September 2015 Update

Dear Grade 1M Parents/Guardians,

From time to time I like to send email/Blog updates to keep everyone well informed of all the class & school events. If you have any questions, feel free to email me anytime! kim.mason@gshare.blackgold.ca

I usually don't assign homework, however occasionally it may be sent home with your child if he/she hasn’t completed the work in the allocated class time or was absent. A rule of thumb for time spent on homework is for each grade to add on a zero and that is how many minutes of homework a night (ex. Gr.1 = 10 min., gr.2 = 20 min). Of course each child varies.…Routinely it is good to do a couple spelling words each night (we will start Spelling words next week, they will be printed in your child’s agenda book), as well I will be sending home a word ring to practice at home later this month (the word ring has 10 sight words, some can be sounded out phonetically while others are simply memorization from sight. Practice reading the words with your child, then please return them to school every day so your child can get tested at school on how many words they know without help. At school we punch a hole in the card if they can read the word on their own. After 3 holes, then they get a new word put on the ring). In October I will be sending home levelled reading books for your child too. More details about home reading next month.

This year I am trying something new with Show & Share. For years, I have tried to think of a way that makes sense for six year olds to connect immediately with the sounds that we are working with. I finally found something that both the students and I love! As each letter is introduced I ask the children to bring in something that STARTS with that letter. I tell them they can bring a show & share item any day or every day if they like. As we start our phonics lesson, I let students "Show and Share" about the item they brought. They put it on our counter and I add the word to the word wall. This should help students with initial sound concepts as well as making real connections with the phonics concepts and the items. 

Some important things happening this month are: 

1. Cross Country Race - Thursday Sept.17 (Time is unknown presently, but when I know we will print it in our agenda books).
2. National School Terry Fox Run - Wed. Sept.30 (Toonies for Terry donation if possible)
3. Library day for our class will always be on a Monday - students are allowed to take home 2 books, please keep them in the plastic bag they will receive in order to keep books from getting damaged.
4. Volunteers - if you would like to help out in class, please let me know, the extra help is greatly appreciated!!!!
5. Each student is asked to bring in a Ziploc bag with extra clothes to keep in their locker all year.  This is in case of emergencies such as accidents on the playground in the mud etc.  Please pack an extra pair of pants, shirt, underwear, & socks as well as an extra toque, mitts & scarf. 
6. Mrs. Schmidt teaches music to the class on Monday & Wednesday. 

Here a couple fun videos to help the students learn their letter sounds.