Mrs. Vella's 1st Grade Super Stars

• Please make sure your student has their library book tomorrow.
• Students will not be allowed to check out a book if they still have one checked out.
• If you can’t find a book that is over due, please make arrangements to pay the office for its replacement.

Stores are now stocked and ready for Valentine’s Day.  To help you properly prepare for our in class celebrations, here are the Quest guidelines in regards to Valentine’s:

“Per Quest’s wellness policy, all food in the classroom must be preapproved. Furthermore, parental permission is also required for students to consume food during class parties. Due to this policy—as in years past—student Valentines cannot contain edible items. Suggestions for nonfood Valentines include pencils, erasers, bubbles, stickers, etc. Please note that such items, including Valentine cards, are in no way required.”

Dear Parents,
 I wanted to address a concern that you may be having with the reading passage/homework assignment. I know they can be difficult for my students. I suggest that you read the passage together with your student SEVERAL times.

When you are reading it with them…PLEASE help them
1st. Find ALL the words they know right off AND PRAISE THEM!!! 
2nd. Help them by talking about the ALL other words to see if THEY CAN RECOGNIZE or FIND
words within words, Vowel teams, CVC or CVCe words.

This will also help them recall reading strategies we work on in class. While I don’t expect them to be able to read it in a minute they should get better and more confident with each reading even with help.

These passages help the kids become familiar, and go along with, our American Heroes History study. We read the passages and talk about each person in class too. We have projects and activities planned around each hero. We have “SPECIAL” guest visitors scheduled to come in character on Fridays to talk with the students about that weeks specific Hero.

I want students to learn that “They CAN read hard things.” The passages that they will be reading for DIBLES are also difficult which was another reason for the change. I didn’t want to blindside them by throwing a long passage at them and expect them not to freak out. I will talk with all the kids about the passages when I return to class this week. In the mean time, let them know that I am SO VERY PROUD OF HOW WELL THEY ARE DOING AND THAT I THINK THEY ARE AWESOME and making GREAT PROGRESS!

Our 1st grade S.T.E.M. partner, Sheri Allen ACS CCP with Artisenal Touch Events will be conducting an in house field trip for our entire 1st grade. She will be presenting an interactive field trip on the Farm to Table process of cheese making and butter. The students will have the opportunity to sample cheese at the end of the presentation. Sheri Allen is certified with the American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional. We are lucky to have her as our S.T.E.M. partner and for her to be willing to share her wonderful talents with us.



If you DO NOT see your student’s name below, you need to sign the permission slip form by clicking on the link below. YOUR STUDENT MAY NOT PARTICIPATE in some of the planned activities tomorrow Wednesday, January 17th if you haven’t signed the permission form.
Ashyn
Addalee
Kayson
Kylie
Keiana
Keldon
Audree
Emmie
Carlos
Dominicus
Lia

Please sign the permission slip below for your child to participate and to have a sample of the cheese.

Permission Slip

Quest Families,

We are hoping to get some help with an issue we are having at the school regarding missing name badges. As stated in our Handbook, “Everyone is required to wear their name badge to attend class (the name badge must be that of the current school year). Please reinforce having name badges as they create a safer environment at the school. To replace a lost name badge, your child will need to pay $5.00 for a new one. A student without a name badge will be referred to the office to call home. Parents/Guardians will be expected to bring their child’s name badge or pay $5.00 for a replacement. Only then will students be allowed to return to class.” Elementary students are to leave their name badges in their classrooms at the end of the day. Jr. High students are encouraged to leave their name badges in their lockers before leaving. To ensure your child receives a full day’s worth of learning in the classroom, please make sure their name badge is left at school and returned the following day if accidentally taken home. Please note, that you have this week as a grace period to either find your child’s lost name badge or replace it for $5.00. Starting Tuesday, January 16 (one week from today), students who do not have name badges will not be attending class until a new one is purchased or their old one is returned. If parents are working when their children call, they are more than welcome to either pay for a badge using a credit card over the phone or to pay online.

Thanks for all you do.

Quest Administration

1- FRIDAY:  Early Out 1:30pm
   Homework due
 *Students are welcome to show their Quest pride by wearing their school spirit shirts (with uniform pants)

2- In house field trip: Farm to Table Cheese Making presentation on January 17th. 

3- Scholastic Book Order. ALL book orders due  Wednesday, January 31st. Click here for easy online ordering, our class code is JBTR2: Scholastic Book Club

4-  No School- Monday, January 15

I am in need of morning volunteers to come in and read with the kids, help with centers and baggie books Monday-Friday from 9-10:30. Any time you can help would be greatly appreciated! It can be for 20 minutes or the whole time. One day a week or all 5 days…HAHAHAHA …

If you have any time available, but another time would work better please let me know.