The first spelling test is Monday, September 30th! Not until NEXT week. I apologize for the earlier error.
0 Comments
Baggie BooksEach student will bring home a set of Baggie Books. The bags contain 1-3 books to read at home. If the books are longer, I will not put as many books in the bag. Children should read until they are familiar with the words. This is typically three reads. Each time you read the book with your child, initial the form in the bag. When they have read each book 3 times, return the form and bag of books to school. Another set will be sent home in a day or two. Students will read 3-6 sets of Baggie Books at a level. The level should be challenging, but not too difficult. They should need to figure out a few words in each book. If the set is way too easy, or much to hard, send me a note. We are still trying to find the just right book level, and your input is greatly appreciated! It may take a few days to return the set, that is ok. Please try to make time to read at least two sets each week. Raz-KidsI have a few months left on my Raz-Kids subscription from last year. These books are similar to baggie books, but they can be read online. Students can take quizzes, and accumulate points to use in Raz-Rockets, an online reward system. Student will use Raz-Kids at school, but they can also use it at home! Just connect through the Students Tab, and your child can Login and READ! If you would like access to their Raz-Kids success, go to the Parents Tab and fill out the Raz-Kids Registration form. I will enter your email address on Raz-Kids, and you will be able to access your child's reading reports! I only have this program until November, so let's use it every chance we can until then! Accelerated Reader (AR)Once your child has moved beyond Baggie Books they will use trade books or library books. Many of the books have quizzes available through Accelerated Reader. Each quiz passed with an 80% or higher will earn the student AR Points. Picture books are valued at 1/2 of a point, and chapter books vary from 1 point and up, depending on the length and level of the book. Students can earn small prizes for the points they accumulate throughout the year. MANY students are not ready for AR testing until January or February of first grade. Students need to log onto the program, read and understand the questions, and answer correctly in an independent manner. This process takes many skills beyond reading a book, and parents should not be concerned if their child is not yet taking AR tests. I will teach the students these skills throughout the year. How Much Do We Read?It is recommended that children read a minimum of 20 minutes each night. At this age, they will usually need to read to an adult, and use strategies to figure out words. Take a few minutes to discuss the books too! Students should have a special place to keep books they are familiar with reading. It can be a shoe box, a magazine holder, or a zip bag. I will occasionally send home little paper books for them to keep, and the books can go there. It is good for a child to read familiar books over and over, and they can read these books independently, which builds up their confidence! I will begin adding Reading Strategies each week to help you read with your child at home. It does not matter if it is a Baggie Book, Raz-Kids, a library book, or an AR Book...just make sure it is a good fit for your child, and Read, Read, Read, Read, Read, Read, Read, Read, Read, Read! Spelling WordsEach week students will have 12 words to practice and learn. I hold students accountable all year for spelling High Frequency (Sight Words) correctly in their writing. The test is only a one time sample of your child's ability to spell a word. They will need to spell these words each time they write. I will place an asterisk (*) next to the words that will be used for writing accountability. You may see extra practice through out the year if your child has been unable to transfer spelling from a weekly test to daily writing. This weeks 12 words are below. Tests are on Mondays. First test: Monday, September 23rd!
MathWe will continue to work on Number Bonds this week. We are extending our math skills through the sum of 10. This is a very important skill that builds on a lifetime of mental math capabilities. We will spend a few weeks on this process, as it is a critical skill. We are also using our math journals to answer tough questions about math. Students are working hard to complete their journals, and they are thinking about math in a real world way! I am very proud of them! Please do not panic if you don't see worksheets in your child's folder each night. Math is often completed in a journal. Most of what we are learning is not done on a worksheet, so you will not see many coming home. Student journals will be sent home at the end of each trimester for you to keep. Students will be referring back to their work often, and need to keep it at school. Field TripFirst grade students attend a program called Safetyville. It is just for first grade students in Jackson County. The field trip is scheduled for October 25th (Friday). I am working on adding a local stop to our trip, but do not have anything confirmed at this time. If you would like to attend the field trip, you will need to complete the Volunteer Forms and submit to the office two weeks prior to the trip. Also, please let me know if you would like to attend. I will need 6 to 8 volunteers. Thank you! The Weekly NewsThe Weekly News will not typically be this long! In the first few weeks, I want to be sure that you understand my classroom set up and processes. By October the blog will be a place to find important information. However, you can look back to these first weeks for reference throughout the year.
We have had a very exciting start to our new school year! We have been very busy creating our class rules, learning to follow routines, and adjusting to back to school schedules. Students can be very tired these first few weeks, so be sure they get enough sleep to give them the energy needed to get through the day.
Next week we will begin our weekly spelling routine. You will get a list on Tuesday, and students will take tests the following Monday. This gives families plenty of time to work on words at home, and your child will have the weekend to study words as well. Baggie Books will begin coming home next week, too. I will send more information with your child's first set of books. The most important item to remember is that young readers need to read lots of books, and they need to have lots of books read to them! So, whether it is a library book, or a baggie book, keep on reading! Look for Baggie Books on Monday. Reminders: Picture Day Tomorrow! Parents as Partners 6:30 at CES for First Grade Parents Topic: Reading strategies to help your child read at home. Popcorn Friday is this week! Class Schedule: 11:05-11:40 Special 11:45-12:25 Lunch, then Recess Weekly Activities: Tuesday - Art with Mrs. Backus Wednesday - Library Thursday - Computer Lab Headphones for Computer Lab: We would like to have students bring a set of headphones from home to use in the computer lab. Headphones can be purchased for as little as a dollar at many discount stores. If you are able, please send in a pair of headphones for your child to use at school. Dismissal: Please remember to send a note or phone the office if you have a change to your regular dismissal schedule. If your child is in the art program, Girl Scouts, or Good News Club after school, you do not need to send a note each week. I will need notes if you make a change to the after school plan. What have we been learning? Reading: We have been learning about Characters (the people, animals, or creatures in a story). We read Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes and did many activities surrounding this delightful character who was teased at school because of her long name. We learned about being kind through this book's character. Math: We have started math journals, these are journals for story problems. We have completed two so far. We are also learning number bonds (the ways to "make" a number, or the facts). We have reviewed all number bonds (facts) up to 5! We will continue to review this week. Examples: Number bonds for 1: 0 and 1 (0 +1) Number bonds for 2: 0 and 2, 1 and 1 (0+2, 2+0, 1+1) Number bonds for 3: 0 and 3, 1 and 2 (0+3, 3+0,1+2, 2 +1) Number bonds for 4: 0 and 4, 1 and 3, 2 and 2 (0+4, 4+0, 1+3, 3+1, 2+2) Number bonds for 5: 0 and 5, 1 and 4, 2 and 3 (0+5, 5+0, 1+4, 4+1, 2+3, 3+2) The Constitution: Today was constitution day. We enjoyed a wonderful assembly, we colored USA pictures, made a book, and wrote a class constitution! We also read the book "Swimmy" by Leo Leoni, which reinforced the need to work together as a team. Next Week: Fire Prevention Week and Homecoming Week Please contact me if you have questions or concerns. I will do my best to return your call in a timely manner, although it may be later in the evening. Before I close, I want to thank you all so much for the supplies you provided this year. You have been so very generous, and I am full of gratitude for every last crayon or spec of glitter. We will use these supplies each day, and without you many crafts or extra activities wouldn't be possible. I truly appreciate all of your support. I am looking forward to a great year! Mrs. Hawkins |
Subscribe to Email Updates for News!AuthorWendy Hawkins Archives
August 2016
Categories
All
|