How is it already the week before Christmas? December is flying by in the blink of an eye. It is definitely going to be a white Christmas.
Tuesday, December 20 is our Holiday Music Program at Medicine Crow. The show will begin at 9:15. If you are planning on leaving after your child performs please sit in the back. Also, please make sure your child is to school on time. We will be leaving Bitterroot at 8:45 to walk over. That does not give us much time to get backpacks put away, potty, take attendance, etc. Please make sure your child is wearing shoes that are safe and easy for them to walk in. It has been decided students will only be wearing their coats to Medicine Crow. We don't have time to take snow pants off and we don't have storage for them at Medicine Crow. Please make sure if your girly is wearing a dress they have leggings or at the very least tights on with it. We don't want their little legs to freeze on the walk over! Mrs. Olson has done a fabulous job with the program this year!
Thursday, December 22 is our annual First Grade Polar Express Day! Students may wear their pajamas to school on Thursday. They may also bring slippers and a small blanket. Please do not send a special blanket as it is likely that hot chocolate or candy cane will get on it. Please make sure your child wears shoes or boots to school on Thursday and we will change into slippers when they get into the classroom. Girls need to wear pants under nightgowns as we will be going out to recess if it is above 0.
Safe travels to those who are heading out of town this holiday season. Hopefully, the roads clear up and travel won't be an issue.
We continue to work with sound and light with Project Lead the Way. The kids were so engaged when we were exploring light! It was amazing to see how well they worked together and all of the discoveries they made.
Have a great week!
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Snow Clothes!
The winners of the Bobcat 200 have selected to have another spirit day. On Tuesday, December 13, the entire school is being encouraged to wear their favorite sports team gear. If your child doesn't have a favorite sports team they can wear Bitterroot bobcat gear or colors (blue and yellow).
Let's hope it is above zero and we can go outside for recess next week. Students must have snow pants, snow boots, and gloves to play in the snow and on the play equipment. Children without the proper snow gear will have to stay on the blacktop during recess--BORING! If providing these items is a hardship, please contact Mrs. Neese. Mrs. Neese has many donors and programs to help provide these items for those in need.
Just a reminder...our Holiday Music Program is on Tuesday, December 20 at Medicine Crow. The show starts at 9:15. I hear the first performers are quite amazing!
The next few weeks are looking a little different during our reading block. We just completed unit 2 in our Wonders reading series and are going to wait until after Christmas to start unit 3. That means we will not have any new spelling words or high-frequency words until we get back from break. We will be practicing the words and skills learned up to this point.
This week in writing, I will be introducing personal narratives. This should be much easier than our how-to writing. Personal narrative writing is basically the students writing about something they have experienced and we all know first graders love to tell stories about themselves!
In math, we are going to continue talking about tens and ones. We will be doing many activities with the 120 chart.
Have a fabulous week!
Let's hope it is above zero and we can go outside for recess next week. Students must have snow pants, snow boots, and gloves to play in the snow and on the play equipment. Children without the proper snow gear will have to stay on the blacktop during recess--BORING! If providing these items is a hardship, please contact Mrs. Neese. Mrs. Neese has many donors and programs to help provide these items for those in need.
Just a reminder...our Holiday Music Program is on Tuesday, December 20 at Medicine Crow. The show starts at 9:15. I hear the first performers are quite amazing!
The next few weeks are looking a little different during our reading block. We just completed unit 2 in our Wonders reading series and are going to wait until after Christmas to start unit 3. That means we will not have any new spelling words or high-frequency words until we get back from break. We will be practicing the words and skills learned up to this point.
This week in writing, I will be introducing personal narratives. This should be much easier than our how-to writing. Personal narrative writing is basically the students writing about something they have experienced and we all know first graders love to tell stories about themselves!
In math, we are going to continue talking about tens and ones. We will be doing many activities with the 120 chart.
Have a fabulous week!
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Celebrate!
Looks like it is going to be a chilly week. Make sure your first graders is prepared for recess. Just a reminder: if your child is too sick to participate in recess then they are too sick to come to school.
We had an elf delivery from the North Pole last week. They named him Chippy. The kids are journaling the elf's behavior everyday and he is watching theirs. I am hoping that elf doesn't get too crazy.
We continue to work on informational writing. We will focus on word wall words, revising, and editing.
In math, we are going to start investigating tens and ones. There will be a lot of counting going on this week. Don't be surprised if your child starts grouping and counting everything.
In reading, Our essential question is "How you find your way around?". We will learn about common nouns, proper nouns, synonyms, and antonyms.
We finished our first part of exploring sound. The kids made phones and experimented with the best way to get sound to travel. We begin exploring light this week.
We filled our marble jar!!! The students picked a celebration and we will be having a movie, popcorn, and stuffed animal party on Friday. Make sure the stuffed animal is small enough to fit in their backpack along with everything else in it.
We also won the Boxtop contest for the first part of the year! Thank you parents! Keep them coming. We won a doughnut party. Date to celebrate has not yet been decided.
Have a great week!
We had an elf delivery from the North Pole last week. They named him Chippy. The kids are journaling the elf's behavior everyday and he is watching theirs. I am hoping that elf doesn't get too crazy.
We continue to work on informational writing. We will focus on word wall words, revising, and editing.
In math, we are going to start investigating tens and ones. There will be a lot of counting going on this week. Don't be surprised if your child starts grouping and counting everything.
In reading, Our essential question is "How you find your way around?". We will learn about common nouns, proper nouns, synonyms, and antonyms.
We finished our first part of exploring sound. The kids made phones and experimented with the best way to get sound to travel. We begin exploring light this week.
We filled our marble jar!!! The students picked a celebration and we will be having a movie, popcorn, and stuffed animal party on Friday. Make sure the stuffed animal is small enough to fit in their backpack along with everything else in it.
We also won the Boxtop contest for the first part of the year! Thank you parents! Keep them coming. We won a doughnut party. Date to celebrate has not yet been decided.
Have a great week!
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Welcome back! Back to the grind.
I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving full of family, friends, and yummy food! It was so nice to have some extra days off and get caught up on everything around the house and at school. However, I am so excited to see those firsties tomorrow! At the end of the week we will start our Christmas and holiday fun! We keep Christmas light-hearted and fun (Santa, elves, etc.).
The informational writing has proven to be much harder to master than opinion writing. We are going to take a step back and write a few how-to pieces together this week. We will also be learning the parts of a letter. We will be receiving a package from the North Pole later this week and will need to know how to write a letter! SHH...the package is a secret!
Math is all about the equal sign. We will spend the week learning the importance of the equal sign and that it means "is the same as."
In reading, we will be investigating ways people help around the community. We will learn about common nouns, proper nouns, and antonyms.
We made pumpkin bars last week. The kids loved it! They cracked eggs, measured, poured, stirred, poured, and frosted. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it at home.
Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pumpkin
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups flour
container of cream cheese frosting
Mix all the ingredients together.
Spread on cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Frost with cream cheese frosting.
ENJOY!
I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving full of family, friends, and yummy food! It was so nice to have some extra days off and get caught up on everything around the house and at school. However, I am so excited to see those firsties tomorrow! At the end of the week we will start our Christmas and holiday fun! We keep Christmas light-hearted and fun (Santa, elves, etc.).
The informational writing has proven to be much harder to master than opinion writing. We are going to take a step back and write a few how-to pieces together this week. We will also be learning the parts of a letter. We will be receiving a package from the North Pole later this week and will need to know how to write a letter! SHH...the package is a secret!
Math is all about the equal sign. We will spend the week learning the importance of the equal sign and that it means "is the same as."
In reading, we will be investigating ways people help around the community. We will learn about common nouns, proper nouns, and antonyms.
We made pumpkin bars last week. The kids loved it! They cracked eggs, measured, poured, stirred, poured, and frosted. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it at home.
Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pumpkin
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups flour
container of cream cheese frosting
Mix all the ingredients together.
Spread on cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Frost with cream cheese frosting.
ENJOY!
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Got snow gear?
It looks like snow. Have you located your child's snow gear? Please make sure to label everything. It is amazing how many kids shop at the same stores and show up with the same coats, boots, etc. Look for mittens that are waterproof and will make it through 3 recesses. It is also important that they are able to put them on themselves. We only have 15 minutes for recess which means the kids have to be quick in getting ready to go outside. We go outside if it is above 0 degrees. Kids need to have snow pants and snow boots to play on the equipment, otherwise they have to play on the blacktop.
A few important dates to remember...
Wednesday, November 16 is Panda Express Fundraiser Night and the last day to turn in book orders.
Thursday, November 17 there is a PTA meeting from 6:30-7:30 in the library.
Tuesday, November 22 is a noon dismissal day. If your child needs a sack lunch please fill out the form that will come home Wednesday.
Wednesday, November 23-Friday, November 25 are no school days. School resumes Monday, November 28.
Wednesday, November 30 is picture retakes.
This week in reading, we are learning about communities in nature and are trying to answer the question, "Where do animals live together?" All of the reading groups will be reading a nonfiction text called, Meerkat Family. We will also be learning about various habitats.
In writing, we will begin How-To writing. We will start with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and move on to the turkeys the kids disguised at home. Please make sure your child has brought their completed turkey to school on Monday.
We will continue to work on missing parts in addition and subtraction problems. This is one of the toughest concepts we work on so we will be taking it slow and spending quite a bit of time on it. We will also be working on extending the counting sequence starting with any number between 0-120.
We will continue working on our Light and Sound Module in Project Lead the Way. Last week, we learned what the problem is that we will be solving at the end of the module (A group of hikers is lost and needs to communicate with the other group but only has a few items they brought to use). We learned about the engineer design process. Over the next month or so we will be working on activities and projects that will increase our knowledge on light and sound. We will then apply that knowledge when we solve the problem and create a way to communicate using light and sound.
Have a wonderful week and Happy Thanksgiving!
A few important dates to remember...
Wednesday, November 16 is Panda Express Fundraiser Night and the last day to turn in book orders.
Thursday, November 17 there is a PTA meeting from 6:30-7:30 in the library.
Tuesday, November 22 is a noon dismissal day. If your child needs a sack lunch please fill out the form that will come home Wednesday.
Wednesday, November 23-Friday, November 25 are no school days. School resumes Monday, November 28.
Wednesday, November 30 is picture retakes.
This week in reading, we are learning about communities in nature and are trying to answer the question, "Where do animals live together?" All of the reading groups will be reading a nonfiction text called, Meerkat Family. We will also be learning about various habitats.
In writing, we will begin How-To writing. We will start with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and move on to the turkeys the kids disguised at home. Please make sure your child has brought their completed turkey to school on Monday.
We will continue to work on missing parts in addition and subtraction problems. This is one of the toughest concepts we work on so we will be taking it slow and spending quite a bit of time on it. We will also be working on extending the counting sequence starting with any number between 0-120.
We will continue working on our Light and Sound Module in Project Lead the Way. Last week, we learned what the problem is that we will be solving at the end of the module (A group of hikers is lost and needs to communicate with the other group but only has a few items they brought to use). We learned about the engineer design process. Over the next month or so we will be working on activities and projects that will increase our knowledge on light and sound. We will then apply that knowledge when we solve the problem and create a way to communicate using light and sound.
Have a wonderful week and Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Thank You!
A huge thank you for those of you who made donations for some new books. I was able to pick out an excellent read aloud that the kids will really enjoy!
Also, thank you for attending conferences. It makes such an impact on your child's success in first grade if we are working together and are on the same page.
Ms. Voigt's class is hosting a food drive November 7-November 18. They are working to raise 1,200 cans, bags, and boxes of food. If you are able to donate they would greatly appreciate it.
Your child has some homework this week. They will need to disguise a paper turkey. We will be using these turkeys for a writing project, so please make sure they are returned no later than Monday, November 14. The paper turkey and more detailed instructions will be in your child's green folder on Wednesday. Please do not go out and by supplies for this project. Only use what you already have at home.
In reading this week, we are focusing on buildings and what they are made of. We will also be learning about a new genre...fantasy! This week we will also be taking a look at the similarities and differences of homes around the world.
Our phonics and word work focuses this week are short u words and contractions with an 's.
This week in writing we will continue working on our opinion pieces. We have learned about the introduction, stating an opinion, giving as many reasons that you can think of, adding transition words, and ending with a conclusion that tells the reader what to do next.
In math, we will be working on finding missing parts in addition and subtraction problems. We will start with results unknown 4+2=_____ (sum/difference). We will move on to the change unknown (4 + ___ =6, 6-___ = 4) and end the week with the start unknown (___ + 4=6, ____ -4=2). We will also incorporate some word problems into this weeks lessons. The skills taught this week are much easier to understand when the students know their addition and subtraction facts. Xtramath is a wonderful tool to help students master their addition and subtraction facts. If you need your child's Xtramath information please email me and I will get their login information to you.
Here is our delicious spider soup! Have a great week!
Also, thank you for attending conferences. It makes such an impact on your child's success in first grade if we are working together and are on the same page.
Ms. Voigt's class is hosting a food drive November 7-November 18. They are working to raise 1,200 cans, bags, and boxes of food. If you are able to donate they would greatly appreciate it.
Your child has some homework this week. They will need to disguise a paper turkey. We will be using these turkeys for a writing project, so please make sure they are returned no later than Monday, November 14. The paper turkey and more detailed instructions will be in your child's green folder on Wednesday. Please do not go out and by supplies for this project. Only use what you already have at home.
In reading this week, we are focusing on buildings and what they are made of. We will also be learning about a new genre...fantasy! This week we will also be taking a look at the similarities and differences of homes around the world.
Our phonics and word work focuses this week are short u words and contractions with an 's.
This week in writing we will continue working on our opinion pieces. We have learned about the introduction, stating an opinion, giving as many reasons that you can think of, adding transition words, and ending with a conclusion that tells the reader what to do next.
In math, we will be working on finding missing parts in addition and subtraction problems. We will start with results unknown 4+2=_____ (sum/difference). We will move on to the change unknown (4 + ___ =6, 6-___ = 4) and end the week with the start unknown (___ + 4=6, ____ -4=2). We will also incorporate some word problems into this weeks lessons. The skills taught this week are much easier to understand when the students know their addition and subtraction facts. Xtramath is a wonderful tool to help students master their addition and subtraction facts. If you need your child's Xtramath information please email me and I will get their login information to you.
Here is our delicious spider soup! Have a great week!
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Conferences this week!
Thank you to those who supported the Bitterroot PTA and volunteered and/or attended the Pumpkin Patch Party. It looks like it was tons of fun!
Reminder costumes may not be worn to school on Halloween.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are noon dismissal days due to Parent Teacher Conferences. Please contact me or call the office if you need to switch your conference time. I am looking forward to sharing all the great things your child has accomplished so far!
Report cards go home on Tuesday. Please remember report cards are not like they used to be. They are now a standards based progress report. This means we look at the full year expectations and report where your child is currently. However, in the reading categories we look at the current quarter's reading level expectations and report based on those reading levels. There will be many 1s and 2s on your child's report card. This is perfectly normal. A 3 is our goal for the end of the year. A 1 does not necessarily mean your child is not where they should be academically. Information writing will be blank because I have not taught that yet. We will go over your child's report card during conferences and visit more on how your child was assessed. Be proud of their accomplishments!
We are starting unit 2 in our reading series. The first week focuses on jobs in the community. We will be reading lots of different texts about community jobs.
We will continue to work opinion writing this week.
In math, we will continue to work subtraction. We will also be adding ten to a number and start learning about missing addends.
See you at conferences!
We had a great presentation from the Billings Fire Department! They brought the fire engine and the fire truck! It was amazing!
Reminder costumes may not be worn to school on Halloween.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are noon dismissal days due to Parent Teacher Conferences. Please contact me or call the office if you need to switch your conference time. I am looking forward to sharing all the great things your child has accomplished so far!
Report cards go home on Tuesday. Please remember report cards are not like they used to be. They are now a standards based progress report. This means we look at the full year expectations and report where your child is currently. However, in the reading categories we look at the current quarter's reading level expectations and report based on those reading levels. There will be many 1s and 2s on your child's report card. This is perfectly normal. A 3 is our goal for the end of the year. A 1 does not necessarily mean your child is not where they should be academically. Information writing will be blank because I have not taught that yet. We will go over your child's report card during conferences and visit more on how your child was assessed. Be proud of their accomplishments!
We are starting unit 2 in our reading series. The first week focuses on jobs in the community. We will be reading lots of different texts about community jobs.
We will continue to work opinion writing this week.
In math, we will continue to work subtraction. We will also be adding ten to a number and start learning about missing addends.
See you at conferences!
We had a great presentation from the Billings Fire Department! They brought the fire engine and the fire truck! It was amazing!
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Red Ribbon Week!
Did you remember to return your conference slip? If not, please return ASAP as we will be scheduling your times this week
Help needed! Do you have time to volunteer to work with some first graders. I am looking for someone to come in from 1:30-2:00 up to 3 days a week and work on numbers with some of the kids. You could do one time, two times, or even three times a week if your schedule allows it. You would need to have a completed background check done. If you are interested, please email me!
On Monday, we will be having bus safety. The bus driver will show your kids the proper way to get on a bus, get off a bus, how to evacuate in case of an emergency, and how far in front of a bus they need to cross to ensure that the bus driver sees them.
On Friday, we have tentatively scheduled a fire safety presentation with our very own first grade firefighter dad! This presentation is a great reminder of picking a meeting place for you and your family to meet if there is a fire in your home. It also shows your child how to safely exit the home. The firefighter even puts on all his gear so the kids can see what he would look like in full uniform.
It is Red Ribbon week!
Here are the themes for each day:
Monday, October 24 Be red-y to say no to drugs--Wear red
Tuesday, October 25 I elect to be drug free--Wear red, white, and blue
Wednesday, October 26 PAWS-itively proud to be drug free--show your school spirit and wear Bitterroot Bobcat colors (blue and gold) and paws (Temporary tattoos will go home Tuesday for the kiddos to wear on Wednesday. Picture day is Friday and I am not sure how temporary the tattoos are...place tattoos accordingly!!!).
Thursday, October 27-Smarties choose to be drug free--dress smart
Friday, October 28-Sock-it to drugs--wear mismatched or crazy socks
This week in reading, our theme question will be "How does your body move?" We will be learning exercise, physical, agree, difficult, and exhausted for our vocabulary words.
In math, we will continue to learn subtraction strategies. So far, we have learned how to use a number line, counting back, and using doubles to subtract. We will learn about related facts, taking away zero, and horizontal and vertical subtraction. We will also learn how to apply these strategies to word problems.
In writing, we will review the parts of an opinion paper: introduction, stating your opinion, giving as many reasons as you can think of, and a conclusion. We will also discuss the 5 stars of writing: capitals, punctuation, spaces, makes sense, and nice handwriting. We will begin an opinion piece on our favorite places in Billings and learn how to use a rubric for our writing.
The students will be writing our poem this week. It will be called "Spider Soup". Every year, we serve up our delicious spider soup to first graders. It has been quite a popular event in the past. Your children will be picking out the ingredients to put into the soup. I have started collecting many spiders! We will eat it on October 31st. I promise it is not as gross as it sounds. Trust me!
We do not celebrate Halloween at Bitterroot School. It is a typical school day. Kids are not allowed to wear costumes or face paint. However, we do try to incorporate some fun activities. Please be prepared for a rough day on Tuesday, November 1. The kids will be exhausted from Halloween and trying to recover from all the sugar they ate. Please keep all candy at home and do not pack it in their lunches. Watch out! First graders are known for sneaking candy to school. Check their backpacks and pockets!
Have a great week!
Monday, October 17, 2016
Short Week!
On Wednesday, October 19 school will be dismissed at noon.
There is no school on Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21. School resumes on Monday, October 24.
Green folders will be going home on Monday, not Wednesday this week. There will be a form to fill out regarding parent-teacher conference times. Please fill it out and return it to school with your kiddo.
Attendance is key component to academic growth. Please make sure your kiddo is to school on time each and every day.
Pack the Place in Pink is Tuesday, October 18. Wear pink and show your support for those who currently are or who have been affected by breast cancer.
Red Ribbon week will be October 24-October 28. Mrs. Neese is holding the second annual drug free door decorating contest. The winning classroom will get a slime making party with Mrs. Neese. If any of you creative parents would like to come in and decorate the classroom door with a drug-free theme please let me know. Pinterest has lots of cute ideas. In first grade, we talk more about making healthy choices and putting healthy things into our body and not so much about drugs themselves.
Here are the themes for Red Ribbon Week...
Monday, October 24 Be red-y to say no to drugs--Wear red
Tuesday, October 25 I elect to be drug free--Wear red, white, and blue
Wednesday, October 26 PAWS-itvely proud to be drug free--show your school spirit and wear Bitterrot Bobcat colors (blue and gold) and paws (Temporary tattoos will go home Tuesday for the kiddos to wear on Wednesday. Picture day is Friday and I am not sure how temporary the tattoos are...place tattoos accordingly!!!).
Thursday, October 27-Smarties choose to be drug free--dress smart
Friday, October 28-Sock-it to drugs--wear mismatched or crazy socks
Due to the short week, we will not be starting anything new in reading. We will use this week to go back and dig a little deeper into the texts we have already read.
In math, we are starting subtraction strategies.
No new spelling words this week.
Enjoy your week!
There is no school on Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21. School resumes on Monday, October 24.
Green folders will be going home on Monday, not Wednesday this week. There will be a form to fill out regarding parent-teacher conference times. Please fill it out and return it to school with your kiddo.
Attendance is key component to academic growth. Please make sure your kiddo is to school on time each and every day.
Pack the Place in Pink is Tuesday, October 18. Wear pink and show your support for those who currently are or who have been affected by breast cancer.
Red Ribbon week will be October 24-October 28. Mrs. Neese is holding the second annual drug free door decorating contest. The winning classroom will get a slime making party with Mrs. Neese. If any of you creative parents would like to come in and decorate the classroom door with a drug-free theme please let me know. Pinterest has lots of cute ideas. In first grade, we talk more about making healthy choices and putting healthy things into our body and not so much about drugs themselves.
Here are the themes for Red Ribbon Week...
Monday, October 24 Be red-y to say no to drugs--Wear red
Tuesday, October 25 I elect to be drug free--Wear red, white, and blue
Wednesday, October 26 PAWS-itvely proud to be drug free--show your school spirit and wear Bitterrot Bobcat colors (blue and gold) and paws (Temporary tattoos will go home Tuesday for the kiddos to wear on Wednesday. Picture day is Friday and I am not sure how temporary the tattoos are...place tattoos accordingly!!!).
Thursday, October 27-Smarties choose to be drug free--dress smart
Friday, October 28-Sock-it to drugs--wear mismatched or crazy socks
Due to the short week, we will not be starting anything new in reading. We will use this week to go back and dig a little deeper into the texts we have already read.
In math, we are starting subtraction strategies.
No new spelling words this week.
Enjoy your week!
Sunday, October 9, 2016
I cannot believe how fast the year is going! We only have 12.5 days left until the end of first quarter.
It looks like we are going to have some cold weather on Tuesday. Please make sure your child is prepared for the cold weather and snow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't snow. I'm just not ready for it quite yet!
This week we our essential question is What do friends do together? As always, we will be reading and digging deep into various texts to find the answer to our question. We will be working on finding evidence from the text, asking and answering key details about the text, identifying the main idea, and using photos/illustrations.
In writing, we will be finishing up our first opinion piece and completing the final draft. We will then move onto our second opinion piece about our favorite place in Billings. Often it is hard for students to think of their favorite place. Please help your child brainstorm a few of your family's favorite places to go in Billings. It could be a park, a store, restaurant, etc.
In math, we are continuing to work on our addition facts. We will use number bonds this week to help understand that addition is taking two parts and putting them together to make the whole. We will use the part-part-whole terminology throughout the year. This approach really seems to help when we move into subtraction.
Have a fabulous week!
It looks like we are going to have some cold weather on Tuesday. Please make sure your child is prepared for the cold weather and snow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't snow. I'm just not ready for it quite yet!
This week we our essential question is What do friends do together? As always, we will be reading and digging deep into various texts to find the answer to our question. We will be working on finding evidence from the text, asking and answering key details about the text, identifying the main idea, and using photos/illustrations.
In writing, we will be finishing up our first opinion piece and completing the final draft. We will then move onto our second opinion piece about our favorite place in Billings. Often it is hard for students to think of their favorite place. Please help your child brainstorm a few of your family's favorite places to go in Billings. It could be a park, a store, restaurant, etc.
In math, we are continuing to work on our addition facts. We will use number bonds this week to help understand that addition is taking two parts and putting them together to make the whole. We will use the part-part-whole terminology throughout the year. This approach really seems to help when we move into subtraction.
Have a fabulous week!
Sunday, October 2, 2016
It's October!
Can you believe it is already October?!? We are already half way through the first quarter. That means we have completed 26 days of first grade! With that being said, our class has only had 10 days of perfect attendance out of 26 days. Perfect attendance means there were no tardies and everyone was present. Attendance is key to a successful school year. Dr. Henry is tracking attendance on a bulletin board by the office. When a classroom gets 10 days of perfect attendance they get to add a token to their key chain. At the end of the year they will be able to take their attendance tracker key chains home. Dr. Henry said the record is 70 days of perfect attendance. Let's set a new record this year! Here's our token for 10 days of perfect attendance.
Friday, October 7 is PTA's Family Movie Night at 6pm in the gym. They will be showing Hotel Translyvania. Bring a chair, blanket, pillow or whatever you need to be comfy and cozy. Concessions are sold for 25 cents.
In reading, we will be discussing "What makes a pet special?" We will learn the vocabulary words, care, train, companion, groom, and popular. Our reading will include l blends and that will also be our focus in spelling.
In writing, our lessons will focus on writing reasons to support an opinion, writing a strong introduction, writing a strong conclusion, and learning about common and proper nouns.
Math this week will consist of reviewing ways to make 10 and learning how to add three numbers together by looking for friendly 10s and/or doubles. We will also start to work on addition word problems with three addends.
A fun game for home:
Playing Doubles Snap. All you need is three people, a dice, and 11 small items (pennies, marbles, etc.). One person is the judge and will roll the dice. The other two players will double the number on the dice. The player that says the number first gets a counter or whatever small item you are using. The person with the most items at the end of the game becomes the judge. Players may not argue with the judge. If a player argues with the judge one of their counters gets taken away and given to the other player! The kids get so excited during this game that they can't help but shout the answer!
If your child is soo good at this game you would like to challenge them, play double snap plus 1. So if you roll a 4, they would have to say 9 since 4+4=8 and one more is 9.
Another fun one: roll the dice and whoever says the number that needs to be added to that number to make 10 wins. Example: you roll and 6, whoever says 4 wins since 6+4=10.
Have a fabulous week! I am excited to see the kids after being gone Thursday and Friday.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Welcome warm weather!
I am so excited that the rain is gone for a while. I know we need it but it makes recess miserable-at least for the teachers. The kids don't seem to mind.
Thank you to all of you who donated candy for Saturday Live. I had the privilege of working the 10-11am shift. It was great to see how much fun the kids were having and the weather even cooperated.
We have a full week ahead of us. In math, we will continue to work on addition strategies. We have learned about the commutative property 4+6=10 so 6+4=10, counting on, number line, and doubles. This week we will learn about doubles +1, and ways to make 10. We spend a lot of time on ways to make 10.
In reading, we will talking about "What is it like where you live?" We will ready about city and country living. Our focus will be on words that have the short i sound as in insect and reading strategies that help them decode words.
In writing, the kids will write a sample opinion paper. This is just so I can see where they are at in their writing abilities. We will talk about revising, editing, and how to choose a piece to publish.
I will not be here Thursday and Friday. My son is a senior golfer at Skyview and will be competing in the state tournament. This is my last chance to see him play high school golf. When people say to enjoy your kids because they grow up too fast, its true. Enjoy the littles!
Hope you all have a great week!
Wendy Martin
Thank you to all of you who donated candy for Saturday Live. I had the privilege of working the 10-11am shift. It was great to see how much fun the kids were having and the weather even cooperated.
We have a full week ahead of us. In math, we will continue to work on addition strategies. We have learned about the commutative property 4+6=10 so 6+4=10, counting on, number line, and doubles. This week we will learn about doubles +1, and ways to make 10. We spend a lot of time on ways to make 10.
In reading, we will talking about "What is it like where you live?" We will ready about city and country living. Our focus will be on words that have the short i sound as in insect and reading strategies that help them decode words.
In writing, the kids will write a sample opinion paper. This is just so I can see where they are at in their writing abilities. We will talk about revising, editing, and how to choose a piece to publish.
I will not be here Thursday and Friday. My son is a senior golfer at Skyview and will be competing in the state tournament. This is my last chance to see him play high school golf. When people say to enjoy your kids because they grow up too fast, its true. Enjoy the littles!
Hope you all have a great week!
Wendy Martin
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Spelling Test this week!
Thank you to all who came to Parent Orientation. For those of you who were unable to attend I have posted the slideshow on the blog. Click on the four arrow icon to make it full screen. If you have any questions feel free to call or email me.
We have noon dismissal on Thursday, September 22.
Saturday Live is this Saturday. Thank you to those who donated candy for our booth. PTA is still looking for volunteers to help with the Candy Shack. You can sign up to volunteer on the PTA blog, http://bitterrootpta.weebly.com/.
The PTA coupon book fundraiser has ended. If you have not returned your child's envelope please do so ASAP.
First graders will have a hearing screening on Monday.
Mrs. Neese, the school counselor, will be teaching us about whole body listening on Wednesday.
This week is super exciting...we start reading groups! I love teaching reading groups! We will be working on visualizing as we read and decoding short a words.
In writing, we will be learning about parts of a sentence and writing words we know. The students will also write a informational and opinion paper sample.
The spelling rule for the week and the spelling words can be found on the right hand side of the blog. We will be having weekly spelling tests on Fridays. You can practice on the Spelling City link on my blog. You can also visit this site for fun ways to help your child with spelling.
http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2012/10/75-fun-ways-to-practice-and-learn.html.
Also, be sure to have your kiddo practice the high-frequency words. There could be one or two for bonus points!
We are continuing to work on addition strategies in math. This week we will learn how to use the greater number to count on. We will also use the number line to add.
Have a wonderful week!
We have noon dismissal on Thursday, September 22.
Saturday Live is this Saturday. Thank you to those who donated candy for our booth. PTA is still looking for volunteers to help with the Candy Shack. You can sign up to volunteer on the PTA blog, http://bitterrootpta.weebly.com/.
The PTA coupon book fundraiser has ended. If you have not returned your child's envelope please do so ASAP.
First graders will have a hearing screening on Monday.
Mrs. Neese, the school counselor, will be teaching us about whole body listening on Wednesday.
This week is super exciting...we start reading groups! I love teaching reading groups! We will be working on visualizing as we read and decoding short a words.
In writing, we will be learning about parts of a sentence and writing words we know. The students will also write a informational and opinion paper sample.
The spelling rule for the week and the spelling words can be found on the right hand side of the blog. We will be having weekly spelling tests on Fridays. You can practice on the Spelling City link on my blog. You can also visit this site for fun ways to help your child with spelling.
http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2012/10/75-fun-ways-to-practice-and-learn.html.
Also, be sure to have your kiddo practice the high-frequency words. There could be one or two for bonus points!
We are continuing to work on addition strategies in math. This week we will learn how to use the greater number to count on. We will also use the number line to add.
Have a wonderful week!
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a fun weekend and are enjoying this nice weather! Monday is supposed to be cold and rainy-48 degrees is the high. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. We had lots of cold kids at recess on Friday. I admit I was not dressed appropriately for the weather on Friday and was cold at recess...lesson learned! Weather in Montana can change quickly. It never hurts to keep a sweatshirt in your child's backpack.
Traffic is going to be a bit crazy and most likely backed up at the Wicks and Bench intersection in the upcoming weeks. Here is the email we received from Knife River about the construction...
I wanted to give you a heads-up on our plans to start reconstruction of the Bench/Wicks intersection itself. We’ll probably drop in there about Wednesday next week (9/14) and begin asphalt removal, then storm drain, excavation, gravel, concrete, paving, etc. We have a traffic control plan that allows traffic to still flow between the Wicks intersection and the two schools to the north on Bench. We plan to build the intersection a quarter at a time, utilizing flaggers to help traffic get through the intersection. We do have to turn off the traffic signals there and so the intersection will be a four-way stop. As you can imagine, this may result in some long back-up lines at particular times of the day since a four-way stop doesn’t flow traffic as well as signals. It will probably take us 3-4 weeks to get the intersection back to normal.
PTA is in need of candy donations (that won't melt) and volunteers for Saturday Live.
If you have not had a chance to walk through Medicine Crow Middle School you now have a chance.They are having an open house on Sept. 12 from 6-8pm. It is beautiful!
We are having an issue of kids bringing toys to school. This causes a distraction and lots of tears if the toys go missing. Please make sure your child is not bringing any toys to school.
Poetry binders came home on Friday. After your child has read the poem or passage to you, sign somewhere on the page to let me know they read it, and send it back to school on Monday. If your child brings their binder back on Monday and it is signed they will get a sticker to decorate the front of their binder. If they bring it after Monday they will not get a sticker.
Did you remember to return your child's green folder?
Open house is Tuesday, September 13 from 6-7pm. This is a time that I can share with you how our classroom is ran and some of the expectations. You can also ask any questions you might have. We ask that you leave your kids at home. I have lots of important information and do not want anyone to miss out.
We were able to get through the reading portion of the FastBridge assessments last week. This week we will work on the math portion. As much as I dislike having to test like this, it does provide excellent information and data that allows me to form lessons and instruction that best suits each student's needs.
This is also our last week of review of letter sounds and high-frequency words in Wonders. Next week we dive into the Wonders program and will start reading groups! I love reading groups!
In writing we will be working on our first writing samples. The students will write a personal narrative (a story that has happened to them), an opinion piece, and an informational piece.
Since we are assessing math we will not be starting anything new this week. We will continue to work on the skills we learned last week.
Have a great week!
Traffic is going to be a bit crazy and most likely backed up at the Wicks and Bench intersection in the upcoming weeks. Here is the email we received from Knife River about the construction...
I wanted to give you a heads-up on our plans to start reconstruction of the Bench/Wicks intersection itself. We’ll probably drop in there about Wednesday next week (9/14) and begin asphalt removal, then storm drain, excavation, gravel, concrete, paving, etc. We have a traffic control plan that allows traffic to still flow between the Wicks intersection and the two schools to the north on Bench. We plan to build the intersection a quarter at a time, utilizing flaggers to help traffic get through the intersection. We do have to turn off the traffic signals there and so the intersection will be a four-way stop. As you can imagine, this may result in some long back-up lines at particular times of the day since a four-way stop doesn’t flow traffic as well as signals. It will probably take us 3-4 weeks to get the intersection back to normal.
PTA is in need of candy donations (that won't melt) and volunteers for Saturday Live.
If you have not had a chance to walk through Medicine Crow Middle School you now have a chance.They are having an open house on Sept. 12 from 6-8pm. It is beautiful!
We are having an issue of kids bringing toys to school. This causes a distraction and lots of tears if the toys go missing. Please make sure your child is not bringing any toys to school.
Poetry binders came home on Friday. After your child has read the poem or passage to you, sign somewhere on the page to let me know they read it, and send it back to school on Monday. If your child brings their binder back on Monday and it is signed they will get a sticker to decorate the front of their binder. If they bring it after Monday they will not get a sticker.
Did you remember to return your child's green folder?
Open house is Tuesday, September 13 from 6-7pm. This is a time that I can share with you how our classroom is ran and some of the expectations. You can also ask any questions you might have. We ask that you leave your kids at home. I have lots of important information and do not want anyone to miss out.
We were able to get through the reading portion of the FastBridge assessments last week. This week we will work on the math portion. As much as I dislike having to test like this, it does provide excellent information and data that allows me to form lessons and instruction that best suits each student's needs.
This is also our last week of review of letter sounds and high-frequency words in Wonders. Next week we dive into the Wonders program and will start reading groups! I love reading groups!
In writing we will be working on our first writing samples. The students will write a personal narrative (a story that has happened to them), an opinion piece, and an informational piece.
Since we are assessing math we will not be starting anything new this week. We will continue to work on the skills we learned last week.
Have a great week!
Monday, September 5, 2016
Welcome Back
I hope you were able to enjoy your extra day off.
Just a few reminders...
Poetry binders came home on Friday. Instructions are on the first page. Please bring them back every Monday morning.
Look for your child's green take home folder on Wednesday. Please return by Friday. Thanks!
If you have not returned your beginning of the year paperwork please do so.
PTA clothing order forms are due Friday, October 7. The shirts look awesome this year!
The PTA fundraiser has started. This is a great way to earn money for our school.
Book orders are due Friday, September 16.
This is another busy, busy, busy week.
We will begin our Fast Bridge Assessments this week. We will start with the reading assessments and hopefully be able to start math next week. All of the assessments are done one on one and it takes awhile to get through them all. The students will be assessed on nonsense words, sight words, sentence reading, and word segmenting. They will also complete the adaptive reading assessment. I am not quite sure what that one is like. It was not required last year so we will see what it is like!
We will finish up learning reading strategies this week-Lips the fish, Chunky monkey, Tryin Lion, etc. These strategies help you child figure out a word they are trying to read. We will also be learning about parts of a book.
This week in math we will continue to be working on number recognition and addition strategies. We will also learn about the commutative property. 6+4=10 so 4+6=10
We started writer's workshop last week. This week our focus will be on why writers write, where to get ideas, and how writer's workshop is conducted.
Have a fabulous week!
Just a few reminders...
Poetry binders came home on Friday. Instructions are on the first page. Please bring them back every Monday morning.
Look for your child's green take home folder on Wednesday. Please return by Friday. Thanks!
If you have not returned your beginning of the year paperwork please do so.
PTA clothing order forms are due Friday, October 7. The shirts look awesome this year!
The PTA fundraiser has started. This is a great way to earn money for our school.
Book orders are due Friday, September 16.
This is another busy, busy, busy week.
We will begin our Fast Bridge Assessments this week. We will start with the reading assessments and hopefully be able to start math next week. All of the assessments are done one on one and it takes awhile to get through them all. The students will be assessed on nonsense words, sight words, sentence reading, and word segmenting. They will also complete the adaptive reading assessment. I am not quite sure what that one is like. It was not required last year so we will see what it is like!
We will finish up learning reading strategies this week-Lips the fish, Chunky monkey, Tryin Lion, etc. These strategies help you child figure out a word they are trying to read. We will also be learning about parts of a book.
This week in math we will continue to be working on number recognition and addition strategies. We will also learn about the commutative property. 6+4=10 so 4+6=10
We started writer's workshop last week. This week our focus will be on why writers write, where to get ideas, and how writer's workshop is conducted.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
We Made It!
We made it through the first two days of school! It has been a lot of fun learning about your child. They are a terrific bunch of kids!
If your student arrives at school earlier than 8:10 we will direct them to the gym to eat breakfast. There is no other place for students to be and elementary students may not be on school grounds unsupervised. Families who DO NOT want their students eating breakfast through our food service must make arrangements for them to arrive after 8:10.
Hopefully the bells will be working at morning walk this week! We are trying something new this year to combat the running to line and injuries that happen when the students race to line up. When the bell rings the teachers on duty will raise a hand in the air. This will be the students signal to freeze. When the teachers lower their hands the students may WALK to their line.
Last week we learned how to walk in the hall like first graders with marshmallow voices and marshmallow feet, we created a class book to help learn each others name, and did a few art projects!
In reading, we will be reviewing letter recognition and letter sounds. We will also be working on rhyming, listening comprehension, identifying the same sound in a word group, directionality of print, blending words with onset and rime, and syllables.
In math, we will review number recognition and begin working on a few addition strategies.
Writing will mostly consist of learning how to use our writing folders, where to find extra paper, and a few other procedures.
We will not have spelling for at least three weeks. Instead, we will be reviewing letter sounds and sight words. We will also be working on handwriting and forming letters correctly.
I am looking forward to our full week!
Reminder: Please return completed paperwork ASAP.
Wishing you well,
Wendy Martin
If your student arrives at school earlier than 8:10 we will direct them to the gym to eat breakfast. There is no other place for students to be and elementary students may not be on school grounds unsupervised. Families who DO NOT want their students eating breakfast through our food service must make arrangements for them to arrive after 8:10.
Hopefully the bells will be working at morning walk this week! We are trying something new this year to combat the running to line and injuries that happen when the students race to line up. When the bell rings the teachers on duty will raise a hand in the air. This will be the students signal to freeze. When the teachers lower their hands the students may WALK to their line.
Last week we learned how to walk in the hall like first graders with marshmallow voices and marshmallow feet, we created a class book to help learn each others name, and did a few art projects!
In reading, we will be reviewing letter recognition and letter sounds. We will also be working on rhyming, listening comprehension, identifying the same sound in a word group, directionality of print, blending words with onset and rime, and syllables.
In math, we will review number recognition and begin working on a few addition strategies.
Writing will mostly consist of learning how to use our writing folders, where to find extra paper, and a few other procedures.
We will not have spelling for at least three weeks. Instead, we will be reviewing letter sounds and sight words. We will also be working on handwriting and forming letters correctly.
I am looking forward to our full week!
Reminder: Please return completed paperwork ASAP.
Wishing you well,
Wendy Martin
Friday, June 3, 2016
Last Day!
Dear parents,
I give you back your child, the same child you confidently entrusted to my care last fall. I give them back pounds heavier, inches taller, months wiser, more responsible, and more mature than they were then.
Although they would have attained their growth in spite of me, it has been my pleasure and privilege to watch their personality unfold day by day. I give them back reluctantly, for having spent nine months together in the narrow confines of a crowded classroom, we have grown close, have become a part of each other, and we shall always retain a little of each other.
Ten years from now if we met on the street, your child and I, a light will shine to our eyes, a smile to our face, and we shall feel the bond of understanding once more, this bond we feel today.
We have lived, loved, laughed, played, studied, learned, and enriched our lives together this year. I wish it could go on indefinitely, but give them back I must. Take care of them, for they are precious.
Remember that I shall always be interested in your child and their destiny, wherever they go, whatever they do, whoever they become. Their joys and sorrows I’ll always be happy to share.
Wishing you well!
Mrs. Martin
I give you back your child, the same child you confidently entrusted to my care last fall. I give them back pounds heavier, inches taller, months wiser, more responsible, and more mature than they were then.
Although they would have attained their growth in spite of me, it has been my pleasure and privilege to watch their personality unfold day by day. I give them back reluctantly, for having spent nine months together in the narrow confines of a crowded classroom, we have grown close, have become a part of each other, and we shall always retain a little of each other.
Ten years from now if we met on the street, your child and I, a light will shine to our eyes, a smile to our face, and we shall feel the bond of understanding once more, this bond we feel today.
We have lived, loved, laughed, played, studied, learned, and enriched our lives together this year. I wish it could go on indefinitely, but give them back I must. Take care of them, for they are precious.
Remember that I shall always be interested in your child and their destiny, wherever they go, whatever they do, whoever they become. Their joys and sorrows I’ll always be happy to share.
Wishing you well!
Mrs. Martin
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Counting down!
I cannot believe it is already the last full week of school. This has been such an awesome year with wonderful kiddos and amazing families. I'm not sure I am ready to send these kiddos on to second grade!
Please make sure your kiddo returns their permission slip and lunch order form. We have to give Ms. Chris a week's notice on how many lunches we need. Your kiddo will not be able to go on the field trip without a signed permission slip. I will not call home on the day of the field trip if your child has not turned in a permission slip.
Wednesday is field day (not the field trip). Be sure your kiddo wears tennis shoes on Wednesday. It would also be a good idea to sunscreen them before sending them to school. They will be outside all morning.
I am trying to stick to our normal schedule as much as I can this week. We will still begin our day with centers. During writing, we will be working on our last writing samples. In math, we are doing some fun review games and activities.
Have a great week!
Please make sure your kiddo returns their permission slip and lunch order form. We have to give Ms. Chris a week's notice on how many lunches we need. Your kiddo will not be able to go on the field trip without a signed permission slip. I will not call home on the day of the field trip if your child has not turned in a permission slip.
Wednesday is field day (not the field trip). Be sure your kiddo wears tennis shoes on Wednesday. It would also be a good idea to sunscreen them before sending them to school. They will be outside all morning.
I am trying to stick to our normal schedule as much as I can this week. We will still begin our day with centers. During writing, we will be working on our last writing samples. In math, we are doing some fun review games and activities.
Have a great week!
Monday, May 16, 2016
Only 14 days left!
We had such a blast with career day costumes on Tuesday! The kiddos were so excited to dress up and share why they wanted to be in that career field.
It is crunch time! If you have unpaid lunch tickets, lost library books, or any other must do, please get it done before the end of school. We are getting tile flooring in our rooms starting the week after school gets out, so it will be difficult (if not impossible) to get in the building.
We are officially done with our poetry binders. They sure did great with them.
I am still finishing up assessments. WOW! Our kids have made such great progress this last quarter. Please make sure to continue sending your kiddo each day so that he/she doesn't miss out on the end of the year assessments. Thanks!
We still need volunteers for both field day and the field trip. Please email me if you are interested or STILL interested. Unfortunately, sibling are not invited.
Have a great week! Thanks for all you do!
It is crunch time! If you have unpaid lunch tickets, lost library books, or any other must do, please get it done before the end of school. We are getting tile flooring in our rooms starting the week after school gets out, so it will be difficult (if not impossible) to get in the building.
We are officially done with our poetry binders. They sure did great with them.
I am still finishing up assessments. WOW! Our kids have made such great progress this last quarter. Please make sure to continue sending your kiddo each day so that he/she doesn't miss out on the end of the year assessments. Thanks!
We still need volunteers for both field day and the field trip. Please email me if you are interested or STILL interested. Unfortunately, sibling are not invited.
Have a great week! Thanks for all you do!
Monday, May 9, 2016
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!
We are starting to plan our end of the year field trip to Riverfront Park. This is a fun day of games and nature. We will be going from 9:30-1:30 on Tuesday, May 31st. Our class is still in need of at least 3 more volunteers to help make this day happen. For safety purposes siblings are not allowed on this trip. If you are willing to volunteer please let me know. Permission slips and more information will be sent home when the date gets closer.
The bake sale has been extended. Goodies will be sold Wednesday after school.
We are out of snacks again. I have purchased enough snack to get us through this week, but we will need a few more boxes to make it through the rest of the year.
Now that we have wrapped up our Lead 21 curriculum we will be doing things a little different. This week we will not be having reading groups. During reading group time I will be assessing reading levels. Spelling will also be a bit different. For the next three weeks spelling tests will be high frequency words. I will not be posting the 10 words I will be assessing for the week. These are words that the students should already know and words we have been working on all year. However, the words will be taken from the high-frequency word list on the right side of the blog if you would like to help your child study.
We are back to our normal math routine this week. We will be learning about 2-D shapes and their attributes.
We had a wonderful turnout for our Mother's Day Breakfast! It was tons of fun getting to celebrate all of you special ladies. The room was so full of LOVE!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Happy May!
Thursday, May 5 is our Mother's Day Breakfast. This is a time for you and your child to spend some extra special time together and celebrate YOU! Please leave siblings at home. We will have lots of yummy goodies.
Thank you to those who volunteered to help out with field day. We are still in need of volunteers for our field trip to Riverfront Park on Tuesday, May 31.
It is tick season and we have seen some ticks in our fields. Please be sure to check your child for ticks each night.
Thank you to those who came and supported our Classroom Carnival Friday night. It was so much fun!
It's assessment time again. We will be taking our spring Fastbridge benchmark assessments this week during math. Hopefully, we can get through them in one week!
This will be our last week of LEAD 21 spelling words. After this week we will be working on high-frequency words. Please be sure to help your child study for their spelling test!
Have a fabulous week!
Thank you to those who volunteered to help out with field day. We are still in need of volunteers for our field trip to Riverfront Park on Tuesday, May 31.
It is tick season and we have seen some ticks in our fields. Please be sure to check your child for ticks each night.
Thank you to those who came and supported our Classroom Carnival Friday night. It was so much fun!
It's assessment time again. We will be taking our spring Fastbridge benchmark assessments this week during math. Hopefully, we can get through them in one week!
This will be our last week of LEAD 21 spelling words. After this week we will be working on high-frequency words. Please be sure to help your child study for their spelling test!
Have a fabulous week!
Sunday, April 24, 2016
I hope you all enjoyed the three day weekend. This week is a full week.
SAVE THE DATE--We will be having a Mother's Day Breakfast for mom's and their first grader on Thursday, May 5 from 7:30-8:00. More information will be in your child's Wednesday Folder.
Wednesday is Administrative Professionals Day aka Secretaries Day. If you see Mrs. Z be sure to thank her for all she does. She is AMAZING!
Last week in writing we worked on our "Star of the Week" writing. We also made a book for Mrs. Zimmerman for Secretary's Day. The kids wrote about what they think Mrs. Z does all day.
The classroom carnival is Friday. Come enjoy some fun games and family time! I hope to see you there!
We will be starting our geometry unit in math. We will start out with solid figures. We will learn some new math vocabulary to help us identify solid figures such as faces, vertices, and edges.
It is suppose to be rainy with a chance of snow all week. YUCK! Make sure your kids have the appropriate outdoor wear. It is going to be wet.
Have a wonderful week!
Sunday, April 17, 2016
No School on Friday
No school Friday, April 22.
Thank you to those who donated their spare change to the Ultimate Penny Wars. Even though, our class did not win the kids had so much fun deciding whose jug to put their nickels, dimes, and quarters in. The BraveHearts grief group was so thrilled to receive a donation of $1,564.50. WAY TO GO BITTERROOT FAMILIES! What an awesome thing we were able to do!
Picture packets need to be returned ASAP with either payment or pictures.
Report card envelopes also need to be returned.
We are starting to plan our end of the year field trip to Riverfront Park. This is a fun day of games and nature. We will be going from 9:30-1:30 on Tuesday, May 31. We are in need of volunteers to help make this day happen. For safety purposes siblings are not allowed on this trip. If you are willing to volunteer please let me know. Permission slips and more information will be sent home when the date gets closer.
This week we will be doing lots of Earth Day activities. We will learn about recycling, pollution, and what we can do to take care of the earth.
We will be having a spelling test on Thursday. Please be sure to help your child study. Our spelling words are getting tougher and scores have consistently been going down.
I am hoping to finish up our Fairy Tale writing this week.
In math, we will continue to work with money, graphs, and time. Many kids are still having trouble identifying the coins and how much they are worth. This is something you can work on at home. To help, I have added a couple websites that the kids like.
Learning Coins
Counting Coins
Have a great week!
Thank you to those who donated their spare change to the Ultimate Penny Wars. Even though, our class did not win the kids had so much fun deciding whose jug to put their nickels, dimes, and quarters in. The BraveHearts grief group was so thrilled to receive a donation of $1,564.50. WAY TO GO BITTERROOT FAMILIES! What an awesome thing we were able to do!
Picture packets need to be returned ASAP with either payment or pictures.
Report card envelopes also need to be returned.
We are starting to plan our end of the year field trip to Riverfront Park. This is a fun day of games and nature. We will be going from 9:30-1:30 on Tuesday, May 31. We are in need of volunteers to help make this day happen. For safety purposes siblings are not allowed on this trip. If you are willing to volunteer please let me know. Permission slips and more information will be sent home when the date gets closer.
This week we will be doing lots of Earth Day activities. We will learn about recycling, pollution, and what we can do to take care of the earth.
We will be having a spelling test on Thursday. Please be sure to help your child study. Our spelling words are getting tougher and scores have consistently been going down.
I am hoping to finish up our Fairy Tale writing this week.
In math, we will continue to work with money, graphs, and time. Many kids are still having trouble identifying the coins and how much they are worth. This is something you can work on at home. To help, I have added a couple websites that the kids like.
Learning Coins
Counting Coins
Have a great week!
Monday, April 11, 2016
Short Week!
No school Monday, April 11. School resumes Tuesday, April 12.
This week we are taking our questioning during reading a little further. We will be working on asking questions to understand the author's message.
In writing, we are continuing with our fairy tales. These kid s have such imaginations and I am excited to see how they end up next week!
In math, we will continue to review time and money. We will also be working on some graphing.
This week, in spelling we are working on "Y Bandit." It is unit 6 week 1.
baby, silly, easy, city, piece, chief, field, puppy, everybody, very
The baby is silly.
High Frequency Words: something, dog, again
Just a reminder, we are still missing a few picture packets and report card envelopes. Please return those as soon as possible.
Also, the school carnival is coming up at the end of this month. To raise support, first grade is in charge of the Family Fun and Games basket. If you can, please donate!
Have a great week!
This week we are taking our questioning during reading a little further. We will be working on asking questions to understand the author's message.
In writing, we are continuing with our fairy tales. These kid s have such imaginations and I am excited to see how they end up next week!
In math, we will continue to review time and money. We will also be working on some graphing.
This week, in spelling we are working on "Y Bandit." It is unit 6 week 1.
baby, silly, easy, city, piece, chief, field, puppy, everybody, very
The baby is silly.
High Frequency Words: something, dog, again
Just a reminder, we are still missing a few picture packets and report card envelopes. Please return those as soon as possible.
Also, the school carnival is coming up at the end of this month. To raise support, first grade is in charge of the Family Fun and Games basket. If you can, please donate!
Have a great week!
Monday, April 4, 2016
It's April
I hope you had a chance to look over your child's report card. Please sign the envelope and send it back to school. If you have any questions about your child's report card, feel free to call or email. Can you believe it is the last quarter of school? Summer will be here before we know it.
Spring pictures went home on Friday. Please send money to school with your child if you would like to purchase them.
We have our third quarter awards assembly on Friday. Someone from our class will receive the Bobcat Award for kindness and compassion!
In reading comprehension we will be finishing up last weeks lessons on asking questions.
I am so excited for writing this week! Last week the kids started an idea page for writing a fairy tale. They came up with so many great ideas. I am excited to see what they write this week.
In math, we are going to keep working on time and will add in some money. We will be learning about pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Have a great week!
Spring pictures went home on Friday. Please send money to school with your child if you would like to purchase them.
We have our third quarter awards assembly on Friday. Someone from our class will receive the Bobcat Award for kindness and compassion!
In reading comprehension we will be finishing up last weeks lessons on asking questions.
I am so excited for writing this week! Last week the kids started an idea page for writing a fairy tale. They came up with so many great ideas. I am excited to see what they write this week.
In math, we are going to keep working on time and will add in some money. We will be learning about pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
Have a great week!
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Thursday dismissal 12:00
School gets out at noon on Thursday, March 24. There is no school on Friday, March 25 or Monday, March 28. School resumes Tuesday, March 29.
We had a great St. Patricks Day. The kids were searching for leprechauns all day. They were convinced the leprechauns left garbage on the playground so they cleaned it all up. Those naughty leprechauns. We finished off the day with a St. Patricks Day float, seven up and lime sherbet. It was delicious.
Since last week was full of assessments we are taking it a little easy this week and have lots of fun Easter centers and activities planned. Most kids are completely done with assessments and I have a few to retest from last quarter.
There will be no spelling this week. We will continue to work on more high-frequency words in class.
In writing, we have one more writing assessment to finish. The kids have been working so hard on writing that some kids are taking several days to finish one assessment.
This week we will start working with nonstandard measurement. We will be using bunny feet to measure items around the classroom. We will be using bunny sling shots to launch marshmallows and will measure the distance. We will be working on graphing jelly beans. This will be such a fun math week!
Happy Easter! Enjoy your extra family time and safe travels to those who are traveling.
We had a great St. Patricks Day. The kids were searching for leprechauns all day. They were convinced the leprechauns left garbage on the playground so they cleaned it all up. Those naughty leprechauns. We finished off the day with a St. Patricks Day float, seven up and lime sherbet. It was delicious.
Since last week was full of assessments we are taking it a little easy this week and have lots of fun Easter centers and activities planned. Most kids are completely done with assessments and I have a few to retest from last quarter.
There will be no spelling this week. We will continue to work on more high-frequency words in class.
In writing, we have one more writing assessment to finish. The kids have been working so hard on writing that some kids are taking several days to finish one assessment.
This week we will start working with nonstandard measurement. We will be using bunny feet to measure items around the classroom. We will be using bunny sling shots to launch marshmallows and will measure the distance. We will be working on graphing jelly beans. This will be such a fun math week!
Happy Easter! Enjoy your extra family time and safe travels to those who are traveling.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Picture Day!
Picture day is Wednesday, March 16. Every student will have an individual photo taken. You can select the pose and background you would prefer on the order form that went home Friday. We will also be taking a class photo.
Yearbook order forms are due March 21.
As always the Read-a-Thon was a lot of fun and a huge success. Congratulations to Lolo! She read the most in our class with 647 minutes. Riley was our top boy reader with 600 minutes. Riley and Lolo won a large pack of crayons and $10 to spend in the book order. WAY TO GO! Overall, our class read for 5,282 minutes.
Last week a conference or comment paper went home in your child's green folder. Please fill those out and let me know if you would prefer a conference or a comment. If they are not back by March 15 your child will automatically receive a comment.
We are running low on snack. If you can help us out by providing a box or two of snack the kids would really appreciate it.
This week in first grade is assessment week. Make sure you child is getting plenty of sleep. I know it is really hard with the time change.
We will not be having reading groups this week. I will be pulling students to assess their reading level. I can't wait to see their progress. The kid's worked hard this quarter and are really taking off as readers!
This week our spelling test will be high frequency words. On Friday, the students will be assessed on 25 of the high frequency words.
In writing, we will be reviewing the three types of writing and doing a few writing assessments.
In math, we will be continuing to review and will take our third quarter assessments.
Don't forget to wear green on Thursday!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
A note from Student Council...
Beginning March 14th, the student council will facilitate a school-wide
“Ultimate Penny War.” For this fundraiser, each classroom will place a
large empty container at the office (we will provide the containers). The
students will compete against other classes in the school to raise the most
money for the Braveheart Program, which provides resources for children
struggling with personal loss in their lives. All spare change and paper
money counts.
However, there is a catch. Classes should put pennies in their own
classroom jugs to count as a positive (+) gain in the war. Other change and
bills count against your classroom (-). Put those bills/coins in other
classroom jugs. For example, if a class has 120 pennies in their own jug,
another class can put a dollar bill and 2 dimes into that jug to cancel out the
pennies. This places the class back at zero in the war. It is possible for your
class to be in a negative balance as well, if more silver change and bills are
in your jug than pennies. No money amounts will be posted during the four
weeks of this event. Students must rely on looking at the jugs to determine
where to put their own change during the war. Don’t let a class get too many
pennies, without throwing some other change in to cancel it out.
On April 8th, at the end of the event, the money will be taken to the bank,
counted, and donated to the Braveheart program. A very small award may be
presented to the classroom that wins the Penny War and to the classroom
who has the most money in their jug overall. However, it is important to
realize that this event is for a positive cause of community service and not
simply a means to have a classroom celebration. This fundraiser has proven
to be very effective when I have organized it in the past, and I can only
imagine what kind of results we could have at Bitterroot.
If you have any questions about the organization please speak with Mr.
White. If you have any questions about the fundraising war, please ask Mrs.
Neese, Mrs. Anderson, or Mr. Crofutt.
Yearbook order forms are due March 21.
As always the Read-a-Thon was a lot of fun and a huge success. Congratulations to Lolo! She read the most in our class with 647 minutes. Riley was our top boy reader with 600 minutes. Riley and Lolo won a large pack of crayons and $10 to spend in the book order. WAY TO GO! Overall, our class read for 5,282 minutes.
Last week a conference or comment paper went home in your child's green folder. Please fill those out and let me know if you would prefer a conference or a comment. If they are not back by March 15 your child will automatically receive a comment.
We are running low on snack. If you can help us out by providing a box or two of snack the kids would really appreciate it.
This week in first grade is assessment week. Make sure you child is getting plenty of sleep. I know it is really hard with the time change.
We will not be having reading groups this week. I will be pulling students to assess their reading level. I can't wait to see their progress. The kid's worked hard this quarter and are really taking off as readers!
This week our spelling test will be high frequency words. On Friday, the students will be assessed on 25 of the high frequency words.
In writing, we will be reviewing the three types of writing and doing a few writing assessments.
In math, we will be continuing to review and will take our third quarter assessments.
Don't forget to wear green on Thursday!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
A note from Student Council...
Beginning March 14th, the student council will facilitate a school-wide
“Ultimate Penny War.” For this fundraiser, each classroom will place a
large empty container at the office (we will provide the containers). The
students will compete against other classes in the school to raise the most
money for the Braveheart Program, which provides resources for children
struggling with personal loss in their lives. All spare change and paper
money counts.
However, there is a catch. Classes should put pennies in their own
classroom jugs to count as a positive (+) gain in the war. Other change and
bills count against your classroom (-). Put those bills/coins in other
classroom jugs. For example, if a class has 120 pennies in their own jug,
another class can put a dollar bill and 2 dimes into that jug to cancel out the
pennies. This places the class back at zero in the war. It is possible for your
class to be in a negative balance as well, if more silver change and bills are
in your jug than pennies. No money amounts will be posted during the four
weeks of this event. Students must rely on looking at the jugs to determine
where to put their own change during the war. Don’t let a class get too many
pennies, without throwing some other change in to cancel it out.
On April 8th, at the end of the event, the money will be taken to the bank,
counted, and donated to the Braveheart program. A very small award may be
presented to the classroom that wins the Penny War and to the classroom
who has the most money in their jug overall. However, it is important to
realize that this event is for a positive cause of community service and not
simply a means to have a classroom celebration. This fundraiser has proven
to be very effective when I have organized it in the past, and I can only
imagine what kind of results we could have at Bitterroot.
If you have any questions about the organization please speak with Mr.
White. If you have any questions about the fundraising war, please ask Mrs.
Neese, Mrs. Anderson, or Mr. Crofutt.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Read-a-Thon is Over!
The kids and I are loving this weather. Try to make sure they still bring a jacket. It is a bit chilly out in the mornings.
The road construction on Bench is in full swing. Check the PTA page to stay current on all of the construction updates.
I have noticed that many Wednesday folders are coming in late or not at all. Folders and homework need to be turned in no later than Tuesday. I stuff folders Tuesday after school and mark off who has turned in their folders and homework. "Returns items to school" is graded on the report card!
Please be sure to send your childs read-a-thon envelope back one more time on Monday.
This week we are moving on to a new reading comprehension unit. We will now be learning how to create mental images. We will be applying our knowledge to many poems throughout the week.
We are STILL writing book reviews! Hopefully, this week we will be able to finish those up.
In math, we will continue using models to subtract multiples of 10. We will also be doing lots of review to get ready for our third quarter assessments. Can you believe in a few weeks third quarter will be over?!? I know I say it all the time, but this year is going so fast!
Drop everything and Read!
The road construction on Bench is in full swing. Check the PTA page to stay current on all of the construction updates.
I have noticed that many Wednesday folders are coming in late or not at all. Folders and homework need to be turned in no later than Tuesday. I stuff folders Tuesday after school and mark off who has turned in their folders and homework. "Returns items to school" is graded on the report card!
Please be sure to send your childs read-a-thon envelope back one more time on Monday.
This week we are moving on to a new reading comprehension unit. We will now be learning how to create mental images. We will be applying our knowledge to many poems throughout the week.
We are STILL writing book reviews! Hopefully, this week we will be able to finish those up.
In math, we will continue using models to subtract multiples of 10. We will also be doing lots of review to get ready for our third quarter assessments. Can you believe in a few weeks third quarter will be over?!? I know I say it all the time, but this year is going so fast!
Drop everything and Read!
Sunday, February 28, 2016
March is in like lamb!
Well, it's almost time to say good-bye to February. It was a busy, busy month for firsties! We celebrated Groundhog's Day, 100th Day of School, Valentine's Day, President's Day, and Dental Health. That was a lot to cram into such a short month. Good thing it's Leap Year and we get one extra day! March is looking like it is going to be just as busy. We will start with the read-a-thon and celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday. Next, up is St. Patrick's Day and then we reach the end of 3rd quarter. Time flies when you are having fun!
In celebration of the read-a-thon student council has declared next week as spirit week! The themes are as follows...
Monday, February 29th: Sweat It Out With A Good Book- Wear Sweats
Tuesday, March 1st: Get a “Kick” out of Reading- Wear Western Clothing
Wednesday, March 2nd: Knock your socks off with a good book- Wear Crazy Socks
Thursday, March 3rd: Hide in a good book- Wear Camo
Friday, March 4th: Get your “Paws” on a good book- Wear Bobcat Spirit Wear/Colors
Students may come in before school to read on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Be sure to send their read-a-thon envelopes with them so I can sign them.
Please read the following from the PTA blog about the road construction that is starting next week.
Good afternoon!
On behalf of Knife River, welcome to Bench Boulevard road construction email updates. Our goal is to serve residents near the project by providing direct, timely updates each week.
As you may be aware, on Wednesday, March 2, Knife River will begin reconstructing and modernizing the remaining stretch of Bench Boulevard. Early construction will occur north of Barrett Road and related utility relocation will continue south of Wicks.
Throughout the project, crews are anticipated to work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. During construction, there may be occasional brief delays, side street closures, short-term driveway impacts, and detours for adjacent residents and businesses. We encourage through traffic to use alternate routes such as Main Street or Hawthorne Lane when possible.
Safety is our top priority while working in your neighborhood – please partner with us to ensure the safety of all residents and crews on Bench Boulevard. We ask drivers and pedestrians to obey all signage and flaggers while we make roadway improvements. Please be aware that fines in work zones will double.
Weekly notifications will also be available in the Billings Gazette and online at http://mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/benchblvd. Residents can also tune in Mondays for updates on the following radio stations:
102.9 FM Cat Country
97.1 FM PopCrush
103.7 FM The Hawk
Thank you again for requesting email updates. We are here to serve you – for questions or concerns about the Bench Boulevard Project, please call 406-281-2098 during business hours or email info@bigskypublicrelations.com.
In reading this week we are working on different text features and how they help us better understand what we are reading. We will be working with terms such as, headings, captions, table of contents, index, etc.
We are continuing to work on our book reviews. So far, we have selected our books and have starting working on our planning webs. Next week we will start out by writing our introductions.
In math, we are moving on to adding multiples of 10 to a number. This is another tough concept. We start by using manipulatives so the students can really see and understand what we are doing and then move on to drawing pictures to represent the problems.
Have a fabulous week!
In celebration of the read-a-thon student council has declared next week as spirit week! The themes are as follows...
Monday, February 29th: Sweat It Out With A Good Book- Wear Sweats
Tuesday, March 1st: Get a “Kick” out of Reading- Wear Western Clothing
Wednesday, March 2nd: Knock your socks off with a good book- Wear Crazy Socks
Thursday, March 3rd: Hide in a good book- Wear Camo
Friday, March 4th: Get your “Paws” on a good book- Wear Bobcat Spirit Wear/Colors
Students may come in before school to read on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Be sure to send their read-a-thon envelopes with them so I can sign them.
Please read the following from the PTA blog about the road construction that is starting next week.
Good afternoon!
On behalf of Knife River, welcome to Bench Boulevard road construction email updates. Our goal is to serve residents near the project by providing direct, timely updates each week.
As you may be aware, on Wednesday, March 2, Knife River will begin reconstructing and modernizing the remaining stretch of Bench Boulevard. Early construction will occur north of Barrett Road and related utility relocation will continue south of Wicks.
Throughout the project, crews are anticipated to work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. During construction, there may be occasional brief delays, side street closures, short-term driveway impacts, and detours for adjacent residents and businesses. We encourage through traffic to use alternate routes such as Main Street or Hawthorne Lane when possible.
Safety is our top priority while working in your neighborhood – please partner with us to ensure the safety of all residents and crews on Bench Boulevard. We ask drivers and pedestrians to obey all signage and flaggers while we make roadway improvements. Please be aware that fines in work zones will double.
Weekly notifications will also be available in the Billings Gazette and online at http://mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/benchblvd. Residents can also tune in Mondays for updates on the following radio stations:
102.9 FM Cat Country
97.1 FM PopCrush
103.7 FM The Hawk
Thank you again for requesting email updates. We are here to serve you – for questions or concerns about the Bench Boulevard Project, please call 406-281-2098 during business hours or email info@bigskypublicrelations.com.
In reading this week we are working on different text features and how they help us better understand what we are reading. We will be working with terms such as, headings, captions, table of contents, index, etc.
We are continuing to work on our book reviews. So far, we have selected our books and have starting working on our planning webs. Next week we will start out by writing our introductions.
In math, we are moving on to adding multiples of 10 to a number. This is another tough concept. We start by using manipulatives so the students can really see and understand what we are doing and then move on to drawing pictures to represent the problems.
Have a fabulous week!
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Read-a-Thon Starts This Week!
The Read-a-Thon begins on Wednesday. Students are encouraged to get pledges and read, read, read! There will be some great prizes awarded to top readers. We will be having a read-a-thon kick off assembly on Wednesday. More information will come home on Wednesday. I will allow students to skip morning walk and come to the classroom at 8:10 on Friday to get 15 minutes of reading time on their reading log.
We are starting a new reading comprehension unit. Our focus will be using illustrations and text features to better understand what we read.
We have finished writing our Billings book. It turned out darling. We are moving on to writing book reviews.
In math, we will continue to practice with 10 more, 10 less, 1 more, 1 less. Next, we will start finding multiples of 10 more than a given number. Ex. what is 30 more than 49.
Have a great week!
We are starting a new reading comprehension unit. Our focus will be using illustrations and text features to better understand what we read.
We have finished writing our Billings book. It turned out darling. We are moving on to writing book reviews.
In math, we will continue to practice with 10 more, 10 less, 1 more, 1 less. Next, we will start finding multiples of 10 more than a given number. Ex. what is 30 more than 49.
Have a great week!
Monday, February 15, 2016
Another short week!
Welcome Back! After the past few crazy weeks it was nice to have a few days off to get some relaxing in. I hope you were able to enjoy some extra family time and get some relaxing in too!
Thank you to those who donated items for our Valentine's Day party. The kids had a blast! We played a Minute to Win It game- how many candy hearts can you stack with two non sharpened pencils, mixed up sentence candy bar hunt, passed out Valentines, and enjoyed each others company while having some delicious snacks. It was a great time!
February is dental health month. Now that we are done with Groundhogs Day, 100's day, Valentine's Day and all of the other fun interruptions, we are starting our dental health unit. February is a busy month!
In reading, we have another close read this week with the book, "This Is Our Earth." We will continue learning about natural resources with a focus on why we need to protect the earth and what we can do to protect the earth.
In spelling, we will be learning about long a. I am also going to start grading handwriting. I will choose 10 kids one week and 9 the next. They will get a percentage. All letters need to be on the line properly. Pay attention to the top line, bottom line ,and the middle line. Here are some links that you can print off practice sheets. Just click!
lower case letters
upper case letters
I was hoping to wrap up our Billings book in writing last week. However, the kids are really into it and are taking their time to do an excellent job. We will continue to work on our Billings book and hopefully wrap it up this week.
In math, we will continue with greater than, less than, equal to, 10 more and 10 less.
The Lion's Club will be here tomorrow afternoon to teach us about the American flag. They come out every year to give this presentation to first graders throughout our school district. The kids learn some cool facts about the flag and even get a flag to take home!
Valentine's Day Fun! Have a great week!
desks in a heart shape
Thank you to those who donated items for our Valentine's Day party. The kids had a blast! We played a Minute to Win It game- how many candy hearts can you stack with two non sharpened pencils, mixed up sentence candy bar hunt, passed out Valentines, and enjoyed each others company while having some delicious snacks. It was a great time!
February is dental health month. Now that we are done with Groundhogs Day, 100's day, Valentine's Day and all of the other fun interruptions, we are starting our dental health unit. February is a busy month!
In reading, we have another close read this week with the book, "This Is Our Earth." We will continue learning about natural resources with a focus on why we need to protect the earth and what we can do to protect the earth.
In spelling, we will be learning about long a. I am also going to start grading handwriting. I will choose 10 kids one week and 9 the next. They will get a percentage. All letters need to be on the line properly. Pay attention to the top line, bottom line ,and the middle line. Here are some links that you can print off practice sheets. Just click!
lower case letters
upper case letters
I was hoping to wrap up our Billings book in writing last week. However, the kids are really into it and are taking their time to do an excellent job. We will continue to work on our Billings book and hopefully wrap it up this week.
In math, we will continue with greater than, less than, equal to, 10 more and 10 less.
The Lion's Club will be here tomorrow afternoon to teach us about the American flag. They come out every year to give this presentation to first graders throughout our school district. The kids learn some cool facts about the flag and even get a flag to take home!
Valentine's Day Fun! Have a great week!
desks in a heart shape
Sunday, February 7, 2016
It's Almost Valentines Day
What a fun week we had. The kids were so adorable dressed up as 100 year olds! It was a day full of 100's, from reading to writing to math.
We had an assembly on Thursday celebrating "The Bobcat" award. This award is given to one student in each class that shows kindness and compassion towards others. Cloe was the recipient. Congratulations Cloe!
Friday we were invited to watch the NOVA performance. It was great! Students in 4-6 try out for the play and practice for two weeks after school. They put on three performances and did a fabulous job.
Spelling was a tough one last week. This week shouldn't be as difficult. The words and sentence are: cuff, sniff, tell, still, kiss, dress, jazz, fizz, funny, will
Tell her to get the dress.
In math this week, we will be working on numbers that are ten more and ten less. We will review greater than, less than, and equal.
In reading, we will read "Our Natural World" and discuss what are earths natural treasures (wind, water, bees, etc.) in reading group.
We will be finishing up our "Favorite Places" book in writing. Each student chose a place in Billings that they think a new student should go. They had to state their opinion, give reasons, and try to convince the reader.
We will be celebrating Valentines Day on Thursday the 11th. We will make our Valentine Bags on Monday or Tuesday so there is no need to create anything at home. If you would like to donate stickers to accessorize their bags, that would be great!
Since Thursday is a half-day, we will be having healthy snacks in addition to a few Valentine treats. We are asking for healthy snacks to fill the kids up on the half-day. Some ideas are meat and cheese platters, cut up fruit and vegetables, crackers, cheese sticks, and juice. If you’d like to donate, please call or email so that we make sure we’re not doubling up or overdoing it on one item.
Here is a list of the kid’s names. Please make sure each student receives a Valentine.
We had an assembly on Thursday celebrating "The Bobcat" award. This award is given to one student in each class that shows kindness and compassion towards others. Cloe was the recipient. Congratulations Cloe!
Friday we were invited to watch the NOVA performance. It was great! Students in 4-6 try out for the play and practice for two weeks after school. They put on three performances and did a fabulous job.
Spelling was a tough one last week. This week shouldn't be as difficult. The words and sentence are: cuff, sniff, tell, still, kiss, dress, jazz, fizz, funny, will
Tell her to get the dress.
In math this week, we will be working on numbers that are ten more and ten less. We will review greater than, less than, and equal.
In reading, we will read "Our Natural World" and discuss what are earths natural treasures (wind, water, bees, etc.) in reading group.
We will be finishing up our "Favorite Places" book in writing. Each student chose a place in Billings that they think a new student should go. They had to state their opinion, give reasons, and try to convince the reader.
We will be celebrating Valentines Day on Thursday the 11th. We will make our Valentine Bags on Monday or Tuesday so there is no need to create anything at home. If you would like to donate stickers to accessorize their bags, that would be great!
Since Thursday is a half-day, we will be having healthy snacks in addition to a few Valentine treats. We are asking for healthy snacks to fill the kids up on the half-day. Some ideas are meat and cheese platters, cut up fruit and vegetables, crackers, cheese sticks, and juice. If you’d like to donate, please call or email so that we make sure we’re not doubling up or overdoing it on one item.
Here is a list of the kid’s names. Please make sure each student receives a Valentine.
Aiden Alex
Anthony Averi
Bryton Cameron
Carson Chanel
Cloe Dadriam
Emma Hailey
Joel John
Layne Loren
Mikela Riley
Thomas
Have a great week. Remember school dismisses at 12:00 on Thursday the11th and there is no school on Friday the12th and Monday the15th.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
We will be celebrating the 100th day of school on Tuesday. If you haven't already, please make sure your child has counted out 100 of something small and edible to add to our 100s day stew. Your child may also dress up like a 100 year old. We have had some great costumes in the past.
We will be wrapping up our reading connections unit this week. We will be making connections using non-fiction texts this week.
Spelling will be extremely hard this week. We are spelling words with er, ir, and ur in them. The tricky part is they all make the same sound. Please help your child practice these words at home this week.
In writing, we will continue opinion writing by writing about our favorite places around Billings.
Our main focus this week in math is working with greater than and less than. Now that we know what a 2 digit number really means we will be looking at the tens place and ones place to help determine which numbers are greater than/less than.
Have a great week!
Sunday, January 24, 2016
3rd Quarter!
Happy Sunday! It's a big football day in our house today. Go Broncos! Woohoo!
I hope you had time to look over your child's report card. I know they are a bit difficult to understand, so if you have any questions please email, call, or stop in and I would be glad to go over it with you. Please sign and return your child's report card envelope. You get to keep the papers that were in it.
A new book order will be coming home on Wednesday. Orders will be due on Monday, February 1.
Our new reading comprehension unit will focus on connections. We start by making text to text connections and end the week comparing and contrasting points of view.
So far our opinion writing unit is going great. The students have already started writing two different opinion pieces. One about the best part of them and another on something they really like. They have come up with some great reasons to support their opinions. We will continue this unit by learning how to write an introduction, conclusion, and adding transition words.
Our focus in math this week will be working with numbers 100-120. We will also start work on greater than/less than.
I hope you had time to look over your child's report card. I know they are a bit difficult to understand, so if you have any questions please email, call, or stop in and I would be glad to go over it with you. Please sign and return your child's report card envelope. You get to keep the papers that were in it.
A new book order will be coming home on Wednesday. Orders will be due on Monday, February 1.
Our new reading comprehension unit will focus on connections. We start by making text to text connections and end the week comparing and contrasting points of view.
So far our opinion writing unit is going great. The students have already started writing two different opinion pieces. One about the best part of them and another on something they really like. They have come up with some great reasons to support their opinions. We will continue this unit by learning how to write an introduction, conclusion, and adding transition words.
Our focus in math this week will be working with numbers 100-120. We will also start work on greater than/less than.
Make it a great week!
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Report Cards!
There is no school Monday, January 18. It is a PIR day and teachers will be in training.
I will be gone for another training on Thursday. I am not sure who the guest teacher will be.
Report cards go home Friday. Remember BE PROUD OF YOUR CHILD! Every single student made progress this quarter and worked very hard.
We will be working on another close read this week with the book, Where are You, Boots? This is another book that focuses on community and what is necessary to have in a community.
There will be a spelling test on Friday. We are still working on consonant digraphs or as we call them in first grade, "h brothers."
In math, we will continue to work on place value. I will be testing your child with tens and ones. They have been working hard.
We will be starting a new writing unit this week. Our new focus is on opinion writing.
Have a great week!
I will be gone for another training on Thursday. I am not sure who the guest teacher will be.
Report cards go home Friday. Remember BE PROUD OF YOUR CHILD! Every single student made progress this quarter and worked very hard.
We will be working on another close read this week with the book, Where are You, Boots? This is another book that focuses on community and what is necessary to have in a community.
There will be a spelling test on Friday. We are still working on consonant digraphs or as we call them in first grade, "h brothers."
In math, we will continue to work on place value. I will be testing your child with tens and ones. They have been working hard.
We will be starting a new writing unit this week. Our new focus is on opinion writing.
Have a great week!
Sunday, January 10, 2016
We Made It!
It was a little hard for the kids waking up this week after the long break. There were so many tired eyes and calm bodies. Thank goodness they rallied, and as the week went on they were back to their cute, little first grade selves.
Remember that if there is snow on the ground, your child needs all their snow wear: winter coat, snow pants, snow boots, hats, and mittens to be able to play on the playground. If not, they have to stay on the blacktop.
This week I will be assessing your child in both math and reading. It is so exciting to see their growth.
We will be discussing “What is a community?”, “What jobs are part of my community?”, and "What kinds of communities are there?". We will also work on retelling fiction and non-fiction texts.
Spelling will have words that start and end with Sh and Th.
In math, we will continue to work on the hundreds chart and counting tens and ones. Here is a few pictures of the kids counting in groups of 10.
Stay warm and healthy! Have a great week.
Remember that if there is snow on the ground, your child needs all their snow wear: winter coat, snow pants, snow boots, hats, and mittens to be able to play on the playground. If not, they have to stay on the blacktop.
This week I will be assessing your child in both math and reading. It is so exciting to see their growth.
We will be discussing “What is a community?”, “What jobs are part of my community?”, and "What kinds of communities are there?". We will also work on retelling fiction and non-fiction texts.
Spelling will have words that start and end with Sh and Th.
In math, we will continue to work on the hundreds chart and counting tens and ones. Here is a few pictures of the kids counting in groups of 10.
Stay warm and healthy! Have a great week.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Happy New Year!
I hope you had a great winter break! I sure enjoyed it but I am excited to get back to teaching and see all of my students.
This week we will begin unit 3 of our reading series. It is called, "In My Neighborhood," and focuses on social studies themes, "How communities are alike and different, how jobs affect a community, and how geography and economics affect the way people work and play in a community."
Spelling words are getting a little hard. Please make sure you are help your child practice nightly.
In math, we will begin our tens and ones unit and wrap up Quarter 2 skills. Can you believe we're already almost half way through the year?!
In writing, we will give our writing assessments for how-to, opinion, and informational pieces. We will also begin our Opinion unit. First graders are usually pretty good at opinions, but we are excited to begin teaching them how to use facts to support their opinions.
We will be spending some time reviewing school and classroom rules. That means high expectations from all staff at Bitterroot.
Looking forward to a fabulous week!
This week we will begin unit 3 of our reading series. It is called, "In My Neighborhood," and focuses on social studies themes, "How communities are alike and different, how jobs affect a community, and how geography and economics affect the way people work and play in a community."
Spelling words are getting a little hard. Please make sure you are help your child practice nightly.
In math, we will begin our tens and ones unit and wrap up Quarter 2 skills. Can you believe we're already almost half way through the year?!
In writing, we will give our writing assessments for how-to, opinion, and informational pieces. We will also begin our Opinion unit. First graders are usually pretty good at opinions, but we are excited to begin teaching them how to use facts to support their opinions.
We will be spending some time reviewing school and classroom rules. That means high expectations from all staff at Bitterroot.
Looking forward to a fabulous week!
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