Mrs. Thies - 1st Grade

We Love to Read!

2012-02-12T22:30:00.000-08:00

All this week we will be doing fun activities to promote reading! We have several guest readers coming to class, so don't forget each day to ask your child who read a special book to them. We could always use more readers however! So if you are interested in reading to the class, please let me know. We can be very flexible and work with your schedule!

Love of Reading Week/Spirit Week

2012-02-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

Spirit week has been combined with Love of Reading Week! It all starts next week, Feb. 13th-17th.

Monday- Pajama Day

Tuesday- Nerd Day- "Nerds love to read"

Wednesday- Crazy Hair Day- "Crazy about reading" (Uniform must be worn this day)

Thursday- Silly Sock Day- "We are silly about reading" (Uniform must be worn this day)

Friday- Dress like a Storybook Character Day- If you can tell us what book you are from, you can wear the costume!

It is shaping up to be one exciting week, filled with activities to help inspire a love of reading!

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

2012-02-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

LPA Lakeside is in need of some committed parent volunteers for the Scholastic Book Fair! The volunteer will need to run/organize the book fair twice a year. This event is such a great opportunity for our families to get quality books at good prices and for our school to earn some much needed funds (and books as well)! Helping the school in this capacity covers your required volunteer hours for the year, as well as earns you incentives with the book fair itself. If you are interested in taking on this responsibility or in helping out at the book fairs in any way, please see Ms. Irma ASAP. Thanks!

Timelines Due

2012-02-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

Timelines are due today, Monday the 6th. Please be sure your child finishes that project and hands it in! It is a very important part of our social studies curriculum. If you have questions please ask!

Next week is Love of Reading week and Spirit Week. All week long there will be various fun activities promoting the love of reading! We still need mystery readers. If you are interested, let me know when you can come in and read a book to the class!

Be sure to take your 100 Day projects home since we are making way for the Timelines to be displayed!

Crazy Week!

2012-01-29T22:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the crazy week this last week. I had a family emergency I had to deal with. All is well now and we are back on track again for this week! Be sure to clean out folders daily as there will be quite a lot of old work and tests being sent home this week. (Again, sorry for the delay...)

Also being sent home this week will be information on our upcoming field trip to La Posta Quemada ranch at Colossal Cave. Be sure to let me know if you can volunteer that day. We will need all the parent helpers we can get!

One more point of importance... If you would like to be a guest reader for Love of Reading Week (Feb. 13-17th). Please let me know what dates and times work best for you and I will do my best to schedule you in! We will be doing fun things all week long to promote a love of reading!

What's new

2012-01-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check all of the pages for updates. Also, if you have not seen a special paper from Ms. Nissa's office, please look. Those need to be in ASAP!

As always, be sure to ask if you have questions.

Happy MLK Day

2012-01-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

I hope your day off was great! We are getting right back into our work this week finishing up our big round of Language Arts testing. We will also have another lesson on Martin Luther King Jr. on Tuesday and finish up our mini-study of penguins later this week. Please be sure to check folders. There will be LOTS of old work going home this week!

Re-Enrollment Forms

2012-01-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot to mention the re-enrollment forms! If you have not filled those out and handed them back, please do so ASAP. The deadline for the forms is January 20th. If you don't let the school know you would like your child to continue attending, his or her spot may not be secured for next year. If you have questions or need another form please let me or the front office know!

CBM Testing this week

2012-01-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

All this week and part of next we'll be doing another round of our big testing (CBM or Curriculum Based Measurements), helping us find out what of the first grade language arts curriculum the students have learned so far. In early February we'll be doing the same thing with the math curriculum. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. If you are interested in the results of those tests, you can set up a conference with me so we can discuss them.

Please continue to check the newsletters for updates as well!

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome back and welcome 2012! We have lots of exciting and interesting things planned for this next quarter and we're going to get started right away! I hope we all had a great vacation and are ready to learn!

Be sure to clean out folders and backpacks if you haven't already. I'll be sending home more old work and other important papers this week so be sure to check daily!

Winter Break is almost here!

2011-12-09T21:09:00.001-08:00

With the holiday vacation looming in our future, we have lots on our plate this week! We'll be doing a few fun winter/holiday crafts and activities, so look for those to be coming home this week. Also coming home this week will be the last of our assessments for the quarter. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions, and know that I'll have a sign up for conferences outside the classroom after the break!

2011-12-04T23:39:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check out the new updates!

Book orders are due Tuesday, be sure to turn in any orders ASAP!

Welcome Back!

2011-11-27T23:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome back from your holiday! Hopefully everybody is ready to go because we are going to jump right in with both feet! We have a lot to accomplish before the end of the quarter and we are set to go!

Please be sure to check all of the updates on the pages this week!

Its good to be back!

Thanksgiving in here!

2011-11-22T06:04:00.001-08:00

Spelling words are good through next week (the week of the 28th). Students will be tested on that list on Friday, December 2nd. There are book logs due for this week, so keep reading and recording. Turn them in Monday, November 28th after we get back from the break!

Have a nice Thanksgiving vacation!

Spelling Words Are Up!

2011-11-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

Spelling list 8 words and sentences are posted on the "Spelling" page. Again, sorry for any inconvenience...

2011-11-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say a special thank you to Colton's mom, Wendy, and Riley's mom, Michelle! Thanks so much for finishing those take home projects! Everything helps and I couldn't make things work without such wonderful parent volunteers!

THANK YOU!

**Just as another aside, this week's spelling words are not yet listed but they will be on Monday. Sorry for any inconvenience.

2011-11-09T06:23:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check the Spelling, Announcement, and Calendar pages for updates! And sorry again for the late blogging this week... Be sure to study for the spelling re-test this week! Test on Thursday!

2011-11-01T06:49:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging over the last week and a half... We're back up and running though!

Sign Ups

2011-10-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Please be sure to look for sign ups this week for conferences (if you are interested) and how to help out at our booth for Harvest Fest. They will be outside our classroom!

Writing Samples

2011-10-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

Going home this week with more tests (phonics, math, and spelling), is a sample of your child's writing and how I graded it. I look for 4 main points (which we go over a great deal in class). I look for: 1. Conventions (do they have capital letters in the right places, finer spaces between words, and punctuation at the end of their sentences). 2. Does the story they are writing make sense (is there a beginning, middle, and end). 3. Did they write the required number of sentences for that assignment (usually between 1-4 at the beginning of the school year). 4. Spelling (when spelling a word they don't know how to spell or can't find in the room, do they write down the beginning, middle, and end sounds when they sound it out.) Look for further explanation with the sample of your child's writing this week!

This Week...

2011-10-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

Family Project- Our first family project is due this Wednesday, October 4th. Be sure to finish it up and hand it in. We still have all 28 students to give their presentations!

Assessments- Coming home this week are the phonics tests we have taken so far in class. Hopefully you have been seeing the math and spelling tests already...

On the phonics tests there are spelling sections, matching sections with pictures and letters/blends, coding, and reading comprehension. There are also oral sections on the back where I test each child individually on their letter/blend sounds and reading skills. These sections on the back will probably cause the most confusion. I have tried to clearly mark if a question was wrong, what the student's answer was, and what it should have been. However, it still is in "shorthand", so feel free to ask if you have any questions about the tests!

Field Trip- Our field trip to the Agua Linda Pumpkin Patch is on October 27th. Permission slips and information were sent home last week. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions.

Volunteer Opportunities

2011-09-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

I have a few more volunteer opportunities if anyone is interested...

There are two take home projects with instructions that I hope to have completed by the beginning of next week and another that doesn't have a particular "due date". If you are interested, please let me know! Be sure to log whatever time you spend in the volunteer book in the front office! It all counts towards your 10 hour commitment!

Thank you

2011-09-18T00:41:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to those parents who have continually helped out in class or with at home projects. There are also several who continue to ask what they can do to help out as well. I just don't seem to have enough take home projects to go around! Thank you for all of the support. It really adds to the class and helps me out a lot too!

THANK YOU!

Updates

2011-09-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

All pages were successfully and correctly updated this week, hopefully no changes should have to be made... I am working on getting some pictures up soon. Just have to figure it out first...

More Changes

2011-09-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

I just added a few things to the "Announcements" page, be sure to check out those updates as well!

Changes to the Spelling Page

2011-09-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

I left out a few words when I posted them last night... Sorry! Be sure to check the changes to the "Spelling" page so you are studying the correct words this week!

Home

2011-08-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Week of August 29th

Be sure to check each of the pages this week for updates! There will be new announcements, spelling words, and new dates to add to your calendar!

How to use this blog REVISED

2011-08-22T00:26:00.000-07:00

So with a little help I was able to figure out how to add a new feature to my blog! I now have different pages to visit other than just the Home page. The other options are Spelling, Calendar, and Announcements. Each week I will give updates in the different categories as information comes along. Hopefully this will allow you to more easily find exactly what you are looking for!

Week of August 22

2011-08-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

As promised, our first spelling list of the year... Every week we will have 12 words and a sentence. Later on in the school year there will be two sentences. Please be sure to practice at home. It really makes a difference!

words from the "at" family- Spelling List A:
at, bat, cat, fat, hat, pat, rat, sat, flat, mat, the, and
Sentence: The cat sat.

Calendar items: Tuesday, August 23- Parent Information Night (PIN) from 6-7pm. There will be free babysitting and light refreshments. There will be 4 tables to rotate through with mini-discussions on the school's goals for this year, a place to voice your concerns and give your opinions, and ways to improve the partnership between home and the school. Come and learn more about what's coming up this school year and you can be involved!

Wednesday, August 24- Entertainment Book Fundraiser Starts. One of our school goals is to raise money to update our technology and this fundraiser is HUGE for our school. There are always such great savings in the books. Even if you sell only one book (to yourselves or whomever) it can help our school greatly!

Wednesday, August 31- Open House from 6-8pm. Stop by, check out the classroom, and see your child's work! At 7:00 I will have a meeting going over homework, the Saxon math and language arts programs, the behavior plan, and any other questions or concerns you may have.

How to use this blog...

2011-08-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hello, thought I'd give a few pointers about what's going on with our blog...

Every week I will post the spelling list as well as give reminders about important dates and events happening both at the school and in our classroom. I also will post pictures of different activities such as dances (I have a few to post from the back to school dance), field trips, and such. Also, sometimes there are important things that come up during the week that can't make it into the newsletter in time. This is where I will pass that information along to you.

Also, I have included some links to some of my favorite educational websites for children as well as some websites that are important to our class. I have a link to the public library system. There are so many resources, classes, fun family activities, and much more available through the public libraries for very little or no cost. Its of course, also a great place to go to help your child develop a love of reading. I also have a link to a retirement community, Fellowship Square, where our class does several community service projects. Its a great place and the residents love interacting with our students. Also, I have a link to World Care, an organization that helps with disaster and other types of relief. Our school and sometimes class often end up doing some type of drive to help people in other parts of the country and the world.

So, please check our blog often! There will be frequent updates on what's going on in our class and in the school!

Welcome New First Graders!

2011-08-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to first grade and room 14! It has been great getting to know all of your children! It looks like we have a really good group, and I'm excited to get things under way!

We'll start this week with our phonics and math curriculum. The first few weeks are a review of letters, letter sounds, and other concepts taught in kindergarten. We'll also start some social studies lessons about school, friendship, and community. We'll continue to go over classroom rules and procedures as well. Also in these first few weeks I'll do some assessing to see what the children know and where we need to start. After the assessments are over, we'll start centers where students will be able to work on activities more at their own level. We have a lot planned and are ready to get going on it!

Please check your child's folder daily. There are important papers going home almost every day and homework will start this week! Also be sure to fill out and turn in any paperwork sent home.

Important Paper Checklist:
-Emergency information (purple)
-Behavior plan (yellow)
-Bully policies (white)
-Classroom expectations (blue)
-Dentist paper (this may seem silly but even by sending in a paper declining teeth cleaning at school, our school can get extra assistance to those who need it. We just need the papers back saying either yes or no...)

As mentioned before, homework starts this week (nothing to intense, we're just easing into it). Almost every day in class we will be doing the front side of a worksheet in both phonics and math. These worksheets give the students some individual practice on things we have gone over earlier in the lessons. The back sides of these worksheets will be homework. Students may be able to work on them during class if time allows. Otherwise they will be expected to finish the work at home or in after school if they attend that program. Homework does not have to be turned in to me daily. I understand that there is often not time every night to get everything done. ALL HOMEWORK IS DUE EVERY FRIDAY.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me via email at b_thies@hotmail.com or leave a message for me at the school. I'm looking forward to a great year!

What to do this summer...

2011-05-23T01:01:00.000-07:00

Summer Activities

Reading: Read to your child every day! (15 minutes would be great.) I recommend checking out the public library’s summer reading program. They have great incentives to help children read, plus you can check out all the books you like! If you go to the “reader” shelf of the children’s section, you’ll be able to find books that your child can read on their own. Check out the website at www.library.pima.gov for more information and to find the branch nearest you!

Writing: Two or three times a week have your child write in their journal. This could be in one of the school journals we’re sending home, a notebook, or one made from the journal page included in this packet. Choose a topic for your child to write about or have them choose their own. Help them stretch out the words (write down the sounds they hear in each word) to make a sentence or sentences. Be sure to remind them they need a capital at the beginning, period at the end, and finger spaces between each word! Then they can draw a picture about what they’ve written.

Workbooks: Workbooks for first and second grade can be found at grocery stores, drug stores, Target, Walmart, Costco, just about anywhere really! Look for activities that suit your child’s ability level. (When in doubt, you really can’t go wrong with getting a first grade book that reviews skills we have learned throughout the year).

Websites: There are lots of great educational websites, just do a search for first grade activities and you’ll find a bunch of them! Some of my favorites are: www.kidzone.com, www.pbskids.org/lions, www.starfall.com, and www.brainpopjr.com.

We've had a great year! Thank you for letting me teach your children. We all grew and learned together, and I will miss them. Please stop by next year for a visit!

**As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact me via my email address: b_thies@hotmail.com. I will still check it all summer long and would love to help if you have any questions!

Last Spelling List

2011-05-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

Spelling list 23 this week: pages, hold, kind, draw, about, over, yellow, foundation, mention, fantastic, *today, *once. Words with an *asterisk are sight words and should be memorized.

Sentences: "I will bring hot dogs and buns," said Pam. Who would like to plan some games to play?

Bonus Sentences: Can we swim in the lake at the park? We should invite Beth to come along.

Week of May 2

2011-05-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Spelling List 22- old, find, taking, fault, saw, plastic, now, shouted, joining, starvation, word*, four*. Words with an asterisk* are sight words and should be memorized.

Sentences: The kind old man told me some tales. The child romped and played in the straw. Bonus sentences: The little lost kitten was both blind and cold. Its sharp claws got me as it jumped on my lap.

Field Trip- Tomorrow (May 3rd) we are headed to Fellowship Square Retirement community to visit our senior reading buddies. We'll be singing a few songs and handing out cards! Be sure to get your permission slips in ASAP!

Research Project- Be sure to work on your project! Its due next Monday, May 9th and the students are presenting on Wednesday, May11th!

Family Project- Research Paper

2011-04-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Our next and final family project is a research paper and a diorama on an animal of your child's choosing. Last week I went over how to do a research project on an animal. I modeled how to take notes from information and then how to turn that into a research paper that made sense. Going home today is more specific information about what animal your child chose and what the guidelines are for this activity.

Both the paper and the diorama are due Monday, May 9th. The written report is mandatory and the diorama is optional for extra credit. Using information about their animal found in books, magazines, online, etc. students will take notes and write a paper on the sheets included in the packet. The research paper should be presented in a folder with the child's name, animal, and picture of the animal on the front.

Parents will more than likely need to assist their children with this project. However, the work should be done by the child (i.e. in the child's own words, handwriting, diorama work, etc.)

If you have questions please ask! Students will also be presenting their projects to the class on Wednesday, May 11th.

What's new this week...

2011-04-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Spelling List 21- how, round, dishes, blue, argue, diver, enjoy, overpay, afternoon, vacation, early*, learn*. Words with an asterisk* are sight words and should be memorized.

Sentences: Braden found four spiders in the corner of the dark barn. The soil there was moist and cool.

Bonus Sentences: His cat wanted to sniff them. He didn't want the spiders to bite his cat on the mouth.

Going home this week will be information about our upcoming field trip next week, as well as the research paper your children will need to complete for this last quarter.

Japan Tsunami Relief - Part 2

2011-04-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

All this week we are still collecting supplies to help out the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last month. Any new supplies you want to bring in on any day would be great! Supplies can range from medical, first aid to personal hygiene. For specific ideas please see the World Care website at www.worldcare.org, the Link, or even this blog!

Please help out where you can! Every little bit goes a long way to help these families who have lost so much!

Coming Events...

2011-04-19T06:41:00.000-07:00

For next week, give you a bit of an early start on your practicing... Spelling list 21: how, round, dishes, blue, argue, diver, enjoy, overpay, afternoon, vacation, *early, *learn. Words with an asterisk* are sight words and should be memorized.

Sentences: Braden found four spiders in the corner of the dark barn. The soil there was moist and cool. Bonus sentences: His cat wanted to sniff them. He didn't want the spiders to bite his cat on the mouth.

Homework: There will still be homework this week, however the book log and book report form that were sent home will be due next Friday instead of this week.

Family Project: Our next and final family project is a research paper and a diorama on an animal that your child will be assigned at school. Guidelines will go home in a couple of weeks. Start saving a shoe box for this.

Pool Party: The school year is coming to an end. We are planning a swimming party for students who have behaved and turned in all their homework (book reports, book logs, phonics, math, etc.) Permission slips will be sent home as soon as we have the date and authorization from the office.

Final Field Trip: We don't yet have confirmation on this either, but we would like to visit our senior reading buddies at their place of residence to sing a few songs and hand out cards we've made for them. We are hoping to do this the first week of May. We do need parent volunteers to help out. This field trip is free! Permission slips for this will also be sent home as soon as we get confirmation from the office.

Spelling List 20

2011-04-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

Spelling list 20 this week...

Words: by, say, for, even, point, nation, portion, sliding, September, carnation, *only, *answer.
Words marked with an *asterisk are sight words and should be memorized because they don't follow the spelling rules.

Sentences: Please eat after you clean your jeans. The meat and beans are getting cool.

Bonus sentences: I hear that your team is on the corner lot. Each team is really eager to play.
Bonus sentences are extra points and will be added to your child's final score.

Field Trip Update!

2011-04-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

Due to some serious behavior issues with most of the class the last couple of weeks, children will be required to have either a green or white card (i.e. acceptable/respectful behavior) every day for the rest of this week in order to go on the field trip next Monday, April 11th. If your child has to remain behind, we will find a class for them to stay with while they do extra review work for the day. You will also be refunded your $5 if you have already paid it.

Also, in order to go on the field trip we need more parent volunteers or we will have to cancel. (Volunteers must be fingerprinted in the front office or have a fingerprint clearance card.) Please let me know ASAP if you can attend and help out! Be sure to turn in all forms and money or children cannot attend!

Japan Tsunami Relief

2011-04-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

All this week our school will be doing a supplies drive to help the relief effort in Japan from the earthquake and consequent tsunami. We have teamed up with World Care, an organization that helps places after a natural disaster or other tragedy strikes. You can visit their website at www.worldcare.org for more information. Please bring in new items and share what you can!

Monday, April 4th- First aid supplies: gauze squares or wraps, iodine, exam gloves, antibiotic ointment, cotton balls, hand sanitizers, etc.

Tuesday, April 5th- Emergency relief items: flashlights, batteries, work gloves, tents, folding cots, etc.

Wednesday, April 6th- Packing supplies: boxes, packing tape, rubber bands, scotch tape.

Thursday, April 7th- Hygiene supplies: large sturdy hair combs, shampoo, bar soap, individually packaged toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products, baby wipes/diapers.

Friday, April 8th- Medical supplies: crutches/braces, over the counter pain relievers, band-aids, liquid band aid (new skin), wound care cleansers.

Spelling and Butterflies!

2011-04-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Spelling list 19 this week:

Words- off, boy, hiding, turtle, disturb, survive, acorn, Friday, elbow, hurt, *many, *any.
Words with an *asterisk are sight words and need to be memorized.

Sentences- My cat had five kittens on my birthday. The first ones were girls and the rest boys.
Bonus Sentences- Curt burned his hand on the hot car. The burn hurt and felt like fire.

AND... We have butterflies!
In class over the next few weeks we are going to be studying how caterpillars change into butterflies. Our caterpillars have already grown so much over the weekend. We are going to be making observations and recording them in our journals, as well as learning about the growth patterns of these animals. The class is already soooo excited!

Spelling List 18

2011-03-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

Spelling words this week: grow, open, away, started, passing, table, invite, crispy, she'll, wisely, give*, people*. Words with an *asterisk are sight words and need to be memorized.

Sentences: The store will open for the sale at ten. Many people will be there.

Bonus sentences: It will be hard to get inside. I hope I don't spend too much cash.

Practice at home! We need to get our spelling scores higher!

Book Reports

2011-03-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

We have started book reports in class and next week they'll be added to the weekly homework! Students will read a book at their level and fill out a report form about the story they read. All book report forms being sent home will have been introduced in class already. Therefore students should be familiar with the report forms. We ask that the work is done by the students but supervised by parents. After school cannot accommodate helping students with this type of homework assignment. Book reports will be in addition to all other weekly homework. Enjoy reading with your child and helping them be sure to understand what they read! Keep on reading!

The Last Quarter!

2011-03-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Well, its the 4th quarter at last! We've come so far, but there's still so much to do...

This week's spelling is list 17: way, try, such, part, glass, stuff, former, show, letter, barnyard, sure*, they*. (Words with an *asterisk are sight words and should be memorized.)

Sentences: Jake left his backpack at school. His spelling list was in it. Kelvin gave him the list of words to learn. Jake thanked Kelvin for being willing to help.

Also this week: Tuesday, March 22 picture day. Be sure to fill out the packet and send money if you are interested.

Tuesday, March 22 is also Skate Country Night from 6-8pm.

Friday, March 25 is the school dance after school for grades K-5. Fliers were sent home today!

Be sure to keep reading with your children and marking it down on your book logs. This is the last month for the Book It! program and the last month for your children to earn pizza coupons for reading!

Spelling List 16

2011-02-28T21:34:00.000-08:00

Spelling list 16 this week: far, much, play, gave, after, upon, handy, dribble, spell, shapeless, says*, should* (words with an * are sight words and should be memorized)

Sentences: Six friends came to my slumber party. We stayed up until three. Mom made plum tarts for us. The sweet crust was tender and good.

Also this week, Wednesday, March 2, is dollar dress down day. Bring $1 and wear your play clothes for the day!

This week...

2011-02-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

No spelling this week because of the short week! (And only 2 days of homework and a book log!)

Grandparents brunch is Wed, Feb. 23 from 9:00-11:00am. Grandparents are in the classroom doing a show and tell of an item/story from "the old days" starting at 9:00. Brunch is served at 10:00am. Pictures will be taken throughout the morning.

There will be no school Thursday and Friday this week because of rodeo vacation...

However, the school will be hosting a community Ride 'Em Rodeo Carnival from Thursday, Feb. 24th - Sunday, Feb. 27th. Park at the Walgreens at the northwest corner of Golf Links and Kolb. There will be a shuttle available for transport. The pre-sale of armbands in happening now in the front office. Come during the break for food, rides, prizes, and a great time!

Spelling List 15

2011-02-15T07:53:00.001-08:00

Spelling this week...

Words: day, fly, trusted, weekly, campfire, blooming, under, myself, inside, problem, thought, where.

Sentences: My sister can subtract numbers well. She has a good grade in math. She can spell well too. Last summer she was in the spelling bee.

Practice makes perfect!

Its Love of Reading Week!

2011-02-08T15:16:00.001-08:00

I LOVE "Love of Reading Week"! We have already had some fun special guest readers (and have more planned for the rest of the week). We had a Stop, Drop, and Read activity today as well. When the office called over the intercom to the whole school, we all stopped what we were working on and started reading. I read two of my favorite books to the class!

Wednesday is dress like your favorite story book character. If your child can tell me what book their outfit is from, they can dress up for school! We also plan to have a fun activity later in the week with our reading buddies!

Be sure to promote your love of reading with your child as well!

Spelling List 14

2011-02-07T22:51:00.000-08:00

Words this week are: my, tell, soon, her, stringy, shall, made, feelings, packed, number, want, don't.

Sentences: My little dog likes to nap with me. He snores and cuddles on my lap. After he wakes up, he wants to run.

Practice, practice, practice!

Forgot the spelling...

2011-02-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

Oops! I forgot to post the spelling words for this week! Its another review week with 20 words and no sentences.

Words: street, thank, jumped, ask, use, twist, brisk, upset, those, drink, stung, swelled, handle, made, many, sniff, where, maple, they, what.

Be sure to study hard!

The Latest...

2011-02-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Book Orders- Book orders are due Feb. 9th. You can order online (follow the directions sent home last week) or with your order form (make checks or money orders to Scholastic Inc).

Timeline Project- Timeline projects are due Feb. 10th. This is required and will be graded and added to the report cards. Please follow the guidelines sent home last week and be sure to ask if you have any questions. Timelines should be in order of events that happened in your child's life.

Valentine's Day Party- A sign up for goodies and a class list will be available later this week. Be sure to bring Valentine's for all 28 students in our class. It should be a fun one! (Party in the afternoon only).

Field Trip- We are going to La Posta Quemada at Colossal Cave on Thursday, February 17th from 9am to 2pm. We need chaperones, but with fingerprints taken or clearance cards. Students should bring a sack lunch and wear a red LPA shirt, jeans, and comfortable walking shoes. Cost is $8 per person (adults too). Money and permission slips should be turned in before the day of the field trip.

Spelling, Book Orders, and Such...

2011-01-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

Spelling list 13: me, run, take, she's, thing, looking, title, little, will, shell (not she'll--there was a typo on the newsletter, sorry...), one, two.

Sentences: Frank goes to class at twelve. He'll take a test at one. He needs to make a good grade.

Please study at home as well! Now that there are three sentences, tests will be harder!

Thanks to all of the students who did their 100th day projects! They turned out great! We'll keep them on display for another week or so and then send them home.

Book orders- Book orders were sent home today. Send in a check or money order to Scholastic Inc with your order from the flyer or order online. Deadline for ordering is Feb. 9th.

Spelling and 100th Day

2011-01-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

Spelling this week will be another review. The words are: you, of, want, this, that, think, bring, with, what, drink, like, help.

Sentences: I want a drink of milk. Did you bring that with you?

100th Day Projects: Projects are due this Thursday, the 20th. Glue 100 items on a poster and bring it to class. Make a picture, design, or pattern, just have fun with it and be creative! Our celebration will be Monday, the 24th. If your project is turned in, you can wear your pajamas to school that day for our festivities!

What's new this year!

2011-01-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Just a quick note about some new happenings this week...

Earlier this week re-enrollment papers went home. Please complete the form and turn in to me as soon as possible. The papers are due January 21st.

Art classes started up this semester and with that come all of the messes or possible messes... Please be sure that your children are wearing clothing that its okay to mess up a bit (spilled paint, glue, glitter accidents, etc.) Monday mornings bright and early we have art! During this class students will be talking about famous artists such as Picasso, Michelangelo, Jackson Pollack, and Matisse and learning about the types of art they did. Then they will create their own art in the style of these artists. I am looking forward to seeing their creations!!

Also, this week and in the upcoming weeks our classes with Ms. Phillips (one of the counselors) will be focusing on stranger danger, which adults are okay to trust, and ways of keeping themselves safe. Next week's lesson will focus on students remembering their phone numbers. Please work on this with your child at home if they do not already know it. We will be working on it with them at school too!

Thanks for all of your support and involvement! I look forward to the rest of this school year with your children!

Character Counts

2010-12-14T21:44:00.000-08:00

Oops! I forgot to add the awards for Character Counts!

Congratulations to Nikolas and Tianna for being responsible and respectful students!

Awards Assembly

2010-12-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to send a quick reminder about the Honors Assembly tomorrow. Several students in our class will be receiving awards!

Congratulations to the award winners!
For Perfect attendance: Jade, Veraun, and Ava
For Academic achievement: Tianna, Austin E., Nikolas, Delanie, Alex R., Janaela, Ceanna, Brandon L., Izik, and Regan.

Don't forget to turn in your reading log this week and have a fun winter break!

No Homework or Spelling

2010-11-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

There will be no homework or spelling this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We have school only on Monday and Tuesday this week! So enjoy your holiday and time off!

Also, don't forget the Thanksgiving feast which will be free to all students on Tuesday, November 23rd. So don't send money or a lunch that day, we'll all eat turkey instead!

Thanksgiving Feast

2010-11-15T06:18:00.000-08:00

The Thanksgiving Feast is next Tuesday, November 23rd. Lunch is free for all students that day, so don't bother sending lunch money or packing a lunch! Our grade level has been asked to bring canned corn. So please send in 2-4 cans of corn before or on November 23rd! Be sure to ask questions if you have them!

This Week...

2010-11-15T05:32:00.000-08:00

Spelling words: up, but, set, man, them, need, block, stomp, going, upset, come*, there*
*these words are sight words and need to be memorized
Sentences: His friend can go with us. We need to get that rock.

Activities: November 16th- Skate Country Night
November 17th- Candle sale ends
November 19th- Breakfast with the principal
-Mexican Fiesta 6-8:00pm $5 a ticket at the front office

Homework Help

2010-11-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

Just a few instructions about homework this week in case it didn't make it home with the kids... Each child received a paper with sentence strips stapled to a lined piece of paper. Please have your child cut out these words, put them in order to make a sentence, and glue them on the lined paper. In case a word gets misplaced, there are numbers on the back. All of the 1s are in the same sentence, all of the 2s in the next sentence, and so on.

Each other piece of homework that comes home whether math or phonics will have instructions on it. The front side (or A) is what we will do at school. The back side (or B) is homework, and even on the phonics pages there are instructions about what to do with the B side of the paper.

Also, please be reading at home and keep track of the time you are reading on your child's weekly log! We have started a new program called "Book It" where the kids get prizes from Pizza Hut for tracking their monthly reading. (More on this program will be coming home shortly).

As always if there are any questions please feel free to contact me either at the school or via my email address: b_thies@hotmail.com.

This Week's Activities

2010-11-08T00:32:00.000-08:00

Spelling list 8: sat, dog, glad, cost, milk, sock, street, thank, needed, resting, color, friend

Sentences: The green frog jumped. Are you going to the meeting?

Activities to look forward to: Tuesday, Nov. 9th school fundraiser at the new Peter Piper Pizza (5925 E. Broadway Blvd.)

What's new this week...

2010-10-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Spelling words: go, hi, am, get, him, ten, best, help, pick, black, you, what

Spelling sentences: Get a can of clams. What can you print?

Spirit Week/Drug Awareness Week: Monday- Jersey Day- "winners don't do drugs"
Tuesday- Silly bands/crazy hair/crazy hat day- "silly/crazy to do drugs"
Wednesday- girls wear red ribbons, boys wear ties- "stay healthy, don't do drugs"
Thursday- Nerd day- "stay in school, don't do drugs"
Friday- Sock day- "sock it to drugs"

Spelling Sentences

2010-10-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

Oops! I forgot to add the spelling sentences last time...

Sentence 1: Ask Dan to clap.
Sentence 2: The pan is in the sink.

Also, a quick reminder that through the month of October, to show our support for breast cancer awareness, Fridays are also being called "pink Fridays", where students may wear whatever dress down clothes they wish as long as they are wearing something pink. We will discuss this more in class and as well as the importance of showing our support for such causes.

Spelling, Report Cards, etc.

2010-10-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

Spelling List 5: ask, big, can, cat, drop, lost, ants, snip, flag, stand, of, to

Report Cards: There may be some concern about some 0's received on report cards. The main reason this occurred is because there was not enough information to give a more complete grade. If a student had several unexcused absences and missed some of the assignments, or was under-performing on the assignments they did complete, a zero was given. In the writing portion of the grades, only one formal test was given that counted towards this section. If a student achieved two out of four goals for this assignment (which is completely normal at this stage in their writing), they received a score of 2 out of 4. Since this is still only 50%, the child was given a grade of 0 on their report card. Do not worry, again, this is normal at this stage, especially since we have only done one formal writing test! As always if there are questions or concerns, please contact me and we'll set up a conference.

Activities this Week: Friday, October 22 is Breakfast with the Principal!
Friday October 22 is also Senior Reading Buddies!

Spelling List 4

2010-10-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

Spelling words this week are: he, be, if, got, his, has, hot, ran, hand, fast, said, the

Sentences: It ran so fast. Dan sat in sand.

Practice makes perfect!

La Paloma Movie Night

2010-09-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

Movie night is this Friday, October 1st from 6-8pm in the auditorium. The movie is "The Secret of Moonacre", rated PG. Food will be available for sale (nachos, hot dogs, personal size pizzas, etc). Enjoy an evening of fun with your family! (Who knows, you may even see me and my kids there...)

Spelling List 3

2010-09-27T00:19:00.000-07:00

Spelling words for this week are: as, is, so, its, sit, and, did, last, stop, land.

There are two sentences again this week: I stop a lot. I did it last.

Please remind your child that they should be writing spelling words in lower case letters and sentences begin with an upper case letter and end with a period. I will be taking points off if these are not correct this week! (We have been talking about it a lot as well as practicing in class...)

Senior Reading Buddies

2010-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

This past Friday our senior reading buddies from Fellowship Square retirement community came to our classroom! This was our first meeting with them so we first interviewed them to find out a little bit about them, then we practiced reading our "book boxes" or 1st grade readers. The kids and seniors really enjoyed it, and we're all looking forward to next month's visit!

Great American Fundraiser

2010-09-24T06:39:00.001-07:00

The Great American Fundraiser is here! Packets went home this week with details, order forms, and catalogs. This is a great fundraiser that does well for the school. There is cookie dough, jewelry, wrapping paper, holiday gifts, magazine subscriptions, and much more! There are prizes for students that sell certain levels. (Ask your child about the "toilet". This was probably the most talked about prize...) The class who sells the most also gets a prize as well! The sale ends October 13th so be sure to get out there and sell, sell, sell!

Our First Field Trip

2010-09-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

This week we sent home information about our first field trip! On Wednesday, October 6 we (along with Mrs. Felix's class) will be getting a behind the scenes tour of our local Miller Golf Links public library. In addition to the tour and some other activities, students will be able to sign up for a library card, if they do not already have one! Students are asked to wear a red LPA shirt, jeans or shorts, and comfortable walking shoes. We will leave around 9:00am and return at approximately 11:00am. Parent/grandparent volunteers are needed, just be sure to let me know if you plan on attending. We will be taking either the vans or the bus that day (not sure which yet). In either case, there is very little room for parents to ride with us, so please plan on driving your own vehicles or carpooling with other parents. (And please no siblings!) If you have any questions be sure to let me know and get those permission slips in!

Pennies for Math

2010-09-21T22:51:00.001-07:00

We have some upcoming math lessons that have us counting out pennies and talking about money over the next few weeks. Please send 20-100 pennies in a plastic container (baggie also works fine) with your child's name on it. We will use these for several different activities!

Conferences and spelling

2010-09-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

Hello, just a few reminders about this week...

First its parent teacher conferences. Sign ups are outside of the classroom. Feel free to fill in a spot or let me know if you need something else. Other days could possibly open up (such as Wednesday after my meeting...) I would love to talk to all of you, if you can make it!

SPELLING LIST 2:
a, an, at, tap, lot, nap, tan, zip, lap, pit

Sentences- Nap on it. Zip a top.

Have some fun this Friday!

2010-09-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

This Friday September 17, two special events are happening at our school!

Bike/Walk to School Day: Everyone is being asked to help our planet out by riding a bike, walking, or carpooling to school. There will be individual prizes for participants drawn from a raffle and class prizes for the class with the most participants. Be sure to check in with the teachers and student members of the Green Team to make sure you are counted for these prizes. Please be sure to practice bike safety and always wear a helmet!

Back to School Dance: This Friday after school there will be an all school dance! From 6:00-7:00pm K-5th grades will party and 6th - 8th from 7:30-9:00pm. Tickets are $3 a person and may be purchased prior to the dance in the front office. Snacks will also be available for purchase that night.

**Also parent teacher conferences will be next week, look for a sign up sheet outside the classroom door!

Spelling List 1

2010-09-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

This week will be the first week of spelling tests from our Saxon phonics curriculum. The words this week are: on, no, not, top, pop, I, in, it, pin, tip. There are two sentences this week: Pin it on. Tip it in. Spelling tests are Friday. Happy studying!

Student Picture Day

2010-09-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

Student Picture Day is here! Tuesday, September 14th students will have their photographs taken at the school. For those of you who are new to the school, there are two student photo days during the school year. This first day the students are to wear their school uniforms for their pictures. The second picture day (in Spring) the students will be allowed to wear their "dress down" clothes or whatever you would like them to wear. Order packets were sent home earlier this week for this first picture day. If you have any questions let me know! Otherwise be sure to send your child looking nice and wearing their best smile on the 14th!

Entertainment Books Due

2010-09-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Entertainment book fundraiser is at an end. Please turn in either your books or the money for them as soon as possible. (Technically the sale ends today). If you have any questions either let me know or ask in the front office! Thanks for your support of this fundraiser!

Spelling Words- List C

2010-09-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Spelling words this week are: bog, dog, fog, hog, jog, log, frog, clog, said, but, what, of
Spelling sentence is: The frog sat on the log.

Have a great Labor Day!

Spelling Words- List B

2010-08-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

Spelling words this week are from the "ap" family:
cap
lap
map
nap
tap
rap
sap
zap
flap
clap
it
is

Scholastic Book Fair

2010-08-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Scholastic Book Fair is at our campus this week! Our class will be previewing the fair this afternoon. The theme is: "Here's to our heroes! Reading saves the day!" There will be contests and activities all week long!

Monday- Students guess who 10 masked superhero teachers are. The two winning students who come the closest will receive a $10 voucher for the book fair!
Tuesday- Donuts with the Principal from 8:00-8:30am. Also, students guess how many pages are in a stack. Closest two winners receive a prize!
Wednesday- Open House 6:00-8:00pm. The book fair will be open during this time as well!
Thursday- Pie Throwing at Mr. L, Mr. Dye, Mr. Ray, and others during lunch recess. $1.00 a shot. Also, there will be a door decorating contest for the classrooms. The winning class also receives a prize!
Friday- Superhero day! Students may dress as their favorite Superhero!

As you check out the book fair, be sure to check out our class' wish list!

Blog Update

2010-08-30T00:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to point out a few new features I added to our blog! I added some links to a few educational yet fun websites. You can go there for ideas and activities for your kids, or your child can even head there for some fun online games that help reinforce the things we are learning in class.

I also added some community links that are important to our classroom. At the public library link you can check out how to get a library card, homework help, and much more at the library closest to you. It is a good place to get books to read with your child for our book logs! The World Care link is a good place to go if you or your family is wondering how you can help out with some of the emergency relief efforts going on throughout the world. Last year our school had a drive to help with the disaster relief in Haiti. The Fellowship Square link will give you more information about the residents that come to our school for our senior reading buddy program. Last year several classes from our school had these "grandmas and grandpas" (as my class liked to call them) read books and do different activities with them every month. Our class also delivered handmade Valentines to the residents during their lunch hour. We plan to do these and other actvities with Fellowship Square this year as well!

So, have fun exploring and if you have any other ideas for links, activities, etc. please let me know!

First Day Picture

2010-08-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

A couple of parents took some group shots of our class the first day of school. Here's one of those photos! Aren't they darling? This year will be a great one!

Important Papers...

2010-08-17T00:21:00.001-07:00

Hello, just a friendly reminder to continue to check your child's folder daily! There are many important papers that I need you to read and discuss with your child. Some should also be signed and sent back to school. Remember, I will send corrected work, newsletters, and other important information home in your child's folder on the "home" side, and you can send notes and information to me on the "school" side. Important papers sent home this week include:

The behavior plan, safe snack information, the emergency information card (for classroom use), the classroom procedures newsletter, and the Saxon reading and math program information sheets.

Please review all information and be sure to ask if you have any questions. And please, get those papers signed and handed back! Thank you for all of your time and assistance with the education of your children!

Welcome to First Grade!

2010-08-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome new students (and those of you I had last year too!) I hope you all had a wonderful summer vacation! I am excited about teaching first grade this year! We have lots of fun and interesting activities to look forward to. The first few days of school we will spend time getting to know each other and learning the classroom rules and procedures. We will also be taking a tour of the school for the students in our class who are new to the school. On Friday we will even start our "special" classes by having PE!

Be sure to look in your child's folder every day. This next week and a half we will be sending home very important papers! If you have any questions please feel free to call me at the school or email me at b_thies@hotmail.com. I am looking forward to a good year!

Graduation Pictures

2010-05-28T06:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the graduation. I just wanted to say thank you again for the privilege of teaching your children this past year. I know it was a labor of love for us all and we all learned and grew through the process. Your children truly are wonderful and I have loved being their teacher!

More Water Party Photos

2010-05-28T06:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some more shots... It really was tons of fun!

Water Party

2010-05-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Our water party on Tuesday was a BLAST! Here are some pix of the kids looking wet but happy!

Senior Reading Buddies and 6th Grade Buddies

2010-05-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

Our senior reading buddies came for the last time this year last Friday. Here are a few of those pictures! We really enjoyed our senior buddies and even made them a present to say thanks for visiting our classroom! We also had 6th grade buddies that came every Friday from Mr. Lewis' class to help us out with our activities. They were also there last Friday. We really enjoyed all of our buddies this year!

2010-05-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

Some photos from our zoo field trip... My camera died halfway through the trip so if you have any good shots you'd like to share, please email them to me!

We had a great time! Everyone's favorite thing was the train ride! Thanks again to all the parents who helped out!

Senior Reading Buddies

2010-05-11T01:54:00.000-07:00

Our senior reading buddies from Fellowship Square (the same place we delivered Valentine's a while back) came to school last month and I finally have pictures! Both the seniors and students loved reading together. We're doing it again this month so look for more pictures then too!

Graduation Update...

2010-04-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update about our promotion ceremonies! They will be Thursday, May 27th at 10:00am. Students should wear "Sunday best" (meaning nice dresses, shirts, pants, etc.). They will borrow a gown for the ceremony and should have already purchased by now a cap and tassel ($6 for both). The cap and tassel are yours to keep, but the gown should be returned that day.

If you haven't already paid for your cap and tassel, please do so! If you are concerned about your child graduating please talk to me. It's better to have something (and return it, or save it for next time), then to not have anything at all.

April 22 we will offer professional photos in a cap and gown for your kindergartner, if you are interested. Please see the packet we sent home last week for specifics!

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns! We look forward to sharing this happy time with your children!

Dance Pictures

2010-04-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the dance, finally! It was great because everyone wanted their pictures taken, but they would inevitably end up "break dancing" which always made for funny pictures! Enjoy!

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-03-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that $6 for a graduation cap and tassel is due this Friday. I know it has been a little short notice so if it is a hardship, please let me know. We need to allow 4-6 weeks to make sure we receive the caps in enough time for our promotion ceremonies. Thank you!

One more thing

2010-03-15T22:14:00.001-07:00

(I always forget something!) If I did not mention your name, please forgive me! I still thank you for your help too!!!!!

A Big Thank You!

2010-03-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

I've been really slow this time getting my thank yous out to all the parents who helped out at our last field trip... So I thought I'd just do one great big thank you here!

Thanks to: Christine Tagalog, Elsa Hidalgo, Jolene and Taylor Berry, Jamila Grigsby, Ronda Nelson, Nancy Rodriguez, Michael Shecton, Lisa Abalos, Patricia Valdez, Roger Jacques, Ana Patrica Rivera, and Diana Lane for all of your help corralling children at the rodeo! We couldn't do these fun activities without all of your help!

A Special thanks to Roger Jacques for driving the other van for us! (It didn't even cross my mind to ask Ms. Maria if she was driving the van, I just assumed she could...) Thanks for jumping in and taking care of that so we could all go, Roger!

I think that concludes this round of thank yous! I'll do better next time with your individual notes... The sentiment is still the same, however! We are so very thankful for all of the help you give to us and for your wonderful children!

Rodeo Pictures

2010-03-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

Hey there, I finally have the rodeo field trip pictures for you all! I had camera troubles again on my end. (All of my technology woes this year have really given my husband cause to try to talk me into updating all of our gadgets...) We had a great time even though we got rained out near the end. The kids loved seeing the roping and going to cowboy school the best! If you have any pictures feel free to share too!

Still more pix...

2010-02-16T21:34:00.000-08:00

Then with the valentines that were left we decorated the walls of the dinning hall for the big party they were having that weekend! It was tons of fun!

Valentine pix again...

2010-02-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, so let's try that again... First we handed out valentines to the residents while they were eating lunch. These are a few of those shots.

Valentine Delivery Pics!

2010-02-16T20:28:00.000-08:00

Finally! Pictures from our trip to Fellowship Square where we handed out valentines! It was a blast! I had so many residents thanking us, and the kids were just as excited! Every time a new person would walk in the dining room there were six kindergartners on them ready to hand out a valentine! Several kids thought it was funny that the "grandmas and grandpas" kept telling them they were cute, and one girl started making plans about what she wanted to make next to deliver to the residents! I think this trip made an impression on everyone involved! Enjoy the pictures and look forward to more events involving this retirement community. Thanks again to all of the parents who helped out with the trip on such short notice!

An Improptu Field Trip...

2010-02-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

This Friday, Feb. 12, we have the opportunity to deliver the Valentines all of the kinder and 1st grade classes have been making to the residents of Fellowship Square. Fellowship Square is a retirement community located near Broadway and Sarnoff. I have been trying to help the school form a community partnership with this senior living facility, and our class gets to be involved in some of the early steps of this program! So this Friday we get to hand out Valentines to the residents during their lunch hour! We need parent volunteers to help out, if you can! We also will need everyone to turn in their permission slips ASAP! (They went home today...) Thanks for all of your help and support, and we'll be sure to bring the camera!