Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

Our end-of-year activities are in full swing!  We had a blast at Field Day this week, and we serenaded our volunteers at the Pinebrook Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast today.  We read outside for "Flip Open a Good Book, Flop Down and Read."  We enjoyed some extra recess too. 

Just a few items for next week:

End of Year Celebration:

We will have a 1st Grade End of Year Celebration Luau on Wednesday, June 5th from 10:30 am -12:30 pm.  All 1st grade classes will participate in this celebration.  We will enjoy a picnic lunch of cheese pizza, Oreoes, apples, and water.  We are still in need of volunteers and supplies to help make our luau a fun and memorable experience.  Please click HERE to find out how you can help.  

Game Day:
Next Friday, June 7th will be a game day. I sent a flyer home in yesterday's Thursday folder.  Students may bring a board game or card game (NO electronics, please) to play with friends on Friday. 

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

Quarter 4 Report Cards:
Your child's 4th quarter report card will be viewable in your ParentVue account on Friday, June 14th.

Our schedule next week will be very fluid.  We have some "this and that" items to finish...our 1st grade memory books, reading Charlotte's Web, and a secret Father's Day project.  Aside from that, we will continue to clean out our drawers and supplies, attend some end-of-year assemblies, celebrate the 5th graders before their Promotion Ceremony, and enjoy some extra time with friends in the sunshine! 

Have a super weekend! 

Our End of Year Luau!

Hi Everyone!

I'm checking in today about our 1st Grade End of Year Celebration Luau   Please read this blurb below from last week's blog:

End of Year Celebration:

We will have a 1st Grade End of Year Celebration Luau on Wednesday, June 5th from 10:30 am -12:30 pm.  All 1st grade classes will participate in this celebration.  We will enjoy a picnic lunch of cheese pizza, Oreoes, apples, and water.  I sent a food permission form home in yesterday's Thursday folder. We are in need of volunteers and supplies to help make our luau a fun and memorable experience.  Please click HERE to find out how you can help.  

Some folks have asked about siblings coming to the celebration.  Please read the following message regarding siblings' attendance at the Luau:

Parents (Guardians),

The First-Grade team would like to thank you very much for considering helping us celebrate the end of the year. Our students have worked very hard and are not only looking forward to this time but are well deserving of it.

To that end, we would like to keep the focus on our students while accounting for both fun and safety. For this reason, we are not permitting siblings to attend the end of year party. We believe the focus should be on your child for this brief time. They have certainly earned it.

We realize this may prevent some of you from attending. For this, we are sorry and hope that you may be able to contribute in another way. Please see the Sign-up Genius for ways to help.

Thank you so much for all that you have done and continue to do for our students.

Grade One  

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Thank you in advance for considering how you may help with our End of Year Celebration!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

What a way to end the week!  Thank you to those of you able to attend our Poet's Tea today. It 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.  

Team Building Day:
Our First Grade Team Building Day (formerly known as Field Day) will be this Wednesday, May 29th.  Our grade level will engage in team building games and activities from 8:30 - 10:00 am on that day.  Team Building Day will be outside, so students should wear comfortable clothing and sneakers, and bring a water bottle.  Sunscreen and/or bug spray must be applied at home.  If you are available to help our PE teachers with this event, please sign up HERE.

Pinebrook Volunteer Breakfast:
The annual Pinebrook Volunteer Recognition Breakfast will be Friday, May 31st at 8:15 am in the Pinebrook cafe.  If you have volunteered in any capacity at school this year, we would like to recognize YOU! :)  Please RSVP for the breakfast via the Sign-Up Genius found HERE.

Flip Over Books, Flop Down and Read:
On Friday, May 31st, our class will participate in Pinebrook's "Flip Over Books, Flop Down and Read."  During this fun reading event, we will spend 30 minutes outside reading and enjoying books.  Students may bring a hat and/or sunglasses, a favorite book, and a small blanket or towel to sit on while reading. 

End of Year Fun:
We will have some surprise end-of-year spirit days in our classroom beginning next Friday, May 31st.  I will tell the kids each day what the next day's theme will be.  These will be fun things such as Stuffed Animal Day, Pajama Day, etc.

Homework Update:
There will be no more written homework for the year.  Please continue to read! :)

End of Year Celebration:

We will have a 1st Grade End of Year Celebration Luau on Wednesday, June 5th from 10:30 am -12:30 pm.  All 1st grade classes will participate in this celebration.  We will enjoy a picnic lunch of cheese pizza, Oreoes, apples, and water.  I sent a food permission form home in yesterday's Thursday folder. We are in need of volunteers and supplies to help make our luau a fun and memorable experience.  Please click HERE to find out how you can help.  

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will continue reading Charlotte's Web, which is becoming a class favorite!
• Writing:  We will work on a 1st Grade Memories book.
• Math:  We will continue reviewing previously learned concepts.
• Science:  We will finish 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.  Students will bring home their plants.

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 must never be forgotten.

Have a great weekend!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!!!  I can see so much growth in the kids, both academically and developmentally!  They are mature, confident, articulate, soon-to-be 2nd graders!  Because we've covered the bulk of our academics, the schedule is loosened a bit, and I can just ENJOY teaching and ENJOY the kids (crazy, right?)!

Team Building Day:
Our First Grade Team Building Day (formerly known as Field Day) will be Wednesday, May 29th.  Our grade level will engage in team building games and activities from 8:30 - 10:00 am on that day.  Team Building Day will be outside, so students should wear comfortable clothing and sneakers, and bring a water bottle.  Sunscreen and/or bug spray must be applied at home.  If you are available to help our PE teachers with this event, please sign up HERE.

Poet's Tea:
Our Poet's Tea will be next Friday, May 24th 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. I sent home a food permission slip in yesterday's Thursday folder; please kindly return it as soon as possible.  

Pinebrook Volunteer Breakfast:
The annual Pinebrook Volunteer Recognition Breakfast will be Friday, May 31st at 8:15 am in the Pinebrook cafe.  If you have volunteered in any capacity at school this year, we would like to recognize YOU! :)  Please RSVP for the breakfast via the Sign-Up Genius found HERE.

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 Charlotte's Web.
• Writing:  We will continue to work on our Poetry anthologies as we prepare for our Poet's Tea. 
• Math:  We will review concepts learned this year, such as fractions, patterns, addition, and subtraction.     
• 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, comments, or feedback.

The boys are headed to our Church's youth retreat in Maryland today, so Leo and I are kid-free this weekend!  We are going to have a date night tonight, and tomorrow we will install cabinets in the laundry room before painting it.  I have a girls' afternoon planned for Sunday, and I am going to catch up on a few shows. Otherwise, Leo and I may just reenact the ZzzQuil commercial where the parents sleep all weekend because their kids are out of the house.   😂

3 weeks left!  I can't even believe it!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

Happy Friday!   We have had a fun but busy week preparing for our First Grade Music Program and Mother's Day.  The kids are having fun sharing poems, and everyone is excited for summer!

4th Quarter Interim Progress Reports:
4th Quarter Interim Progress Reports ("interims") will be issued Monday, May 13th.  If your child receives an interim, it will be emailed to you on Monday, May 13th 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.  

Poet's Tea:
Our Poet's Tea will be Friday, May 24th 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. For my planning purposes, if you know your child will not be in school on the day of the tea, will you kindly let me know?  

First Grade Music Program:
A friendly reminder that our First Grade Music Program will be this coming Tuesday, May 14th at 8:30 am in the gym at school.  Please sign in next to the office before coming to the gym.  For your seating purposes, our class will be the 6th class from the left when viewing the risers from the audience.  The students are working very hard in Music class to prepare for the program.  They are excited to showcase their efforts!  

End of Year Literacy Testing:
I have begun our end-of-year literacy testing.  Please remember your child should read out loud to practice decoding and fluency, and then practice retelling the story in sequence using characters' names and providing as many details as possible.  Ask your child to make a connection to the story.  Ask about the author's message...What is the author trying to teach us in the story?  Ask your child to identify his/her favorite part and state why.  I truly cannot overstate the importance of your child not only reading everyday, but discussing what he/she read!  

Box Tops for Education:
Box Tops for Education are due next Friday, May 17th.  If you no longer have the paper I sent home for the Box Tops, please send them to school in a Ziplock bag labeled with your child's name.

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 Charlotte's Web.
• Writing:  We will continue to work on our Poetry anthologies in anticipation of our Poet's Tea. 
• Math:  We will review concepts learned this year, such as fractions, patterns, addition, and subtraction.     
• 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, comments, or concerns.

Happy Mother's Day to the moms!  This weekend, I am hoping to finish some painting and not cook!  I have 3 small rooms left to paint upstairs before I make my way down the stairway and onto the main level. Leo is convinced Mother Nature has it out for him because of the rain often forecasted on Fridays.  That said, you'll find us by the fire pit tonight if the weather holds.

Weekly Update

Hello Everyone; Happy 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, or the ability to treat myself on Amazon.  I am honored to teach your children each day, and I thank you for recognizing me over this past week.  :)

The boys and I went to see Shrek last night at John Champe High School, and highly recommend it!  Let me tell you...those high school students can act and sing like nobody's business!  It was a fantastic show!

Meantime, the kids are busy practicing for the First Grade Music Program on May 14th and prepping for our Poet's Tea on May 24th.  It's a busy time of year! 

I have just a few things for you this week...

4th Quarter Interim Progress Reports:
4th Quarter Interim Progress Reports ("interims") will be issued Monday, May 13th.  If your child receives an interim, it will be emailed to you on Monday, May 13th 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.  

Mark Your Calendar for Our Poet's Tea:
Mark your calendar!  Our Poet's Tea will be Friday, May 24th from 9:45 - 10:30 am in our classroom.  This is the culminating event of our Poetry unit, and my FAVORITE event of the year!  All families are welcome.  At the tea, each student will read at least one poem from his/her poetry anthology.  After, I will serve cookies, juice, and water.  (My treat - food permission form to follow.).  For my planning purposes, if you know your child will not be in school on the day of the tea, will you kindly let me know?  

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 some favorite chapter books. (We have discovered and are loving the A to Z Mysteries series!)
• Writing:  We will continue our Poetry unit in anticipation of our Poet's Tea. 
• Math:  We will (finally!) finish our Time unit.  My being out delayed our finishing this unit! 
• Science:  We will take a break from our crayon project while we collect old crayons for recycling.  We will 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!  

Thank you for all the kind words about my nomination for LCPS Teacher of the Year!  While I did not win, I found out that only 37 teachers were nominated out of the thousands that teach in LCPS!  I will take that!  Here are some pictures from that special night:

Leo's favorite things are the fire pit, his grill, and (now) Winston.  He got a new fire pit this year called a "Solo Stove."  We are hoping the weather holds tonight so we can try it out!  I am painting our bedroom this weekend, and hoping to get some yard work done too!  I hope you have a fun weekend!