Hello fabulous parents,
I just wanted to let you know that I will be out of town Wednesday afternoon through Monday. My son was selected to play in the Nature Valley First Tee Open in Pebble Beach, California. It is a Champions Golf Tour event where champions are paired with junior golfers. Definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. My husband and I are very excited to support him in this adventure. This will be publicized on the Golf Channel. How fun!
Ms. Lind will be their guest teacher. She has subbed several times for me. A big thanks to her!
In math, we are continuing our math facts. We have been working on ways to make 11 and 12. We also have been learning the addition strategies: commutative property (aka flip flop) and adding with zero. We will be learning counting on, doubles, and doubles + 1.
In reading, we have been learning about schema (what we already know) and how we can correct our schema. We learned many new facts about bees and chameleons. We continue to work on our center rotations and we will be starting reading groups on October 5. I can't wait!
We will begin practicing spelling next week. Our first word list will be words with short a. Our first spelling test will be on October 9 and will be words with short i.
In writing, we just finished our first story. We went through all the phases: planning, drafting, revising, and editing. We will be publishing next. Next week we will start on narrative writing.
In handwriting, we are continuing to work through the alphabet and should be done the first week in October.
Don't forget about Saturday Live! The PTA is very short on candy donations. Would you be able to bring a couple bags of non-melting candy?
Have a great rest of the week. If you have any questions or concerns, I will be checking my email periodically.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
I can't believe we have already been in School for 15 days. How time flies when you are having fun!
A big thank you to those of you who came to open house last night. It really helps your child be successful when we are all on the same page and you understand the expectations of your first grader. If you were unable to make it, I put some of the things we went over in your Wednesday folder. I will try to get the presentation up on the blog.
We are lucky! We have foster grandparent working in our room all day Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Her name is Grandma Kay and she is absolutely wonderful. The kids get so excited when she is working in our room. She is as sweet as they come! We also have a high school student, Angel who comes and works for 1 1/2 hours a day. She was a previous student of mine. What a great help she is.
We only have a few more centers to learn this week and then we are pretty much set for center rotations. This week the kids will learn how to read and use the center rotations chart and will rotate to their next center once they have completed a center. This allows the kiddos to work at their own pace and be able to fully complete a center before having to switch. It also helps with students not getting bored and acting up!
We will be wrapping up unit 1 of our reading comprehension unit and begin unit 2. Unit 2 is how readers use their schema (what they already know). The class will use their schema to read fiction, use their schema to understand character's feelings, use their schema to understand character's actions, and they will use their schema to read nonfiction.
Our high-frequency words for the week are: see, go, I. Please help your child practice spelling and reading our weekly high-frequency words at home. You can find the previous taught high-frequency words on the right side of the blog towards the bottom.
We will continue with handwriting and letter sounds. This week we will focus on the following letters/sounds: o, d, n, g, w.
In writing, the students will be completing an opinion and informational writing sample. We will also begin learning about choosing a piece to publish and revising by adding more details.
We will continue to work on addition and the commutative property in math (adding in any order). We will also begin working on ways to make 6-10 (0+6, 1+5, etc.). We have some fun games planned to help teach these skills!
Saturday Live is at the end of the month. Bitterroot will be at the candy shack. Could you please donate two non-melting candy to help our booth? PTA will also take monetary donations if you do not have time to candy shop!
Enjoy the rest of your week!
A big thank you to those of you who came to open house last night. It really helps your child be successful when we are all on the same page and you understand the expectations of your first grader. If you were unable to make it, I put some of the things we went over in your Wednesday folder. I will try to get the presentation up on the blog.
We are lucky! We have foster grandparent working in our room all day Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Her name is Grandma Kay and she is absolutely wonderful. The kids get so excited when she is working in our room. She is as sweet as they come! We also have a high school student, Angel who comes and works for 1 1/2 hours a day. She was a previous student of mine. What a great help she is.
We only have a few more centers to learn this week and then we are pretty much set for center rotations. This week the kids will learn how to read and use the center rotations chart and will rotate to their next center once they have completed a center. This allows the kiddos to work at their own pace and be able to fully complete a center before having to switch. It also helps with students not getting bored and acting up!
We will be wrapping up unit 1 of our reading comprehension unit and begin unit 2. Unit 2 is how readers use their schema (what they already know). The class will use their schema to read fiction, use their schema to understand character's feelings, use their schema to understand character's actions, and they will use their schema to read nonfiction.
Our high-frequency words for the week are: see, go, I. Please help your child practice spelling and reading our weekly high-frequency words at home. You can find the previous taught high-frequency words on the right side of the blog towards the bottom.
We will continue with handwriting and letter sounds. This week we will focus on the following letters/sounds: o, d, n, g, w.
In writing, the students will be completing an opinion and informational writing sample. We will also begin learning about choosing a piece to publish and revising by adding more details.
We will continue to work on addition and the commutative property in math (adding in any order). We will also begin working on ways to make 6-10 (0+6, 1+5, etc.). We have some fun games planned to help teach these skills!
Saturday Live is at the end of the month. Bitterroot will be at the candy shack. Could you please donate two non-melting candy to help our booth? PTA will also take monetary donations if you do not have time to candy shop!
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Monday, September 14, 2015
Parent Orientation Night
PARENT ORIENTATION NIGHT 5:30-6:30 Tuesday, September 15th, 2015
Hello Bitterroot Parents and Families,
I hope your weekend was fun and restful. I am writing to tell you about our Parent Orientation Night coming up on Tuesday, September 15th from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The goal of our evening will be classroom and school orientation. You will have an opportunity to hear from your child’s teacher and to see and learn about classroom procedures and the outstanding programs we have to offer here at Bitterroot school.
This event is for parents and guardians only and will be a group instruction format. Please leave the kids at home so we can move quickly and efficiently through the evening’s tasks. We will do three rotations of 15 minutes each with 5 minutes for passing with bells or announcements to mark the time. This allows parents with multiple children in school to see more than one classroom.
I am looking forward to seeing you and to another great year here at Bitterroot.
Principally yours,
John English,
Principal
Hello Bitterroot Parents and Families,
I hope your weekend was fun and restful. I am writing to tell you about our Parent Orientation Night coming up on Tuesday, September 15th from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The goal of our evening will be classroom and school orientation. You will have an opportunity to hear from your child’s teacher and to see and learn about classroom procedures and the outstanding programs we have to offer here at Bitterroot school.
This event is for parents and guardians only and will be a group instruction format. Please leave the kids at home so we can move quickly and efficiently through the evening’s tasks. We will do three rotations of 15 minutes each with 5 minutes for passing with bells or announcements to mark the time. This allows parents with multiple children in school to see more than one classroom.
I am looking forward to seeing you and to another great year here at Bitterroot.
Principally yours,
John English,
Principal
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Rested and Ready!
I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend. It was so nice to have an extra day off to get rested up. I was exhausted after a full week of school!
Unfortunately, we have had a few sick kids already this week. Be on the watch for upset stomachs and a fever.
This week we will continue to learn new centers and work on center rotations. The kids will learn how to do spelling search, picture search, stamps, pocket chart, and roll-a-word. It is nice to get the kids trained on the centers and rotations now, so when we start reading groups they know what to do and I do not have to stop teaching reading groups to help them.
During our whole group reading time will learn our final two reading strategies, Flippy Dolphin (flip the vowel sound) and Chunky Monkey (look for chunks in words). We will also be working on answering questions using text evidence. Our poem for the week is "The Getting Along Song" and we will work on the high-frequency word like.
In writer's workshop we will be working on stretching out words, using our alphabet chart, writing words we know, and word patterns. I am blown away at how well the kids are doing with their writing.
In math, we will continue to work on chapter one, addition concepts. This week we will be working with bar models, adding zero, and adding in any order.
Did you remember to sign and send back your child's poetry binder?
Wishing you well
Unfortunately, we have had a few sick kids already this week. Be on the watch for upset stomachs and a fever.
This week we will continue to learn new centers and work on center rotations. The kids will learn how to do spelling search, picture search, stamps, pocket chart, and roll-a-word. It is nice to get the kids trained on the centers and rotations now, so when we start reading groups they know what to do and I do not have to stop teaching reading groups to help them.
During our whole group reading time will learn our final two reading strategies, Flippy Dolphin (flip the vowel sound) and Chunky Monkey (look for chunks in words). We will also be working on answering questions using text evidence. Our poem for the week is "The Getting Along Song" and we will work on the high-frequency word like.
In writer's workshop we will be working on stretching out words, using our alphabet chart, writing words we know, and word patterns. I am blown away at how well the kids are doing with their writing.
In math, we will continue to work on chapter one, addition concepts. This week we will be working with bar models, adding zero, and adding in any order.
Did you remember to sign and send back your child's poetry binder?
Wishing you well
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
A Whole Week in the Books!
We survived the one whole week of school! We stayed busy this week learning new procedures, rules, and expectations. We also jumped right in to handwriting and spelling. We worked on the letter m, s, b, and f. We also learned how to spell the word can. We made "I can" boxcars and did an art project with our names. You will be able to see what we have been working on at open house on September 15.
Earlier this week your child came home with the PTA fundraiser information in their backpack. Orders are due on September 14. Coupon books will be delivered September 16. I love these books. I get my moneys worth after only using a few coupons. It was a great fundraiser last year and hopefully we will do just as well this year.
Green folders will come home most Wednesdays. Homework and items that need to be returned will be on one side and items to stay home will be on the other side. Both sides of the folder are labeled. Please return the green folder on Thursday or Friday. Thanks!
On Friday, your child will be coming home with their poetry binder. The first page will contain the directions for you and your child. Each week we will practice reading a poem together. They will have this poem in their binder and will read it to you. Make sure and sign the BACK of the poem and return it on Monday. When they return their signed binder on Monday, they get a sticker to put on back. Their goal is to fill up the entire back with stickers before the year is over.
I am still missing a few beginning of the year packets. Please sign and return ASAP. There is also a green student info sheet that I keep in my room. These were on your childs' desk on the supply drop off night. If you were unable to attend, it will be in the green folder that comes home every
Wednesday.
Also, would you please send a family picture(s) to add to our Friends and Family Wall. The kids love showing off their families. Thanks!
Today we started in our new math series, GO Math! We will also introduce a few reading strategies and start some writing. We have lots of learning to do!
Book orders are due Friday, September 18. There is a Scholastic link on the blog. Book order forms will come home on the 2nd.
Have a great rest of the week!
Earlier this week your child came home with the PTA fundraiser information in their backpack. Orders are due on September 14. Coupon books will be delivered September 16. I love these books. I get my moneys worth after only using a few coupons. It was a great fundraiser last year and hopefully we will do just as well this year.
Green folders will come home most Wednesdays. Homework and items that need to be returned will be on one side and items to stay home will be on the other side. Both sides of the folder are labeled. Please return the green folder on Thursday or Friday. Thanks!
On Friday, your child will be coming home with their poetry binder. The first page will contain the directions for you and your child. Each week we will practice reading a poem together. They will have this poem in their binder and will read it to you. Make sure and sign the BACK of the poem and return it on Monday. When they return their signed binder on Monday, they get a sticker to put on back. Their goal is to fill up the entire back with stickers before the year is over.
I am still missing a few beginning of the year packets. Please sign and return ASAP. There is also a green student info sheet that I keep in my room. These were on your childs' desk on the supply drop off night. If you were unable to attend, it will be in the green folder that comes home every
Wednesday.
Also, would you please send a family picture(s) to add to our Friends and Family Wall. The kids love showing off their families. Thanks!
Today we started in our new math series, GO Math! We will also introduce a few reading strategies and start some writing. We have lots of learning to do!
Book orders are due Friday, September 18. There is a Scholastic link on the blog. Book order forms will come home on the 2nd.
Have a great rest of the week!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)