Congratulations to our Purple Hand Cookie winner...Ryleigh!  She follows the purple hand pledge that we say every morning when we line up. Way to go Ryleigh!

     Hope you made it to Saturday Live!  It is such a fun event for the kids.  I usually hear about it for weeks.
     Are you remembering to have your child read their poetry binder over the weekend?  Remember to sign the back of the last poem in the book so I know that your child read it to you.  Also, homework comes home in the green folder on Wednesday but you have until Tuesday return it along with the green folder.
     First grade is starting reading groups this week!  The Lead 21 reading series has six units with each unit consisting of 4 weeks.  Unit one is all about family and friends.  Our theme question for this unit is "How are my friends and family connected to me?"  To help us answer this question, we will be reading books about friends and family in reading groups and during whole group reading time.  We will also have a weekly focus question that will help lead us to an answer for our theme question. This week's focus question is "What makes a good friend?"  We also have weekly group vocabulary that goes along with our theme.  This week the vocabulary is: different, problems and connected. Your child will also have reading group vocabulary.  These words vary according to their reading group.  We will be working on these in small groups.  
Our focus for spelling this week are the sounds of h, j, k and v.  Next week, we will start spelling tests.  Look for the words on the blog next week. Words have to be spelled correctly and letters need to be placed on the line correctly.
Wow!  Way to go for those of you that have been practicing Xtra Math.  I have noticed a big difference in your child's speed and accuracy. If you have not signed up yet.  Please do!  It helps them so much!
     In math, we will continue working on doubles and learn doubles +1.  Towards the end of the week we will begin ways to make 10.  This is such an important concept so we will spend many days on it. If the kids know the combinations of 10, it makes math so much easier, especially when we get to place value later in the year.
      We are beginning sentences and fragments in writer's workshop.  The students will sort sentences and fragments.  They will also have an opportunity to write some sentences about friends.
      The weather  can't seem to make up its mind.  Please be sure to send your child with a jacket on those chilly days for morning recess.  Playing isn't much fun when you are cold.

Have a fabulous week!

The PTA fundraiser ends tomorrow.  Please return your fundraiser packets tomorrow.  Thank you to those families who participated.  Also, if you are able please send $4.00 or 2 bags of candy (no chocolate) to help with Bitterroot's Saturday Live booth. Bitterroots PTA will be hosting the "Candy Shack".

Thursday is a half day.  We will dismiss at noon.  We will be doing an evacuation drill this week. Please make sure your child wears comfortable shoes on Thursday and Friday. I have a feeling it will be one of those days. We will be walking to the parking lot of the LDS Church on Wicks.

This week we will be our last week to practice centers and rotations.  The kiddos will learn how to do listening center, spelling center, pocket charts, and poetry center.  Next, week we will begin reading groups.    In math, we will begin learning addition strategies.  We will start the week reviewing the commutative property and exploring what happens when we add zero to a number.  The rest of the week will be spent learning how to use the biggest number to count on, using the number line, and doubles.  In writer's workshop, we will make an "idea page" to add to our writing folders.  See you tomorrow!

15 days already??

It is hard to believe that we have been in school for 15 days already!  Your kids have been working hard.  They even received a compliment from their guest teacher on Monday.  She said they were "great!"

We have been working on assessments and are ready to start learning centers.  I started teaching these on Tuesday.

If you notice some of your child's work coming home with letters written backwards or even whole words written backwards.  Don't worry!  I am seeing this too.  Right now I am just seeing where they are at academically.  We will work on fixing this soon.  However, letter and number reversals can be seen all the way into 3rd grade.

Remember that your child's poetry binder comes home every Friday.  Their job is to read it to you and then you are to sign the back of the last poem and return it Monday morning.  I ha a

Now that my blog is up and running, I will not being sending home newsletters.  Occasionally I will send one home if something special is coming up.  Also, so you aren't having to check often and won't miss any updates or new posts on the blog I encourage you to follow the blog.  This allows you to receive an email when the blog is updated.  The link is on the right side of the blog.   You can find by blog address on the magnet that was sent home or on the Bitterroot website.

Have a great rest of the week!

Parent Orientation

Thanks to all the parents that attended parent orientation last night.  I know it was probably a challenge to get here by 5:30 with traffic and your kids fall sports practice.

If you were unable to make it, I sent home a packet with some of the information we discussed last night.  Please contact me if you have any questions.

One important item in the packet is the Xtramath sign-up.  Please have your child practice this 5 times a week as they should be fluent with adding to 20 by the end of first quarter.  This will help their confidence and make other math concepts easier.  Xtramath sends me weekly updates to show how your child is doing.  It is also geared to the level that your child is at.  It is a wonderful program.

Also, there is a Remind sign-up.  This is a texting program that allows me to send you text reminders for things like picture day, specialist day or other important information. It came in very useful last year when I had to leave in an emergency.  It is only a one way texting program so if you try to reply I will not receive the text.

Stay dry and have a great rest of the week!

*Open House is on September 9^th for parents/guardians only.  It starts at 5:30 with each session lasting 15 minutes.  I hope to see you there! Together we can help your child have a successful year.

*Return beginning of the year packet if you have not yet done so.

*If you have not brought in all your school supplies, please do so as soon as possible.  We are missing a lot of white 1” binders.

*Newsletters, class work, and school flyers will come home Wednesdays in your child’s green folder.  Please make sure to take everything out and return by Friday. Occasionally the green folder will be sent home on other days if there is time sensitive information.

*We practiced a fire drill and a school lockdown on Tuesday.  Your kids did great!

*HOMEWORK-Bring a family picture(s) for our friends and family board. I will send this home at the end of the year.  They can also be paper copies from your printer at home