Hi everyone! I am busy, busy, busy getting ready for tomorrow's big Open House! I hope you stop by our classroom if you have a chance. I did tell the Firsties that they would receive a special sticker on Monday if they stopped by our classroom in their school uniform on Sunday. Just be sure to say hi to me so I can check your name on my list. Additionally, the students have many projects displayed in our room, and you have a great opportunity to go visit the other classrooms! Mrs. Wolfe in Second Grade would be so happy if you stopped by her room to introduce your Firsty to her. She is really looking forward to having this great group of kids in her class next year. I may be busy speaking with potential parents considering our school, but please don't be shy and say hi! I always love to see our Firsty Parents!
The kids took their first Accelerated Reader test this week. Next week we will not go to the library to take AR tests due to the book fair. I am going to double check with Mrs. Doyle about keeping our library books for one extra week in order to have an extra week to prepare for the next AR test. Two weeks of reading is PLENTY of time to pass that next AR test, so I'm hoping we can renew our books.
We are going to celebrate Catholic Schools Week this week! Monday is Parent Appreciation Day! Lord knows Mrs. Coulter and I appreciate all of our wonderful Firsty Parents so much, and I know your kiddos do, too! We will have a special poster on our door just for our Firsty Parents, so if you have a chance to stop by and see it, I know the kids would love it = ) If not, I will try to remember to take a quick photo of it and post it on the blog next week. The Firsties will also be bringing home a special letter in honor of the heroes of this day = )
Tuesday is Student Appreciation Day! In honor of this special day, please note that there will be absolutely no homework what-so-ever that evening for your Firsty! Additionally, in honor of this day, each Firsty may bring in... one Share item!!!! I know our Firsties LOVE to share special items from home. Please keep the item relatively small- something that can fit in a standard paper grocery bag. Please do not bring in live animals (ant farms are ok as long as you promise me that it is perfectly sealed!). Also, note that we have 35 students, so I must limit their share time to two minutes per child- this means we don't have enough time to read books, listen to cd's, or watch movies, but we have time to view other very special items! Thank you for understanding, and I am sure your child will be thrilled when they hear about this!
Wednesday is Teacher Appreciation Day- we will be taking the day off in honor of this day... ha ha! Oh, PLEASE! We love this day!!! Wouldn't miss it for the world!
Thursday is Principal Appreciation Day- the school is working on something special for our fearless leaders, Mrs. Schulte and Mr. English, for this day. Thursday is also the Snowflake Run. Firsties will be walking/jogging/running from 10am-11am. Later that afternoon, Mrs. Weeger and Mr. Szyman will be stopping by to finish up our Meet the Masters lesson on the American artist Calder- we will be making our own modern art sculptures out of paper and wire!
Friday is Pastor and Clergy Appreciation Day. Please join us for the 8am all-school mass this Friday in honor of these special people in our Parish. Please note it is not a half-day, and this means we will not attend mass on Tuesday. I hope you also got the update that Friday the 8th has been changed to a half-day. Hopefully this won't affect your plans to attend the school's Valentine's Day Dance that evening!
The following week, the week of the 4th, also has a very special day... the 100th Day of School! Thursday the 7th marks this momentous day of the school year! Now I know Kindergarten has their own special visitor that day, but First Grade also has its share of fun! We do many academic projects involving that big number, including a lot of very fun activities. If you are interested in helping us prepare for this day, please e-mail me pronto! I will also be sending home a special top-secret assignment for our parents for this day, so be on the lookout! We can't wait!!!
Take care, and hope to see you tomorrow!
~Ms. Hudson
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Quick Little Post
Hi everyone! I am so glad I am not freezing at the moment! Last week was brutal for us CA natives! This week just flew by, which just goes to show you that time flies by when you are having fun! Speaking of time, if you haven't noticed by now, the kids are beginning to learn how to tell time to the hour and half hour. Here are two smart kiddos working out a time problem on the whiteboard:
Just a friendly reminder- your Firsty will have their first timed addition quiz on Tuesday. We took a practice quiz on Friday just so we all knew what to expect. The class has one minute to complete ten addition problems. If for some reason a Firsty does not pass their timed addition test, they can retake the test that Friday (or last day of the week) for a chance to bump their grade up from a T to an M. Just remember, they still need to be practicing their new set of addition facts, too! So let's hope everyone practices as much as they need to in order to complete the quiz in under one minute. This skill helps the Firsties move on to higher addition problems, as well as preparing them for 2nd Grade.
Firsties recently finished studying their short vowel sounds, and we will have our short vowel test this week. Ask your Firsty to say the short vowel rhyme/song to you! We will begin studying the long vowels the following week.
This week First Grade will begin studying the Sacraments. First Grade is the first step towards receiving their next two Sacraments- Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. It is a two year process that begins with learning about Jesus, the Church, and the Sacraments. In your child's backpack was a rolled up white paper, with a smaller pink paper. The pink paper has detailed directions about this project that is due this upcoming Friday. You don't need to work on it this weekend, but I thought you would like to start thinking about it at least! If your child did not show up with one of these papers, then please let me know on Tuesday- we found one of the papers lying on the playground after school! Thank you!
This time of the year is a great time to schedule a meeting with me. We are at the perfect point in time to discuss any vital steps that need to be made in order to ensure that your Firsty is on their way to a successful end of First Grade. If you are worried about any of the grades you've seen come home, or you're not sure your child is reading at an acceptable first grade level, please contact me so we can have a meeting. We have approximately 100 school days left (or less) and we need to start thinking about how to make the rest of this year academically successful for your Firsty. Please don't feel the need to schedule a meeting with me if your child is receiving plenty of M's and E's!
Finally, your First Grader will begin taking Accelerated Reader tests this Thursday! Your child picked a book from the school library with the help of Mrs. Coulter and Mrs. Doyle. There is a bit of a "science"to how we decide what book your child should take from the library. We are obviously very aware of each of your child's reading levels- that's our job! But, when we start the Accelerated Reader program, we have found that having everyone start on the same level is the easiest way to introduce them to this program. Please have your child read his/her school library book at least two or three times before Thursday. Reading the story one final time on Wednesday is definitely very beneficial. Your child is to understand the Who, What, Where, When, Why information from the story. Then, on Thursday, they will go to the library and take their very own quiz on the book they borrowed. We keep track of their scores on their quizzes, and we will only notify you if your child did not pass the test. The quizzes do not affect their class grade, but it does ultimately help me understand how well your child comprehends what they are reading. If your child receives three 100% scores in a row, then we will bump them up to the next reading level in the library. These tests are fairly detailed, so don't be surprised if your child, who is used to reading lengthier books, is coming home with "simpler" stories. We want your child to feel successful and motivated to read! Please also remember that students can never, ever, ever take the same AR test over again- not even when they move on to a different grade level! As always, please contact me with any questions about the AR program. Thank you!
Have a beautiful three day weekend! Off to camping I go!
Take care!
~Ms. Hudson
Firsties recently finished studying their short vowel sounds, and we will have our short vowel test this week. Ask your Firsty to say the short vowel rhyme/song to you! We will begin studying the long vowels the following week.
This week First Grade will begin studying the Sacraments. First Grade is the first step towards receiving their next two Sacraments- Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. It is a two year process that begins with learning about Jesus, the Church, and the Sacraments. In your child's backpack was a rolled up white paper, with a smaller pink paper. The pink paper has detailed directions about this project that is due this upcoming Friday. You don't need to work on it this weekend, but I thought you would like to start thinking about it at least! If your child did not show up with one of these papers, then please let me know on Tuesday- we found one of the papers lying on the playground after school! Thank you!
This time of the year is a great time to schedule a meeting with me. We are at the perfect point in time to discuss any vital steps that need to be made in order to ensure that your Firsty is on their way to a successful end of First Grade. If you are worried about any of the grades you've seen come home, or you're not sure your child is reading at an acceptable first grade level, please contact me so we can have a meeting. We have approximately 100 school days left (or less) and we need to start thinking about how to make the rest of this year academically successful for your Firsty. Please don't feel the need to schedule a meeting with me if your child is receiving plenty of M's and E's!
Finally, your First Grader will begin taking Accelerated Reader tests this Thursday! Your child picked a book from the school library with the help of Mrs. Coulter and Mrs. Doyle. There is a bit of a "science"to how we decide what book your child should take from the library. We are obviously very aware of each of your child's reading levels- that's our job! But, when we start the Accelerated Reader program, we have found that having everyone start on the same level is the easiest way to introduce them to this program. Please have your child read his/her school library book at least two or three times before Thursday. Reading the story one final time on Wednesday is definitely very beneficial. Your child is to understand the Who, What, Where, When, Why information from the story. Then, on Thursday, they will go to the library and take their very own quiz on the book they borrowed. We keep track of their scores on their quizzes, and we will only notify you if your child did not pass the test. The quizzes do not affect their class grade, but it does ultimately help me understand how well your child comprehends what they are reading. If your child receives three 100% scores in a row, then we will bump them up to the next reading level in the library. These tests are fairly detailed, so don't be surprised if your child, who is used to reading lengthier books, is coming home with "simpler" stories. We want your child to feel successful and motivated to read! Please also remember that students can never, ever, ever take the same AR test over again- not even when they move on to a different grade level! As always, please contact me with any questions about the AR program. Thank you!
Have a beautiful three day weekend! Off to camping I go!
Take care!
~Ms. Hudson
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Money, money, money, money...money!
Brrrrrrrrrrrrr! Is anyone else freezing this weekend? I cannot believe I heard the weather man say that it was 2 degrees in Big Bear earlier this morning... 2 degrees in California! Ridiculous! Just thought I'd start off on that cold note. (Yes, I am a born and raised Californian, so anything below 65 degrees is cold enough for me!)
Speaking of cold- I am trying my very best to make your children wear warm clothes out to recess and lunch. I realize from talking with many of you that you are having a hard time getting them to wear their sweatshirts and jackets (instead of shoving them inside their backpacks). Thankfully, with the exception of a few eye-rolls, they are listening to their teachers and wearing their sweatshirts in this chilly January weather. I have noticed that many children are showing up to school with wet hair, and I am especially encouraging them to wear sweatshirts!
Now onto the money! Our Firsties have been working diligently on their money counting skills. Pretty soon they will be ready to work for Bank of America! Money is not a new concept for them. They practiced counting with money each morning in Kindergarten, and we have practiced it each morning in First Grade. If you have noticed that your child is struggling with this concept, you may have luck with simply having them practice skip-counting by five's and by ten's- if this isn't mastered yet, it is crucial that they work on that skill at home as well as in our room. They may need to recite this every morning in the car ride to school, or every evening while they are walking to their bedrooms for bed. Just a thought! Here are some photos of the Firsties playing a money counting game called Fill the Piggy!
The children roll a die, placing that many pennies in the penny circle. If there are five or more pennies in the penny circle, then they trade the five pennies for a nickle and place the nickle in the nickle circle. When there are two nickles in the nickle circle, then they trade them for a dime and place the dime in the piggy! The student who places the most dimes in the piggy, wins.
Most of the kids are really enjoying working with money. We also played a round of money bingo, and we wrapped up our math week with a quiz on money. Speaking of quizzes and tests, it has been a while since you have received the blue folder filled with your child's tests. I apologize for the delay, but there have been A LOT of absences lately, and I typically try not to return tests until all the children have had a chance to take the tests... this has been a huge challenge lately, what with the flu/cough/colds going around! Please do not send your child to school until they have been 100% fever free for twenty-four hours. If your child has a cough, please teach them to cough into their elbow. Additionally, cough drops are recommended, but please note that Firsties need to bring in a note with the cough drops, and Mrs. Coulter or myself will hand your child a cough drop when needed. In the meantime, we are constantly wiping down the desks, doorknobs, pencils, etc, and your children are continuing to use the hand wipes before eating snack and lunch.
How did the first week of spelling homework go? I didn't receive too many questions, so I'm guessing everything went well. Please remember to keep the spelling booklet in your child's red folder. Please also remember that the Firsties need to underline the spelling words in their spelling sentence, as well as write their name on the sentence paper. I met with many of them during class time to remind them that a name at the top is your very first stop! Some of you are writing AMAZING sentences! I am so proud of everyone for trying their hardest.
This week we will begin practicing our addition facts! This means that your child will be receiving a set of addition flash cards each week. You have 7 days to practice the facts (or, in this week's case, 8 days since we are off school next Monday). Then, when we return to school the following week, I will give you a timed (one minute) addition quiz. You may have heard these tests being referred to as a math minute, or mad minute. The problems will progress in difficulty as the weeks go on, so please note that missing one week will affect the following weeks. The problems will not be given in order on the test, so please make sure your child is memorizing them- I write the problems, your child is only responsible for writing the sums. Test them each night, see how they are progressing, and by Sunday night, your child should be able to answer them all out of order in less than a minute (remember, answering them orally may be faster, but the test will be written). The more you practice them with your child, the less nervous your child will be on test day. Firsties tend to be nervous about this test since it is timed, so please practice with them using a timer. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me! Thank you!
One final note- we have a special new friend joining our Firsty Family! Her name is Carolina, (she prefers to go by Kiki) and she is Lucas' cousin! We are so happy to have her join our family, and I hope everyone can help us extend a warm welcome to her and her family.
Have a wonderful week! Take care!
~Ms. Hudson
PS- I am on my way to help throw a friend's baby shower... I thought I'd share a photo or two of my second love besides teaching- cupcake baking! Here are my latest treats:
Now if only I can figure out a way to teach and bake cupcakes for a living... = )
Speaking of cold- I am trying my very best to make your children wear warm clothes out to recess and lunch. I realize from talking with many of you that you are having a hard time getting them to wear their sweatshirts and jackets (instead of shoving them inside their backpacks). Thankfully, with the exception of a few eye-rolls, they are listening to their teachers and wearing their sweatshirts in this chilly January weather. I have noticed that many children are showing up to school with wet hair, and I am especially encouraging them to wear sweatshirts!
Now onto the money! Our Firsties have been working diligently on their money counting skills. Pretty soon they will be ready to work for Bank of America! Money is not a new concept for them. They practiced counting with money each morning in Kindergarten, and we have practiced it each morning in First Grade. If you have noticed that your child is struggling with this concept, you may have luck with simply having them practice skip-counting by five's and by ten's- if this isn't mastered yet, it is crucial that they work on that skill at home as well as in our room. They may need to recite this every morning in the car ride to school, or every evening while they are walking to their bedrooms for bed. Just a thought! Here are some photos of the Firsties playing a money counting game called Fill the Piggy!
How did the first week of spelling homework go? I didn't receive too many questions, so I'm guessing everything went well. Please remember to keep the spelling booklet in your child's red folder. Please also remember that the Firsties need to underline the spelling words in their spelling sentence, as well as write their name on the sentence paper. I met with many of them during class time to remind them that a name at the top is your very first stop! Some of you are writing AMAZING sentences! I am so proud of everyone for trying their hardest.
This week we will begin practicing our addition facts! This means that your child will be receiving a set of addition flash cards each week. You have 7 days to practice the facts (or, in this week's case, 8 days since we are off school next Monday). Then, when we return to school the following week, I will give you a timed (one minute) addition quiz. You may have heard these tests being referred to as a math minute, or mad minute. The problems will progress in difficulty as the weeks go on, so please note that missing one week will affect the following weeks. The problems will not be given in order on the test, so please make sure your child is memorizing them- I write the problems, your child is only responsible for writing the sums. Test them each night, see how they are progressing, and by Sunday night, your child should be able to answer them all out of order in less than a minute (remember, answering them orally may be faster, but the test will be written). The more you practice them with your child, the less nervous your child will be on test day. Firsties tend to be nervous about this test since it is timed, so please practice with them using a timer. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me! Thank you!
One final note- we have a special new friend joining our Firsty Family! Her name is Carolina, (she prefers to go by Kiki) and she is Lucas' cousin! We are so happy to have her join our family, and I hope everyone can help us extend a warm welcome to her and her family.
Have a wonderful week! Take care!
~Ms. Hudson
PS- I am on my way to help throw a friend's baby shower... I thought I'd share a photo or two of my second love besides teaching- cupcake baking! Here are my latest treats:
 |
| lemon blueberry mint cupcakes |
 |
| vanilla bean cupcakes |
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