Our classroom news will be shared on a private Facebook group.
Friend our group at: Willard South 1st Grade, Mrs. Bailey Mrs. Bailey’s Supply List for First Grade Put your child’s name on everything to avoid loss - including crayons! 1 pair scissors labeled 1 school box labeled 1 pkg dry erase markers – all colors 1 pkg washable markers labeled 2 boxes 24-count crayons labeled 24 SHARPENED #2 pencils labeled - You can buy them sharpened or use a sharpener at home. Your child will appreciate your help. 2 boxes of tissues Two 1-inch, 3-ring binders with a clear cover (new or used) 4 glue sticks labeled 2 rectangular erasers labeled (usually pink or gray) 5 pocket folders with prongs labeled 3 spiral notebooks labeled 1 bottle of white glue labeled (NO clear, blue, or glitter) Earbuds or headphones for I-pad use (be sure they fit your child’s ears) Crazy Days! We have so much going on and so much still to do.
First I want to say a huge "Thank you!" for the beautiful gifts I've received this week for Teacher Appreciation week. I know life is busy and money is tight. I am touched by the thoughtfulness of gifts and by the beautiful notes written by kids and parents. I'll post pictures soon. Yes, I've resorted to bribery! I have a secret box full of treasures. A well-behaved child is randomly chosen to peek and chose a prize to keep forever. This has made a nice change in behavior today. When you see a new toy or stuffed animal in the backpack, this means your sweetie was caught being awesome in the midst of probable crazy. Our field trip didn't turn out like it was planned. Bass Pro messed up. They are refunding almost half of the admission charge since they didn't follow through. It is being refunded to the school. So, the first grade teachers felt that using the money for a pizza party in the next two weeks sounded like a terrific way to use the funds. I will let you know what date when we have it planned. We still had fun getting out and seeing some new sights. We invaded the entrance of Wonders of Wildlife and stuck one finger in the fountain as we left. Yes, I am the cool teacher! Field Day is next Friday, May 17th. It is supposed to be a bit different than in previous years. I do not know what is planned. I do not know the schedule at all. I don't know our lunch time, but the choice will be a sack lunch if a lunch isn't brought from home. I do not need volunteers to help my class since the class stays together. Please feel free to volunteer to help the committee that is planning the day. A form is available on the WS page and the WS Facebook page. A background check must be completed as well. What you really need to know is that kids need certain things: *Apply sunscreen before sending your child to school. You may send it with them for reapplying later as well. Be sure they know how to use it. Most kids do. *Send a hat, a jacket, sunglasses, and a change of clothing AND SHOES because kids usually get wet. *If you volunteer to run a station, you may check your child out when you leave. Kids will be exhausted when activities are over. *As far a I know there is no back-up date. We usually go out in rain unless it is dangerous. I bring a raincoat. These last weeks we are reading from the series What Would You Do If You Had Animal _____? Kids are learning what survival advantage the animal has with a specific foot, nose, or hair type. The first attempt with an animal nose was done with a sub. It is being sent home. This week we did animal feet. These are hanging in the hallway. We finished all 15 math topics!!! The shapes and fractions test was given today. We will be revisiting subtraction and addition. Kids have forgotten the strategies they were taught. They need to be strong for second grade because they will start continue from where we left off. Phonics has focused on the hard and soft c sound and the hard and soft g sound. Here's the rule: *If a letter g or letter c is followed by letters "a" "o",or "u" or a consonant, they make the hard sound. So g says /g/ as in "goose" and c says /k/ as in "cat". *If a letter g or letter c is followed by letters "i" "e" or "y," they make the soft sound. So g says /j/ as in "giraffe" and c says /s/ as is "celery". Now you've learned something new too! Writing is still a bit of a struggle in stretching stories with more details. We continue to write, edit, stretch, edit, then publish into a book. Be sure to check the pictures page! I still have more to post. FIELD TRIP - not to Wonders of Wildlife but to a classroom for lessons. My three chaperones are to meet our buses at the Bass Pro Wolfe school. I don't know where this is as I have never been. Google? I can also message you when we arrive.
*Buses will leave the school parking lot at 9:15. If your child is late, he/she will have to wait in the office for us to return at 12:15. Kids may NOT be dropped off at Bass Pro, nor may they be signed out there. All students must ride buses back to school. *Lunches will be eaten at school when we return. Those who are planning to bring a home lunch will bring it as usual. Kids can wear normal school clothing and hats for hat day. ---------------------------------------------------------- FACEBOOK 80s contest Check out the school Facebook site for the teacher 80s dress-up day contest. The teacher with the most "likes" wins!!! I don't know what the prize is, but I WANT IT! I'm 16 pictures down in my authentic senior class tee-shirt. Please vote for me. Click either link. Willard South Facebook Post for 80s day https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2340107382687482&id=100000647288190&sfnsn=mo ----------------------------------------------------------- Teacher Appreciation week is this week. A list of fun appreciation ideas was created by Ms. B to be sent home today. Participate in any you choose. I am not picky, but specific ideas are listed. I'm really fairly easy to make happy. These kids have returned their field trip permission slip and $5: Eva, Collin, Abby, Wyatt, Taylor, Alec, Karmen, and Addalee. I am not allowed to take any child from the school without permission. Please get those in by April 26th. I will make arrangements with 2nd grade classrooms for any kids unable to go with us.
April Book-It lists can still be returned. Our classroom is in need of the following at any time: staplers, treasure chest items (kids' meals toys), wrapped candy for rewards (mini candy bars, mints, kisses, mixed candies). Kids are really struggling with forming their own thoughts to answer text questions. Even when I provide the answer, the kids struggle to write it. Ask your child to explain their thinking or their answers to any question to support thinking on their own. When reading, ask them questions about the text and make them give supporting reasons for their answer. This is very important for every grade. We will be finishing our Math shapes topic next week and testing. Review pages as they come home and be sure to do the homework. There are thinking questions that kids need practice with. Our phonics focus next week will be possessives using an apostrophe. We are using singular and plural possessives. This is tricky! Upcoming Events: April 26th - field trip money and permission slip due May 1st - First grade teachers are in a workshop in Springfield May 3rd - I am chaperoning my grandson's field trip May 7th - hat day and First grade field trip May 10th - Mrs. Bailey appt May 17th - Field Day May 24th - last day is a half day Yay! Spring weather! I hope you've enjoyed your weekend as much as I have.
We've finished Topic 13 in math - telling time to the hour and half hour. The test will be Tuesday. Kids need more practice using little clocks. We will be quizzing each other Monday and reviewing. Phonics was so much easier! Ending blends are easier to hear and spell. Kids worked with words ending in -nt, -sk, -ng, -ft, -nd. Reading was interrupted with the NWEA testing. We did fit in Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type. Such a fun book. We discussed questions that came up as we read and answered them based on the text. Some answers are written, some are in pictures, some we have to infer. This is a task necessary for advancing reading levels. Writing narratives, fictional or true, is difficult when kids want to tell about an entire event. We are focusing on finding that one small moment to develop. If you haven't checked "Snapshots of Fun," you need to! I am a picture nut! Upcoming events: Monday, April 8th - field trip note sent home Monday, April 8th through Friday, April 12th - Wellness Week activities at school Friday, April 19th - no school Tuesday, May 7th - 1st Grade field trip, Hat Day Friday, May 17th - Field Day (more info to come) Friday, May 24th - last day of First Grade This week we will begin Topic 13 about telling time to the hour and half hour on an old-fashioned clock. You know, the one with a minute and an hour hand and numbers 1 through 12. Yep, we are going back in time!
Our focus books in reading are "Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type" and "Clarabelle". We will be comparing and contrasting fiction and non-fiction. Being able to identify the two by specific features is a learning standard for fourth quarter. We continue to practice retelling a book by including the characters, setting, problem, solution, beginning event, middle events, and ending event. Kids have a hard time remembering what they just read once the book is closed. Practice retell habits such as previewing stories by predicting what will happen in the book then by retelling while pointing to the pictures after reading. Phonics focuses on ending blends such as sk, st, nd. Sometimes kids don't hear one sound or the other so they misspell the word. Spelling tests continue on Fridays! I will send a new list home Monday. I see improvement in several kids. Words may not be correct, but I can see that they have practiced because tricky parts are being spelled correctly in some words. Practice all of the sight words frequently. Narrative writing is continuing with a twist. Kids can write realistic-fiction narratives! They still need to focus on a small moment of time with one specific moment that happened. Writing about an entire day loses the main point kids wanted to share. Upcoming Events: Tuesday, April 2nd - Hat Day (bring 25 cents or a canned food item) Wednesday and Thursday, April 3rd and 4th - NWEA testing - Be sure your child is at school on time both days so they don't have to take the test during recess or specials. Friday, April 19th - No School Tuesday, May 7th - Field Trip to Bass Pro for Animal Adventures. A note will be sent closer to the date. Admission is $3 each I believe. Parent Survey for Leader In Me schools - click the link to share your opinion of our school and the Leader in Me program. Mrs. Crighton-Smith said only 84 families have completed the survey. She would love to have more input. Summer School Enrollment Link (click to enroll your child/children) Enroll NOW for K-8th Grade Summer School. Registration is now open for K-8th grade summer school. Registration is ONLINE only. You must fill out a separate form for each child attending summer school. The deadline to enroll is Tuesday, April 30th. Every student is invited to attend! Parent Survey for Leader In Me schools - click the link to share your opinion of our school and the Leader in Me program. Mrs. Crighton-Smith said only 84 families have completed the survey. She would love to have more input.
Summer School Enrollment Link (click to enroll your child/children) Enroll NOW for K-8th Grade Summer School. Registration is now open for K-8th grade summer school. Registration is ONLINE only. You must fill out a separate form for each child attending summer school. The deadline to enroll is Tuesday, April 30th. Every student is invited to attend! SUMMER SCHOOL INFORMATION --Dates: June 3 thru June 28 --Time: 7:30am to 2:00pm --Cost: Free to all students --Locations: Willard South Elementary (4151 W. Division St., Spfld) & Willard East Elementary (518 Kime St, Willard) and Willard High School (515 E Jackson, Willard) --Willard South will be a K-8th site --Willard East will be a K-6th site --Willard High School will be a 7th-8th site --Eligibility: Students entering Kindergarten-8th grade and are enrolled in the Willard School District --Meal Prices: Students attending summer school at any site will receive FREE lunch and breakfast everyday --Students will be assigned homeroom teachers to whom they will report to each day. We will also be offering additional special classes for them to attend on a daily basis (for example: PE, Library, Computer Lab) --There is NO bus transportation service for summer school. --Students MUST be pre-enrolled by completing this online form. Students who are NOT pre-enrolled will NOT be accepted at summer school --Each student enrolled will receive their summer school assignment packet the last week of the regular school year --TIGER TALES Before and After School Program will be offered for students in grades K-6th who are enrolled in Summer School Tiger Tales. Melissa Hurt, Principal Melinda Miller, Principal Willard South Elementary Summer School Willard East Elementary Summer School REMINDER: TOMORROW NIGHT IS STUDENT-LED CONFERENCING! Please pop in with your child for 30 minutes between 3:45 and 6:30. Your child will share progress and learning with you. That's it! Easy and quick. This is open to all families.
We were to learn about volcanoes last week, but discussion of magma (melted rock) and minerals led to sharing rock collections from home. I haven't seen the kids so excited about anything else this year. We learned important vocabulary words and how to determine what they mean. Many times we just tell our kids what something means. Next time you are asked what a word means, ask your child to think about what was said or read. Ask them to thing about what the word could mean based on the clues they find. Use a dictionary or google to get more information. Determining the meaning of unknown words is something kids need to know how to do during reading. Skipping unknown words leaves gaps in learning and comprehension. Writing has returned to Narrative writing which is telling a story from a small moment of a larger story. It is just like speaking the story to someone. We will be using quotation marks, commas, and adjectives. Often kids want to tell about an entire day or weekend. This is too difficult and needs to be zoned in to one specific thing that happened. An example would be crossing the monkey bars for the first time - not the entire recess period. Phonics: patterns o/consonant/e, oa, o by itself. Knowing when to use oa is tricky. With practice reading and writing these words, kids will learn to recognize when a word doesn't look right. Measuring length is our new topic that began last week. We will review this week and assess learning. Kids are using string to measure wiggly or zig zagged lines, then line cubes along the string to get an accurate measurement. Summer School registration begins Monday, March 25th. Every child is welcome to attend. The link will be available on the 25th. Dates, hours, and more information will be on the link. Upcoming Reminders: Monday, March 25th - Student Led Conferences 3:45 to 6:30. Thursday, March 28th - Report Cards Go Home Friday, March 29th - No School Lots of new pictures have been added. Check out the Snapshots of Fun page. We had several Dr. Seuss activities throughout the week and Literacy Night to celebrate. Taylor was our February MVT. Our class was voted the class with the most spirit during Community Time and got to lead the Wednesday leadership song. They kids were stoked! I recorded them with hopes to share with you. I did it! I got the video linked!!!
Over the past two weeks reading time was spent with students and the DRA (developmental reading assessment). These take a huge amount of time to get through with each child. The kids were pretty great to hang in there with me. Many kids reached their one-year-growth goal. Some also completed the retelling goal for 4th quarter. The successes will keep rolling in as we near the end of our year together. The opinion writing unit is finished. Fourth quarter we return to narrative writing. Spelling has improved. Using conventions has improved. Speech errors have improved. This should be easy for the kids once they determine a "small moment" they want to share. Expanding on details will be our focus. Phonics is really tough. I don't expect that kids to remember when to use which spelling pattern. The exposure and practice seeing the words in print will help them to recognize when a word looks wrong. Math Topic 11 was assessed. The kids are "just knowing" answers now. I promised them it would happen. We're on to measuring when we return from Spring Break. Upcoming Dates: Tuesday, March 12th - DISMISS AT 12:30 Wednesday, March 13th - Friday, March 15- SPRING BREAK!!!! Thursday, March 21st - Spring Picture Day Monday, March 25th - Student Led Conferences- schedule coming out soon! Friday, March 29 - NO SCHOOL! |
AuthorMrs. Christine Bailey Willard South Homepage
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May 2019
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