In our class we have had our seven habits culture week.  We talk and use our habits daily to solve problems and be better students.  As a school we will spend the next few weeks focusing on "being Proactive".  For each habit we recognize as a school, I will be watching for a student who is demonstrating all habits but is a good example of the focus habit to be our "Raptor Leader".  This program is set up so that each child in the school gets this opportunity once throughout their elementary education.

Sorry, not quite there yet but soon!  (I'm working on the school song!)

Hello all,
We will start pre-paring for the APEX fun run on Monday by having the kick off assembly with a packet of info coming home with each child.  Having four of my own children, fund raisers were not my favorite.  I do like however, the idea of getting friends and family to sponsor our children in the physical fitness endeavors as well as sponsoring any amount, even as little as a quarter a lap.  Each family also has the choice of making a flat donation (for the entire family) rather than sponsoring each child individually.  I also like the idea of not selling gift wrap door to door to all my neighbors:D
I understand that the monies earned will stay with the school and be awarded to the individual teams or teachers.  We as a team,  have decided to start working, through grants and our fun run money, to build an I-pad library to use between our four classes.  This technology will go far in helping all students to be stronger in all academic areas.  Thanks so much for your support!

I'm asking myself, "how does that happen?"  Three weeks have sailed by, we have been working super hard to get our routines and procedures down but I haven't found a min. to make a new post:} Yikes!
As you know we have started our spelling, mostly with review words.  We are working on sight words which in the past I have tested in a written format but am trying a reading format right now and am undecided which way we will settle.

We have all our baseline assessments completed and are working towards our first math Benchmark which covers verbalizing, writing and identifying numbers 1-20.  Understanding and recreating partners of numbers 1-10.  Drawing pictures that support a problem and answer and understanding grouping of fives and tens.  We have been busy!

I will also start a formal reading test to support the reading levels that we are working on now and then do a running record at least once a month followed by formal reading assessments for SEP conferences and end of school.  Please remember that reading is not about the level.  Books are not exactly a level and we work in a space of levels, i.e. (g/h) meaning I may send an easier book home while working on comprehension or a book marked "g" might really seem more like an "e".  Please don't focus on levels but on getting the "practice" the actual reading time in.  Research shows that the best indicator of a successful reader is, letter sound understanding (phonemic awareness) and rhyming and then practice doing the actual reading.  This can be by parent while the child listens for enjoyment.  Student reading to practice decoding, sight word recognition and plain old practice.  A combination of the two especially for reluctant readers or any other fun way that will get our children reading every day.  Not two days, not five days but seven days a week!

We have also been doing some writing activities as well as weaving in our science and social studies!
Each day is a new adventure.  No two days are exactly alike even with a schedule:} Lol

Thanks again to each of you for your support, kindness and sharing your child with me!  It is going to be a great year!