Happy Tuesday!  Please check out this you tube video.  It was made by some Hirsch students and has a powerful message!  If you would like to help, you can bring just one can (or more) to our classroom anytime this week or next.

http://youtu.be/rMnRZxCiPTw

April Calendar Writing Prompts

Happy Spring Break!  I hope you enjoy your special time with your first grader.  I am off to New Jersey with my girls.  We are visiting my sister and her family.  Her is the calendar for April if your child would like to get a head start on the writing prompts.  I am now paying one penny for completing this part of the homework assignment.  Of course it needs to be done correctly.  Minimum 2 different selections per week.  Each writing needs to have a minimum of 5 sentences.  Please encourage your child to use words from the word bank.  As always, thanks for your support.  See you all on April 8th!

Spell-a-Thon

Thank you so much for your generous contributions to our spell-a-thon.  If you have already returned your donations, thank you.  If you are still collecting, please send in your monies as soon as possible.  I have recently purchased class sets of new crayons, dry-erase markers correcting pencils, writing pencils and other much needed classroom supplies and your donations have helped pay for these items.

February calendar prompts

February calendar prompts.  I will be sending home hard copy with homework packets on Monday but here is a preview.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Homework folder

Please check your child's homework folder for some important information that went home today.
I hope you all have a safe and wonderful weekend with your fabulous first grader!

January writing calendar

A few have asked, so here is the calendar for January writing prompts.  Sorry it is sideways :)

3 selections are due tomorrow.

Good Luck!

New app

Check out this app if you have an iPod, iPad, iPhone, etc..., in the App Store, letter school.  I am going to try to find time in class for select students to work on their penmanship with this app.  Thought you'd like to try it at home.  I haven't tried to google play store but maybe they haven't something similar for the android users.

Thank you

Thank you so much to all the parents who took the time to come by the workshop tonight.  I hope you left with some new ways to help your child with his school work.

Fluency folders (purple) go home every night Monday thru Thursday.  Students should read for one minute mark where they stop then continue until the end of the passage.  Subtract errors from total word count to get words read per minute.  The comprehension questions should be answered at home each night as well.  Your child may choose to work ahead if he/she would like.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my first graders and their families.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday.  Homework packets will be going home with your child on Wednesday, but they will only need to do Wed and Thursday activities and reading log.   We will be implementing station time this week and students will have time to work on spelling words in class to better prepare for their spelling tests on Fridays.

I have set up an account on Spellingcity.com.  I will be sending account information home with your child in the coming days.

Remember next Wednesday (Jan, 9) is the parent workshop in my classroom at 6:30pm.   If you are planning on attending, please make arrangements for your child(ren).

Last day of school for 2012

Brighter Christmas is down almost 50% in food donations this year over last year.  If you can please consider sending in a can or two tomorrow.  Or contact Brighter Christmas to see how you can help a family in need this holiday season.

If you haven't already, please send in a new wrapped book for the book exchange tomorrow.  Some of the children have asked, so you may want to remind them they will be coming home with a DIFFERENT book then the one they bring.  :)

I have decided not to send a packet home over this break.  Instead, those students who I think could benefit from additional work over the break will get a small packet.  If your child comes home with it, please take the time to look through it together and help where you can.  I know it is hard to make time to help with homework, but TRUST ME, the reward is WORTH IT!

Please continue to read with your child over the break.  And talk to them about what they have read.  We will be working extensively on comprehension in the new year.

I wish you all and safe and happy holiday season.  See you all in the New Year!!!

All homework is due tomorrow.  This includes: spelling, reading log, math, and the journal calendar writing prompts.  I am very pleased with the fluency progress this week.  I appreciate your help at home, it makes a HUGE difference.

This Thursday and Friday there will be a book fair going on in our library.  I took our students by today to take a look and they each had a chance to fill out a wish list for a book or two.

I am planning to do a book exchange during our holiday party for a NEW paperback book valued at around $3 and it should be for either a boy or a girl since they will play a game to pick the present.  I am telling you this now in case you want to stop by the book fair and pick up a book for this there too.

Tonight is night two of reading fluency.  Hopefully your child read further with you tonight than he/she did last night.  Be sure to answer the questions on the following page, there are only two.

Fluency

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE time your child tonight.  He/she should be reading in their fluency (purple) folder story 1.2 and answering the two comprehension questions for Monday night.  This is in addition to math and spelling homework.  Your child should read the entire passage you should mark where they ended after one minute.

The list of sight words is for your reference to study when you have time.   And the fluency phrases are also meant to support your child's fluency practice.  If you would like to supplement their homework, please feel free to do so.

Thank  you for your support.

Saturday Breakfast with Santa

Our class, along with the rest of First Grade will be singing "Frosty the Snowman" at 10:25 this Saturday.  Please bring your child to Mrs. Rodrigues' classroom at 9:45.  We have been practicing and the children are excited to perform for the school at this event.  If you haven't already, please purchase your tickets ahead of time.  See Lorraine or Mary in the office.
Thanks.

journal prompts for week of nov. 26-30

Monday: tell about something you are thankful for
Tuesday: tell about the last time you did something kind for someone
Wednesday: tell about something that always gets you into trouble
Thursday: tell about something you never thought you would learn how to do
Friday: free write

Post Thanksgiving

A special thank you to those who donated food items to the Thanksgiving baskets.  We were able to meet the needs of our Hirsch families who has asked for help!!!  We couldn't have done it without your support!

Also, the end of the year is quickly upon us. Going home with your child nightly in addition to their red homework folder is the NEW purple FLUENCY folder.  In the folder you will find the list of 1000 sight words, starting from where your child CURRENTLY is, a couple sheets of phrases to practice with your child, and a packet of passages for the remainder of the school year.  Each week your child will be expected to read one passage and answer the comprehension questions that follow.  Your child will need to bring the purple folder to school every day as we will practice in school as well.

Our class will be visiting the school's Holiday Shop on December 10th.  I am told every item for sale there is under $5 and that it's a great place for your child to pick out presents for siblings and other loved ones.  If you want your child to participate, please note this date.

Please check this site regularly.  I will try to update often, although I do not have access at school :( .

November 12-16, 2012

The week before Thanksgiving break.  I am sure you all are as excited about the week long break as I am!!!  I am sending home a packet of activities to keep your first grader busy while you prepare for the big feast on Thanksgiving Day.  The packet is meant to reinforce what we have been learning in class and is NOT homework.  Your child does not need to return the packet to me when we return to school after the holiday.

Our school is continuing to accept food donations this week for the families in need of help during this holiday season.  If you can, please bring in non-perishable food items before Friday, November 16th.