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!  :)