Homework for the Week of Dec. 5-9

For this week, there are 6 components required for weekly homework:

1. Reading (20-30 minutes every day!)
2. Word Sorts
3. Spelling
4. Math
5. Timed Reading
6. Record Reading Minutes for Library Reading Challenge by clicking on the “LIBRARY READING CHALLENGE” tab at the top of our blog (as pictured below):
library-reading-challenge
Each week, print out the HOMEWORK FORM, which is found here or under the “Homework Form” tab above. 

If you would like to reduce the number of necessary printed papers, you may choose to print only page 1 of the Homework Form and use any blank paper for Tuesday’s Writing Sort and Thursday’s Glue Sort (see below).  
  • This form does NOT need to be printed or turned in for credit during weeks that we are doing only READING homework.  Simply initialing the form that comes home with your child’s Book Buddy is sufficient during those weeks.

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A Reading for All Learners (Book Buddy) leveled book will be sent home with your child DAILY. Please have your child read the book (or one story from the books that contain more than one story) at least two-three times and then sign the included form. You may supplement your child’s reading using books at home, library books, etc. to fulfill the minimum requirement of 20-30 minutes of reading per day. 

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Each week, print your student’s assigned Word Sort by clicking here:
CLICK HERE for Sort 1-27

Use the Word Sort for the following activities:
  • Monday: Print, cut, and sort your words with an adult and explain this week’s rule. Sort each word under the correct guide word. Some guide words have a C or V combination on them – C stands for consonant and V stands for vowel.
  • Tuesday: Practice the sort and write it (using the grid on page 2 of the Homework Form).
  • Wednesday: Blind Sort (Lay down the guide words and then read the rest of the words aloud without showing them to your child. Your child must indicate where the word goes without seeing it.
  • Thursday: Sort and glue (sort the words and glue them using the grid on page 3 of the Homework Form).
Be sure to include “sight words” and “challenge words” in the sort. Students should always read every word when sorting. 

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  • Study the following spelling and phonics words using any method you wish in order to prepare for the weekly spelling test on Fridays.
  • There is a list of recommended spelling study activities that you can access BY CLICKING HERE for Spelling Word Activities, but, again, you may use any method you wish.  
  • Please write the second list of spelling words (5 words) in alphabetical order on the Homework Form.    
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The spelling words will sometimes repeat:

said

bottom
of
put
they
from
these

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1.)  Complete this week’s My Math homework pages and staple them to the homework form. The assigned pages are: 
CLICK HERE for My Math Lesson 4
CLICK HERE for My Math Lesson 5
CLLICK HERE for My Math Homework Lesson 6

2.) Practice math skills for 20 minutes (in total for the week) using any “Math Activity” listed here: CLICK HERE for Math Activities

3.) Complete the math facts fluency timing each day, Monday-Thursday, and record the scores for the week on your homework form.  We are reviewing “Mixed Addition (Form B).”
  • With the fluency timing in the plastic sheet protector, use a dry-erase marker to practice repeatedly.  Record your time (number of minutes and seconds) and number of correct answers each day on your Homework Form. (No need to calculate a percentage score.)
  • The target goal is to finish all 25 problems in 1 minute and 15 seconds, with 90% accuracy (23 out of 25 problems correct).
  • Addition & Subtraction Fluency Timings
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These daily one-minute timed fluency readings will help your student become a fluent reader. Time your student for one minute Monday-Thursday and record the number of words they were able to read in one minute on the front page of the Homework Form.

This week: use the “Lesson 27” page; no need to print it out, unless you’d like to.  You 
can report daily scores on the front page of the Homework Form instead.
CLICK HERE for Timed Reading Passages

Check out the Doubles Rap!

It’s the doubles, baby, here we go, here we go! It’s the doubles, baby, and we start with zero: 0 + 0 = 0 Oh! 1 + 1 =2 Ooooooh! 2 + 2 = 4 More! 3 + 3 = 6 Kicks! 4 + 4 = 8 That’s Great! 5 + 5 = 10 Again! 6 + 6 = 12 That’s swell! 7 + 7 = 14 Let’s lean! 8 + 8 = 16 Really keen! 9 + 9 = 18 Jelly bean! 10 + 10 = 20 That’s plenty!

Service Learning Project: Save your quarters!

Mission K9 Rescue Service Project

mission-k9-rescueLast Friday we attended a special Veteran’s Day Assembly with the Crismer’s and their war dog Mazzie from Mission K-9 Rescue. We learned about the sacrifices many dogs are making to protect the lives of our soldiers.  Unfortunately, these dogs are left behind after their work is done, and many have been abandoned in the Middle East. Mission K-9 Rescue is striving to Rescue, Reunite, Re-Home, Rehabilitate and Repair any retired working dog that has served mankind in some capacity.

This year for one of our service learning projects we will be collecting coins to donate to Mission K-9 Rescue. coin

As a First Grade we have been learning that everyone can serve and help others through stories such as “The Lion and the Mouse”. Though our children may be young, they too can make an important difference and our small contributions of a coin here and a few coins there will truly add up to something great.

We are also learning about financial literacy principles; for example, we are learning about the principle of saving and we are learning that, to earn money, one must work.  We are encouraging our students to do extra jobs at home for family or friends to earn coins to add to our Mission K-9 Rescue fund.

Final Day to Donate for our Basket!

Final Day to Donate- WEDNESDAY, November 30th

Thank you for your generous donations to our classroom “Family Fun” basket.  The final day to donate is Wednesday, November 30th (tomorrow).

Here are a few possible ideas if you would like to donate:
basket-raffle-hbjmwc-clipart
Games
Popcorn
Popcorn toppings
Popcorn bowls, bags, or boxes
Snacks
Liters of Pop
DVD’s or BluRay movies
Blankets
Gift cards to movie theater
Redbox gift cards
Pizza gift cards
Your creative ideas :) 

December Scholastic Book Orders

scholasticchristmas-books-440x435Usually, I submit the online book orders for Scholastic at the end of each month.  But for December, we want to be sure you receive your books before the Winter Break, so I will be submitting the order much, much earlier this month: I will be submitting the orders to Scholastic on the evening of Friday, December 9th, so please be sure you submit your order by then. Thanks!

To place a book order, visit http://www.scholastic.com and use our class code: NL9MM
Thank you so much!

Rock Activities

In addition to sorting and classifying rocks in our rock collections, and creating “pet rocks,” we learned a lot about rocks and minerals! See if your child can answer the following questions:

1. What are rocks made of? (Rocks are made of one or more minerals.)
2. What is a mineral? (Minerals are solid, inorganic, naturally occurring substances.)
3. What is the difference between a solid, a liquid, and a gas?
4. What are the components of soil [Soil is made of organic matter (live animals, such as worms and bugs, and dead plants and animals), rocks and minerals, water, and air.]

Please enjoy these great pictures of our class sorting and classifying our rocks (I didn’t manage to get every child in these pictures, but ALL students are featured in our STEM video in the post below!):
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First Annual Reindeer Run!

screenshot-2016-11-07-15-56-01We are excited to have our first annual Reindeer Run! We would love to see everyone participating. If you are interested in running/walking the Reindeer Fun Run, please register by this Friday by turning the registration form below in to the office.   
*Every student that signs up to run in 5K walk/run or Fun Run will be in a drawing for a Kindle Fire (we have two of them, one for Elementary and one for Jr. High) 
*Grade that has the most students sign up to participate will receive a Pizza Party from POQA. K-5, and 6-9th will each have one party.  They will use a percentage base to make sure it is fair. 
Thanks for your support on this event!  
We need everyone registered by this Friday!!!

Click on the registration form below to print:
5k-registrationcheers

Be sure to log your minutes each week for the Library Reading Challenge!

“WHERE IN THE WORLD WILL READING TAKE YOU?”

This year for the library’s reading challenge, we will submit reading minutes to travel across the continents. At the end of the year one class per grade will win the fabulous prize for the most reading minutes. In addition, the student(s) with the most reading minutes will qualify for a prize.

What is your role in this reading challenge?  Simply click on the “Library Reading Challenge” tab on our class blog and complete the online form each week.  Because these reading minutes will only be available to the librarian,  you will still need to complete our regular reading log to receive homework credit for reading.

library-reading-challenge

Homework for the Week of November 14-18: Reading and Rocks Only

For this week, there are 2 components required for homework:

1. Reading (20-30 minutes every day!) There is no need to turn in a Homework Form this week.  Simply signing off on the Book Buddy sign-off sheet each day is sufficient.
2. ROCK COLLECTION (due THURSDAY)


ROCK COLLECTION:
This week we are learning about one of our natural resources: rocks!  Please find 20 rocks [most rocks should be very small rocks (about a half-dollar size or smaller), but you can add one or two larger rocks if you find some interesting ones – just please don’t Rocksbring rocks larger than your child’s fist, as they will be difficult for your child to manage).  If possible, it would be great if most of the rocks are different colors/sizes/shapes, etc., as we will be sorting and classifying the rocks by size, color, texture, etc.

The rocks do NOT need to be fancy, rare, or valuable!  Most rocks should be able to be found in your yard, driveway, or street.  Please don’t put too much effort or time into this! It is meant to be fun and enjoyable, not time-consuming or stressful!

Please have your child bring the rocks on THURSDAY in a gallon-sized baggie, labeled with your child’s name. The rocks will return home to you at the end of the day. Thank you!

November Parent-Teacher Conferences: Thurs., Nov. 17th

Our parent-teacher conferences this month are on Thursday, November 17th.  Below is the schedule for conferences.  If you would like to sign up for a time, please e-mail me: mdunmeyer@questac.org.  

 Thank you so much!


Thursday, Nov. 17thParent Teacher Conference
3:30 – Taylee Wood
3:40 – Kaylee Hammond     
3:50 – Bentley Jensen     
4:00    
4:10     
4:20     

Library Reading Challenge

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“WHERE IN THE WORLD WILL READING TAKE YOU?”

This year for the library’s reading challenge, we will submit reading minutes to travel across the continents. At the end of the year one class per grade will win the fabulous prize for the most reading minutes. In addition, the student(s) with the most reading minutes will qualify for a prize.

What is your role in this reading challenge?  Simply click on the “Library Reading Challenge” tab on our class blog and complete the online form each week.  Because these reading minutes will only be available to the librarian,  you will still need to complete our regular reading log to receive homework credit for reading.