Mrs. Dillon's Blog

WEEKLY NEWS FROM ROOM 114

THIS WEEKS NEWS
April 12 - 16, 2010
Welcome back after the Easter holiday. I hope you all had a relaxing time away from school. We only have 8 weeks left of school. It's so hard to believe that this first grade year with your children is almost over. We still have much to learn so I know that the children will be as eager to learn during these last weeks as they were at the beginning of the year.

NOTES AND REMINDERS
Your children might have told you about a memory book that I make for all my first graders. It is a keepsake of papers, events, photos, classwork, achievements, and certificates that each child completes during first grade. They will help me with some of it but the majority of each book is put together after school hours. It is a beautiful finished product that I hope you will treasure. I purchase the necessary materials at the lowest price I can find. Soon I will send a note home asking you to donate the amount needed to cover the cost of each book along with a request for another first grade project we do.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Special Lunch from Pappys will be on Wednesday, April 14. Check to see if you ordered.
I will be sending home a summer birthday sheet. Any children who have a summer birthday will be assigned a day before school is out that will be their "birthday" in school. On that day they will receive the birthday treats I give and they can bring a treat to share with the class.

HOMEWORK
Please read "The True Story of Abbie Burgess" on Mon. and Tues. night. Read "The Bravest Cat" on Wed. and Thurs. night. The phonics skills for this week are the "ew, ue" such as blew and blue and plural ending with -es like matches. Sight test, spelling test and workbook pages used for assessment will be given on Friday. This concludes our 1.5 book. I will send the complete word list home this week and I will be giving the complete sight test on 1.5 during the week of April 19.
In Math we will begin chapter 9 on Money. I will be using play coins to help the children learn to count money. Any practice at home on this is always helpful. Let your children count the coins in your purse or pockets.

NEW SIGHT WORDS:
because
better
give
people
put

NEW SPELLING WORDS:
new
grew
drew
blue
true
glue
give
put
fixes
washes

As always, contact me with any questions. Have a good week!
Mrs. Dillon

WEEKLY NEWS FROM ROOM 114

THIS WEEKS NEWS
April 19 - 23, 2010
We are really in the home stretch now. We only have 7 weeks of school left. We are going to keep working very hard and make the most of every day in first grade.
NOTES AND REMINDERS
Thank you to everyone who has sent in the new, standard size, white pillowcase in a zip lock bag and for the $10.00 for the memory book. Please send yours in as soon as possible. Thanks!
UPCOMING EVENTS
We want to wish Mary a happy birthday on Wednesday, April 21 and Ella a Happy Birthday on Sunday, April 25!!
I will send home the summer birthday sheets with a day designated to be your child's birthday in the classroom. On that day they can bring a birthday treat to share.
The band concert will be on Tues. April 20. The School Bake Sale is on Fri., April 23.
The April Book Report is due on April 29.
HOMEWORK
We are beginning the last reader in our series, Level 1.6. Please cover the new reader with the book sock. Thanks.
Please read "Bluebirds in the Garden" on Mon. and Tues. night. Read "The Garden" on Wed. and Thurs. night. The phonics skills this week are controlled "r" like "car, far" and the "ly" ending like loudly, slowly. Sight test, spelling test, and workbook pages used for assessment will be given on Friday.
We will continue chapter 9 in math on money. The children will be introduced to the quarter and review the penny, nickel, and dime. Get ready for your kids to empty the change out of your pockets and count it!! Please remind your child to practice the flash cards.

I'm going to begin a big writing assignment this week. The children are going to create their own fiction story: write it, illustrate it and compose an author page. This is quite an undertaking but the stories are priceless. I need you to talk to your son or daughter and help them to decide what they would like to write about. For example: I like giraffes so I'm going to write about a giraffe family who moved into a new house and met all the neighbors. I don't want them to write anything at home - just help them to develop an idea- a storyline. I want them to be able to "see" a beginning, middle, and end in their story. We will write a rough draft at school. I will help them edit, then I type the stories and they illustrate each page. You will see the finished story in their memory book that I've started working on for everyone. Please return the bottom piece of this column on Monday, April 19, with the "idea" for the story. As always, contact me with any questions. Have a good week. Mrs. Dillon

NEW SIGHT WORDS:
much
shall
these
wish
work

NEW SPELLING WORDS:
far
dark
car
star
yard
start
work
these
sadly
softly

-------------------------------------------------
Name____________________________
I am going to write about: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WEEKLY NEWS FROM ROOM 114

THIS WEEKS NEWS
April 26 - 30, 2010
The stories that the children are writing and illustrating are in full swing. Thanks for your help in getting their creative juices flowing and helping them think of an idea for their story.

NOTES AND REMINDERS
Please send in the pillowcase and the $10.00 for the memory book at your earliest convenience. Thank you to those who have returned these things already.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Our first "summer birthday" will be Claire on April 30. Claire's real birthday is June 21. Happy Birthday to you!
Mary celebrated her birthday on April 22, not the 21st as I wrote in the newsletter last week. So sorry!!!

Friday, May 7, is the May Crowning. We will attend the May Crowning in church and then the children will be dismissed at 11:30.

April Book Report is due on April 29.

The Illinois Board of Education School Evaluation will take place on April 29 - 30.

HOMEWORK
Please read "Jordan Makes a New Friend" on Mon. and Tues. night. Read "Ice Cold Birthday" on Wed. and Thurs. night. The sight test, spelling test, and workbook pages used for assessment will be given on Friday.

We will complete our chapter on Money in Math. The test will be this week. Please let your children practice counting any change you have in pockets or purses.

Our new chapter will be on telling time.

NEW SIGHT WORDS:
before
cold
full
off
would

NEW SPELLING WORDS:
born
fork
short
for
or
torn
cold
would
walked
sleeping

As always, contact me with any questions. Have a good week.
Mrs. Dillon