Monday, February 27, 2012

Reading Theme 8

These are some books to read at home. I did not make this list, it is from the curriculum publisher.

February 27 - March 23

Bibliography

Theme 8: Down on the Farm

The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.

Recommended Leveled Books for Browsing

The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Putnam 1989 (32p)
Farm animals try to divert an industrious spider from spinning her web.
Classic

Calves by Kelly Doudna
ABDO 1999 (24p)
Simple text and photos describe the traits and behavior of calves. See others in series.
Science

Farm Animals by Wendy Barish
Scholastic 1998 (32p)
In an introduction to farm animals, see-through plastic pages change the pictures.

Cock-A-Doodle Doo by Steve Lavis
Lodestar 1997 (32p)
Ten noisy animals crow, woof, oink, and moo in this farmyard counting book.
Math

A Day at Greenhill Farm by Sue Nicholson
DK 1998 (32p)
When the rooster crows, a busy day begins at Greenhill Farm.
Social Studies

Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker
Harcourt 1999 (32p)
A hen and her chicks count to ten in this rhyme.
Math

Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
A hungry fox slinks behind an unsuspecting hen as she walks around the barnyard.

Available in Spanish as El paseo de Rosie.
Classic

Where's My Egg? by Tony Mitton
Candlewick 1999 (32p)
Mama Hen searches all over the farm for her lost egg in a rhyming story with split pages.

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Harper 1989 (32p)
Rhyming text tells the story of the animals that live in a big red barn.

Available in Spanish as El gran granero rojo.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Race day

Kindergarten won their races against Mr. A and Mr. Beck.

Fire Fighters of Room 1

Getting ready

Practice

Look at Mr. A

NEWS

Hello Families,

Our letter for the week was Ww. When you say Ww your lips make a circle. Please practice at home with your child.

We had two new sight words this week, he and she. We talked about who is a he and who is a she. Aunt and mommies are shes and dads and grandpas are he. The kids are learning how to read. It is very exciting

I am still looking for some help in the afternoon. If you could be a parent to come in every week one afternoon a week, please let me know.

The students have been working hard on their green sight word books. Most students have finished these books. They are now working on their purple missing number book. It has been so much fun to see them compete a book. Please review these books with your child when they come home in Friday Folders.

We have really been working on all the sounds we hear in a word. This is an important skill for students to have. It can easily be practiced at home. What are all the sounds you hear in cat? C-A-T!

Thanks

-Miss Thompson

Playing outside

Chalk makes recess lots of fun!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Photos

It was so nice outside

Working on our car for the race tomorrow

The sun came out today!

Swings!

Working on our car!

Playing outside

He and she

We have been learning the difference between he and she. We have learned how to read those two words. Here are the charts we made this morning.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Worm

This week we are learning about Ww. We found a worm on the playground this morning.

Newspaper

If you get the Sweet Home New Era be sure to look at the second page, at the top. You might see some kids you know!!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Miss Thompson!!

Miss Thompson has spent the last three days in Portland at a technology conference. It has been super cool. I have learned tons of great stuff.

Instructional Technology Strategies Conference

Sunday, February 19, 2012

NO SCHOOL MONDAY

Remember

No School

Monday

February 20th!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Upcoming Events

FEBRUARY

Feb 17 –NO School, Furlough Day

Feb 20 – NO School, Presidents’ Day

Feb 22 – Box Tops Due

Feb 22 – Book Orders Due

Feb 24 – PBIS Soap Box Derby

MARCH

March 9 – NO Kindergarten

March 14 – NO School, Conferences

March 15 – NO School, Conferences

March 16 – NO School

March 23 – PBIS Minute to Win It

March 26 – 30 – NO School, Spring Break

***Stay tuned for a possible field trip to the fish hatchery.

Friday Folder News

Hello Families,

Our letter for the week was Jj. When you say Jj your tongue is up and your lips are open. Please practice at home with your child.

We had one new sight word this week, have. The kids are learning how to read. It is very exciting

I am still looking for some help in the afternoon. If you could be a parent to come in every week one afternoon a week, please let me know.

Valentines day was lots of fun. Look at the website for photos. The students had a great time.

Class pictures are coming home today to the students who ordered them.

NO SCHOOL Friday February 17th and Monday February 20th.

Please return any box tops you have and your book order forms by February 22!!

The School Board has voted to move the Sweet Home school district to a four day week. This will mean lots of changes. Next year is going to look different; your little kiddo will be in first grade, attending school all day.

Thanks

-Miss Thompson

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Bookmark Contest

Title 1 is having a bookmark contest. There is a blank bookmark in Friday Folders and a pink sheet explaining the contest. Please have your student participate in the contest by designing a bookmark.

WOW!!!!

The program I use for this website tracks all sort of data. It is super interesting. I just looked at the data this morning. WOW!!! Families have been checking out our website. Thanks!

I can also see what operating system people are using. I'm glad to see some people are checking it out from their cell phones!!! :)

What is in a Friday Folder?

Friday Folders

There are several different things you can get in Friday Folders. This should explain some of them.

1. Newsletters and school paper work – This is typically printed news. Please read this. Share the information with your family. These papers can stay at home!

2. Homework – Every weekend the kindergarteners have two pages of homework. Their names and numbers. These need to be completed over the weekend and returned to school on Monday. Please return this in Friday Folders.

3. Completed Work – this is class work which we finished. Normally it has a star at the top of the page. Or something indicating it is completed. If the work is completed keep it at home.

4. Uncompleted Work – this is class work which was not finished. It typically says FINISH AT HOME at the top of the page. This is work that your student did not finish at school. It needs to be finished at home and returned to school so Miss Thompson can see the completed product.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Sweet Home adopts 4-day school

SWEET HOME — Sweet Home will join Central Linn, Santiam Canyon and Harrisburg school districts in changing to a four-day school week.

Board members on Monday voted 5-3, initially without comment or discussion, to make the switch, which will take place this fall. Dale Keene, Mike Reynolds, Jenny Daniels and Mike Adams joined Chairman Jason Redick in voting yes, while Chanz Keeney, Kevin Burger and David VanDerlip voted no.

Billie Weber was not present but had made her opposition known in previous meetings.
Adams, currently in Norfolk, Va., on his way to Afghanistan, gave his yes vote via a video connection.

Keeney, who said the vote went too fast to make a comment, spoke during board discussion a few moments later, saying he was disappointed in the outcome.

“Our surveys we sent out, both surveys, the public said no. It was very clear,” he said. “I haven’t heard any regular folks out there say they want the four-day school week. We, the board, just voted through a four-day school week. I don’t think that’s how a board should be run.”

Several people in an audience of about 40 people applauded, and Keeney excused himself from the rest of the meeting and left the building.

The district plans to hold classes Monday through Thursday and use Fridays as needed for staff training, intervention, grading and other needs. Classes will be longer on other days to keep overall teaching hours the same.

The next step is to work out a calendar with licensed and classified staff and bargain changes in employment status as necessary, Superintendent Don Schrader said.

Classified employees, who expect to lose numerous work hours with the change, have been vehemently opposed. However, the union’s vote isn’t required to set the schedule, Schrader said.

Board members have had extensive discussions about the proposed schedule change in the past few months. Schrader, who came from a four-day district last year, supported the change in Sweet Home as a way to save money while creating time for planning and collaboration.

Schrader estimates switching to a four-day week will save a minimum $340,000 of the estimated $1 million the district will be short next budget year.

But parents and some employees have protested, saying school days will be too long and child care and unsupervised teens on the off days will be a problem.

The school district’s web site, www.sweet home.k12.or.us, has a list of frequently asked questions meant to help answer parent concerns.