Miss Ellis' Classroom
Weekly Newsletter 10/14/11This week just seemed to fly by! We have settled into our routine in our classroom and we are accomplishing quite a bit each day!
We are working our way through our second reading unit which is all about animals. As the students enjoy the stories presented they are working on concepts such as adjectives, punctuation, synonyms, antonyms, summarizing, new vocabulary words, purposes of stories, fiction/nonfiction, blending words, editing writing se-lections, etc.
This is an exciting time of year in first grade. Students that came into the classroom at the beginning of the year not reading at all, or barely reading, are beginning to take off! As in any other skill, practice makes perfect! I know that the reading time at home is very time consuming, but it is time well spent! Make sure that your child is reading their 60 minutes a week. I have sent a baggie of decodable readers home for the first time this week. As the letter inside the baggie states, these decodables are important as they review the sounds that are introduced in the classroom. The goal is to have your child read fluently (without stopping to sound out words) all 119 decodables that they will bring home by the end of the year. Part of your 60 minutes of reading should be spent having your child practice the decodables they are not yet reading fluently. They start out very easy, but will increase in difficulty each week.
Keep working on your October Book It! Your Book It reading can definitely be part of your 60 minute homework requirement! You can choose to keep all of your paperwork at home until you have completed the entire requirement or you can send in each individual book report as it is completed. If you need books, I have plenty in the classroom for any reading level! October Book It requirements are due Friday, October 28th.
I have attached the next 5 math facts to memorize. They are definitely harder than last week’s facts so be sure to work on them all week so that your child knows them by rote (without having to count out the answer.)
Our school is busy preparing for our annual Harvest Carnival, which is Saturday, October 29th. This is a great opportunity for our students to get together in a safe environment to have fun. We need lots of help to make this a successful event. There is a sign-up sheet on our classroom door for you to sign up for the ways you will be able to help us out. We have only received a couple of bags of candy. Thank you in advance.
Monday is a holiday for all of you! Enjoy your three days off this weekend!
God’s Blessings,
Miss Ellis
I’m excited about this year and look forward to the experience with you!
Friday Folders:
A “Good Work” folder will be sent home each
Friday. This folder will contain your
child’s graded work and a brief report of your
child’s academic and social performance.
Please sign and return this folder on Monday.
Your child’s work is yours to keep and enjoy!
Homework:
A homework packet will be sent home each Friday
with your child. The homework is not
designed to be a burden on your child, but to
reinforce concepts taught at school. This
gives you an opportunity to take an active role
in your child’s education. The homework is
due the following Thursday. I will include
a classroom newsletter in the homework folder.
It will contain important classroom information
so it will be important that you read it each
week. The newsletter will also be posted
on the Zion website each week.
Chapel:
Chapel will be held each Wednesday. Be
sure to check the uniform policy to see what
your child needs to wear on chapel days.
Nutrition Break:
We will have a nutrition break each morning.
Acceptable snacks that students may bring are
fruits, vegetables, cheese, peanut butter and
crackers. Please do not send drinks or
foods containing a large amount of sugar for
snack time.
Attendance:
It is extremely important that each child be in
school unless he/she is ill. Even if a
child is a very capable student, each absence
hinders the overall program. A multitude
of reading and math concepts are taught
visually, orally and with "manipulatives".
The absent child misses out on the varied
approach as there is little time for making up
one concept before beginning a new one.
Promptness:
Please help your child to start the day off
right by arriving between 7:50 a.m. and 8:00
a.m. each day. This helps your child to
prepare for the day before the 8:00 a.m. bell
rings. School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m.
Birthdays:
A birthday is an important day in your child’s
life, and we would like the students to be able
to celebrate at school. I will call you
beforehand, to give you the opportunity to bring
a special snack for us to enjoy during morning
recess. If you are planning a birthday
party at your home and are inviting the whole
class, all of the boys, or all of the girls, you
may pass out invitations at school. If
not, you will need to deliver the invitations
another way.
Toys:
Due to the possibility of loss
or damage, please do not allow your child to
bring toys to school. Playground toys such
as jump ropes, four square balls, basketballs,
soccer balls etc. are fine. Please mark
them with your child’s name. There are no
hard balls allowed.
As we join together this year with the common goal of helping your child grow spiritually, socially, and academically, we are forming a partnership. If you have any questions or concerns this year, please contact me by phone (760-390-2711), by e-mail (sellis@zlcs.org), or come see me in person and we will work it out to the benefit of your child. Communication is one of the big keys to any relationship. May God bless this year we have together!