Fall Conferences: Conferences are just around the corner... in a few days in fact! It is so hard to believe it is that time already! Inside your child's Friday folder you should have found a yellow sticky note with the date and time of your parent teacher conference. If for some reason that time does not work please send me a note or email ASAP. If something comes up the day of your conference please call the elementary to let us know that you cannot make it. I can always make up a conference before school in the mornings or right after school if an emergency comes up and you are unable to make it.  

Wednesday, October 9: This is Fall Fitness and Walk to School Day! Buses will drop off at Kalona Mennonite Church and students will walk to KE.  In the afternoon we will ALL go outside and walk laps around our "track" together! Please be sure to send your child to school in comfortable clothes and tennis shoes for walking.  All students in my class are welcome to bring a water bottle to take outside with them on this day. Please be sure your child's name is on the water bottle somewhere.  Wednesday is also a 2 hour early out day so don't forget about our 1:25 dismissal time! :-) 

Book-It: Book-It is officially started. You should have found information and your October calendar in your child's backpack on Tuesday. Please help encourage reading with your child each night. Just a reminder we are asking everyone to read 20 minutes each school night. Don't forget to fill in your calendar as you go. 

Book cart: Your child will start bringing home an independent level book from our book cart starting tomorrow (Monday).  You keep this book at home for 2 nights. This book is meant to work on fluency, accuracy, comprehension and confidence. It is extremely beneficial when children are asked questions about what they read when they are finished. If you have a few extra minutes at night I encourage you to do this with them. Ask them who the characters were, what did they do, what part did you like best, etc. 

Jolly Phonics/Grammar: We are nearing the end of our Jolly Phonics review. Starting at the end of October we will jump into Jolly Grammar. Be watching for more information to come.  As we continue to work through Jolly Phonics we are focusing on spelling patterns that will come into play again when we begin spelling with Jolly Grammar. Currently we have been working on ee vs. ea, ai vs ay, oi vs. oy, and  ie vs. y vs. i_e. The best way to learn these patterns is to practice, practice and practice some more. Keep up the great work first graders and parents! :-)

Math: If you haven't realized it yet we move incredible fast with our Math. We started off by simply counting by ones, then 5's, 2's. We moved our way into tally marks, telling time to the hour, counting pennies, counting nickels, counting pennies and nickels and now we are working on adding and subtracting numbers.  If you feel your child is not "getting" the homework that is okay! We will circle around to all of these things over and over throughout first grade!