Mini-Weekly Update

Just some thoughts and info I wanted to share:

• Today our Caring project sheets came home. Please be sure you have one and let me know if clarifications need to be made. These are due the week of September 13th.
• Highlights magazine ordering slips also came home in the clear folders. Please be sure to check yes or no and SIGN before you return. With either answer we receive free gifts!
• Homelinks for math this week are out of order. We completed lesson 1.12 today, will complete 1.13 tomorrow and lesson 1.11 on Wednesday.
• Spelling tests will come home tomorrow. Please be sure to sign and return.

Thanks and here's looking forward to a great week!!

I'm Back!!

Thanks for all of your patience and understanding during my absence! I missed the girls and I am glad to return!

Weekly Update

Info to Know

• N.U.T.(No Uniform Today) Passes were send home for purchase this past week. If you would like to purchase, please return in a labeled envelope. Please note that these are the ONLY days that when purchased the girls can "dress down." The days are on the P.Kok Pride calendar.
• Spelling tests are every other week. We will have our first spelling test on Friday, August 27. The girls are responsible to learn these words at home and if they would like to learn two extra bonus words they may choose any two words. They should remember these for the test.
• Poetry Notebooks are supposed to come home every Friday. Please be sure to review these with your little darling, initial, and date then return them no later than Thursday.
• So far our class has the best attendance of all the first grade classes!! Let's keep up that attendance and on-time arrival percentage. I hear a party is in the future of the class with the best record!!
• During my absence this week, please try to use the agenda or paper notes, for any pertinent information for the substitute. My email access will be limited.
• Please allow your daughter to bring a water bottle that seals well to class. Hydration is key to optimum brain activity!
• If you are able to commit to volunteering for one hour per week during our reading groups, 1:10 - 2:10, please let me know. I would like to make a consistent volunteer schedule for that time!

Academic Update

• This past week we continued with our study of heroes. We discussed community heroes, how they impact a community, and how community heroes around the world do the same. Did you know that all heroes are not human? In math, we learned and played some new games, Top It and Bunny Hop. We reviewed sight words, sounds, and what makes a sentence. Reading groups went really well and almost everyone remembered to take home and return their books!
• Next week, SAT 10 testing, tally marks, calendars, and tall tales!! Do you think the girls will be able to distinguish real from imaginary heroes?

Weekly Update- 1st Edition 2010 School Year

Academic Update

Our first week was absolutely fabulous! All the girls looked great in their uniforms all week, they bounced right back or learned quickly the classroom routines, and jumped right into learning! Here are some highlights from this week and the upcoming week!

• This past week we created our class agreements: 1-To be polite, 2-To be safe, & 3- To have fun. We signed that we would all commit to follow these over the course of the year. In math, we took a quick assessment to see what we already know and what we will need to work on in first grade. We also discussed many math routines for calendar and weather, number sequence in the number line and the hundreds chart, and applied our discussions to create and explore our own versions. Come see examples on our bulletin board outside the classroom! In IB, we began our first unit, Heroes. We read some stories to see if we could identify and define 'heroes,' agreed on a definition and recorded it in our vocabulary notebooks, and compiled a list of what we want to learn about heroes. We also took a one minute sight word to test, completed three have-to labs, and used our agendas to self-evaluate each day and the week. It was really a great and productive first week of school!
• Next week, we will start looking and discussing everyday heroes like those in our community, add to our vocabulary notebooks, and have a full week of have-to labs. We will begin reading groups, begin reviewing sight words and sounds we have already learned, and have a spelling list. In math, we will begin using our math tool kits (PLEASE SEND IN TEN PENNIES), get our math journals, and play a few math games.

Info to Know

• Thank you for all of the supplies, support, and help to make our first week a success! The girls were amazing!!
• If you haven't signed up for a snack day in August, please do so. We will go to a regular schedule in September. The password for the writeboard is "imagine."
• Use of folders: Please read and if you have any questions, please ask!!

1. Red: Homework--will come home Monday (or the first day of the week). Should be completed at your convenience or as directed and all returned on the following Monday.
2. Purple or Pink--Poetry Notebook--will come home on Friday (or last day of the week). Should be reviewed with your daughter, initialed & dated, and returned before Thursday (preferably on Monday)
3. Orange--Vocabulary Notebook--will come home sporadically; return the following day
4. Blue--Working On It folder--for in-class use to house assignments in progress
5. Green--It Goes Home folder--folder to take home assignments and projects; when it comes home, please empty and return the following school day
6. Yellow--Chinese--for use by the Chinese teacher
7. Clear--Home/School Communication--most important folder; used to house agenda and important school documents, must be returned everyday, no exceptions

• Agenda Usage: As of now, we are using the agendas to record our self-evaluation of our day, communicate any teacher or parent information, and display a sticker to show we had a good day. Parents please sign everyday. Also, a paper clip is placed on the monthly calendar page. Please use this page to record nightly reading. You can choose to color the book, write the number of pages read or write the number of minutes read. As the year progresses, we will use the agenda for more....actually starting next week with recording our spelling words.
• Please send in your summer reading log.
• Sign up for PTA!! Let's be one of the first classes to have 100% participation. Thanks to those that have already signed up!!

Dates to Know

• Monday, August 16: PTA Dine Out @ Morelli's
• Week of August 23: Mrs. P. Kok absent
• August 16 - September 3: IWIA Fall Fundraiser
• September 11: Atlanta Dragon Boat Festival
• September 14: 1st PTA General Meeting @ 6:30

Monday Morning Reminders

Monday, August 9th will be our first day of the 2010 - 2011 school year!! Here are some friendly reminders:

-The school day begins at 8:00 sharp! That means the girls need to be in the classroom ready to begin instruction by 8:00. Please aim to be through carpool by 7:55.

-Please send your daughter's agenda with her name in it on Monday. If you have not purchased one ($6), please do so as soon as possible, we will be using these as our home/school connection.

-Please write a note, email, or tell me personally, your daughter's transportation plans for the first day and week on MONDAY.

-Please review and practice your daughter's new carpool number. The better they know them, the smoother carpool will run.

-For ease of all the supplies coming, please place them in one large bag labeled with your daughter's name. Labelling of individual supplies is unneccessary.

-Snack will be provided by me on the first day of school. Please check the writeboard to sign up to bring snack for a day for the remainder of the month.

-Carpool will begin in the afternoon @ 3:00. It will end promtly @ 3:30.

-Finally, be sure to get a good night's rest and yummy, heathly breakfast!

*I can't wait to see everyone on Monday!!*