October Newsletter

Dear Families, 

          We are wellinto our routines now in first grade. The children seem to be settling in nicely. We will usually have readinggroups Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  On Fridays we’ll be doing some type of “wholeclass” reading.  Thank you so much forhelping your first grader read at home each day!  And, thanks for helping your child rememberto send  his/her reading bag, redfolders, math homework and homework folders back to school when they are due!  It is evident that you are all helping yourchildren study the monthly spelling words and practicing the Fundations skillsat home.  I can see so much growth in thefirst graders already!            

          Our Octoberspelling tests will be on Friday, October 23rd and Friday, October 30th.  The October spelling words are:  you, they, one, said, from, or, have, were,her, put, there, what, she, been, by.  Please review the September words occasionally.  The children should be held responsible forwriting these words correctly in any writing they do.  (Journals, stories, etc )  If you see your child writing one of ourprevious spelling words incorrectly please help him/her to correct it. 

         We will begoing to Windham Hospital on October 27th.  Please send in your permission slip and$10.50.   Remember to send your childwith a packed lunch.  We’ll be eatinghalf of our lunch before we go to the hospital and the other half when we comehome.  Your child may purchase milk forlunch.  Our hospital field trip has been cancelled.

     Our currentscience lessons deal with our five senses. We have learned about “skin” and how it protects us.  We will be taking a test on our five senseswhen we’re done studying about them. When your child brings papers home, please read them over together. Thiswill help your child review for the “test.”  Our social studies lessons will be dealing with our neighborhoods andhelpers in our community.  I would likethe children to learn their address and their phone numbers if they don’t knowthem already.  We’ll also be talkingabout fire prevention and dialing 911 in an emergency. 

     We are working onaddition and counting on in math.  We arebeginning work with subtraction also. Some of the children write their numbers backwards occasionally.  This is normal for six-year- olds.  When the children write their numeralsbackwards, I have them correct the numeral on their math papers.  They have number lines on their desks whichshould help them write the numbers correctly. When your child is doing math homework please help him/her to form thenumerals correctly.  Most children willoutgrow this habit with help from home and school. 

     Thanks again, forall your support.  Please call, email, orwrite me a note if you have any questions or concerns.  I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

Sincerely,

Connie Wilde

October Dates to Remember

October 9^th: Minimum Day, Staff Development

October 12^th: No School, Columbus Day

October 13^th: No School for Children, Staff Development Day

October 22nd:  SchoolPictures, Information will be coming home about the pictures

October 27^th: Windham Hospital Field Trip: Children must bring a packed lunch

October 30^st: Silly Sock Day, children may wear or bring “silly socks” to school