Mrs. Snook’s 1st Grade News

Week of January 29th

Dear Parents,

It's hard to believe that we are in the final week of January!!! Where does the time go?   At least it has felt like winter outside and the boys and girls have enjoyed playing in the colder weather.

This past week in class I was learning how to use a scan converter---to put my computer screen site up on the TV in my classroom.  We tested it out on the Atlanta Zoo watching Mei Lan and her mother interact.  The kids loved it, so, I want to pass on the website for you at home:

          www.zooatlanta.org    Then, go to Panda Cam and they should be available for viewing between 10am and 5pm week days.

With Wednesday, the 31st, being the last day of January, Mrs. Harrison and I have decided to let each child bring in a favorite toy they received during the holiday...yes, they may be electronic ones.  We'll make some time for sharing them.

Also, on Wednesday, January 31st, each child's Reading Log will be due.  I'll be sending home a new one on that day for February....thanks for all the help in reading these children are doing at home--I can tell a different in Guided Reading!!

In Math this week, we will be taking the Chapter Test on money.  Most everyone is doing well with the coins, but one area that you can work with them at home is adding on coins to get a certain amount of money--for example:  one quarter, one dime, and one penny---how much money?  Have them start with the largest value coin, 25 cents, and add 10 cents to it.  This is where the problem comes in.  I have given every child a small 1 - 100 frame to keep in their pencil box.  I have shown them many times to go to 25 on the chart, and then move ten places or more down to the next number underneath, which is 35.  They want to count ten places on their fingers and I'm trying to avoid that.  Then, adding a penny is no problem for a total of 36 cents.  Another way to work with them at home is to give them some change and have your child make 28 cents, 41 cents, 36 cents, etc.....good practice.  We have talked. practiced, and demonstrated 2, 3 and 4 quarters together to make 50 cents, 75 cents, and 1 dollar, so, for those that want a challenge, have them make amounts like 86 cents,  64 cents, 72 cents, etc.  Keep practicing at home with dad or mom's change and it just makes it easier for them when we count in the classroom.  THANKS!  We will be starting clocks and telling time chapter next.

For Writing this week, we will be finishing our studies of the Arctic and Antarctic animals with each child writing about his/her favorite animal.  Our penguin and polar bear facts were great and we made a big class list of facts on each to help them in their writing.  I am not going to be surprised if many of them choose to write about other animals than the penguin or polar bear.  They have enjoyed learning about the Arctic Tern, many different kinds of whales, reindeer/caribou, Arctic foxes and hares, wolverines, sharks, moose, porpoises, seals, walruses, and many others, as well as the names of the food some these animals eat---krill, crabs, squid, and plankton.

In Phonics, we continue different spellings of long vowels.  This week we will work on the long o spelled "oe" and "ow" as in toe and bow.  Please continue to reinforce these and other vowel combinations (such as oa, ee, ea, ay, ie, etc.) in your nightly reading.

Our Literacy Centers for January will concluded on Wednesday, the 31st.  Many have finished all 16 centers since returning on January 8th and are working on winter writing and money cards for me if they have finished.  Others continue to struggle getting to all centers, but I'm not sure they are using their time wisely....I will make notes on the Literacy papers if I have seen this.  With February upon us, the new Literacy Centers will include Valentines activities, Presidents Day activities on Washington and Lincoln, Health activities on teeth with Dental Month in February, writing and reading activities, an Art activity, Math activities, and some kind of Phonics activity.  I will update you more next week.

Reading groups will finish up with Mrs. Harrison and myself by mid-week and we will be swapping groups by Thursday or Friday. My groups this week are finishing up a Winter Rebus story called "Let's Play in the Snow" with activities to do on the winter vocabulary.  I'll send it home later this week.

FYI for February---yes, we will be making Valentines boxes for their cards and it will be a home project for creativity....more to come home later.  600 Six Flags Minute lists are due to me by February 12th for your child to qualify for a free summer ticket.  Parent Centers will be celebrated on  Wednesday, February 14th with, of course, a Valentines theme.  Jump rope for Heart and Spirit Day (GM t-shirt) on Friday, February 9th.

Keep warm this week and make sure your child has a coat at school....the temperatures are going to be some of the coldest we've had so far!!

Sincerely,  Peggy Snook

Week of January 22nd

Dear Parents,

Winter has returned in full force!!!  Your children are eagerly awaiting some snow during this winter season....maybe we will see some in the next weeks to come.

We continue to study the animals of the Arctic and Antarctica regions of the world.  One interesting fact that has intrigued the students is that the Arctic Tern is a bird that lives part of the year in the Arctic region and then flies the 21,000+ trip to the Antarctic region.  You also received this past week the information sheet for the polar bear OR penguin facts that your child is to write.  They must have 5 facts on either animal and that information is due on Monday, January 22, 2007. The information may be gathered from books, the internet, or an encyclopedia.

In Phonics we continue to work on the vowel pairs "ea", "ai", "ee", ie, igh, ay, and y.  We have been making several Word Wheels that gives them good practice in rhyming works with these vowel pairs.  Please go over these with your child when they are brought home as they are yours to keep...thanks.

In Math we are working on money with particular interest in the penny, nickel, dime and quarter. I am please to observe that several of my students can do this very well, but others need some practice at home.  The use of the bag of coins you sent in has helped tremendously. One area I see as a weakness for many is they do not know what the two faces of each coin looks like, so, when they are adding on coins, some are NOT sure what coin that is.  Please let your child practice counting on coins at home with Dad's pocket change or Mom's change in her purse. ALWAYS start with the largest coin in the group that you are adding together.

This week also will include the 100th day of school on Wednesday, January 24th. A 100th day packet is being send home on Monday, the 22nd, that comes from the book called The 100th Day by Angelia S. Medireios that we read today.  There is a word search, a word completion page, vocabulary page and it will be due by Friday, January 26th. Some of them will need help in reading, so, please look over it as they do this work.

In Reading this week I will be doing some assessment on some of my students.  Any books that I send home from a reading group are yours to keep....please have your child reread this book with you for extra practice.  Our library day this week will be on Tuesday, the 23rd, so, please return any book(s) that you may have out so that your child may check out a new one.  At the top of this week's behavior sheet I have written down how many points your child has so far in Accelerated Reader.  Many have some points, but haven't added to them in months. One child has 20 AR points and several have "0" points.  I am encouraging each child to start/continue reading books and taking an AR test on the computer.

ANGEL BEAR has returned for her second trip home with my students.  She is so well loved by these kids and we all enjoy reading the adventures she has with your child!! Continue to enjoy and read over the fall activities she had with other students.  Also, I have just turned in a new roll of pictures that would include our Holiday Party in December and other events in our room.  I will be taking down all the ones in the hall from August - November this week and I'll be saving them for our end of year "Memory Book" that we will do in May.  So, check out the new pictures by the end of this week...I should have them up by then.

This Friday night will be the Garrison Mill Sock Hop from 6:30 to 8:30 in the gym.  It should be  a lot of fun...hope to see you there!

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Peggy Snook

Week of January 16th

Dear Parents,

What a BUSY week back from the holidays we had last week!!!!   Lots of things going on in the classroom, so, I am hoping you are checking out this Blog to know all about our activities.  Please make sure to sign the card inside of the report card envelope and return it to me ASAP.  You are to keep any forms or report card copy that is inside the envelope....thanks!

Scholastice Book order selections and ordering forms were sent home to you last week.  This is totally OPTIONAL for you, but, if you are interested, please return your order by this Friday, Jan. 19th.  If you send in a check, please make it out to Aimee Fritz as she will write one check for the entire order.  Thank you.  Along these lines, please encourage your child to take an AR test.  I have 30+ new AR books in my room at all levels from 1.5 to 3.0. 

December Reading Logs were sent home this past week.  There was a 3-way tie for the most minutes read....Nathan Fritz, Anna Moseley, and Milan Pavlovic all received Reading Certificates for their accomplishments.....way to go!!

As far as curriculum for this week---most everything will continue that I wrote about last week's letter.  Please go back and review it, if you need to. Thanks for sending in all the bags of coins for our money chapter.  We will also be reviewing telling time to the hour and introducing telling time to the half hour.  Please use your time at home to reinforce money (let your child count your pocket change some nights - always start with the biggest value of a coin and add on) and telling time to the hour and half hour. This will certainly give them real-life experiences with both.

The week of January 16th the students will be able to purchase a balloon for $1.00 to honor Mrs. Porter and Mrs. Swanson, teachers on our faculty, who are both fighting breast cancer.  These funds will be donated to the Susan B. Komen Cancer group.  Thanks in advance for your suppoort.  Also, on Friday, the 19th, third grade will be having the monthly Bake Sale where children can purchase a treat in the cafetaria starts at 7:55.

Please check out last week's Blog site to see what we are doing in class as we are continuing many of the same activities.

Have a great week and keep warm with winter coming back today!!!

Sincerely,  Peggy Snook

Week of January 8, 2007

Dear Parents,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!    It's hard to believe that our Winter Break is over and the new year is upon us!! I sincerely hope that each of you were able to have some special time with your family....I know that I did.

The Six Flags 6 Hour Reading Club forms were sent home before the holidays.  They are due back to me by February 12th and each child that completes 360 minutes of reading will be eligible to receive a FREE Six Flags ticket for this summer.  Sounds like a good deal to me!!!  Read & Enjoy!

An information packet was sent to you before the holidays for on-line practice CRCT test.  I hope that you have had an opportunity to read it and will check out this site.  This will be a good chance for you to see how they are doing.  CRCT tests are schedule for some time in April.

Here are some important dates in January for you to mark on your calendars:

Monday, Jan. 8th - Back to School

Tuesday, Jan. 9th - High Touch High Tech on Magnets 8:00 - 9:30

Friday, Jan. 12th - Report Cards sent home

                           -School Spirit Day/wear your GM t-Shirt

Monday, Jan. 15th - MLK holiday/no school

Tuesday, Jan. 16th - Room Parents Meeting  10 - 11 AM

Friday, Jan. 19th - Relay for Life Bake Sale

Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 22nd - 23rd  - Student Fingerprinting

Wednesday, Jan. 24th - 100th Day of School

Friday, Jan. 26th - Munch and Learn  11 - Noon

                          - Sock Hop  6:30 - 8:30

Here are some of the topics and subjects that we will study in January.

In Science we will continue to explore the thermometer by making a "hands-on" thermometer of our own.  This will lead us into more studies of weather, temperatures, and winter writing.

• In writing we will continue to work on narrative writing---telling a story or event.  We will particularly be working on capital letters at the beginning of sentences and punctuation marks at the end of sentences.
• In math we will be starting a chapter on money.  I have requested on the homework sheet for you to send in 10 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes, and 4 quarters.  Please label the ziplock bag with your child's name and send it in by Wednesday, January 10th.  The coins will be returned to you.
• Reading groups have swapped between Mrs. Harrison and me.  Both of us are seeing  improvement with most students.  We continue to work on retelling the story in their own words, sequencing (what happened first, second.....), and comprehension of what they have read.  These are all skills that you can do with your child in their nightly reading at home.

We will start a new unit of study of animals that live in the Arctic and Antarctica regions of the world.  This will lead us to study polar bears and penguins in more details.  Look for a fact sheet to be sent home later.  Also, we will be talking and reading about Martin Luther King this week as MLK day is recognized on January 15th.

We start new Literacy Centers this week and these will continue for the next several weeks.  Here are some of the subject areas we will be doing.....magnets, sentence writing, listening center with "Tacky the Penguin, winter word search, read the room, read a book independently, long and short vowel review, winter word sentences, art center, read and illustrate a poem, 2 math centers, math flashcards, and spelling word center on words that we have had.  These centers are done independently or with a partner and they are working on these while Mrs. Harrison and I have our Guided Reading groups.  As you can tell, we will be quite busy in January!!!

FYI----please make sure your child has a good snack for school as many of them were forgetting one  or they didn't like what was packed for them.  They are quite hungry by 9:15 and they look forward to this time....thanks!!

                 Here's hoping the weather gets more seasonal and we are able to write about Winter using our spelling words like----scarf, mittens, cold, snow, snowman, and boots!

Have a great week.....Peggy Snook