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