Well! We made it! We made it through huge amounts of technology learning curves. We made it through all on-line learning. We made it through simultaneous in-person and on-line learning. (Yeeeeah. Let's NOT do that again. EVER!!!!!!) We made it through quarantines and hundreds of safety protocols. We worked our way through gallons upon gallons of hand sanitizer and sheet after sheet of Clorax wipes. We taught, we learned and we discussed through layers of face masks, face shields, and desk shields. Despite what was going on in the outside world the teachers learned, grew, and became stronger, more confident versions of themselves. Despite what was going on in the outside world the children were able to be scholars. They learned, the grew, they became better readers, better mathematicians, historians, and scientists. We made it!!!!!!!
GENERAL ACADEMICS: Last Friday, the scholars came into the classroom with the air of "Yay! Last full day of school. It's recess." I very gently, but very firmly reminded the students that they still had a full day of school as well as three more days the next week. This week there is not going to be any history tests, new spelling words, or a weekly math quiz. There is going to be wonderful math and literature enrichment lessons that the scholars will enjoy while still actively learning. SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Students in 1B will be bringing their school supplies home over the course of two days. On Tuesday they will be bringing folders, math workbooks, literature books, and journals home. Basically everything except their crayons boxes and activity packets. On Wednesday they will be bringing home their activity packets, crayon boxes, and any other unidentifiable items they find at the back of the desks but insist is important enough to keep forever. DO STUDENTS NEED TO BRING THEIR BACKPACKS ON WEDNESDAY? Yes!!!!! Your scholar will need to bring the following items to school everyday this week: - a healthy snack (There is no lunch period on half days.) - water bottle - backpack - agenda Please note - On Tuesday evening please help your scholar empty his/her backpack of any supplies that were brought home. That way there will be room for their crayon boxes and activity packets when they pack up completely on Wednesday. KAPUT! Well. The multiple electrical pencil sharpeners I bought for this school year almost made it through the whole year. In all fairness, I bought a good one mid-year last year so it made it through almost 1 1/2 school years. The less expensive ones I bought at the beginning of the year just couldn't make it that long. I have yet to meet an electrical pencil sharpener that can stand up to a first grade classroom for more than a few months. UPCOMING DATES: Monday-Wednesday, May 24-26 - Half Day Dismissal, 12 PM *No lunch served on half days Tuesday, May 25 - 5th Grade Promotion Car Parade, 6 PM, Trivium Prep campus Wednesday, May 26 - Last Day of School, 12 PM Dismissal Friday, June 4 - Quarter 4 Student Evaluations emailed to parents by 5 PM ON A PERSONAL NOTE: The whole first grade gathered in the MRP on Friday to sing. It was a very beautiful and emotional time for me. I couldn't stop whispering to my co-workers about how beautiful it was to hear. So! So! So wonderful! (Another teacher had to remind me to stop whispering.... ;-) ) Have an amazing, awsome, incredible, super great, fun summer!
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For the past handful of weeks, the music teachers have been able to teach the scholars songs to sing. This past Friday the older grades met in the MRP as an entire grade level to sing the songs they have been learning together. Every teacher that was able, stepped outside of the room to listen. My students asked that I keep our classroom door open so we could hear the music. We have not been able to listen to the Trivium East scholars sing for over a year. To hear them again is truly magical.
GENERAL ACADEMICS: Spalding - Students will learn 10 new words each day on Monday - Wednesday. The 30-word review will be on Thursday and the spelling test will be on Friday. Math - For this week we will be spending each day reviewing the math concepts that were taught during the year. There will be no weekly math quiz on Friday. History - Westward Expansion This history test is on Friday. A study guide will sent home in the homework folders on Tuesday. The in-class review day is on Thursday. Literature - Fairy Tales UPCOMING DATES: Monday-Wednesday, May 24-26 - Half Day Dismissal, 12 PM No lunch served on half days Wednesday, May 26 - Last Day of School, 12 PM Dismissal Please see the Athenian Echo that is sent out each Friday for more information about upcoming school events. THOUGHTS ABOUT NEXT YEAR: Yes. I know. We are still in this year. But, these thoughts are important. (Well, I think so anyway.) - Take a look at next year's supply lists now (or at the beginning of June). I suggest getting math workbooks, literature books, pink Spalding notebooks early - especially the math workbooks! Math sure the workbooks match the ISBN number listed in the supply lists. (The supply lists are available on the school website. - Between math workbooks, Spalding notebooks, literature books, and basic school supplies is would be easy to estimate that each child is bringing in at least 20 different items. A minimum of 20 items X 30 students is at least 600 items coming into the classroom all at once. While teachers do their absolute best to keep everything organized, items do occasionally get lost. Please make sure everything is very clearly labeled with your scholar's names. Believe me, your scholar's second grade teacher will really appreciate it! ;-) - Other than the occasional normal mistake the student dismissal process flows quite nicely. Sometimes it is hard to remember that the student dismissal process does not flow quite as nicely at the beginning of the year. During the 1st two weeks there are at least 90 new families to help guide toward the correct lanes and new staff members who are learning their jobs. The really young students will get sent to a cone, but sometimes they have a hard time remembering to keep their fingers up as to which cone they are going so it takes just a bit longer to get them there. It also almost a guaranteed thing that on one of the days during the first week or two, the computer system will blitz out and have to be quickly fixed. (That will probably happen on the day the it is 298 degrees outside.) I am actually writing about this with a grin on my face. If dismissal traffic doesn't flow as smoothly as usually during the first days... don't worry. It will. ;-) ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Oh! Oh! Teacher appreciation week was so much fun! It was fun getting gifts and notes each day. It was fun looking into my students faces as they gave me the gifts. They were just so excited! Thank you notes have will be placed in the red folders over the next couple of days. Have a lovely week! First grade student love the Geology unit. Many spent last week's recesses looking for rocks and they are doing the same this week too. Of course, every single scholar has to show me every rock they find when they come back in from recess. Almost all of the students put their rocks in their backpack. If you happen to notice their back packs getting heavier and heavier it is probably the rocks. ;-)
GENERAL ACADEMICS: Spalding - Students will learn 10 new words on Monday, 10 new words on Tuesday, and 10 new words on Wednesday. The 30 word review is on Thursday and the test is on Friday. Math - Money Science - Geology A study guide went home last week. We reviewed the unit concepts today. The unit test is tomorrow. History - Westward Expansion (Daniel Boone, the Louisiana Purchase, etc.) Literature/Writing/Grammar - My Father's Dragon We are finishing up the story this week. A review guide will be placed in your scholar's red homework folder tomorrow. The literature test is at the end of the week. UPCOMING DATES: May 10-14 - Teacher Appreciation Week Friday, May 21- Virtual Coffee with Headmaster Philabaum, 8 AM Monday-Tuesday, May 24-25 - PSO Uniform Collection Monday-Wednesday, May 24-26 - Half Day Dismissal, 12 PM No lunch served on half days Wednesday, May 26 - Last Day of School, 12 PM Dismissal ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Mrs. Garza and I are sooooooooooooooo excited about this week! We didn't get to have a teacher appreciation week last year. We have been looking forward to it for weeks and weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!! Enjoy your week! We collect words in first grade The literature packets contain pages where students can list favorite nouns, verbs, and descriptive words that they find in our literature books. I periodically ask my first graders if anyone wants to be a writer. There are many who consistently raise their hand each time I ask. They get very excited when we do the parts of speech word collection activities so they can use the words they collect in their own writing.
HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS: Yes, we are in the home stretch, but we still have 3 1/2 weeks of school. There are certain items of note that are important to keep on top of. Uniforms - From personal experience as a parent, there is nothing more exasperating as needing to buy new uniform items during the last weeks of school. Especially because we know our children are going to grow out of them by August. Our scholars are growing very fast! As a result some shorts and skirts and getting a bit too short. Please make sure that the shorts and skirts are just slightly above the knee. Blue Folders - Blue folders are sent home each Friday. The blue folders contain classwork that your scholar completed during previous days. Several of the students' folders are getting very heavy and are not being cleared out from week to week. When your scholar arrives home from school on Fridays, please ask them to give you their blue folders. The classwork in the blue folders is an excellent way to see how your scholar in doing on different skills and concepts taught in class. If you notice an area of struggle, take time to discuss and help your scholar with the skill or concept. The classwork is also a great starting point when getting your scholar to talk about what they learned in school. Water Bottles - Our classroom is a long way away from the drinking fountain and the days are getting hotter. Our young scholars get thirsty quickly and often. Please make sure you child brings a water bottle to school every day. MONEY! MONEY! MONEY! We are starting our money unit this week. Scholars love learning how to count money, though they quickly discover it isn't always as easy as it seems. Students will often find the money unit as difficult as the "Numbers to 120" unit. Every year I have parents ask, "How can I help my child count money?" The answer is practice! Practice! Practice! Search the house, find all of that spare change, and start counting! GENERAL ACADEMICS: Spalding - Students will learn 10 new words on Tuesday, 10 new words on Wednesday, review the 20 words on Thursday, and complete the 20-word test on Friday. Math - Money *This week's focus is on identifying the coins and their value. Student will be counting piles of the same types of coins (all pennies, all nickels, all dimes, or all quarters). They will also be finding equivalent values (10 pennies = 1 dime, 2 nickels = 1 dime, etc.) *A "Friendly Notes" information packet about money was sent home in the red folders today. Please keep it and use it as reference to help your child as they complete their homework. Science - Geology (minerals and the 3 types of rocks) Literature/Grammar/Writing - My Father's Dragon UPCOMING DATES: Thursday, May 6 - School Nurse Appreciation Day Friday, May 7 - Headmaster Philabaum's Birthday May 10-14 - Teacher Appreciation Week Please see the Athenian Echo that comes out each Friday for more information about upcoming events. Have a good week! |
AuthorMs. Spencer Archives
May 2022
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