Off to the races!

8/31/2012

 
Picture
We've finished the first week of school, and I still can't believe how lucky I am to have your children in class this year.  We have had a very busy week, learning classroom routines, school routines, having our special classes, and even having our first all-school fire drill!

I would like to share with you some of the activities that we have begun.  We have our first piece of writing hangin on our author board.  The children drew a picture and wrote what they were hoping to learn in first grade.

Picture
We have also been talking about our classroom community and how we can all work together as a team.  We read Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann, and we made a list of ways we could be good classroom citizens.  The children chose their favorite advice and wrote their ideas on paper stars.

In math, we have worked to establish our morning meeting routine.  Every day we will use our morning meeting time as a great way to practice our counting skills, practice calendar skills, and practice collecting and describing data about our class.  We will add other skills (e.g. working with money and telling time) as the year progresses.  We have also used the Promethean board to collect data about the number of boys and girls in our class and the different ways we
Picture
Today, we have another piece of writing in the hallway.  The children developed a list of everything they like about school.  They then took their favorite idea and completed an "I like school because" writing prompt.  For the beginning of the year, I am very impressed with what the children can do!  It makes me even more excited to see their work later in the year.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday weekend.  Take care, and I will be waiting for the children Tuesday morning.

 
Picture
Wow!  I can't thank you all enough for the warm welcome to Mill Run!  It was so inspiring to me to meet all of you and see your excitement for your childrens' education.  Mill Run is an exceptional school, and it is clear that you are making our school community the warm, cheerful, and exciting place that it is!  Thank you!

     Thank you, also, for coming to visit the classroom yesterday.  The children are amazing, and I am so excited to see them again on Monday.  We will spend some quality time getting to know one another while also easing into our academic routines.  Of course, I will keep you posted regarding our activities on this page every Friday.

     And, thank you to all of the parents for coming to the Back to School Night presentations yesterday evening.  As I mentioned, your children are my top priority and establishing a strong home-school connection is a critical foundation for our joint mission.  If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call, send a note, or e-mail.  I will check email before and after school each day, and I will do my very best to reply within 24 hours.  

    So, I hope you have a wonderful weekend enjoying some special time as a family.  Here are some final reminders for the first day:  Please remember to send a snack of cheese, raw fruit, or raw vegetables for our morning snack break.  If your child will be purchasing lunch in the cafeteria, please discuss your expectations regarding your child's choices.  (Are they allowed to buy ice cream every day, only once a week, or not at all?)  And finally, please remember to remind your child how they will be going home

     With children like yours, we are guaranteed to have a wonderful year!  I am so excited, I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep this weekend!  Please tell the children that I said "Hello!" and I'll be waiting for them in Room 4 on Monday!