Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

We said good-bye to Mrs. Fulgenzi today.  The kids were so kind and welcoming to her over the last 7 weeks, and for my part, I'm thankful to have partnered with her to increase the learning in our classroom.  She loved the beautiful plant and picture, and I think she's looking forward to returning for a visit.  We wish her success in the years to come!

I have just a few things for you this week...

Report Card Envelopes:
If you haven't done so, please return your child's report card envelope and signed slip from the bottom of the last page of the report card.  This is your acknowledgement that you received the report card.

American Symbols Program:
Please mark your calendar for our American Symbols Program on Tuesday, May 24th at 8:15 am in the gym here at school.  Each first grade class will sing and speak about a different American Symbol.  Our class will sing and speak about the bald eagle. Please be sure your child is practicing reciting his/her speaking part (from memory!) with a clear and confident voice.

Read, Read, and Read Some More:

Our end of year literacy testing is fast approaching!  When I administer the end-of-year Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), I will be asking your child to read a story out loud, to retell the story in sequence using characters' names and providing as many details as possible, to identify a favorite part of the story and to state why, and to make a personal connection to the story.  Please, please, please be sure your child is reading every single day (weekends too!) and is practicing these skills.  


Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will practice making connections to the stories we read by saying how the story reminds us of something in our own lives.
• Writing:  We will finish our unit on All About Books.
• Math:  We will continue our money unit by practicing counting coins, showing specified money amounts in different ways, and making change.
• Social Studies:  I can't tell you...it's a surprise!  :)

Okay....so what did I forget?  The end of year is quickly approaching, and my update is short?  This must be the calm before the storm, or further proof that I am getting old.  Please check the "Important Dates" section of this blog regularly to stay up to date on the events happening at school.

Have a great weekend!

Mid-Week Update

Hi Parents,

A couple of mid-week items...

1.  Please check the front clear pocket of your child's homework folder for his/her report card.  After you review the report card, please sign and return only the bottom portion of the last page.  Please keep all other pages.  I only need the small slip at the bottom acknowledging your receipt of the report card.  Please also return the envelope.

2.  Please also check the front clear pocket for a food permission slip.  One of our classmates, Jayson, is moving.  His last day will be Monday, May 2nd.  I'd like to have frozen fruit bars at the end of the day as a little treat before we send him off. Please kindly sign and return the food permission slip as soon as possible.

3.  Tomorrow is "Take Your Child To Work Day."  If you are taking your child to work, please kindly notify both the Pinebrook main office and me.  You may email me and you may notify the office by using the online absence form found HERE.  An absence due to Take Your Child To Work Day will be recorded as an excused absence.

Please let me know if you have questions about any of these items.  Thank you!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: DATE CHANGE FOR OUR AMERICAN SYMBOLS PERFORMANCE!

Hello, Everyone!

Last night, Mr. Thiessen sent an important notification to the parents of all 1st graders to notify you of a change in date for our American Symbols Performance. The performance will no longer be Monday, May 2nd.  The performance has been rescheduled to Tuesday, May 24th at 8:30 am.  Please see below for the entire text of the message sent by Mr. Thiessen, or check your child's homework folder for a copy of the notification.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Jenna

Hello Parents of Grade 1 Students, 

We hope that you enjoyed your weekend. 

I have some important information to share. In effort to protect the instructional time during this busy time of year, we've made a schedule change to the First Grade Patriotic Program. We've moved the program date to Tuesday, May 24th at 8:30am. By making this change, we are allowing extended time for students to know their parts as well as provide easement for the many functions of the school to evenly take place. We greatly apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The teachers and students are excited to perform this program for you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. We will be happy to help in any way we can. 

Thank you for your understanding and support,

Mr. Thiessen

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

It's the time of year when I introduce the kids to Kid President.  They love him!  I love him!  Everybody loves him!  Do you know Kid President?  If not, let me introduce you to him too.  Here's my absolute favorite Kid President video ever! Watch it with your child....then say something nice to him or her.  :)

Read, Read, and Read Some More:

Our end of year literacy testing is fast approaching!  When I administer the end-of-year Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), I will be asking your child to read a story out loud, to retell the story in sequence using characters' names and providing as many details as possible, to identify a favorite part of the story and to state why, and to make a personal connection to the story.  Please, please, please be sure your child is reading every single day (weekends too!) and is practicing these skills. I know life is busy....I really, really do...I am typing this post sitting in the parking lot at Mercer Middle School while I wait for my son's 7th grade choir concert to start. I'm attempting to calculate the exact minute I need to exit my van to get a seat in the auditorium while still trying to finish this post before I go.  I promise I understand, but I can't overstate the importance of having your child read every day. Really...every day....did I mention it's kinda important?  :)

Mrs. Fulgenzi's Last Day:

Mrs. Fulgenzi's last day in our classroom will be Friday, April 29th.  We wish her luck as she embarks on her teaching career!

Career Week Spirit Week:

Our annual Pinebrook Career Day is Tuesday.  In honor of Career Day, we will have a career themed spirit week next week.  Here are the themes for each day:

• Monday:  "Our Future Starts Here Day":  Wear Pinebrook colors or spirit wear.
• Tuesday:  "Pinebrook Career Day" and "College Pride Spirit Day":  Wear your favorite college gear or colors.
• Wednesday:  "Interview Day":  Dress to impress, as if you were going to a job interview.
• Thursday:  "What Do You Want To Be Day?":  Dress like what you want to be when you grow up.
• Friday:  "Retirement Day":  Dress like you would when you successfully retire.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about similes in books we read.  We will use this knowledge during our Writing unit on Poetry.
• Writing:  We will continue writing our nonfiction All About books, in which we teach our reader all about a chosen topic.
• Math:  We will continue our money unit.  We are practicing counting coins, showing and writing money amounts, and making change.
• Social Studies:  We will learn about American Symbols such as the bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, Great Seal, Mount Rushmore, the Liberty Bell, the White House, the Capitol Building, and the American flag.

Have a fantastic weekend!  We are doing some major work in our backyard, and will be prepping for that this weekend.  I am looking forward to moving my body, spending time in the sunshine, and counting my blessings.  Spending my days with your kiddos certainly ranks high on the list.  May you count your blessings this weekend too!

Glue Sticks and Picnics!

(Not that glue sticks and picnics go together, but for now, we'll go with it...)

Hi Everyone!

The weather is gorgeous!  It's time for the kids to have the picnic they earned when they filled the marble jar a couple of weeks ago.  Therefore, we will have our picnic this Wednesday, April 20th during our regular lunch time.  Your child is welcome to bring a towel or small blanket on which to sit during our picnic.  If your child is buying lunch on Wednesday, he/she will get lunch in the cafeteria, then bring it outside to eat during our picnic. 

Also...A HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GLUE STICKS!  In fact, I apologize for not saying thank you in last Friday's update.  More glue sticks came in this morning, which reminded me to send this message.  I beg your pardon for my delayed thanks.

I hope your week is off to a sunny start!  Mine sure is....after two weeks of Mrs. Fulgenzi practicing as the lead teacher in our room, I am "re-assuming" teaching duties.  I may have cried just a teensy bit when I told the kids how happy I am to be back with them.  When you literally cry for joy at your job, you know you've answered your calling!  :)

Thank you again for the glue sticks!

Weekly Update

Happy Friday!

Thanks to all of you who came to the Triple Play last night!  The event is definitely a favorite among the staff and students.  Some of us have battle scars from Human Hungry Hippos, but the fun is worth it! 

Here's a look at what's happening in the classroom...

American Symbols Program:
Please mark your calendar for our American Symbols Program on Monday, May 2nd at 8:15 am in the gym here at school.  Each first grade class will sing and speak about a different American Symbol.  Our class will sing and speak about the bald eagle. Please be sure your child is practicing reciting his/her speaking part (from memory!) with a clear and confident voice.

Coins for our Money Unit:
A friendly reminder to send your child's coins to school with him/her on Monday.  We will be starting our money unit that day, and I would like the students to have real coins to use during the unit.  If you haven't done so, please send a bag with 100 pennies, 10 dimes, 20 nickels, and 4 quarters to school.  Please label the bag with your child's name.  You may refer to the note I sent in last week's Thursday folder for more details.

4th Quarter Homework:

Your child will receive a 4th Quarter Reading Menu in his/her homework beginning next week.  The remainder of the homework packet is the same; just the Reading Menu has changed.

Career Day:
Pinebrook's Career Day has been rescheduled for the morning of Tuesday, April 26th.  If you are able to come share information about your occupation with students at Pinebrook, please contact our counselors, Melissa Roberts (melissa.roberts@lcps.org) and Heather Ross (heather.ross@lcps.org).

Important Dates:
Our calendar is starting to fill as the end of the year approaches.  Please check the Important Dates section of this blog for regular updates.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about the climax in fiction stories.
• Writing:  We will begin writing nonfiction All About books, in which we teach our reader about something.
• Math:  We will begin our money unit.  We will practice identifying coins, and counting groups of coins.  
• Science:  We will discuss why we celebrate Earth Day.

Mid-Week Reminders

Hi Everyone!

We are half way through this short week, and I have just 2 quick things for you:

1.  A friendly reminder to send your child's coins to school before Monday, April 18th.  We will be starting our money unit that day, and I would like the students to have real coins to use during the unit.  Please send a bag with 100 pennies, 10 dimes, 20 nickels, and 4 quarters to school.  Please label the bag with your child's name.  You may refer to the note I sent in last week's Thursday folder for more details.

2.  I hope you're planning to attend the Triple Play on Thursday night!  It's become a tradition for the 1st grade students to perform the National Anthem at the event, and once again, all 1st graders are invited to sing.  Students should arrive to the main gym at John Champe High School no later than 6:15.  We will sing the National Anthem at 6:30. This is a wonderful opportunity for the 1st graders to practice singing the National Anthem in front of an audience before our American Symbols Program on May 2nd.  I hope to see you there!

Thank you!

Weekly Update

Hi Families!

We had a fantastic week!  The kids are enjoying having 2 teachers in the class, and Mrs. Fulgenzi is growing closer to the kids each day.  Here's your weekly update!

Class Picnic:

• We filled our marble jar, and earned a picnic as a reward.  Mother Nature is not cooperating!  I have an eye on the weather, and will give you plenty of notice of our picnic.  (Even if it is May!)

Glue Sticks:

• We are running very low on glue sticks.  If you may donate some glue sticks to our class, thank you!  If you would rather send glue sticks for just your child to use, that's okay too!

Triple Play News:

• Please join us!  Our annual Pinebrook Triple Play will be Thursday, April 14th at 5:45 pm in the gym at John Champe High School.  This is a fun event where the teachers play games against each other; the games are designed to make us look as silly as possible...think kickball, tricycle races, and dizzy bats!  The event starts with teacher bowling.  There will be food and snacks for sale, face painting, and other fun things. Please check the flyer in your child's Thursday folder for more information, including admission prices.

No School on Friday, April 15th:

• Friday, April 15th is a Planning Day for teachers.  THERE IS NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS ON THIS DAY.  We teachers will most likely be curled up on our classroom carpets recovering from the Triple Play! :)

First Grade American Symbols Program:

• Please mark your calendar for our American Symbols Program on Monday, May 2nd at 8:15 am in the gym here at school.  Each first grade class will sing and speak about a different American Symbol.  Our class will sing and speak about the bald eagle.  I sent your child's speaking part home in yesterday's Thursday folder.  He/she will say the assigned line from memory; thank you for helping your child practice his/her line with a clear and confident voice. 

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will practice summarizing stories.
• Writing:  We will finish our realistic fiction unit.
• Math:  We will finish our time unit.
• Science:  We will finish our force and motion unit.

Please let me know if you have any questions  Your kids are awesome!  Your support is invaluable!

See you tomorrow at STEAM Expo 2016!  Whoop-whoop!

Change in Schedule: Library Books Due Tomorrow!

Hi Everyone,

For this week only, we will have library tomorrow -- Thursday -- instead of Friday. Please help your child remember his/her library books tomorrow so he/she may check out new books.

While I'm typing about library, our Librarian, Mrs. Higgins, is trying to collect all overdue materials. If your child has an overdue book, I sent a note home from Mrs. Higgins on Monday.  Please help your child locate any overdue books, and please send those tomorrow as well.  If the book is lost, there is a replacement cost indicated on the slip.  Please send a check made out to "Pinebrook Elementary" for the replacement cost of the book, along with a note indicating the book for which you are paying.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Hope you're having an easy week!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

Happy April Fools' Day!  I'm not sure how it got to be April, but I'm grateful for warmth, sunshine, and days spent outside.  I hope you had an easy return to routines after Spring Break!  I'll try to keep this update short.  (And I'm not foolin'.  LOL!  I crack myself up, which is good because my boys just look at me and roll their eyes....)

Reading, Reading, and Reading!
As the days grow longer and the sunshine beckons, please be sure your child is reading everyday (even on weekends!), practicing retelling stories, and talking about what he/she is reading.  Our end of year benchmark testing will begin in May, so we are in the critical home stretch of practicing our good reader strategies!

Glue Sticks:
We are in dire need of glue sticks.  1st graders are super creative, and creativity requires glue!  :)  Please consider donating glue sticks to our classroom.  Many thanks!

Spring Pictures:
I sent home your child's individual Spring pictures on Wednesday.  I attached directions for purchasing the photos, but here's a quick recap:

• Look at the photos and decide which, if any, you'd like to purchase.
• Send a check to school or pay online for the photos you wish to keep.
• Return any photos you do not want to school.
• Please send your money or unwanted photos to school as soon as possible.  

First Grade Performance:

I sent home a note / acknowledgement slip about our 1st Grade American Symbols performance in yesterday's Thursday folder.  (Please kindly sign and return the slip as soon as possible.)  Our performance will be Monday, May 2nd at 8:30 in the gym here at school.  Our class will sing and speak about the bald eagle.  I will send home your child's speaking part in the next week or so.  It will be fairly short -- a sentence or two -- and your child will need to memorize his/her part. We will practice for our performance at school, but I appreciate your help in advance to help your child practice at home. Dress that day will be fairly easy -- any combination of red, white, and blue.

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.  From now until the Expo, you'll be seeing regular communication from school regarding volunteer opportunities, requested materials donations, and event information.  On behalf of our school's STEAM Team, please accept my sincere thank you for any time and / or materials you may donate.  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:

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.   Each grade level is aligned to a particular theme. Enrollment is limited and the camp is filling quickly!  For more information and to register, click  HERE.

Focus Areas for Next Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about drawing conclusions in stories we read.
• Writing:  We will finish our short Realistic Fiction unit.  
• Math:  We will continue telling time to the hour and half hour.
• Science:  We will finish our matter unit and begin talking about force and motion.

Questions, comments, and feedback welcomed!  How's that for short(ish)?  Have a great weekend!