Weekly Update

Dear Families,

We have had another fantastic week in 1st and 2nd grade. We have spent time getting to know each other and the new classroom routine together. What a class! I am continually impressed with their thoughtfulness and kindness.

As the school-year progresses, you will receive more homework assignments and letters of communication from the school through our various folders. It is of the utmost importance we all understand their various purposes.

The green Thursday folder comes home every Thursday. It contains the weekly newsletter (until I will send out another reminder/questionnaire about reading on the classroom blog only). The green Thursday folder also contains work, written pieces, drawings that your child completed in school the previous week. You can keep this at home as I already checked it. Lastly, the green Thursday folder might contain correspondence, letters and information from the Allen Brook School, the nurse, and various administrative departments. The green Thursday folder returns empty to the classroom on the following day (which is Friday).

The blue Homework folder contains our weekly reading logs. The students are expected to read at least 20 minutes each day and record their thoughts on the weekly reading logs, already included inside the blue Homework folder. The blue Homework folder comes home on Mondays and should remain at home until Thursday, when it is returned to the classroom. Please note that parents are expected to write a note at the bottom of the weekly reading log. Please share your comments and compliments as your child develops into a sophisticated and confident reader. Thank you!

As some of you might have noticed, your child might have brought home books this week that are either “too simple” or “too hard”. As part of our literacy instruction at the beginning of the year, students learn how to select appropriate books “just right” for them. It is important that the students themselves experience choosing their own “just right” books. Books that are too difficult will quickly become so challenging that reading them becomes too cumbersome, and books that are too easy will quickly dampen your child’s interest in reading. Please be patient as your child discovers his/her own reading level. Please encourage discussions around the books brought home. Why did you choose this book? Why do you think this book is too hard/too easy? What might be a better choice next time? Formal reading assessments will take place in the next few weeks and the results will be shared with you at conference times. The students are currently participating in a study on “What Good Readers Do”. Please ask your child to explain what good readers do to do their best reading. Please ask your child to explain why finding a good, quiet spot is so important. Please also ask your child to explain how we choose books. We will work on these themes in the next few weeks. If you have any questions or concern, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.

The students started their Fundations and their Writer’s Workshop classes this week as well. We started by discussing the various tools writer use as they create their stories. The students have Writing Journals in the classroom and starting Monday, they will write in their “Monday Journals” creating a written account of their weekend activities. The students were also introduced to various papers and picture boxes and we talked about the importance of adding details to your words and pictures.

The students also participated in classes inside the computer lab and in the Library using our Smartboard. We are learning about email and google docs this week and next. We are currently cooperating with other classes at the school creating an interactive google doc regarding our school motto, “Be Sfae, Be Kind, Be Responsible.” Please also visit our blog or classroom to see the pictures of our “Garden of Kindness” as it grows. In the meantime, please ask your child to explain what the “bees” mean and why “we pick polite words”. Regarding email, you should expect an email from your child’s student account sometime next week. Please indicate on the attached list which email you prefer your child to write to. We hope you will reply and write your child back. More information will follow. Thank you.

Thank you for being supportive and interested in your child’s education. Please let me know if you have any questions and concerns. Don’t forget to check our blog, wiki, digital portfolio and podcasting site! Thank you!

Regards,

Maria McCormack