Newsletter Updates for the Week of February 1st

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Monday, February 1st—NWEA Testing for Math

-Tuesday, February 2nd—Groundhog Day

-Friday, February 5th—Smokey the Bear Visits

-Wednesday, February 10th—Student Count Day

-Thursday, February 11th—Valentine’s Party (pm)

-Friday, February 12th—No School

-Monday, February 15th—No School

LIBRARY BOOKS:  

Students will be bringing home their library books, this Thursday, for the first time!  Please help your child find a safe place to keep their library book at home.  We have library every 2 weeks, but I have a tub in the classroom for students to put their books, for safe keeping, until our next visit to the  library.  Students must return their book in order to check out a new one.  If you’d prefer for your child to keep their library book at school in their book box, please let me know via email or note, and I won’t send it home with them. :)

AND THE PACE QUICKENS: 

Hopefully you’ve had a chance to look over your child’s report card and assessments.  Overall, I’m very pleased with the students’ progress.  We’ve established some great routines and foundational skills; however, now the pace quickens a bit.  We will still be adding 2 new sightwords each week, and instead of 1 letter a week, we will be focusing on 2 letters a week.  Now that the students have so many strategies in their toolbox for reading, I will SOON begin sending home reading folders for them to read ‘good-fit books’ at home, as well as give you access to Raz-Kids at home.  I think you’ll be excited to watch them grow in their reading!

READING: 

With having 2 snow days last week, we will be spending a couple of days this week finishing up the Letter E.  Then we will begin the Letters F & R and introduce the sightwords with & he.

WRITING: 

This week we will complete a couple of journals about a groundhog and what we like to do on a snow day.  We will also wrap up our pattern books that have a surprise ending by editing, conferencing with a peer, and creating a wow cover!  Students are enjoying reading their books to the class during Author’s Chair.  This is my favorite time of year because the students’ abilities and confidence for writing just seem to blossom!  It is so exciting to see them begin to be more independent as they apply what they know and have learned—sounding out words & using sightwords.

MATH:  

This week we will be learning different ways to make teen numbers using our fingers, double ten frames, & base 10 blocks,  We will also introduce the 3D solid shape—the cylinder.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES:  

We will begin our week by learning about Groundhog’s Day; we will check in with Punxsutawney Phil to see if he did OR did not see his shadow and what that means for the upcoming weather forecast.

ALLERGIES:  

In addition to our severe peanut, peanut butter, egg, & milk allergy, we also have a student recently diagnosed with a severe latex allergy.  Therefore, we will try to minimize the exposure in the classroom by eliminating items that contain latex, including latex balloons, rubber bands, etc.  Please be thoughtful of this as you send in things for Valentine’s Day & Birthdays.  Their parents don’t want to inconvenience others and are very diligent about providing separate snacks and going through their child’s treats to ensure they are safe, I just want to make you aware:)

Please be sure to return your child’s January Book-it Calendar and send in their cereal box ASAP so we have time to decorate them. :)