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!

All About the DRA!

Hi Everyone,

I've had many questions about reading, reading levels, and testing.  I touched on the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) at Back to School Night, but following is some information for you to reference regarding this assessment, which we administer to help determine your child's independent reading level.

We administer the DRA to all students in September and May, and to certain students in January.  The test is given to measure a student's independent reading level.  Our goal in September is for the students to come to us reading at a DRA Level 3.  Our goal in January is a Level 10.  Our goal in May is a DRA Level 16 or higher. DRA levels go up by 1's from 1-4, and then by 2's from 4-20, and then by 4's from 20 on.  So, the levels are:  1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 32, etc.  I don't know why the levels skip count in this way, but they do!  

The DRA tests primarily for 3 things:  decoding, comprehension, and fluency. Decoding refers to whether the student accurately reads the words that are printed on the page, as opposed to saying words that aren't there. For example, if the word is "come" and the child reads it that way, he/she has correctly decoded the word because he/she said the word that is printed.  If he/she says "came", then he/she did not correctly decode the word.  Of course, the first step to reading is knowing the words on the page, therefore decoding is an essential skill assessed.

Next, the DRA tests comprehension...does the student understand what the story is about, as demonstrated by the ability to make predictions about the text and orally retell the story without looking back at the book?  We look for the student to retell the story with little to (ideally) no prompting by naming the major story events in sequence using characters' names, and by providing as much detail as possible.  Many people think that if their child correctly decodes the words in a book, the child can "read" the book, but of course we know that reading is not only decoding, but understanding what is read too! 

The DRA tests whether a child can make connections to the text.  Does the story remind the student of something that's happened in his/her life, something he/she has seen in the world, or of another book he/she has read?  Can the student identify the author's message or purpose for writing the story?

Finally, the DRA tests the child's fluency...his/her ability to orally read the story with appropriate phrasing and expression, and attention to punctuation.

If you would like to know the DRA level of a particular book, you can go to the following website:

http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/

This Scholastic Book Wizard will tell you the DRA level of almost any book out there.  Just be sure to click the circle next to "DRA" above the white box in which you type the title of the book, otherwise you will get the reading level for other leveling systems.  Scholastic has an app you can download that does this same thing.

Please know that none of this information is meant to overwhelm you; instead, I believe we can work together more effectively when we all know this information.  The skills we assess using the DRA are ALL the skills we already practice (or will be practicing) in school, and are the same skills you will practice (or may already be practicing) at home.  The DRA language in this e-mail is simply a more formal presentation of all the skills the students are already (or will be) practicing!  

So....how can you help?  READ, READ, READ,!!!!  READ EVERYDAY, NOT JUST ON SCHOOL DAYS!!!!!  Read to your child, read with your child, have your child read independently!  If you are in a time crunch and must choose between our paper homework and reading, PLEASE ALWAYS CHOOSE READING!!!  Have your child read out loud to you to practice fluency, and have your child retell the book to you using the characters' names and as many details as possible.  Talk about favorite parts, making connections, the author's message, and what would happen if the story extended beyond the last page.  I can not overstate the importance of this, and you will most likely get plain old "sick and tired" of hearing me say it!  

Barring changes to LCPS policy, your child will take the DRA all the way through 5th grade.  Please keep this e-mail for future reference, and please let me know if you have any questions!  I have read and reread it, and hope it makes sense, but it's early and my coffee cup is empty!  

Finally, and most importantly, please know that your kids are amazing, smart, wonderful 1st graders.  Thank you for all you do to support their individual learning, and our classroom as a whole!

Picture Day is Tomorrow

Hi Parents,

I AM SO PROUD OF THE KIDS!  They were so kind and welcoming to our new little lady.  They helped her with our classroom routines and procedures, included her at recess, and answered all her questions.  #happyteachermoment

Also, a friendly reminder that Picture Day is tomorrow.  Here's a recap of the information I sent home in Friday's blog:

Important Information About School Pictures:
Fall pictures will be taken this coming Tuesday, September 26th.  I sent home information about pictures in yesterday's Thursday folder.  This will be a day for individual pictures only; a whole-class picture will be taken in the Spring.  Following are some guidelines to help facilitate your picture order / purchase:

• If possible, please order your child's pictures online.  It's the fastest, easiest, and most convenient way to order your child's pictures.  If you order online, you do not need to send anything to school with your child on Picture Day!
• If you are not ordering online, please fill out the payment envelope, enclose your payment, and send it to school on picture day.  Your payment envelope must include your child's name, my name, your "look" (or background) selection, your package selection, and your payment.
• Picture purchase is optional.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Please praise the kids tonight for their kindness.  Thank you!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

We've come to the end of a long week.  We had a few challenges this week with ready, responsible, and respectful choices during lunch and during our transition times.  The kids are becoming more comfortable with each other, so it can be easier for them to exhibit off-task behaviors.  I am hopeful that next week will be smooth sailing as we continue to discuss how to be ready, responsible, and respectful 1st graders.  

Will You Donate to Help Us Expand Our Flexible Seating?:
Our flexible seating continues to operate with great success.  In the hope of expanding our flexible seating choices, I have created a crowd funding project with an organization called Donors Choose, which is specifically for teachers trying to raise funds for various classroom projects and needs.  I used Donors Choose to raise funds for some of our other flexible seating supplies, and am once again turning to Donors Choose for help.  At this point, I'm half way there!  Please will you consider donating to my project to bring more flexible seating to our classroom? You can click HERE to view my project and make a tax-deductible donation.  Your employer may even match your donation!  Thank you so much for considering this request.  

Important Information About School Pictures:
Fall pictures will be taken this coming Tuesday, September 26th.  I sent home information about pictures in yesterday's Thursday folder.  This will be a day for individual pictures only; a whole-class picture will be taken in the Spring.  Following are some guidelines to help facilitate your picture order / purchase:

• If possible, please order your child's pictures online.  It's the fastest, easiest, and most convenient way to order your child's pictures.  If you order online, you do not need to send anything to school with your child on Picture Day!
• If you are not ordering online, please fill out the payment envelope, enclose your payment, and send it to school on picture day.  Your payment envelope must include your child's name, my name, your "look" (or background) selection, your package selection, and your payment.
• Picture purchase is optional.

Help Needed With Copies and Materials Preparation:
I am in need of assistance with making copies and preparing some of our other classroom materials.  I am not fussy about dates and times.  If you are available to help, please send me an email and we will work the details.  Thank you!

Fall Literacy Testing:

Our Fall literacy screenings are underway as I have begun administering both the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) and the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA).  I've received several questions about the DRA, and will send an overview of this assessment to you in the middle of next week.  I look forward to discussing the results of your child's assessments at our Fall Conference in October.

RAZ-Kids, Dreambox Learning, and Reflex Math:

RAZ-Kids, Dreambox Learning, and Reflex Math are web-based programs that allow your child to practice reading (RAZ-Kids), math skills (Dreambox Learning), and math fact fluency (Reflex Math).  I sent home your child's log-on information for these learning tools in a previous Thursday folder.  Most have an app you can download too.  Please allow your child to explore these fun and valuable learning tools!

Upcoming Absences:

Next week I will be out of the classroom (but in the building) on Monday morning for a meeting.  Mrs. Ryan will be in for me.  I will return to the classroom at lunch time.  On Tuesday, Mrs. Ryan will come in again so I can work individually with students to administer the DRA test.  She will handle the teaching duties that day. On Thursday, I will be out of the building for an all-day training.  Mrs. Burger will be in for me.  On Friday, I will duck tape myself to my chair so I may never leave again.  :)

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about good reader habits. We will talk about retelling stories and making connections when we read.  I will continue administering the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to determine your child's current independent reading level.
• Writing:  We will begin learning the routines and procedures of Writer's Workshop as we talk about habits of good writers.
• Math:  We will continue learning the routines and procedures of Math Workshop as we explore number sense and counting.  We will talk about different ways to show a number (using digits, dots, a ten-frame, tallies, etc.)
• Science:  We will talk about the 4 seasons, and the relationship between the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
• Social Studies:  We will talk about John Chapman, also known as "Johnny Appleseed", and why we remember him.

I welcome your feedback.  Please let me know if you have any questions!  

Here's to a wonderful weekend!

           

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

We've had a fantastic week!  I'm starting to see little personalities emerge as the kids become more comfortable with me, and with each other.  This is when I can really start to build a relationship with them, connect with them, and see our class environment take shape.  It makes me happy.  :)

Meantime, have you noticed the trees changing?  Do you operate on the rhythm of the seasons too? Fall means warm blankets, lots of candles, snuggles on the couch, and dreaming of the coming Holidays.  That makes me happy too.  :)

Here's your weekly update:

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Will You Help Us Expand Our Flexible Seating?:
Our flexible seating has been an absolute hit.  It's counterintuitive to think that a classroom can be calmer, quieter, and more productive with kids on the floor, at the wobble stools, and on the stability balls, but...I'm here to tell you it is!  The kids are repeatedly telling me that they just love the wobble stools (called "Hokki stools") and stability balls.  I would like to acquire more of these flexible seating options, so I have created a crowd funding project with an organization called Donors Choose, which is specifically for teachers trying to raise funds for various classroom projects and needs.  I used Donors Choose to raise funds for some of our other flexible seating supplies, but because the cost of the Hokki stools and stability balls can add up quickly, and because my husband and I invested significantly for the remainder of our supplies, I am once again turning to Donors Choose for help.  Please will you consider donating to my project to bring more flexible seating to our classroom? You can click HERE to view my project and make a tax-deductible donation.  Your employer may even match your donation!  Thank you so much for considering this request.   

Schedule Update (Take 2!):
We are changing our schedule again...hopefully for the last time.  I am moving math to the morning and moving recess back, to just after lunch.  There've been some changes in our school's master schedule, which have necessitated changes in some classroom schedules.  We will still have snack in the morning, and I will build in some extra brain breaks to keep the kids energized and engaged.

Ice Cream:
As a general rule, ice cream will now be available for sale on Fridays in the cafeteria. Your child may buy ice cream to go with a school lunch, or to go with a packed lunch.  I do expect the kids to know whether they have permission to purchase ice cream.

Library Books:
Please help your child remember his/her Library books each Friday.  

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will begin learning the routines and procedures of Reader's Workshop.
• Writing:  We will continue handwriting practice, emphasizing proper letter formation and starting letters at the top.
• Math:  We will continue learning the routines and procedures of Math Workshop as we explore number sense and counting.
• Science:  We will talk about our 5 senses.

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

I hope you have a relaxing weekend.  After a crazy week, I am so pleased that we have nothing on our schedule other than the usual...soccer, errands, church.

4 Quick Things

Hi Parents,

4 quick things for tomorrow:

1.  Box Tops are due!  If you don't have a collection sheet, please send them in a Ziploc bag labeled with your child's name and my name.

2.  Public library card applications are due tomorrow.  They went home in last week's Thursday folder.  (This is optional...you choose if you'd like to apply for a library card for your kiddo.)

3.  Tomorrow is Friday, which means ice cream is available for purchase in the cafeteria.  If your child buys lunch, he/she may purchase ice cream to go with a school lunch. If your child brings a packed lunch, he/she may purchase ice cream only.  I do expect the kids to know whether they have permission to buy ice cream.  I don't require them to tell me, unless they ask me, "Can I buy ice cream?"  I will answer, "What did your mommy and daddy say?"

4.  Library books are due tomorrow.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you! 

Weekly Update

Hi Parents!

Sometimes short weeks feel like long weeks, but this one flew by.  I think the kids are settling into the year.  On the whole, I am quite pleased with how quickly they're picking up on classroom routines and procedures.  Staying focused during the afternoon has been a bit difficult, but I am hopeful that as the kids build stamina for a full school day, they will have an easier time staying on task.  

We will have our Patriot Day ceremony at the flag pole on Monday morning. We will honor those who lost their lives on September 11th, along with all service members and first responders who keep us safe.  It's never lost on me that for our kids, September 11th is part of history, but for those of us alive on that day...well, our hearts continue to weep at the memories.  Truly, we will never forget.

Here's your update for the week:

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In a Million Words or Less, Tell Me About Your Child:
You may notice that I have not sent home a questionnaire entitled "Tell Me About Your Child".  This year, I would like to get to know your child through your eyes by having you tell me about your child in a million words or less!  I've completed this fun "parent homework" a few times for each of my boys.  Since I always appreciated the freedom it gave me to write freely about Savey and Jonah, rather than answer specific questions about them, I decided to give this a whirl in my class this year. So...I am asking you, please, to send me an email in the next couple of weeks in which you tell me about your child in a million words or less! (To send me an email, you can click the envelope in the yellow circle to the right of this post.)  Tell me what makes your child the most amazing kid in the world, tell me what drives you absolutely bonkers about your child, and anything in between you may want me to know about your baby.  I will keep all responses strictly confidential.  

Snack Reminder:
We have begun to eat our snack outside during our recess.  Thank you for sending your child with an easy "grab and go" item that can be taken outside.

Online Learning Resources:
In yesterday's Thursday folder, I sent home your child's log-in information for 3 of our most popular online learning resources...Dreambox Math, Reflex Math, and RAZ-Kids.  These programs allow your child to practice literacy and math skills from any computer, and most tablets.  For future reference, this log-in information is also listed in the "online resources" section of this blog.

Flexible Seating Update:
We have been practicing with our various forms of flexible seating.  It's time for us to put it all together, so next week, I will open several new seating areas in our classroom.  I'll post some pictures when I have the room arranged.  Please be sure to ask your child about our different types of seating.

Thursday Folders:
Please empty your child's Thursday folder each Thursday and return it to school on Fridays. I do reuse these folders each week.

Specials Reminder:
Please remember to send your child with sneakers for P.E. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Library books are due back each Friday. 

Box Tops for Education:
Box Tops for Education are due Friday, September 15th.  I will send out a Remind on Thursday.  There are various incentives for collecting Box Tops, from popsicle parties to ice cream parties.  Please help our class earn some of these fun incentives by collecting and sending in Box Tops.

Volunteers needed!: 
I am in need of parent volunteers to help me stuff Thursday folders and prepare materials.  While our school does not have school-wide Thursday folders, I continue to use this communication tool.  It's super helpful to have a parent stuff the folders because I can't always get to it during the course of a Thursday.  I am also in need of parent volunteers to help me with copying and materials preparation.  If you can help stuff Thursday folders, please click HERE.  If you can help with copying and materials preparation anytime during the week, please send me an email.  

Important Dates:
Please check the "Important Dates" section of this blog for upcoming events.  I will highlight some events in my weekly update, but you can find a complete list in the "Important Dates" section.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will begin Book Shopping, which is the process of choosing just right books for our book boxes.
• Writing:  We will practice Handwriting, emphasizing proper letter formation, and starting our letters at the top.
• Math:  We will begin establishing the routines and procedures of Math Workshop as we focus on number sense, counting, ordering numbers, and comparing numbers.
• Science / Social Studies:  We will talk about Patriot Day.  We will talk about what it means to be a scientist, and what scientists do.

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

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Soccer starts in our house!  I am looking forward to watching my Savey play while soaking up the last days of summer. Jonah's birthday is next week, so we are starting the celebration early.  My mother's birthday is Sunday.  We will remember her on what would have been her 72nd birthday. 💜  

Weekly Update

Happy Friday, Everyone!

We made it through our first full week of school.  I wonder if the kids are as tired as me?  While I try to make the first weeks fun and interesting, there are times when rules and procedures are downright boring.  I have to talk a lot, and the kids have to be quite attentive.  As such, the kids really learned the nuts and bolts of our classroom this week.  Next week we'll refine some procedures, and add a few details to the procedures learned this week.  We'll continue to get to know each other as we build our classroom community.  On that note, I am impressed and thankful with how beautifully the kids are getting along.  They're including each other during recess, introducing themselves to each other, and are a very social bunch.  :)

Here's some important information for you to know.  Please read through to the end.  It's a lot this first time around...

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Schedule Change:
Next week, I will make a slight change to our schedule by moving recess to an earlier time.  We currently have a long morning, and it can be difficult for the kids to stay actively engaged from 8:00-11:30.  They are building their stamina for school, and for the academic rigors of first grade.  So, to give them a bit of a break during this long morning, and to facilitate math in the afternoon, we will have our 30 minute recess at 10:30 / 10:45 each day.  (The start time may vary slightly from day to day, but the 30 minute break will not.)

Snack:
Please be sure to send a snack with your child each day.  Please limit your child's snack to one item that can be eaten easily and independently.  Please ensure your child knows which item in his/her lunchbox is for snack.  Please do not send dips, sauces, or other liquids for snack.  Please do not send snack cakes with cream or frosting.  These things spill and smear easily on our classroom carpet and on our learning materials.  If your child bring any of these items for snack, I will ask him/her to save that snack for the cafeteria.  Pretzels, goldfish, fruit, granola / snack bars, and raw veggies (no dip, please) make great snacks.  

Water Bottles:
First graders are a thirsty bunch.  Please feel free to send a water bottle to school with your child each day.  Please send a reusable bottle.  Please do NOT send water bottles with twist off tops for classroom use...the kids have a very difficult time getting the caps on straight and those bottles typically spill.

Shared Reading Poetry Bags:
Today, I am sending home a gallon-sized zip top bag with your child.  The bag is labeled "My Shared Reading Poems", and contains our first Shared Reading poem of the year.  Shared Reading is a time for the students to chorally (all of us together) read and/or sing songs, poems, and informational texts.  Students practice fluency, intonation, and other good reader skills.  As a class, we discuss elements of the text...rhyming words, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, etc.  We identify sight words, consonant blends and digraphs, vowel patterns, and more.  Each week, your child will bring home a copy of the text we read that week.  I'm sending the bag home so your child has a place to keep all of his/her Shared Reading texts.  The bag does not have to come back to school, and if you have a folder or other filing system you'd like to use, please do so!  I encourage you to have your child regularly reread his/her poems...to you, to him/herself, to a sibling, a stuffed animal, a pet, etc.  This is a wonderful opportunity to practice fluency, sight word recall, and many other good reader skills.  

PTA Volunteer Welcome Coffee:
The Pinebrook PTA will hold a Volunteer Welcome Coffee on Monday, September 11th at 8:35 am in the Pinebrook Cafeteria.  Please come find out how you can volunteer with the PTA.  Younger children are welcome!  

Volunteers Needed:
I am in need of parent volunteers to help me stuff Thursday folders and prepare materials.  While our school does not have school-wide Thursday folders, I continue to use this communication tool.  On Thursdays, I will send a reusable envelope (but I call it a "folder") home that contains school and classroom news and notices, along with your student's graded work.  You should empty the folder completely and return it with your child each Friday.  It's super helpful to have a parent stuff the folders because I can't always get to it during the course of a Thursday.  I am also in need of parent volunteers to help me with copying and materials preparation.  If you can help with these things, please click HERE to sign up.

Specials Schedule:
I sent a paper copy of the Specials Schedule home in your child's Back to School Night / Welcome Folder.  However, to recap, our Specials Schedule is as follows:

• Monday:  Music and PE
• Tuesday:  Art
• Wednesday:  SEARCH/Guidance and PE
• Thursday:  Music and PE
• Friday:  Computer Lab and Library

Please ensure your child wears sneakers to school on our PE days.

Lunch:
Our lunch time is from 11:32 - 12:02.  You are welcome to eat lunch with your child any day, and you may bring your child lunch purchased from a restaurant (think places like Subway, Panera, or Chick-fil-A). If you'd like to eat lunch with your child, please sign in at the school office and meet us at the cafeteria at 11:32.  Please plan to say goodbye to your child in the cafeteria at the end of our lunch period as our instructional day resumes right after lunch.

Important Dates:
Please check the "Important Dates" section of this blog for upcoming events.  I will highlight some events in my weekly update, but you can find a complete list in the "Important Dates" section.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about how to use our classroom library, and procedures and expectations for Independent Reading.
• Writing:  We will complete our Fall Writing Sample.  We will begin Handwriting practice, learning about proper letter formation and starting letters at the top.
• Math:  We will finish learning how to use our "Rise and Shine" binders...Rise and Shine binders contain students' Morning Work.  The binders review and reinforce calendar, counting, place value, and sight word skills.  
• Social Studies:  We will continue building our classroom community as we explore the qualities of a good citizen in our school, our community, and our world.

Okay.  I think that's everything on my list, but I apologize in advance if I've forgotten something. Please let me know if you  have any questions, comments, or concerns.  

Enjoy the long weekend!  We've all earned it!