It has been a fast 8 weeks of maternity leave and I am excited to be back in the classroom (although it was hard to leave my little girl).  Remington Audrey Perkins was born on September 23rd (her due date) at 10:01 AM.  She is a terrific baby and my husband and I are blessed to have her.  Thank you to Cathy Perry for a great job filling in for me.  It has been a smooth transition back to the classroom.

I would like to invite you to a Holiday breakfast in our classroom on Thursday, December 16th at 8:00.  The room moms will be writing a note home organizing the details of the breakfast.  After we eat, the children will give you their gifts and we will have a small craft to work on for you and your child.  I hope you will come celebrate the holiday season with us.

Homework: Remember that your child needs to complete at least two activities a week on his/her December Calendar homework handout.  I hope you and your child are enjoying the different activities!  Also, remember to review the spelling words by having your child practice writing each spelling word five times.  The spelling words for December are blends and this can be difficult for many students.   Students can write the words in a sentence or write a story using many of the spelling words.   Happy Homework!!

Reading:  In class your child will work on reading comprehension by completing a story map.  The story map will ask questions such as the characters, setting, the problem in the story and how was it solved.  If the student can answer these questions, then they gain a better understanding of the story.  When your child reads at home ask her/him these questions to see if they truly have a good understanding of the story. 

Math:  The class is working on fair trade with money.  For example:  if I have 5 nickels can I trade it for a quarter?  Is this a fair trade? Or I have 4 dimes and 2 nickels; can I trade this for 2 quarters?  For this grading period, your child should be able to make fair trades up to $0.50.  You can help your child at home with this math skill by using your loose change to make fair trade.  Ask your child to show you how to use “Hairy Math” when counting money!

Assessments:  Over the next several weeks, I will be assessing your child in Language Arts (reading, writing and spelling) and math.  The report cards go home on January 7 just a few days after we get back from our Winter Break.   

Dates to Remember

December 16:  Holiday Breakfast 8:00-9:00 AM

December 20 - January 3:  Winter Holiday Break - No School

January 4:  Students return to school

January 7:  Report Cards go home

January 17:  Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School