September 24th

Happy 5th week of school! This year has gone really well and most students are following first grade rules very well. Please remind all students of campus wide expectations that are located in the student agenda. This will help to make sure that all students are following expectations in and out of the classroom.

This week:

Education Go Get It Week - We will be wearing college attire every day this week, discussing the leadership skills that professionals use, and attending presentations. Our class will be attending a business presentation and a pediatric dentist presentation. I cannot wait to see what we learn.

We will also be having student elections for Student Council representative. We have two candidates, so the winner will serve by sharing out service learning ideas with the Student Council and continue to be our voice throughout the year. The other student after elections, will serve as our alternate and assistant. This will help in case we do not have representation at the meeting.

This week we discussed service learning and our class came up with several great ideas but seemed to love the idea of donating stuffed animals for children in crisis (i.e. having to take a ride in a police car). This is the idea we will share with the student council. Even if it doesn't get chosen by the campus as a whole, we will try to create such a service project within our classroom. What a great idea!

Reading groups are still in the formation stage. All students will read in groups daily, some more than once. Please continue to let me know when you see difficulties at home. I try to challenge students and also give them some weeks when they are working on easier pieces for fluency. They will learn the language as we learn together and they will learn to tell you whether they are working on accuracy, comprehension, or fluency.

Reading: Groups; Characters and Story Maps
Writing: Where do writers get ideas and what type of things do they write; conventions of sentences and writing process as we write and conference
Math: Addition concepts (combining) embedded in problem solving; use of models such as ten frames, unifix cubes and other ones based models, base ten blocks, and a place value chart and 100's chart. Students are also still working on counting to 100 and identifying skip counting by 5's and 10's as practiced in calendar.
Science: Matter - properties - smaller, larger, lighter, heavier, smooth, rough; ordering objects based on properties; using describing words to describe and observe - gummy worms, Popscicles and balloons as they are heated and cooled

Reminders:

• Last minute basket items are due for Fall Fair October 6th!
• Don't forget to buy your wristbands or sign up to work at a booth - check our PTA webpage.
• We have a room mom - Kelly Ramirez - Thanks Kelly for taking on this impnt ortant task!
• Thanks to everyone for their help in donating supplies! The kids are loving it

Items needed in the near future:

• Pumpkins-more details later
• Scotch Thermal laminating Film (Walgreen's or Walmart) I think around 5.00 - I am laminating much of what we are using this year as well as items for student leadership notebooks
• more gently used early chapter books - we have a LOT of high readers
• instructional books for teaching character, story elements, etc.
• tickets (carnival style) for use as pawprints
• party favors for our treasure box; we have some items, but are in need of high interest items like bouncy balls, stickers, small notepads, colored pens, etc

Thanks for all that you do - I am so blessed and leave school with a smile on my face knowing that I work with your children. We have great leaders and Heroes.