. If it did help, I will try to continue to send them on Thursday nights.
We have almost finished reading Charlotte's Web in class. If you have the video(not the DVD) at home, I have gotten permission to show it in my room. I would like to borrow it if I could. I will return it as soon as we have finished watching the movie. I am hoping that we will be able to finish both the book and the movie this week.
This week we have Fall pictures. I have not heard anything about what the students will be allowed to wear. As soon as I know, I will pass it along. Like I said before, do not be surprised if your student comes home on Wednesday saying they can wear regular clothes on Thursday. If we are able to wear regular clothes, please send your child in something that they can wear all day. Please DO NOT send students in clothes that they will need to change before/after pictures. Pictures will be on Thursday, October 9th. I do not know what time our pictures will be taken. After pictures are taken, they will send a proof home at a later date and you can decide then if you want to buy pictures or not. EVERYONE will have their picture taken on Thursday. There will be a makeup day if your student is absent.
I will be sending home some Scholastic book orders on Tuesday, October 7th. Anyone that wishes to order books needs to have the order back to me by Friday, October 10th. I will place the order by mail this month. Next month, I will have ordering online set up for parents that would rather order that way. Please order books, this gives me a way to order free books for our classroom. I will also place a classroom wish list on the order, if you would like to order any of these books for the classroom, please feel free to do so.
This past weekend, Hobie went home with a broken arm. Hobie does break...or tear. He did have some minor surgery on Friday, and had a cast on his arm when he left school. We think that he is going to heal nicely, but we have to be careful with him. Hobie will be visiting the doctor this week to see how he is healing. The students will give you an update on what the doctor says about Hobie's arm.
Have a wonderful Fall week! About 25 days until Halloween!
Ms. Messick
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
September 29th - October 3rd
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
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
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)