First Week

     Our first week has been going very well!  We are all working on getting to know each other by working together.  I am very excited for this year and all the possibilities to come!  Mr. Bertling, our student teacher, is doing a fantastic job!  Be sure to ask your child what Mr. Bertling has been teaching.
     We have set up our classroom rules.  The students offered suggestions and through class discussion, we decided what rules we are going to follow throughout the year.  Our rules are to be safe, take responsibility, use think time before answering a question, raise your hand, and be kind to others and their things.  When you come in for parent-led conferences, be sure to check out the pictures of students demonstrating the right and wrong ways to follow these rules!
     Many parents have asked about our specialist schedule and how to keep track.  The first day of school, August 16, was Day 1 and we had Media.  In the classroom, we have a simple flipchart that shows the day and the specialist for that day.  Each morning, I change it so the students can see what day it is and what specialist we have.  Check it out when you come in for parent-led conferences!  You could also label a calendar a few weeks out.  I wouldn't do this for a whole year because if we have a snow day, it will throw off your calendar.  If we do not have school for a day for any reason, we will resume our specialists schedule wherever we left off.
     We have finished our bedrock word testing and have begun our DRA testing for reading.  These tests, along with observations, will help determine what skills your child needs to work on and which small group they may be in for reading.  The small groups change throughout the year depending on student needs.  I will send a copy of the bedrock words home with some suggestions for working on them with your child as soon as I get them from our print shop!
     We have jumped right into our math curriculum.  The students have begun the year with many different counting activities.  We will be working on counting and recognizing numbers to 20.  We are using strategies such as skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s.  Have your child practice writing their numbers to at least 20 and count objects at home!  Our class is also implementing a program called Moving Through Math.  Students have been showing concepts such as same/different, inside/outside, and in front of/behind using body movements.  As we continue this program, students will use body movements to show patterns and number sentences.
     Finally, planners and other things that come home...  Please be sure to check your child's planner every night!  I will often send home reminders and other notes that need to be seen or returned in a timely fashion.  Math homework is only on Thursdays and reading homework is only on Fridays.  If you have any questions about the homework or what to do with papers that come home, feel free to call or email me any time!  A big thank you to those of you who have returned homework and the Highlights letters already!

First Days

Wednesday, August 15  Preview Poyner 4-6 p.m.
     Come meet your new teacher and get all of your materials settled before the first day!  We will have a student teacher in our classroom for the first 8 weeks of school!  I am very excited to welcome Mr. Bertling to Poyner and to our classroom!

Thursday, August 16  First Day!
     I can't wait to begin learning together!

Friday, August 31  Spirit Day
     Students can wear purple shirts to celebrate being a Poyner Panther on TRRC

Monday, September 3  No School
     Labor Day

Tuesday, September 4  PTO Meeting 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 6  Parent-Led Conferences
     This is your chance to tell me about your child

Friday, September 7  Book Orders Due
     If you submit your orders online, you will recieve a coupon for $5 on your next order!  Be sure to check your child's planner for order forms.  If you have any questions on what to order, feel free to ask!

Friday, September 14  No School
     Professional Development Day for Teachers

New to blogging?

To those of you who are new to blogging, as I very much am, be sure to explore the whole page. I'm pretty sure that I am the only one who can create a post, but anyone should be able to comment. If you don't "follow" or "join" the blog, be sure to leave at least your first name when you leave a comment so I know who it came from. Please let me know if you encounter any problems with the blog or if there is anything else you would like to see included or have me take down.

Welcome 2012-2013

Welcome to our class' website! Use this site to find ideas to use at home, share ideas that have worked for your child, share successes that your child has had this year, and ask questions. Please remember that this is a public blog, so do not share student's names and be sure to keep your posts and comments respectful. My goal for this site to make communication between parents and myself quicker and easier so we can work together to help your student achieve great things.