Mrs. Vella's 1st Grade Super Stars

I hope you all had a wonderful NEW YEARS EVE and are enjoying the last few days of our Christmas Break. I’m getting ready to get back in the school grove and hope you are too.

Below is a reminder that we will begin DIBLES TESTING Wednesday, January 8th. Mid Year testing is much harder for the kids than the beginning of the year testing, adding in the fact that they are just returning from an extended break yikes!!!! 

• They will have 1-1 minute timed test to read some NON-SENSE words which assesses their ability to blend/read words as well as 3-1 Minute timed tests in which they will be reading a DIFFICULT  passage and then do a DETAILED RETELL of each passage. Many students get nervous to read the 3 passages. Students who have been reading on a consistent basis and who have a good foundation usually do well. Please reassure your student that they just need to do their best.
  
• Have them remember that in CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words like: set, bat, get and big, the vowel sound is usually short. CVCe (consonant, vowel, consonant, e)  words like: Mike, shake, bake and fine have an “e” at the end that tickles the 1st vowel and makes it say it’s name usually. Vowel teams such as ea, ee, oa, ai like: beak, meet, goat and snail follow the rule, 1st vowel says it’s name usually.  When they come to a word with an”ed” or “ing” have them cover up the affex and read the root or main word then add the ending. Another VERY important tool they can use is to look for words within words.
  
• Some things you can do that will help your student be more successful are to make sure your student has a good night sleep, breakfast and is on time to school. GOOD Routines are so important!

I hope you are all having a wonderful break, Merry Christmas and looking forward to a Happy New Year! I had so much fun opening all your wonderful gifts, cards and special treats. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind and thoughtful gifts, cards, words and treats. I LOVE THEM ALL!!!! I miss you and can’t wait to hear all about your Christmas adventures with your friends and family. Please be safe, have fun, and don’t get in to much trouble HAHAHAHA.  See you January 6, 2020. WHEW this break and year is going by WAY to fast..;0(

1- FRIDAY:  Early Out 1:00pm
   FREE dress down…Wear some fun Christmas attire  just for fun! Remember to dress appropriately making sure your student in line with Quest dress code or,  they may chose to wear their daily uniform.

2-Winter Party-Our Winter Party is from 11:20am – 12:50pm. Our 1st rotation will be in our room for 40 minutes and then we will rotate into Mrs. Nelson’s room for our 2nd rotation. 

3- Just a heads up, WE WILL BE DOING OUR MIDDLE OF THE YEAR DIBLES TESTING STARTING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8TH. PLEASE READ WITH YOU STUDENT OVER THE BREAK.


3– Happy Holidays! We look forward to your return on Monday, January 6th.

1- FRIDAY:  Early out 1:00 pm
 *Students are welcome to show their Quest pride by wearing their school spirit shirts (with uniform pants)

2- Just a reminder about our VERY FUN MESSY painting project tomorrow. If you have an old shirt that your student can use as a painting shirt, send it with them tomorrow. I would hate for their clothes to possibly become stained. If you need volunteer hours, tomorrow would be a great day to come in and help with some center activities while I am working with the kids.

3- Our class party will be on Friday, December 20th . We will have the same rotations as we did for our fall party. Students will be in my class for 40 minutes then rotate to Mrs. Nelson’s classroom. Volunteers are welcome.

4- We will be watching the Polar Express next Wednesday, December 18th. Mrs. Nelson and I have several activities that go along with this show which include: hot chocolate, a candy treat and a gift from Santa. Students must earn their train ticket…

5- Amazon shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/26-0198425 and AmazonSmile donates to Quest Academy at no extra cost to you.

Upcoming Dates:
Quest Under the Stars- December 18th  6:30-8:00pm in Q2
Winter Break- December 21-January 5

Dear Parents,
Yesterday, I sent an email stating that we would be taking the lesson 14 math test on Monday. I am happy to announce that we will be taking it Friday afternoon. The kids worked super hard today and, as a result, I feel will be ready to take it on Friday, December 13th….in stead of Monday the 16th YEAH!!!!.

Please look over the (math) Family  Letter that was sent home with your student yesterday in their green homework folder. The should be able to explain if they used the “make a ten strategy,” “doubles/doubles +1,” or add in any order. I have been encouraging the kids to look for or make a TEN because it’s SO MUCH easier to count by tens but doubles are a real close second LOL.

**Please let me stress that this is optional practice for your student, not required.  We do ask for students to read 20+ minutes every day to develop their love for reading.  

Although we have optional review, we very seriously encourage you reading with your children, reading to your children, and reading as a family.  We have learned that the public library has a wonderful app to access amazing books online called Libby. You can access the app information at this link:  Libby Link   By using your public library account, your students can log in and choose from thousands of books online for free to read to you, you to read to them, your family to read together, etc.  Audio books followed along also are a great source to develop this love for reading with your child as they follow along in the book.  

1- Optional Math Practice: 

• The family letter below provides review in math that you can do with your student.  Please read the letter and invite your child to share what they know about the concept by doing the activity together.

This is the standard we are working on this week:


This is the standard we worked on last week:

 Test will be Monday, December 16th.
 

• Optional: for extra math practice, play any of these Math Fact Activities 2018

2- Reading 20 minutes per day.  No need to submit minutes, but we strongly encourage you to make reading a priority. Reading comprehension strategy: Help your child read a story and then retell the events from the story in the correct order while they are focusing on the characters, setting, and events. As well as, making and confirming predictions.  

This is what we will be working on in Language Arts: 


3-*NEW* FLUENCY PASSAGE sample FOR THE WEEK: Here is an example of the fluency passages I talked about at PTC. I sent it home with your student and should be in the front of their Green Folder. I hope you and your student will find the information interesting, as well as helpful in preparing for future fluency testing.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO RETURN THE NEW FLUENCY PASSAGE or THE RETELL ROPE. USE IT TO HELP PREPARE YOUR STUDENT FOR JANUARY DIBELS TESTING. It may take the entire 20 minutes to work through the passage on Monday. ALL the time your student spends on fluency counts toward their reading minutes.



MONDAY:
1st- Using a yellow crayon or high lighter, have your student highlight each word in the passage they can read correctly without any help.
2nd- Go back through the passage and have a “Good MEATY Conversation” about the words they were unsure of or didn’t know. Talk about what strategies good readers can use to figure out the word. Here are a few suggestions…CVC if there is only one vowel, it USUALLY make the short vowel sound, CVCe-is there an /e/ at the end of the word that makes the first vowel say it’s name. Is there a vowel team that follows the rule…When vowel teams go a walking, the first one USUALLY does the talking  such as ee, ea, ai, oa, etc. Are there words within words like “ants” at the end of elephants…”and” in the word land…Go over the fact that they can skip the word and use the context of the sentence to help them figure out what the word is and if it makes sense.
3rd- Lastly, read the passage together,  then using the retell rope,  have your student tell you what they read in order of event of information.

TUESDAY – THURSDAY
*AGAIN* POINT OUT THE WORDS YOUR STUDENT KNOWS and then GO OVER THE ONES THAT ARE TRICKY.  Have them sound out words that follow “Regular Rules.” Time them for ONE, one minute timing each day to see how far they can read on their own. Their accuracy/fluency should increase each time they read the sentences.
WE are looking for how many words they are reading correctly out of how many they read and then what they can retell.


PLEASE use the Re-Tell Ropes below OR the one I sent home, whenever you are reading with your student checking for understanding.  THIS  HELPS STUDENTS PREPARE FOR OUR  LANGUAGE ARTS WORK AND DIBELS  TEST COMPREHENSION.

1- FRIDAY:  Early Out 1:00pm
$1.00 dress down. (Student participation is optional. Students are welcome to wear a Quest Spirit shirt with uniform pants or traditional uniforms).

2- Quest Annual Community Reindeer Run and Breakfast with the Grinch this Saturday, December 7, Register Now! 

3- Scholastic Book Order.  BOOKS make great CHRISTMAS presents! Orders due by this Friday, December 6th for delivery before our break. Click here for easy online ordering, our class code is JBTR2: Scholastic Book Club

Upcoming Dates:
Winter Break- December 21-January 5