It's Winter Break!

Hi Parents,

I am 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 send my sincerest thanks for the treats and class gift card! I am humbled by your kindness and generosity. :)

Enjoy the time off! May you rest, recharge, and relax. Happy Holidays!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone! Happy Friday!

What a fun week! The Willard band and chorus visited this week and we all enjoyed a holiday concert. We have started a secret project for moms and dads and I even have some lights hung in our classroom to add to the holiday spirit.

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 kinder than normal. We have some fun events planned for next week to mark the Holiday, and we will be finishing up some academics units too. Please hang in there and read this entire message.

Gingerbread House Supplies:
As a culminating activity to our Gingerbread stories we will be reading next week, we will make gingerbread houses on Wednesday. I sent home a note in last week's Thursday folder requesting supplies for this project. I am asking each student to bring in two items from our supply list, and I highlighted the items that I requested from your child on the letter I sent home last week. If you have not already sent them, please send in the supplies no later than Monday so I can purchase any other supplies that still may be needed. If you are unable to send in those requested supplies, please send me an email at your earliest convenience. I also need a signed permission form from your child in order to participate in the making of gingerbread houses. If I do not have a signed permission form, your child will not get to complete this activity. 

Coins for Our Money Unit:
I sent a note home in last week's Thursday folder requesting coins for our upcoming Money unit to begin right after the winter break. I would like the kids to have real coins available to count, and I 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! 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 Polar Express permission form last week in your child's Thursday folder. Please kindly sign and return the permission form as soon as possible and no later than Wednesday. There are still a lot of permission forms missing from students and once again, if I do not have a permission form, then your student will not be allowed to participate.

Winter Break BINGO:
I sent home a Winter Break BINGO packet in your child's Thursday folder yesterday. If you have any questions about this winter break learning activity, please email me. This is meant to be an incentive for your child and encourage them to complete.

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 note or message 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 homepage.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading-We will read some Gingerbread stories and the Polar Express. We will complete some nonfiction activities, as well as, learn to compare and contrast.
• Math-We will continue reviewing previously taught math skills from this year. 
• Writing- We will continue our All About books/nonfiction writing. We will write about our holiday traditions. 
• Science/Social Studies- We will finish our Holidays Around the World and Economics unit 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 many faith and cultural traditions represented at Pinebrook while the teachers and staff all take turns leading the songs. I can't wait to spend next week with your children, they bring me so much joy and it is exciting to see all the excitement that they bring into Room 3 each day. We are all like a little family. :) 

Have a great weekend! I am looking forward to time with friends, wrapping gifts, and some holiday baking. 

Weekly Update

Hi Parents,

Our class has been learning all about holidays from different cultures from all around the world this week! They get so excited each day when I ask them what country they traveled to! Be sure to ask your child about the countries they have learning about too! :)

Holiday Shop:
We previewed the items for sale at the Pinebrook Holiday Shop today. 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 today to send his/her list and money next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Students who bring in money, may shop during non instructional times only. Please remember, there is no obligation to buy. If you would like to shop with your child, the Holiday Shop will be open Monday night from 5:30-8:00 p.m. 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. 

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.   

World Market:
I am looking for two parent volunteers to help with the first grade World Market on December 18th from 1:15 to 2:25. Volunteers will help with punching the cards for student "purchases" as they come to our class holiday/country table. If you are interested in volunteering, please let me know! I will take the first two volunteers that offer.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading-We will finish our nonfiction reading unit by learning how to read aloud sounding like experts. 
• Writing-We will continue our nonfiction writing unit learning how to write teaching books with independence by adding details and answering questions our readers may have.
• Math- We will finish our measurement unit on Monday by taking our assessment. Then, we will review previously taught skills/concepts until winter break.
• Social Studies- We will finish our Holidays Around the World rotations and begin preparing our product to "sell" at the 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, and concerns about anything written here. 

I hope you enjoy the weekend! Donal and I are heading into D.C. to explore the city at Christmas time. :) 

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 a busy week and I'm sure many of your kiddos will be excited for some rest and relaxation a bit this weekend.

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.

We Celebrate Winter Holidays:
In yesterday's Thursday folder, I sent home a paper called "We Celebrate Winter Holidays." This is a mini project that I do with my students each year so they have the opportunity to learn the diversity at Pinebrook. By completing this mini project, students have the opportunity to learn about another holiday that others celebrate during the winter season. Please support your child in completing this by Monday, December 10th. Thank you for your help!

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 in 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 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Due to the Book Fair, students will not check books out of the library next week, but books can still be retuned on Monday or you can keep them until Monday, December 10th. If you don't have the opportunity to attend the Scholastic Book Fair, the books may be purchased online on the Scholastic website. If you order online, please use our classroom code. Our class will be able to earn free books for our classroom library based on your purchases. We have earned 15 free books for our classroom already this year!

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 yet completed this form in the last 2 weeks, please complete it by clicking HERE.

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 and practice strategies for solving hard words in nonfiction books. 
• Writing- We will finish our How-To writing unit and begin our nonfiction chapter books writing unit. 
• 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 questions, comments, and feedback. 

Donal and I will be spending our weekend getting ready for the holiday season, as I know that many of you will be doing as well. I have enjoyed hearing the excitement from your children about their eleves visiting and decorating trees at home. First graders definitely keep the magic and excitement of the holiday season alive for me! 

Have a super weekend! :) 

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

A surprise snow day! Hooray!

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 Monday. If you have 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 early on Tuesday, please kindly notify both the office and myself in advance. For absences, you may use the online absence excuse found on the Pinebrook homepage. For early dismissal, you may use the early dismissal form also found on the Pinebrook homepage.

School Picture Retakes:
School Picture Retakes will be on 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 11/26-11/30

• Reading- We will continue with 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 and continue our How-To writing unit
• Math- We will finish our graphing unit by completing a Thanksgiving GRAPH-tivity. 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 the 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 on Monday to add to our patriotic atmosphere. Veterans will come to speak with us about their time in service, and we will celebrate them with our own Pinebrook Veteran's Day Parade.

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:
On Wednesday, I sent home a note about Thanksgiving, along with a "plate" for your child to decorate with things that 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 that he/she is thankful for. The pictures do not to be printed, your child may choose to draw/color pictures if they wish. The plates will go through the laminator, so please only use flat decorations. Please send the decorated plate back to school by Wednesday, November 14th. If it is finished sooner, you may send it in sooner. Thank you!

Homework Update:
A friendly reminder that our new homework will begin next week (Monday, November 12th). Students will bring their weekly homework packet home on Mondays. The completed homework packet is due back on Fridays to allow 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.

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

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 also complete a Thanksgiving writing project. 
• Math- We will begin our graphing and data unit. We will study tally charts, picture graphs, and object graphs, and bar graphs. This unit will last until Thanksgiving break. 
• Social Studies- We will learn about our beautiful state of Virginia, and discuss the symbols that represent our state. 

Our second quarter has begun! Thank you for all that 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!! :) 

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 that the kids are making. Have I told you I think your kids are the BEST? :)

Thanksgiving Plate:
I will be sending home a note about a Thanksgiving project that we will be completing in class in next week's Thursday folder. There will be an at-home portion to this project. I am asking that each child decorates their Thanksgiving "plate" with things that he/she is thankful for. Please help your child decorate their "plate" when it comes home with things that he/she is thankful for. The plates will go through the laminator so please only use flat decorations. Please send the decorated plate back to school by Thursday, November 15th. If it is done sooner, your child can most certainly being it in then. So, be on the lookout for this project in Thursday folders! I will write another reminder in next week's blog post.

Homework Change:
Due to our short week next week, we will not have sight words or written homework. When homework resumes on November 12th, we will have a new homework routine. The kids will no longer use their orange homework journal (I will pass them back on Wednesday, and they may choose to use them as they please). 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 each Friday. 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.

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 the previous week, sign it, and send it to school on Friday.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading- We will have a celebration for finishing our word detectives unit and we will complete a small project in showcase all that we learned to do. 
• Writing- We will continue with 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 all of the extra events/activities. We will finish next week. 
• Social Studies-We will learn about our Famous Virginians: Christopher Newport, Arthur Ashe, and Thomas Jefferson. We will also 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 the 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 on Monday and Tuesday due to Teacher Work Days. Enjoy the long weekend! And the extra hour of sleep!

Weekly Update

Hi Parents,

It's the time of the 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 1:20 p.m. in our classroom. Please sign in at at the office and get a visitor pass. Please note that our office is not allowing parents to take children home via early dismissal from our party. Our office is also asking all parents to leave the building by 2:20 p.m. Since no costumes are allowed that day, please help your child contribute to our festive atmosphere by dressing in something Fall themed (shirt, hair bow, etic. )

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 for a day. 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 your 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 will begin next week! If your conference is after school hours, please ring the school visitor bell, be prepared to show your ID to our office staff, and sign in at the office. You may walk to our classroom (Room 3) after you sign in.

Pinebrook Veteran's Day Program:
Please read the following message from the Pinebrook staff 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 serving activtely 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 12th from 8:00-10:15 a.m. 

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/Veterans 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 Veteran's 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 about using strategies to decode mystery words. We will identify that vowels can make two sounds, use word parts that we know to read new words, watch out for unusual words, and smooth out our reading. 
• Writing- We will begin our How-To writing unit
• Math- We will finish our fractions unit
• Social Studies- We will begin our unit 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, concerns, or feedback. 

I hope you all enjoy any Fall themed activities you may have going on this weekend! And try to stay warm and dry!

Weekly Update

Hello Parents! Happy Friday!

We had some beautiful, but chilly, days in the sunshine at recess this week. The kids have been having a blast with our pumpkin investigation. Be sure to ask your child what they have been investigating/observing this week!

Parent/Teacher Conferences:
Conferences will begin October 30th for Room 3! 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 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!"

Glow Run:

The PTA is sponsoring a Glow Run on Friday, October 26th at 6:30 p.m. at school. This will be a fun nighttime event, during which participants are invited to run at dusk wearing glow necklaces, bracelets, glasses, etc. Look for information and the link to sign-up on the PTA page! 

Fall Party:

Please mark your calendar for our Fall Party on Wednesday, October 31st at 1:20 p.m. in our classroom. All families are welcome to attend! (NO costumes please!) I will be sending home a menu and party permission form on Tuesday, October 23rd. I must received a signed permission form from your child in order to participate. 

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"), to science, math, and holidays. Our Symbaloo sites are a perfect "something more" to supplement your child's weekly homework. You can access the Symbaloo page by clicking HERE. You can 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 by using knowledge of letters, sounds, and words to read
• Writing- We will publish our first piece of writing (a small moment story)! We are very excited for this! And then we will work on a Fall writing piece.
• Math-We will finish our geometry unit and begin our fractions unit. We will discuss equal parts, fair shares, and learn how to represent fractions for halves, thirds, and fourths. 
• Science- We will finish our pumpkin investigation and learn about fire safety. 

Thank you for all that you do! As always, comments, questions, and feedback are always welcome! 

Don't forget- the kids are off on Monday due to a teacher workday. We will have Library on Wednesday next week. 

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather! :)

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

It's been a short, but very busy week!

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

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.

Writing Folder:
I asked that your child brings in pictures to glue onto the outside of their writing folder. They can be pictures from family vacations/trips or things that your child likes such as favorite food, sport, team, hobbies, etc. We will be gluing the pictures onto our folders so please do not send in photos that you do not want to be affected by this project. Many of you have sent in photos already, so thank you. If you have not sent in photos with your child yet, please do this at your earliest convenience.

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 that all students and staff come to school in pink on Monday.

Fall Party:
Please mark your calendar for our Fall Party on Wednesday, October 31st at 1:20 in our classroom (Room 3). All families are welcome to attend! (NO costumes please!) I will send a food menu home before the party with a permission form attached. Our awesome 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 clothes in our classroom. The extra set of clothing will simply sit at the bottom of your child's backpack until they are needed. Thank you!

Water Bottles:
If you are not already doing so, please send a water bottle to school each day with your child. We do NOT have in-class water fountains. The kids get tired and thirsty over the course of the 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 to use mentor texts to study author's craft and use it in our own writing 
• 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 attributes. 
• Science-We will learn the life cycle of a pumpkin. We will begin our pumpkin investigation. 

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

I hope that you all enjoy the fall weather this weekend! I will be attending Cox Farms for a few fall activities myself :) 

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.

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 kids get for free when they leave Cox Farms Fall Festival). I sent home a note about it 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 their pumpkin.

Please Sign-Up for a Conference!
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held at the end of the first quarter. I am using a 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 become Word Detectives and learn skills to solve tricky words. 
• Writing: We will learn strategies to make our small moment stories come to life!
• 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 and Rescue Department. 

Please reach out with any questions, comments, and concerns. 

I hope you enjoy the long weekend! I know that many of you will be traveling. Donal and I are attending the Reston Town Center Flavors of Fall Festival and running the Pumpkin 5K. I will, of course, be catching up on some much needed sleep and relaxation. 

Weekly Update

Happy Friday!

We had a delightful week in Room 3! :) The rain certainly did not put a damper in our spirits; with today's den rally, we certainly 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 and I sent home a reminder 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 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 out the Sign Up Genius today via email. 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. 

First Quarter Interim Progress Reports:

First 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 am not able to help you with this--it needs to come from the main office). 

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

•  Reading-We will learn to use our reading partners to help us solve hard/tricky words
• Writing- We will bring small moment stories to life by using mentor texts
• Math-We will finish our patterns/sorting unit
• Social Studies- We will discuss Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day

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

Donal, Raleigh, and I are heading to Pennsylvania to visit my family and attend our town fair. I am very excited to share this tradition with all of them again! I have been going to our town fair since I was a little girl. :) I hope you all enjoy your weekend as well!

Weekly Update

Hello Everyone!

It has been so refreshing to see the sun this week and have recess outside! I hope your spirit has been renewed by the sunshine too.

I have a few things to tell you this week...

Important Information About School Pictures:
Fall pictures will be taken on Wednesday, October 3rd. 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 is 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.

Donuts With Dads:

The PTA is hosting a "Donuts with Dads" on Friday, September 28th from 7:00-7:30 a.m. at school. All dads and kids are welcome. To ensure that there are enough donuts for everyone in attendance, please complete the Donuts with Dads RSVP form found on the Pinebrook homepage. 

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading-We will talk about good habits that readers use. We will talk about strategies for solving hard words and ways to smooth out our reading voices. 
• Writing-We will begin to learn about writing small moments. 
• Math-We will begin our patterns and sorting unit. We will discuss sorting attributes, such as size, color, thickness. We will learn about growing and repeating patterns and pattern units (the part of the pattern that repeats). You can help by asking your child to sort things at home (laundry, buttons, coins, etc.) and by asking your child to look for and describe patterns in the environment.
• Science-We will learn about apples and the lifecycle of an apple. 
• Social Studies- Throughout first grade, we will learn about various Famous Americans, and their contributions to our country. Next week, we will talk about John Chapman, also known as "Johnny Appleseed," and Eleanor Roosevelt. 

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

Donal and I are off to another wedding this weekend! I'm definitely feeling burnt out from all of this traveling, but excited to share this special day with our friends. I hope you all enjoy your first weekend of fall (it definitely felt like fall today)!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I did not have the opportunity to post on my classroom blog this weekend! 

Here's Your Weekly Update...

Please Subscribe to My Blog!
I know I keep posting about this each week, but I can't stress how important it is to subscribe to the classroom blog so I don't have to post information in several different locations. Please enter your email address in the box to the right that says "follow by email." You will receive a confirmation email to verify your subscription. Please click the link in the email to verify your email address. You will then receive an automatic notification each time I've published a message. Please don't skip that important last step--you MUST verify/confirm your email address to be subscribed. ***Please note: At the end of September, I will no longer send an email to notify you of content on the blog. You must be subscribed to receive classroom news and updates.***

Homework Starts Today!
The kids have practiced doing their homework in class last week. This week, they will begin to do their homework at home. I have taped the homework routine to the inside front cover of their homework journals. Please read that for the outline of what to do each day. A few notes about homework:

• I will send homework journals home on Tuesdays, since that is the day the written homework begins each week.
• Homework journals are due back on Fridays. I will check homework journals on Fridays. Your child will receive a completion grade. 
• The homework journal gives your child practice writing the 1st Grade Words of the Week. I will assign 5 words each week. On some pages of the homework journal, there is room to practice more than 5 words. Your child should, at a minimum, practice the 5 words for that week. Your child may use the rest of the room on the homework page to practice writing any other words from our 1st grade list. This is encouraged, but not required. The first grade sight word list can be found on the first grade page of the Puma Paw newsletter. You can visit the Puma Paw by clicking on the link on the Pinebrook home page.

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 eat with a school lunch, or to eat with a packed lunch. I don't ask the kids if they are buying ice cream on Fridays; I expect them to know whether they have permission to purchase ice cream. If students are bringing money for ice cream, please put it in a sealed envelope or baggie with their name, teacher's name, and student ID number, so it can be taken to the cafeteria for their lunch account. 

Library Books:

Please help your child remember his/her library books each Monday. Books must be returned each week in order to checkout new ones. 

Focus Areas for This Week:

• Reading-We will begin learning and practicing good habits that readers develop/use and setup a reader's workshop routine.
• 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 finish our number sense and counting unit. Please support your child with skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s at home, as well as, counting forwards and backwards from 30.
• Science-We will talk about the 4 seasons, earth's rotation on its axis and around the sun, and why we have day and night. 

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

I hope everyone had a wonderful dreary weekend! We had beautiful weather in Connecticut for our friend's wedding! It was such a special weekend!

Patriot Day

Hello!

As you all know, tomorrow is Patriot Day. We will be holding a short ceremony in remembrance of this historical day. We are asking that students wear Red, White, and Blue tomorrow.

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 our 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 Tuesday morning. We will honor those who lost their lives on September 11th, along with all service members and first responders who keep us safe. September 11th has stayed with me for all these years and now we teach it as a piece of history. Truly, we will never forget.

Here's your update for the week:

Please Subscribe to My Blog!
If you have not done so, please take the time to subscribe to my blog by entering your email address in the box on the right side of the screen that says "follow by email." You will receive a confirmation email to verify your email address. Please click the link in the email to verify your email email address. You will then receive an automatic notification each time I've published a message. Please don't skip that important last step--you MUST verify/confirm your email address to be subscribed.

Online Learning Resources
In yesterday's Thursday folder, I sent home your child's log-in information for 2 of our most popular online resources that we use at school...Dreambox Math and RAZ-Kids. These programs allow your child to practice literacy and math skills from any computer, and most tablets. This information is also listed on the right side of my blog with direct links to the sites. Later in the year when we begin learning about addition and subtraction, I will send home information about another program called Reflex math that we will use to build addition and subtraction fact fluency.

Scholastic News and Science Spin
If you have not done so, please send in your child's Scholastic News and Science Spin subscription money as soon as possible. This is a one-time fee of $7.50 cash or check (made payable to Pinebrook) Thank you!

Homework Update:
Homework will begin on Monday, September 17th. Next week, the kids will practice their homework routine by completing their homework in class each day with me. To promote consistency, our weekly homework routine is as follows:

• Monday: Read 15-20 minutes. Read your words of the week 3 times to an adult. (Words of the Week will be written in your child's agenda and written on my blog)
• Tuesday: Read 15-20 minutes. Complete the assigned page in your Homework Journal using your Words of the Week. (The assigned page will have that day's date written at the top)
• Wednesday: Read 15-20 minutes. Complete the assigned page in your Homework Journal using your Words of the Week. (The assigned page will have that day's date written at the top)
• Thursday: Read 15-20 minutes. Complete the assigned page in your Homework Journal using your Words of the Week. (The assigned page will have that day's date written at the top)
• Friday: Be ready to take a spelling quiz on your Words of the Week. You must be able to spell each word correctly. 

*Please note: I will collect and check your child's Homework Journal on Friday. Your child will receive a completion grade for homework. Feel free to email me with any questions. :) 

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.

Substitute:

I just wanted to make everyone aware the I will not be in the classroom on Friday, September 14th. Donal and I will be in Connecticut for a wedding. However, I will still be available via email and the Remind app. 

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading-We will begin book shopping, picking out just right books, and practicing independent reading. 
• Writing- We will practice Handwriting, emphasizing proper letter formation, and starting our letters at the top.
• Math-We will begin establishing and practicing routines for Math Workshop as we focus on number sense, counting, ordering numbers, and comparing numbers. 
• Science/Social Studies- We will discuss the meaning of Patriot Day. We will define and discuss the 5 senses. We will begin to learn about the 4 seasons.

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

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I am traveling back to Pennsylvania tonight to visit my family. I have not been back since February so I am very excited to take the time to make the trip! (Especially after an Eagles win!) This will be Raleigh's first trip to Pennsylvania too! :) 

Thursday Folders

Thursday folders will begin today! Please empty your child's Thursday folder and return it to school every Friday.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Happy Thursday :)

Welcome to First Grade!

Hi 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.  :)

We had our first "Den Rally" last Friday!  It's a new assembly format Mr. Thiessen introduced this year as a way to build community and better connect our teachers and students.  Once a month or so, the whole school gathers in the gym for a short morning assembly during which we listen to the school news, say the pledge together, recite the "Puma Creed", learn about social skills, and generally celebrate being part of our AWESOME Pinebrook community.  Please ask your child about our Den Rally!

We had our first "real" fire drill on Monday. It went very well! We also had out first Lockdown drill on Thursday. I am very impressed with our first grade students and their attentiveness during these important drills.

I wanted to remind you all to please kindly take a moment to subscribe to my blog if you have not done so already. This will save me some time of having to send an email update on Friday and I can just post all of my information on the classroom blog. I use this blog to communicate all school and classroom news, information, and dates.  You can follow my blog by typing your email address in the box to the right that says "follow by email".  After you input your email address, you'll receive a message to verify your address.  Simply click the link in the email to verify your email address, and you'll be subscribed forevermore with no worries about missing important information!  *Please do not skip this step.*   My blog publishes each day between 3:00 and 5:00 pm.  This means that if I have content to share, you will automatically receive an email between 3:00 and 5:00 pm that contains the new content.  If you don't receive an email, I don't have anything new posted. I typically post new content every Friday, and on other days as needed.  

Have you signed up for the Remind text messaging service?  If not, please take a moment to download the Remind app (look for the white text bubble on a blue background) from the app store and join my class.  After you download the Remind app, you can join my class by texting @grade1dru to 81010.

**Please remember that I may not be able to respond to your message right away. Please try to send me a message between 6:00am-7:00am and 2:30-5:30pm. When I am teaching throughout the day, I often don’t have time to respond to important information.**

If you haven't yet put money on your student's lunch account, you can sign up for an account on www.myschoolbucks.com and manage your child's lunch account on-line.  You can also send a check to school with your student, but our cafeteria staff really encourages www.myschoolbucks.com to avoid lost checks between home and school.  If you need a lunch menu, please visit the school website (www.lcps.org/pinebrook) and click "school menu" in the upper right hand corner. Our lunch time is 10:57-11:27.  Please begin to send your child's daily "power snack" to school Thursday.  Please refer to the green sheet in your Back to School Night folder for more specific guidelines about snack. Remember...we do not have an in-class water fountain, so water bottles are okay too.

If you didn't bring your student's school supplies to school yet, please kindly send those as soon as possible.  Many thanks!  :)  If your child is missing a critical supply, I will send a note home so you may send the missing item as soon as possible.

Scholastic News and Science Spin:

Please see yesterday's  Thursday folder for important information about Scholastic News and Science Spin.  We will be using these student newspapers in our classroom.  Please send your child's subscription fee ($7.50 cash or check made payable to Pinebrook) by September 14th.  Thank you! 


Ice Cream:
Please ensure your child knows whether he/she may buy ice cream in the cafeteria on Fridays.  To avoid confusion in the cafeteria, I do expect the kids to know this when they come to school.  Thank you!

PTA Volunteer Welcome Coffee:

The Pinebrook PTA will hold a Volunteer Welcome Coffee on Tuesday, 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!  

Specials Schedule:

·                Monday:  PE and Music, Guidance on B Weeks only

·                Tuesday:  PE and Music

·                Wednesday:  Computer Lab or SEARCH

·                Thursday:  Art

·                Friday:  Music and PE

Please note that this schedule will also posted on the right side of this blog. 

Lunch:

 Our lunch time is from 10:28-10:58am. 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 10:28. 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.

A couple of reminders:

•  Don't forget to send a daily snack with your child.  Snack should be something that can be eaten independently (no utensils, please) while we work.   Please label your child's snack! I have them put their snack in a crate when they get to school so they don't confuse their snack with their lunch.  I'm rethinking the plan to have snack in the afternoon.  Both yesterday and today the kids were really hungry by mid-morning, so I'm thinking I may move snack to the morning.

•  Don't forget to send a water bottle with your child.  We do not have a water fountain in our classroom, so a water bottle is the only way for your child to get a drink of water during the day.

•  Next week, the kids will begin to use their agendas.  They will list their weekly homework in it each Monday.  For about the next month, homework will be nightly reading.  Please refer to the instructions in the inside pocket of your child's agenda for how to log your child's nightly reading.

•  Please remember to pack extra clothes in your child’s backpack in case of accidents—clothes should then be changed out appropriately for each season.  

•  Your child will be starting their Daily Behavior Chart on Monday. Your child’s Daily Behavior Chart will be in the back pocket of their Homework Folder. This is a way to communicate with you your child’s behavior for the day. We change behavior charts each month. Each day your child will color in the date box to indicate what color the ended the day on. Here is a reminder of colors:

      Light Blue-Homerun

      Purple-Base Hit!

      Green-At Bat

      Yellow-Strike 1

      Orange-Strike 2

      Red-Strike 3

      Students have been practicing using the behavior clip chart this week. If you have any questions about this process, please let me know.

       

      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 continue our number sense unit.  We will count by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's, explore the concepts of odd and even, and compare and order numbers.

•       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.

I think that's all I have for you this week.  Please reach out at anytime with questions, comments or concerns.  This weekend, I'll update the "Important Dates" section of this blog with many upcoming school and classroom events. Stay tuned!

I hope you have some family time planned in the waning days of summer too! Donal and I have some friends and family visiting from San Francisco and Connecticut. We are very excited to spend time with everyone!

Finally.....this is the first of many, many communications.  Thanks for your patience with me as I overuse emoticons, sometimes babble, and perhaps give you more information than you ever wanted.  Oh!  Please feel free to call me Hillary, both in writing and in person! Parents calling me "Miss Drumheller" makes me feel older! J