Friday, September 30, 2011
Posting Difficulties
I just wanted to let you know that some of you have mentioned you have been experiencing difficulties posting to the blog from home. I tried from home and had the same problem. After some extensive problem solving, we have learned that if you are using Firefox, Safari, or Chrome to view the blog, you are able to post. However if you are using any version of Internet Explorer you will not be able to post. I am hoping Blogger will resolve this issue soon. I apologize for the inconvenience this is causing.
Happy Friday!
Character Counts
Students can earn red tickets throughout the school for showing good character. At the end of each month we will draw some students to do something with Ms. Salas and me or one of us alone. This month I will be having lunch with the students on Tuesday, October 4, whose tickets were drawn. Congratulations to JM15, MM9, VM8, and HM10 from the Clydesdales. Congratulations to SS13, JS1, GO17, and DS5 of the Appaloosas. These tickets from August and September will be put back in the bucket for a once a month special activity with the special area teachers.
We are learing about non-fiction text features. Non-fiction is a great way to learn real, factual information. On Monday we will be starting a book of non-fiction features. Please send in a photo of your child doing something. It can be from a sport, a birthday party, or anything with your child. Since these will be put in a book, you will not get them back until the end of the year. Monday we will learn about photographs and captions.
Next week we have conferences. I am looking forward to meeting with all of you. Wednesday is a half day and the children have off until Tuesday, October 11. Please try to be prompt for your conference out of respect for all of the other families and teachers hosting conferences. Thank you.
Students can earn red tickets throughout the school for showing good character. At the end of each month we will draw some students to do something with Ms. Salas and me or one of us alone. This month I will be having lunch with the students on Tuesday, October 4, whose tickets were drawn. Congratulations to JM15, MM9, VM8, and HM10 from the Clydesdales. Congratulations to SS13, JS1, GO17, and DS5 of the Appaloosas. These tickets from August and September will be put back in the bucket for a once a month special activity with the special area teachers.
We are learing about non-fiction text features. Non-fiction is a great way to learn real, factual information. On Monday we will be starting a book of non-fiction features. Please send in a photo of your child doing something. It can be from a sport, a birthday party, or anything with your child. Since these will be put in a book, you will not get them back until the end of the year. Monday we will learn about photographs and captions.
Next week we have conferences. I am looking forward to meeting with all of you. Wednesday is a half day and the children have off until Tuesday, October 11. Please try to be prompt for your conference out of respect for all of the other families and teachers hosting conferences. Thank you.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Xtra Math
We are cruising through Xtra Math and we are quickly becoming mathematicians! WOW! Good luck tonight on Xtra Math at home on the internet. I do have a link on our blog, but in case you cannot find it. www.xtramath.org will get you there! Have fun!!! I can't wait to hear how it went teaching your families at home. How did it go?
Monday, September 26, 2011
Math Updates
We had our first complete day of Xtra Math for all students. Everyone who was here today rotated through to practice their facts for a baseline of where they are starting. I am looking forward to seeing lots of growth this year in math facts. Look for Xtra Math to be coming home as a homework assignment 1-2 times a week for practice.
In math we are working on fact families. 3,7,10 are in the same family. We practice the two addition facts first and then the two subtraction facts.
Please practice these at home! It looks like this:
3+7=10
7+3=10
10-3=7
10-7=3
In math we are working on fact families. 3,7,10 are in the same family. We practice the two addition facts first and then the two subtraction facts.
Please practice these at home! It looks like this:
3+7=10
7+3=10
10-3=7
10-7=3
Book-It starting Oct. 1
The mission of the BOOK IT! Program is to encourage more reading inside and outside of the classroom. The program is easy and fun! Your child has the opportunity to earn Reading Award Certificates by meeting monthly reading goals that I will set. The Reading Award Certificates can be redeemed at Pizza Hut® where your child will receive a BOOK IT! award and a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza®.
The BOOK IT! Program is sponsored by Pizza Hut and has been in elementary schools for more than 25 years. You might have participated in the program when you were in school! To learn more about BOOK IT!, please visit bookitproqram.com/parents. Please record the minutes your child reads every night. Initial at the end of the month, add up the minutes, and return to school the first of the next month (or next school day). Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Williams for volunteering to write out the certificates each day!
I hope you will join us in our mission and encourage your child to read every day.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Thursday
Thank you to those parents who have returned your conference notes right away. We appreciate it. The students earned a red ticket for responsibility and a horseshoe if they returned it today. Thank you!!! We look forward to meeting with each of you in a couple of weeks.
JM4's Mom requested I put up the spelling words in Spanish each week. There will now be in a link on the right side of the Blog that has the Spanish words too. So you should see English vocab and spelling lists (Test Fridays) and Spanish vocab and spelling (Test Wednesdays). Hope this is helpful for all of you. Thank you for your attention to our class blog. Sometimes I will assign homework for you and your child to comment on the blog.
Next week we will be starting Xtra Math, an online math program that strengthens our speed and accuracy for addition and subtraction. We will do this in the classroom 2-3 times a week, but it will also be homework 2 nights a week also. Wednesdays and one other night (of your choice) a week. Sometimes I may assign it as homework. If you do not have Internet at home then I will send something else for your child to practice. I look forward to the growth we will make with our facts.
Sight words will also start coming home next week. Thank you to the wonderful parents who came in to help do a baseline assessment of where each child will start. Please practice the card of 10 words, read and spell. At school they will be tested by an adult to advance to the next color. They will have to read, spell, and write the word accurately and automatically to pass a level of 10 words. Again, thank you for your cooperation and assistance with practicing at home and helping out at school.
Mustang March is going well!! Remember to fill those water bottles at home please!
At the end of September Ms. Salas and I will draw 2 red tickets from each class to have lunch with these 4 students. Red tickets are earned when we show good character. Our bucket is pretty full! Do you think your name will be drawn!? Keep showing good character!
We will be taking a weekly photo of the students who completed their homework all week and posting it to our blog. I can't wait to see who will be in our first one tomorrow! Keep up the good work Clydesdales and Mustangs!
Have a great Thursday!!!
:) Mrs. Montes
JM4's Mom requested I put up the spelling words in Spanish each week. There will now be in a link on the right side of the Blog that has the Spanish words too. So you should see English vocab and spelling lists (Test Fridays) and Spanish vocab and spelling (Test Wednesdays). Hope this is helpful for all of you. Thank you for your attention to our class blog. Sometimes I will assign homework for you and your child to comment on the blog.
Next week we will be starting Xtra Math, an online math program that strengthens our speed and accuracy for addition and subtraction. We will do this in the classroom 2-3 times a week, but it will also be homework 2 nights a week also. Wednesdays and one other night (of your choice) a week. Sometimes I may assign it as homework. If you do not have Internet at home then I will send something else for your child to practice. I look forward to the growth we will make with our facts.
Sight words will also start coming home next week. Thank you to the wonderful parents who came in to help do a baseline assessment of where each child will start. Please practice the card of 10 words, read and spell. At school they will be tested by an adult to advance to the next color. They will have to read, spell, and write the word accurately and automatically to pass a level of 10 words. Again, thank you for your cooperation and assistance with practicing at home and helping out at school.
Mustang March is going well!! Remember to fill those water bottles at home please!
At the end of September Ms. Salas and I will draw 2 red tickets from each class to have lunch with these 4 students. Red tickets are earned when we show good character. Our bucket is pretty full! Do you think your name will be drawn!? Keep showing good character!
We will be taking a weekly photo of the students who completed their homework all week and posting it to our blog. I can't wait to see who will be in our first one tomorrow! Keep up the good work Clydesdales and Mustangs!
Have a great Thursday!!!
:) Mrs. Montes
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thank you!
Thanks to KM2's Mom for discovering the glitch on the homework link. Thank you for using the blog so I can find out what's not working! You get 5 stars! ;)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Mustang March Spirit Week
Monday-Crazy Hair Day
Tuesday-Favorite Sports Team Day
Wednesday-Drawkab Trihs Yad (Backward Shirt Day)
Thursday-Silly Hat Day
Friday-Wear Purple Day
Tuesday-Favorite Sports Team Day
Wednesday-Drawkab Trihs Yad (Backward Shirt Day)
Thursday-Silly Hat Day
Friday-Wear Purple Day
Friday, September 16, 2011
Happy Friday!
Thank you to those parents who are viewing the blog. This is a great way for us to communicate! Once a month I will make it a homework assignment to respond with a comment on the blog with your child. Please be checking the blog so you know what is going on in our classroom. Next week we will start an internet math program called Xtra Math. Xtra Math will help us practice math facts and improve our speed and accuracy of the facts. Your child will do it 2-3 times a week in the classroom. One math homework nights, I will assign this at home sometimes. I will send home a login and password for you to do at home. Please keep it in a safe spot for the year. I will offer 5 horseshoes to any student/parent who posts on the blog over the weekend! :) Please comment on our blog!
Water Bottles are coming home today for the Mustang March next week. Please fill the water bottle up with water before school Monday and bring it every day to the March. Please have your child wear/bring tennis shoes every day next week. We will be marching every day next week from 12:05-1:05 if you would like to come volunteer. Friday is from 1:15-1:45. Thank you to those of you who already volunteered to be here.
Thank you for coming in this week to volunteer. We have several beginning of the year tasks to be completed, and I appreciate your help with completing these in class projects. The volunteer schedule that I emailed will start next week. Please let me know if you have any questions. Next week we will continue with testing for the Appaloosas in the morning from 9:30-10:30. So we will be in the computer lab during this time.
This week we learned about the Golden Rule and what it means to us. We all had different ways of understanding this very important character tool. "Do unto others as you wish them to do to you." We talked about treating others the way you want to be treated. This is difficult for some to understand. We hope you can have a discussion with your child about what that means to your family. It is difficult to understand until we've had our feelings hurt, been left out, or been treated poorly by others. We learned from Sister Bear that including others is a very important piece of being a good friend and following the golden rule. Sometimes being real is a hard thing to be.
It was an exciting Friday today! We had our first Horseshoe Catching Day today! Children could cash in their horseshoes to "buy" treasures from the treasure boxes. Thank you to GM23's dad for being our "banker." It really helped us a lot! If your child was not able to participate this time, we encourage them to work extra hard to practice the pillars of good character and homework responsibilities to earn more. The treasures range from 5 horseshoes to 50 to purchase. Great job students!!!
Have a fantastic weekend!
:) Mrs. Montes
Water Bottles are coming home today for the Mustang March next week. Please fill the water bottle up with water before school Monday and bring it every day to the March. Please have your child wear/bring tennis shoes every day next week. We will be marching every day next week from 12:05-1:05 if you would like to come volunteer. Friday is from 1:15-1:45. Thank you to those of you who already volunteered to be here.
Thank you for coming in this week to volunteer. We have several beginning of the year tasks to be completed, and I appreciate your help with completing these in class projects. The volunteer schedule that I emailed will start next week. Please let me know if you have any questions. Next week we will continue with testing for the Appaloosas in the morning from 9:30-10:30. So we will be in the computer lab during this time.
This week we learned about the Golden Rule and what it means to us. We all had different ways of understanding this very important character tool. "Do unto others as you wish them to do to you." We talked about treating others the way you want to be treated. This is difficult for some to understand. We hope you can have a discussion with your child about what that means to your family. It is difficult to understand until we've had our feelings hurt, been left out, or been treated poorly by others. We learned from Sister Bear that including others is a very important piece of being a good friend and following the golden rule. Sometimes being real is a hard thing to be.
It was an exciting Friday today! We had our first Horseshoe Catching Day today! Children could cash in their horseshoes to "buy" treasures from the treasure boxes. Thank you to GM23's dad for being our "banker." It really helped us a lot! If your child was not able to participate this time, we encourage them to work extra hard to practice the pillars of good character and homework responsibilities to earn more. The treasures range from 5 horseshoes to 50 to purchase. Great job students!!!
Have a fantastic weekend!
:) Mrs. Montes
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Mustang March Updates
The children will be walking during their regular scheduled PE times. Please ask your child what letter they are ABCD to know what days they walk. We will also walk as a class on Monday, September 19, from 12:35-1:05 and Friday, September 23 from 1:15-1:45. Parents are invited to come and help encourage and motivate our class to push themselves during this time to walk or run the best they can. Thank you for your participation!!! We appreciate your time.
Specials Schedule
Please wear appropriate gym shoes on gym/TDPE days and return library books on library day.
Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
A-Music/PE B-Art C-PE/Music D-Library/Computers | A-Art B-Music/PE C-Library/TDPE D-PE/Music | A-Music/PE B-Library/TDPE C-PE/Music D-Art | A-Library/TDPE B-Music/PE C-Art D-PE/Music |
Friday, September 9, 2011
Happy Friday!
When your child brings home unfinished work you might see coded letters at the top. T=Out of time. For this time of the year, we do most everything together, and then the children break off into partners, small groups, or independently to complete their work. They should have enough time to complete everything that comes home. If your child is demonstrating good work habits, he/she should not come home with a T at the top. There will be times I keep them inside at recess to complete their work. F=Please finish at home and return. H=Done with help. The child could not complete the work independently and we did it together.
Parent Helpers-I would love for you to start coming in next week. Please come in any time that your schedule will allow. I have several jobs here in the classroom with students and without that I could use help with. In October, we will start the regular helper's schedule with a weekly or bi-monthly time to come in. Thank you so much for your help, cooperation, and time you committ to our classroom.
Mustang March will be from September 19-23. The children will be walking during their PE times. Please check with your child and be prepared with gym shoes. Pledge forms are going home today. Please read through them and begin getting pledges. All pledge money and forms are due October 4. Good luck, and happy marching!
Please remember to be reading 20 minutes a night in either language. Keep bringing those baggy books to school every day so we can read them in class.
Have a wonderful weekend.
:) Mrs. Montes
Parent Helpers-I would love for you to start coming in next week. Please come in any time that your schedule will allow. I have several jobs here in the classroom with students and without that I could use help with. In October, we will start the regular helper's schedule with a weekly or bi-monthly time to come in. Thank you so much for your help, cooperation, and time you committ to our classroom.
Mustang March will be from September 19-23. The children will be walking during their PE times. Please check with your child and be prepared with gym shoes. Pledge forms are going home today. Please read through them and begin getting pledges. All pledge money and forms are due October 4. Good luck, and happy marching!
Please remember to be reading 20 minutes a night in either language. Keep bringing those baggy books to school every day so we can read them in class.
Have a wonderful weekend.
:) Mrs. Montes
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sharing Bags!
Wow, what a great job the children have done on their sharing bag. Thank you so much for taking the scavenger hunt challenge. I enjoyed hearing each child share a little about themselves, their family, and their summer. My children at home did this for school and we really enjoyed it! Please post a comment. What did you like best about the sharing bag?
Friday, September 2, 2011
Have a great 3 day weekend!
This week we learned about some other characters who needed more self confidence to avoid worrying about what others think. I hope these past two weeks have helped the children feel more confident in who they are and recognize their special gifts.
The math timed tests that are coming home have been scored. We did these twice. The pink score is the first time we did it. The purple score is the second time we did it. If your child improved from one to the next, you will see a + at the top of addition or subtraction. Great job! We are working on showing growth in these facts to be speedy fast! Please work on these facts with flashcards at home to help improve your child's rate of answering the facts. Thanks.
We are still spending a lot of time during transitions getting the talking under control. Please remind your child to use good character and respectful behavior. We need reminders on following directions and good listening skills. I love rewarding those students who have mastered these skills. Let's encourage all of the children to do this.
Thank you for coming to Open House. We had nearly every parent here to represent each child's family. I was so glad to meet some of you for the first time and to see some of you again. Thank you for taking interest in your child's education and our classroom. I am always looking for more take home volunteers, so please let me know if you're interested. I need one other parent for Book Orders each month (Stapeling the packets together) and one for Book It recording. Thanks. I know there is a lot to remember and keep up with so please email me if you have any questions.
Baggy Books are off to a great start. I love seeing the excitement when they come in raving for a book exchange. Keep it up!!!
Have a lovely 3 day weekend. Enjoy the time with family and friends. My family and I will be camping all weekend!
Mrs. Montes
The math timed tests that are coming home have been scored. We did these twice. The pink score is the first time we did it. The purple score is the second time we did it. If your child improved from one to the next, you will see a + at the top of addition or subtraction. Great job! We are working on showing growth in these facts to be speedy fast! Please work on these facts with flashcards at home to help improve your child's rate of answering the facts. Thanks.
We are still spending a lot of time during transitions getting the talking under control. Please remind your child to use good character and respectful behavior. We need reminders on following directions and good listening skills. I love rewarding those students who have mastered these skills. Let's encourage all of the children to do this.
Thank you for coming to Open House. We had nearly every parent here to represent each child's family. I was so glad to meet some of you for the first time and to see some of you again. Thank you for taking interest in your child's education and our classroom. I am always looking for more take home volunteers, so please let me know if you're interested. I need one other parent for Book Orders each month (Stapeling the packets together) and one for Book It recording. Thanks. I know there is a lot to remember and keep up with so please email me if you have any questions.
Baggy Books are off to a great start. I love seeing the excitement when they come in raving for a book exchange. Keep it up!!!
Have a lovely 3 day weekend. Enjoy the time with family and friends. My family and I will be camping all weekend!
Mrs. Montes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)