Monday, August 6, 2012

August 6, 2012

Dear Parents,

We are now on to our second full week of school. It is so important that your child be here the next two weeks because we are working on some very important routines that your children will be doing the rest of the year -- we want them to learn them correctly. Please try not to miss!

Poems and Reading Calendars
Last week, I sent home the reading calendars and poems for the month of August. In first grade, we ask that your child read at least 15 minutes every day. At the end of the month, we will look to see who reads the most minutes for each class and we will give that student a prize. Please make sure you add up your minutes (with 47 calendars to look at, I don't have time to add them!). Calendars are due on the last day of the month.

Poems are for Mustang Pride. Each month I will send home 2 poems. They can memorize one or two of the poems. By May, they need to have memorized 6 poems to pass off the Mustang Pride.

Notes
I will be sending home missing forms that I am missing hopefully by Wednesday. I am hoping to collect all that information. Sorry for the craziness of this process this year. Going to Skyward has shown us some challenges! Thanks for your patience!

AUDII
Miss Chang and I will be attending the Dual Immersion AUDII conference this week so Miss Chang will be gone all week and I will be gone Thursday and Friday. We are fortunate to have Mrs. Shumway filling in in the Chinese class so your children are still getting their Chinese practice.

Scheudle
We have some schedule things to make you aware of for your students. On Tuesdays, the Blue Class will be going with Miss Chang to the library and on Thursday the Red Class will be going to the library with me. We will also be having computers, p.e., and music on Fridays. Make sure your child wears good running shoes on Fridays. Thanks!

Volunteers
I am starting to collect volunteer information for when we come back on track. I have had a few parents let me know about certain days that they can come in, but I think just to make sure I don't get mixed up, send me one more final email, and I'll try to get that information into the calendar. Also, when you let me know your day, let me know if you would like to be weekly, every other week, or once a month (i.e. 3rd Thursday of the month). This will help me with scheduling.


I think that is all for this week. Thanks again for being supportive as we get Miss Chang used to being here and start this great year of Chinese!

Miss Merritt
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Writing Prompt

This weekly writing prompt is to give you some ideas of things you can write about at home. To make this time more meaningful, maybe have a writing night once a week and have a writing journal that your child can use at home. Have them answer the prompt (it doesn't have to be polished and perfect--our goal is to just write). Modeling along with your child can motivate them to write more! I find that it usually works best with the kids to give them a time limit (like 10-15 minutes). That way they are writing for a duration and if they go longer, that is fine. But--usually when we have to stop at a time limit--there are a few of them that really want to keep going. Share the writing after as you have your child read it to you. It is not a required assignment, but if you'd like to turn it in you may send in the writing with the homework and I'd love to read it. Maybe I can put up a few selections on the blog each week as we see some excellent pieces! Thanks for helping make your children better writers!

Prompt #2
Opinion Writing
Tell about your favorite treat. It needs an introduction sentence (ie There are many different kinds of treats.), an opinion (ie My favorite treat is a chocolate chip cookie.), at least 3 reasons supporting why (ie Chocolate chip cookies are nice and sweet. When they come out of the oven, they warm my stomach up. Chocolate chip cookies go good with a glass of milk.), then they need a closing sentence (ie Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite treat.)


Prompt Week #1
Narrative Story (needs a beginning, middle, and an end)
Write a story about the wind. It can be a real life story that happened to you or a story that you make up. Make sure to include a beginning, middle, and an end.


May Poems

Seed, Sprout, Flower

A seed is planted:
First a sprout,
then stem,
and leaves,
and buds
come out.
Buds grow bigger,
smelling sweet,
bees and birds come
'round to eat.
Bees and birds
help flowers spread
their new seeds on
the garden bed...
A seed is planted.
~Helen H. Moore

Friends
Tall friends, short friends,
Skinny and wide;
Red haired, black haired,
Side by side.

Old friends, young friends,
And in-betweens;
Moms and Grandpas,
Tots and teens.

From Washington
To Delaware
Friends are found
Most anywhere.
~Janet C. Miller

About Miss Merritt

I am originally from Blackfoot, Idaho. I love small towns! I attended BYU-Idaho for my undergraduate studies and received my Masters degree through Southern Utah University. I recently passed my National Boards and am glad to say I am a National Board Certified Teacher. I love learning and enjoy helping others love it too! This will be my 8th year teaching 1st grade.

I love reading! When I was younger, I used to work in libraries and I have developed a great love of childrens books. I love books by Barbara Park, Eric Carle, and Audrey Wood. I have currently been reading classics like Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.

I love the outdoors as well. I love camping and hiking, but I also love traveling and seeing new places. I am a big fan of the beach and I love swimming! I have been to Thailand a few times (my mom is from there!) and I love to see the world. Every year I have a goal to go on a vacation somewhere new.