Classroom News

Hello!

I think the kids are settling into the year.  On the whole, I am 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.

Here's your update for the week:


 Snack Reminder:
Snack time has been going great! We eat snack around 9:30am each day...and surprisingly we are down to about a 12 minute snack time! :) WOO!  Thank you for sending your child with an easy "grab and go" item. Please remember to pack a HEALTHY snack though!

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

Scholastic News Reminder:
Please remember to send your child to school with $6 for our classroom to purchase Scholastic News. I can't stress enough the importance of exposing our children to nonfiction news. Thank you to those who have already supported your child in sending in the scholastic news order. 

Homework Reminder:
Students are to be reading each night for 15 minutes Monday-Thursday (Awesome if you read on the weekend too!) Some students have been coming into school with uncompleted reading logs in their student agenda. Students should write the title of book, number or minutes, and have a parent signature each night. Thank you so much!!

Water Bottle Reminder:
Please remember to send your child to school with an easy open water bottle. We no longer have water fountains in our classroom and I cannot allow students to walk down the hallway by themselves to get a drink of water. I think it would be best if each child had a water bottle at their desk. 

Also, its not too late to order books from Scholastic. Remember to enter our classroom code PB4G4 to have your child's books shipped free to school!

Our first Box Tops for Education collection was today, but your child can continue to send in box tops throughout the year to add to our classroom collection envelope. 

Important Dates:

September:

• Saturday, September 30th:  Fall Festival at 4:00 pm at school

October:

• Monday, October 2nd:  PTA Believe Kids Fundraiser ends

• Tuesday, October 3rd:  WatchDOG Dad kickoff at 6:00 pm at school
• Wednesday, October 4th:  Walk to school day at 7:20 am (meet at the Kirkpatrick Farms clubhouse)
• Monday, October 9th:  No school due to Columbus Day
• Saturday, October 14th:  Fall Festival Rain Date
• Monday, October 16th:  PTA Meeting at 4:00 pm in the library at school
• Monday, October 23rd:  No school for students due to Teacher Work Day

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will continue Book Shopping, which is the process of choosing just right books for our book bags. We will also work on good reader habits like using a smooth voice and rereading to see more in our books.
• Writing:  We will practice Handwriting, emphasizing proper letter formation, and starting our letters at the top.
• Math:  We will learn how to use our "Rise and Shine" morning work binders to show the month, day, and number of school days in various ways. We will also be working with number recognition to 20 including some graphing to compare numbers.
• Science / Social Studies:  We will talk about what it means to be a scientist, and what scientists do.
• Word Study: Students are completing a practice word study sort to prepare for their word study groups and assessments. Students will be placed into their groups on Monday, September 25th and will have their first word study assessment on Friday, September 29th. Students will also come home with a copy of their word study words each week. Please encourage your child to sort their words at home and practice spelling the words. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoys the last bit of summer! :)