Fall Conference Sign Up

Hello! 

The Fall conference sign up is now up and running. Please sign up for a 15 time slot. Please arrive a little early so we can start in time. As you will see there is a conference planned right after you. To sign up for your child's Fall Conference click HERE

Thank you! Happy Thursday!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

We've come to the end of a long week.  We had a few challenges this week with ready, responsible, and respectful choices during lunch and during our transition times.  The kids are becoming more comfortable with each other, so it can be easier for them to exhibit off-task behaviors.  I am hopeful that next week will be smooth sailing as we continue to discuss how to be ready, responsible, and respectful 1st graders.  

Important Information About School Pictures:
Fall pictures will be taken this coming Tuesday, September 26th.  I sent home information about pictures in today's homework folder.  This will be a day for individual pictures only; a whole-class picture will be taken in the Spring.  Following are some guidelines to help facilitate your picture order / purchase:

• If possible, please order your child's pictures online.  It's the fastest, easiest, and most convenient way to order your child's pictures.  If you order online, you do not need to send anything to school with your child on Picture Day!
• If you are not ordering online, please fill out the payment envelope, enclose your payment, and send it to school on picture day.  Your payment envelope must include your child's name, my name, your "look" (or background) selection, your package selection, and your payment.
• Picture purchase is optional.

Help Needed With Copies and Materials Preparation:
I am in need of assistance with making copies and preparing some of our other classroom materials.  I am not fussy about dates and times.  If you are available to help, please send me an email and we will work the details.  Thank you!

Fall Literacy Testing:

Our Fall literacy screenings are underway as I have begun administering both the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) and the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA).  I've received several questions about the DRA, and will send an overview of this assessment to you in the middle of next week.  I look forward to discussing the results of your child's assessments at our Fall Conference in October.

RAZ-Kids, Dreambox Learning, and Reflex Math:

RAZ-Kids, Dreambox Learning, and Reflex Math are web-based programs that allow your child to practice reading (RAZ-Kids), math skills (Dreambox Learning), and math fact fluency (Reflex Math).  I sent home your child's log-on information for these learning tools previously in your child's  homework folder. (Reflex will come home this week). Most have an app you can download too.  You can also access them through the LCPSgo app or website. Please allow your child to explore these fun and valuable learning tools!

Upcoming Absences:

Next week I will be out of the classroom (but in the building) on Wednesday.  I will have a sub Wednesday so I can work individually with students to administer the DRA test.  She will handle the teaching duties that day. 

Socks:
I am sure this heading has you wondering. If your family is anything like mine, no matter how hard I try to keep my socks together in the washer, one always seems to disappear. I have FINALLY found a use for these stray socks. Whiteboard erasers!  We use our little personal whiteboards everyday in math and reading. The socks make great erasers! It's a cheap and simple way for the kids to erase their boards. If you have any socks laying around missing their mate, we can use them in the classroom! Please send them in. 

Wanted:

The treasure box is in full swing in our classroom. I know you have seen some cool vampire teeth or snap bracelets come through your house recently (ha!). The treasure box is a wonderful incentive but I need some help replenishing it. Please consider our classroom treasure box when you are cleaning out your gently used items or you are at the dollar store. I ordered some stuff from Amazon but it's only getting us so far. Movies, toys, bubbles, stickers, anything and everything would be greatly appreciated. Please ask your child what they are excited about in our treasure box. Thank you for your help with this. 

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about good reader habits. We will talk about retelling stories and making connections when we read.  I will continue administering the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to determine your child's current independent reading level.
• Writing:  We will begin learning the routines and procedures of Writer's Workshop as we talk about habits of good writers.
• Math:  We will continue learning the routines and procedures of Math Workshop as we explore number sense and counting.  We will talk about different ways to show a number (using digits, dots, a ten-frame, tallies, etc.)
• Science:  We will talk about the 4 seasons, and the relationship between the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
• Social Studies:  We will talk about John Chapman, also known as "Johnny Appleseed", and why we remember him.

I welcome your feedback.  Please let me know if you have any questions!  

Here's to a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!

We've had a fantastic week!  I'm starting to see little personalities emerge as the kids become more comfortable with me, and with each other.  This is when I can really start to build a relationship with them, connect with them, and see our class environment take shape.  It makes me happy.  :)

Meantime, have you noticed the trees changing?  Do you operate on the rhythm of the seasons too? Fall means warm blankets, lots of candles, snuggles on the couch, and dreaming of the coming Holidays.  That makes me happy too.  :)

Here's your weekly update:

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Schedule Update (Take 2!):
We are changing our schedule again...hopefully for the last time.  I am moving math to the morning and moving recess back, to just after lunch.  There've been some changes in our school's master schedule, which have necessitated changes in some classroom schedules.  We will still have snack in the morning, and I will build in some extra brain breaks to keep the kids energized and engaged.

Ice Cream:
As a general rule, ice cream will now be available for sale on Fridays in the cafeteria. Your child may buy ice cream to go with a school lunch, or to go with a packed lunch.  I do expect the kids to know whether they have permission to purchase ice cream.

Sharing Day:
The kids have so much to share and I love hearing their stories, however, I do not have enough time each morning for each child to share. Last week I assigned a day to each child and this is their share day. On their day, they are allowed to share anything they want with the class. A couple of kids have brought in something to share and that's fine. I do ask though that if your child brings in a toy or stuffed animal to share, that they leave it in their backpack once they are done sharing. I would be happy to tell you which day your child shares on, but I am sure they have already told you. 

Socks:
I am sure this heading has you wondering. If your family is anything like mine, no matter how hard I try to keep my socks together in the washer, one always seems to disappear. I have FINALLY found a use for these stray socks. Whiteboard erasers!  We use our little personal whiteboards everyday in math and reading. The socks make great erasers! It's a cheap and simple way for the kids to erase their boards. If you have any socks laying around missing their mate, we can use them in the classroom! Please send them in. 

Wanted:
The treasure box is in full swing in our classroom. I know you have seen some cool vampire teeth or snap bracelets come through your house recently (ha!). The treasure box is a wonderful incentive but I need some help replenishing it. Please consider our classroom treasure box when you are cleaning out your gently used items or you are at the dollar store. I ordered some stuff from Amazon but it's only getting us so far. Movies, toys, bubbles, stickers, anything and everything would be greatly appreciated. Please ask your child what they are excited about in our treasure box. Thank you for your help with this. 

Library Books:
Please help your child remember his/her Library books each Thursday.  

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will begin learning the routines and procedures of Reader's Workshop.
• Writing:  We will continue handwriting practice, emphasizing proper letter formation and starting letters at the top.
• Math:  We will continue learning the routines and procedures of Math Workshop as we explore number sense and counting.
• Science:  We will talk about our 5 senses.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns!  

I hope you have a relaxing weekend.  After a crazy week, I am so pleased that we have nothing on our schedule other than the usual...soccer, baseball and errands.

Weekly Update

Hi Parents!

Sometimes short weeks feel like long weeks, but this one flew by.  I think the kids are settling into the year.  On the whole, I am quite pleased with how quickly they're picking up on classroom routines and procedures.  Staying focused during the afternoon has been a bit difficult, but I am hopeful that as the kids build stamina for a full school day, they will have an easier time staying on task.  

We will have our Patriot Day ceremony at the flag pole on Monday morning. We will honor those who lost their lives on September 11th, along with all service members and first responders who keep us safe.  It's never lost on me that for our kids, September 11th is part of history, but for those of us alive on that day...well, our hearts continue to weep at the memories.  Truly, we will never forget.

Here's your update for the week:

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In a Million Words or Less, Tell Me About Your Child:
You may notice that I have not sent home a questionnaire entitled "Tell Me About Your Child".  This year, I would like to get to know your child through your eyes by having you tell me about your child in a million words or less!  I've completed this fun "parent homework" a few times for each of my boys.  Since I always appreciated the freedom it gave me to write freely about my kiddos, rather than answer specific questions about them, I decided to give this a whirl in my class this year. So...I am asking you, please, to send me an email in the next couple of weeks in which you tell me about your child in a million words or less! (To send me an email, you can click the envelope in the yellow circle to the right of this post.)  Tell me what makes your child the most amazing kid in the world, tell me what drives you absolutely bonkers about your child, and anything in between you may want me to know about your baby.  I will keep all responses strictly confidential.  

Snack Reminder:
We are going to try and eat our snack outside during our recess.  Please send an  easy "grab and go" item that can be taken outside with your child. 

Online Learning Resources:
In your child's homework folder this week, I sent home your child's log-in information for 2 of our most popular online learning resources...Reflex Math and RAZ-Kids.  These programs allow your child to practice literacy and math skills from any computer, and most tablets.  For future reference, this log-in information is also listed in the "online resources" section of this blog.


Thursday Folders:
Please empty your child's Thursday folder each Thursday and return it to school on Fridays. I do reuse these folders each week.

Specials Reminder:
Please remember to send your child with sneakers for P.E. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Library books are due back each Thursday. 

Box Tops for Education:
Box Tops for Education are due Friday, September 15th.  I will send out a Remind on Thursday.  There are various incentives for collecting Box Tops, from popsicle parties to ice cream parties.  Please help our class earn some of these fun incentives by collecting and sending in Box Tops.

Volunteers needed!: 
I am in need of parent volunteers to help me stuff Thursday folders and prepare materials.  While our school does not have school-wide Thursday folders, I continue to use this communication tool.  It's super helpful to have a parent stuff the folders because I can't always get to it during the course of a Thursday.  I am also in need of parent volunteers to help me with copying and materials preparation.  If you can help stuff Thursday folders, please click HERE.  If you can help with copying and materials preparation anytime during the week, please send me an email.  

Important Dates:
Please check the "Important Dates" section of this blog for upcoming events.  I will highlight some events in my weekly update, but you can find a complete list in the "Important Dates" section.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will begin Book Shopping, which is the process of choosing just right books for our book boxes.
• Writing:  We will practice Handwriting, emphasizing proper letter formation, and starting our letters at the top.
• Math:  We will begin establishing the routines and procedures of Math Workshop as we focus on number sense, counting, ordering numbers, and comparing numbers.
• Science / Social Studies:  We will talk about Patriot Day.  We will talk about what it means to be a scientist, and what scientists do.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Soccer and baseball start in our house!  I am looking forward to watching my children play while soaking up the last days of summer. 💜  

Weekly Update

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

We made it through our first full week of school.  I wonder if the kids are as tired as me?  While I try to make the first weeks fun and interesting, there are times when rules and procedures are downright boring.  I have to talk a lot, and the kids have to be quite attentive.  As such, the kids really learned the nuts and bolts of our classroom this week.  Next week we'll refine some procedures, and add a few details to the procedures learned this week.  We'll continue to get to know each other as we build our classroom community.  On that note, I am impressed and thankful with how beautifully the kids are getting along.  They're including each other during recess, introducing themselves to each other, and are a very social bunch.  :)

Here's some important information for you to know.  Please read through to the end.  It's a lot this first time around...

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Schedule Change:
Next week, I will make a slight change to our schedule by moving recess to an earlier time.  We currently have a long morning, and it can be difficult for the kids to stay actively engaged from 8:00-11:40.  They are building their stamina for school, and for the academic rigors of first grade.  So, to give them a bit of a break during this long morning, and to facilitate math in the afternoon, we will have our 30 minute recess at 10:20 / 10:30 each day.  (The start time may vary slightly from day to day, but the 30 minute break will not.)

Snack:
Please be sure to send a snack with your child each day.  Please limit your child's snack to one item that can be eaten easily and independently.  Please ensure your child knows which item in his/her lunchbox is for snack.  Please do not send dips, sauces, or other liquids for snack.  Please do not send snack cakes with cream or frosting.  These things spill and smear easily on our classroom carpet and on our learning materials.  If your child bring any of these items for snack, I will ask him/her to save that snack for the cafeteria.  Pretzels, goldfish, fruit, granola / snack bars, and raw veggies (no dip, please) make great snacks.  

Water Bottles:
First graders are a thirsty bunch.  Please feel free to send a water bottle to school with your child each day.  Please send a reusable bottle.  Please do NOT send water bottles with twist off tops for classroom use...the kids have a very difficult time getting the caps on straight and those bottles typically spill.

PTA Volunteer Welcome Coffee:
The Pinebrook PTA will hold a Volunteer Welcome Coffee on Monday, September 11th at 8:35 am in the Pinebrook Cafeteria.  Please come find out how you can volunteer with the PTA.  Younger children are welcome!  

Volunteers Needed:
I am in need of parent volunteers to help me stuff Thursday folders and prepare materials.  While our school does not have school-wide Thursday folders, I continue to use this communication tool.  On Thursdays, I will send a reusable envelope (but I call it a "folder") home that contains school and classroom news and notices, along with your student's graded work.  You should empty the folder completely and return it with your child each Friday.  It's super helpful to have a parent stuff the folders because I can't always get to it during the course of a Thursday.  I am also in need of parent volunteers to help me with copying and materials preparation.  If you can help with these things, please click here to sign up. 

Specials Schedule:
I sent a paper copy of the Specials Schedule home in your child's Back to School Night / Welcome Folder.  However, to recap, our Specials Schedule is as follows:

• Monday:  Art
• Tuesday:  Music and PE
• Wednesday: PE and Computer Lab
• Thursday:  SEARCH/Guidance and Library
• Friday:  PE and music

Please ensure your child wears sneakers to school on our PE days.

Lunch:
Our lunch time is from 11:40 - 12:10.  You are welcome to eat lunch with your child any day, and you may bring your child lunch purchased from a restaurant (think places like Subway, Panera, or Chick-fil-A). If you'd like to eat lunch with your child, please sign in at the school office and meet us at the cafeteria at 11:40.  Please plan to say goodbye to your child in the cafeteria at the end of our lunch period as our instructional day resumes right after lunch.

Important Dates:
Please check the "Important Dates" section of this blog for upcoming events.  I will highlight some events in my weekly update, but you can find a complete list in the "Important Dates" section.

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will talk about how to use our classroom library, and procedures and expectations for Independent Reading.
• Writing:  We will complete our Fall Writing Sample.  We will begin Handwriting practice, learning about proper letter formation and starting letters at the top.
• Math:  We will continue to review and reinforce calendar, counting, place value, and sight word skills from last year.  
• Social Studies:  We will continue building our classroom community as we explore the qualities of a good citizen in our school, our community, and our world.

Okay.  I think that's everything on my list, but I apologize in advance if I've forgotten something. Please let me know if you  have any questions, comments, or concerns.  

Enjoy the extra day off tomorrow! We've all earned it!