jonesjems: November 2014

Wow! November!
This month we have several fun activities. We already had Smokey Bear come talk to us about fire safety. We had the McDonald's feed your family night where, you guessed it.....our class was one that won a cake party! Woot! Woot! We will probably have it next week, we haven't scheduled it yet. Thank you so much for coming to support our great school.

Our phonics program has us learning many skills and strategies for good readers. Your children know about blends, digraphs, homophones, compound words, murmured dipthongs, short vowels, special vowel blends, double consonant endings, multi-syllabic words, and many more important reading things. We work hard on reading every day. Most of the 1st grade students have already moved up an average of two reading levels in their reading groups! Wow! Great things are happening in 1st grade!

In writing we are working hard to remember three things good writers use: capitals, spaces, and punctuation. Most students are getting pretty good at it. Practice at home is essential. Let them write a letter to someone, make your shopping list, create to-do lists, or list things they did that day. I like to encourage a journal for children to write three things in each night. It serves several purposes, 1) it gets them reflecting on the day 2) it hones their writing skills 3) it promotes and "attitiude of gratitude" 4) it allows them to converse with you about what is going on in their lives 5) it gives them something to keep and look back on as a journal or diary about their life, and starts them on the path of daily journal writing.
Please, please, please don't get hung-up on correct spelling. It is appropriate, expected, and desired that children write phonetically at this age. I do not want to hinder any creativity or desire to write by getting caught up in the conventions of writing. Those lessons will come at another, more appropriate time. Cherish their "sound spelling" and celebrate their writing abilities.

We have started our author study on Mo Willems. He is the author of the very popular "pigeon" books. My favorite is "Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!". We have been working on persuasive writing. They are getting pretty good at it. I love to see their writing at school. We will continue to learn a lot about genres of writing and about Mo Willems. You will find your children are 'pigeon experts'!

In science we are learning about animals. We have already talked about mammals and birds. We will finish our unit next week then move on to social studies and learn about the pilgrims, indians, and the first Thanksgiving. We have several art and writing projects that will be a lot of fun.

In math we are practicing adding to subtract. I know, it doesn't seem to make sense, but trust me. Our whole math is about teaching children to learn strategies they can use to problem solve. As adults we do it automatically in our heads. ie: 9 + 10. I know 10 + 10 = 20 so I can subtract 1 to get the answer. We use multiple, varied strategies to solve problems without even thinking about it. GoMath wants students to think about it! They are learning strategies that will help them problem solve. In class the students talk about how much they love math. Either they're good liars or they really really like it! My thoughts are, they like it, and....they're getting good at it. I want to encourage their thinking and learn from their problem solving skills. They amaze me every day with the things they are doing. You should be proud of the good thinkers they are!

I would like to congratulate Kamryn Beckstrand and Gabe Smith for being our first quarter "Model Mustangs". I am proud of them and the example they are in class. I appreciate their effort. Choosing students for this award is a difficult process. I have 24 model mustangs in my classroom and I want each one to receive the award they are so deserving of.

I can't begin to thank the many moms (especially Sadie and Cami) for the AMAZING job they did on our fun Halloween party! You guys totally rock! It was so much fun! I can't imagine the work that went into getting it all together! I want to thank the moms of: Bridger, Kamryn, Bronwyn, Jared, Morgan, Jadeyn, Ty, Jordan, Taytem, Jake, and I hope I didn't leave anyone out. We also had a super special pre-Halloween party when Kambree's grandma come as Madame Witch and brought Sabrina and her cat with her. We played games, had treats, and stories. October was full of celebrating for us!

This month we will be out of school Wednesday, November 26-Friday November 28 for Thanksgiving Holiday. Please have a safe, happy Thanksgiving.

I love this time of year. I love the feeling of good cheer and compassion I see around me and I love the feeling I try to instill within myself. As I pause to reflect on this year and think about the many things I am so grateful for, I count my time in the classroom with your children as one of my greatest blessings. Thank you for trusting me with your precious little ones. Thank you for sharing their sweet personalities, inquisitive minds, beautiful smiles, and tender hugs with me. I am so grateful for the days I spend with them and the amazing life lessons they teach me every day of compassion, kindness, forgiveness, friendship, trust, honesty, encouragement, and work ethic. I cannot imagine a more gratifying experience than working with children. I am truly blessed to be in the classroom with them. I am also so grateful to each of you for the support you offer me and your children. Thank you for following through on homework assignments, encouraging them to work hard and do their best. I know your lives are busy and the demands that face parents today are overwhelming at times. I appreciate the time you give us to come in and help in our classroom. I am in awe and amazed at the level of commitment you have to make sure your children are successful. It does not go unnoticed. I know I am so lucky to have the most amazing students and parents in the school!!! Thank you!

I am posting pictures of our fun parties, and festivities for this past couple of weeks. 1st grade is the best!