If you need to schedule a large item pick-up to be donated to the Foundation Garage Sale,
Please call Patti Lavender: 770-552-1162
We are planning to schedule pick-ups for Sunday afternoon, April 27th, but we may be able to make other arrangements.
Garrison Mill has recently established a Foundation whose purpose is to provide resources above and beyond what the County and the Garrison Mill PTA is able to provide. Please visit their web page to find out more about who they are, what they do, and help support their first fundraising event. You can visit them at: GME Foundation.
Hi Everyone!
We're coming in the home stretch now! Only about 7 or 8 weeks of school left.
Here are the skills and activities we are learning or continuing this month:
English/Language Arts/Spelling/Reading
1. We are learning the differences and uses among a dictionary, and atlas and an encyclopedia/internet. We are also learning how to find words in our easy first grade dictionary.
2. We are adding suffixes to root/base words, such as quick, quicker, quickest, quickly, or happy, happier, happiest.
3. We are continuing to broaden the understanding about what makes a good sentence, and a good story. The children have learned how to spot a question, or 'asking' sentence (who, what, where, when, how, why, or will at the beginning), a statement sentence, and one that denotes excitement and needs an exclamation point.
4. We are continuing with nouns, especially proper nouns.
5. Spelling for this month is as follows:
Week of March 31: review of the last unit
Week of April 5: Spring Break
Week of April 14: the words as with his
Week of April 21: CRCT review
Week of April 28: they at with
6. In reading, we are concentrating on comprehension skills and specific skills as noted above. We will also work on cause and effect, putting events in sequential order, and writing our own stories. Instead of reading groups this month, we will be doing an author study. Our first author will be William Steig. After that, children will be involved in choosing our next author.
Math
In math we'll be finishing up the money unit and going on to time (to the hour and half hour, elapsed time), calendar time, estimating, and non-standard measurement (such as measuring distance with a paper clip). We will be reviewing other learned math skills. I will continue to send you the math review sheets as homework on Wednesdays. This way you can help refresh if your child has forgotten a concept.
In Science, we are studying and will continue to study plants, what they need to live and their parts. We will also discuss animals' basic needs and characteristics.
In Social Studies we are learning about Canada, it's customs and land, as well as comparing the Canadian to American family life and celebrations.
Other Information
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, even though they have been included on your monthly behavior calendar:
**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.
Try to come to the PTA/Art Show on Thursday, April 3 to see all the incredible artwork our GM students have produced. You will truly be amazed. And you can buy your own child's framed masterpiece, the information for which was sent to you last Thursday in the folder.
Have a wonderful, refreshing, relaxing Spring Break with those you love.
Fondly,
Diana
Dear Parents,
I can't believe it's already March. Where has the year gone?? We are still hard at work. Here's the latest for the month of March:
SPELLING:
week of March 3: that, it, you (review word)
week of March 10: he, for, was
week of March 17: on, are, was (review)
week of March 24: review week
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS:
recognizing a complete sentence (capital, subject, verb, punctuation)
subject/verb agreement
adding suffixes, such as -ed, -ing, -er, -est, -ly
changing -y to -i and adding -es
antonyms and synonyms
homophones
reviewing learned skills
WRITING:
writing informational passages
editing/correcting writing for capitals, periods, spelling, sentence structure
author studies (taking an author, learning about them, reading and studying their books)
READING:
increasing vocabulary
reading for meaning
inferencing from what is read
challenging themselves to take AR tests to increase comprehension. I am going to be requiring AR tests, at least one per week, the last 9 weeks of school.
comprehension skills
reading for factual information
connecting reading and writing skills
MATH:
money: recognizing coins; being able to exchange coins for equal amounts of other coins and being able to figure correct amount to buy items up to $5.00; making change; counting by 5's, 10's. (Money is often a real challenge for children. Let yours help you figure out change when you go to the store, or tell which coins and bills you need to pay for an item. The more they can connect money to real life the faster they learn it.)
time: time to the hour and half hour; ability to calculate elapsed time (an hour/ 1/2 hour later, an hour/1/2 hour earlier that a given time). Another tough skill. Help at home.
measurement:
OTHER INFORMATION:
***Starting Monday, March 3, the Language Arts homework on Monday will be replaced with test practice. There is a cover letter with the homework form that explains it all, as well as the first test prep pages. Remember that you can read every single thing to your child except the reading passages. BUT...do NOT help them with the answers. You can go over the answers with your child when you have finished the test. As a matter of fact, that's a really good idea. Another thing you need to know is that you can save these test preps to do when you have the time to do them, like a weekend. DO NOT SEND THEM BACK TO SCHOOL. If you have any questions after you read everything, contact me!
* Monday (March 3) is READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY throughout the entire school. Once again your child may wear his/her pajamas to school. But please have him/her wear sneakers, as it's a PE day. We'll be doing some fun reading activities in the classroom.
* Early Release Day this month is on a Tuesday instead of the usual Wednesday, so when you see it on the behavior calendar...it's not a typo!!
* Thursday, March 6, is PTA (6:30) and then Math Curriculum Night in our classroom until 8:00. Come play math games with your child!
* Report cards will be coming home March 20, so be looking! Remember to sign and send the signature card back in the brown envelope. Keep the report card. DO NOT SEAL THE ENVELOPE, please!
I don't usually do this, but I must brag about my daughter, Stacey. As of October 1st, she will be a published author!! She was asked by her med school psychiatry professor to help with a book about psychiatric patient compliance, and Oxford University Press is publishing it as part of a series. I just wanted to share my pride and excitement with you. Forgive me. As a parent, I'm sure you understand!
HAPPY MARCH!!
Diana
Hi Everyone!
Welcome to February. As usual, we'll be very busy on the learning front!! But before I start...GM's wonderful techie person, Lori Schulman, has told us about a great way for you to get an automatic email with the actual blog imbedded in it as soon as I publish it. To get this fabulous feature, just look on the left side of this blog and locate " feedburner". Type in your email address and send it, and you'll be good to go!
SPELLING
As you know, we are starting the new Spelling program, Sitton Spelling. Our phonics will now be included in this section as well. As soon as I finish modeling how it's to be taught, Mrs. Howard will take over the teaching of these subjects. The program is set up in units, one per week.
Week of February 4: words the of and. Phonics associated with this unit will be word families -and and -end, adding -ed and -ing to words. Attached to the homework sheet is a list of easy MUST SPELL words that the children will absolutely be responsible for spelling in their work by the end of the year.
Week of February 11: words a,A to, too of. We will hit homophones hard this week. (Homophones are words that are spelled differently and mean different things but sound the same). Attached to this week's homework are the words that the children are encouraged to spell by the end of the year but all are not mandatory.
Week of February 18: This is a review week. There will be no homework in spelling or any other subject since the children will be out of school Monday and Tuesday.
Week of February 25: words in is you. Phonics will concentrate on rhyming words and spelling patterns.
MATH (Mrs Howard is teaching)
We'll be wrapping up Unit 14, which includes strategies of adding doubles (3+3, 4+4, etc.), doubles plus one (3+4, 4+5), and adding three numbers together. We are escalating to adding and subtracting to 18.
Our next three units will be measurement. They will include fractions (1/2, 1/4), money to $20, and time to the hour and half hour. We will be sending home a request for a baggie full of change for your child to use for the money unit. That note with specifics will be coming home shortly.
READING/WRITING
In reading, we are concentrating more on putting the reading and writing processes together. The children will be reading to identify who (characters), what (plot). where (setting), when (time frame), and how (cause and effect, solutions, endings) They will also be writing their own stories with emphasis on the same skills.
We will take a little break on Early Release Day to learn about the Chinese New Year (in honor of Anna P. and Zoe!). It will include reading, writing and spelling activities.
Other Info
** Really try to go online and let your child practice the CRCT. It will make them comfortable with the format and the process. I gave you a form with your child's access number and directions at conferences. If you lose the info, let me know, I have the numbers in my file.
** Speaking of conferences, thank you so very much for coming to conferences. There isn't one thing more important than school/home interface when it comes to your child's success.
** With Mrs. Howard taking over more and more of the teaching duties, I will have more time to work with your child individually and in small groups on weak areas of their academics. I am looking forward to being able to give this undivided attention to your child! If there is something specific you see at home that you would like me to address, please let me know.
** Just FYI. Cobb County policy often refers to something called "Performance-Based Education". This means that we try to structure many tasks the children do in school to be 'hands-on', where they perform a task to prove they understand the concept learned. This is more fun for the kids than straight paper and pencil. It's more application of skills than regurgitation of information. (Of course, paper and pencil is also necessary at times.) When we plan a lesson for your child, we start with, "What do I want the children to learn?" Then we go about structuring the lesson to teach the skill and have them practice and demonstrate their real understanding by explaining how they know. Performance-based education is problem-solving, and is interested in the child demonstrating not only WHAT they know, but HOW they figure it out.
** Don't forget to send in your child's Valentine container. If you send Valentines, be sure you include one for every child. Thanks.
Important dates: EARLY RELEASE Wednesday, February 6.
February 15-last day for box top campaign
February 18-19 NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
February 25- Reading Night 6:00
February 26- Class pictures
February 29- Talent Show 6:30
Hello Parents,
My name is Mary Howard, and I'm the student teacher assigned to Ms. Whitson's class for the semester. I'll be here until the end of April, and am very excited about working with your student. I will gradually assume more of the responsibility for teaching as the semester progresses.
This is my final semester at Kennesaw State University, as I will graduate in May. I'm sure I will learn a lot from Ms. Whitson in my time with her.
I am a native of Marietta, married, with a blended family of six children and now enjoy four grandchildren, with a fifth expected in February. As you might guess, I have a lot of experience with children, and have always wanted to be a teacher. I believe I have been well prepared by the education I have received, but nothing really prepares you like real world experience. I have been and continue to be employed in the corporate world for the time being, until I secure a position after graduation.
I know we'll have a wonderful semester, and really look forward to meeting each of you at conferences and throughout the semester. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you should have any questions or comments. My email address is jody.howard@imoutdoors.com, and that's really the best way to reach me.
Sincerely,
Mary Howard
Hi Everyone,
Okay, here's the academic information you've all been waiting for...:-)
SPELLING:
Week of Jan. 8: can't up down over * New Year's
Week of Jan. 14: don't cold warm night * winter
Week of Jan. 21: won't how made jump * animal
Week of Jan. 28: I'll fun why after * teacher
MATH:
Geometry; includes vocabulary: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, corner, sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, rectangular prism, vertex/vertices
Operations; addition facts to 18; using strategies of doubles (6+6, 8+8), counting on
Adding three numbers, and finding ten and adding remainder.
PHONICS:
Long E as e-e (here, eve, etc), -ee-, -ea-, -y
Changing -y to -i and adding -es.
ENGLISH:
Continuing with sentence structure (caps, periods, etc.)
Nouns, both proper and common (also called "naming words")
Verbs, (also called "action words")
Subject-verb necessary for complete sentences (The CAT (subject) CLIMBED (verb).
Commas in a series ( such as "He got a ball, bat, glove, and bases for the game.")
Synonyms and antonyms
Continuing with contractions, adjectives ("describing words" or "juicy words"), homophones (sea, see, etc.) and compound words
SCIENCE:
Winter
States of water (solid, liquid, gas)
Light
READING:
Comprehension, cause and effect, non-fiction, word attack skills, and phonics practice.
OTHER INFO:
* Conference forms are coming home Thursday the 10th. Please return them as fast as possible. Conference days are Jan. 22,23,24,25, and 28. SCHOOL WILL BE DISMISSED AT 12:20 on all of those days.
* You will be given your child's report card at your conference.
As usual, if I forget something, I'll be back!! Mrs. Howard, our student teacher, will be sending a short blog about herself. You will probably meet her at conferences.
CHEERS!!
DIANA
Hi Everyone,
I have been trying to get these pictures to you the entire vacation!!!! I hope this link will do it. If not, I'm sorry to say that you probably won't be seeing them unless you come visit my computer.
I'll get the January blog to you in the next few days after school starts. Just a reminder that we will be having a student teacher, Mary Howard, from Jan. 8 to the end of April. She will gradually take over the teaching by the end of her stay with us (under my excellent supervision, of course...:-).
Hope your vacation was refreshing and everyone's ready to go!! I know I am.
Diana
Hi Everyone!
Only a week or three until a big, long, relaxing vacation. But until then, it's pedal to the metal in first grade!
We will be doing a lot of reading and writing this month. Holiday activities are always a motivator when it comes to getting children to read and write their best. Much of what we do will be in the guise of holiday activities. Our guided reading will include take-home books about December celebrations and Gingerbread. Some reading, math, and phonics activities will be tied to The Polar Express. We will be reading the book and seeing the movie (more about that later), and will compare and contrast the two, discuss sequence of events, learn vocabulary, do a word search and a crossword using the vocabulary, and graph items from the story. The vocabulary is quite challenging and will give the children a chance to use all that phonics knowledge they've been learning.
As in kindergarten, the first half of first grade is spent giving children the basics, and the last half is spent applying those skills, as well as learning some others. I expect to see the lightbulbs really going off in January as the children start "putting it all together." They should begin to truly understand how phonics works and use it regularly to help them spell and read harder and harder words. They should improve their writing skills and mechanics, and produce more and better writing. Be looking for that growth in January and February if it hasn't happened for your child already.
In math we have moved on to Place Value, or making tens and ones to 99. Your child should understand that 34 means 3 tens and 4 ones. The most challenging concept here is that, when you get a group of ten, it is no longer considered 10 ones, it is considered ONE TEN. Most of the children get the bigger numbers, but have a hard time with the initial "ten = one ten and NO ones" concept. We will also continue with adding and subtracting, now to 12.
Other information:
** Our holiday party will be on Wednesday, December 19, from 12:30-1:30.
**The last day of school before the holidays (December 21), we will be having our Second Annual Polar Express Day. The children can wear or bring their pajmas and robes and a favorite stuffed animal. We will be making gingerbread houses in the morning (please be sure to send in the supplies Jeffrie Robertson asked you to provide, and if you can't, let her or I know ASAP so we can get them!) The creative Margaret Fauss will be constructing the 17 houses the kids will be decorating... thank you, Margaret, very much! We will watch The Polar Express movie and do some phonics, math, and reading activities to go along. Hot chocolate will be enjoyed by all!
**Encourage your child to read and take Accelerated Reader tests. This improves comprehension and keeps him/her reading goals. Along these same lines, I've noticed that home reading is slacking off a little bit, and we don't have as many children participating in the class reading challenge (those 4 week reading forms that stay in the children's folders all month). Keep up the reading!!
** I am just finishing up the optional mid-year DRA reading assessment, and will send the results to you after the holidays.
** We are saying a very sad good-bye to Robin, our TOSS student, on Friday, December 7. She will be staying at our school to student teach in fourth grade. She has been just wonderful, we will miss her.
** We will be getting a new student teacher in our classroom beginning January 8. I will get her name to you after the holidays.
As usual, contact me with any questions or concerns at any time.
Best wishes for a great holiday season,
Diana
Hello Parents;
My name is Robin Sheridan and I am the Kennesaw State Universitystudent who has been assigned to observe Mrs. Whitson and teach a unit in your child’s classroom.
Last week was the beginning of my full time placement in the classroom, and I will be here every day, with the exception of Thanksgiving week, until December 7th.
I feel privileged to be working with such a knowledgeable and supportive teacher as Ms. Whitson. I am learning so much, both from watching her and from her guidance as I begin to teach my unit on American Symbols.
I enjoyed meeting those parents who came to the class last week, and I look forward to the opportunity to meet those parents and grandparents who will be attending the Thanksgiving feast next week.
Sincerely,
Robin Sheridan
