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.  May your pants with buttons fit in January.  :)

Many Blessings,

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!  Happy Friday!

What a fun week!  We have been reading gingerbread stories all week.  I call out, "Gingerbread break!" The kids drop everything, scramble to their dot on the story carpet, and we read one of the 16 (!) versions of The Gingerbread Man story we've discovered.  Thank you to those of you who allowed your child to bring a gingerbread book to add to our tally.  We watched a couple of videos about how gingerbread houses are made too.

The Willard band visited this week and we enjoyed a holiday concert.  We have started a secret project for the moms and dads and I even hung some lights in our classroom.  

Meantime, it's about to be my favorite week of the entire school year!  The anticipation for Christmas and Winter Break is in the air, people are 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.  Please hang in there and read this entire message.  :)

Gingerbread House Supplies:
As a culminating activity to our unit on gingerbread stories, we will make gingerbread houses on Wednesday. I sent a note home in last week's Thursday folder requesting supplies for this project.  I am asking each student to bring 2 items from our supply list, and I highlighted the items I am requesting from your child on the letter I sent last week.  If you have not already sent them, please send the supplies no later than Monday. 

Coins for Our Money Unit:
I sent a note home in last week's Thursday folder requesting coins for our upcoming Money unit.  We will be starting this unit when we return from Winter Break. I would like the kids to have real coins available to count, and am requesting that you send the coins to school no later than Thursday, December 20th. 

Polar Express Movie Party:
Next week, we will read and explore the holiday classic The Polar Express.  As a special treat, Thursday will be a pajama and movie day!  Students are welcome to wear pajamas to school.  I will offer hot chocolate to drink too.  I will make the hot chocolate with water only, without marshmallows, and I will offer a candy cane on the side.  I sent home a gold Polar Express "movie ticket" in yesterday's Thursday folder.  This is your child's permission form so he/she may watch the movie and enjoy the hot chocolate.  Please kindly sign and return the ticket as soon as possible and no later than Wednesday.    

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.  It is not required but I highly encourage your child to discover some fun, new ways to read over the break!

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 the Coming 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 finish our measurement unit.  
• Writing:  We will continue our All About Books.   
• Science / Social Studies:  We will finish our Holidays Around the World and Economics units at our World Market on Tuesday afternoon.  

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!  The World Market is Tuesday, we decorate gingerbread houses on Wednesday, and Thursday morning we watch The Polar Express. Thursday ends with our school-wide Holiday Sing-a-long.  The entire staff and all the students pile into the gym. 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 44 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.  #calmitdownjenna)

Have a great weekend!  I am looking forward to time with friends, wrapping gifts, and some Christmas cooking.  Savey's last day at Cox Farms is tomorrow; thank you to the many of you who have asked about him, and even stopped by to see him!  That boy can drive me bananas at home (ask the kids), but I sure am proud of the person he is when he steps into the world. 💛  

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 used to bake with my own mom.  We listen to John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas album (don't laugh!) because my mother played it all the time during the Holidays, and especially when baking. My boys have no memories of my mom, so this is one of my favorite days of the year because I am able to connect them to my memories of her.  💜  I hope you have a special Holiday ritual in your family 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 Monday night from 5:30-8:00 pm.  The 5th Grade will be hosting its annual Pancake Breakfast-for-Dinner fundraiser, so come for dinner (breakfast?) too.  :)

Gingerbread House Supplies:

As a culminating activity to our unit on gingerbread stories, we will make gingerbread houses. Please see yesterday's Thursday folder for a note requesting supplies for this project.  I am asking each student to bring 2 items from our supply list, and I highlighted the items I am requesting from your child on the letter I sent yesterday.  Please send the supplies no later than Monday, December 17th.  If you are available to help with our project on December 19th at 1:30, please return the slip at the bottom of the form. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Gingerbread Homework Project:
I sent home an optional homework project in yesterday's Thursday folder.  It's a little activity whereby you and your child may decorate a gingerbread person together.  I will display any decorated and returned gingerbread people in the hall outside our classroom.

Coins for Our Money Unit:
Please check yesterday's Thursday folder for a letter requesting coins for our upcoming Money unit.  We will be starting this unit when we return from Winter Break. I would like the kids to have real coins available to count, and am requesting that you send the coins to school no later than Thursday, December 20th. 

Early Emergency Dismissal Forms:

Our office is asking all families to complete and/or update your child's early emergency dismissal form.  This is the form that tells us how your child goes home in the event of an early dismissal due to inclement weather or some other emergency. If you have not completed this form in the last 2 weeks, please complete it by clicking HERE.

Interim Progress Reports:
Interim progress reports (commonly called "interims") will go home Wednesday, December 12th.  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.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will read various gingerbread stories and compare and contrast the elements of each.
• Writing:  We will begin our nonfiction book writing unit.  We will write "All About" books, which are books "all about" a topic on which we are experts.  
• Math:  We will continue our measurement unit.  We will talk about length, weight, volume, and temperature.  We will measure with standard and nonstandard units. We will learn about tools used for measurement.
• Social Studies:  We will finish our Holidays Around the World rotations and begin to prepare for our World Market on December 18th.

There's a lot happening as we head into Winter Break!  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or feedback about anything written here.

I hope you enjoy the weekend!  I miss the kids when I don't see them.  I am grateful for a day with Savey and Jonah, but I miss my firsties when I'm away.  

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

Happy Friday!  I hope you had an easy transition back to work and school after our Thanksgiving break.  We have had an exciting week!   A new student joined our class, and it's like she's been with us all year!  I am so proud of how kind and welcoming the kids have been in helping our new friend get settled.  

In other news, the 1st grade teachers hosted our Den Rally today.  During a Den Rally, the entire school gathers in the gym for character building and to celebrate our Pinebrook community.  Today, us 1st grade teachers did a short presentation on how adults and students can greet each other with the 3 R's.  It was a lot of fun to role play different scenarios and hear the kids react.  Please ask your child about it!  :) 

Volunteers Needed:
In social studies, we are learning about economics and holiday traditions around the world.  In the next week, the 1st graders will spend time "visiting" other countries to learn about holiday traditions from many cultures.  As a culminating activity to this unit, our 1st grade classes will host a "World Market" on December 18th.  At the market, each class will "sell" an item representing a particular country or culture.  Students will shop for items from other classes using a punch card system.  They will have to budget and save their punches, and prioritize their purchases since they will not have enough punches to buy everything.  At the market, we would like to showcase culture artifacts from around the world.  Would you like to set up a table at the market to showcase your family's cultural heritage, and speak to students who may visit your table?  If so, please return the "Wanted: First Grade Parents" slip that I sent home in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please return the slip by Tuesday, December 4th.  

Scholastic Book Fair:

The Scholastic Book Fair will be held at school all next week. Students previewed the Book Fair today.  Students who bring money may shop at the Book Fair during recess next week (December 3rd - 7th).  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 Tuesday, December 4th from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Due to the Book Fair, students will not check books out of the library next week.  Please keep your child's current library books home until Wednesday, December 12th.

Early Emergency Dismissal Forms:
Our office is asking all families to complete and/or update your child's early emergency dismissal form.  This is the form that tells us how your child goes home in the event of an early dismissal due to inclement weather or some other emergency. If you have not completed this form in the last 2 weeks, please complete it by clicking HERE.

I Am Out on December 7th:
I am taking a personal day on December 7th to complete some Holiday preparations for my family.  I will remind the kids the day before.  :)

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will continue our nonfiction unit, in which we learn ways to become super smart about nonfiction topics.
• Writing:  We will finish our How-to unit, in which we practice procedural writing and teaching our reader something.
• Math:  We will continue our measurement unit.  We will talk about length, weight, volume, and temperature.  We will measure with standard and nonstandard units. We will learn about tools used for measurement.
• Social Studies:  We will explore holiday traditions from around the world as the students "visit" countries around the globe.

As always, I welcome your questions, comments, and feedback.

Savey is working the winter season at the Cox Farms Corner Market.  He smells like a Christmas tree, but it surely makes for a festive atmosphere in our house! If you happen to shop for items at the market on a weekend, please ask for him! He loves to see families from school!  (He doesn't get a credit or anything for helping you...he just likes to see people he knows!)  Meanwhile, Jonah and I are going to go buy all the butter at the grocery store so we can start our baking.  :)

Have a super weekend!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

A surprise snow day!  Hooray!  I was able to cook breakfast for my boys.  It was such a treat because they are normally sleeping when I leave for school.  We got out a bunch of our Holiday decorations too.  :) 

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....

We Filled the Marble Jar!
The kids have been ready, responsible, and respectful, and I'm so proud to report that they have filled our class marble jar!  They chose a movie and popcorn as a reward, so on Tuesday, I will show them a G-rated movie (they haven't chosen which one yet) and offer popcorn.  If you do NOT want your child to eat the popcorn, please let me know by Tuesday. I will send a note home about this as well. 

Quarter 1 Report Cards:
A friendly reminder that Quarter 1 report cards were issued Monday.  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 19th.  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.  :)

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

• Reading:  We will continue our nonfiction unit, in which we learn ways to become super smart about nonfiction topics.
• Writing:  We will complete a few fun Thanksgiving writing projects. 
• Math:  We will finish our graphing unit.  We will begin our measurement unit.  We will talk about length, weight, volume, and temperature.  We will measure with standard and nonstandard units. We will learn about tools used for measurement.
• Social Studies:  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 spent this week preparing for our Veteran's Day celebration, which will be held at school on Monday. Please help your child dress in red, white and blue Monday to add to our patriotic atmosphere. Veterans will come to speak with us about their time in the service, and we will celebrate 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 this weekend 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 be issued Monday, November 12th.  Please note:  Paper report cards will NOT be issued. Your child's report card will be available for electronic viewing by logging into your ParentVue account.

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.

Thanksgiving Plate:
In last week's Thursday folder, I sent home a note about Thanksgiving, along with a "plate" for your child to decorate with things he/she is thankful for.  We will use the decorated plate for an in-class project.  Please help your child decorate his/her plate with pictures of things he/she is thankful for.  The plates will go through the laminator, so please use only flat decorations.  Please send the decorated plate back to school by Monday, November 12th.  If it is finished sooner, you may send it sooner.  Thank you!

Homework Update:
A friendly reminder that our new homework routine will begin next week. Students will bring their weekly homework packet home on Mondays.  The completed homework packet is due back on Fridays to allow you flexibility in helping your child with his/her homework.  Daily homework will consist of reading and one page in the homework packet.  Detailed instructions are included on the cover page of the packet.  Please contact me with any questions regarding homework.

Shoe Tying:
Untied shoes are a safety hazard at school.  A friendly reminder that I will give 5 Puma Paws to any student who can independently tie his/her shoes.  (New customers only please; if I have already given your child the 5 paws, I won't give them again.)

Thanksgiving Travel:
If your child will be absent in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday, please kindly notify the office and me in advance.  You may use the Pinebrook online absence notice found on the Pinebrook homepage or by clicking HERE.  For early release, please use the early dismissal notice found on the Pinebrook homepage or by clicking HERE.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will begin our Nonfiction unit, in which we learn strategies good readers use when reading nonfiction texts.  This unit will last until Winter Break.
• Writing:  We will continue our unit on How-to writing.  How-to writing is procedural writing, in which we teach our reader "how to" do something.  We will complete a Thanksgiving writing project.
• Math:  We will begin our graphing and data unit.  We will study tally charts, picture graphs, object graphs, and bar graphs.  This unit will last until Thanksgiving break.
• Social Studies:  We will learn about our beautiful state of Virginia, and talk about the symbols that represent our state.

Our second quarter has begun!  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 always welcomed and appreciated.  

Enjoy the weekend!  My boys are off on Fall Retreat with their church youth group, so Leo and I get the weekend off from driving them all over the county. We had a photo shoot done recently.  I'll leave you with a few of my favorites...

Have a great weekend!!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

Today marks the end of our first quarter.  The school year is passing quickly!  I am so pleased with our little classroom family, and with the growth the kids are making.  Have I told you I think your kids are the BEST?  😊 

Thanksgiving Plate:
In yesterday's Thursday folder, I sent home a note about Thanksgiving, along with a "plate" for your child to decorate with things he/she is thankful for.  We will use the decorated plate for an in-class project.  Please help your child decorate his/her plate with pictures of things he/she is thankful for.  The plates will go through the laminator, so please use only flat decorations.  Please send the decorated plate back to school by Monday, November 13th.  If it is finished sooner, you may send it sooner.  Thank you!

Homework Change:
Due to our short week next week, we will not have new sight words or written homework.  When homework resumes on November 12th, we will have a new homework routine.  The kids will no longer use the orange homework journal (they may keep these at home to use as they choose).  Instead, I will send a homework packet home on Mondays.  Completed homework packets will be due on Fridays.  Each day's homework will include reading for 15-20 minutes, along with a worksheet to review our words of the week or other previously learned concepts.  I will continue to give a words of the week spelling test on Fridays. Your child will receive a completion grade for homework.  Detailed homework instructions will be included on the cover page of each week's homework packet.  

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 Monday, November 12^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   

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.  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. 

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will finish our Word Detectives unit, in which we learn strategies for solving tricky words.
• Writing:  We will begin our  "How to" writing unit.  This is writing in which we teach our readers how to do something.
• Math:  We did not finish our fractions unit this week due to our Halloween celebration.  We will finish it next week.
• Social Studies:  We will learn about the significance of Veteran's Day and prepare for our Pinebrook Veteran's Day celebration. 

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.

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

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 things to tell you about.  

Fall Party:
I hope to see some of you at our Fall Party on Wednesday.  It begins at 1:30 pm in our classroom.  Please sign in at the office and get a visitor pass before coming to our classroom.   Please note that our office is not allowing parents to take children home via early dismissal from the party.  Our office is also asking all parents to leave the building by 2:20 pm.    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.).

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.  

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 Monday, November 12^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   

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will learn how word detectives use snap words to read.
• Writing:  We will finish our first writing unit by editing and publishing one of our writing pieces.
• Math:  We will finish our fractions unit.
• Social Studies:  We will begin our unit on famous Virginians.  We will learn about Maggie Walker, Christopher Newport, Powhatan, Pocahontas, Arthur Ashe, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.

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

As promised, here are some photos of Savey dressed for Homecoming.  This kid...

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

Weekly Update

Hello Parents!  Happy Friday!

We had some beautiful days in the sunshine at recess this week.  The kids have been having fun with our pumpkin investigation.  Each child named his/her pumpkin.  Ask your child about his/her pumpkin's name!  

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.  

Next Week is Spirit Week:
Next week, we will have a Spirit Week to celebrate Pinebrook as a bully-free zone! Themes for each day are as follows:

• Tuesday:  Inside Out Day - wear your clothes inside out to show that bullying can cause hurt feelings on the inside more than anyone sees on the outside.
• Wednesday:  National Unity Day - wear orange to show support for students who have been bullied.
• Thursday:  Walk in Someone Else's Shoes Day - wear 2 different shoes to show compassion and empathy for someone else's situation.
• Friday:  Superhero Day - Dress like a superhero to let everyone know you are a superhero in the effort to stop bullying.  You are an upstander, and practice "Stop, Walk, and Talk!"

Pinebrook Glow Run:
The PTA is sponsoring a Glow Run on Friday, October 26th at 6:30 pm at school. This will be a fun nighttime event, during which participants are invited to run at dusk wearing glow necklaces, bracelets, glasses, etc.  I will be there and I hope to see you too!  You can find more information and the link to register for the Pinebrook Glow Run by clicking HERE.

Fall Party:
Please mark your calendar for our Fall party on Wednesday, October 31st at 1:30 pm in our classroom.  All families are welcome to attend!  (NO costumes, please.)  I sent home a food menu for the party in yesterday's Thursday folder.  If you have any questions or issues with the food menu, please let me know.  If I do not hear from you by October 31st, your child will be allowed to eat all food at the menu, per the permission slip you signed earlier this year.

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 continue our Word Detectives Unit.
• Writing:  We will study ways writers make their stories easier to read by using end marks and capitalization.
• Math:  We will finish our geometry unit and begin our fractions unit. We will talk about equal parts, fair shares, and learn how to represent fractions for halves, thirds, and fourths.
• Science:  We will finish our pumpkin investigation.  We will discuss fire safety.

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.  Savey has Homecoming this weekend.  He bought one of those "Opposuits" to wear.  I'll have to share a picture...he looks CRAZY!  (But he's happy!)  Enjoy the beautiful Fall weekend!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

It's been a short but busy week!  

In honor of Fire Safety Week, we had a visit from Ms. Lisa Braun with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.  Ms. Braun spoke with us about fire safety and shared important information.  Please ask your child about our fire safety program!  :)

My son, Savey ("Say-vee"), 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 are a couple photos of him 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 last week's Thursday folder. Please send your child's small pumpkin to school by Monday.  Please write your child's name on the bottom of his/her pumpkin.

Wear Pink Monday:
On Monday, cartoonist Duane M. Abel will visit Pinebrook.  He is the creator of the ZED comic, and will be presenting a program called "Draw Your Destiny." Because ZED is pink, we are asking all students and staff to come to school in pink on Monday.  :) 

Fall Party:
Please mark your calendar for our Fall party on Wednesday, October 31st at 1:30 our classroom.  All families are welcome to attend!  (NO costumes, please.)  I will send a food menu home before the party. 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 day, and water goes a long way toward helping them stay energetic and attentive.  

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will continue our Word Detectives Unit, in which we learn ways readers solve hard words.
• Writing:  We will learn how writers bring characters to life in stories.
• Math:  We will begin our geometry unit.  We will talk about shapes in our environment.  We will talk about sides, vertices, and right angles. We will sort shapes by their attributes. 
• Science:  We will learn the life cycle of a pumpkin.  We will begin our pumpkin investigation.

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

My friend, Mrs. Rivera, talked me into running the The Blood and Guts Run tomorrow.  Savey will run it too.  It's an obstacle course 5K through Bull Run Park.  I've never run one of these races.  I asked Mrs. Rivera, "What do we do when we come to the water obstacles in 40 degree weather?"  She said, "Ummmm.....run faster?"  😬😂

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

Before we start our long weekend, I'm passing along your weekly update.  Thank you for your patience with my updates in reading to the end.  I know you're busy, and I appreciate the time you take to stay informed about what's happening in our classroom.

Our Awesome Room Moms!
Mrs. Donahue, Mrs. Phillips, and Mrs. Rashid have volunteered to be our Room Moms and help coordinate class parties and events.  On behalf of these wonderful ladies, I sent home both a letter and food/photo permission slip in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please kindly return the signed permission slip, along with your class fee donation, no later than Friday, October 12th.

Pumpkins:
We will complete an in-class pumpkin investigation.  Each child will need his/her own small pumpkin.  (These pumpkins are often called "pie size" in the store; they are similar in size to the ones the kids get for free when they leave the Cox Farms Fall Festival.)  I sent a note home about this in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Please send your child's small pumpkin to school by Monday, October 15th. Please write your child's name on the bottom of his/her pumpkin.

Mark Your Calendar for Our Fall Party!
Our Fall Party will be held on Wednesday, October 31st at 1:30pm in our classroom.  All families are welcome to attend.  Please watch for more details from our Room Moms soon.  Please note that students are not allowed to wear costumes to school on Halloween, but fun Halloween themed shirts and/or orange and black clothing are welcomed. 

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.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about ways reading partners support each other in their reading.
• Writing:  We will discuss ways in which writers organize their writing.
• Math:  We will complete a quick little unit on estimation and magnitude, in which we discuss reasonable quantities among 3 numbers.
• Social Studies:  We will learn about American Symbols and their meanings, specifically the American Flag, the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty, the Bald Eagle, the White House, the Capitol, and Mount Rushmore.
• Science:  We will have a fire safety visit from the Loudoun County Fire & Rescue Department.

Please reach out with questions, comments, or feedback.

I hope you enjoy the long weekend!  Savey works all weekend, but he and Jonah are heading to Fields of Fear at Cox Farms tonight.  I am shopping for outfits for a family photo next weekend and attending a ladies brunch at church tomorrow. I also have lots of pumpkin recipes to bake and many new books to read.  Cheers!

Weekly Update

Happy Friday!

We had a delightful week in Room 9.  The rain isn't putting a damper on our spirits; with today's Den Rally, we made our own sunshine!  🌞

Important Information About School Pictures:
Fall pictures will be taken this Wednesday, October 3rd.  I sent home information about pictures in last week'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 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 and Remind earlier this week. 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. 

1st Quarter Interim Progress Reports:
1st Quarter Interim Progress Reports ("interims") will be issued Wednesday, October 3rd.  If your child receives an interim, it will be emailed to you on Wednesday, October 3rd 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 unable to access your ParentVue account, please contact our school office.  (I'm sorry; I'm not able to help you with this - you must contact the office.)

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will learn good habits for solving hard words. 
• Writing:  We will begin learning the routines and procedures of Writer's Workshop.
• Math:  We will finish our patterns and sorting unit. 
• Social Studies:  We will talk about Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day.

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

Have a wonderful weekend!