Parent Night and Hike Update

Hello Wonderful Families!

We have had another stellar week in our room. The kids are getting settled into their routines and are doing a great job. We are slowly building work stamina and are adding more options to their literacy time.

It was wonderful seeing those of you who could make it to our curriculum information night on Wednesday. For those of you who couldn't, we have sent home the same information we handed out as well as provided you a sheet for an opportunity to write questions and give feedback. If you have questions about any of this paperwork, please get in touch with Ms. Toth.

I know there has been some changes to the All School Hike that your children may have passed along to you. Some kids are concerned about the changes and we are committed to providing our 1/2 students with a great, fun-filled day. After we return from the Nature trail at Elmore State Park we'll be having a room for artwork (painting, pastels, maybe some clay), we'll be using the gym for some games, we'll have some quiet time, wrapped up by some outdoor play time. We think these options will scratch their itch for fun.

Literacy time is ramping up. You may have heard about their new sight word books, which we handed out today. These book are word lists tailored to the sight word count I've been collecting this week. There is a link in the reading section of the blog for you to print out these word lists, should you want to practice at home. If you don't have a printer but would like a list or a booklet from school, let me know. I'd be happy to print them out and send them home for you.

I'll be getting done all of our reading assessments done next week, which means guided reading

groups will be starting the week after. Kids will be grouped by their reading skills (word solving, comprehension, fluency {smoothness}, etc.). This way we ensure that the kids are getting exactly what they need. In reading groups we will be doing some sight word practice, reading books, and focusing in on word families and similar skills. Ask your kids about the books they are reading next week.

We have also started working on our handwriting during Writer's Workshop time. Kids are working at their own pace and doing constant check-ins with teachers as they go. Kids got books based on observations on their free writing and how they are using the lines on the page as well as their fine motor control. I've also given some pencil grips out for some kids to explore, it's important to have an efficient grip to ensure that kids are not over-working their hands while writing.

We had a visitor on the playground this week that got quite a bit of attention. It was pretty scary looking and we made sure to give it plenty of room. Problem being, I couldn't control where it

landed. So as I was standing guard to ensure the safety of our insect friend, it decided to visit my leg. It turns out it was a Pigeon Tremex. Check out the link for more information:

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Pigeon-Tremex

Last, I wanted to say how much I have appreciated all of your kind words and support thus far this year. I feel really good about the partnerships we are forming and I look forward to seeing them continue to grow.


Please get in touch with any questions, concerns or celebrations.

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend!

Ben and Tammy