Newsletter for the week of January 2nd

Welcome Back!  I hope everyone’s 2012 has started off with a bang.  I trust that everyone had a safe and peaceful winter holiday and a wonderful New Years!  I can’t wait to get back into the swing of things this week at school.

Important Information:

- Till January 20^th our specials will be as followed: on Mondays we will have Music, Tuesday will be Art, Wednesday will be PE, Thursday will be Media, and Friday will be also be PE. So make sure to wear tennis shoes on Wednesday and Friday.

- I know some people’s schedules change with the New Year.  Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering in the classroom.  If you are interested, please let me know what day(s) and time(s) and how many times a week/month you would like to come.  Thanks so much for everything you do!

- It’s COLD outside! Make sure your child is coming to school appropriately dressed with coats, gloves, scarves, etc. They will have to sit in a Kindergarten classroom during our recess time if they are not appropriately dressed.  Thanks for your understanding with this.

- Report cards went home the day we tracked out in December.  Please return the envelope as soon as possible.  Also, please let me know if you would like to schedule a conference to discuss your child’s progress.  I will be holding 3rd quarter conferences around mid February.

- Happy Birthday to Emma J., Elizabeth, Maria, and Rickar who all had December birthdays over our Track Out!  We hope you had a super one over Track out!

- Book-IT!- If you kept track of your books read over Track Out and filled out the December Book-It! please turn that in as soon as possible. January Book-It! will be coming home on Monday with all of the homework. The goal for January is to read 14 books. This will be due on Tuesday, January 31^st. 

Items needed for class this week:

This week we are reading the book “The After Christmas Tree” and we are going to be making peanut butter bird feeders.  Each child will need to bring in a pine cone in a gallon sized. Please put your child’s name on their bag with a sharpie marker. Please have this brought in by this Wednesday. We will also need a couple of jars of peanut butter and plastic knives to spread the peanut butter. Please write a note in the Home-School Connection if you are willing to donate either of these items.  Thank you so much in advance!

Homework for the week of January 2nd

Math	Complete attached Math Expressions pages: 4-15 (Homework- front and Targeted Practice- back) 5-1 (Homework- front and Targeted Practice - back)
Spelling	Sight Words this Week: out     so       are      going      away *As the year progresses, we will be creating a list of sight word activities that your child can choose from each week. Your child needs to choose 2 of the 6 activities listed.  In addition, they should also read the sight words to a parent each night. Pick 2 of the choices below: *Write each sight word 3x each. *Use each sight word in a sentence. *Rainbow write your words in 2 colors for each word. *Write your sight words in ABC order. *Write each word neatly. Trace over all the vowels in each word with a blue crayon. *Write a story and use each of your sight words. Underline each word as you use it in the story.
Reading	Read your “Book in a Bag” to Mom or Dad. Parents complete the Parent Participation Sheet. Your child should continue to read their “Book in a Bag” several times throughout the week. *Continue to use the Fiction Retelling Star.  We have been using this in the classroom to help with our retelling.  When your child is retelling the story, have them use this star to assist them.
Wilson Fundations	Complete the Wilson Fundations sheet.  We have been working with the “baseword and suffix /s/.” Read the directions and complete the sheet. We never tap out a suffix. We tap out the baseword, then blend it once, then blend it a second time with the suffix added to it. *Please make sure this sheet is turned in on Friday with all of the other homework.