September 30th - October 4th

What We Are Learning

Reading: We now have our guided reading and Daily 5 literacy block up and running!  Students are split up according to their independent reading levels.  While reading in small groups, your child will work on specific comprehension, accuracy, and fluency strategies. As a whole class, we worked on  using our schema (what we already know) to help us understand what we read. 

Writing: This week we wrapped up our narrative writing unit.  We focused on editing our stories to find errors in capital letters, punctuation, and spelling.  Ask your child about our writing celebration!

Math: We finished our unit on adding and subtraction numbers within 10. I am super proud of the progress students have made! Tell your child to keep up the good work!

Orchard Hills 5K

The Fourth Annual “Run for the Orchard” 5K Walk/Run will be held October 19, 2013 at Orchard Hills. Can’t wait to see you there!

Word Wall Words

For the next two week, we will be reviewing all the word wall words we have learned so far. Please practice reading, writing, and spelling the following words:

the    I     to    a     is   go    my    on  me    like    and   in    we   it   so   see    up    at   he    do    you   an   can   no   am

Raz-Readers

Last week I sent home information about a website called Raz-Kids. This is a great website that allows your child to have access to hundreds of eBooks.

Website: www.raz-kids.com

User Name: Orchard1b

Happy Reading!

Parent Orientation Night

Save the date October 7th from 6-7 p.m.  in your calendar. WOHE will host an informational night about our new standards based grading system. All the first grade teachers will host a short informational meeting informing you about important classroom information.  Then, you are invited to attend an informational meeting in the Commons hosted my Dr. Bishop on how to read the grade card and look at student progress.  

Dates to Remember

October 7^th-  Parent Orientation Night

October 11^th- Dismiss at 12:30

October 19^th- Run for the Orchard 5K

October 22^nd-24^th– Parent Teacher Conferences

October 25^th- No School

September 23rd - September 27th

What We Are Learning

Reading: We finally have all Daily Five Literacy Café elements up and running in our classroom! We “gently” jumped into guided reading groups for the year. Students are split up according to their independent reading levels.  While reading in small groups, your child will work on specific comprehension, accuracy, and fluency strategies. As a whole class, we worked on the  Cross Check strategy to help us with accuracy.  Ask your child what that strategy is.

Writing: Your child continues to draft small moment stories. This week we focused on editing our writing to find correct capitalization, end marks, and spelling errors. Ask your child about how M.I.N.T.S help us remember capital letters.

Math: During math this week we continued learning about adding and subtracting numbers using a number line and drawing pictures. We really focused our time on determining the difference between subtraction and addition word problems.

Parent Orientation Night

Save the date October 7th from 6-7 p.m.  in your calendar. WOHE will host an informational night about our new standards based grading system. All the first grade teachers will host a short informational meeting informing you about important classroom information.  Then, you are invited to attend an informational meeting in the Commons hosted my Dr. Bishop on how to read the grade card and look at student progress

Family Message Journals

Today your child will be bringing home a Family Message Journal.  I am so excited about this activity! Read your child’s letter and write them a quick letter back.  Your letter will really mean a lot to him or her!

Word Wall Words

Please practice reading, writing, and spelling our Word Wall Words. 

This week’s word wall words:

you   an   can   no    am

Last week’s word wall words:

see   up   at    he   do

Orchard Hills 5K

The Third Annual “Run for the Orchard” 5K Walk/Run will be held October 19, 2013 at Orchard Hills. Can’t wait to see you there!

Dates to Remember

October 7^th-  Parent Orientation Night

October 19^th- Run for the Orchard 5K

September 16th - September 20th

What We Are Learning

Reading: This week we added the Listen to Reading element to our Daily Five Literacy Café. Ask your child about our 5 classroom iPads! We also learned two more strategies to help us read accurately.  Ask your child about Skippy the Frog and Stretchy Snake. We also finished DRA testing.  This test tells me your child’s reading level.  

Writing: Your child continues to draft small moment stories. We learned how to stretch out stories by looking at the small details. We focused on how to “unfreeze” characters by giving more information about the characters in the story.

Math: During math this week we continued learning about adding and subtracting numbers using a number line and drawing pictures. We really focused our time on solving subtraction word problems.

Theme: This week we used our Theme time to learn about apples. We made a Johnny Apple Seed book and read about apples in our Scholastic News Magazine.

Orchard Hills 5K

The Third Annual “Run for the Orchard” 5K Walk/Run will be held October 19, 2013 at Orchard Hills. Can’t wait to see you there!

Tiger Pride Assembly

Our first Tiger Pride Assembly is September 25th at 2:30.  Parents are more than welcome to attend! You never know when your child might be recognized for good character, teamwork, academics, or improvement!

Word Wall Words

Please practice reading, writing, and spelling our Word Wall Words. 

This week’s word wall words:

see   up   at    he   do

Last week’s word wall words:

and    in   we   it   so

Take Home Folders

Please make sure you read over and sign your child’s Take Home Folder on a nightly basis. This is a great communication tool for you and me. Also, it gives you some insight to how your child’s day was at school. 

Dates to Remember

September 25^th- First Tiger Pride Assembly

October 7^th- Parent Orientation Night

October 19^th- Run for the Orchard 5K

September 9th - September 13th

What We Are Learning

Reading: This week we added the Word Work element to our Daily Five Literacy Café. Ask your child about all the ways they can practice their word wall words! We also started DRA testing.  This test will tell me your child’s reading level.  

Writing: Your child continues to draft small moment stories. Their stories tell about something they did or something that happened to them. We also learned how to narrow down a story and have a beginning, middle, and end.

Math: During math this week we continued learning about adding and subtracting numbers using a number line. We really focused our time on subtraction this week. Your child learned how to subtract using a number line, drawing pictures, or counting backwards.

Theme: This week we used our Theme time to learn some reading strategies.  Ask your child about Chunky Monkey and Flippy Dolphin.  These two strategies help us read accurately.

Word Wall Words

Each week your child will be introduced to new sight words. Your child’s teacher last year probably called them Popcorn Words.  Willard is moving away from traditional spelling tests.  However, it is VERY important that you review these words with your child each week.  Even though they will not be tested on these words, please have your child practice reading, writing, and spelling them.  How well your child knows these words will be reflected on their grade card each quarter. 

This week’s word wall words:

and    in   we   it   so

Last week’s word wall words:

go    my    on    me    like

Box Tops

We are collecting Box Tops for Education.  For every Box Top you collect and turn into WOHE, we receive ten cents.  The class who brings in the most Box Tops each month gets to celebrate with a party! So cut those tops and return them to school.

Dates to Remember

September 20^th- Dismiss at 12:30

September 25^th- First Tiger Pride Assembly

October 19^th- Run for the Orchard 5K

September 2nd - September 6th

What We Are Learning

Reading: This week we added the Read to Someone element to our Daily Five Literacy Café. Ask your child what it means to sit EEKK! We also continued to work on building stamina so that students are reading and writing completely independently. 

Writing: Your child continues to draft small moment stories. Their stories tell about something they did or something that happened to them. We also learned how to narrow down a story and have a beginning, middle, and end.

Math: During math this week we continued learning about adding and subtracting numbers using a number line.  We also practiced counting and writing numbers to 120.  This is a skill I encourage you all to work on with your child. You can make it fun by using different movements or silly voices.

Theme: We ended our days this week with reading Scholastic Weekly Reader. This is a really cool magazine aimed for first graders. This week focused on how to be a good citizen.

Friendly Reminder

If your child needs to go home a different way than he/she normally does, I must either have a note in the morning, or you must call the office. Please do not leave me an e-mail. I might not get to it until after the students have gone home. I often do not have time to check my email until after school. I want to make sure everyone gets home safely!

Word Wall Words

Each week your child will be introduced to new sight words. Your child’s teacher last year probably called them Popcorn Words.  Willard is moving away from traditional spelling tests.  However, it is VERY important that you review these words with your child each week.  Even though they will not be tested on these words, please have your child practice reading, writing, and spelling them.  How well your child knows these words will be reflected on their grade card each quarter. 

This week’s word wall words:

go    my    on    me    like

Last week’s word wall words:

the   I   to   a   is

Dates to Remember

September 12^th –  Picture Day

September 20^th- Dismiss at 12:30

September 25^th- First Tiger Pride Assembly

August 26th - August 30th

What We Are Learning

Reading: We added the Work on Writing element to our Daily Five Literacy Café this week. We also continued to work on building stamina so that students are reading and writing completely independently.

Writing: This week we started our writer’s workshop. Your child is working on drafting small moment stories. Ask your child about the strategy Touch and Tell, Sketch, Then Write!

Math: During math this week we were busy learning about adding and subtracting numbers using a number line.  We also practiced counting and writing numbers to 120.  This is a skill I encourage you all to work on with your child. You can make it fun by using different movements or silly voices.

Theme: Your child was introduced to their poetry notebook this week.  We will use this to enjoy the rhythm and rhyming that poetry provides.  This notebook will also allow us to work on word work concepts throughout the year. Ask your child which poem they enjoyed the most this week.

Word Wall Words

Each week your child will be introduced to new sight words. Your child’s teacher last year probably called them Popcorn Words.  Willard is moving away from traditional spelling tests.  However, it is VERY important that you review these words with your child each week.  Even though they will not be tested on these words, please have your child practice reading, writing, and spelling them.  How well your child knows these words will be reflected on their grade card each quarter.  

This week’s word wall words:

the   I   to   a   is

Grade Cards

Your grade cards will look VERY different this year due to the change to standards- based grading. Please be prepared for that as well as information about how you can help your student at home. I will be sending home details about what your student is expected to be able to know and do this year. The first grade standards have been raised from last year; so we need to work together to support our students as much as possible. Please let me know what questions you have about this.

Dates to Remember

September 2nd- No School (Labor Day)

September 20^th- Dismiss at 12:30

September 25^th- First Tiger Pride Assembly

A Successful First Full Week of School!

What We Are Learning

Reading:  At Orchard Hills we integrate our reading instruction with a structure called the “Daily Five.” The five literacy components are Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Word Work, and Work on Writing. Students will circulate through at least 3 of these components on a daily basis, while I meet with Reading Groups based on reading level, individually conference with students, and meet with Strategy Groups. This week we focused on building stamina during Read to Self. I also began administering individual assessments to determine which letters and sounds your child has mastered and which we need to focus on.

Writing: This week we learned what writer’s workshop should look and sound like.  Next week we will start our first writing unit. Your child will draft several small moment stories. I can already tell we have some very talented writers in our class!

Math: During math this week, we stated our first unit.  This unit involves adding and subtracting numbers within 10.  I also began assessing students on number recognition.  This will help guide my instruction.

Theme: In order to establish a positive classroom community, we worked on several character building activities this week.  Ask your child about the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes and how words are like toothpaste!

Special Thanks

I want to send out a special thanks to all who donated items from our classroom wish list!  We greatly appreciate your generosity.  These items will help us have a productive year! Feel free to frequently view our classroom website where I will post items throughout the year as we need them.   

Special Class Schedule

Monday- Computers

Tuesday- P.E.

Wednesday- Music

Thursday- Art

Friday- Library

Always Remember…

I want you to always feel free to contact me through school (417-869-0600) or by e-mail (laurahappel@willardschools.net). If you have any questions, send a note in your child’s take home folder, and I will write a quick response back.

Dates to Remember

September 2nd- No School (Labor Day)