There will be two long parent teacher conference days this February 21st from 4-8pm and February 23rd from 4pm-8pm. Conferences will be every 15 minutes. Please sign up for a slot. I would really like to meet with everyone especially if we have not met yet this year. If you signed up in December or January, you do not need to sign up unless you would like to.

Please click the link below to sign up:
February Parent Teacher Conferences 

Our first grade Valentine Party is on Tuesday, February 14th from 1:30-2:45pm.  Our room is in charge of a Valentine craft. If you can assist with the party please email Mrs. Nelson back asap to get planning.  If you can’t be to the party, but can purchase supplies, please let us know as well.

Homework this week is due on Friday, February 3:

1- Math Homework:  Please check your child’s answers for accuracy!

• Worksheets: Please complete every other problem (alternate between evens and odds so your child gets practice doing story problems AND “Vocabulary Check”/ “Test Practice” problems each week).  If your child wants to do every problem they are certainly free to do so! 🙂 
• Practice your fluency timing repeatedly: “Double’s Strategy” Adding Double Facts Record your best time and score each day. [By the end of first grade, the target goal is to finish all 25 problems in 1 minute and 15 seconds, with 90% accuracy (23 out of 25 problems correct).]  Click here for extra timings: Fluency Timings
• For extra practice, utilize any of these math-fact-activities. These facts will help them find the related subtraction facts when “Subtracting From 10″.  Help them see the connection.  If I know 4 + 6 = 10, then 10 – 6 = 4 and 10 – 4 = 6. 

Doubles is the next strategy that I recommend teaching, as it usually comes quite easily to students. Doubles are all around us; think of fingers and toes – 5+5, wheels on a car – 2+2, or the eggs in a carton – 6+6. When students know their doubles well, they should no longer have to think about the equation to solve it. Rather, the answer becomes automatic. This means that the student has developed automaticity. For example, when a student sees the equation 8+8, he should know that it equals 16 without even stopping to think. Building a strong foundation of doubles will help students with the next strategy, Doubles Plus One.

**NEW LANGUAGE ARTS HOMEWORK**  (Please read carefully.)

1- Daily Reading Fluency (available in the Blue Homework folders on Mondays). Our new daily reading fluency is leveled to meet the needs of the individual students. Parent instructions are provided. Please let us know if you have questions about this new task. 

2- Reading 20 minutes per day. Click here to record your weekly reading minutes:  Library Reading Minutes Log. (You no longer need to send in a paper record, simply complete the online reading log.)

3- Phonics and High Frequency Words Homework. Practice using any method of your choice to prepare for the weekly Friday spelling test. Click here for some practice ideas: Spelling Study Activities

Phonics Words:
loss
will
boss
all
hilltop

High Frequency Words:
do
these
been
who
said

Sentence:
Jill is upset.

A moment of history took place today and we feel it is so very important for our students to witness it.  Every time a president is sworn into office, history is taking place. No matter what side of the political fence you choose, it’s important to hold our opinions and let our children watch history in the making.  As citizens of this wonderful country we live in it is our duty to respect in the process because, it is such a privilege that we have-many counties do not.  Here is a video clip link below you can have your children click on and watch the swearing in of our 45th President of the United States.  

Swearing in of the 45th President of the USA 

We will be starting the second session (of two sessions) of our first-grade club in February.  This will be an after-school science and art club.  Club will meet every Thursday from February 2nd to March 9th. The club contract is posted below.

Club contracts will need to be turned in to the Q1 office as soon as possible.  The last day contracts will be accepted is January 23rd. Admission into the club is limited to 20 students and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.  

The first 20 contracts turned in to the office will be accepted.  We will contact you if your child has been accepted.  If your child is accepted, there will be a $5 fee, along with rules that must be followed for continuation of club involvement.  The $5 fee will be due by January 27th, otherwise your child will forfeit his/her place in the club.

Club will be every Thursday from 3:00-3:55.  Pick up is at 4:00 sharp!  Students will participate in a variety of science experiments and art activities. 

For a printable version of the CLUB CONTRACT: 

We will be participating in our scheduled lockdown drill this Thursday morning at 10am.  Please talk with your students about why we practice this drill is to be safe and keep them safe if it were ever to happen. This will help with their anxiety during and preparing for the drill.  Also, please reassure them that this is a drill and drill only.  

Here is the note sent to the parents by administration:
We’ll have a lock down drill this Thursday morning. As a reminder, these drills are to help prepare students, staff, and administration if there were an intruder inside the school. During this drill, Dr. Dave will get on the intercom and state, “Locks, lights, out of sight.” Students are to quietly move to a corner of the room where they are out of sight and remain silent during the drill (teachers will discuss this process with students). The teachers ensure doors are locked, lights are turned off, and role is taken. They then wait for administration to open their door and announce that the drill is complete. Though Dr. Dave will explain this drill to students on Wednesday, please take some time to reassure students that this is only a drill.

Click Here:  StoryLine Online