Looking ahead to second semester!

Looking ahead to second semester, I will continue to update the blog and the district web page.  The class blog has so many great educational websites that I want to be sure your child still has access to that site.  The district web page will allow me to post documents that you can view and print from home.  How awesome!  This week we will be working on the Theme Test and we will end the week with a pancake breakfast!   Happy Holidays!

Holiday Program

The Holiday Program will be next Thursday, December 8th at 7:00 p.m.  Students will meet me in the library at 6:50 p.m.     Please do not allow your child to come upstairs to the classroom.  I will not be in the library before 6:45 p.m.   If your child has not brought socks for the program, as requested by Ms. Baier, please bring them by next Wednesday.
Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Spelling Test

The class has been doing an outstanding job each week with spelling words.  I have decided to add the challenge words to the weekly spelling test.  Please be sure your child continues to study each week for the test.  I sent the spelling list for Theme 3 home last week.  It has lessons 11-15.   The week of November 15th we will begin lesson 12.   If you have any questions, please contact me.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Storytown Lesson 11

We will begin reading lesson 11 on Tuesday, November 8th.  You should have received a study guide for the week's lesson and the spelling list for Theme 3.  The story can be found under the Storytown Ebook link under the educational websites.  Please choose Theme 3, Lesson 11.  The Ebook is an awesome way for your child to practice the story, review high frequency words, and the focus skill.
Have a great weekend!

Fall Party!

Our fall party will be held next Friday, October 28th from 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.   If you have any questions, please contact me!  I look forward to seeing you!

A Big Thanks!

A big thanks to all of the volunteers who came on our field trip!   We appreciated your help.   There were so many things to see and enjoy.  The favorites seemed to be Elk Canyon at the Wildlife Safari and the 3D movie we saw at the SAC Museum.

Field Trip Reminder!

If you are interested in being a volunteer chaperon for our field trip, Friday, September 30th, please return the volunteer form with your $5.00 admission no later than Tuesday, September 20th.  We need to have an adult count to give to the SAC Museum and the Wildlife Safari and we need to have money collected prior to the field trip.
Thank you!

Wonderful Start to the School Year!

We have had a wonderful start to the school year!  The students have been working very hard and we are finally figuring out our daily schedule.  I am so proud of each and every student. 

Each week your child will be bringing home a reading study guide.  All information on the study guide will assist your child with the weekly test given each Friday. 

Folders will only be sent home on Thursday's this year.  Thursday is a homework night.  Beginning next week, I will be sending math and a daily language review sheet.  The total time to complete both assignments should be 10-15 minutes. 

The 2nd grade field trip has been planned!  We are going to the Wildlife Safari and the SAC Museum in Ashland on Friday, September 30th.  The cost per child or adult is $5.00.   This will be a full day so please remember to send a sack lunch with your child.  We plan to eat lunch at the Wildlife Safari picnic area.

We completed our first reading Weekly Test that will be sent home this week.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns in regards to the test. 

Have a wonderful week and look for the 2nd grade monthly newsletter coming soon!

New Educational Websites

New Educational Websites will be added throughout the year.  If you ever have any questions in regards to a link on my blog, please let me know.  I check all websites before I post them but, with technology there is always an instance where something may be missed. 

New Educational Websites added for August:

Keyboarding Practice
Typing Excercise    http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/typing/index.htm
Typing Lessons http://www.freetypinggame.net/play10.asp?lesson=1&goal=15&AGo1=Start+Lesson
Typing Games  http://www.typingmaster.com/individuals/bubbles.asp
Alphabetic Rain http://www.powertyping.com/rain.shtml

School Supplies

I have a few special requests in regards to school supplies for my 2nd grade classroom.  If you bring supplies, please do not label glue sticks, pencils, crayons, markers, etc.  We share all supplies.  However, please label student folders, spiral notebooks, rulers, and scissors.   Students may bring a small pencil box to store extra supplies, but a pencil box is not necessary.  Also, please do not send mechanical pencils because we only use No. 2 lead pencils. 
Thank you so much for your cooperation and please email me with any questions in regards to school supplies.  I am looking forward to an exciting year with my new students!

Summer break is almost over...

Summer break is almost over and we will begin our wonderful adventures in 2nd grade!  Please continue to check back for updates to the blog as the start of the year gets closer.   Enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

Have a Wonderful Summer!

I hope everyone has a wonderful summer!  Thanks to all my wonderful parents and volunteers who helped make this school year such a great success.  I appreciate all of your support!  I will be making a few changes to my blog over the summer so keep checking back!
Happy Summer!

News to Share!

With the school year quickly coming to a close, I thought I would share some exciting news.  I told my students  today that I will be moving to 2nd grade next year.  I'm very excited and up for the challenge.   There may be a possibility that I may have your child again next year.  Second grade will only be two sections.  Mr. Bartels will be my co-teacher.    The students seemed very excited to hear the news.  If you have any questions, please call or email.

Welcome Spring!

First Grade has been very busy!  
We are becoming super spellers and readers!   Math is challenging us with new concepts each week.   This week we practiced exchanging pennies for dimes & telling time to the half hour.   Please continue to practice doubles facts with your children too!  
I sent home field trip information.  If you are planning to attend and would like to ride the bus, please let me know as soon as possible since we have limiting seating.  
Also, we started using the Kindle in the classroom this week.   I am working with students individually so they can learn how to use this great piece of technology!   The students are very excited!

PTO Basket Auction





Just a friendly reminder that donated items for the PTO Basket Auction can be dropped off anytime between now and Feb. 15th!  Our theme is "A Day at the Beach."

Thanks so much for your support!

What's happening in our room?

Looking ahead at the next few weeks, we have a few things going on:  Monday, Feb. 14 will be the Valentine's Party, Feb. 16 & 17 will be parent teacher conferences.  I hope everyone has received their conference schedule.  Please let me know if the day/time will not work for you.  I will be gone

Feb. 18-Feb. 26 and will not be in a location where I can check emails.  Mrs. Spohr will be my substitute. She always does an excellent job with the children.  Please forward any questions or concerns you may have to her while I am gone.

What are we doing in...

Math?   We are practicing addition, adding 2 to a number.  Identifying pennies and dimes and how much they are worth.  When we add coins we always need to remember to say "cents" and to add the "cent" symbol money when we write it.  Identifying odd and even numbers has been a challenge for some.  This would be great practice at home.  Ask your child...what do even numbers end in? odd numbers?   We are practicing counting by 2's to 20 and counting odd numbers to 19.  Telling time to the hour was introduced as well.  I will continue to send home math homework each Thursday unless it is a test day.

Reading?  We are beginning lesson 15 next week.  Lesson 15 week at a glance: 

Phonics we are introducing the diagraphs qu and wh, and inflectional endings -ed, -ing. 

Grammar we will introduce using I and me.

Writing will be a personal narrative.

Spelling words for spelling sentences:  quilt, quick, quiz, whiz, which, when, arm, part, house, put

High freqency words can be found on the HFW page.

Social Studies?  We are learning early american travelers, using a history map, how the colonies become free, symbols in our country, and our country's flag.

Spelling?  When h follows c, s, t, or wh the combination stands for a new sound...short vowel sounds are usually spelled with one vowel, little e (sleepy little e and bossy little e).

Parent Teacher Conferences

Forms with your scheduled time for parent-teacher conferences will be sent home today.  Please review your time and let me know if there is a conflict.

Thank you!

Valentine's Day Party!

The Valentine's Day party is scheduled for Monday, February 14th!  Yes, it is a school day!  Mrs. Behrns will be organizing the party.  If you would like to volunteer please contact me and I will forward her cell phone number to you.

Snow Days!

I hope everyone enjoyed the extra snowy day off! 

This week in reading we will be reviewing reading skills from Themes 1-3 and begin Theme Test 3.   I will also be introducing literature circles.  We will have literature circles during the first 15 minutes of center time each day.  This will be a great addition to our reading schedule.

Sitton Spelling has been going really well.   This week, we will begin spelling dictation tests.  The dictation test will be on the back of the Cloze Word Story test.  The dictation test will be scored separately.  If you have any questions on your child's score, please let me know.

In math, students are learning how to tell time to the hour and how to label a clock face.  We discussed digital times as well.  Understanding even and odd numbers has been confusing for some students.  I reminded students that all even numbers end in 0, 2, 4, 6, & 8 while odd numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7, & 9.  Each week, I am impressed by the aweseome math abilities of each student.  How exciting!

Enjoy the snow and stay warm!