Class Christmas Party and Author's Tea Tomorrow!

The time has finally come for us to unveil our class book, The ABCs of Christmas! Our class has worked very hard on this and I know they are excited to share what they have done with you. We call it an author's tea because we used to have the class recite the book and we would have refreshments afterwards. However, I know it is easier for parents if school events are combined, ergo, our class Christmas party is immediately after the recitation of the book.
*********************************************************************************

 Congratulations are in order for Ethan who won the school sweater competition! Way to go, Ethan!

*****************************
Important dates

• 12/15 @1:00 Author's Tea / Class Party
• 12/18- Class community project (Lunch for the fire department)
• 12/19 early release, Christmas break
• 1/3/18- back to school

Flat Stanley Project

Our class is participating in a school-wide Flat Stanley project.  Today in the Tuesday folders you will find fliers about the project. We are asking all of the students to take Stanley with them to an interesting place/person, or mail Stanley to an interesting place/person and take a picture of Stanley in that place or with that person.

The packet has a travel journal in which to describe Stanley's travels. The objective of this project is for students to gain a better understanding of various communities and people that they may not have known about, or they only knew a little about.

We will have a school-wide presentation about the project later in the year. If you have any questions about the project please let me know. The following is a link to a site about the project:
http://flatstanleyproject.com

Dyslexic discussion on NPR

For those who are able to listen, 1A on NPR will host a discussion about Dyslexia and services in school at 11:00. https://the1a.org/shows/2017-12-06/when-dyslexic-students-are-denied-in-school

Also, we will go to the library tomorrow so please bring back any library books that need to be returned as well as car/booster seats. A huge thank you to Mr. Krabel for coming to our class yesterday to talk about Christmas traditions in Germany- it was so interesting, and the cookies were great!

December- In the Know

December is always a busy month for Primary. Our class will attend the showing of “A Christmas Carol” on the 14^th and the début of our class book and author’s tea is scheduled for the 15^th at 1:00. I know the kids are very excited to share their hard work with you! Immediately after the author’s tea we will celebrate the season with our class Christmas party hosted by Cassie Camacho. We hope everyone will be able to join us for both of special these events. December 18th will be a special "fun" day for our class. We will take a break from our normal routine to learn some new games, share stories and focus on Responsive Classroom activities. The following day (12/19) is a non-academic early release day. Students are encouraged to wear pajamas because they will not go to class on this day, rather they will have a visit from Santa and join the rest of the school for some fun and games before leaving for Christmas vacation. 

 December is a fun month, but it's also a short month for academics which means we have a lot to cover academically and every minute counts! In ELA we are writing about gifts and gift-givers, reading and spelling words with “glued” sounds and exploring how Christmas is celebrated around the world. Students are exploring rock properties and transitioning from plant lifecycles to soil and rock weathering in STEM. We are excited to explore rocks hands-on by mining, panning and sifting sand, gems and silt.

In the Know- November

For homework this week, some students have a dictation page in their packet. This is an opportunity for you to dictate sounds/words/sentences to your child, and have them show you how to "tap out words" and "spell-check tap" once they have written words. They can also explain the proof-reading technique we learned in class for writing sentences.

Sounds- dictate any consonant or short vowel sound. *avoid the schwa
Words- mop, rash, rock, fix, chip
Sentence- The fox is in the pen with the hen.

Reminders:

• Our field trip to the library will be on Thursday (11/16) so please bring any books that need to be retuned. 
• Miss Hines and I will be at an education workshop on Friday (11/17), so our class will join the lower school who is attending a performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the High Point Little Theater. 
• If possible, it would be helpful to leave any car/booster seats at school Thursday and Friday.  
• I will be out Monday and Tuesday of next week. Mrs. Hagen will be my substitute, and students will not have a homework packet for those days, but I highly recommend that students still read (or be read to) for 20 minutes nightly. I think Miss. Hines is planning something special for Tuesday! 
• School is closed November 22-26 for Thanksgiving. 
• Our class Christmas party/author's tea will be Friday 12/15. We will start with our author's tea (presentation of published Student Treasures class book) at 1:00, followed by the class party at 1:30. A huge thank you to Cassie Camacho for agreeing to plan this for us! 
• 12/19- half day and visit from Santa Claus! 

Firehouse Photos and November Dates

We had a very informative tour of the Firehouse Headquarters of High Point this morning. Students learned what to do in case of a fire, and not to hide or be scared if a firefighter tries to help them out of a burning building.

The following are a few dates to be aware of:

• 11/10- no school in observance of Veteran's Day
• 11/16- library trip (This is a change from 11/9)
• 11/17- Lower School trip to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (Wallace and Hines at workshop)
• 11/20- Primary NOT going on trip to move theater with Lower School
• 11/22-11/24- Thanksgiving break

Halloween/Lazy 5

This has been a super exciting week with our trip to the Lazy 5 Ranch and Halloween! A big thank you to Peyton's mom for planning, organizing and executing the class Halloween party! It's back to the grindstone though, and we have a lot of work to do between now and Christmas break (5 academic weeks! 😲).

Next week our class will be going to the local fire house on Monday (11/6) and the library on Thursday (11/9). Please send carseats/ booster seats on those days if you child needs them.

The following are a few snapshots from this week:

In case you're wondering why Simon is not wearing his coat... he took it off 4 times (we put it on him 3 times).  At least it was sunny!

Lazy 5 Ranch/ Halloween

We are very excited about our upcoming trip to the Lazy 5 Ranch! We plan to leave school shortly after our class morning meeting and we will return before dismissal. The following are a few things to keep in mind:

• Pack a lunch, snack and water bottle
• The ranch is a 50 minute drive... 😵electronics with earbuds are encouraged!
• As of now, the forecast is chilly and sunny. We will be outside so please apply sunscreen to your child or send a hat and a jacket. 
• If your child requires a booster or car seat please send it with them on Monday morning. 

We will also have our class Halloween party on Thursday (10/31). Mrs. Kelly (Peyton's mom) is planning the Halloween party this year, and I'm sure it will be a lot of fun! Please join us for the celebration starting at 1:20 in the multi-purpose room! 

Library trip tomorrow

Please remember to send any library books with your child in the morning so that we can return them during our trip to the library. Also, please send in carseats or boosters if your child requires them.

Lower School Science Center Field Trip

Next Friday (10/13) The entire TPS lower school will be going on a field trip to the Greensboro Science Center. Please note that this is not just a Primary Department trip.  Miss. Hines and I are not planning the trip nor will we be able to go because we will be at an ELA workshop. However, our students will be in good hands- Gayle Hice will be substituting for us and going with the class along with several other TPS teachers. A permission form should be sent home in next week's folder, but I wanted to give a "heads-up" that this is coming. If your child needs a booster or carseat, please bring it that morning (10/13). Also, students will need to bring a bagged lunch.

If you have questions, please let Kim Williams know- kwilliams@thepiedmontschool.com.

Class Book!

This week our class will start working on our class book! We will write, edit and revise a class book that will be professionally published by Student Treasures Publishing. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to discover the joy and excitement of traveling through the writing process and having a piece of writing published.

This year the theme and title of our book will be "The ABCs of Christmas." Each student will be given responsibility for at least 3 pages of the book. We have been brainstorming words that start with each letter of the alphabet, and we have decided on words that we can all agree on. Next, students will write sentences about those words, have their sentences edited, make a final copy and finally illustrate their sentences during art class.

I am sending order forms home today in homework folders. The school does not receive any incentive and this is not a fundraiser, so please in no way feel obligated to purchase a book. However, they are nice books and kids enjoy seeing their work in a bound book. The books will be distributed during our author's tea in December. These make great Christmas gifts!

Please return the forms ASAP (even if you are not ordering, please mark "no" on the bottom with a signature).

The following is a video clip about Student Treasures Publishing: (Please note this can only be viewed on the blog- not in email.)

Apple Orchard Snapshots

We had a great time yesterday at the apple orchard yesterday! The following are a few snapshots of the day:

Apple Orchard Agenda

 We are super excited about our trip tomorrow! If your child uses a car or booster seat, please remember to send it in with them tomorrow morning. For those meeting us at the farm, our schedule is as follows:

• 8:00-9:00- extended morning time/ bathroom break/ load van

• 9:00-10:00- on the road to the farm

• 10:00-11:00- lunch and playground 

• 11:00-12:00-orchard tour, lesson and hayride 

• 12:00-12:45- afternoon snack/ shopping in barn

• 12:45-1:00- bathroom break

• 1:00-2:00- on the road to school

• 2:00-2:20- at school

If it is easier to meet us at the farm at 10:00 with your child (children) that is completely fine, just please let me know. Also, if you would like to leave from the farm with your child (instead of having them return to school) that is completely fine. 

Library Time!

Our class will be going to the High Point library the 2nd Thursday every month. This is when library skills will be taught and English language arts objectives will be reviewed in an authentic setting. Students will also be given the opportunity to check out books with the guidance of a librarian; thank you to those of you who have returned your forms for the library cards. I've been told that the High Point library does not have reciprocity with the Greensboro library system, so if you have a card for Greensboro or Winston-Salem, you will need to set up an account with High Point as well. If you have any questions please let us know.

Our first trip is this Thursday 9/14. We will be taking the school van, so if your child needs a booster seat to ride in a vehicle, please send it with them Thursday and next Wednesday for the apple farm field trip as well. 

It should be a lot of fun and a lot of learning! 

Apple Orchard Field Trip

In two weeks our class will take its first field trip! We will be going to Millstone Creek Orchards in Ramseur, NC. Parents are welcome to meet us at the farm, but please let us know beforehand so we can make accommodations for the hay ride. Also, please return the permission slip in your child's backpack ASAP- Copies are in the folders being sent home today. Thanks!

Also, please check your email for a message from Sign-Up Genius for BOY IIP conferences. Many thanks to those who have already selected a time.

"Agritourism"at Millstone Creek Orchard Video: 

Reading Eggs

Your child has been given a Reading Eggs login and password. I strongly encourage students to work on Reading Eggs daily to sharpen their literacy skills. Incorporating Reading Eggs into the homework routine is also a great idea! If you have any questions please let me know.

Inclusion? Separate Setting? Private? Public? - What's the right choice?

This article aired earlier today on Here and Now on NPR. Interesting food for thought.

http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017/08/24/philadelphia-special-ed-students

Our First Week of School & Homework

We had a great first week of school, and we are now well underway with our academics! We should be finished with our assessments this week, and we will start our "regular" homework packets next week. The packet will have sight words for your child to work on over the week, please note these are NOT spelling words. However, once the students can read the words by sight, it would be to their benefit to learn how to spell the words, but we will not assess students on the spelling of uncontrolled words.

The packet sent home this past week contained penmanship practice; next week's packet will also contain penmanship work in addition to sight word practice. Please encourage your child to hold their pencil correctly and form their letters correctly (from top to bottom). After next week our focus will move from penmanship (with the exception of our kindergarteners) so I encourage everyone to take advantage of this review!


As part of their homework students need to read or be read to for 20 minutes each night. I can't stress enough the importance of children having daily exposure to books at home.


As you are helping your child with their homework, please encourage them to use the correct pencil grip- even if at first they say it is uncomfortable (in fact expect that at first). Having a poor pencil grip is a very hard habit to break, but will benefit them immensely as they grow and continue to write.

Your child will soon be given a login for Reading Eggs; this can be completed as a regular part of their homework routine along with Xtramath.com.

Thank you so much for your support, we are off to a great start for a fantastic year!

Welcome to the First Day of School!

We are super excited to meet all our new primary friends, and see our old friends tomorrow during orientation! Remember, the only supplies you will need are a bookbag and a folder to put your homework in. For your convenience I have posted our handouts below. I look forward to a fantastic year! 

PS-Don't forget to read your special message before going to bed Tuesday night! 

*You may also want to "follow" our blog so that you don't miss any posts.  The link is on the right. 

Our Class schedule is as follows: 

A sneak peek into our room:

Unlocking Dyslexia

NPR presented a special segment about Dyslexia this week. Many of our students battle with dyslexia, but it does not mean that they can not be successful in school.



At TPS, we use multiple strategies for students with language based learning differences including LindaMood-Bell, Wilson, Fundations, Orton Gillingham, and Imagine It among others.

End of Year Slideshow

For those who were unable to attend, this is the slideshow we shared at graduation.

Avoid Schwa!

One of my pet peeves is the introduction of the schwa sound when students are "tapping" out sounds in words to read. Many well-meaning parents and pre-k teachers pronounce the schwa and teach it to thier kids. However, I strongly encourage "clipping" the schwa sound when tapping out the individual sounds in words.

Of course schwa has its place, but only when pronouncing full words like "pizza" which, of course, would be considered a sight word and not tapped out anyway.

Happy Valentine's Day

Our Valentine's party this year was centered around proper party etiquette, and the appropriate way to sit at a table in a social setting. The class was taught how to properly hold a fork and knife, what to say when you don't want something, and how set a table. All of the students came in today dressed to the nines- they looked so great! A huge thank you to all the parents who donated supplies, food, flowers and balloons. Your help made this party a huge success!

A look into reading at TPS...

As promised, I'm going to try and put more tips and suggestions on the blog so that you can better help your child at home. The first video shows the rotation process during guided reading. Students understand that they need to work independently when not with me. Also, I expect absolute silence during work time. When I ring the bell, that signals that I am finished with one group and I am ready for the next group. That also signals that they need to get up, move around, and go to their next assigned station. When students come to the guided reading table, they re-read a book from a previous lesson, or do a picture walk before we start our lesson. This allows me time to review sight words individually with students.

Fundations always begins with Vowel sounds. This is vital, especially short "e" and "i." Students are encouraged to self-correct thier own words by using these keywords for sound retrival. 

100th Day of School!

Wednesday was our 100th day of school! We had a great time incorporating 100 into all of our activities that day. We read about and looked at how many arrays we could make with 100 ants.  We learned some fun new facts such as dolphins have over 100 teeth, eagles can fly over 100 miles looking for prey, and baby hippos can weigh as much as 100 pounds at birth! We incorporated some STEM activities into our rotataions, and we even did 100 exercises.

Since the first day of school, I have been giving the students a symbloic penny. On the 100th day of school they finally had enough money to go to the Dollar Store. It was a fun day of leaning and exploring.

Guided Proofreading Procedures

I thought it would be helpful to post a little something about our writing checklist. Often this gets overlooked, but it is a critical part of the writing process. We have been using our writer's checklist to check for errors in writing. I am encouraging students to use this whenever the write. This can also be incorporated whenever you are helping your child at home.

1. Pointing to words as you read the sentence allows students to check and make sure they have not omitted and words. 

2. This step is often skipped, and capitalization and punctuation are the most common errors students make. 

3. I have students check the spelling of the words by using their journals or the word wall in our classroom. These are words that cannot be tapped. 

4. I call this the "built in spellchecker" 

5. At this point we have only learned open and closed syllables. 

6. This helps with fluency. 

Happy MLK Day!

Today we discussed the importance of diversity and respect. Mrs. Hice led us in a lesson about colors and blending. First she read "The Crayon Box that Talked," a book about crayons who discriminate against others based on their color.

 

The crayons are shown by a child, their full potential and the possibilities that they have. The book also explores how colors are all better as a group than isolated.

Each student chose their favorite crayon color, and they glued it to a canvas. We then melted, or "melded" the crayons together to make some artwork. The quote listed above will be added to the canvas.

We read "Elmer" the story about an elephant who is sad because he looks different than other elephants, and of course we would be remiss living in Triad without discussing our local connections to the Civil Rights Movement including a discussion about Ron McNair and the Woolworth sit-in. However, on the primary level we don't go into great detail about discrimination and racism, rather we try to build on the foundation of acceptance and and kindness.

I hope that everyone has a fun and safe weekend, and remember, we do not have school this Monday 1/16.