Weekly Update, Read-A-Thon, and Election Day

Hi Parents!

We made it through 5 whole, complete, uninterrupted school days!  I forgot what a full week feels like.  I hope the kids shared with you about our 100th day.  They seemed really happy with everything we did.  :)  

Here's your weekly update...

Odds and Ends:

• Please check the Important Dates section of this blog often.  I update it continuously.  In fact, I've gone so far as to post the date of the LAST day of school.  :)
• Please continue to send photos of your child with pets, family, etc.  The kids enjoy sharing these photos during Morning Meeting and I enjoy seeing their lives from different points of view.

Election Day Information:

LCPS will be closed this coming Tuesday, March 1st, due to the Virginia Presidential Primary Election.  There will be NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS ON TUESDAY, MARCH 1ST.

Read-A-Thon:

Our Inaugural Pinebrook Read-A-Thon officially begins on Monday.  I sent home information about this fundraiser this week.  The Read-A-Thon will raise money for reading materials for the school.  We are hoping to purchase new books for students, new instructional resources for teachers, and some new organizational materials for our guided reading library.  I previously asked you to help your child set up his/her personal page for the Read-A-Thon.  Once created, you may blast your child's personal page over every type of social media imaginable.  You can email, print, and text links to family and friends, and folks can donate to your child's campaign online with a credit card.  The Read-A-Thon is based on flat donations -- it's not the type of event where the kids get sponsored and a person pays a certain amount for every minute read.  This makes it much easier for all of us (I say "us" because I have a kiddo participating too!) because there's no follow-up work when the event is over.  You distribute the link to your child's personal page, people donate, and it's done!  The kids will read at school, and they already read for homework at home.  It's a win-win.

I try really hard to never "plug" a fundraiser.  I promise, promise, promise I know how it feels to open your kid's backpack and think, "They want money AGAIN?"  I am breaking my own rule to sincerely ask you to support this event.  I know you are all aware of how passionate I am about reading.  I sit on our school's Language Arts Committee, and I helped plan this event.  I am over-the-moon excited about the possibilities for the money we can raise.  

Next Week's Homework:

I am making a slight change to next week's homework packet.  In honor of Dr. Seuss's 112th birthday,  Pinebrook will celebrate National Read Across America Day on March 2nd.  For homework, I am asking your child to create a new cover for a favorite Dr. Seuss book.  I will send a piece of white card stock home on Monday, which your child should use to create his/her cover.  The sky's the limit on creativity, but please use the card stock I send home.  All 1st graders are participating in this project, and the covers will be displayed in the school library during the month of March.  I need to ensure the covers are size appropriate since they will be sharing display space with covers from other classes.  More details are included with the homework packet, but please contact me if you have any questions. 

Fine Arts Night:

The PTA is sponsoring a Fine Arts Night at school on Tuesday, March 8th at 6:30 pm.  This will be a night of hands-on creativity as kids visit many fun stations to explore art through a variety of mediums.  I hope to see you there!

STEAM Expo:

The annual Pinebrook STEAM Expo will be held on Saturday, April 9th.  It's a fun day filled with hands-on Science exploration.  My boys love this event!  I sent home a flyer in last week's Thursday folder asking for supplies for the Expo.  If you are able to donate any of these items, please kindly send them to school with your child as soon as possible.  We need many, many volunteers to make the STEAM Expo a success!  If you are able to join me in donating your time on the day of the event, you can sign up HERE.  

Camp STEAM-TACULAR Is Coming!

This summer, Pinebrook will host Camp STEAM-tacular.  This is a fun-filled week of STEAM related learning and exploration which takes place June 20th - 24th from 9 am to 3 pm here at school.  For more information and to register, click  HERE.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will explore Rhyme and Author's Message via Dr. Seuss books.
• Writing:  We will continue our Letter Writing unit.
• Math:  We will continue our Fractions unit.
• Social Studies:  We will continue our Famous Americans unit.

I've realized something.  Every week, I think I have just a few things to say, and every week it seems I've written another novel.  Thank you for your patience in reading my posts each week.  Brevity in writing is not my strong point.

Have a super weekend!

UPDATED: LCPS CLOSED TUESDAY, MARCH 1ST

Hi Everyone!

The LCPS School Board voted last night to close school on Tuesday, March 1st due to the Virginia Presidential Primary Election.  Tuesday, March 1st will be a Teacher Workday only; NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS.  You can read the full announcement HERE.

Thank you!

The Pinebrook Read-A-Thon is Coming!

Hi Everyone,

Please check your child's backpack or homework folder today for important information regarding our Inaugural Pinebrook Read-A-Thon.  The Read-A-Thon will raise money to support our Reading instruction school-wide.  Our goal is to raise enough money to purchase new books for students, new instructional resources for teachers, and some new organizational materials to make it easier for students and teachers to interact with our existing (and hopefully new!) resources.

All students will participate in the Read-A-Thon at school, and are highly encouraged to participate at home.  Please use the flyer I sent home today to help your child create his/her Read-A-Thon page.  You will need the "secret code" at the bottom of the flyer to create your child's individual page.  After creating your child's personal page, you may share it with family and friends.  Family and friends may then donate to the Read-A-Thon online by using a credit card.

The students can earn various prizes for participating in the Read-A-Thon and for raising money.  At the end of the Read-A-Thon, they will choose these prizes on their Read-A-Thon page, and the prizes will be shipped to school.  All students earn a prize just for creating a personal page!

My son participated in a Read-A-Thon last year and as a parent, I can honestly say it was the easiest fundraiser we've ever done.  :)

I would like ALL students to create their personal page by Friday.  Any student who creates a personal page by Friday will earn 3 Puma Paws and 1 marble for our class marble jar.  I have told the kids about this incentive.

I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information today, so here are just a couple of other important dates about the Read-A-Thon:

• February 29th:  The Read-A-Thon officially begins.   Everyone will complete the first reading session at school.
• March 11th:  The Read-A-Thon ends.  

For now, please concentrate on helping your child create his/her personal page by Friday.  You can also learn more about the Read-A-Thon after creating your child's personal page.

Thank you for helping us earn money to improve our Reading program at Pinebrook.  In case you haven't figured it out.......I kinda think nothing's more important than Reading!  :)

Weekly Update and Important Election Day Information

Happy Friday!

I hope you were able to achieve a semblance of normalcy to your routine over the last few days.  We are continuing to adjust and play catch up due to snow, but I'm always grateful to be back with the kids, no matter how "off" our routines may feel.

Kind of random, but ask your child about Mt. Rushmore (in South Dakota).  I showed the kids some pictures of different American Symbols this week, and they were completely fascinated by Mt. Rushmore!  I showed them a short video about South Dakota that included information about Mt. Rushmore.  There are lots of longer videos / documentaries on YouTube too...I didn't have time to screen any of those, so we stuck to something shorter.  Anyhow, they couldn't get over the idea of how Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln, designed and sculpted the mountain.  I was reminded how things are more majestic through the eyes of a child.  :) 

Here's your weekly update:

Odds and Ends:

• Feel free to send pictures of your child with pets, with family, or engaged in fun activities.  I display those during Morning Meeting so the kids can share.
• I am continually updating the "Important Dates" section of this blog.  Please refer here often.

**2-Hour Delay March 1st Due to Election Day:

LCPS will operate on a 2-hour delay on Tuesday, March 1st due to the Presidential Primary Election.

We filled the Marble Jar!
The kids earned enough marbles to fill our marble jar.  They chose "bring a board game to school" as their reward.  On Monday, February 22nd, students may bring a board game to school.  We will play the board games during the day.  Please do not send any electronic games.  

100th Day Update:

Due to snow, our 100th Day of School will now be on Wednesday, February 24th.  I sent home a food permission slip in last week's Thursday folder because I have some fun stations planned, with food included.  If you haven't done so, please kindly sign and return the slip as soon as possible.

Spirit Week:
Next week is Pinebrook Spirit Week.  Show your spirit with fun and creativity!

Monday:  Wear Pinebrook Gear

Tuesday:  Twin Day

Wednesday:  Wacky Wear / Wacky Hair Day

Thursday:  Throwback or Backwards Day

Friday:  Dress Like It's Saturday

Flat Stanley Is Coming!

Please watch next week's Thursday folder for important detailed information about our upcoming "Flat Stanley" projects.  I will be requesting an address for a friend / relative in another state or country to whom your child may send a flat version of him/herself.  I will be requesting postage stamps as well.

STEAM Expo:

The annual Pinebrook STEAM Expo will be held on Saturday, April 9th.  It's a fun day filled with hands-on Science exploration.  My boys love this event!  I sent home a flyer in last week's Thursday folder asking for supplies for the Expo.  If you are able to donate any of these items, please kindly send them to school with your child as soon as possible.  We need many, many volunteers to make the STEAM Expo a success!  If you are able to join me in donating your time on the day of the event, you can sign up HERE.  

Camp STEAM-tacular is Coming!
This summer, Pinebrook will host Camp STEAM-tacular.  This is a fun-filled week of STEAM related learning and exploration which takes place June 20th - 24th from 9 am to 3 pm here at school.  For more information and to register, click  HERE.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about visualizing...creating a picture in our minds to accompany a story. We will be reading Flat Stanley.
• Writing:  Our How-to unit is finished.  We will begin a short unit on Letter Writing, which will culminate in our Flat Stanley projects.
• Math:  We will begin our fractions unit.  We will talk about fair shares, halves, thirds, and fourths.
• Social Studies:  We will continue our unit on Famous Americans.  Our Famous Americans unit includes:  George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Benjamin Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  I welcome your comments, feedback, and suggestions!  As always, thank you for supporting the students and me!

Early Chapter Book Series for 1st Graders!

Hi Everyone!

Happy Snowy President's Day!  My youngest is practicing piano and my oldest is making cookies.  Every so often, it feels like this parenting thing is getting a teensy bit easier.  :)

I've been thinking about this post for a while.  Today I want to share a list of some beginning chapter book series for 1st graders.  The kids are just exploding as readers, and many of them are ready to move beyond the standard 32-page picture book to something "more".  These beginning chapter books are perfect for that...they help build reading stamina and confidence, they're funny and engaging stories, and they help little guys feel like "big kid readers".  I am going to list these titles as links to product listings on Amazon.  Some bloggers earn money from Amazon when you click on product links in their posts and proceed to buy the featured item.  I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE BLOGGERS!  I'm just listing these titles as links so if something looks interesting, you can quickly and easily navigate to the title for more information.  It's all about making it easy!  :)

• Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
• Annie and Snowball by Cynthia Rylant
• Mr. Putter and Tabby by Cynthia Rylant
• Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant
• The High Rise Private Eyes by Cynthia Rylant
• George and Martha by James Marshall
• Minnie and Moo by Denys Cazet
• Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
• Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
• Urgency Emergency by Dosh Archer
• Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Erica Silverman
• Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
• Ling and Ting by Grace Lin
• Pinky and Rex by James Howe
• Frances Books by Russell and Lillian Hoban

Scholastic has a new line of beginning chapter books called "Branches."  The link to the Branches page of the Scholastic website is HERE.  There are many different book series listed that are geared toward beginning chapter book readers.

Most of the above books and book series can be found for FREE in the Loudoun County Public Library System.  If you don't have a library card, I encourage you to apply for one.  Click HERE to visit the Loudoun County Public Library site.  Once you have a library card, you can request books online, and receive an e-mail when your books are ready for pick-up!  It doesn't get any easier.  :)

*Remember...even if your kiddo can read independently, you should still read to your child often!  I  still read to my boys.  Instead of reading short picture books, I read novels that contain a story / message I want them to hear.  By reading to my boys, I'm able to continue modeling fluency, expression, stamina, and love of reading, while sharing stories I want them to learn through our family's moral, ethical, social, and religious filter.  Some of our favorite reads include: The Giver, Tuck Everlasting, Old Yeller, Maniac Magee, Wonder, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, The One and Only Ivan, and poetry by Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein.

I hope you find something that interests your child (or you!) on this list.

Happy Reading!  My Savey is finished baking his Snickerdoodles...perfect timing!

Happy Valentine's Day and Weekly Update!

Hi Parents,

I hope you're ready for a cold Valentine's Day weekend!  It will be perfect weather for snuggling up to your sweet little Valentines.  If you came to our party today, thank you!  We had a fun time rotating through the stations, making boxes for our Valentines, and making cards for some special people.  If you weren't able to come, you were surely missed.  Please ask your child all about it...it will make great dinner conversation.  Meantime, a huge thank you to Mrs. Levi, Mrs. Meer, and Mrs. Zumwalt for organizing the party, and another big thank you to each of you who donated something.  It takes a village!  :)

My update is fairly short this week...well, for me anyway.....  

Report Cards:

2nd quarter report cards went home today.  Please check the front clear pocket of your child's homework folder for his/her report card.  **After you read the report card, please detach the slip at the bottom of the last page, sign it, and return it.  Please do not return the entire report card; please only return the small slip at the bottom of the last page.  Please return the envelope.**

100th Day of School:

The 100th day of school is coming!  Weather permitting, we will celebrate our 100th day on Tuesday, February 23rd.  I have some super cool, really fun stations planned for 100th day!  {If I may say so myself! :)} I sent home a food permission slip in yesterday's Thursday folder because 2 of the stations involve food.  Please kindly sign and return the permission slip as soon as possible.  If we have any snow days before the 23rd, I'll adjust our celebration to align with the 100th day.  I'll notify you if this happens.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will begin to explore text features of non-fiction books.  It's a great time to pick up a non-fiction book at the Gum Springs Library!  
• Writing:  I've been writing it forever, but we will finally finish our How-to unit.  (Snow has wreaked havoc on my writing plans!!!!)
• Math:  We will finish our Geometry unit and begin our Fractions unit.  (The kids LOVE fractions -- lots of fun, hands-on activities to learn about fair shares, equal and unequal, halves, thirds, and fourths.)  We will begin timed addition tests in math. 
• Social Studies:  We will begin our Famous Americans unit.  We will learn about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Benjamin Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

As always, please let me know if you have questions or comments.  Happy Valentine's Day and stay warm!

Quick Reminders!

Hi Everyone,

A couple of quick reminders before tomorrow:

1. Our Valentine's Day party is tomorrow.  It will start at 11:15 in our classroom.  Families are welcome to attend!  If your child is bringing Valentine cards to exchange, please be sure he/she brings one for everyone in the class.  The students will make a container to hold their Valentine cards during the party.
2. Homework is due tomorrow.  Please refer to my weekly update from last Friday for information about homework in the 3rd quarter, specifically the requirements regarding Raz-Kids and Reflex Math.
3. Library books are due tomorrow.
4. Report cards will go home tomorrow.  Please check the front clear pocket of your child's homework folder for his/her report card.

Thank you!  I hope to see you tomorrow!

Weekly Update

Hi Parents!

It's Teacher Workday, which means I'm typing this update in a pair of yoga pants, music in the background, and a cup of coffee sitting next to me.  #happyplace

Odds and Ends:

• Thank you for your hard work in helping your child prepare for the Book Character Parade!  I enjoyed the creativity of the costumes, and the kids looked so proud of themselves parading around the school.
• Thursday was a Team Planning Day for our first grade team, which means that although we were at school, we were holed up in the library planning for the upcoming quarter.  A few things were lost in translation between the substitute and me, so there are 3 items that didn't make it into the kids' Thursday folders.  I will send them home on Monday.  Please look for these documents:  Save the Date for the upcoming Fine Arts Experience, Dulles Storm Lacrosse flyer, and sign up for the Someone Special dance next Friday night.  I apologize for the omission of these documents.  If you require further information about any of them before Monday, please kindly email me.
• The delayed openings, Book Character Parade, and Student Holiday put us somewhat behind this week.  We didn't get to nearly half the things I planned, so next week's focus areas will be largely the same as this week's.
• I update the "Important Dates" section of this blog regularly.  Please be sure to check for upcoming events and other important dates.
• Our SCA (Student Council) is beginning its annual "Pennies for Patients" campaign on Monday.  The information will come home with your child on that day. 

Homework Update:

On Monday, your child will receive his/her first homework packet for the 3^rd quarter.  This packet includes a new Reading Response Menu, and a new expectation, namely that students will complete one session of Reflex Math each week (as opposed to Dreambox Math).  I will still expect students to complete one session of Raz-Kids each week.  These are not optional.  If computer-based homework is difficult to facilitate, please let me know and I will work with you to create an alternative assignment.

I do receive a report each week from both Reflex Math and Raz-Kids, which shows me whether your child logged his/her sessions. 

Please note the following:

• If your child does not complete his/her required session of Raz-Kids, he/she will read for 15 minutes during recess on the Monday following the week in which he/she did not complete Raz-Kids.
• If your child does not complete his/her required session of Reflex Math, he/she will practice math facts for 15 minutes during recess on the Monday following the week in which he/she did not complete Reflex.
• If your child does not complete his/her required sessions of either Raz-Kids or Reflex, he/she will read for 15 minutes during recess on the Monday following the week in which he/she did not complete Raz-Kids, and practice math facts for 15 minutes during recess on the Tuesday following the week in which he/she did not complete Reflex.

      Valentine's Day:

jj    Our class Valentine's Day party will be on Friday, February 12th from 11:15 - 12:45 in our classroom. All families are welcome to attend.  If your child would like to exchange Valentines with classmates, please remember that you may NOT attach food to the Valentines.  Pencils, tattoos, stickers, etc. are great substitutes.  If your child is handing out Valentines, please ensure he/she has one for every student in the class.  I sent the class list and food permission slips home in your child's most recent Thursday folder. Please kindly send the food permission slip back as soon as possible.  If you volunteered to donate something to the party, thank you!  You may send those items in whenever you'd like.  You may also send your child's Valentine cards any day this week, and I'll hold them until the party on Friday, when they will hand them out.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

Reading:  We will identify the main idea in stories we read.
Writing:  We are finishing our How-To writing
Math:  We will continue our Geometry unit.
Social Studies:  We are finishing learning a little bit about the history of the USA.

As always, thank you for your support at home.  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

Enjoy the weekend!  I heard on the radio this morning that the average adult consumes 6,000 calories on Super Bowl Sunday.  Enjoy the game!  (or commercials!)

Book Character Parade

Hi Everyone,

One more friendly reminder about the Book Character Parade this Thursday.  Some of the kids didn't seem to know what I was talking about when I asked them about it today.  We talked about it again, and I told them they ARE expected to participate.  I am required to give a participation grade for this event.  Please kindly ensure your child is ready to go on Thursday.  Please let me know if you have any questions!    Thank you!