Week of December 5th

Fred the Elf and Skippy have been busy around the school at night!  So far they have got into the jingle bells for counting centers, slept in the kleenex box, Fred hung Skippy up by his ears and they had a snowball fight with tissues!  The kids have been journaling about Fred and his antics everyday. Hopefully, Fred will settle down this week!

This week:

Reading - text structure, main idea and details, fluency, past tense verbs, phonemic awareness, author's purpose, capitalize proper nouns, inflectional ending -es,

Vocabulary - outline, observe, blaze, increase, scorch

Spelling - See Week 13
Bonus - outline

Writing - continued research on reindeer/caribou, Elf journal

Math - Test this week on subtraction, beginning addition strategies for next chapter

Monday - Music, Guidance
Tuesday - P.E., Making Words
Wednesday - Art
Thursday - Music, Library, Making Words
Friday - P.E., Spelling Test, Math Timed Test

Star Student - Julie Venteicher











Thanks and have a great week!

Week of November 28th

I hope everyone has had a restful holiday! This week we will have a couple of Christmas projects. We will be making our countdown chains and some Santa's to hang around the room.  I am thinking Fred the Elf will be arriving soon to visit our classroom as well!

Reading - compare and contrast, text structure, present tense verbs, phonemic awareness, fluency, main idea and details, syllables

Vocabulary - culture, custom, language, skill, similar

Spelling - See Week 12
Bonus:  custom

Writing - Research Project (Reindeer),  Journaling

Math - Subtraction (Now that we have completed addition and are starting subtraction, I am going to start giving a leveled timed test on Fridays.  It will start with addition facts and then progressively get harder.  Each time they receive a 100%, they can move on to the next level.)

Monday - P.E.
Tuesday - Art, Making Words
Wednesday - Music, Library (I will be gone)
Thursday - P.E., Making Words
Friday - Art, Spelling Test, leveled timed test

Star Student - Willis









Thanks and have a great week!

Week of November 21st

It will be a short week this week!  No spelling test and we will resume the reading series after Thanksgiving Break.  That leaves us some time to do some things we don't always have time for! Mrs. Schultz will be coming Monday to teach the students how to code.  They always love learning how to do this.

We will have reading groups but I won't be sending books home because they have a tendency to get lost over long breaks.  I also won't send the next list of spelling words home until next week.  You can still see the Week 12 spelling words on the blog by clicking on "Spelling."

For math we will continue our chapter on subtraction.  If you haven't already checked out Xtra Math and set your child up using the Xtra Math information sheet I sent home, take a look at it.  It is great practice for math facts.  Now that we have our addition unit under our belt, I will be giving a timed test each Friday.  There are different levels and when a student gets a 100% they get to move to the next level.

Monday - Art, Coding
Tuesday - Music, Guidance

No Star Student during this short week.  :)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy all of your family and friends!!

Week of November 14th

Students did a great job making cards for Adam Espenhover,  a Veteran who came to speak to the first graders on Friday.

We also learned a new math game called Addition War.  All you need is a deck of cards to play.  Aces are worth 1 and all face cards and the Joker are worth 10.  The rest of the cards are worth face value. Pass out the full deck between two players.  Each player flips over two cards and adds them together. Whoever has the greater sum wins the cards that were turned over.  If the players get the same sums, there is addition war.  Each player turns over two more cards.  Whoever has the greater sum then gets all of the cards.  The kids really enjoyed playing this once they caught on!


Reading - phonemic awareness, summarizing, fluency, predictions, sequence of events, -ed/-ing, long vowels

Vocabulary - friendship, relationship, encourage, rely, suggest

Writing - Informational

Spelling - See Week 11
Bonus: friendship

Math - Subtraction Concepts

Mrs. Schultz will be coming on Monday, November 21st to teach the students how to code.  They love learning how to do this!

Monday - Music, Guidance
Tuesday - P.E., Making Words
Wednesday - Art, Hearing and Vision Screenings
Thursday - Music, Library, Making Words, Author Visit
Friday - P.E., Spelling Test, Matt from Swan Lake visits

Star Student Avary O'Connor










Thanks and have a great week!

Week of November 7th

This week is the big election.  I have been decorating an area in front of the old office so the students can go and vote on Tuesday!  It is always neat to see how Fairview votes and if it aligns with how the real election turns out.  We will be doing a writing project and craft for the election as well.

The students have been enjoying our fluency practice with songs the past couple of weeks.  Last week we learned, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."  We studied it closely, sang it many times, read it with partners, and performed it at the end of the week.  This week we will learn the lyrics to the song, "Go Cubs Go."  We enjoyed dancing to that song last week.

I am sending home flyers tomorrow that will have your child's information on how to log on to Xtra Math.  They learned how to use this website on Friday and really enjoyed it.  They may log on at home and continue practicing!  I will be able to monitor their progress they make at home and at school.

Thank you to everyone who sent party supplies to our Fall Party!

Reading - Sequence of events, visualizing, phonemic awareness, exclamations, retell, capitalization,

Vocabulary - humorous, amuse, delighted, mood, ridiculous

Spelling - See Week 10
Bonus:  amuse

Math - Addition Concepts

Writing - Informational Writing, Election Writing

Star Student - Harley Harms











Monday - P.E.
Tuesday - Art, Making Words, Report Cards go home
Wednesday - Music, Library, Early Out
Thursday - P.E., Making Words
Friday - Art, Spelling Test

Remember to follow us on Instagram!  A lot of pictures have been posted!  mrsrobertsfirsties









Thanks and have a great week!

Week of October 31st

***Monday will be our Fall Party!  We still have a need for a healthy snack if someone would like to send that.  Just let me know if you can.  Thanks!

We had a fun time learning a new fluency song this week!  Shake It Off by Taylor Swift was a hit. We learned the first two verses and chorus and went and performed it on Thursday and Friday.  The students enjoyed showing off their reading skills around the school!  We plan on doing more songs in the future!

Reading - phonemic awareness, visualize and retell, proper nouns, author's purpose, capitalize proper nouns, contractions

Vocabulary - entertain, perform, audience, brilliant, enjoy

Spelling - See week 9
Bonus: perform

Writing - Informative writing

Math - Addition Concepts

Last week I made a mistake who was the Star Student

Collin was our Star Student last week

This week our Star Student is Aspen










Monday - Art, Fall Party, NO READING HOMEWORK
Tuesday - Music, Library, Making Words Homework
Wednesday - P.E.
Thursday - Art, Science with Anjanette Treadway, Making Words Homework
Friday - Music, Guidance

Have a great week!

Week of October 24th

Glad to be back and ready to get organized from having a sub for three days!  It looks like she didn't get Making Words home on Thursday.  We will have Making Words this Tuesday and Thursday.  I will be assessing students this week on standards we have covered for the report card.  It will be a busy week for sure!

Reading - summarize, main idea and details, phonemic awareness, irregular plural nouns, digraphs sh and th, punctuation, building words with -ing

Vocabulary - habitat, survive, powerful, rare, wade

Spelling - See Week 8
Bonus - powerful

Math - addition concepts

Writing - starting nonfiction unit by comparing facts and opinions, journal writing

Monday - No School
Tuesday - Gym
Wednesday - Art, Matt from Swan Lake
Thursday - Music, Guidance
Friday - P.E.

We will have our Fall Party on Monday, October 31st.  We have 22 students.  Here are the people who signed up for things to bring:

Sweet Snack - Collin Vonnahme
Juice Boxes - Alyssa Licht
Napkins - Michael Kendall
Party Favors -
Healthy Snack -

As you can see, we have a need for party favors and a healthy snack.  If you can donate these items, please let me know.  Thanks!!

       

    Star Student - Michael Kendall











Thanks and have a great week!

Week of October 17th

Thank you all for coming to conferences!  We are back on schedule this week.  I will be gone to Des Moines for a conference Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week.  Please send a note with your child for the substitute if they go home a different way any of those days as I will not be able to get a message to her if you email me.  Sometimes it is hard for students when the teacher is gone that many days.  It is hard for me to leave them!  I leave very detailed lesson plans so they can stick to the same routine as much as possible.

This week is Positive Behavior and Safe Schools Week.  There are some different dress up days.  See below:

Monday - Bucket Filler Day - Wear orange
Tuesday - Pledge Day - Wear blue
Wednesday - Live a Healthy Life Day - Wear red
Thursday - Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful Day - Wear mismatched clothes
Friday - Black Out Bullying Day - Wear black

Reading - identify and generate rhyme, plural nouns, summarize, retell, character and setting, punctuation, contractions n't, fluency

Vocabulary - responsibility, cooperate, appreciate, partner, scrumptious

Writing - opinion writing assessment

Spelling - week 7
Bonus Word:  partner

Math - Telling Time and Chapter 9 Test

Monday - Art
Tuesday - Music, Guidance, Making Words Homework
Wednesday - P.E. (I will be gone)
Thursday - Art (I will be gone), Making Words Homework, Science with Anjanette
Friday - Music, Library (I will be gone), Spelling Test

Monday the 24th NO SCHOOL

Star Student - Lauren Becker

Week of Oct. 10th

Due to conferences and the short week, there will be no spelling words this week!  We will be reviewing and doing some seasonal activities.  Reading bag homework will be hit or miss because of the early outs.  I may be able to only fit in two groups on the early out days.  Please check your child's folder each night to see if they have their bag.  We will only do one Making Words homework activity this week.  I will send that home on Tuesday night.  I am really impressed with the words the students are making with their letters!  One little guy was so proud this week he had filled up the front and had words on the back!

If you haven't already, download the Instagram app and follow our class at mrsrobertsfirsties.  We have some great pictures of different things going on in the classroom!  I would hate for you to miss it!

Reading - Review

Spelling - Review

Writing - Opinion Writing, Report and Craft on Bats

Math - Measuring with nonstandard units and telling time
We also practice daily addition facts to 10 and equality.

Monday - P.E., Early Out Conferences
Tuesday - Art, Making Words Homework
Wednesday - Music, Library
Thursday - P.E., Early Out Conferences
Friday - No School

Please let me know if your child is going home a different way on the early out days.  Thank you!

Star Student - Zetta Noble








Thanks and have a great week!  I look forward to meeting with you this week!

Week of October 3rd

Sorry I did not get the blog updated last week.  There may be a time or two that happens but usually I have it done every Sunday.  Last week was a very busy week in the classroom!  We had a beautiful day for the apple orchard!  Thank you to all of the parents who attended and also the parents who donated apples for our apple tasting on Friday.  The kids munched on them for a long time!  I also enjoyed seeing them dressed in all black on Friday to help celebrated my big 40th birthday!  Lots of black decorations appeared in my room mysteriously as well.

I did send home a Making Words homework sheet on Friday.  With the field trip on Tuesday and early out on Wednesday, we were a little behind this week.

This week we will be back on a regular schedule.

Reading - summarize, main idea and details, phonemic awareness, fluency, nouns, punctuation, rhythmic patterns,

Spelling - see Week 6 spelling words
Bonus Word:  provide

Vocabulary - provide, protect, guide, separate, wild

Writing - We just finished up the final draft of their opinion piece titled The Tooth Fairy vs Santa Claus

Math - Measurement

Science - Our monarch butterfly hatched out over the weekend!  We will let it go tomorrow. Anjanette Treadway is coming this Thursday to start a science unit called Rolling Things!

Star Student last week was Nolan Stitz!

Star Student this week is Caden Klocke!









Monday - Art
Tuesday - Music, Library, Making Words Homework
Wednesday - P.E.
Thursday - Art, Making Words Homework
Friday - Music, Guidance, Spelling Test

A look ahead:  Week of October 10th is Parent Teacher Conferences.  I look forward to meeting with you!

Have a great week!

Week of September 19th

Homecoming Week!!!!

Monday - Favorite Team Day (Wear your favorite team shirt)
Tuesday - Wear Blue
Wednesday - Beach Day (No swimsuits or flip flops)
Thursday - Backwards Day
Friday - Spirit Day (Wear Orange and Black)

Reading - character and setting, questions/exclamations, possessives 's, story structure

Vocabulary - train, needs, adorable, dear, sensible

Spelling - See Week 4 Spelling Words
Bonus Word:  train

Writing - Opinion Writing

Math - 2D Shapes

*****Star Student Sophie******











Monday - P.E.
Tuesday - Art
Wednesday - Music, Guidance
Thursday - P.E.
Friday - Art, Homecoming Parade, Spelling Test

A Look Ahead......Deal's Apple Orchard Field Trip Tuesday, September 27th, Leaving Fairview at 12:15 and returning by 2:30.

Have a great week!

We are hoping for some butterflies this week!  I am guessing by Thursday or Friday we may see some action.  We have a few things going on this week:

1.  Picture day is Tuesday, September 13th.  We will be taking pictures around 9 in the morning.
2.  Wednesday is our first early out.  Please let me know if your child is going home a different way.
3.  Matt from Swan Lake will be visiting Monday.

Last week your child brought home their reading bags for homework.  We did not have reading homework over the weekend and will not have it on early out days.  Please ask for your child's reading bag the nights we have homework and have them read their book to you.  Please sign the gold paper on the inside of the bag.  Please make sure your child gets the reading bag back in their backpack each night even if you didn't get to the reading so they can have their book for the next day.

I also sent a few informational papers in their reading bags for tips on reading and how to help your child.  We will continue with Making Words homework every Tuesday and Thursday nights.  The students are bringing back great words on their papers!  Make it a goal to try to fill every blank with words.

Our field trip to Deal's Orchard is tentatively set for Tuesday, September 20th.  We are just waiting on the bus request to be approved.  If you would like to meet us in Jefferson at the orchard that day, we will be arriving approximately 12:45 and will be staying until 2:00.  Please let me know if you will be coming.  The students will get to go on a hayride, pick a pumpkin and get a few other goodies.

This week:

Monday - Art
Tuesday - Music, Guidance, Picture Day
Wednesday - P.E., Early Out
Thursday - Art, (I will have a substitute because I will be benchmarking students)
Friday - Music, Library

Star Student - Michael Kendall











Reading - text structure, sequence of events, onset and rime, statements, phonemic awareness, fluency

Vocabulary - change, learn, adult, imitate, practice

Spelling Words - Click on link to see week 3
Bonus Word - imitate

Writing - Opinion

Math - 2D Shapes

Science - Life Cycle of a Caterpillar

Thanks and have a great week!

Week of September 5th

We had a great first, full week of school!  By Friday, the students were doing the center rotations like pros. We will continue to practice routines and procedures this week.  Our word last week was, "Focus." Understanding what listening and focusing looks like and sounds like is an important part of the learning process.  Making sure our eyes are on the teacher and we are thinking about what is going on helps to promote understanding.  This can be tough at times after coming back from summer break but I have seen great improvements!

We have sorted all first grade students into a Tiger Time group.  They will travel to a teacher for 20 minutes who will teach reading skills that need to be practiced.  Some groups will be working on enrichment activities and other groups will be working on skills that may need more practice.  These groupings are part of a differentiated curriculum to meet your child's specific needs.

Currently, I am working on a field trip to Deal's Apple Orchard for later this month.  I will let you know as soon as I have the dates set!  Always a great field trip!

 

Star Student for this week is:  Alyssa Licht

Star students can bring show and tell every day their week.

Reading - Story Structure, Sequence of Events, Onset and Rime, Fluency, Phonemic Awareness, Punctuation

Writing - Opinion Writing

Vocabulary - movement, express, energy, exhausted, stretch

Spelling - Week 2 - see link to the right

Bonus Word - stretch

Math - 3D Shapes

Science - Life Cycle of a Butterfly

***Remember - Making Words homework is on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Your child will bring home a half sheet of paper with letters stapled to the paper.  Take out the staple and have your child make as many words as they can and write each one on the paper.  We will have already done the mystery word together and wrote it on the paper.  Please return this paper with your child the next day so I can check it off in my grade book.  No need to send the letters back.  Thank you!

***Reading bag homework starts tomorrow.  Your child will bring home a plastic reading bag with a book and parent log inside.  There will also be some information on reading in the bag.  Please review the information and take out of the bag.  Leave the gold parent log in the bag.  Have your child read their book to you and sign.  Please send back the bag with the book and the log every day. Reading bag homework is a huge part of first grade.  Thank you for your time and support on this!

Monday - No School

Tuesday - P.E.

Wednesday - Art

Thursday - Music, Library

Friday - P.E., Spelling Test

A Look Ahead - Picture day is Tuesday, September 13th

Remember to follow us on Instagram!  mrsrobertsfirsties

A few of our caterpillars have made their chrysalis' over the long weekend!!

Thank you and have a great week!

Week of August 29th, 2016

WELCOME!!!!

I hope everyone has had a great summer and is ready to get back into a routine.  This is my first year doing a blog newsletter.  I used to send out an emailed newsletter but thought this would be easier. To the right on the blog you will see a link that says "Spelling".  When you click on this you will be taken to the spelling words for the whole year.  We will begin our Week 1 spelling words the week of August 29th.  I will send a hard copy of the list home every Friday before.  The math link on the right will have information coming soon!

   



Please follow our class on Instagram!  There are already pictures to look at!  Send a request to: mrsrobertsfirsties







The first three days of school we will be learning classroom procedures, rules and about each other! Your child will bring home a "Home Folder" each night that will have their work and important information for you.  There will also be a page that you and I can correspond important information on. Please check this sheet each night and leave in the folder.

Please let me know through a note in the home folder, email or a phone call if your child is getting home a different way.  I wouldn't email late in the afternoon, as I may not be able to check my email then.

Week of August 29th

Monday - Art
Tuesday - Music, Library
Wednesday - P.E.
Thursday - Art
Friday - Music, Guidance, Spelling Test





Star Student - Wesley Palmer
The star student may bring show and tell every day for the week!






Reading - phonics short a, character and setting, sorting -an/-at, fluency, blending, inflectional ending -s

Vocabulary - unique, interest, cheerful, genuine, prefer

Spelling - (click link for words)  Bonus word: prefer

Writing - writing your opinion

Science - We received our caterpillars!  We will be watching them eat and grow, form their chrysalis' and go the through the metamorphosis process and become beautiful butterflies!

Math - 3D shapes
We will begin our ongoing practice for fluency of math facts to 10.

****Picture day is September 13th (forms are going home Monday)

Making Words Homework starts Tuesday.  Your child will have Making Words Homework every Tuesday and Thursday unless there is no school.  Please look for a half sheet of paper with letters stapled to it.  Remove the staple and have your child make as many words as they can with the letters and your child will write the words down they make.  We will have done this together in class so ask them if they remember the words they made that day.  They will have the Mystery Word already written on their paper.  Please have your child return this to school so I can check it.  This activity has great results if done regularly!!

Have a GREAT week!!