Happy Monday! This is going to be a quick week with Conference Day on Thursday. Please refer to the schedule I sent home. I have not heard of any conflicts so I presuming all is well and I will see most of you on Thursday.
We are beginning to plan for Poetry in the Park. I am writing a poem about Dr. Seuss and would like each child to dress up like one of the characters, or bring a prop to hold from one of the stories. Please make what you need with your child. They do not need store bought items. Please send me an email if you have a specific question. I will be sending copies of the poem home shortly.
In Readers Workshop, we have learned about Bossy Punctuation and how ? , ! . "dictate how we read.
We are talking about how our voices change depending on the punctuation. Please have your child aware of the punctuation when reading the sentences from their books.
In Writers Workshop we have begun using three page booklets. We are isolating what happens at the beginning, middle and ending. They are working on sequencing and making sense of their stories.

In Math we have discussed pennies and nickels. We have learned of their worth, who is on them, what they are made of. Please practice counting coin combinations with nickels and pennies. Always begin with the highest coin value and then count on by ones. Challenge your child with higher amounts of more than fifty cents, and ask them what other coins they could use to make that same amount. They will be adding dimes shortly. Please make sure they can count fives and ones.
Our Human Body study has focused on skeletons this week. Mrs. Peck came down from the Upper Division to teach us about SEEMORE BONES the skeleton. We made skeletons in our class and don't even think they are so spooky. We learned that bones give us our shape, help us move, protect our organs, and even make red blood cells in the marrow. We look forward to her coming again.
Have a great week. We Will!

Happy Monday! Well, I have just decided every week is just as busy, so her are a few pictures from our week. We are using our LD Ipads and the students thought the Word Wall game was fun. Each week, we will work on either Language Arts, Math or Science with the IPads. There are many apps available and we will use quite a few of them. The new Word Families each week will be attached to the Homework Calendar beginning today.
In Reading Workshop, we have begun collecting books in their Just Right bags. These bags are filled with books they can read independently during Readers' Workshop. They will be getting new books weekly and will begin selecting one book to take home on October 10th. Please read the little notes so that you are aware of the skill being worked on.
In writer's workshop, we have begun learning about what a small moment is. We unrolled balls of clay while telling an entire story. The clay then became a long snake by the time we finished talking. The small moment was taught by then breaking off a small piece of clay from the long skinny piece. This small piece represents only one part of the story you are going to write about. The book I referred to was, A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams. The mother and little girl saved up for a long time to buy a new chair and lots of different things happened in the story. The small moment was a story by itself. Why did they need a new chair? The family had a fire and all their furniture was burned so they were working on replacing one piece at a time. I am getting the students to think of one small moment happening to them inside of a much longer adventure. This will lead into personal narratives.
In Math, we have begun recognizing and telling time to the hour. This program teaches using an analog clock, rather than reading digital. The little hand has power and so it shows the hour. The students were given small clocks to manipulate and read. We also learned the Penny Cup game on the computer. The students have to figure what the number is, and what the difference between two numbers up to 20 is.
We have discussed the importance of getting sleep and rest. Why are healthy habits so important. We also talked about the five senses sending messages to the brain.
International Day of Peace was great fun. We all put our rocks into the giant peace symbol out by the flag. We came together as a community this morning and shared writing, sang songs and added the rocks to the lower division peace sign. We also hung up important peace messages on the doors.
I sent home a copy of my Conference Day schedule.
Have a great week! We will.

Happy Monday! Boy, did we have a busy week last week. We finished up our Launching Unit in Readers' and Writers' Workshop. We had to learn about being good listeners, and appreciating others work. It has been a wonderful time to relearn the skill that others, have just as important things to say and share, as we do. Please review the Writing your child is bringing home today. You may keep the letter but please return their collection of writing samples to school in the next few days. Our Responsive Classroom morning meetings, have really helped us to practice not shouting out when we agree or can relate to what others are sharing.
In Readers' Workshop we used our post it notes for the first time in bookmarking the favorite parts of our stories. We will be using them more, as the year goes on, to reflect about certain parts of the stories.
In Math, we have finished Unit One and I sent home the Family Letter for Unit Two. Please review the Do Anytime Activities provided. We learned a new game this week, Rolling to 50. We also learned a new Number Grid game on the computer. The Number Grid is a very important tool for them to use in the math activities and my hope by the end of the year is for the students to mentally picture where the numbers are on the grid without them needing the hard copy in front of them.
International Day of Peace is Friday. We will be having a special town meeting and the students are encouraged to wear any symbol of peace on their shirts. Otherwise Spirit Day ware is appropriate. We will be making peace rocks for our Lower Division peace rock garden. There will also be displays in the hall reflecting on what Peace means to them.
I will be sending home another book order in October, if you missed September. We should have our new books shortly.
Please check out Sr. Zamoff's blog for Spanish. He will now be posting weekly. 

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend.
The first picture is at town meeting. A student shared how many books she read throughout the summer. How impressive, that 200 book accomplishment was. Many of the students shared in the classroom and earned special stickers for their hard work.
In Writers Workshop we have talked about stretching out words to spell. We begin with the first sound and letter then stretch it out from there. We have talked quite a bit about how words do not always look like the sounds they make. I give them the standardized spelling by simply saying, those are the sounds you hear but when you see it in a book it looks like________.
In reading, I am continuing to assess their reading level, so they can read just right books for themselves. I sent home book order forms today that are due back to school by Friday. Please send in one check for the entire order. They are all owned by the same company now, so I do not need separate checks.
In science, we are discussing weather and focusing in on clouds. We have them hung in the hallway. We learned all about cumulus, cirrus, stratus, and nimbus. In Math, we have discussed where we find numbers and what they are used for.
The other photos show our new design of desks, in the classroom, and how we take our spelling tests. I use study corals that we call honor boxes to help us focus in on our own papers. I encourage them not to look at other papers for the answer, but rather what they can do to help themselves. Please notice where in the room they sit and who they are next to. I will continually change the formation each month. On the one hundredth day of school we will change to a different community structure altogether. We are working hard earning compliments for our chain, and they are enjoying earning Love Jar rewards as well.
My parent schedules for volunteers are attached. I know my library volunteer schedule was sent to you directly. I am trying to assemble Tues. morning games, but I have not received enough volunteers to do so. Please fill out the bright yellow paper for parent games. It is Tuesday mornings from 8:45- 9:30ish. You will be playing Math Games with small groups of students. Your child will enjoy having you participate with this activity. This will begin in October.
Have a great week. We will!

Art Parent Volunteer Schedule

Friday afternoons 12:00-12:45p.m.

If you cannot make your designated time, please find a replacement or let me know….. Thank you and have fun!

September- Dusty Palmer (all four Fridays in Sept.)

14-

21-

28-

October- Katie Healy (three Fridays in Oct.)

5 –

12 – No School – Prof. Day

19 –

26 –

November- Mandy Rutledge (three Fridays in Nov.)

2 –

9 – No School – Prof. Day

16 –

23 – Thanksgiving Break

30 –

December Lynea Kelly- (two Fridays in Dec.)

7 –

14 –

January- Sonia King ( three Fridays in Jan.)

4 –

11 –

18 –

25 - Grandparents Day

February- Patty Ann Hamblen ( three Fridays in Feb.)

1 –

8 –

15 – No School – Prof. Day

22 –

March Dusty Palmer (three Fridays in March)

1 –

8 – No School – Prof. Day

15 – Spring Break

22 –

29 –

April- Many Rutledge ( four Fridays in April)

5 –

12 –

19 –

26 –

May Sonia King ( three Fridays in May)

3 –

10 – First Grade Program

17 –

24 –

Parent Reader Schedule

2012-2013

If for some reason you are unable to come in on your designated time, please attempt to find a replacement as the children look forward to your visit! I will have you out of here by 8:30 a.m.

Aug. 31^st- Eddie Evans

Sept. 7- Patty Ann Hamblen

14- Elaine Levitz

21- Lynea Kelly

28- Sonia King

Oct. 5- Katie Healy

12- No School; Professional Development Day

19- Molly Davis

26- Dusty Palmer

Nov. 2- Mandy Rutledge

9- No School Prof. Dev.

16-Christy Wlborne

30- Elaine Levitz

Dec. 7- Patty Ann Hamblen

14- Lynea Kelly

Jan. 4- Sonia King

11- Katie Healy

18-Molly Davis

25-Dusty Palmer

Feb. 1-Mandy Rutledge

8- Christy Welborne

15- No School; Professional Development Day

22- Eddie Evans

Mar. 1-Elaine Levitz

8- No School Prof. Dev. Day

22- Lynea Kelly

29-Sonia King

Apr. 5- Katie Healy

12- Molly Davis

19- Dusty Palmer

26-Mandy Rutledge

May 3- Christy Welborne

17- Eddie Evans

24- Elaine Levitz

31- Patty Ann Hamblen