September 28th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In reading, we will continue to sequence the stories that we read.  We will also be focusing on the characters and settings.  We will be reading two different versions of The Three Little Pigs and we will be comparing and contrasting the two stories.  Our chunk of the week this week is -in as in win.  We will also be reviewing the short a sound as well.  This week will be the last spelling test that the students write just the words.  Starting next week, the spelling test will be given in sentence form.

This week we will be working on counting up and back on a number grid, learning our telephone numbers, and practicing single digit addition.  Watch for the Unit 2 Family Letter to come home today.  Home Links for lessons 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 will also be coming home this week.

In science, we will be continuing our unit on land and water.  We will also be studying many animals we see during the fall season.  We will be reading and writing about these animals as well as seeing some of them up close on our field trip to The Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary on October 9th.

Special Points of Interest

• Our take-home book program will begin this week!  Please remember to initial and return the books after you have read them so that your child can bring home new books.
• Family Fall Fest is Friday, October 9th in the evening at Thorson
• Donuts with Dads is on October 13th starting at 7:30
• If you haven't returned The Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary field trip permission slip, please return it ASAP

IMC Change

We do not have school next Friday, October 2nd, so we are not able to go to IMC on our normal day.  Instead, we will have IMC on Monday, September 28th.  If your child wants to check out new books, please make sure they bring back their books on the morning of the 28th.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Room Parent Needed

Our class does not have a room parent yet this year.  The job duties include:  
• Classroom holiday parties
• Hospitality Committee food donations for teacher events
• Set up for grade-level special events
• Winter Carnival class auction items
• Group gifts
• Candid yearbook pictures
• Communicating with parents via email
• Any other miscellaneous job a teacher may need help with

If you are interested, please go to this link https://docs.google.com/a/cedarburg.k12.wi.us/forms/d/11fKmpS5rHYBhuw_t0SPQzytu4H1ZzfwANGryg1k3Yzc/viewform
and fill out the form by Monday, September 28th. Thank you in advance!

September 21st Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In reading this week, we will be continuing to work on sequencing a story.  As you read with your child, remember to ask your child what happens in the beginning, middle, and end of the story.  Our chunk of the week will be the short sound of i as in it and bit.  Our class has been working hard to choose appropriately leveled books to read.  The children are learning to choose books with a purpose and topics that interest them.  They are also encouraged to choose a book that they are able to comprehend and read a majority of the words correctly without help.

This week in math, we will be working on problem solving skills, writing tally marks to show a number, and looking at weather and temperature routines.  Look for Home Links 1.12, 1.13, and a tally mark practice sheet to come home this week.

This week we will finish up our school and safety social studies unit and begin a new science unit on Land and Water.

Friendly Reminders

• October 2nd - No School
• Please remember to send back the field trip permission slip if you haven't done so already.
• Save the Date - Family Fall Fest is on Friday, October 9th - Look for more information in the Thursday Folder

Daily Schedule

Our Daily Schedule

8:50 – Seated & Ready
8:55 – 9:15 Morning Meeting & Math Exercises
9:15 – 10:00 Reading 
10:00 – 10:30 Literacy Centers
10:30 – 11:10 Writing 
*(10:35 –11:05 Library on Fridays)
11:10 – 11:50 Recess/Lunch
11:50 – 12:50 Math 
12:50-1:05 – Recess
1:05 – 1:35 – PIE Time
1:35 - 1:50 – Snack & Spelling/Word Work
1:55-2:40 – Specials
2:40-3:10 – Science or Social Studies
3:10 – 3:30 – Read to Self/Someone/Teacher 
3:30 – 3:35 Pack-Up
 
Specials:
A Day -PE
B Day -Art
C Day -Music

September 14th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In reading, we will be looking at the different events that occur in a story and we will be sequencing the events that happen throughout a story.  After you read a book to your child or your child reads a book to you, make sure you ask them about the events that happened in the story (what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story).  Additionally, we are going to be working on the short a sound, as in bat.

This Friday will be our first spelling test.  The format for the first two weeks of spelling tests is simplified and the children just need to write the words.  I will look at the first two spelling tests, but no grade will be taken.  We will also write some additional words the children should know from things we do in class.  In a few weeks, we will move to our standard first grade spelling test where the children need to listen to dictated sentences that the teacher reads with the spelling words, and write them down in sentence form.

This week we will continue to write about ourselves.  The students are doing a great job telling stories about real things that have happened to them.  Our class is full of wonderful storytellers and the children love to share their stories with their classmates.

We will be working in math on the elements that make up a calendar, counting objects correctly, comparing quantities, and using tally marks.  Please look for Home Link 1.8 and an addition practice sheet to come home this week.  Math homework will always come home on yellow paper.

In social studies, we will be continuing our school and safety unit.  We will be learning more about our classmates and friendship, as we build our classroom community.

There will be a lot of information coming home in your child's red folder this week.  Look for a parent volunteer letter, a field trip permission slip, math homework, information about spelling homework/tests, and our first set of vocabulary words.  Please make sure to check your child's folder daily.  Thank you for your help with this!

Friendly Reminders

• Picture day is tomorrow!
• Please remember to send a healthy snack with your child everyday.
• Scholastic Book Orders are due this Friday, September 18th. Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub Class Activation Code: JBVLX

Scholastic Book Order

Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub
One-Time Class Activation Code: JBVLX

Dear Families,

Please remember to place your Reading Club orders by Friday, September 18th.

You can shop and submit your order online or return the order form with payment directly to me. No matter how you order, every purchase you make earns FREE Books and educational supplies for our classroom.

The arrival of the book box is always a highlight - thanks for making it happen!

Happy reading,

Mrs. Majinski

Ordering online is fast and easy:

• REGISTER at scholastic.com/readingclub
• ENTER the Class Activation Code at the top of this letter
• CHOOSE from thousands of print titles, value packs, and Storia eBooks
• SUBMIT the order to me by the due date at the top of this letter
• EARN FREE Books for our classroom too!

September 8th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week in reading we will be reading nursery rhymes.  We will be doing activities that go along with these nursery rhymes.  We will also be reading stories and talking about important aspects of the stories that we read including characters, setting, problem, and solution.  Please have your children tell you about the characters, setting, problems, and solutions in the books that they read at home to you.

In math, we will be learning about naming numbers before and after a given number and how to use a number line.  We will also be working on our daily math routines.  There will not be any math homework this week.  

In social studies, we are working on our school unit.  This week we will learn about the jobs of people in our building.  Mrs. Little, Mrs. Rowland and Mr. Jeff will be talking to the kids about what they do here at Thorson.

We took our first MAP test this morning.  We will be taking both a reading and a math MAP test.  The students will be taking the MAPS test again in the winter and spring.

We have started creating our poetry binders.  We will be adding different poems to our poetry binder throughout the year.  The children are so excited to add new poems to their binders.

Friendly Reminders

• Picture day is next Tuesday, September 15th!  If you would like to purchase photos, please return the order form that you got at the beginning of the school year.
• Curriculum night is this Thursday, September 10th.  Please return the pink sheet if you haven't already.
• Please empty your child's red folder each night.  Many children are returning their red folders still filled with the previous day's items.  Please look over your child's work with them and return necessary items back to school.
• If you have not sent an old sock to school for our dry erase boards, please send one or more to school with your child soon.  I greatly appreciate it!

September 1st Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to a new school year! I hope you had a fun and relaxing summer!  This week we will be doing many fun activities. We will be reading a few short stories and completing activities that go along with the stories. The stories we are going to be reading include: Ten Black Dots, I Went Walking, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, No Roses for Harry, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  We will be making our own class books for Ten Black Dots and I Went Walking.  We will also be writing about our summer vacation and our first days of school.

This week you will be receiving an Everyday Math family letter. Look for it in your child's red take-home folder. You will receive a family letter at the beginning of each unit. This family letter provides you with answers to all of the homework problems. It also explains the topics we will be covering throughout the unit.  Please keep this in a safe place so you are able to refer to it throughout the unit.

In our first few days of school, we will also be going over all of the rules and routines.  A behavior agreement will be coming home this week too, and it needs to be signed.  It will be coming home in your child's red take-home folder.  Please help your child become responsible for bringing their red take home folder to and from school each day.

                         

Do you have an old sock laying around the house that doesn't have a partner?  We would love to use it in our classroom!  If you could send an old sock (or more than one sock) to school with your child, it would be greatly appreciated.  They make wonderful erasers for our white boards.

Special Points of Interest

• No school on Monday, September 7th
• Picture Day is Tuesday, September 15th
• Save the Date:  Thursday, September 10th from 5:30-6:30 will be our First Grade Curriculum Meeting - More information will be sent home soon!