Week of Jan. 4th- Jan 8th: ONLY READING HOMEWORK & Library “Diversity Quilt” Assignment

reading onlyWelcome back from Winter Break!  There will be only reading homework for this week.  It is not necessary to fill out a Homework Form for this week’s homework – simply sign the Book Buddy sign-off sheet each day.  

The only other homework, which will be due Friday, January 8th, is the assignment from the library: the “Diversity Quilt” square.

Diversity Quilt Square

  1. Use the colored square that was sent home the last week before Winter Break for the assignment.  Use crayons, markers, pens, or colored pencils to  create an image that represents your family.  This could include any of the following:
  • Something you celebrate together
  • Something you enjoy doing together
  • Something that represents your family
  • Flags from where your family is from
  • Family crest
  • Photographs of places visited
  • Words describing your family heritage
    2.  Be sure to write your name on the back of the square and  turn it in to our class (not to the library) on Friday, January 8th! 

*If you have lost or misplaced your diversity quilt square, please use a piece of colored paper (any color) that is exactly 5-1/2″ by 4″ and please decorate it horizontally. Thank you!

Reading Passages Link for At-Home Practice

10 ways to become a better reader
Below is a link to some reading passages that are very similar to the ones that your student will be encountering in the upcoming DIBELS test in January.  Please use the “Level 100” passages to help your student practice for the DIBELS test, which is a very important one-minute timed test.  Even those these are not the exact passages that will be used, exposure to similar passages such as these and a simulation of the actual timed test will prepare your child and help him/her feel more comfortable when they experience the real test. 


CLICK HERE:
http://www.haslett.k12.mi.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=11283&

Blog Trouble During Homework Post

Hello, Fabulous Parents!


On Friday when I tried to post the homework for this week, our blog website was having trouble – it wouldn’t allow me to update or change the blog posts in any way – which was a huge problem because the way I usually post the homework is to use an old homework post and then update it.  It wouldn’t even let me delete the post after the incorrect post had been posted.


The blog website was having the same trouble yesterday, but when I tried it again this morning, it actually did let me update the information, so now the homework post is correct!  


This should rarely be a problem – I have only had the blog do this one other time in all 4 years of teaching at Quest, so I am fairly certain that this won’t be a problem again this year. 🙂


I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused – I know that many of you like to have the option of getting some of the homework done and out of the way during the weekend.  I apologize.


Sincerely,
Mrs. Dunmeyer

Homework for the Week of December 14th-18th

important-notice-hiWHEN I TRIED TO POST THIS WEEK’S HOMEWORK ON THE BLOG LAST FRIDAY, THE BLOG WEBSITE WAS HAVING TROUBLE AND WOULD NOT LET ME UPDATE THE HOMEWORK FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK.  THE PROBLEM HAS NOW BEEN FIXED! 🙂 BUT, IF YOU TRIED TO PRINT THIS WEEK’S HOMEWORK ON DECEMBER 11TH, ON DECEMBER 12TH, OR EARLY ON DECEMBER 13TH, THEN YOU WILL NEED TO RE-PRINT THE CORRECT HOMEWORK.  SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE! 🙁 

For this week’s homework, there are 
5 components required:

1. Reading (20-30 minutes every day!)
2. Word Sorts
3. Spelling
4. Math
5. Sentence

Each week, print out the HOMEWORK FORM (CLICK HERE), 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.

Screen shot 2014-08-10 at 12.03.27 AM





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 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. 


Screen shot 2014-08-10 at 12.03.34 AM




Each week, print your student’s assigned Word Sort by clicking on the appropriate link below.  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).

Word Sorts: 
Screen shot 2013-09-08 at 5.01.33 PMHunches Sort: CLICK HERE for Red Sort 23
(Anna, Adriel)


Screen shot 2013-09-08 at 5.01.11 PMSneetches Sort: CLICK HERE for Yellow Sort 9
(Deklyn, Zoey, Logan, Vincent, Christopher, Dea, Khloee, Saidi, Tanner) 


Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.11.32 AMBarbaloots: CLICK HERE for Yellow Sort 16
(Kaylee, Xander, London, Jaxx, Maylee, Keagan, Rowdy, Ryan, Quinnlyn)

Screen shot 2013-09-08 at 5.01.24 PMThings Sort: CLICK HERE for Yellow Sort 21
(Aaron, Raya, Mason)


Screen shot 2013-09-08 at 5.00.51 PMWhos Sort: CLICK HERE for Yellow Sort 25
(Ava, Rock)
This is a tricky one.  Here is what the completed sort should look like:

ar               are               air               oddball
part            care             hair             pear
start           pare             fair              wear
harm          stare            pair             bear
sharp         square         chair           where
dark           bare             stair            heart
shark         fare          
                 hare



Screen shot 2014-08-10 at 12.03.40 AM




  • Study the following “High Frequency 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 spelling words in alphabetical order on the Homework Form.   
Screen shot 2013-09-23 at 12.14.05 PM 




For this week, we will be reviewing some of the more difficult words we have worked on previously:

friend
people
would
what
about
from
other



Screen shot 2014-08-10 at 12.03.47 AM






Screen Shot 2015-08-23 at 6.16.43 PM




Write a sentence that includes two of this week’s spelling words. Please include the following: 
  • Write a complete sentence [must include a subject and predicate (noun and verb)]
  • Use at least 5 words.
  • Capitalize first word and any proper nouns.
  • Use correct upper/lowercase letters.
  • Use finger spaces between words.
  • End the sentence with a punctuation mark.

Tomorrow is a Free “Wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater With Your Uniform Pants” Day OR Pay $1 to Completely Dress Down

Tomorrow the students have an option to wear an Ugly Sweater with uniform pants or school uniform for FREE, but if they choose to dress-down completely they will be required to pay $1 or more and the money collected will be donated to the Angel Tree.  Feel free to donate more to be given to the Angel Tree if you would like. 🙂imgres

December Parent-Teacher Conferences: Thursday, December 17th

Parent Teacher ConferenceBelow is the schedule for our Parent-Teacher Conferences for the month of December.  Conferences will be held Thursday, December 17th.

There are some available time slots.  Please e-mail me (mdunmeyer@questac.org) if you would like to sign up for one of the available time slots.

Please keep in mind that conference schedules only allow for me to meet with each parent for 10 minutes, including transition time.  Conferences will need to be very brief, but I will try to pack in as much information for you as I can!  Please be mindful of the time constraints so that I can be timely in meeting with all the parents who have signed up for conferences.  Thank you!  And I look forward to meeting with you!


Thursday, December 17th
3:30-3:40 – Maylee Wilson
3:40-3:50 – Dea Lindstrom
3:50-4:00
4:00-4:10 
4:10-4:20
4:20-4:30 – Vincent Esqueda

Homework for the Week of December 7th-11th

For this week’s homework, there are 5 components required:

1. Reading (20-30 minutes every day!)
2. Word Sorts
3. Spelling
4. Math
5. Sentence

Each week, print out the HOMEWORK FORM (CLICK HERE), 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.

Screen shot 2014-08-10 at 12.03.27 AM





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 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. 


Screen shot 2014-08-10 at 12.03.34 AM




Each week, print your student’s assigned Word Sort by clicking on the appropriate link below.  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).
important-notice-hiALL STUDENTS WERE RE-ASSESSED USING THE “WORDS THEIR WAY” PROGRAM ASSESSMENT.  MANY HAVE BEEN RE-ASSIGNED INTO DIFFERENT WORD SORT GROUPS, SO PLEASE CHECK FOR YOUR CHILD’S NAME TO BE SURE THAT YOU ARE PRINTING THE CORRECT WORD SORT! THANK YOU!

Word Sorts: 
Screen shot 2013-09-08 at 5.01.33 PMHunches Sort: CLICK HERE for Red Sort 22
(Anna, Adriel)


Screen shot 2013-09-08 at 5.01.11 PMSneetches Sort: CLICK HERE for Yellow Sort 8
(Deklyn, Zoey, Logan, Vincent, Christopher, Dea, Khloee, Saidi, Tanner) 


Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.11.32 AMBarbaloots: CLICK HERE for Yellow Sort 15
(Kaylee, Xander, London, Jaxx, Maylee, Keagan, Rowdy, Ryan, Quinnlyn)

Screen shot 2013-09-08 at 5.01.24 PMThings Sort: CLICK HERE for Yellow Sort 20
(Aaron, Raya, Mason)


Screen shot 2013-09-08 at 5.00.51 PMWhos Sort: CLICK HERE for Yellow Sort 24
(Ava, Rock)




Screen shot 2014-08-10 at 12.03.40 AM




  • Study the following “High Frequency 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 spelling words in alphabetical order on the Homework Form.   
Screen shot 2013-09-23 at 12.14.05 PM 




more
will
into
your
which
do


Screen shot 2014-08-10 at 12.03.47 AM






Screen Shot 2015-08-23 at 6.16.43 PM




Write a sentence that includes two of this week’s spelling words. Please include the following: 
  • Write a complete sentence [must include a subject and predicate (noun and verb)]
  • Use at least 5 words.
  • Capitalize first word and any proper nouns.
  • Use correct upper/lowercase letters.
  • Use finger spaces between words.
  • End the sentence with a punctuation mark.

A Special Visitor!

We had a visitor, Byron, from Lotus Park Assisted Living, come to read books to our first grade today!  We loved Byron right from the start – with his big, bright smile and Kris Kringle-like beard, Byron was an instant hit!  

Lotus Park Assisted Living is our first-grade community partner.  We will be doing a couple service projects for them this year and we will be inviting the veterans from Lotus Park Assisted Living to our patriotic performance in the spring. 

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