Weekly Update!

It's Winter Break!

Hi Parents,

I'm writing today to wish you a happy, healthy, joyful Winter Break, and to pass along wishes for the happiest of holidays.  I will send along a weekly update at the beginning of January with classroom information for the first week of the new year.  

I'd also like to offer my sincerest thanks for the treats and gift cards so many of you sent.  I am humbled by your kindness and generosity.  :)

Enjoy the time off!  May you rest, recharge, and relax.  May you connect with your family and loved ones.  We are staying home over the break and spending some much needed time together. I am also looking forward to catching up on my favorite shows and getting some things done around the house that I haven't had the time to do. 

Many Blessings,

Weekly Update

Hi Everyone!  Happy Sunday!
I hope you enjoyed the snow as much as my children did. It was a beautiful day yesterday. 

It's about to be my favorite week of the entire school year!  The anticipation for Christmas and Winter Break is in the air, everyone is in a festive mood, and everyone is even kinder than normal.  We have some fun events planned next week to mark the Holiday, and will be finishing up some of our academic units too.  

Holiday Shop:

We previewed the items for sale at the Pinebrook Holiday Shop Thursday.  Students may purchase items next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.  If your child is purchasing Holiday Shop items, please kindly use the envelope I sent home yesterday to send his/her list and money next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Students who bring money may shop during our recess time.  Please remember there is no obligation to buy.  If you'd like to shop with your child, the Holiday Shop will be open tomorrow evening from 6pm-7:30pm.  The 5th Grade will be hosting its annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser, so come for breakfast (for dinner) too.  :)

Interim Progress Reports:

Interim progress reports (commonly called "interims") will go home Wednesday, December 13th.  A friendly reminder that I do not send an interim home for every child.  If I send one for your student, you will receive it via email at the email address on file in your ParentVue account.

Hour of Code:
In celebration of Computer Science Eduaction Week, our school participated in Hour of Code this week.  The goal of Hour of Code Week is to introduce students to computer science and computer programming through fun, self-paced, computer based games.  You can find many of these games on our 1st Grade Symbaloo page.  While you're there, check out the other fun online learning resources!

Winter Break Reading Log:

I will be sending home a Winter Break Reading Challenge in your child's Homework folder tomorrow. If you have any questions about this reading incentive, please email me.

Focus Areas for Next Week:

• Reading:  We will read the Holiday Classic The Polar Express, and review many of the good reader strategies we have learned this year, such as predicting, retelling, making connections, and story mapping.  
• Math:  We will continue our subtraction unit, in which we learn strategies for quickly solving subtraction facts.  
• Writing:  We will complete some Holiday writing projects.
• Science / Social Studies:  We will talk about Holiday traditions around the world with our annual Holidays Around the World on Thursday morning. During this time, the 1st grade teachers take turns rotating through each other's classrooms teaching the students about a holiday tradition from a particular country or culture.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!  The Mercer Band and Chorus will come Wednesday morning for a Holiday concert, and on Friday, the entire school will pile into the gym for our annual Holiday Sing Along.  We sing Holiday songs from the many faith and cultural traditions represented at Pinebrook while the teachers and staff all take turns leading the songs.  Seriously....I CAN'T EVEN CONTAIN MYSELF.  I am 36 years old, but at this time of year, I am a 6 year old.  It's one reason why YOUR children are "MY PEOPLE"!  (It's also the reason I am typing in so many CAPITAL letters.)

Weekly Update

Hi Parents,


Just a quick update for you this week...


Inclusive Schools Week:
Next week is Inclusive Schools Week, which is a time to celebrate our public schools as environments in which all students are invited to learn, regardless of educational, emotional, or behavioral challenges.  We will welcome a guest reader, who will share a story and lead a discussion about the importance of including everyone in our learning environment.


Supplies:
Many of the students have lost or ruined their crayons and markers. Please check with your child and ask if they are in need of any fresh supplies. If so, please send them in with your child at your convenience  I know I will be purchasing new crayons and markers for my own children. =0)

Focus Areas for the Coming Week:

• Reading:  We will continue or Word Detectives unit, in which we learn strategies for solving tricky words.  We will discuss the questions good readers ask when they read a story.  We sometimes call this "wondering".
• Writing:  We will respond to writing prompts and self-chosen topics as we continue to practice capitalization, punctuation, spacing, and letter formation. We will add a bit of "seasonal spice" to our writing with some Holiday themed projects.
• Math:  We will finish our addition unit.  We will begin our subtraction unit, in which we explore subtraction as the inverse of addition.  
• Science:  We will finish our study of economics: wants and needs, goods and services, consumers and producers.  We will begin to talk about communities.  We will talk about the community helpers who provide goods and services within communities.

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