Here is the schedule for February Parent-Teacher Conferences.  Please e-mail me if you would like me to schedule you for one of the available time slots:

Thursday, February 25th
3:30-3:45: Ryan Rowley
3:45-4:00: Khloee Esplin
4:00-4:15: Adriel Campuzano-Flores
4:15-4:30: Logan Knavel
4:30-4:45: 
4:45-5:00:
5:00-5:15: Christopher Israel
5:15-5:30: Dea Lindstrom

Our school library’s “Tower of Book Challenge” is still active.  Here are the latest results from the 1st grade classes:

1st Grade: Books Stacked
Bischoff – 3
Dunmeyer – 28 (WAHOOOO!!!!!!)
Hills/Teichert – 10
Nelson – 8
Vella – 24

WAY TO GO, MRS. DUNMEYER’S CLASS!!!  I encourage each of you to participate. Let’s see how high our book stack can go!!

First Step– Print the challenge form: 1st Grade Tower of Books Challenge
Second Step– Read 5 books from the listed categories
Third Step– Bring the challenge form WITH parent signature to the library (before or after school)
Fourth Step- Assemble the foldable paper book you will receive from the librarian
Fifth Step– Return assembled paper book, receive a PRIZE and begin again  

Book Categories (choose any 5)
1 Alphabet book
1 Story that rhymes
1 Book of poems
1 Fairy tale
1 Magazine article
1 Book from a series you have not read
1 Mystery
1 Holiday
2 “Non-fiction” books on the same topic

Wednesday, February 3rd will be our “100 Days of First Grade!” celebration!  To celebrate, we would like to have every student bring 100 items (100 of the same item).  These 100 items should be able to fit inside a quart-sized zip-lock baggie.  Nothing fancy here, folks!  Please don’t stress over this – we just use the items for a small place-value activity.  If you choose an edible item, please be sure that your child knows that we will not be eating the items.  Here are some ideas for 100 items:

grains of rice
pennies
pieces of breakfast cereal
stickers
seeds
popcorn kernels
buttons
etc.

We have had some awesome parents donate two very large baskets for us for our STEM Gala Auction Basket.  BUT—we still need many donations to continue to fill it.  

It’s competition time! The 1st grade team will be making a Family Fun Activity Basket. To make this happen, we need some donations from family/friends. Feel free to ask companies for donations, purchase items, or re-gift items. Nothing is too small or too great.  The baskets will be auctioned off via a Silent Auction in conjunction with our Gala!  Baskets will be on display prior to the event in the lobby area of Q1.  The basket donations are due no later than Friday, February 19th.  The STEM Gala is March 21st.  

Thank you so much for all of your support!  With a little help we can put together the best basket and win!  The ideas are endless and there is no idea that we can think of you could donate that wouldn’t fit into our basket theme.  If you know any businesses that you can ask for donations that would be great as well!  The Rush Funplex has already donated 5 VIP All Day Passes for our basket!  All it takes is a phone call.  

Below is a list of suggested items to donate: 

Games: board games, card games, electronic hand held games, wordsearch books, coloring books, etc. 
Baking items:  Cookie mixes, cake mixes, cookie decorating tools, aprons, kids cookbook
Movies/DVD’s:  Kid friendly dvd’s or gift cards to Movie theaters or Netflix, Redbox Codes, movie theater mugs 
Gift cards:  Ice cream shops, sporting events, Fat Cats Card, Sparetime or Fun Plex Gift Cards, Boondocks card, Fast Kart passes, College or Professional Sports Events, High School Sporting Events or Drama/Musical Event tickets, etc.  
Ice Cream Bar Supplies:  Ice Cream toppings, cute dessert dishes, ice cream/dessert maker, etc. 

Here is the current schedule.  Please let me know if you’d like to sign up for a January conference, and I’d be happy to add you to the schedule. Thank you!

Thursday, Jan. 28th
3:30-3:45: Kaylee Marsh
3:45-4:00: Aaron Fisher
4:00-4:15:
4:15-4:30:

Hello, Wonderful Parents!

We are hoping that someone has a very large basket on-hand that they wouldn’t mind donating to be used as our auction basket for the POQA Gala auction.  If you do have a large basket that you wouldn’t mind parting with, please send it to school with your child by Wednesday, February 24th.  

Thank you!!

Please click the link below to sign the permission form for your child to participate in our Valentine’s Day party, to be held on Friday, February 12th:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CPXzH4lVFuI0S9VN-VmPQGpFVAeEeVkNIJ8eNfMlqk4/viewform?usp=send_form

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 for Valentines:

VALENTINES
“Per Quest’s wellness policy, all food in the classroom must be pre-approved. 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 non-food Valentines include pencils, erasers, bubbles, stickers, etc. Please note that such items, including Valentine cards, are in no way required.”

We have 25 students in our class.  Please, please, please: only write who the Valentine is from – please do not address the Valentines to specific students.  Try to imagine 25 six-year-olds frantically circling the class, struggling to pass out Valentines to specific students’s desks, and likely struggling with reading the spelling of many students’ names, and imagine one frazzled teacher trying to assist these 25 children in identifying specific students’ names and locating specific students’ desks!   This mental image will help you to understand why I request that you please only fill out the “from” part of the Valentine card and not the “to” part.  Thank you for your help with this!

VALENTINE BOXES
Your child is welcome to decorate a box at home and bring it to school for storing Valentines.  It is not a requirement, however, and those students who come without a Valentine box will be given a Valentine folder or bag to keep their Valentines in. 


PLEASE BRING ALL CARDS AND BOXES TO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH.

We had such a great response for our mad scientist/art club and we wish everybody could attend!  POQA randomly picked three students from our class to participate, so I will send an email to those three students ONLY–letting them know they were selected.  If a student cannot participate, for whatever reason, POQA will randomly select another student to take their place.  Thank you!