Hi everyone!
Wow is the time flying!  I have thought of a hundred things that I have wanted to tell in on the blog but have not taken the time to do so and of coarse I will not be able to remember them all now:? Yikes!
I should tell you that your children are amazing and I am enjoying them.  I hope that they are enjoying school.  The first part of the year is always tricky trying to establish our routines, rules and boundaries.  I always worry about the children the first few times I have to have someone pull a card or we move desks or my voice is stained or slightly raised due to the over use of my voice.  I hope that I have been telling them enough why things happen and that I think they are all amazing!!!! I want them to know that because I believe it!  What a fun class we have :)

We are off to a good start in our reading groups but are still moving children around and learning what we do in groups so thank you for your patience with the process.  PLEASE continue to read each and every night even if your child is already reading.  Even more importantly PLEASE send the books that I send home back each and every day because they are usually the books I use in our guided reading groups.  Also We need the homework folders returned each and every day as well.  This helps create a habit that will help the students be prepare for school for the rest of their school years and helps me in our daily routines.

The students are doing a good job learning the "popcorn" word and spelling words but still need practice understanding that our spelling words have "chunks that make new words as we change the beginning sound.  I know the words seem easy now but these chunks are the foundation for good readers and good spellers.  Many of the children are struggling because taking a test is a new experience and they have to work on their own.  They are not use to listening to the sounds to spell the word and it is stressful.  They are also working on remembering the vowel sounds so practicing a few min. each night will truly be helpful.  Especially as we ramp up our daily writing.

We will be writing daily which is new to some of the students.  We do a lot of shared writing, writing together but as we get closer to our off track and the first student led conference, we should be doing independent writing everyday!

We have also gotten a good start on our math program but have a lot to learn before we are ready for our first district math test called the benchmark.

As always, thanks for your support in all of the things we are doing!
-Mrs. Newman

Hello all,
I just thought I would send a quick note out to say Thank you, thank you for your patience while we are getting so many things up and started.  First grade is an awesome place to be but also a difficult one with so many new piece to put into place.

We made it through picture day and the district/state mandated reading test called "dibbles".  It is really a screening test and does not give me a lot of the information that I need to place students into class room reading groups.  I am currently working on checking the students current reading level as some of those have changed over the "summer" break.  Thanks for your continued patience.  Also, FYI: many students are identified as below grade level do to the unfamiliar nature of the testing situation.  Those students who are identified are watched closely to check the validity of the test.

We have also taken our first "Popcorn Word" (high frequency word) test on all ten words for week 1 and wahoo, they all did great!!!!  I have also given the math pre-assessment and as we would assume most of what will be taught in first grade will be new information which will be good, lots to learn.

I will give the pre-assessment for the Words Their Way spelling test next week and we should be well on our way.

As a quick reminder, please send your child's reading homework envelop as well as their homework folder back every single day whether it is empty of full.  This prepares them for middle school/high school and helps me to have what I need for our groups.

I hope that your children are enjoying school, I am certainly enjoying them!  I try to tell them everyday that they are amazing because I truly believe it!  I hope they are feeling it in my actions towards them.

Well off to do some more school work!  Keep on reading!

Good Morning!
I just realized that my last post did not publish :?
I am not really sure why and of coarse I cannot remember everything that I had put in that session but I will try to post again tonight with the up coming events.  The kids are doing really well.  I hope that they are enjoying it.  School is so hard at the beginning with all the rules and reviews and procedures that we practice over and over.  We are about there and will be able to start moving onto some of our other activities.  Thanks for all you do for your kids!!!

Good Morning Everyone!!!!  I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend :}

Just a couple of quick thoughts and then I will get a better post out there,  We will practice our "Popcorn Words" at school this week and take a test on Thursday.  I will send those home today.  This is still a "training" week for the children since much of what we will do will be in a different format than kindergarten.  Let me know if there is a problem with anything.  Your kids are amazing!!!  Also just so you know, I will not be here Friday but I have a wonderful Sub that has worked at our school for years and is amazing so no worries.  I hope you all have a great day! I will Post more later=}
-Mrs. Newman

Good Monday Morning!!!
I thought I better write a quick note since I didn't get it done last night :}  Weekends are always so busy.  They come and go way to quickly!  We had a good start to the school year last week and it looks like I have another GREAT CLASS!!!! Lucky me!   Thanks so much for sharing your amazing children with me.

We will review our rules and go over a few more procedures today and dive right into the curriculum.  I hope to start our Homework Folders this week and go over how it all works Thursday night at back to school night.  I will try to write up a take home information sheet since a few of you have already said that you have conflicts that night.

I will have a sign up sheet for volunteers.  You have to be finger printed at the District in order to volunteer in the classroom so you could go down and get that done if you haven't already and are wanting to help.  I know that you all will not be able to, I couldn't either so do not worry if your schedule is already taken up.  It is all good.  The most important thing is that you and your child read every single night for at least 20 min.  

Well back to getting ready for the children to come!  I hope that you all have a great week and I will see you on Thursday!
-Teresa (Mrs. Newman)

Hi, everyone!
I am so excited to meet you all!  In fact I am so excited that I just had to add another "helloooooo"  before school started.  I hope that you have had a wonderful break and have been able to do some fun things.  I hope that you have been reading some fun books to share in class as well.  I am always looking for a new fun book!
The only disappointment is that I though school started on Monday the 18th but in truth, we have our first day meetings on Wed. Aug. 20th.
I hope that you all enjoy your last weekend before school starts.  I look forward to meeting you soon.

-Mrs. Newman

Well another year is about to start and as I think of the many goals that I not only have for my students, I like to think about the things that I want to change and learn about myself.  One of which is to become more technology literate.  For me, it has never been about the lack of desire but the lack of time and fear of breaking something :?  So as I push forward, I welcome your help and ideas and also your patience.  I am ready to have a wonderful year!  Mostly because I love to teach your wonderful children.

From the heart, Teresa Newman

Hello again and Happy Friday,

What a fun week we have had!  We were able to many art projects getting ready for our "art night" coming up in may, talk more about rocks, plants and will be starting a life cycle unit with butterflies next week.

We were able to start our 3rd benchmark math test and I will listen to the kids read to me next week so that I have a current reading level to report before we track off.

FYI: Our last track off is back to back with Spring Break so our last day of school is Thursday April 17th and we will return to school on May 5th.  It is a short break this time :?

I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the sunshine. Talk to you soon!

This weeks "popcorn" words are:
some, come, from, front, and friend

Our Spelling words using "o" in words that follow these patterns: cvc, cvcv, cvvc
lost, soft, cross, stop
none, stone, whole, drove
road, toast, coat, float

Our review words are: they, thank, take
Our dictation sentences are: My book took time to read.  The trick made me feel sick.  It is now April.

Please study 10 min. each night.  Thanks!

What a fun and exhausting week we have had.  We started exploring change and transformation using something that we all love, Banana's.  We made banana journals and watched them change throughout the week and ended by transforming them into banana bread and banana cookies.

We have also started practicing our information writing by writing directions to make a peanut butter sandwich, YUM!  And extracting interesting information on some of our favorite animals and then sharing the information with one another.

We will be taking our third math benchmark test this coming week and have also started a "store" in which the children will spend the money that they earn throughout the week on Friday in our class store.  This is not only helping with our daily behavior which is how they earn their money, along with helping to practice counting by 1's, 5's and 10's but also  gives them practice saving for something that they really want.

Please continue to read daily for 20 min. along with asking your child detailed questions about what they read or ask them to do a re-tell.  All of these things will help with getting ready for second grade.

I hope you all have a great week- end and I look forward to having more for with the kids next week.  Thanks for sharing your amazing children with me!

Wow, it has been a really long time since my last post!  I just can't seem to find time to get everything done that needs to be done:?

Well, we made it through our conferences and I would like to say Thank you for taking the time our of you  busy schedules to come and meet with me and let the kids show you some of what we do in first grade.  As I told you last week, your children are amazing and I am enjoying them to pieces.  Everyday we learn something from each other or work together helping each other complete a task.  That is a great thing to learn this early in someone's life.

Thanks to all of you and the nightly reading that you have been willing to do, the kids are all on their way to being on grade level and ready for 2nd grade.  Please keep up the reading, re-telling and questioning.

Our spelling is coming along although I have notice a slip in those studying at home during the week :? Yikes!  We will really start working on our writing from now until the end of the year.

Thanks again for meeting with me. You are all amazing and so are your kids!

hi, long time no post:?

I am still trying to figure out how to do my blog.  I just need to make it a regular item of my week.
Thanks for your patience!

January 6-10 Popcorn and Spelling words are:

Popcorn Words 
after
over
her
girl
first

Spelling Words
stand      than     that
with       this       will
then       when     get
them
Thanks for you do to help your kids!

Happy New Year!
Just a few thoughts for this two day week.  We will only have two short weeks before we go off track.  In those two weeks we will need to review for and take our second math benchmark test.  We will also be taking another reading test given by me as well as the "dibbles" informal assessment given by district personnel.

We will be getting new carpet in our building while we are off track and so we will be "packing up" our class room so that they can lay the carpet.

Our schedule will be slightly different so that we can get the above mentioned accomplished.  Thanks for continuing to read with you child even though books may or may not come home everyday during the next two weeks.

I hope that you all had a wonderful break and I look forward to talking with you all soon!

Wow, has a month really past since the last time I posted????  I am so so sorry….(again)  It seems like I am having a hard time keeping up with everything at school and home:?  It was so great to talk with all of you at our conference.  I am enjoying the kids so much.  They are really doing a great job as we work, learn and grow together!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading with your children.  I wish that I could just read with the kids all day but there are so many other things to do.  We will continue to work hard on our reading skills since there is always something to work on.  I would also like to continue working on handwriting.  Many have great handwriting but a few are really struggling to make things neat and legible.  The students are doing well in spelling and many are catching on to the fact that if they can spell "ick" they can spell trick, Mick, Nick, flick, prick, brick etc.  I spoke to a few of you about individualized spelling lists which are coming :}  Thanks for your patience---yikes, so much to do!

We have been working really hard on our math skills to get ready for our up coming benchmark 2.  The skills besides basic addition and subtraction are using different methods to find unknowns, draw and solve story problems using circle and sticks that represent tens and ones.

Your children are a joy and are doing a great job.  We still have lots to learn before the year is over but are having fun doing it!  Have a great week and if I do not get to say it before, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's!

Oh my word how time flies!  With our off track time and all the testing, the blog updates have really gotten away from me---oops! Well I hope now that we are about ready for our parent teacher conferences, I will be able to get things going and back on schedule.

I would like to thank all of you for your continued support and the effort you put into your child's academic success.  You are all amazing as are your children!!  I hope that they are enjoying school as much as I am .  Your children are truly amazing!

We will be working very hard on our math, reading and writing as we approach the holidays and our fiftieth day of school.  As always keep up the good work and read, read, read! Have a great week! :}

I cannot believe that this week is over!
Next week is a short week with Thursday and Friday being the Districts "fall break".  We then follow that by being off track until November 11th.

We will not have a Popcorn word or a Spelling test next week but we will be reviewing many of the words that we have been working on so far this year in class.

I will send the students home with the journal that we have started and am asking that you help them find time to write two or three sentences each day to help them with their writing skills, handwriting neatness and work on using Capital letters only to start a sentence along with ending sentences with a period.

They can also practice writing their numbers 1-120, count and write numbers  by 5's, 10's, to 100 and by 2's to twenty or backwards from 20 to 1.  Many of these things can be practiced at a stop light while in the car or waiting at a ball game or grocery line etc.  These are some things that I am finding the children to be struggling with.

We also need to work on coloring in the lines.  Cutting on the lines and writing letters, words and sentences within the lines.  All of these help with their fine motor and are things that we need to be improving as we work our way towards second grade.

As always I ask that you visit the library and get some books.  Take at least 20 min. a day and read.  I have started some of the reading testing for our SEP conferences but am still hoping that we can move closer to having everyone on an level E/F or above.  This comes primarily from repeated exposure to words and the actual practice of reading.

Thank you, Thank you , Thank you for all you do, it is noticed and appreciated!!  I love your children, they are amazing!

Spelling Words/Popcorn Words

Our spelling words for the week of Sept. 30 - Oct. 4 will come from the et,  eg and en chunk family.

 Some of these words are: get, let, yet, bet, beg, leg, peg, ten, then, when, and men.  We will be looking through out the week to find other words with these chunks "in" them.

 Our review words will be pink and orange.  We will continue to practice and use other words from our previous spelling tests.

Our dictation sentences will be: I like orange and pink.  The ten men have a pet.

(For now,  I am only counting the 10 spelling words for their spelling grade.)
Thanks for all you do to help your children have success at school!

Hello again and Happy October!!!

I am sure that you are as surprised as I am that it is October and We only have three more weeks on track! Yikes, so much to do and so little time.  Thanks for all of the reading that you have been doing with your kiddos.  I will start some of our informal testing to assess GRL (guided reading level) so that you will have a better idea of what level to get at the library while we are off track.  Yes, we still read while we are off track in between all of the fun we are having!!!!  In fact having the kids keep a "journal" just writing one or two sentences about what they did that day boosts their writing, reading, spelling and handwriting skills.  I will be sending the journal that we have just barely started home so that could be used to do this writing.  I will post other possibilities for things to work on as our time grows closer.
I hope that you all had a great and restful week end and you all have a wonderful week!
-Teresa:)

September 26, 2013

Dear Parents,
Let me offer an apology for not getting a post made this week.  I am now asking myself, where did the week go?  Everyday seems to fly by with so much to cover and not nearly enough time.  I hope to get in a habit of putting the weekly post together on Sunday evening.
I just wanted to say thanks for your patience, understanding and support.  Your children are amazing and wonderful! We are off to a good start and will keep working hard to press forward towards 2nd grade :) Have a great week!

Week of September 16th - 20th

Dear Parents,
Thank you for being so patient with me and the blog.  Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with me.  They are each such amazing people with such great ideas.  Although we are still learning some of our basic rules of listening, putting names on paper and finishing each job, the children are doing a nice job!!
We have had many new things to learn already.  And it seems that we add something new to our schedule each and everyday:}
      *The children seem to have the lunch routine down now even though it is still a little tricky:}
      *We have been working on our handwriting but still need to practice correct formation and size.  
      *We are working on writing sentences that begin with a Capital letter and are stopped with a                               period and make sense.
       *The children did great on their first popcorn word test as well as first spelling test.
       *Our journals will be a great way to practice our writing and for the students to express their     thoughts and ideas. ( At home, as often as possible allow your child to copy words, write a note, make a list etc. All of this will help in our writing skills.)
        * Our math lessons have been about grouping by 5's, 10's. We are learning to make partners for numbers which is really adding and subtracting.  (Any opportunity that you can give you child to count, write and identify numbers 1-120 by 1's, 5's, 10's  will also help with their math skills.

Please make sure that you are reading with, to and by your child each and everyday for at least 20 min. This more than anything will help with your child's reading skills.  Thanks so much for all you do to help us have success each and every day!  Your children are amazing as are you !  Thank You!!!

Our Spelling words this week will come from the "at", "an" and "ad" chunks.  What that means is as the students and I discover how many words they can make with these chunks, if they can spell the chunk itself, then they should be able to change the beginning sound to make other words and so any of the following words can be give on the test.  (I know it is thinking a little differently) I will post an example a little later.

Good Morning!
I am so sorry that I missed our blog last week those short weeks always get me :? I am looking forward to another great week with your children.
I was able to give our math pre-test last week and will start working on our required reading test so that I can get our official groups up and going.  I will send books home today that you can use as reading homework but please know it may not be on the exact level of your child's independent reading since I am just beginning the testing:) Thanks for your patience.

Just for Information we will be having an assembly to kick off the PTA fundraiser so that information will be coming home.

I did give the children a "practice" spelling test using the "at" chunk and they did very well. I will send popcorn words and a list of possible spelling words home today.  Thanks for all you do to make our class successful.

Have a great week! Mrs. Newman :)

Our first Week!

It was so nice to meet you all last week and especially meet of the new faces in my class.  We are going to have a wonderful year!

We will be working hard this week on rules and procedures.  When we spend time on getting to know one another and how the room and school works life seems much easier for everyone.

As a reminder, Thursday night will be our back to school night.  A note will be coming home as a reminder about this event.  It is a time without students  for me to explain different aspects of our class and for you to ask me any questions that you might have.

If you have a concern feel to e-mail me: lakimies@msn.com or text me @ 801-554-8356.  I look forward to working with you and your student this year!

Hello and Welcome :D

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to First Grade.  My name is Mrs. Newman and I am so very excited to have your child in my class this year!  We will be having a meet the teacher appointment on Thursday Aug. 22 the office staff are setting those appointments.  They are usually set every ten min. in alphabetical order.  Our first full day of school will be on Friday Aug. 23rd.  

Our back to school night will be on Thurs. Aug. 29th.  There will be three 20 min. sessions to accommodate  those who need to visit more than one teacher.  This is where I will explain more about how our classroom works.

I am so excited to meet you and your child.  I love teaching and look forward to a great year!

Have a great day!

Sincerely,
Teresa Newman

Welcome!

Hello! 
I am so glad that you will be in my class this year!  
I am so very excited to meet you and our other friends.  It is going to be a great year.


I can promise you a few things: first, we will learn something new everyday.  Second, we will have fun everyday. Third, we will work hard everyday!