Fall is just around the corner!

Hello everyone!

Even though it was a shorter week due to Labor Day, the children were busy little bees! I noticed what a fantastic job they did on their homework each day. Thank you so much for helping them through the week! Their reading logs were completed neatly and carefully (especially the "parent" box :). I could see they practiced their spelling words in a variety of ways, and their fluency logs were full! Such responsible little people I have in my class!

I received an update from Mrs. Geisler, she mentioned receiving many donations from our families for the PTA fundraiser! The children will be helping us create a personalized item to raffle off during the upcoming Progressive Dinner. Thank you so much for your help!

Spelling

The children took their first spelling test Friday! We played Sparkle to review our words ahead of time. Thank you for helping them practice at home. We'll work to find a good level of difficulty for the children with a little bit of time. Our next pre-test will be on Monday.

Reading

The children worked hard in reading. We strengthened our oral vocabulary (these words include: appreciate, fond, companion, agree and loyal.) We worked on the phonics sounds of short /a/ and /i/. The children completed word sorts and reviewed ABC order. We read a story together from our textbooks about a little boy named David who was nervous about his first day of school. We focused in on the characters and setting of the story to enhance our comprehension. Vocabulary words included in this story include: excited, tomorrow, carefully, different, and groan. The children edited sentences (what we call DOL) and took their first quiz! With the help of Mrs. Riesing and Mrs. Spaitis, we were able get a chance to listen to each of the children read. Our reading groups are ready to go, and my goal is to begin next week.

Handwriting

We have been working to improve our printed handwriting this week. We are reinforcing good posture, proper slant, use of their “guide hand,” and appropriate spacing. The children are also working to start their letters up and bring them down toward the line! Finally, we are moving away from the “ball and stick” approach they learned when they were first beginning to write. We are working on smooth, fluid motions that will lead us easily into cursive handwriting that will begin in January! Please encourage proper pencil grip, and the closure of the letters on top- this will help to build consistency between school and home!

Writing

We are moving into the final "chapter" of our autobiographies- present day! The children are following the process of "think, draw, label, and write" during our writing lessons. As Charlie mentioned, the children took some time to share their writing with a buddy using plastic microphones. Their goal was to compliment their buddy, and help them find a way to improve their work, as well. Soon we will be able to edit and publish our work!

Math

The children practiced counting money this week. We remembered to start with the largest amount first when counting. We practiced grouping money by denomination (ones, tens and hundreds) and then we were ready to count. The children created a miniature poster of visual cues to remind them of their doubles facts. We practiced these several times- there are a few strategies that stem from the "doubles" so the quick recall of these facts will help so much. The children took a “mad minute” today to see how many addition problems they can complete in 5 minutes. I explained to the children that every time they improve their score they will earn a sticker for their incentive chart! Finally, the children were introduced to their hardcover Math Reference Book. They learned how it works and how it will function as a tool this year. The children know that they can access the reference book at home with the username and password found inside their red home folder. We also completed our first “Math Boxes,” in our math journals

Social Studies

The children have completed their landform practice this week. They will apply their learning as they complete their “Landform Mural,” next week! It will be a fun way for them to demonstrate their understanding of each term.

MAP Test

The MAP test is the computerized achievement test that we discussed briefly on curriculum night. Please make sure your child is well rested the night before the test, and that they have a good breakfast, too! They will take the reading test on Tuesday morning and the math test on Wednesday afternoon.

Reminders:

*I am still hoping to receive a small handful of parent signatures on the yellow, purple, and white forms. Please send those in as soon as you get a chance.

* I think we have passed the point of needing the personal water bottles now that the weather has grown cooler! We will try to rely on our classroom water fountain now as our main means of hydration. Hopefully we've tripped over our last bottles and cleaned up our last spills for now... :)

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!