Weekly News

5/14/12

• Thank you so much for helping your child during teacher appreciation week.  I loved all of their sweet cards, gifts, and hugs! 
• Tomorrow is the last day to check out library books, and all books are due by Friday, May 18th!

5/11/12

I hope you enjoy the gift that your child made for you and that they are extra sweet to you this weekend!

4/24/12

Individual pictures came home today for you to preview.  Please send them back if you do not want to purchase any.  You can purchase all or part of the package.  Just send back payment and any that you are not purchasing.  The whole class photos that were pre-purchased have not arrived yet.  I will send them home as soon as they come.  I usually have a few extra for purchase.  I will let you know if that is the case again.

4/22/12

Book orders are due on Wednesday!  You can send in the order form with a check made out to "Scholastic" or order online.  (Even if you order from more than one catalog, you can write one check for the total.  There's no minimum order amount.  To shop online, go to www.scholastic.com/parentordering and register using our classroom code: GV2ZG.  It's the last book order, so it's a great time to get some practice items for summer!

4/19/12

The kids have been working hard on artwork and writing projects and would be so proud if you could come see them during Artist and Author night!  It is an open house on Wednesday, April 25th, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.  Please stop by for a few minutes to enjoy your child's work.  You will get to take most of it home that night. 

Reminder: Testing Days are on Thursday and Friday of next week.  Here is the schedule.  Please let me know if your time will not work for you.  Your child will not need a snack that day.

Please have your child here for their testing time as it is very difficult for me to test them during class time!

4/6/12

• Yearbook orders are due April 13th. 
• On April 25th, we will have an open house called "Artist and Author Night."  Please plan to stop by if you can to see your child's art portfolio, art hanging in the hallway, and some writing samples.  It's a fun time to celebrate their hard work! 

4/2/12

• Welcome back!  I hope your family had a wonderful spring break.  I know that I enjoyed relaxing and getting out in the beautiful weather!  We've got a ton of material to cover this last quarter, so I know it will fly by!
• If you were unable to attend parent/teacher conferences, please contact me to reschedule.  
• Spring in Colorado means unpredictable weather, so please send a jacket or sweatshirt with your child each day. 
• Looking ahead, there is no school on April 20th.  It is a teacher development day.  On April 26th and 27th, students come for a half day for literacy assessment.  I will re-administer the tests given at the beginning of the year to track progress.  In the fall, we assigned your time based on your last name, but if you have a preference, just let me know.  I'm flexible.   

3/20/12

• Today we started our new science unit studing wood, paper, forces, and motion.  We learned about where wood comes from and investigated four samples of wood.  We compared it and tested it to see if it could absorb water and if it would sink or float.  We also went on a hunt around the school for things made from wood.  Here are a couple photos. 

3/12/12

• Next week are parent/teacher conferences.  Please check your e-mail so we can set up your appointment time. 
• On Thursday, we get to go watch the first graders perform the dress rehearsal of their music program!
• There is NO SCHOOL on Friday so teachers can prepare report cards.  
• As conferences near, please jot down any questions you have for me regarding your child's progress.  

2/27/12

• On Wednesday we'll welcome Kye to our class! 
• The school e-mail said dress as your favorite Dr. Seuss character on Friday, but I had already told the class we'd have a pajama day, so either choice is fine, or neither!

2/20/12

• I hope you enjoyed having your child home for Presidents' Day.  Last week, we learned a little about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  We talked about what a president is and the fact that the current president is Obama, not the New York Giants, Martin Luther King, Jr., or Abraham Lincoln!  In the hallway you'll see your child's silhouette, plus quotes from the children about what they would do if they were the president.
• Reminder: book orders are due on Friday.  Orders online at www.scholastic.com/parentordering earn a free book for our classroom!

2/7/12

• On Wednesday, we are celebrating the 100th day of school.  A baggie came home yesterday with instructions inside for your child's collection of 100 items.  If you haven't already, please help your child complete this project tonight.  We will have some fun activities and a special snack tomorrow.  
• Please have your child make Valentines for the other students.  There are 16 kids in the class and your child should just sign them, not address them.  We will have them drop one Valentine in each child's bag. 
• On March 2nd, we will celebrate Read Across America.  We need volunteers to read a Dr. Seuss book to a class of students at Prairie Hills.  If you are interested, please contact the coordinator, Michelle Qazi, at michelle.qazi@asd20.org

1/27/12

• We have started our science unit on "Sunshine and Shadows."  We learned that some objects allow sunlight to pass through, while others block it and create a shadow.  We talked about how shadows can look different depending on where the sun is in the sky.  Today we went out and used chalk to trace a shadow.  We were going to check at recess and see if the shadows moved, but it was too cold to go outside.  Some kids may have noticed a change after school, but we'll have to repeat the experiment on Monday so we all can see the difference.  Next week, we'll find out if the groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day!
• Today was Anthony's last day in our class.  We are disappointed to see him go, but excited for his family to start a new adventure in California! 

1/20/12

• Welcome Penny to our class!  She's fitting right in and it's nice to have another girl!

1/17/12

• We'd like to welcome Zachary to our class!  He had a great first week and we are happy that he joined us.
• I hope you are enjoying the new homework format and have time to help your child work on it and study sight words.  

1/6/12

• I am no longer doing a separate newsletter.  Instead, I'll just update each page of this site weekly.  Thank you for checking in and staying up to date on our classroom happenings!
• Next Friday is the first Friday of the month, so it's school spirit day.  This month's it's crazy sock day!
• The homework will look different starting this week.  It will be a packet of different skills to practice that go with our weekly story/sight words.  I may also send math practice pages.  Some weeks, like this one, your child will need to cut and paste.  If you need kid scissors or a glue stick to keep at home, please let me know.  Please have your child complete homework for the extra practice, but it does not need to be returned for a grade.
  
• I've had several complaints from hungry kiddos at snack time.  Please help your find something to bring each day or set up a snack bin somewhere in your kitchen that's stocked with easy snacks for him/her to grab.  It's better to have one and decide they're not hungry than vice versa! 
• Report cards will be sent home on Friday.  Please sign the envelope and return it to school so that I know you received it.  I will re-use the envelope for the last report card.  If you have questions about your child's progress, feel free to contact me after school or via e-mail.  If I have concerns about your child's progress, I will contact you soon to set up a conference so we can plan for the next quarter.  
  

11/15/11

As your family prepares for Thanksgiving, you may find this website interesting to explore with your kids.  We'll use it a little in class, but it's full of more interesting information and pictures than I will have time to cover.  http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/

10/21/11

We had a great week!  The class is really coming along with their letter sounds and sight words.  This week we started new Coyote Groups for 25 minutes a day practicing numbers from 0-10 or 11-20, based on their needs.  We've done lots of hands-on activities with number cards, tiles, dominoes, and coins.  I'll check in with each child weekly to see how many numbers they can identify.

10/12/11

I'm looking forward to seeing you at your child's conference!  There is some extra practice in the Friday folder today.  It doesn't need to be returned for a grade.  As I see other needs, I may send more practice for your child.  If I ever need something back, it will either be stamped or labeled "return to school."  Thanks for supporting your child at home!

9/26

I'm back!  I am looking forward to seeing the class today and getting back into a routine.  I am so grateful to Marcy Diller for covering my maternity leave.  She did a fantastic job with the students and kept me updated along the way, so I feel ready to jump back in. 

9/6/2011

After two quiet days of maternity leave, I had the babies on Wednesday, August 31st.  Aislin Sue (pronounced eyes-lynn) was born weighing 5lbs., 15 oz. and Brodie Lee came 3 minutes later at 6lbs., 10oz.  After a few days in the hospital, we are now at home learning to be a family of six.  We are really enjoying them!  Please tell the kids I miss them and hope they're working hard for Mrs. Diller!