Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

Many thanks to those of you able to attend our ABC's of Thanksgiving yesterday. The kids love having you visit the classroom, and I appreciate the time you take from your busy schedule to validate their efforts by attending our programs.  

Thank you also for your support in helping the kids vote for me for Turkey of the Year! Yesterday was the last vote!  I will be on pins and needles as I wait for Monday, when The Turkey is revealed!!

We have a short week coming up, and then 5 wonderful days to spend with family and food! Here's what you need to know for next week and the week after....

Report Card Signature Slips and Envelopes:
If you haven't done so, please return your child's report card envelope.  Please also return the signed report card acknowledgement.  This is the slip at the bottom of the last page of the report card.  I  only need the small slip at the bottom; you should keep the rest of the report card.

Read-a-Thon Update:
Please be sure to log your child's at-home reading on his/her Read-a-Thon page! The Read-a-Thon ends Tuesday, and we are looking forward to a big finish as we raise money to purchase materials for our Guided Reading Library!

Thanksgiving Travel:
If your child will be absent next week, and / or leaving early on Tuesday, please kindly notify both the office and me in advance.  For absences, you may use the online absence excuse found on the Pinebrook homepage, or by clicking HERE.  For early dismissal, you may use the early dismissal form found on the Pinebrook homepage, or by clicking HERE.

No Written Homework Next Week:
There will be no written homework next week due to our short week.  PLEASE READ!  Remember...reading isn't homework...reading is LIFE.  :)

Thanksgiving Reading Incentive:
I sent home a Thanksgiving reading incentive in yesterday's Thursday folder.  The kids can earn lunch in the classroom and Puma Paws for completing this reading challenge, and returning their signed form on Monday, November 28th.  If everyone completes the challenge and returns the form, we'll have extra recess on the 28th too!  Please let me know if you have any questions about this reading incentive.

Timeline Project:
I sent home your child's "Look At Me Now" Timeline Project in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please review the information in the letter and let me know if you have any questions.  Timeline projects are due no later than Friday, December 9th. If your child has his/her Timeline project completed before that date, feel free to send it in early.

Focus Areas for the Coming Short Week (11/21-11/22) AND the Week of 11/28 - 12/2:

• Reading:  We will summarize stories using the summary frame known as "Somebody-Wanted-But-So".  You can use this summary frame with your child at home too!  After your child reads a book, ask:  "Who is the Somebody in the story?"  (it's usually the main character);  "What did he/she want?";  "But what happened?" (this is the problem);  "So what did he/she do?"  (this is the solution).  We will also talk about the Author's Message in stories we read...what life lesson does the author want us to learn from this story?
• Math:  We will review our addition strategies as we finish our addition unit. We will begin our subtraction unit, in which we explore subtraction as the reverse of addition, and learn strategies for quickly solving subtraction facts.
• Social Studies:  We will finish our Long Ago and Today unit.
• Science:  We will begin talking about how people, plants, and animals prepare for winter, and how they adapt to winter.

As always, I welcome your questions, comments, and feedback.

Happy Thanksgiving!  As I count my blessings, your sweet kiddos, you, and the support you offer each day are surely at the top of the list.  

Weekly Update and Turkey of the Year Update!

Hi Everyone,

We celebrated Veteran's Day at school today.  Please ask your child about it! Veterans came to speak with us about their time in the service, and we celebrated them with our own Pinebrook Veteran's Day parade.  My husband, Leo, served for 22 years.  As a teacher and as the wife of a veteran, I am so thankful to our Pinebrook community for honoring Leo and the other veterans.  Please take a moment today to be thankful for the veterans who keep our country the Land of the Free.  

Turkey of the Year Update:
Next week is the last week to vote for Turkey of the Year.  Please, please, please help me become the 2016 Turkey of the Year by encouraging your child to read for crazy amounts of hours between now and next Thursday!  Please note:  Next week's final vote will take place on Thursday (not Friday!).  I will send a reminder next week for you to send reading slips on Thursday, instead of Friday.  Thank you so much for all you've done to support me in my dream to be "The Turkey"!

Report Cards:
Quarter 1 report cards will go home next Wednesday, November 16th.  I will put your child's report card in the front clear pocket of his/her homework folder.  After you review your child's report card, please sign the bottom of the last page, detach the signature slip, and return it in the original envelope.  You keep the report card; I keep the signature slip and envelope. I do reuse your child's report card envelope all year, so please be sure to return it.

American Education Week:
I hope you will join us in our classroom next Thursday, November 17th from 9:45 - 10:30 am to celebrate American Education Week.  Students will present the ABC's of Thanksgiving.  Our lunch is immediately following the ABC's of Thanksgiving, and you may stay to have lunch with your child.  Our lunch is from 10:34 - 11:04.  If you're staying for lunch, please plan to say goodbye to your child in the cafeteria at the end of our lunch period.  Our regular instructional day will resume right after lunch.  I sent home specific information about American Education Week, including a copy of your child's speaking part(s), in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please review this information.  Please send back the form to let me know if you're staying for lunch, and please help your child practice reading his/her speaking part with a clear, confident voice.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about visualizing.  When good readers read and/or listen to stories, they must sometimes visualize.  When we visualize, we make a picture in our brains to accompany the words in the story.
• Writing:  We will respond to writing prompts and self-chosen topics as we continue to practice capitalization, punctuation, spacing, and letter formation. We will complete a Thanksgiving writing project.
• Math:  We will begin to close our addition unit.  We will finish learning strategies for quickly solving addition facts.
• Social Studies:  We will continue our Long Ago and Today unit as we make our final preparations for American Education Week, and the ABC's of Thanksgiving.

Our first quarter is in the books!  Thank you for all you've done to help your child adjust to 1st grade.  I am blessed by their sweet presence each day.  Please remember...your feedback is welcomed and appreciated.  

Enjoy the weekend!  I'm going to start our family's Thanksgiving preparations!  I should probably start with a 10 mile run, and by ensuring all my elastic waist pants are ready to go!  *gobble*

A Little More Information About Family Reading Night!

Hi Parents,

A friendly reminder that tomorrow night is our first ever Pinebrook Family Reading Night.  It's from 6:30-7:45 here at school, and the theme is "Reading Takes You Places!"  The first session will be from 6:30 - 6:55 and the second session will be from 7:00-7:25.  During each session, you may visit the room of your child's choice to listen to a teacher read a book and complete a fun activity.  We'll gather in the library from 7:30 - 7:45 to listen to a final story together.  Many of us teachers will be reading at Family Reading Night, including ME!  :)  I will be sharing one of my favorite stories -- The Hello, Goodbye Window.  Please come listen to me read as I transport you to Nanna and Poppy's house where you will discover the magic of The Hello, Goodbye Window!  I could seriously read to kids, adults, pets, stuffed animals...anyone or anything that will listen...all day long.  (Ask the kids...I tell them all the time.)  I am excited for Family Reading Night.  It's a strong demonstration of Pinebrook's complete commitment to growing a generation of readers!  Speaking of reading.....

TURKEY OF THE YEAR VOTING CONTINUES FRIDAY!!!  PLEASE KEEP READING!!!  PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF THOSE READING HOURS TO SUBMIT THEM ON FRIDAY!!!   HOURS COUNT IF YOUR STUDENT READS, OR IF YOU READ TO YOUR STUDENT!!!  I AM SO CLOSE!!!!!!   

Thank you!

Hi Everyone,

I messed up!  I told the kids anyone who brought back their pink form could eat lunch in the classroom today, and I wasn't even thinking that it's Friday!  #teacherfail  The cafeteria lines are really long on Fridays, which means our in-class lunch would be cut short.  I talked to the involved kiddos and we decided to move lunch in the classroom to Wednesday, since we can have a bit more time to enjoy our food and movie.  I also gave those students 3 paws and let them put 3 marbles in our marble jar.  Lunch in the classroom on Wednesday will be a reward reserved only for those students who brought their pink form back today.

Turkey of the Year:
Turkey of the Year voting began today, and will continue for the next few Fridays! Your child must read to vote for the staff member he/she would like to see come to school dressed in a turkey suit.  One hour of reading equals one vote.  Each Friday, please sign and return that week's voting slip, which came home in last week's Thursday folder.  If you lost the voting slips, please write a note to indicate how many hours your child read during the previous week, sign it, and send it to school on Friday. 

Conferences:
Thank you for attending your parent teacher conference!  I enjoy visiting with you during this time to discuss your child's progress and behavior, and I learn so much about your student through your eyes. 

Pinebrook Read-a-Thon:
Monday, November 7th will mark the start of our Pinebrook Read-a-Thon.  All money raised will be used to purchase materials for our new Guided Reading Library.  This is the library we teachers access for resources and materials when we plan our reading instruction. Please refer to the flyer I sent home in last week's Thursday folder for more information.  

Family Reading Night:
Our Family Reading Night will be Thursday, November 10th at 6:30 at school. Jonah and I will be there, and we hope to see you too!

American Education Week:
Please mark your calendar for our American Education Week celebration on Thursday, November 17th from 9:45 - 10:30 am in our classroom.  Students will present the ABC's of Thanksgiving.  Our lunch is immediately following the ABC's of Thanksgiving, and you may stay to have lunch with your child after our event.  For your planning purposes, our lunch is from 10:34 - 11:04.  If you're staying for lunch, please plan to say goodbye to your child in the cafeteria at the end of our lunch period.  Our regular instructional day will resume right after lunch.  Please watch next week's Thursday folder for the specific details you'll need about this event.

Sound of the Week Update:
You may notice we didn't have a Sound of the Week this week.  Our instructional week was shortened due to our Fall Party and field trip, so I didn't introduce a new Sound of the Week.  Because next week is also a short week, we will not have a new Sound of the Week next week either.  Instead, we'll continue to review short vowel spelling patterns.  I will introduce a new Sound of the Week on November 14th, when we begin our long vowel spelling patterns.

Next Week's Sight Words:
Due to our short week next week, we will not have new sight words.  We will review previously learned sight words.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about the reasons authors write books:  to persuade, to inform, and to entertain.  This is called the "author's purpose".  
• Writing:  We will respond to writing prompts and self-chosen topics as we continue to practice capitalization, punctuation, spacing, and letter formation.
• Math:  We will continue our addition unit.  We will learn strategies for quickly solving addition facts.
• Social Studies:  We will finish learning about Veteran's Day.  We will begin our Long Ago and Today unit, in which we compare and contrast life long ago and today.

Don't forget...the kids don't have school Monday or Tuesday due to Parent Teacher Conferences and Teacher Work Days.  Enjoy the long weekend!

Please Read: 2 Important Reminders for Friday!

Hi Parents,

2 quick reminders for tomorrow:

1.  Your child has a pink Federal Aid Impact Survey in his/her Thursday folder today.  LCPS is eligible to receive Impact Aid Funds from the federal government if either of a student's parents is on active duty in the uniformed services, or if either parent is working on federally owned property located in Virginia.  Regardless of where you work, I must have a completed form for every single child in my class.  You must sign and date this form.  If you do not sign and date it, I will return it to you to ask you to do so.  Please complete this form, sign it, date it, and return it tomorrow.  This is an important form.  I am offering lunch in the classroom with a short movie to any student who returns his/her form tomorrow.  I told this kids about this incentive, and even told them to bring you a pen to ask you to complete the form!  :)

2.  Round 2 of Turkey of the Year voting is tomorrow!  Please use the slips I sent home in last week's Thursday folder to indicate how many hours your child read independently or with you this week (remember, weekend reading counts too!).  If you don't have the slip, just write a note to tell me how many hours your child read. Please help me get to the next round of voting!  I want to be the next Turkey of the Year!  :)

Please let me know if you have any questions about either of these reminders. Regular update will come tomorrow!

Thank you!