Dear Parents,
This week we spent our time doing a variety of things. We attended a library orientation with our new librarian, Mrs. McQueen, an assembly to discuss the behavioral expectations of the cafeteria, and had several community meetings to get to know each other. We also took a beginning-of-the-year reading assessment, and an end-of-the-year math assessment, so that I am able to properly group and differentiate my instruction for each student. We have spent a lot of time on classroom behaviors and expectations as it serves us well to set the tone now.
Our school is now participating in a school-wide Positive Behavior Plan, complete with Eagle coupons redeemable for many different items. We hope that the participation of each classroom and specials teacher, combined with every adult on campus’ reinforcement of the same behavioral expectations, Tatum Ridge’s climate will continue to be one with positive reinforcement of desired behavior. Currently our class has acquired many of these coupons! Today we deposited the coupons, or as I call them “Our Eagle Bucks”, into individual accounts and documented the deposit in our checkbooks.
Additionally, we began our first reading unit, Ruby, the Copycat, (a.k.a. T1W1) today. It is my intention to end each lesson on Thursday and begin a new reading lesson each Friday.
One thing I will do with each new lesson is to “pretest” our spelling words. Then they will be given a typewritten list for spelling and robust vocabulary, and asked to copy them into their agenda. The typewritten list will go in a “mini-folder” in the paper-bag portfolio. The folder has a page for each story in the unit. The pretest will have pages for student study: ABC order, repetitive writing of unknown words, and a page for writing sentences using their robust vocabulary words. Your student will write his/her instructions for this work in the agenda.
One reason for the pretest is to target the words which need to be worked with by the student. I see no reason for a student to copy words, five times each, when he/she is already proficient on them. I do have each tale’s list on SpellingCity.com. Recently, I have hidden the lists so that they will be available only when we are working or have worked with those words. Here is a link to the first week’s words, http://www.spellingcity.com/mommadebi/ .
If you have difficulty with the link, when you go to the Spelling City site, “Find a Word List” is the second button from the left on the top menu bar. You can search for the list using my name “Debi White-Tippery” or by clicking on Florida, then Sarasota; then Tatum Ridge Elementary and then you will see my name. Either way, just click on my name and you will see the current and past list(s).
I also have each reading lesson’s “Robust Vocabulary” on Quizlet.com . Here is a link to the first week’s lesson, http://quizlet.com/1063761/robust-vocabulary-t1w1-flash-cards/ . This week, the students have worked with these sites in class in an attempt to familiarize them with the site’s tricks. I have also added a direct link to the words on my website. I will try to remember to do so each week.
Each site is FREE to join, yet you need not join to work with the words! What wonderful tools!
Additionally, as you may remember, I purchased Raz-Kids.com for my class. Each student has been assigned a level of books according to the SRI scores I have for them (Spring ‘09). I will change these as needed. The site gives me the ability to track their progress and see what every student received for each comprehension quiz following the books. We will be using these in our classroom too! You can feel free to let your child access these at home, but it is NOT required. I do require reading each night for 20 minutes. So he/she could use this site as the reading time if you’d like. It was a very economical site. I feel this is truly a great valuable resource for inside and outside the classroom. I have access for 36 students, so I have a couple of other children on the list, so don’t be surprised seeing different names!
I also purchased National Geographic Magazine for the class. The cost was a little mare than Scholastic Magazine, but I think it has so much more to offer. I hope you are able to spend some time looking it over when I send them home after we have used them in class. I think you will truly find the National Geographic Magazine to be quite educational and interesting. As much as I enjoy technology, there is nothing quite like a real magazine or book in your hands! Furthermore, it does offer a great component on the internet to enrich what is in the paper edition! There is a link on my website, feel free to take a look.
I have noticed that some of my students could use some time working on basic math facts! For instance, when exiting second grade a child should know 8 + 2 =10, or 7 + 6 = 13 with automaticity (very quickly)! If you could work with your child and flash cards, or even when in the car, just call out some basic math problems and have him/her answer without using fingers (and toes)! These facts will never change! The sooner your child has them at his/her immediate recall, the better! I thank you in advance for your assistance. We will also be working with these for the next few weeks, during small group time to ensure the mastery of this skill. For other students who have mastered basic facts, I will begin small group instruction on multiplication as it is repeated addition.
In conclusion, I look forward to more weeks filled with such wonderful students. I am a very, lucky person!
As always, feel free to contact me via the website, cell phone, my school e-mail debi_white_tippery@sarasota.k12.fl.us, or home email dwhitetippery@verizon.net .
Sincerely,
Debi White-Tippery