It's Winter Break!

Hi Parents,

I'm writing today to wish you a happy, healthy, joyful Winter Break, and to pass along wishes for the happiest of holidays.  I will send along a weekly update at the beginning of January with classroom information for the first week of the new year.  

I'd also like to offer my sincerest thanks for the treats and gift cards so many of you sent.  I am humbled by your kindness and generosity.  :)

Enjoy the time off!  May you rest, recharge, and relax.  May you connect with your family and loved ones.  We are headed to Vegas in the morning, then home before Christmas to celebrate together. 

Many Blessings,

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!  Happy Friday!

It's about to be my favorite week of the entire school year!  The anticipation for Christmas and Winter Break is in the air, everyone is in a festive mood, and everyone is even kinder than normal.  We have some fun events planned next week to mark the Holiday, and will be finishing up some of our academic units too.  

Holiday Shop:

We previewed the items for sale at the Pinebrook Holiday Shop yesterday.  Students may purchase items next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.  If your child is purchasing Holiday Shop items, please kindly use the envelope I sent home yesterday to send his/her list and money next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Students who bring money may shop during our recess time.  Please remember there is no obligation to buy.  If you'd like to shop with your child, the Holiday Shop will be open tomorrow morning from 9 - 11:30 am.  The 5th Grade will be hosting its annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser, so come for breakfast too.  :)

Interim Progress Reports:

Interim progress reports (commonly called "interims") will go home Wednesday, December 13th.  A friendly reminder that I do not send an interim home for every child.  If I send one for your student, you will receive it via email at the email address on file in your ParentVue account.

Hour of Code:
In celebration of Computer Science Eduaction Week, our school participated in Hour of Code this week.  The goal of Hour of Code Week is to introduce students to computer science and computer programming through fun, self-paced, computer based games.  You can find many of these games on our 1st Grade Symbaloo page by clicking HERE.  While you're there, check out the other fun online learning resources!

Winter Break Reading Log:

I sent home a Winter Break Reading Challenge in your child's Thursday folder yesterday. If you have any questions about this reading incentive, please email me.

Holiday Travel:

If you are traveling over the Holidays, and your child will be absent from school, please kindly notify the school in advance.  You can send a message or note to me, which I will forward to the office.  You may also submit your notification to the office directly by using the "online absence excuse", which is found on the Pinebrook home page.  The link to the Pinebrook home page is HERE.

Focus Areas for Next Week:

• Reading:  We will read the Holiday Classic The Polar Express, and review many of the good reader strategies we have learned this year, such as predicting, retelling, making connections, and story mapping.  
• Math:  We will continue our subtraction unit, in which we learn strategies for quickly solving subtraction facts.  
• Writing:  We will complete some Holiday writing projects.
• Science / Social Studies:  We will talk about Holiday traditions around the world with our annual Holidays Around the World on Thursday morning. During this time, the 1st grade teachers take turns rotating through each other's classrooms teaching the students about a holiday tradition from a particular country or culture.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!  The Mercer Band and Chorus will come Wednesday morning for a Holiday concert, and on Friday, the entire school will pile into the gym for our annual Holiday Sing Along.  We sing Holiday songs from the many faith and cultural traditions represented at Pinebrook while the teachers and staff all take turns leading the songs.  Seriously....I CAN'T EVEN CONTAIN MYSELF.  I am 43 years old, but at this time of year, I am a 6 year old.  It's one reason why YOUR children are "MY PEOPLE"!  (It's also the reason I am typing in so many CAPITAL letters.)

Have a great weekend!  I am looking forward to time with friends, wrapping gifts, and some Christmas cooking, all the while (hopefully) watching a little snow fall. We leave for Las Vegas early next Saturday morning, so I'll be getting ready for our trip too!   

                                     

Weekly Update

Hi Parents,

I'm writing to you from home today!  Every year, I take a personal day at Christmastime.  I keep my boys home from school (shh!) and we bake all day long. We make all the cookies I baked with my own mom growing up.  It's one of my favorite days of the year because I am able to connect my boys to memories of my mother.  💜  I hope you have a special Holiday ritual in your family too.  :)

Just a quick update for you this week...

Timeline Projects Due December 4th:
Your child's "Look At Me Now" timeline project is due Monday.  Please send your child's project to school with him/her on Monday.  The kids love sharing their projects, and I'm excited to see their creativity on display!

Inclusive Schools Week:
Next week is Inclusive Schools Week, which is a time to celebrate our public schools as environments in which all students are invited to learn, regardless of educational, emotional, or behavioral challenges.  We will welcome a guest reader, who will share a story and lead a discussion about the importance of including everyone in our learning environment.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will continue or Word Detectives unit, in which we learn strategies for solving tricky words.  We will discuss the questions good readers ask when they read a story.  We sometimes call this "wondering".
• Writing:  We will respond to writing prompts and self-chosen topics as we continue to practice capitalization, punctuation, spacing, and letter formation. We will add a bit of "seasonal spice" to our writing with some Holiday themed projects.
• Math:  We will finish our addition unit.  We will begin our subtraction unit, in which we explore subtraction as the inverse of addition.  
• Science:  We will finish our study of economics: wants and needs, goods and services, consumers and producers.  We will begin to talk about communities.  We will talk about the community helpers who provide goods and services within communities.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or feedback.

We are headed to the city this weekend for some Holiday culture and fun.  Enjoy your weekend!  Next week, the cold weather is coming!

It's Book Fair Week!

Hi Parents!

I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving break!  I am ready to see the kids!  We have lots to do before our long winter break in December!

A friendly reminder that it's Book Fair Week!  The students previewed the Book Fair this past Tuesday, and students who bring money may shop at the Book Fair this week during recess.  If you are sending money for your child to shop, please send it in a sealed envelope labeled with your child's name, my name, and the words "Book Fair".  If you prefer to shop with your child, the family shopping event is Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.  

Please tell the kids hello for me and that I am looking forward to seeing them tomorrow.

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.  

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's short week and the week after....

Quarter 1 Report Cards:
A friendly reminder that Quarter 1 report cards were issued Wednesday.  If you've not yet done so, please log into your ParentVue account to view your child's report card.

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.

School Picture Retakes:
School Picture Retakes will be Monday, November 20th.  Picture retakes are for students who were absent on picture day, or students who paid for a picture package and would like to have the photos redone.  If you believe either of these apply to you, please send me a message and I will give you all the details about picture retakes.

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 for completing this reading challenge and returning their signed form on Monday, November 27th.  If everyone completes the challenge and returns the form, we'll earn extra recess too!  Please let me know if you have any questions about this reading incentive.

Scholastic Book Fair:

The Scholastic Book Fair will be held at school the week of November 27th. Students will preview the Book Fair on Tuesday.  Students who bring money may shop at the Book Fair during recess the week of November 27th - December 1st.  (Please do NOT send money Tuesday...this is only a preview day.)  If your child plans to bring money for the Book Fair, please send the money in a sealed envelope marked with your child's name, my name, and "Book Fair" on the outside of the envelope.  If you would like to attend the Book Fair to shop with your child, our Family Shopping Night will be Wednesday, November 29th from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm.  I'll send a reminder home about the Book Fair next weekend.

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 Monday, December 4th. If your child has his/her Timeline project completed before that date, feel free to send it in early.

I Am Out on December 1st:
I am taking a personal day on December 1st to complete some Holiday preparations for my family.  I will remind the kids the day before.  :)

Focus Areas for the Coming Short Week (11/20-11/21) AND the Week of 11/27 - 12/1:

• Reading:  We will continue our Word Detectives Unit. 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.  We will begin our Economics unit.  We will explore the concepts of wants and needs, goods and services, and consumers and producers.

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 IMPORTANT REPORT CARD INFORMATION

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 these veterans.  Please take a moment today to be thankful for the veterans who keep our country the Land of the Free.  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT REPORT CARDS:
Quarter 1 report cards will go home Wednesday, November 15th.  Please note this important change to our report card delivery system:  Paper report cards will NOT be issued. Your child's report card will be available for electronic viewing by logging into your ParentVue account.

Last night, Mr. Theissen sent an extremely detailed email about this change to the entire Pinebrook community.  This email includes all the directions you need to access your child's report card.  If you do NOT have a ParentVue account, you MUST contact Mrs. Sciortino in our school office at 703-957-4325 to obtain an authorization key.  I apologize in advance, but I am NOT able to help you with obtaining or accessing your ParentVue account.  You must go through Mrs. Sciortino.

American Education Week:
I hope you will join us in our classroom Thursday, November 16th from 10:45 - 11:30 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 11:32 - 12:02.  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 last week'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 continue our Word Detectives unit, in which we learn strategies for reading tricky words.  We will explore problem and solution in stories we read.
• 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 continue our addition unit.  We will continue 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.  First up:  ensuring all my elastic waist pants are ready to go!  

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

Our Field Trip was wonderful!  We walked through the park, explored the trails, examined the artifacts in Frogshackle cabin, enjoyed our lunch, played in the park, and attended the apples program.  Please ask your child all about our day, if he/she is not already asleep!  :)  

Turkey of the Year:
Turkey of the Year voting continued today, and will go on 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. 

American Education Week:
Please mark your calendar for our American Education Week celebration on Thursday, November 16th from 10:45 - 11:30 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 11:32 - 12:02.  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 check yesterday's Thursday folder for your child's speaking part, and for additional details about this event.

Next Week's Homework and Sound of the Week:
Due to our short week next week, we will not have new sight words or written homework.  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".  We will begin our Word Detectives unit, in which we learn strategies for solving tricky words.
• 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 learn about the significance of Veteran's Day and prepare for our Pinebrook Veteran's Day celebration.  We will begin to prepare for the ABC's of Thanksgiving.

It's been a delight to visit with so many of you at conferences.  Thank you for taking time to talk with me about your child's progress!  Thank you for being vested in your child's social, emotional, and educational development.

Savey is away again!  He went to a camp near Blacksburg last weekend as a camper; this weekend he returns as a volunteer staff member.  Jonah is pretending to be an only child. :)

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

Important Information About Thursday Folder Contents!

Hi Parents,

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 5 Puma Paws and 5 marbles for our class Marble Jar to any student who returns his/her form tomorrow.  I told the kids about this incentive, and even told them to bring you a pen to ask you to complete the form!  :)

Weekly Update

Hi Parents,

It's the time of year when the calendar begins to fill up quickly, both at home and at school!  I have many upcoming events to tell you about.  

Fall Party:
I hope to see some of you at our Fall Party on Tuesday.  It begins at 1:00 in our classroom.  Please sign in at the office and get a visitor pass before coming to our classroom.  Since no costumes are allowed that day, please help your child contribute to our festive atmosphere by dressing in something orange or Halloween themed (a Halloween shirt, hair ribbon, etc.).  

Field Trip:
Our field trip to Claude Moore Park and the Heritage Farm Museum will be next Friday, November 3rd.  We'll enjoy a nature walk through the park while we observe seasonal changes and learn how animals prepare for winter.  We'll attend the apples program at the Museum to learn about different types of apples, play some apple games, and press some apple cider.  Your child should bring a disposable lunch on the field trip.  Watch the weather to decide what to wear; layers are best as the temperature fluctuates while we move in and out of the sun in the park.  Children should wear sneakers; no sandals please.  I'll send home a few more reminders next week.

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. 

Parent Teacher Conferences:
Conferences have begun!  If your conference is in the morning before school, I will meet you at the front door of the school to let you in since our office staff may not yet be here.  You will not need to sign in.  If your conference is after school, please ring the school visitor bell, be prepared to show your photo id to our office staff, and sign in at the office.  You may walk to our classroom after you sign in.  

American Education Week:
Please mark your calendar for our American Education Week celebration on Thursday, November 16th from 10:45 - 11:30 am in our classroom.  Students will present the ABC's of Thanksgiving.  Our lunch is immediately following the ABC's of Thanksgiving; you may stay to have lunch with your child after our event.  More details to follow!

Pinebrook Veteran's Day Program:
Please read the following message from the Pinebrook office regarding our Veteran's Day Program:

Calling All Veterans!

You are invited to participate in Pinebrook's Veteran's Day Celebration

At Pinebrook Elementary, we love to celebrate and honor our families, especially those who have served or are currently active in the military. We would be honored to have you join us and share your stories with two classrooms of students (parents and extended family military members welcome) for our Veteran's Day Celebration to be held on Friday, November 10^th from 8:00am-10:15am.

Schedule of events:

8:00 – 8:25 Veterans check in at the front desk and proceed to the library

8:30 – 9:10 Program Begins / Veteran's share their story with two different groups of students

8:30 – 8:50 First Session

8:50 – 9:10 Second Session

9:15 – 9:30 Photos of Veterans with their students

9:30 – 9:45 Pinebrook Veterans Day Parade

9:45 - 10:15 Juice, Coffee, Bagels for Veterans

Please RSVP through Google Forms at the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeqCiNfjx6aXv_q4WjfRByUFiPoHjSvdiT40rKpP8KQuSPdag/viewform   

Electronic Learning Resources:
Please check the inside front cover of your child's agenda for the log-on information for RAZ-Kids, Dreambox Learning, and Reflex Math.  Many of you have asked me to send this information home again.  Instead, I placed it in the inside pocket of the students' agendas for you to reference all year.  

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will explore cause and effect, prediction, problem and solution, and story retelling with one of my Halloween favorites...Room on the Broom.
• Writing:  We will compare apples and pumpkins and outline the life cycle of a pumpkin.
• Math:  We will finish our patterns unit and begin our addition unit.  We will learn strategies for quickly solving addition facts.
• Social Studies:  We will learn about Veteran's Day, and make a banner to thank all veterans during our annual Veteran's Day event.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

We are down a kid this weekend!  Savey is off on a weekend retreat, so no soccer tomorrow.  I love watching him play, but I love a free Saturday too.  Jonah will get some extra attention, we will carve pumpkins, and sit by the fire.  

I hope you have a fun weekend making final preparations for Halloween!  I couldn't resist this meme because I just may kinda be this parent...although I usually hide in the pantry closet to eat their candy....

Weekly Update

Hello Parents!  Happy Friday!

We had lots of birthdays in our classroom this week, and the kids are getting so excited for our field trip and fall party.  It's been an exciting week!  :)

Field Trip:
Our 1st grade field trip to Claude Moore Park and Heritage Farm Museum will be Friday, November 3rd.  Information letters, permission slips and chaperone interest forms went home in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please kindly return the permission slip and payment as soon as possible.  If you are interested in chaperoning this trip, please kindly return the chaperone interest form as soon as possible.  Please contact me with any questions.

Pumpkins:
If you haven't yet sent your child's small ("pie-sized") pumpkin for our pumpkin investigation, please send it Tuesday...we will be using our pumpkins that day.  

Parent Teacher Conferences:
Conferences will begin next week!  If your conference is in the morning before school, I will meet you at the front door of the school to let you in since our office staff may not yet be here.  You will not need to sign in.  If your conference is after school, please ring the school visitor bell, be prepared to show your photo id to our office staff, and sign in at the office.  You may walk to our classroom after you sign in.  

Fall Party:
Please mark your calendar for our Fall party on Tuesday, October 31st from 1 - 2:15 pm in our classroom.  All families are welcome to attend!  (NO costumes, please.)  I will send a food permission slip home before the party.  Your child must have your written permission to eat any party food   Our awesome team of Room Moms and I thank you for your donations. Your funds will be put to good use, as the ladies plan for our class celebrations.

Check Out Our 1st Grade Symbaloo Page:
Our Instructional Facilitator of Technology, Mrs. Clark, compiled a Symbaloo page for us! Symbaloo is a visual bookmarking tool that makes it simple and fun to organize multiple websites.  Our 1st Grade Symbaloo has links to a variety of sites that cover multiple disciplines...everything from Mouse Skills (check out "Bees and Honey"...I played it last night!), to science, to math, and holidays.  Our Symbaloo sites are a perfect "something more" to supplement your child's weekly homework. You can access the Symbaloo by clicking HERE.  You can access it via the "online resources" page of this blog.  You can also access it by going to the Pinebrook Homepage.  Once there, click "First Grade" under the "Classrooms" tab.  Look to the left under the heading "First Grade".  At the bottom of that list, you'll see "First Grade Symbaloo."  

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about characters in fiction stories.  We will discuss character traits, different types of characters (humans, animals, non-living things), and how characters evolve in stories.
• Writing:  We will explore informational and opinion writing.
• Math:  We will finish our patterns and sorting unit.
• Science:  We will conduct our pumpkin investigations.

Thank you for all you do!  As always, comments, questions, and feedback are welcome!

Don't forget - the kids are off on Monday due to a teacher workday. Enjoy the beautiful Fall weekend!

  

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

It's been a short but busy week!  

In honor of Fire Safety Week, our very own firefighter Mr. Zumwalt came to speak to all the 1st graders about fire safety today.  We are so thankful for his willingness to come speak with us!  Please ask your child about our visit with Mr. Zumwalt today!  :)

My son, Savey, is in the Educators Rising Club at Champe.  As part of the club, he'll be coming to Pinebrook with me each Tuesday morning to spend an hour in our class before going to his school.  The kids are really enjoying him, and he's having a ball with them.  Here's a photo of him answering their questions on his first day. Savey has a real heart for little ones.  He's going to love his time as our tutor!

Pumpkins:
We will complete an in-class pumpkin investigation.  Each child will need his/her own small pumpkin.  I sent a note home about this in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please send your child's small pumpkin to school by Friday, October 20th.  Please write your child's name on the bottom of his/her pumpkin.

Next Week is Spirit Week:
We will have a Spirit Week next week to raise awareness for bully prevention.  Themes for each day are:

• Monday:  Mismatch Day
• Tuesday: Dress Like a Superhero Day
• Wednesday:  Inside Out Day
• Thursday:  Wear 2 Different Shoes Day
• Friday:  Pinebrook Colors or Spirit Wear Day

Fall Conferences:
Thank you to those of you who have signed up for a Parent/Teacher Conference.  If you have not yet signed up for your conference, please click HERE to sign up.  

Fall Party:
Please mark your calendar for our Fall party on Tuesday, October 31st from 1 - 2:15 pm in our classroom.  All families are welcome to attend!  (NO costumes, please.)  I will send a food permission slip home before the party.  Your child must have your written permission to eat any party food   Our awesome team of Room Moms and I thank you for your donations. Your funds will be put to good use, as the ladies plan for our class celebrations.  :)

Extra Clothes:
Because first graders are still prone to bathroom accidents and playground slips, please consider tucking an extra set of clothing (to include underclothes) into your child's backpack.  I will not collect and store the clothes in our classroom.  The extra set of clothing will simply sit at the bottom of your child's backpack until it may be needed.  Thank you!

Water Bottles:
If you're not already doing so, please begin to send a water bottle to school each day with your child.  We do NOT have an in-class water fountain.  The kids get tired and thirsty over the course of our long morning, and water goes a long way toward helping them stay energetic and attentive.  

Looking for Gently Used iPads:
As we approach the Holidays, some of you may be upgrading your technology. Please consider donating your unused/discarded iPad to our classroom.  We use iPads during both Literacy and Math stations for a variety of activities.  The iPads don't have to be the fanciest or the newest models; any size or model will do.  You can reset the iPad to factory settings to erase any personal information and/or data. Thank you!

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will explore setting in the books we read.  The setting is where a story takes place.  We will identify settings, and talk about how settings can enhance stories.
• Writing:  We will explore opinion writing.  We will compare and contrast apples and pumpkins.
• Math:  We will begin our patterns and sorting unit.  You can help!  Look for patterns in our everyday world, identify the pattern unit (the part of the pattern that repeats), and ask your child to label the patterns using the letters A,B,C, and so on.
• Science:  We will learn the parts and life cycles of both apples and pumpkins.

After last weekend's homecoming festivities, I am thankful for a quiet weekend. Here's a photo of Savey and me just before he was introduced at the Homecoming game last Friday.  I simply cannot believe this handsome young man is my son!  :) 

Reach out at anytime with questions, comments, and feedback!

Have a happy weekend!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

Before we start our long weekend, I'm passing along your weekly update.  Today, I'm going to prove to you that I can write a short weekly update.  :)

Please Sign Up for a Conference!

Parent / Teacher conferences will be held at the end of the first quarter.  I am using Sign Up Genius to schedule conferences.  You can sign up for a conference time by clicking HERE.  If you are unable to attend a conference on one of the dates / times listed, please send me an email to make alternate arrangements. 

Important Information About Written Homework:
Your child completed his/her first written homework sheet this week.  Our written homework will always be the same:  in addition to nightly reading, your child will spend one night practicing writing each of our words of the week 3 times.  He/she will then use each word in a sentence.  There are 5 words of the week.  Please note:  our 5 words of the week are in your child's agenda.  He/she writes those 5 words in the upper right corner of the agenda each Monday.  Those are the words your child should practice writing for written homework.  Those are the words your child should use in a sentence for written homework.  Those are the words posted here on my blog under my picture.  Your child should not be using any of our sound of the week words for written homework.  Those are the words pre-printed on the paper your child glues in the lower right corner of the agenda each Monday.  Please let me know if you need further clarification. 

I also completed the homework this week.  :)  Here's what my completed homework looks like.  I think seeing mine may help you ensure your child is completing his/her homework correctly:

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will examine the differences between fiction and non-fiction texts, and explore ways to determine whether a text is a fiction or non-fiction selection.
• Writing:  We will discuss ways in which writers organize their writing.
• Math:  We will finish our number sense unit.  Our patterns and sorting unit comes next.
• Social Studies:  We will discuss fire safety.

Please reach out with questions, comments, or feedback.

I hope you enjoy the long weekend!  We are going to the Homecoming game at Champe tonight because Savey was elected to the Homecoming Court.  I get to walk with "Prince Savey" when he's introduced at the game.  (I seriously can't even type that with a straight face...it sounds silly to my own ears!  I've seen the Prince's bathroom when he's done in it!)  We will use our King's Dominion season passes for the last time this year, and put up some Halloween and Fall decorations.  Cheers! 

Interim Progress Reports

Hi Parents,

A quick note....  1st Quarter Interim Progress Reports ("interims") will be issued Wednesday, October 4th.  Please be aware that not all students receive an interim.  If your child receives an interim, it will be emailed to you on Wednesday, October 4th using the email address on file in your ParentVue account.  You can update and/or verify your email address by logging into your ParentVue account.  If you are unsure how to log into your ParentVue account, please contact the school office.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and I apologize for forgetting to include this in Friday's weekly update.  

Thank you!

Weekly Update

Happy Friday!

I'm happy to report that this week has been much smoother than last week.  The kids even filled our class marble jar and earned some extra recess Tuesday.  They voted, and decided they'll next work to earn a pajama day.  :)

Please read this update to its end.  It contains important information about conferences and homework.

Please Sign Up for a Conference!

Parent / Teacher conferences will be held at the end of the first quarter.  I am using Sign Up Genius to schedule conferences.  I sent the Sign Up Genius via email yesterday. You can also sign up for a conference time by clicking HERE.  If you are unable to attend a conference on one of the dates / times listed, please send me an email to make alternate arrangements. 

Homework Begins Next Week:
On Monday, your child will receive his/her first written homework sheet.  In an effort to make homework both meaningful and manageable, our 1st grade homework will be the same every week.  Students will be required to read (as usual) each night.  Students will be required to practice writing our weekly sight words one night.  This means the only change to your child's existing homework routine is the addition of written homework (the sight word practice) one night each week.  You choose the night that works best for your family's schedule! Homework sheets will go home on Monday and are due back by Friday.  There's a much more detailed explanation about homework on the homework sheet itself. Please read through it Monday and let me know if you have any questions.  For those of you looking for a little something "more", please refer to the "online resources" page of this blog for some extra practice and enrichment ideas.  *Please note that your child will write our weekly sight words in his/her agenda each Monday.  I will also post the sight words on my blog -- look to the right under my picture.

Sound of the Week:
Next week, we will begin Sound of the Week.  Each week, we'll work in school to focus on a specific sound and the correct way to spell the sound when doing written work, or in recognizing that spelling when reading a tricky word.  Some children are very successful in learning and correctly using this information.  For others, it's an important exposure to a sound and spelling pattern they'll become comfortable with in the future.  Each week, your child will glue some information into his/her agenda about our sound of the week.  While there is no formal homework related to sound of the week, I encourage you to look for the spelling pattern when reading, and to help your child apply it in his/her writing. We'll begin next week with the short vowels, and progress to long vowels from there.  

More Flexible Seating Coming:
Thanks to some very generous souls, my Donors Choose project was funded!  Over the next 2 weeks, I will add additional Hokki (wobble) stools, stability ball chairs, and 2 more tables to our classroom.  

Shoe Tying!
Please help keep your child, our classroom, and our school safe by helping your child practice tying his/her shoes.  Untied shoes are a huge distraction during instructional times. 5 Puma Paws to any student who can demonstrate the ability to independently tie his/her shoes!  (Students may demonstrate during recess!)

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will learn tips for decoding tricky words.  I will continue administering the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA).
• Writing:  We will practice focusing on a topic and adding details to our writing.
• Math:  We will begin to wind down our number sense unit and continue practicing the routines of Math Workshop.
• Science:  We will talk about the relationship between the Earth, Sun, and Moon and what makes day and night.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.  

Have a wonderful weekend!