Weekly Update

Hello!

What a week!  American Symbols Performance + Poet's Tea = HAPPINESS.  There aren't enough words to express my gratitude for your support and attendance at both our performance and our Poet's Tea!  The performance never gets old - it tugs on this American girl's heartstrings every time, while the Poet's Tea is hands-down my favorite event of the year.  I am heading into this long weekend feeling bittersweet...so pleased with how far the kids have come; so sad it's almost time to say goodbye.  💛

As we start our last 2 weeks together, the calendar remains as full as ever!  Please read below for details.

Field Day:
Our Field Day is Wednesday, May 31st from 8:00 am - 12:15 pm.  I sent home specific guidelines in yesterday's Thursday folder about how to help your child prepare.  I will send these home again on Tuesday.  Some important highlights about preparing for Field Day:

1. Apply sunscreen at home.
2. Send a water bottle (label it with your child's name!) and (preferably) a packed lunch.
3. Girls - wear a bathing suit under shorts and a t-shirt.
4. Boys - wear swim trunks with a t-shirt.
5. Wear a hat or cap for extra sun protection.
6. Wear sneakers.  Children in flip flops will not be able to run!
7. Send a towel, a dry change of clothes (including underclothes and shoes!), and a bag for wet things! 

It's Reader's Choice Time!
I have finished reading Charlotte's Web, so for the last 2 weeks of school, I am inviting the kids to bring a favorite book to school for me to read.  No chapter books, please.  Limit 1 per customer, please, so I have time to read everyone's book.

Volunteer Breakfast:
Calling all volunteers!  The annual Pinebrook Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast will be Friday, June 2nd at 8:15 am in the cafeteria at school.  If you have volunteered in any capacity this school year, please come to enjoy breakfast, courtesy of our staff, and entertainment, courtesy of our students.  You can RSVP for the breakfast by clicking HERE.

End of Year Party:

Our 1st Grade End of Year party will be Wednesday, June 7th at 12:45 pm in our classroom.  All families are welcome to attend.  I sent home a food permission slip in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please kindly return it as soon as possible so I know which treats your child may enjoy at our party.

Desk and Supply Clean Out:
Next week, we will begin to clean out our desks and supplies.  We will do this slowly, over several days, so the kids' backpacks aren't overloaded with all the things they'll be bringing home.

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions about anything I've written here.

Enjoy your long weekend!  Please remember to stop and reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day.  The sacrifices made by our service members and their families is significant and profound, and on Memorial Day, we remember those who have died while serving.  Truly...we live in the land of the free because of the brave.  

Weekly Update

Happy Friday!

We are busy preparing for all the fun end-of-year events coming in the next few weeks.  Please read below for important information about our American Symbols Performance, our Poet's Tea, Field Day, and more!

Homework Update:
Our written homework is finished for the school year!  Please continue to read every night.

American Symbols Performance:
Our American Symbols Performance is this coming Tuesday, May 23rd at 6:30 pm in the Pinebrook gym.  Your child should dress in any combination of red, white, and/or blue, and should report to the Pinebrook cafeteria by 6:15 pm.  You may bring your child to the cafeteria, and then find a seat in the gym.  For your seating purposes, our class will be on the 3rd set of risers from the left.  When the performance ends, all students will return to the cafeteria.  You must come to the cafeteria to get your child so I can account for all the students before I leave.

Poet's Tea:
We hope you will join us for our Poet's tea on Friday, May 26th from 9:45 am to 10:30 am in our classroom.  Because I will serve refreshments at the tea, I sent home a food permission slip in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please kindly return it as soon as possible.  Our tea will end as our lunch begins.  At the end of the tea, you may say goodbye to your child in our classroom (before we walk to lunch), or you may walk to lunch and sit with your child while he/she eats.  If you stay with your child through lunch, please plan to say goodbye in the cafeteria at the end of our lunch time.  Our regular instructional day will resume after lunch.

Field Day:
Our 1st Grade Field Day will be Wednesday, May 31st from 8:15 am - 12:00 pm. During Field Day, students rotate through various stations set up by our PE teachers, Mr. McPherson and Mr. Lose.  Some stations are inside, some are outside, and some involve water play.  Mr. McPherson and Mr. Lose need many volunteers to make Field Day a success.  If you can help, please click HERE to volunteer!  Please refer to the information sent in yesterday's Thursday folder for specific information about how to prepare for Field Day.

End of Year Celebration:

Our 1st Grade End of Year Celebration will be Wednesday, June 7th from 12:45 pm to 2:15 pm in our classroom here at school.  All families are invited.  More details and a food permission slip to follow.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will continue reading Charlotte's Web, which is becoming a class favorite!
• Writing:  We will make final preparations for the Poet's Tea and complete our end-of-year writing sample.
• Math:  We will finish our measurement unit, then begin a review of many concepts learned in first grade.
• Science:  We will continue our study of plants.  We will talk about what plants need to grow, identify the parts of a plant, discuss each part's function, and learn about the life cycle of a plant.

Please let me know if you have any questions about any of our upcoming events.  I hope to see you at our American Symbols Performance on Tuesday and at our Poet's Tea on Friday.  

Have a great weekend!

Weekly Update

Hello Everyone,

We have just 4 weeks left in our school year!  I am feeling the time grow shorter as I anticipate saying goodbye to the kids and goodbye to my Jonah, who is headed to middle school next year.  It's a bittersweet time.

4th Quarter Interim Progress Reports:
4th Quarter Interim Progress Reports ("interims") will be issued Wednesday, May 17th.  If your child receives an interim, it will be emailed to you on Wednesday, May 17th 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.  

American Symbols Performance: 
We hope you will join us for our American Symbols performance on Tuesday, May 23rd at 6:30 pm in the gym at school.  I already sent your child's speaking part home.  Please ensure your child is practicing saying his/her speaking part from memory.  Please encourage your child to practice using a clear, confident voice. Please note there is no formal "costume" for this performance.  However, we do ask you to help your child dress in any combination of red, white, and blue on performance night!

More Information About the Poet's Tea:
Our Poet's Tea will be Friday, May 26th from 9:45 - 10:30 am in our classroom.   All families are welcome.  I've told the kids the tea is a "fancy" event, so they are welcome to come to school in their fancy clothes that day. During the tea, the kids will each read at least one poem from their poetry anthologies.  After, I will serve cookies, juice, and water.  (Food permission form to follow.)  You are welcome to stay and eat lunch with your child after the tea, or to keep him/her company during lunch.  If you stay through our lunch period, please plan to say goodbye to your child in the cafeteria at 11:04 am.  This is when our lunch is over, and our normal instructional day resumes.

Field Day:
Our 1st Grade Field Day will be Wednesday, May 31st from 8:15 am - 12:00 pm. During Field Day, students rotate through various stations set up by our PE teachers, Mr. McPherson and Mr. Lose.  Some stations are inside, some are outside, and some involve water play.  Mr. McPherson and Mr. Lose need many volunteers to make Field Day a success.  If you can help, please click HERE to volunteer!  Please watch for more information about Field Day soon!

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will synthesize the good reader strategies we have learned this year as I continue to read aloud one of my favorite children's classics, Charlotte's Web.
• Writing:  We will finish our Poetry anthologies in anticipation of our Poet's Tea. 
• Math:  We will continue our measurement unit. We will measure things using nonstandard units.  We will compare the weights of objects using a balance scale.  We will explore volume.
• Social Studies:  We will put the final touches on our 1st Grade American Symbols performance by rehearsing our lines and songs.  
• Science:  We will (hopefully) begin our study of plants.  We will talk about what plants need to grow, identify the parts of a plant, discuss each part's function, and learn about the life cycle of a plant.

Questions, comments, and feedback are always welcome!

Relay for Life is tomorrow.  I will walk with other members of our Pinebrook Teachers Makin' Tracks Team to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Please send us your good thoughts and wishes as we walk to end cancer!

Finally, a very Happy Mother's Day to the moms!  I wish you many blessings, and a day that honors you for the love, dedication, and support you offer your sweet babies everyday!  Thank you for sharing them with me!

Hi Everyone!  Happy Rainy Friday!

As Teacher Appreciation Week winds down, please accept my humble and sincere thanks for the notes, treats, flowers, presents, and gift cards so many of you sent to school.  Your generosity stretches beyond words.  The notes validate my efforts in the classroom each day, the treats and presents are so reflective of my personality, and the gift cards often give me a night off from cooking at home.  I am honored to teach your children each day, and I thank you for recognizing me over this past week.  :)

American Symbols Performance: 
We hope you will join us for our American Symbols performance on Tuesday, May 23rd at 6:30 pm in the gym at school.  I already sent your child's speaking part home.  Please ensure your child is practicing saying his/her speaking part from memory.  Please encourage your child to practice using a clear, confident voice.

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!  The students will share their poems, and I will serve light refreshments. More details to follow.

Egg Cartons Needed:
We are still in need of egg cartons for our piggy bank project.  Please send your empty egg cartons to school with your child!

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will synthesize the good reader strategies we have learned this year as I begin to read aloud one of my favorite children's classics, Charlotte's Web.
• Writing:  We will continue our Poetry Unit.  We will edit our writing for capitalization, punctuation, mechanics, and proper sight word spelling.
• Math:  We will finish our Money unit.  We will begin our measurement unit. We will measure things using nonstandard units.  We will compare the weights of objects using a balance scale.  We will explore volume.
• Social Studies:  We will continue preparing for our 1st Grade American Symbols performance by rehearsing our lines and songs.  We will work on a top secret Mother's Day project.  :)

Please let me know if you have any questions about anything written here, or about any upcoming events.  Don't forget to regularly check the "Important Dates" section of this blog for all the latest happenings in our classroom and in our school.

I am celebrating a dear friend's bridal shower this weekend.  I'm excited to dress up and spend time in friendship with other ladies.  I hope your weekend is filled with something wonderful too!