12/16

Hello!

Parent Action Items: 

1. Email Mrs. Crockett any up coming absences. This could be for doctor's appointments, planned family visits, or travel. It is a busy time of life, just keep me in the loop!
2. Please have a conversation with your students about respectful behavior and expectations for school.

Winter Party:

Our winter party will be on Thursday Dec 22nd. We will be 'travelling' to different countries around the world. We will be visiting Mexico, Sweden, and Germany. This party will align with our social studies unit and standards. We will look at their traditions and ways of celebrating holidays. Upon your

 student's arrival to a new country they will receive a stamp in their passport and then complete a fun activity. In order to make this even more fun and have some extra hands our book buddies have asked to help. We will need several supplies to make this magical for our students. Click HERE to donate items and supplies. 

Parties are a privilege and are used to extend our learning in a fun way. Students who receive 2 or more blue sheets or parent contacts before party will not be able to attend. This is to encourage respectful and productive behavior in class. This will start from December 12 till our party on December 22nd. This is the same rule for our 8th grade book buddies. 

December 23rd:

This is a half day, so pick up will be at 11:30 am. There will be no lunch provided. This will be a cleaning/extra recess/fun movie day. Click HERE to sign a permission slip to watch the animated Grinch (2018). If you are travelling or planning on not being here you do NOT need to fill it out, but please email me (and enjoy your early break)!!

Important Dates:

December 22nd: Winter Party

December 23rd: Half Day (pick up at 11:30) **If you are not here that day, enjoy your early break and be safe!

January 10th: Students resume school

January 16th: NO SCHOOL

February 3rd: Early release @ 1:30

Academics:

Due to so many students travelling early next week this will be a fun review week in all subject areas. 

12/8

Hello! 

There is a lot happening in the next two weeks please read the blog in it's entirety! 

Parent Action Items: 

1. Email Mrs. Crockett any up coming absences. This could be for doctor's appointments, planned family visits, or travel. It is a busy time of life, just keep me in the loop!
2. Check in with your student about their headphones! I have never had a class go through so many headphones before! Students are to store them in their cubby when they are not in use, students are given several reminders and have been shown how to store the cord properly as well. 
3. Please have a conversation with your students about respectful behavior and expectations for school.

Winter Party:

Our winter party will be on Thursday Dec 22nd. We will be 'travelling' to different countries around the world. We will be visiting Mexico, Sweden, and Germany. This party will align with our social studies unit and standards. We will look at their traditions and ways of celebrating holidays. Upon your

 student's arrival to a new country they will receive a stamp in their passport and then complete a fun activity. In order to make this even more fun and have some extra hands our book buddies have asked to help. We will need several supplies to make this magical for our students. Click HERE to donate items and supplies. 

Parties are a privilege and are used to extend our learning in a fun way. Students who receive 2 or more blue sheets or parent contacts before party will not be able to attend. This is to encourage respectful and productive behavior in class. This will start from December 12 till our party on December 22nd. This is the same rule for our 8th grade book buddies. 

December 23rd:

This is a half day, so pick up will be at 11:30 am. There will be no lunch provided. This will be a cleaning/extra recess/fun movie day. Click HERE to sign a permission slip to watch the animated Grinch (2018). If you are travelling or planning on not being here you do NOT need to fill it out, but please email me (and enjoy your early break)!!

Important Dates:

December 22nd: Winter Party

December 23rd: Half Day (pick up at 11:30) **If you are not here that day, enjoy your early break and be safe!

January 10th: Students resume school

January 16th: NO SCHOOL

February 3rd: Early release @ 1:30

Academics:

Phonics: Students will learn about vowel teams that make the long e sound. Vowel teams are two vowels that sit together that make one long vowel sound. For example ee and ea in the words sleep and heat. 

Reading: We will continue to identify main idea of a story. We will also look at what key details are. Student have enjoy reading about all sorts of schools around the world and comparing to our school. This also aligns perfectly with our upcoming winter party and social studies unit.

Writing: Our class will wrap up its unit on opinion writing this week. They have done a wonderful job! 

Math: I will be pulling students one at a time to start winter testing. This is a check to see which areas your student has mastered and where they need more instruction or support in. Please make sure your student has a charged computer. Students who are not testing with me will be on a math app to reinforce previously taught lessons but also to help keep the noise down to make it a welcoming testing environment. Please check with your students about their headphones.

Social Studies: We will be exploring different countries this week. Students will look at what kind of celebration and traditions these countries have. We will compare them to our families traditions!

12/2

 WOW! It is already December!

Important Dates: 

There is a lot of upcoming testing please make sure you email about any preplanned absences so I can schedule out testing. 

12/16 December Homework Due

12/22 Winter Party in the afternoon. *More information to come at a later date

12/23 HALF Day! Pick up at 11:30. Since so many are going to be absent this day we will be watching a movie and having extended recess.

12/26-1/9 NO SCHOOL

1/10 Students return to school

Academic:

Phonics: We are going to be learning about vowel team -ai and -ay. Vowel teams are when two vowels work together to make a long vowel sound. Some examples are rain and ray.

Comprehension: We will be continuing to work on identifying main idea of a text. This helps students to know what are the most important parts of the story.

Writing: Students are going to continue to work on opinion pieces!

Math: Students will work on identifying numbers that are even and odd. We will also work on word problems. As a class we are not showing our work when we solve problems. This will be a helpful step as we move into harder word problems.

Social Studies: We will be moving to social studies next week. We will be talk about Map skills and keys. This is one of my personal favorite units!

11/11

 Hello Families!

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

Field Trip Update: The First Grade teachers are keeping an eye on the weather for November 18th. Currently it is predicted that it will be 30 degrees. The 8th grade teachers and 1st grade teachers are coming up with potential solutions if it gets colder. Below are some possible solutions. We are going to continue to check the weather and make a final decision on Wednesday (NOV 16th) and communicate to families via email.

Possible solutions: 

• Flip Flopping our schedule and go on the walk in the afternoon (1:30-2:30).
• Go on a short walk on school property.
• Come up with a alternative activity inside (craft, games, etc)

*** Teachers will make the decision on November 16 and email families. 

See last week's blog for overview of the Field Trip!

If we do go on our nature walk students will need to wear weather appropriate clothing, bring a labelled water bottle, and a label morning snack. 

For our fall activities First Grade is in need of a few supplies. Below is a link for a sign up for some items. If you are able and willing please sign up to donate!

FALL TREAT SIGN UP Items should be brought to school on November 17th! 

Parent Action Items:

1. Fill out permission slip for our November 18th field trip to the park with our book buddies.
2. Email Mrs. Crockett about about any preplanned absences in the near future (Now till Winter Break).

Important Dates:

• November 15th: Permission slips due
• November 16th: Teachers will email about Field trip updates
• November 18th: Park Field Trip! Pack labeled water bottle and AM snack. Dress appropriately for weather.
• November 21-25 Thanksgiving break: NO SCHOOL
• December 23: Half Day (pick up at 11:30, No lunch provided)
• December 26 -January 9 NO SCHOOL Winter Break

* Please email me about any preplanned absences, we are coming up on mid year testing and this will help me schedule out when to test students.

11/4

Hello Families! 

Lots of important information, please read carefully.

Field Trip Overview:

We have scheduled a short field trip with our 8th grade book buddies! Each class will pair with their book buddy classroom and will walk to a nearby park. This Field trip will take place on November 18th in the morning. Students will walk to their park (Crockett -Reunion Park) and do a scavenger hunt for different sounds and nature items. After the scavenger hunt students will be able to play and eat their morning snack at the park. We will all return before our lunch time. After lunch and specials we will have have our book buddies come to our room to host fall bingo, turkey baster races, a fall craft, and to enjoy  warm apple cider while watching Charlie Brown! 

Field trips are a privilege and are used to extend our learning in a fun new environment. Students who receive 2 or more blue sheets before going on the field trip will not be able to attend. This is to encourage respectful and productive behavior in class and on the field trip. This will start from November 7th till our field trip on November 18th. This is the same rule for our 8th grade book buddies. 

Field Trip/ Fall activity action items:

Field trip permission slips are coming home today (11/4). If your student is absent they will receive their permission slip upon their return. Please sign and return them by November 15th. If your student is going to be gone for our November 18th field trip please let me know ASAP!

At this time we do not need chaperones or parent volunteers for this trip. The 8th grade book buddies have planned most of this trip with the supervision of the 1st grade and 8th grade teachers. They have everything set and ready with the expectations of leading the scavenger hunts and activities. It is exciting to see our middle schoolers step up and lead with such confidence! ***We will have more field trips in the future where we can have parents and chaperones join us! 

Students will need to wear weather appropriate clothing, bring a labelled water bottle, and a label morning snack. 

For our fall activities First Grade is in need of a few supplies. Below is a link for a sign up for some items. If you are able and willing please sign up to donate!

FALL TREAT SIGN UP Items should be brought to school on November 17th! 

Parent Action Items:

1. Fill out permission slip for our November 18th field trip to the park with our book buddies.
2. Email Mrs. Crockett about about any preplanned absences in the near future (Now till Winter Break).

Important Dates:

• November 4th: Permission slips are going home
• November 11th Veteran's assembly and Free Dress (red/white/blue themed)
• November 15th: Permission slips due
• November 18th: Park Field Trip! Pack labeled water bottle and AM snack. Dress appropriately for weather.
• November 21-25 Thanksgiving break: NO SCHOOL
• December 23: Half Day (pick up at 11:30, No lunch provided)
• December 26 -January 9 NO SCHOOL Winter Break

* Please email me about any preplanned absences, we are coming up on mid year testing and this will help me schedule out when to test students.

Academics:

Moral Focus: We are trying to identify gratitude in others and when to show gratitude towards others.

Phonics: Students will discover the magic e. This is also called vowel consonant e or VCE. This makes the vowel in front of the consonant the long sound. So for instance we have bike and bake.

Comprehension: We are moving non-fiction stories, these are full of facts and information. Students will identify some non-fiction text features like Table of Contents, photos, bolded text, etc.

Math: Students will continue to learn about doubles and start to add and subtract within 15 fluently. Our math curriculum is so fun and has students really engaging into the centers. I try to put as many online versions of our centers as possible so be sure to check them out! Also students have been learning a variety of math domino games, you could have them teach you on a game night at home!

Science: We are still exploring what makes sounds and how sounds travel. Once we discover what vibrations are we talk about how noise level effects the vibrations around us! 

10/28

 Hello Families!

We had an awesome assembly this morning! I am so proud of our students!

Parent Action Items:

1. Please assist your student in finding a costume for Monday! It will be Dress like Your Favorite Book Character Day! I would love if you could bring the book that is associated with your student's costume BUT if you don't own it, its OK! Your student can choose not to participate. See the information below for more!
2. October Homework is due on MONDAY 10/31 and it is EARLY RELEASE (1:30)!
3. November homework will come home on Tuesday, November 1st and will be due on November 30th.

Important Dates:

• Oct. 31st Early Release at 1:30 pm
• Dress like Your Favorite Book Character Day! *See below for more info
• November 21-25 NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Break
• November 30th: Homework Due
• December 23rd HALF DAY - no lunch provided

If you are going to be out of town or have a pre-planned absences please let me know ASAP. 

Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day (OCT 31):

Help your child find a book with their favorite character and come up with a costume to wear. It cannot be scary and It HAS to be a book character! Students do not have to participate but they will need to be in uniform if they do not. Some good ideas might be: No! David!, Clifford, Skippy Jon Jones, Dr. Seuss, Madeline, etc… Be creative. Search Google and Pinterest...there are lots of ideas! We can’t wait to see all of our cuties dressed up! Thank you for all of your support! 

*Be sure your costume is school appropriate in length and has sleeves.  Please refrain from hats, costume masks, and face paint.  Nothing gory or obscene. Inappropriate costumes will be sent home. 

Academics:

Moral Focus: We will be focusing on Gratitude. Gratitude is noticing when someone is nice to you.

Phonics: We will be working on blends -nk and -ng. These are mostly found at the end of a word. For example, sink, ring, think, and sing.

Read aloud: We will be working on identify the narrator. This helps readers understand who is telling the story and why they are telling it.

Math: We will be exploring adding doubles. This is a good skill to master because it help students add more complicated equations later. If I know 5+5= 10 then that information can assist me when I see a problem of 5+6=__.

Science: We are moving to our sound and light unit. We will be exploring sound first! We will talk about rhythm, tempo, and pitch!

10/21

 Hello Families!

Parent Action Item:

1. Please review general school expectations and please remind your student to charge their Chromebook.
2. LABEL ALL sweaters, pullovers, jackets, parkas, scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, and snow boots. You would be surprised how fast cold weather comes and the things I have seen get lost over the years. PLEASE LABEL!

Important Dates:

• Oct 28th First Grade Assembly
• Oct. 31st Early Release at 1:30 pm
• Dress like Your Favorite Book Character Day! *See below for more info
• November 21-25 NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Break
• December 23rd HALF DAY - no lunch provided

If you are going to be out of town or have a pre-planned absences please let me know ASAP. 

Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day (OCT 31):

Help your child find a book with their favorite character and come up with a costume to wear. It cannot be scary and It HAS to be a book character! Students do not have to participate but they will need to be in uniform if they do not. Some good ideas might be: No! David!, Clifford, Skippy Jon Jones, Dr. Seuss, Madeline, etc… Be creative. Search Google and Pinterest...there are lots of ideas! We can’t wait to see all of our cuties dressed up! Thank you for all of your support! 

*Be sure your costume is school appropriate in length and has sleeves.  Please refrain from hats, costume masks, and face paint.  Nothing gory or obscene. Inappropriate costumes will be sent home. 

Academics:

Moral Focus: Respect: Treating people and things with care. We will explore how to do this at home.

Phonics: We will continue to work with diagraphs, which are two letters that make one new sound. We have already discussed sh and th. Next week we will look at ch and wh. Students will also be introduced to -tch which is a trigraph, 3 letters that make one sound.

Comprehension: We have been identifying the problems in stories and now we are going to work on identifying the solution in a story.

Math: We are going to continue to work on adding and subtracting within 25. We will be using dominoes as supports.

Science: We are going to continue our engineering unit. We will be looking at the parts and purposes of those parts of a backpack. At the end of the week we will redesign a backpack!

10/12

 Hello Families!

Have a wonderful long weekend! Don't forget to charge those Chromebooks over the weekend! Below are some important dates to mark in your calendar!

Important Dates:

• No School Oct 13
• No School Oct 14
• No School Oct 17
• Early Release on Oct 31 @ 1:30 PM
• Dress Like your Favorite Book Character Day!
• No School Nov. 21-25 (Thanksgiving Break)

10/7

 Hello!

Parent Action Items:

1. Please remind your students to charge their computer and ask them about their headphones. It is imperative that your student has these things DAILY. Also please leave all toys at home. Students have a pencils at school so plastic/ mechanic pencils can stay at home as well.
2. October Homework: I have sent every student home with an October calendar, Scholastic magazines, and Math Home Connections workbook. Yesterday, I found October homework on the floor with no name on it. No students claimed it. Please double check that your student came home with their homework. If you are missing it please email me.
3. Book fair:  It will be open Oct. 10-12. Our class will sign up for a time slot to go shopping during the day. The book fair is also open during conferences. To help make shopping easier you can click the link https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/lmreads to create an Ewallet. This makes the process smoother. If you plan on letting your student shop please fill out this survey so I know how much they are spending and to help keep them in budget. Book Fair Survey
4. Conferences: This is a great way to check in on how your student is doing. I have a class of 30 students and have provided time slots for 30. Each student gets one conference. These meetings will be held in person in my classroom so please be here on time (or even a little early) so I can stay on schedule. Click HERE for the link and please enter your name and comment with your child's name. Please mark this in your personal calendar as well.

Important Dates:

• October 13th NO SCHOOL
• October 14th NO SCHOOL
• October 17th NO SCHOOL
• October 31st Early Release! 1:30 pm pick up, lunch is provided.
• October homework due!
• Dress like your Favorite Book Character day! *more information to come

Academics:

Since it is a very short week we will be reviewing in all subject areas!

Moral Focus: We will be review respect. The definition is treating people and things around you with care.

Phonics: They will review short vowels and consonant blends!

Comprehension: We will review retelling with characters, setting, and identifying the problem.

Math: We will review addition and subtraction within 10 and 20.

Social Studies: We will talk about how to be a responsible citizens online.

9/30

 Hello Families:

Parent Action Items:

1. September homework was due today. If your student forgot please have them bring it in on Monday. October homework was sent home today and will start on Monday. The calendar lists the assignments. Along with the homework is a scholastic magazine packet. These are apart of your students homework for the month. Also, a Bridges Home Connection workbook and flyer came home. The workbook will be used for homework. Please store in a SAFE and SECURE spot. The workbook will permanently live at home, your student will tear out and return the assigned pages at the end of the month.
2. Purple folders are coming home today. Please empty them and return the folder to your student's backpack. We use our purple folders often each day so it is important to have them back at the start of the week.
3. Conferences: I will be holding conferences soon. This is a great way to check in on how your student is doing. I have a class of 30 students and have provided time slots for 30. Each student gets one conference. These meetings will be held in person in my classroom so please be here on time (or even a little early) so I can stay on schedule. Click HERE for the link and please enter your name and comment with your child's name. Please mark this in your personal calendar as well.
4. Book Fair is coming! It will be open Oct. 10-12. Our class will sign up for a time slot to go shopping during the day. The book fair is also open during conferences. To help make shopping easier you can click the link https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/lmreads to create an Ewallet. This makes the process smoother. If you plan on letting your student shop please fill out this survey so I know how much they are spending. Book Fair Survey

Important Dates:

* Always check the Landmark Lead as well!

• October 7th Half Day! Pick up at 11:30, NO lunch provided
• October 13th NO SCHOOL
• October 14th NO SCHOOL
• October 17th NO SCHOOL
• October 31st Early Release! 1:30 pm pick up, lunch is provided.
• October homework due!

Academics:

Moral Focus: October is the month of Respect. Our definition is 'treat people and things around you with care.' We will be exploring how we can do this at school.

Phonics: We will be working on r blends. The following are r- blends: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, and tr. R blends tend to come at the beginning of a word. A few examples are brick, crab, drip, frog, grill, press, and trip.

Comprehension: We are going to continue to look at fairytales and identify the problem in stories. This builds upon our discussion about characters and settings. If a student identify the problem of the story it helps them recall and retell the story details.

Writing: Students will continue to develop their writing stamina and skills by writing a more detailed personal narrative. Writing time has been very engaging lately and students are excited to be the author!

Math: We will continue to work on strategies to solve word problems. I like when students have a vast number of math strategies to help them solve problems. This often builds confidence in math.

Social Studies: This is our final week in social studies before switching to science. We will be wrapping up our family and community unit by creating some art that shows off what we learned. We will also be completing some internet safety lessons.

9/23

 Hello Families!

Parent Action Items:

1. Please email me if you are planning on having your student do picture retakes on September 28th. This will be uniform only.
2. Purple folders are coming home today. Please empty them and return the folder to your student's backpack. We use our purple folders often each day so it is important to have them back at the start of the week.
3. Conferences: I will be holding conferences soon. This is a great way to check in on how your student is doing. I have a class of 30 students and have provided time slots for 30. Each student gets one conference. These meetings will be held in person in my classroom so please be here on time (or even a little early) so I can stay on schedule. Click HERE for the link and please enter your name and comment with your child's name. Please mark this in your personal calendar as well.

Important Dates:

* Always check the Landmark Lead as well!

• September 30th: September homework due and PJ day!
• October 7th Half Day! Pick up at 11:30, No lunch provided
• October 13th NO SCHOOL
• October 14th NO SCHOOL
• October 17th NO SCHOOL
• October 31st Early Release! 1:30 pm pick up, lunch is provided.
• October homework due!

Academics:

Phonics: We will be looking at s-blends. S blends are the following: sc, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, st, and sw. These come at the start of a words. 

Comprehensions: We will be exploring a variety of text and looking for characters. These are people, animals or things that talk in the story.

Writing: We are going to work on our first narrative draft. We will also explore different types of punctuation marks.

Math: Students will focus on comparing numbers while using the symbols and phrases greater than, less than (<,>). We will also be looking at story problems and how to use the information in the story to solve the problem.

Social Studies: We will be looking at how people's differences and talents can add to the community and make it a better place. 

9/16

 Hello families!

Parent Action Items:

1. Help your student participate in our fundraiser, APEX! Your student came home with a orange and blue tag with a QR code. Follow the code via smartphone or type the web address into a web browser. It will show you how to do the rest. This fundraiser really helps our school out each year we do it. A lot of money is put back into classrooms. Over the years I have been able to purchase so much for my room due to the Apex fundraiser!
2. Picture retakes are on September 28th. If you want retakes, you must return the pictures you were already given. Please also email me if you are wanting your student to retake their picture so I can have a head count.

Important Dates:

*Always check the Landmark Lead for dates as well!

• September 23rd: APEX FUN RUN and Stuffed animal day!(must fit in student's backpack)
• October 7th Half Day! Pick up at 11:30, No lunch provided
• October 13th NO SCHOOL
• October 14th NO SCHOOL
• October 17th NO SCHOOL
• October 31st Early Release! 1:30 pm pick up, lunch is provided.

Academics:

Moral Focus: We going to explore how to show wisdom as leaders in each subject area.

Leader in Me: Students will look at the 'Circle of Control,' this is a good visual to help students understand what is in their control is what is not.

Phonics: Students will learn about l blends. These are words with fl-, bl-, gl-, sl-, cl-, etc. Examples of these would be flip, blend, glad, slip, clap, etc. Students will also have new high frequency words, they are the following: many, thing, you, these.

Comprehension: Students will be looking at setting. Setting tells the reader about the time, place, when, and where a story takes place. 

Writing: In our next unit of writing students will work on narratives. First students need to know the parts of a narrative and then they will move into writing their stories.

Math: Students have been working hard on their math strategies and we have also been working on subitizing. Subitizing is when you can automatically see a visual and know how many there are. For example, on a game dice we don't typically have to count the dots, we automatically know how many there are.

Social Studies: Students will explore the difference between wants and needs. They will also discuss what their responsibilities are at home and at school. 

9/9/2022

 Hello families!

Parent Action Item:

1. Purple folders: These are coming home today. Please check/empty and please return them on Monday.
2. Dismissal: Please have your dismissal number ready to go! Whether you pick up at the side door, or in a car please have your number ready. If an older sibling picks up your student please have that sibling know the dismissal number as well. Also, if you change up your pick up routine, please prepare your student for the change (also send me an email, cause its hard to remember where all 30 go at the end of the day!). 
3. Check in with your student about their school supplies (pencil box, headphones, folders). Ask if they need anything. I know its early in the school year but some students are rough with their supplies so frequent checks are great!
4. Computers: There are two charge ports on your student Chromebook. If it is not charging on one side, try the other side. A helpful trick some students taught me!

Important Dates:

*Always check the Landmark Lead for dates as well!

• October 7th Half Day! Pick up at 11:30, No lunch provided
• October 13th NO SCHOOL
• October 14th NO SCHOOL
• October 17th NO SCHOOL
• October 31st Early Release! 1:30 pm pick up, lunch is provided.

APEX Fundraiser:

The Apex fundraiser will start next week! I will be sending you much more information about it on Monday! It is a very fun way to raise money for our school! On a personal note, I am very competitive and classes compete for the most money earned per class! My class has been in the top 5 since we have started this fundraiser and one year my class even won! I hope you join me and help support our school and put the 'fun' in fundraiser!

Academics:

Moral Focus: Next week we will be discussing how we can show wisdom at home and around our community. This is a great time to review home expectations and what wise choices are versus unwise choice would look like at home.

Leader In Me: Students are learning about Habit 1: Be Proactive. This means we will be responsible for ourselves. Students should take responsibility for their learning, voice, body, emotions, and things.

Phonics: Next week will will be looking at words with the short e sound like sled, pen, bed, mess, and leg. I have been asked to share the high frequency word list. I will send a hard copy of all of first grade's words. High frequency words are words that should be recognizable and known by your student. Some are harder to decode and others just appear often in text. Next week's words are: give, come, some, for.

Comprehension: Students will work on making wonderings and asking questions. This is an important process to practice while reading. This helps us make predictions and remember information. 

Writing: We will create an All About my Family paper this next week. We will be learning about the writing process and will create a full paper.

Math: We will be exploring making combinations of 10 with a missing addend. This would be a problem that looks like 2+ __=4.  

Social Studies: We will continue to explore what makes our family and community special. We will specifically look at some food traditions. You can discuss any traditions that your family has with your student and they can pass it on. One of my family traditions is on New Years day we eat cabbage and black eyed peas. The cabbage is representing money or wealth for the year while the black eyed peas signify luck and good fortune. 

9/1

 Happy Short Week!

NO SCHOOL tomorrow or Monday!

Parent Action Items:

• September homework is coming home today. I would encourage you to make a safe spot to store the homework packet at home. Students should complete a task each night. This will be turned in by students on the last day of the month. You may assist in reminding your student but they should have the responsibility of doing it and turning it in.
• School Library Volunteers are needed! Please email Tamara Leavitt (75.tleavitt@nhaschools.com) or Jenna Reeves (75.jreeves@nhaschools.com) if you are interested.
• Remind your student to charge their computer and bring it everyday. Please check in with your student and ask about their headphones. 

Important Dates:

• No SCHOOL tomorrow (9/2) and on Monday (9/5)
• Half day on Oct. 7th (11:30, no lunch)
• No school on Oct. 13, 14, and 17
• Oct. 31st is Early Release (1:30)

Academics:

Moral Focus: Wisdom is knowing the difference between right and wrong. We will discuss how we can show wisdom in the class, hallway, and playground.

Phonics: We are going to be discussing words with the short u sound. Words like sun, bus, gust, etc.

Comprehension: Students will work on retelling. This next week will be the intro and retelling will be revisited over the next several weeks. You can ask your student to tell you what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of stories at home.

Writing: We are continuing to work on handwriting. One way you can work on this at home would be find fun "how to draw ____" videos. There are a ton online. Be sure to preview it! Students love to draw and it works on fine motor skills! For a challenge have them draw on a post it note!

Math: We are going to work on our adding and subtraction within ten strategies. This will set us up for success for the rest of the year.

Social studies: We are going to look at the attributes of a good citizen.

Aug. 26

 Hello  families!

Next week we are going to be doing 1st Grade testing on our computers. Several students have already had trouble with their headphones. So please check with your student and see if they need new ones. We will be testing Monday and Tuesday morning. Also please be sure their computer is charged and ready.

Academics: 

Moral focus: Wisdom is knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do the right thing. This is the first grade definition! Please review this with your student.

Phonics: We will focus on short O words like hop, top, tot, etc.

Writing: We are continuing to work on our Handwriting.

Read aloud: We will be working on visualizing. Visualizing is making a mental movie in our heads of what is happening in the story.

Math: We will continue to work on our 10 pairs (numbers that add up to 10).

Social Studies: We will compare and contrast families! 

Aug. 19th

Hello Families!

This week was full of learning!

Parent Action Items:

1. I am still missing some checks. If you have not turned in your supply list checks please do so as soon as possible. $5 made out to Scholastic and $5 made out to Landmark Academy for Leader In ME.
2. Chromebooks are coming home today for those who are new and/or did not have them checked out for the summer. Please review some expectations with your student about Chromebook responsibilities. Chromebooks need to be charged by the student overnight, then brought to school EVERY DAY. I would suggest that you find one consistent place to charge and to make it part of your student's routine. Come home hang up your backpack and plug in your computer or whatever works best for your family. Chromebooks come to school but chargers can stay at home.
3. Fall pictures are on the 25th. Please fill out this survey (some already have!) about picture day. This survey helps keeps things organized on my end Fall Picture Survey
4. If you are looking to volunteer to help there is a link for you to do some clerical work for the First grade teachers. Clerical work would include copies, laminating, cutting, sorting, etc. If you are interested click HERE
5. LABEL all items of your student. This includes LUNCHBOXES, sweaters, coats, water bottles, etc. If items are lost they can be returned to your student. 

Important Dates:

Aug 24th: Curriculum Night 5:00-5:30pm (k-2)

Aug 25th: Picture day/ Free Dress

Sept. 2 No School

Sept. 5 No School

Academics:

Moral Focus: We will be talking about Wisdom. Our first grade definition is knowing right and wrong. 

Phonics: We will be looking at words with short i in it. Words like sit, fit, nip, kit, and dip. Students will also learn the following high frequency words: what, to, do, this

Comprehension: We will studying the parts of books (cover, title page, author, illustrator, etc.) and making predictions. A prediction is a good guess as to what happens next. This helps readers track their understanding of the story.

Writing: We are continuing to work on our handwriting skills.

Math: Students will be exploring different ways to make 10. We will also be diving into the parts of an equation (equal sign, addends, sum, and addition sign). We will be reviewing this for several weeks.

Social Studies: We going to go over our Landmark creed. As a class we will discuss the meaning.

    "I am a Landmark student. I strive to achieve academic excellence. I exemplify high moral character. I will work diligently to prepare for the future. I know that my success in life is dependent on my own efforts."

Aug. 12th

 Hello Families!

I have a 'Parent Action Item' area below to communicate important actions that need to be done. These might range from a quick survey to just reading some important information. I will also encourage you to be reading the other school communications like the Landmark Lead.

Parent Action Items:

1. Purple Folders: These come home every Friday afternoon. These need to be emptied at home and returned on Monday. These will contain work from the week, flyers, and other important items. Please look through them. 

2. Leadership application: Students will be bringing home a leadership job application in their purple. On one side it has a menu of classroom jobs that I have in my class. On the other side it has an application. Assist your student in reading and completing this application. It is due by Wednesday 17th. All students will get a leadership opportunity but they may not get the exact one they want. We will change positions as needed.

3. Make sure you bring your orange dismissal number each day to pick up your kid! It will speed up the process!

4. Fall Picture Survey: Fall pictures are scheduled for August 25th. Students can be in Free Dress (non uniform outfit). All students will get a photo taken for the yearbook. Please click HERE to fill out a quick survey on whether or not you are going to order pictures. This helps me keep things organized.

5. I am going to need some parent volunteers this year to help make some resources for our classroom. For right now it will be mostly clerical work (printing, laminating, cutting, etc). I am hopeful that I can have classroom volunteers later in the year. I am in the process of making a sign up for our specific class and will have it out soon. You can get ahead start and sign up with the school volunteer list if you would like at the LANDMARK VOLUNTEER.

Important Reminders:

Chromebooks have not been issued out yet. I am hopefully everyone will have one by early next week.

2 snacks per day

1 full water bottle

Make sure your student KNOWS what kind of lunch they have (home or hot)

Make sure your student KNOWS how they are getting home, especially if you change it up.

Important Dates:

August 24th: Curriculum Night 5:00-5:30 PM

August 25th: Picture Day (Free Dress)

September 2-5: Labor Day Weekend

Academics:

Phonics: Phonics is the fundamentals of reading. We are going to start our phonics curriculum on Monday. Students will review their short vowel sounds while establishing our academic routines for the section of our day.

Reading Comprehension: This week we will work on establish healthy habits of reading. This starts with listening skills and being able to verbally identifying your favorite part of a story. We will also focus on naming the physical parts of a book. 

Writing: We will be working on handwriting for several weeks. In addition to handwriting, I will model identifying my favorite part of a story and how to take my verbal response and turn it into a written response. 

Math: We will be working on our counting skills. Counting by 1s, and 2s. We will also establish our routines and procedures for our math centers.

Social Studies: We will be taking this week to go over emergency procedures like fire, severe weather, and lock downs. 

First Grade Specifics

 Hello Families!

I wanted to reach back out with more specifics about the day to day life in First Grade but also get some information about your student. 

Parent Action Items:

1. Please fill out this survey about your student. Fill it out once per student. Click HERE for the survey.
2. Read the entire blog.
3. Get your student and their supplies to Supply drop off on Aug. 8th 4pm-6pm!
4. Keep checking your emails, the school and I will be sending more important info about the year.

Supply Drop Off:

• Aug. 8th 4-6pm! 
• Please bring all the supplies on the supply list! Please read the list carefully and only label what needs to be. 
• Do NOT fill your student's pencil box. We will have an activity on the first day to do this.
• You will get your Driveline Number which is very important for dismissal.

What to Bring DAILY:

• Good Attitude!
• Backpack
• School Issued Chromebook *if you do not have one, your student will be assigned one once school starts.
• 2 Snacks ( we will have two snack times a day)
• Full water bottle (Pop tops, no straws)
• Home Lunch if preferred
• Jacket or sweater
• LABEL PERSONAL ITEMS
• NO toys.

Important Things to consider:

• Slowly get into a school schedule. It does take practice and time to get this one down. Don't wait till the first day to wake your student up early. It will not go well for anyone! Doors open at 7:45 am at school and then students are expected to be in their classrooms not later than 8:10.
• Set up a spot for Chromebook charging at home. Your student will need to charge it every night so make a specific area for it. 
• Talk with your student about the new school year. See if they have any questions!
• If you want to go the extra mile you could start teaching your student how to tie shoes! This helps not only your child but me! With 30 coming into our class it tends to be a lot of shoes that need to be tied. My back thanks you! 😜

Daily Schedule:

• Arrival is staggered. Students with the last name starting with A-M arrive from 7:45-7:55 and last names with N-Z arrive 7:55-8:05. School starts at 8:10. 
• Lunch and Recess is at 12:10-12:50pm. Please avoid checking out students for appointments during this time.
• Specials is from 12:50-1:30 pm. 
• Dismissal is at 3:25 pm. *If you are going to check out your student early I would suggest checking them out before 2:45 pm.

Welcome 22-23

 Hello families! 

I am so excited to welcome you to First Grade! My name is Jess Crockett and I will be your student's teacher this year. This year will be packed with learning and lots of fun! 

About Me:

I will be starting my sixth year with Landmark Academy.

I have a wonderful husband who coaches baseball in his spare time and we have a son, Tres who is 19 months old!

I love my morning coffee! Dutch Bros is my favorite!

I love Mexican food! YUM!

I love Colorado! I am originally from Texas and love Texas but Colorado has my heart!

Below are important dates and the supply list:

August 8th 4-6 PM Supply Drop/ Meet the Teacher 

• This is super important! I would love to meet everyone and also I can get your student's supplies all organized before school starts.
• All supply lists are on posted on the Landmark Academy at Reunion website. I have also attached it to the blog.
• The primary composition book needs an area to draw a picture and an area to write.  These can be hard to find so click HERE for an Amazon link to them. 
• Pencil Box: The traditional plastic rectangle pencil box is the best and fits the most, please no pencil bags. 
• Headphones: Please work with your student on strategies for untangling cords or how to wrap the cord so it doesn't get tangled! It will save us a lot of time later!

   

I will send another email with more day to day specifics and a short questionnaire for parents at a later date!

5/20

Hello!

Can you believe we have two and half more days until your kiddo is in 2nd grade?!

If you are planning on starting your summer early please let me know ASAP so I can send home some papers and get your computer checked out(if you signed the Chromebook release form).

Chromebook release forms were sent home early this week, they are half papers and yellow. On my email with this link I attached the form as well. I can only release your student's computer if I have the form signed and returned.

Monday:

Students need to wear their uniform and bring their camping accessories in their backpack along with snacks, and a water bottle.

Awards Ceremony: 8:30-9:30 am Parents are welcome!

After the ceremony we will start our camping day activities!

Tuesday:

We will walk to our Park Field Trip at 8:30. Students need to wear uniforms and bring their backpacks, snacks, and water bottles. They can also bring hats, sunglasses, and small outdoor games. They could bring chalk, bubbles, jump ropes, hulu hoops, etc. There are several backyards that back up to the park so I would suggest not bringing balls that could accidently get over the fence.

We will return to school for lunch time.

In the afternoon students will have a Lemonade tasting and we will have some fun activities to go along with it!

Wednesday: LAST DAY, PICK UP IS AT 11:30 AM

Beach Day! Students can bring a beach towel and that will act as their desk for the day!

This also is a catch up day and goodbye day! 😭

Pick up is at 11:30. Lunch will NOT be served. Students do need to bring their backpacks, water bottles, and a morning snack.

5/13

 

Upcoming Dates:

May16th: May Homework due and Computers and chargers stay at school

May 20th: End of the year supplies due for those who signed up (THANK YOU)

May 23rd: AWARDS CEREMONY @ 8:30-9:30 in gym. CAMPING themed day!

May 24th: Park field trip! Students may bring chalk, bubbles, jump ropes, and other small outdoor items. Lemonade tasting in the afternoon.

May 25th: LAST DAY/ HALF DAY! Pickup @11:30!

ABC Countdown

5/16 S-Sunglasses

5/17 T-Toy Day (No electronics or battery operated, must fit in backpack)

5/18 U-Upside down day -We will flip flop our schedule

5/19 V-Video Day

5/20 W- Wacky Hair day!

5/6

It was a fun day! Your kiddo will be tired!! Also, thank you so much for all the love this week for Teacher's Appreciation! 

***If your student has pre-planned absences coming up please let me know (doctor's appts, leaving for summer early, etc)! If your child is sick please call the office AND email me!

Upcoming dates:

5/9: NO SCHOOL

5/10-13: MATH BENCHMARK TESTING

5/16: May Homework Due and ALL COMPUTERS AND CHARGERS ARE RETURNED

5/23: End of the Year Awards Ceremony @8:30 in the gym

5/24: Park Morning (Permission slip and more info coming next week)!

5/25: Last Day/ Pickup @ 11:30

ABC Countdown (5/10-5/13)

5/10: O- Outside day!

5/11: P-PJ Day!

5/12: Q- Quiet Day! Bring blanket and pillow!

5/13:R-Rainbow day (Free Dress)

Academics:

We will be testing and reviewing again this week!

4/29

Hello Families!

May 2nd: Zoo Field Trip and April Homework due! 

-Students may do Free Dress or Uniforms. Please check the weather and dress accordingly! As of right now it looks like it is going to be chilly and potentially rainy... but its Colorado so it may change!

-Students need a sack lunch. This means everything can be thrown away. Please pack a snack separately for our return in their backpack. Please include a water in their sack!

-Students and chaperones are not permitted to buy anything at the zoo (this includes train rides, food, gift, etc.).

-Parents who are not chaperones can meet us there after they purchase tickets online. They can tag along with their student's group but cannot separate them from the group.

May 6th: Field Day/Movie Day

Field Day will be from1-3:15 PM, parents are welcome to come. *Please understand students need to stay with the class.

-There are several water activities so I highly suggest you pack your student and extra set of clothes. They may or may not have time to change but send them just in case!

-Students can wear athletic bottoms and their Field Day shirt (Students will receive these on Tuesday of next week). If you want your student to wear hats they can while we are outside. Sunscreen must be applied by parent or student. I am not allowed to put that on students.

-We will be watching a movie in the morning. We will be watching Disney's 2020, Onward. This is a PG rated movie so please fill out the online permission slip by clicking HERE! 

Sunday May 8th: Mother's Day (Don't forget!)

May 9th: NO SCHOOL

MAY 10-13th: MATH BENCHMARK TESTING

May 16th: May Homework Due

May 25th: Half Day/ LAST DAY! Pick up @ 11:30 

ABC Countdown (May 2nd-May 6th)

5/2 J-Jump to the Denver Zoo!

5/3 K-Kindness Day!

5/4 L-Lollipop Day (teacher provided)!

5/5 M-Mismatched Sock Day!

5/6 N- Nice Day for Field Day!

Academics:

We will be finishing up testing and reviewing in all areas! Don't forget charged computers, water bottles, and snacks!

4/22

Lots of important information! Please read carefully!

Next week (April 25-26) we will be taking our ELA and Math MAP testing on Monday and Tuesday morning. Your student NEEDS to be on time, have working headphones, have a good breakfast, and a CHARGED COMPUTER.  

The Art Show is on April 28th from 4:30-6:30. Our students have some spectacular artwork displayed! Also there will be a hotdog stand and a Kona Ice truck! There will also be a used uniform sale!

APRIL 25-MAY 6 READING BENCHMARK TESTING & Front Office Staff Appreciation week

May 2nd: Zoo Field Trip and April Homework due! *More info to come about the Field Trip.

May 6th: Field Day/Movie Day *More info to come about Field Day

Sunday May 8th: Mother's Day (Don't forget!)

May 9th: NO SCHOOL

MAY 10-13th: MATH BENCHMARK TESTING

May 16th: May Homework Due

May 25th: Half Day/ LAST DAY! Pick up @ 11:30 

ABC Countdown (April 25-29):

4/25: E-Extra Recess

4/26: F-Favorite book! Bring your favorite book to school!

4/27: G-Game Day! Bring your favorite game! *I'll email specifics later.

4/28: H-Hat Day! Wear your favorite hat!

4/29: I-Inside out Day! Wear your uniform inside out!

Academics:

Phonics: We will going over contractions. For example: I+ will= I'll, we + have= we've.

Comprehension: We will work on retelling. Students should be able to retell in a sequence. First, this happened, then this. Students need to also include characters and setting if the text if fictional and the overall main idea and important details if it is non-fiction.

Writing: We are continuing our Opinion unit. Our class has written some great opinion papers but I want them to dig deeper into their supporting reasons. 

Math: We are wrapping up our unit 6 this week and will work on starting up our next unit. Mostly it will be review before our end the year testing.

Social studies: With testing occurring next week I am using this time as flex time to get caught up. If we have time we will look into famous landmarks.

4/14

 Hello Families!

NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!

Reminders:

Computers must be charged every night. If you student has a computer with no charge 2 days in a row it will be a blue sheet. It is IMPERATIVE that students have a charged computer. It is a tool to learn and engage students in learning that we use daily.

Quick reminder that if your student get three blue sheets before our May 2nd Field trip then they will not be permitted to go. 

I had several parents reach out to me about the preplanned absences already, thank you! If your child will be missing any school days please let me know ASAP as we are entering the final stretch of 1st grade.

ABC Countdown is starting this coming Tuesday. I will be sending flyers out again in purple folders today. Please refer to this flyer or the digital copies I have been sending. Our class will also discuss the upcoming days events in class as well.

Dates:

April 15: NO SCHOOL

May 2nd: ZOO FIELD TRIP and APRIL HOMEWORK DUE

May 6th: FIELD DAY

May 9th: NO SCHOOL

May 16th: May homework due

May 25th: HALF DAY/LAST DAY

Academics:

Phonics: Students will review suffixes. We have learned -ed, -s, -es, -ing, and -er. Students need to work on identifying the root word and the suffix. For example, helper has the root word help and the suffix -er. 

Comprehension: We are going to focus on find the main idea of non fiction stories. Students often love pointing out details but we want them to be able to know the general idea of a passage.

Writing: We will be review common and proper nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and compound sentences before we take our unit test. 

Math: Students are continuing to work on adding and subtracting within 25 and will soon be working on doing that within 100.

Social Studies: We got a little bit behind in social studies so next week we are going to talk about the Statue of Liberty and some notable presidents!

4/8

Hello Families! 

Reminders:

Students need to have charged computers everyday. We have been in school close to 140 days. Charging our computers should be routine by now. Also students must have headphones for upcoming testing so please check with your student to be sure their headphones work.

Snacks and water bottles are expected to come to school everyday as well. 

Students who receiving 3 blue sheets (behavior form) will not be permitted on the Zoo Field Trip. 

Important Dates:

April 15th: NO SCHOOL

April 19th: Start of our ABC Countdown ****See email attachment

May 2nd: Zoo Field Trip and April Homework due

May 6th: Field Day

May 9th: NO SCHOOL

May 16th: May Homework Due

May 25th: HALF DAY/LAST DAY 😖

**********I need to know about any preplanned absences. As the school year comes to a close we will be doing a lot of final testing. I need to know ASAP if your student is going to miss any days. If your student gets sick please call the office to let them know.

Academics:

Phonics: We are reviewing a lot of skills. This week we will be focus on syllable types. Closed syllables have one short vowel closed in by a consonant. An open syllable ends with a vowel that is long. Vowel team is a syllable that holds a vowel team.

Comprehension: We are continuing to look at non fiction stories and look at cause and effect. Cause is why something happened, while effect is what happened. I wore a raincoat because it was raining. The effect is me wearing a raincoat and the cause is because it is raining.

Writing: We are wrapping up our opinion paper about the best planet and will move to our next opinion piece. The students are really excited to share their paper with you!

Math: We are working on doubling facts and strategies. Students are working on showing their thinking during word problems.

Social Studies: We are going to focus on famous Americans and symbols. Next week we will be looking at the impact of the National Parks and the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty. 

4/1

 Hello Families!

Can you believe it is April?! 

*IF your student has not turned in their planet project I need it on MONDAY. This is a HUGE grade. 

Upcoming Dates:

April 4th: Field Trip Money Due

April 15th: NO SCHOOL

April 19th: Start of our ABC Countdown ****See email attachment

May 2nd: ZOO FIELD TRIP AND APRIL HOMEWORK DUE

May 9th: NO SCHOOL

May 16th: May Homework Due

May 25th: HALF DAY/LAST DAY 😖

Academics:

Phonics: We going to review our vowels teams. Our current vowel teams are: ea, ee, ai, ay, and igh.

Comprehension: We are reading non fiction books about famous americans that have set a good example for others in their field. 

Writing: We are going to identify subjects and predicates in Grammar and continue to work on our opinion papers.

Math: We are doing a unit of review of addition and subtraction strategies.

Social Studies: We are going to echo our reading unit and talk about famous americans and their impact. We will start with Ben Franklin and Ruby Bridges. 

3/18

Hello Families!

I hope everyone has a great Spring Break, the kiddos deserve a nice and restful break!

I will not be available over Spring Break. If you send me an email I will reply when school resumes on March 28th. Thank you for your understanding!

Important Dates:

March 21-25 NO SCHOOL

April 1st Homework and Science Project due. 

April 15th NO SCHOOL

The First Grade team is currently working on two more field trips for this school year. As soon as we can lock in those dates we will let you know so you can mark your calendar! 

Students can still access Lexia and Dreambox at home!

HAVE A WONDERFUL BREAK!

3/4 *Important Field Trip Info

 Hello wonderful families,

We had a FANTASTIC week!

Field Trip:

MONDAY is our field trip! READ CAREFULLY!

What students need: 

• Uniform bottoms with uniform top or Landmark t-shirt
• Sack lunch (this means every bit of the lunch and lunch sack can be thrown away)
• LABEL EVERYTHING with your student's name 
• Comfy shoes
• Check the weather and send your student with a jacket if needed. Your student is responsible for all their items. I suggest a sweatshirt that can easily be tied around their waist.
• Review expectations with your student. We will be riding a bus, watching a movie, and touring the museum. These experiences may be new to some so please review at home and I will also review before we leave. Students who can not follow the set rules and expectations will have to sit out of the fun. 

Upcoming Dates:

March 7: Field Trip

March 11th: Half Day (pickup @11:30)

March 21-25: Spring Break (NO SCHOOL)

April 1: Homework and science project is due!

BOOK FAIR INFO HERE

Academics:

Phonics: We are going to learn about oi and oy while reviewing vowel teams.

Comprehension: We will working on inferencing. This is taking known information from the text and building on it. For example: She wore her boots and her parka. So I will infer that it is cold outside.

Writing: Next week we will be working on adjectives. These are describing words.

Math: Students will explore 2D and 3D shapes and their attributes.

Social Studies: Students will compare and contrast families and traditions.

2/25

Hello Families!

Upcoming Dates:

Feb. 28th: Homework is due

March 1st: Spring Pictures (UNIFORM ONLY)

March 4th: Field Trip Money Due

March 7th: FIELD TRIP!   Field Trip Online Permission Slip

-Sack lunch and mask! Masks need to be worn on the bus to and from the field trip. Sack lunch means that everything is disposable and labeled!

-Students must show outstanding behavior before and on the field trip. Please review expectations.

-I have filled all chaperone positions, but don't fret we will have more field trips!

March 11th: Half Day (pickup @11:30)

March 21-25: Spring Break NO SCHOOL

April 15th: NO SCHOOL

Academics:

Moral Focus: Next week we start looking at Encouragement. What is it and when we should use it!

Phonics: We are going to focus on vowel teams that make the long e sound. These are ee, and ea. We will also introduce sneaky -y. Y at the end of a two-syllable word makes the long e sound as well. For example, lady, study, many.

Comprehension: We will continue to explore characters and how they can change in a story.

Writing/Grammar: Students have been working hard on identifying types of sentences and now we are going to focus on expanding our simple sentences into compound sentences. Students will be looking at how to combine sentences with the words and or but.

Math: We are going to review next week, and I will pull students to do a quick skills check. This will help me tailor my instruction to help meet student's needs.

Science: We are going to wrap up our space unit!

2/16

 HAPPY MID WINTER BREAK!

I hope everyone has a great long weekend! 

Students are responsible for charging their computers at home. If a student does not have a charged computer they will now receive a consequence. I often give reminders at the end of the day and this has been an expectation since day one. Please help remind your student.

Upcoming Dates:

Feb. 17th, 18th, 21st: NO SCHOOL

Feb. 28th: Homework is Due!

March 1st: Spring pictures UNIFORMS ONLY

March 11th: 1/2 day Pick up @ 11:30, no lunch provided

March 21-25: SPRING BREAK NO SCHOOL

Academics: 

Phonics: We will be working on vowel teams ai and ay in addition to review multisyllabic words.

Comprehension: We will be identifying character traits. Characters have positive and negative traits, that can help or hinder them solving the problem of the story.

Grammar: Next week we will be focusing on identifying the four types on sentences. 

• Declarative: statement or telling sentence   .
• Interrogative: asks a question    ?
• Exclamatory: strong emotion    !    
• Imperative: command or request    .

Math: We will be wrapping up number lines and skip counting. Try skip counting by tens! Extra challenge start with 22 and count on by tens from there!

Science: We are going to continue to explore the solar system! The students are loving it!

2/11

Hello families!

This communication is short and sweet but full of important information.

Upcoming dates:

Feb. 14th: Valentine's Day Celebration (see below for more details)

Feb. 17: NO SCHOOL

Feb. 18: NO SCHOOL

Feb. 21: President's Day NO SCHOOL

March 11th: Early release @ 11:30 AM

March 21-25: Spring Break

Valentine's Day Celebration: Students can bring decorated boxes to collect their valentine cards in. Students may bring valentine cards to pass out to all students in our class. Please address the cards "To: friend" and signed with your student's name. We have 29 students in our classroom.

Academics:  

Next week is super short so we will be reviewing in all subject areas. 

2/4

 Upcoming Dates:

Feb 11th: HALF DAY (pick up @ 11:30)

Feb 14th: Valentine's Day Celebration

Feb. 17, 18, 21: NO SCHOOL 

Feb. 28th: HOMEWORK DUE

For the Valentine's Day Celebration I sent home a hot pink flyer with info on it. It said student may decorate a Valentine's mailbox  and bring in valentines to pass out to all students (29). Please address them to "friend."

Academics:

Moral Focus: We are exploring courage and what that looks like in school and home.

Phonics: We are going to explore words with the Vowel-Consonant-E syllable type. Most people know this are magic or silent e. Words with this syllable type have long vowel sound. Examples: bike, take, Pete, note, and cube.

Comprehension: In reading we will be looking at characters and how they change over the course of the story. Their attitude or mental state may change as they learned to solve their problem.

Writing: Students will explore verbs and nouns and how they often relate. We will also be starting narrative stories.

Math: Students will continue to use number lines in various ways. Students will also work on skip counting. 

Science: We have started our space unit and will look at different phases of the moon.

1/28

Quick and simple blog today cause of 100 day madness!

Purple Folders are coming home today, please empty and return!!

Please be sure that your info on the parent portal is up to date. 

Make sure your student is coming with a charged computer, 2 or more snacks, and a water bottle. 

Conferences are coming up. Click HERE for the sign up. They will be virtual again, if you need an interpreter please let me know.

Below is the Landmark Academy monthly schedule. Check it out! February is full of events. 

Landmark Academy Schedule

1/21

Hello Families!

Well it was a short week and we had a delayed start one day! That means it was a crazy busy week and I am ready for a nap!

Upcoming Dates:

Jan 28th is 100th day of school! Please check backpacks for a flyer! We have a fun project we would like you to participate in! 

Feb.11 is a Half Day (pickup at 11:30 am, NO LUNCH)

Feb. 14 Valentine's Day (More info to come!)

Feb. 17, 18, and 19: NO SCHOOL

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held in Feb. as well. More info to come. If you need an interpreter please email me so I can contact district to set that up!

Academics:

Moral Focus: Next week will wrap up our virtue of perseverance! We will be watching a short clip of Mulan and also listening to a fun song about perseverance.

Phonics: We will be continuing to explore multisyllabic words with both open and closed syllables. We will be reviewing this skill for a while to be sure we are efficient. 

Writing: Students will be learning about common and proper nouns. A noun is a person, place, thing, or animal (boy, store, pencil, dog). A proper noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or animal (Mr. Collins, Target, etc). Proper nouns are capitalized in sentences, while common nouns are not.

Comprehension: Our class is starting our next unit of study. We are back to reading fiction stories. Next week students will focus on identifying characters and the character's feeling throughout the story. At home you can practice this by asking a lot of "how and why" questions. "Why did they do that? or How do they feel? How do you know? Did their feelings change?"

Math: We will be starting Unit 4! Students will explore number lines and see how they could be a benefit to adding and subtraction.

Social Studies: With me being out last week, we are gonna stretch Landforms another week and then hop over to Science.

1/7

Happy New Years!

Wow, it was a crazy week! We got a lot accomplished this week.

Please review school expectations with your student. As we have entered the second half of First Grade student are expected to know and follow the rules. I love our Moral Focus curriculum which focuses on wisdom, respect, self-control, etc. These are taught and expected of my students. 

Students need to know to charge their computers at night. If your student makes it part of their routine coming home then they are less likely to forget.

Purple Folders: Please empty these every Friday and return them each week. 

Upcoming Dates:

1/17: MLK/NO SCHOOL

2/11: HALF DAY (pick up at 11:30, no lunch provided)

2/17: NO SCHOOL

2/18: NO SCHOOL

2/21: NO SCHOOL

2/28: Homework due

Parent/ Teacher Conferences will be held at the beginning of February. I will send a sign up at a later date.

Academics:

Moral Focus: We are learning about Perseverance this month. Perseverance means to never give up. I emphasize this heavily. Students should persevere through things that are hard, easy, entertaining, or boring.

Phonics: We are reviewing what an open syllable is. An open syllable is a part of a word that ends with one long vowel. For example the word "robot" has two syllables. The first syllable say "ro-" and the second part is "bot." The first syllable is open because it ends with one long vowel. The second syllable is a closed syllable because it has one short vowel closed in by another letter.

Comprehension: We will be working on comparing and contrasting nonfiction texts. Students will be reading more animal books to prepare for this. To practice this skill have students identify similarities and differences at home. This could be while reading but also in other areas as well.

Writing: The students are having a blast with their opinion writings so I am actually going to extend out our opinion unit out a bit further. It is great to see students so excited about a subject. 

Math: Next week is our middle of the year testing for math. Students with meet with me individually to review various math skills. There is no need to prepare for this. This will give me great information about how to best assist your student moving forward. 

Social studies: Students are learning about various landforms around the world and how the can impact people's living. For instance, high mountains often come with snowfall.