Announcements

Hello Parents,
As we approach February we move into our study of rocks and soil, patriotism (Presidents Day), sorting/graphing, and poetry and pre-writing strategies.  It's a short but busy month.  All the while we continue to stress writing mechanics (spaces between words, reading back what we've written, lower case letters, punctuation) and using multiple strategies to decode words in text.  When we come across a word in a book that we don't know we are learning to ask ourselves, "What word would make sense here that would have some of these letter sounds and go with the illustration?".  The kids that are most successful with this are those with a strong sight word vocabulary (ie, recognizing high frequency words on sight and not having to decode them with letter sounds).  I am a firm believer that a good sight word vocabulary is the link to fluid reading.  I am including an updated version of our word wall below - any time spent with your child discussing these words is time well spent!!!
Our Valentines Day party is on Feb 12.  If the kids want to bring Valentines to their friends and classmates they may do so starting on the 10th.  Watch for a class roster in the take-home folder.
 
In the near future:
Feb 3          100th day of school!
Feb 5          Science Fair, Math Night, Book Fair
                   (begins at 5:00 PM)
Feb 5-12      Book Fair
Feb 9           General PTA meeting 6:30
Feb 10          Early release (12:45)
Feb 12          Valentines Day Party  1:30
Feb 15          Student holiday - no school 
      
Word Wall Words:
a  I  in  is  the  can  be  at  my  me  and  has  like  said  as  do   what  to  see  you  for  he  they  her  of  his  or  she  go  went  it  by  are  we  how  no  was  him  on  come  some  mom  dad  dog  cat

Thanks for all you do!
Greg Whitfield