Hi Parents,
I hope you enjoyed Spring Break! The kids had many stories to share about their adventures, both traveling and at home. I love this time of year. The kids have completely settled into our 1st grade life, and they are so confident in our classroom, around our school, and in their academic abilities. Teaching (like parenting) is an exercise in delayed gratification. It's the time of year when I look around the classroom, remember how far we've come since the first day, and think, "Wow. Just wow." And then....I cry. hahahaha!!!! (You knew that was coming, right?) Here's what I have for you this week...
End of Year Literacy Testing:
Our end-of-year testing is right around the corner! To prepare for this critical time, please ensure your child is reading every night (weekends too!). Your child should read a story out loud to practice fluency and expression. After reading, he/she should retell the story in order using characters' names and providing as many details as possible. Your child should practice identifying his/her favorite part of the story, making connections to the text, and stating the author's message (what does the author want us to learn from this story?). Please see your child's weekly homework paper for a more detailed explanation of nightly reading.
We Filled the Marble Jar!
With lots of ready, responsible, and respectful choices, the kids have once again filled our class marble jar! They chose a picnic for their reward, so I am watching the weather for a good picnic day. I'm hoping to have our picnic next week (maybe Wednesday?); please watch for a message (both here and on Remind) about our picnic day.
Quarter 3 Report Cards:
Quarter 3 report cards will go home Wednesday, April 26th. Please look for your child's report card in the front pocket of his/her homework folder. Please review the report card, sign the slip at the bottom of the last page, detach the slip, and return it in the report card envelope. (We do reuse the report card envelopes!)
Take Your Child to Work Day:
Take Your Child to Work Day is Thursday, April 27th. If your child will be accompanying you to work, please let the office know by filing an online absence excuse form. Click HERE to access the form.
Save the Date for Our Poet's Tea:
Mark your calendar! Our Poet's Tea will be Friday, May 26th from 9:45 - 10:30 am in our classroom. All families are welcome. This is the culminating activity for our current writing unit (Poetry), and one of my favorite events of the entire year! More details to follow.
Spring Pictures:
I sent home your child's individual Spring pictures on Monday. A friendly reminder that you must purchase the pictures you'd like to keep. You may purchase any or all of the picture sheets by following the instructions included in the envelope. There is no obligation to buy. Please return any unwanted pictures.
Focus Areas for the Coming Week:
I hope you enjoyed Spring Break! The kids had many stories to share about their adventures, both traveling and at home. I love this time of year. The kids have completely settled into our 1st grade life, and they are so confident in our classroom, around our school, and in their academic abilities. Teaching (like parenting) is an exercise in delayed gratification. It's the time of year when I look around the classroom, remember how far we've come since the first day, and think, "Wow. Just wow." And then....I cry. hahahaha!!!! (You knew that was coming, right?) Here's what I have for you this week...
End of Year Literacy Testing:
Our end-of-year testing is right around the corner! To prepare for this critical time, please ensure your child is reading every night (weekends too!). Your child should read a story out loud to practice fluency and expression. After reading, he/she should retell the story in order using characters' names and providing as many details as possible. Your child should practice identifying his/her favorite part of the story, making connections to the text, and stating the author's message (what does the author want us to learn from this story?). Please see your child's weekly homework paper for a more detailed explanation of nightly reading.
We Filled the Marble Jar!
With lots of ready, responsible, and respectful choices, the kids have once again filled our class marble jar! They chose a picnic for their reward, so I am watching the weather for a good picnic day. I'm hoping to have our picnic next week (maybe Wednesday?); please watch for a message (both here and on Remind) about our picnic day.
Quarter 3 Report Cards:
Quarter 3 report cards will go home Wednesday, April 26th. Please look for your child's report card in the front pocket of his/her homework folder. Please review the report card, sign the slip at the bottom of the last page, detach the slip, and return it in the report card envelope. (We do reuse the report card envelopes!)
Take Your Child to Work Day:
Take Your Child to Work Day is Thursday, April 27th. If your child will be accompanying you to work, please let the office know by filing an online absence excuse form. Click HERE to access the form.
Save the Date for Our Poet's Tea:
Mark your calendar! Our Poet's Tea will be Friday, May 26th from 9:45 - 10:30 am in our classroom. All families are welcome. This is the culminating activity for our current writing unit (Poetry), and one of my favorite events of the entire year! More details to follow.
Spring Pictures:
I sent home your child's individual Spring pictures on Monday. A friendly reminder that you must purchase the pictures you'd like to keep. You may purchase any or all of the picture sheets by following the instructions included in the envelope. There is no obligation to buy. Please return any unwanted pictures.
Focus Areas for the Coming Week:
- Reading: We will examine the sequence of events in fiction stories.
- Writing: We will continue our Poetry Unit. We will edit our writing for capitalization, punctuation, mechanics, and proper sight word spelling.
- Math: We will continue our Money unit. We are practicing counting groups of coins, and we are learning about coin equivalencies. You can help! Have your child practice counting groups of coins at home. Say an amount of money less than $1.00, and have your child practice showing that amount in different ways.
- Science: We will finish talking about Earth Day, the importance of conserving our natural resources, and the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Please reach out with questions, comments, or feedback. As we head into our last quarter together, I look forward to a strong finish to our school year, and remain ever grateful for the support you continue to offer the kids and me.
Enjoy your weekend! We have soccer, a furniture delivery, dinner with friends, a birthday party, church activities, and more. We are busy and blessed!
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