October 21, 2016

Dear Parents,

We will study about feelings next week. Many people celebrate Halloween and children’s feelings can range from being happy to being scared. We will discuss being happy, sad, scared, jealous, brave, proud, and mad. We will also talk about having compassion for others.

____For homework, the children will help make a book similar to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. It is calledOrange Pumpkin, Orange Pumpkin, What Do You See? This book will help your child learn color words. First, read through the book with your child. Then have him/her to color each page the color indicated in the story. Remind your child to colorneatlyand to try to stay within the lines.Let your child read the book to you. Have him/her track the print with his/her finger, putting his/her finger under each word as it is said. This helps your child learn one-to-one correspondence and will help him/her to recall sight words. Later, the children will “drop the finger” to develop fluency. Return this to school. Make sure that your child writes his/her name on the front of the book.

____Math Focus: We have worked on recognizing numbers 16-20 this week. We have also reviewed the numbers 0-15. Review the songs that I sent home last week. They will help your child to remember these numbers (11-20) and how to write them. Put these songs in the “Songs to Learn By” folder. Play “Spooky Concentration.” The materials and directions are in the folder. The children love to play this kind of game. Begin by matching the numbers 1-10 and their corresponding sets. Then work on the numbers and sets 11-20.

_____Have your child practice writing his/her first name. (Remember sizing of the letters is important.) Review letters and letters sounds, beginning letter sounds, shapes and shape descriptions, birthdays, addresses, telephone numbers, body parts, the five senses, the days of the week and the months of the year, counting sets, counting backwards from 10 and counting by rote to at least 50.

_____ The “Solid, Liquid, and Gas” song is enclosed. Please place it in your child’s “Songs to Learn By” folder and review it frequently. Solids, liquids and gases are properties of matter.

_____Our new word is “can.” I am enclosing the song for this word. Please put it in the “Songs to Learn By” folder. The book, We Like School, puts the word back into text. Please read all of the books I have sent home with your child. This will help his/her reading fluency. Your child should know the sight words quickly so that when they read independently, they will not have to “sound out” a lot of words. When a child reads more fluently, his/her comprehension improves dramatically.

___Have your child write his/her name on every part of his/her homework. That way your child will receive credit for doing it. Sometimes, the work can be separated and we don’t know to whom it belongs.

_____Remember to read to and with your child daily. List the booksyou read this week in the space below. If you need more space, use notebook paper. We will have a celebration (in the spring) with prizes and refreshments for everyone who reads at least 100 books this year.

My child and I read the following books:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

____ My child and I read 50 minutes (5 books) together.

Reminders

Communication Connection-There will be no “Communication Connection” this week.

Field Trip-Tuesday, October 25th-Please dress your child appropriately for the weather. If you have signed up to be a chaperone, please make sure that you have paid and that you have had your driver’s license scanned in the office BEFORE TUESDAY. The cost for chaperones is $10.00 and for students the cost is $7.50.

WE MUST HAVE YOUR CHILD’S PERMISSION SLIP ON FILE BEFORE MONDAY, OCTOBER 24TH.

November 4th-Parent-Teacher Conference Day-Students do not attend school.

Some of the conferences will be held before the 4th. Please make sure that you have marked your calendars for our conference date. If you have not returned your conference confirmation to me, please do so.

Fall Break- November 4th-8th-Students do not attend school. Students return to school on Wednesday, November 9th.

Treats-If you would like to send treats for the children’s treat bags, we would appreciate it. There are 20 children in our class. Please send individually wrapped candy or gum. Please do not send any item with nuts in them. Some of our children are allergic to them. You may want to send pencils, erasers, bubbles, or some other small item instead of candy. If possible, send it by Monday, October 24th. We need time to fill the Halloween bags. Thank you to the parents who have already sent in things!

Your Partner in Education,

Ginger Carter

Parent signature: Child’s name: