Newsletter 3 10/11/2009
Dear Families,
Wow! Six weeks in….it goes by so fast. Here is some new info.:
Calendar
We do calendar as part of our math every day. It would be helpful if we had a large, desk-size calendar to display and write events on, so if anyone has a spare they could donate, we'd appreciate it.
It's great that so many of you are able to use the Twitter site to stay in touch with what we do, and to spark conversations with the students. I'm trying very hard to make sure that our "followers" are appropriate for first grade, so if you sign up and think I might not recognize you, please let me know so I don't block you. This would apply to family members and friends, too—we love to have them as long as I know who they are. If I do accidentally block you, just let me know and I'll fix it.
Blog
Long ago I used room302.blogspot.com as a place to post information, and now that I have access from school again, I have revived it. It's the easiest way for me to give you online access to things like newsletters. I also put our Twitter feed there, and some links. It's just one more way for you to stay in touch.
If you ever notice anything here, or on Twitter, or on any of our internet sites, that seems questionable or not OK, please let me know ASAP. There should never be last names, and there should not be any names with photos. I try to filter it, but it's possible something could escape my notice.
Math
I'm going to start sending pages home once a week, in case we want to use them in our collaboration meetings. Sometimes we talk about how kids are doing, and ways to better meet their needs, so it's good to have evidence. Just a reminder: I do not try and correct every single thing on every single page, but we do have conversations about the lesson and what kids are learning. They know and lots that never shows up on the page, and doing it on paper is merely one way to demonstrate knowledge and understanding.
Classroom Visits and Volunteering
I welcome visits and volunteers, any time, no need to call first if you want to drop by. If you want to help on a regular basis, that would be great. There are still many opportunities, including coordinating some or all of our celebrations. See below….
Parties
I'd like a parent or parents who are willing and able to help me with class parties. If you're available to coordinate or help with the Halloween one at the end of the month, please let me know. We'll also need food and pumpkins that day, for those who like to think ahead.
Snack
Thanks to those that are sending in snack. Seems like we have at least half of the kids eating what's here, and the rest bringing their own.
Music and P.E.
We have P.E. on Tuesdays and Thursdays this year, and music on Wednesdays and Thursdays this year. Please help the students remember to have appropriate footwear for physical education.
Library
Our library day is Tuesday. Please help students remember to bring books back. (I just noticed that last time I wrote pleas instead of please. Either is grammatically sound, I guess, but I hate to think we need to plead with the students to bring books back.) They can also bring back books any time and get new ones. They don't have to wait until Tuesday.
Birthdays
We'll celebrate birthdays in class, unless otherwise directed. We use the birthday as an opportunity for guided writing: Mrs. Huizenga teaches card writing as a special project during Writers' Workshop. It's perfect because there is a real audience and a real purpose—which are the two things that real writers always need for real writing. If you would like to send in a book for the class, or birthday treats, or something else, that would be great. If you can let me know in advance, fine. If not, we're flexible.
Show and Tell
I ask the kids to bring things in that they have worked on or earned. That seems to eliminate most of the toys and things like that they want to share. They are welcome to show those other things, but I'm reluctant to take class time for them, since time is so precious and I don't want it to just be about who can buy more. I'd love to see art work, stories, trophies, Lego stuff, food made from a recipes, etc.
Chapter Book
Our first chapter book was Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business by Barbara Park.
Our current one is Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary.
Calendar
Thursday, October 8—PTA Dance
Friday, October 9—No school
Thursday, October 15—PTA Meeting
Saturday, October 24—Grace's birthday
Friday, October 30—Halloween party
I appreciate hearing your questions, concerns, comments. It's always good to know what you're thinking.
Sincerely,
Jeff
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