Monthly Archives: September 2017

Tonight’s homework involves determining the greater number.

Also, we are learning to capitalize proper nouns (nouns that name a specific person, place, or thing), so they have to identify the words that need capital letters in the sentence on the homework. I will always add a grammar or literacy component to the homework that extends what we are learning about in class.

Please have your child watch the following videos. They are short, but helpful 🙂

click here for noun video

click here for comparing two numbers video

Have a beautiful night

Good morning, families !
I hope you are all having a relaxing and fun-filled weekend. I am already loving my class and I know we are going to have a great year. Here are our plans for the week. Once again, please refer to my blog DAILY because I always post important happenings and information about the homework. I STRONGLY encourage you to have your child watch the videos because they align with our learning for that day/week.

Spelling
Words
1. kid
2. hid
3. rid
4. pig
5. wig
6. big
7. it
8. in
9. said
10. for

Reading: We are continuing to learn how to use First, Next, and Finally to retell the important events in a story. You can do this with your child orally (or written) after he/she reads a book from his/her reading bag. This skill helps them sequence the events correctly and shows that they comprehend or understand what they have read. Additionally, we are describing the main characters in a book with adjectives such as brave, helpful, mischievous. Finally, we are talking about the setting, which tells when and where a story takes place.
* I have finished testing most of my students, so very soon, I will be meeting with them in a small group regularly. They will be getting new books at least three times each week and these will appear in their reading bags. Please, please, please trust me on this: Reading with your child and asking him/her to read to you regularly and talking about the books you have read will SIGNIFICANTLY help him/her advance in reading. I promise to work very hard to help your child grow and succeed in reading and I ask you to help me with this mission.

Math: We are leaning about tens and ones this week. Students will learn how to compare two digit numbers and decide which is greater than or equal to. Also, we are continuing to use different kinds of graph to show information (data) and then answer questions about the graph.

Social Studies: We are continuing to learn about and practice school expectations. We are talking about rules at home and at school and reasons for these rules . Students are learning that there are people who make and enforce the rules and these people have power with authority.

Science: Hopefully, we will begin talking about the properties of air by investigating with experiments in our classroom and with Ms. Burek.

Have an awesome Sunday, and please never hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns 🙂

I hope to see all of you at Open House tonight at 6:00 until 7:30!

Our homework tonight involves answering questions about graphs. We are also talking about numbers that are greater than and less than. Please have your child watch the video below.

click here for video

Hello Families!
We have gym tomorrow morning…Sorry for the late notice. This is subject to change.

Also, Wednesday’s homework will include another practice worksheet for unit one. We are beginning to read and answer questions about data (information) on all kinds of graphs. They are having some trouble determining “How many more….” For example, if a graph shows that 5 students voted for chocolate and 3 students voted for strawberry, how many more students voted for chocolate or how many students voted in all are examples of questions they should be able to answer. We are continuing to work on this 🙂
Please have your child watch the video about picture graphs 🙂

click here

Hello Families!
Below is a video that might help with tonight’s homework, which is a practice page for the unit one math assessment. Have a great night!

click here for before, after, and in between video

Good Morning! Please see a note coming home today about homework. Tonight’s homework will be a worksheet with questions about graphs. The video below will help students and reinforce what we are doing in class 🙂

click here for graphing video

Have a fantastic day!

Happy Sunday, Families!

We had a great start to our school year last week. I can tell that this is going to be an amazing group and I am very excited about our year. Below, I have listed some important reminders and information that will be helpful to you:

Blog: I post (almost) daily on my blog. You will find information about what is happening in our school and classroom and helpful videos that show what we are learning about in our classroom. The math videos will show the skill that we are practicing and are great for reinforcement for your child.

Open House: I look forward to meeting you on Thursday, September 14 from 6-7:30.

Emergency Cards and Lunch Surveys: These are very important documents that we must have on file in the office. Please turn them in if you haven’t done so already

I will post the letters that you will be receiving tomorrow below regarding Spelling, Homework, Book Bags and Snack:

Hello Families,

Book Bags
We have had a great start to our school year, and I am really enjoying getting to know your child. First grade is a year where children grow so much as readers and writers, therefore much of our day is spent with literacy activities. I will be reading with your child individually and in a small group setting in order to teach him/her strategies that will help him/her progress in reading. A very important part of his/her growth is giving him/her time to practice reading strategies, so each child will have a reading bag filled with leveled books at your child’s reading level. Your child is responsible for bringing this bag to and from school every day. Please ask your child to read these books EVERY night, as this will definitely help him/her become a stronger reader.

Snack:
I allow my students to eat snack as they work, so please send a healthy one (or two) with your child. Fruit, vegetables, cereal or nutrition bars are great choices, however I will not allow them to have cookies, candy, juice or treats during this time.

Homework:
Your child will receive homework Monday-Thursday. The work will reinforce skills or ideas that we are learning about or discussing in class. Children who do not complete and turn in their homework will need to so during the school day (most likely during recess). Completing and submitting homework teaches responsibility, so I ask for your support with this policy.

Thank you so much for your support. Let’s continue to work together this year to help your child learn and grow! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

September 11, 2017
Dear Families,
We will begin spelling this week. Each Friday the students will be tested on 12 spelling words. Ten of the words will be given to them and 2 words will be “mystery” words that follow the pattern they are learning. Your child will practice these words each day in class and it is highly recommended that he/she studies the words at home as well. Your child will receive the spelling list on Mondays. It will also be posted on our blog. Please make that your child is studying the words. Thank you for your support!
The First Grade Team
This week’s spelling words are: ran, can, van, map, tap, cap, the, to, and, you

Here are our plans for the weeK:

Reading: I have begun testing each child to determine his/her reading level. Once I complete this assessment, I will begin instructing them in small groups and individually. They will be reading and writing daily in school and I STRONGLY encourage you to read with them at home (please see note above regarding book bags). This week, we are talking about identifying the character and setting in a story (narrative). Additionally, we are learning to sequence the important events in a story. When you are done reading a book at home, you may want to ask your child to write, draw, or tell you about something that happened at the beginning, middle, and end.

Math: We are working on writing and orally counting by ones, fives, tens, and twos. There are some great songs and activities on youtube to help reinforce this. As we count, we look for patterns. Additionally, we are learning how to create tally and picture graphs (displaying data) and then using that information to answer questions such as “How many more people voted for apples than pears?” Very soon, we will begin Math Workshop in our classroom. This involves children working with a partner or independently with a hands on activity to solve math problems. I will also send some stations home with your child if they need extra practice or if they just love to play the game 🙂 If your child brings a station home, please take great care of it and return it the next day.

Tomorrow, your child will receive homework. I will post a reminder and a video on the blog, so please look for that.

Have a wonderful, restful day!

Hello Families!
Please pack at least one healthy snack for your child each day. Our lunch is early, which makes for a pretty long afternoon, so I will allow children to have a snack in the afternoon as well. I usually try to have healthy cereal in case they forget a snack, so I am always accepting snack donations such as healthy cereal. Have a great day! I am excited about tomorrow!

Hello, Families!
I hope you are all enjoying what is left of our summer vacation. I wanted to take a moment to welcome you to our classroom and introduce myself. My name is Shelly Klan and Miller Elementary has been my home for 20 years. Teaching first grade is my passion because children at this age are excited about learning and they grow so much during the school year. I promise to be be committed to making your child’s experience in first grade a successful one. I strongly believe in the importance of building a positive relationship with you so that your child will benefit and reach his/her highest potential. I am an available and willing resource for you, so please never hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns. We are going to have a fantastic year, and I look forward to meeting you all very soon!

Please subscribe and refer to my blog regularly, as I usually post at least once a day (especially once I begin assigning homework)

Below is the letter that you will all receive on Tuesday.

Dear Families,

Welcome to a new school year! I am really excited about being your child’s teacher this year. We will watch your child learn and grow through new experiences. I am writing this letter to inform you of some of our classroom procedures. It will be helpful to refer back to this letter throughout the school year.

Supplies:
Your child will be given the necessary supplies to complete their work, but I am suggesting that each child bring in the following supplies:
1. Backpack
2. 2 boxes of Kleenex
3. 1 box of Crayola crayons
4. 1 package of Dry Erase Markers
5. 1 box of pencils
6. Scissors
7. Glue
8. Wipes

Miller School Expectations:
1. Be Responsible: Follow directions, be prepared, and always do your best.
2. Be Respectful: Respect your space and materials. Use manners and kind language.
3. Be Safe: Always walk, keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself, and use classroom materials properly.

Discipline Plan:
We have a “HOW IS YOUR DAY” chart in our classroom. Each day, all students begin on “Green” and will switch cards if necessary.
Green: Student is following expectations.
Yellow: Warning: student is displaying behavior that is interrupting his, hers, or others’ learning.
Orange: Students will fill out a “Think About it Form,” which must be signed by his/her parent.
Red: Contact his/her parent and submit an office referral form.
Blue: Complete a “Think About it” form, office referral, and contact parents.

I expect students to be kind to one another and demonstrate positive behavior. These students may be rewarded with incentives such as computer time, Miller Bucks, pencils, etc.

Homework Folder:
Students will bring a folder home each evening containing his/her homework and important information from school. Please be sure to check the folder and send it to school the following day.

Once again, I would like to welcome you and your child to our classroom. I believe in establishing a strong, positive relationship with you, as this will benefit your child. I look forward to meeting all of you at Open House and encourage you to visit your child’s school and classroom.
Thank you in advance for being supportive and actively involved in your child’s learning!

Thank you,
Mrs. Klan