September 7, 2007

 

Dear Parents,

          Well, we have made it through nearly a full week of school and the children are already showing me what they know.  In Reading, we have been working on a beginning of the year assessment to help gauge each child’s reading strengths and abilities.  We have also been learning about reader’s workshop.  In Writing we reviewed the writing process, learned writing workshop rules, and have begun a biographical poem to use the process for the first time this year.  The children are having a lot of fun writing a poem about themselves.  In Math we reviewed addition strategies.  Also, the kids took timed addition fact tests to see how they can improve the number of facts memorized in a 5 minute period.  We also did a data table, bar graph, and data analysis of our first names. We really had fun with this math lesson.  In Social Studies we have been using an atlas to work on map skills.  The children are fascinated with the atlas and all that it entails.  We will  start our rocks and minerals unit next week in Science (Today Mrs. Schindley and I actually made the “mock rocks” for next week’s investigation).  We are currently reviewing manuscript in Handwriting.  We also learned the cursive song, cursive air writing, and most importantly, the cursive pencil grip.  It is only the second week of school and already we have been quite busy!!!

          Just a few notes:

  1. I will send home the first monthly book order of the year today.  It is due back next Friday, September 14th.  Please send in a check, not cash, with your child’s order.  It really does speed the process up.  It usually takes 7 -10 school days to receive the order.
  2. Next Tuesday will be the first time I send home the blue work folders.  Just a reminder, it needs to be signed and returned by Thursday.
  3. I would like to thank you for the time and effort you as parents have been putting into making sure your child’s homework is done.  It gives a strong, positive message to the children that homework is an important part of their educational lives.  Plus, I am getting to enjoy some pretty cool book covers!

Have a nice weekend!

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Theresa Johnson