Wow, what an excellent week that we had together in class!
I want to give a big thanks to all of our parent chaperones who came with us on Friday to Pyrah's. The kids really enjoyed themselves and you were a big help. It is too bad that we did not have more time for the actual picking portion of the trip but I suppose it gave us something to look forward to doing next year and focusing on just the picking process. Now that our first graders are in the full swing of things in the classroom, everyone has a lot of work that they can focus on. We are still fine tuning things and making sure that everyone is on the same page but considering we are only a few weeks in, I think it is going pretty well. We have had a few snags with homework issues, such as the spelling words and Spelling City not cooperating, but we will get that worked out. This month we are focusing on the Solar System. Did you happen to see the amazing Solar System that was created by Chloe and Gus hanging from our classroom ceiling? I am really impressed with the work they put into it and I am so looking forward to seeing what everyone else creates. Currently I am working on field trips for this coming year to coincide with what we are learning in the classroom. I am hoping that we can make it to either the Anchorage Museum for a planetarium visit or to UAA to see a show in their incredible planetarium. I will keep you posted! Meanwhile, I have an excellent app called Star Walk that allows students to point an iPad up to the sky and it will identify constellations in that are. It would be excellent if a parent or two could volunteer to come in for a couple of times in the next few weeks to take students outside on the playground to use the iPad and app. It will be a much better experience with two students at a time considering I currently have just one iPad. If you're interested in this, please contact me soon. I was really surprised at how many families came to our Open House. I love how involved all of the families are and the support that you show for your child. In turn, I feel equally supported and that is an excellent feeling. I forgot to mention a few things that are happening or changing at school though: 1) Front door security- The front door will now be locked at 9am and you will need to be buzzed in by the front office. This is a security measure to keep students and staff safe. Also, please avoid picking your child up early from school in an effort to avoid parking/traffic. We know this is a difficult situation but we want to make sure that all of our kiddos are involved in the procedures and routines of the full school day. 2) Thursday Folders- We do not have homework folders, only Thursday Folders. The kids are expected to pick up a reading log, on their own, from it's "home" space by our classroom door each Monday. Everything else will be sent home on Thursdays in their folder. The folder, and the reading log, should be returned the following Friday. 3) Scholastic orders- I love this program and you will be seeing many order forms sent home. If you would prefer not to have these sent home, please just let me know. I am setting the due date for each order for the end of each month to avoid bombarding you with catalogs and due dates. Just plan on having your order placed between the first and last of the month. If you miss the due date, go ahead and submit your order anyway. It just will not be filled until the following month. *I took a few fun photos from our field trip, please let me know if you DO NOT want me to publish them on the website. I will also send a form home asking for feedback before posting them. Important Dates: School Picture Day: September 18th Talk Like a Pirate Day: September 19th Scholastic Due Date: September 30th Have a great week! Christine Homan :)
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