Greetings, Families!
I am so excited to be your child’s first grade teacher. We are already getting to know one another and I know we have a great group this year! I will do my best to share information on my blog, but please never hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Here are some updates:

Reading Bags: Your child will bring home a reading bag every night and he/she is expected to practice reading the books in there each evening. I am just beginning to assess the students and very soon, the number of books will be increasing. Please try to listen as your child reads and (I know this is hard), but try not to interrupt the reading to “help out” or correct his/her “mistakes.” We are aiming for independence, so let him or her use the clues from the pictures, blend the sound, and think about what is happening in the story (these are all strategies we are working on) before you jump in and help. If you have any questions about the book level or ways to help your child at home, I am ALWAYS available to you.

Spelling: We start spelling this week. Please see the note about spelling that will be sent home on Monday. Here are this week’s words: ran, can, van, map, tap, cap, the, to, and, you

We are trying to help the children see the “an” and “ap” word patterns so that they can apply it to spelling other words such as : plan, fan, stand, snap, trap etc.

Homework: Beginning on Monday, your child will have homework each evening. It will always be a skill that we are working on in class. I NEVER want this to be a stressful experience for you or your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Completing and submitting homework is a great way to practice being responsible

We have been talking a lot about our classroom rules and procedures this week. I expect the children to be kind to one another and to me, which means they are using their manners and speaking nicely to others. I have talked to them about inviting others to play at recess, as I do not allow them to exclude others. Please help reinforce acts of kindness, using manners, and speaking nicely to others. Our classroom is a happy, productive, and safe place for your child and others.

Snack: Please continue to send a healthy snack to school with your child. I usually have Cheerios for those who do not have a snack, but I sometimes run out 🙂

Thank You!