Also, is your child wearing one of our special Math badges yet?  If not, please work on the addition facts daily and I will be retesting on Friday.

Remember that the CRCT test is April 23, 24 and 25 for first grade. It is very important that your child be to school on time, as we will begin soon after morning announcements. If your child comes in late and the testing has begun, they will NOT be able to enter the classroom until a break in testing.

A few pointers worth mentioning: 

**Be sure your child has a good night's sleep before each test day.

**Be sure your child has a good, nutritious breakfast, hopefully with some fruit and whole grains involved.

** Be sure your child brings a good snack to school, as they will have it between testing sessions every day. Grapes, other fruits, cheese and crackers,and veggies, are all good brain-stimulating choices.

**Try to make sure your child leaves home happy and settled and ready to go.

Remember to send back your registration card and big manilla envelope it came in as soon as possible.

Don't forget that tonight is PTA and Math Curriculum Night.  After the meeting please come to our room and see some of the math related activities and hands on learning we do.  You may play some math games with your child!

The Presidents' reports were great!  They will be displayed tonight in the hallway along with some work we have been doing in the computer lab.

CRCT Update:
    I have now sent home the first 2 CRCT skills packets.  Please remember to work on these with your child and check them together.  I attached an answer key for your convenience.  It is important for them to see their mistakes and learn from them.  I will be testing every Monday, the skills that you have worked on during the previous week.  I was surprised on the first test at how many mistakes were made.  I sent this home yesterday.  Be sure to go over it with your child.  Please don't do the packet all in one night.  Spread it out and allow "sink in" time. :) DO NOT return the packets...instead, hold on to them for review as the test date gets closer.  Don't forget about the online practice test at http://www.georgiaoas.org.  I gave you your child's login # at conference time.  Please let me know if you need your child's login #.

Looking ahead...next Tuesday, 3/11 Texas Roadhouse Dinner night and Friday, 3/14 is Bingo night!

We are loving the Penguin Study!   

We have had some wonderful reports and projects during this study.  I have seen lots of creative games and pictures and the stories and poems have been wonderful!

At the risk of parents wanting to push ME through the ice like these two, I am planning another home project for the month of February.  We will be studying the Presidents and I will be sending home information about this project very soon.  For now you may want to be working on your Valentine box.  They are due to school on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14th.

Conference week was wonderful!  Thanks to everyone for coming in. If you still have the Foundation survey please send it back ASAP.

We have started our chapter on counting money.  If you have not sent in coins for your child please do so if possible.  We are off to a good start with it!

We have had a small change in our lunch schedule.  Our time is now 11:54-12:24.  This will give our "story parents" a few extra minutes to read, so bring an extra book!! :)

Also, remember tomorrow is an Early Release day.  Dismissal is 2 hours early!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and you are all rested and ready to jump into the last half of First Grade!  I know the children are ready and eager!

I am sending home conference letters and appreciate you sending them back promptly.  Our week is split up this year due to the MLK holiday.  We will be conferencing Tuesday-Friday and then the NEXT Monday (Jan. 28).  Please remember that school will be dismissed 2 hours early on these days.  Lunch is also earlier so there is no need to send a snack.

You will find in today's folder a Six Flags reading log.  Please use this for January and February.  You will definitely run out of space so continue your log on our January form.  Staple all together and turn in to me by February 20th.  If you have read for 6 hours you will receive a free pass to Six Flags in your final report card.  This is an optional activity.

Hooray for Thanksgiving!!

We are looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, November 15, for our Thanksgiving luncheon.  We will be performing a short skit and songs for you   (There could be a parking shortage so plan ahead!)  Showtime is at 12:10 and then we will walk to the cafeteria at 12:25.  After lunch you are welcome to have a family picture taken in the Media Center as well as enjoy the Book Fair. 

The teachers at Garrison Mill are trying to raise money for the American Cancer Society by having a baked goods auction.  Please make a bid on one of the delicious treats offered by our staff.  Bidding ends on Friday and all items can be picked up on Monday during school hours in the Media Center.  Please help us support this wonderful cause.

On Wednesday and Friday the other grade levels will be having their luncheons and we will be eating sack lunches in our classroom.  The choices are corndogs or chicken filet sandwiches.

Also, we are looking forward to having High Touch High Tech back with us on Monday.  We will be learning all about sound.

Tuesday, November 20th, is picture retake day! 

Our first report card is coming home today. This report card is very different from the kindergarten report card. This 9 weeks your child will get a reading and a math grade. These grades are E-Excellent, G-Good, S-Satisfactory, N-Needs Improvement, U-Unsatisfactory.  Always remember that the report card reflects an entire 9 week period not just the past week or so. We do not give English and Spelling grades during this 1st grading period. We start these the next 9 weeks since we are only beginning to introduce these subjects in our day.

On the lower section of the report card you will not see E's or G's, only:  O-Outstanding, S-Satisfactory, N-Needs  Improvement. These grades are given for Social Studies, Science, Health, Handwriting, Behavior, Work Habits. I usually do not give O's for Science, Social
Studies or Health until later in the year when the students are working more independently . Art, Music and PE grades are given by those teachers.

We do not have a teacher parent conference scheduled until January.  I will contact you if I feel that a conference is needed before then.  Please feel free to do the same.

**When you receive your child's report card, please KEEP the report card. Sign the white signature card that is in the envelope. Then send the signature card AND the envelope back to me as soon as possible.

  RED RIBBON WEEK is this week.  Look for stickers, activities and notes reminding the children to "SAY NO TO DRUGS!"  Early education is valuable.

Looking Ahead:

Monday...."Drug Dog" Assembly
                 School Bus Driver Appreciation Day            

Tuesday....Computer Lab

Wednesday...Media Center (return and check out)
                    Lunch & Learn for Parents 11:30       

Thursday...Arthur Atsma Magic Assembly, Performing Arts Program

Friday....Pep Rally for perfect attendance students
              Fall Fun Centers 12:20-1:20  Everyone is invited!
              Backyard Burger Night 5-7pm

WOW!  This year is really flying by!  I can't believe it is already October.  We will be having our first High Tech/High Touch activity on Tuesday, October 9th.  We will be learning about magnets.  If you have not sent in your permission form, please do before Tuesday!

Thank you so much for sending in apples and helping your children with their apple projects during the past 2 weeks.  They did a good job with them and we had some yummy projects!

The boys and girls did a great job taking the CoGat test last week and I am sure ALL of our GM students are glad the testing is finally over!

In math we continue to work on subtraction strategies.  We are learning how to graph, count the minutes on a clock by 5's and then 1's, and we are beginning to count money.  Please be sure to practice counting by 2's, 5's and 10's with your child.  Don't always start at the beginning...have them start counting by 5's at 20, or by 2's at 16 or by 10's at 40.  This is a big help when they start counting money and time!

I only had about 50% of the class reach our September Reading Log goal of 300 minutes.  I had planned to "up" the daily time to 15 minutes but will keep it at 10 minutes through October.  Let's all try to read, at least, 300 minutes during the month of October.  Don't forget to record it on your log!

LOOKING AHEAD...

October 8th  Reflections Deadline

October 16th  Picture Day
                 and
Texas Roadhouse Dinner Night

October 17th last day for box tops
and Early Release Day

I am so proud of "our" boys and girls this week.  We took our first math test and they did FANTASTIC!  We will be starting Chapter 2 on Monday which covers more addition/subtraction strategies.  We also have been practicing our Addition Facts 0-2.  I will be adding the 3's this week and we will start to have timed tests.  By the end of the year we expect every child to be able to answer 50 problems in 5 minutes.  Here is a website that will let you generate your own facts test AND will let students answer facts on the computer: www.mathfactcafe.com

Monday, September 17th, the media center will be open 6-8pm for Reading Night.  Students may take AR tests and check out books.  Please remember that in 1st grade the student must do all of the reading - no help!       

Remember...Wednesday is an Early Release Day.  Dismissal will be at 12:30.

Thanks to all of you for attending Open House last week!  I hope I answered all of your questions and addressed any concerns you may have had about First Grade. 

I'm sure you have noticed that your child came home with 2 homework assignments today.  The first is the "ever present" Math sheet and the second is the weekly Language Arts sheet I discussed at Open House.  This paper is not due back to me until Friday.  You will definitely need to help your child with this sheet at the beginning of the year.