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Monday, November 26, 2012

Parent Letter

Dear Parents,

Hello!  I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving break and ate enough turkey!  We should have a full and busy week with little interruptions, so we should get a lot accomplished.

At the end of this week, your child will be bringing home a fluency passage that he or she has practiced throughout the week.  The purpose for reading the passage is to continue to build fluency so that your child can become a smoother, stronger reader.  Your child will bring home the passage on FRIDAY and your child will be ASSIGNED to practice the passage with you (or another adult) 3 times this weekend.  Once your child has read the passage 3 times, please SIGN THE ATTACHED SHEET and  RETURN ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 3RD.  This is considered HOMEWORK that will be sent home on Friday and needs to be completed and returned on Monday.  Your child will receive a passage every Friday unless it is indicated that we are not completing one for the week.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Thank you!

Please continue to ask your child, or check your child's folder, for homework assignments.  I have not sent a lot of homework in recent weeks, but please be checking NIGHTLY for math homework or literacy homework.  Although your child may not be assigned math or literacy homework, your child should still be reading nightly.  Your child's reading can continue to improve with nightly reading.  Ask your child what he or she is reading about or ask them to read aloud to you.  You can check his or her comprehension by asking questions about his or her book or build his or her fluency by having your child read aloud.  Thanks!

Lastly, the winter weather is definitely here!  Although we do not have snow on the ground, your child needs to be dressing for the colder weather.  A winter coat, hat, and gloves will be sufficient.  Your child needs to be wearing something thicker than a sweatshirt as a coat.  Thank you!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  Thanks and have a fantastic week!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville

Monday, November 19, 2012

Dear Parents,

It will be a shorter note, along with a shorter week!  There are just a few things that I wanted to inform you about, that will be useful information for you this week AND for the remainder of the school year.

Today, your child is bringing home two fluency readings: a poem and a reader's theatre script.  Your child is to practice the two readings with someone at home tonight.  I would like them to read the two readings THREE TIMES EACH.  Once your child has read the poem three times and his or her part for the reader's theatre script three times, please sign the sheet that will be attached to the two readings.  Fluency is an area that is important to your child's reading.  Fluency will help with phrasing, expression, and pacing.  Beginning next week, your child will practice a passage at school and bring the passage home for the weekend.  Your child will be expected to read the passage at home 3 TIMES on the weekend.  You will sign a sheet similar to the one being sent home tonight and your child will return it to school on Monday.  Please check your child's folder tonight for his or her readings and have your child read to you and return the sheet and the readings TOMORROW!  Thank you!

The other piece of information coming home tonight will be information for online programs or websites that your child may have already talked to you about.  Your child has used each of these programs, particularly during our literacy time.  Maybe your child has used the programs already at home.   If not, this will be useful information for you to read and your child to use.  If you have any questions about the programs or websites, please feel free to contact me.

There will be a 3-hour early dismissal on Wednesday, November 21st, for a teacher in-service.  Please plan accordingly.  Thanks!

Have a fantastic week and enjoy the holiday weekend!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville

Monday, November 12, 2012

Parent Letter

Dear Parents,

I hope you enjoyed both seasons this weekend!  It seemed like late spring on Saturday and late fall on Sunday!  Brrr!  Because of the change of weather, please see that your child is dressing appropriately for the weather.  It is unlikely that we will have anymore warm weather that would allow students to wear shorts.  Please see that your child has a warm coat, gloves, and hats for outside recess.  Thank you!

Later this week, I will be sending your child's Unit 2 assessment in math.  Please look over the test with your child and discuss the test with him or her.  Look over the questions that were missed and ask your child to solve the missed questions.  Please sign the test to indicate that you have looked over the test and discussed the missed problems.  Finally, please have your child return the test to me.  I will send it back home once I receive the signed test.  Some of the students may also receive a note and a review packet.  If your child receives a review packet, he or she is expected to complete the packet at home and needs to review the unit.  Your child does NOT need to return the packet, but your child DOES need to complete it.  If you have any questions when the tests go home later this week, please contact me.  Thank you!

I had mentioned in the blog last week, there is an area on the blog that indicates reading strategies we have covered, or are covering, in literacy.  If your child has access to the Internet at home, please have your child try those sites.  These sites are GREAT reviews the reading comprehension strategies that we are working on.  These sites should also be used in addition to your child's reading at home.  It is very important for your child to be reading every night!  Your child's reading will continue to improve if he or she is reading nightly.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  Thanks and have a fantastic week!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Presidential Election

We spent our group activity time and social studies time to discuss the Presidential election, the candidates, and the election process.  To help you explain the election to your child, or if your child would like to learn more about the election, please click on the following "kid-friendly" websites to learn more information.  Enjoy!

Presidential Election Video

Jobs of the President Video

Political Parties Video

President for a Day Game

President Matching Game

Time for Kids Election 2012 Information

Elections for Kids

Electing a President of the United States

Monday, November 5, 2012

Just a Reminder...

I am just sending a reminder to your child that tomorrow will be the last day for BOOK ORDERS and the last day to hand in OCTOBER READING CALENDARS.  Please turn in book orders and October reading calendars tomorrow.  Thanks a bunch!

Parent Letter


Dear Parents,

For starters, thank you for coming and visiting with me at parent/teacher conferences.  I had great discussions with all of you about your child’s progress.  Hopefully I was able to answer any of the questions that you may have had.  Also, please contact me at any time if you have any questions or concerns about your child.  Thanks!

I wanted to inform you of a section on our classroom blog page that you or your child may be interested in.  If you look on the far left of the blog page, you will notice a section titled “Reading Strategies to Try with Your Reader.”  These are strategies that we have discussed and practiced during literacy.  The strategies that we have covered so far this year is as follows: “Drawing Conclusions,” “Making Inferences,” “Determine Important Information,” and “Author’s Purpose.”  You can read about each strategy on the blog page and then your child can click on the websites underneath each description and play a game to practice that strategy.  I will continue to add more strategies as we continue to learn more strategies throughout the year.  Please remember to have your child try these strategies, as they will review what we have learned.  Thank you!

We are finishing up the second unit in math on larger addition and subtraction.  We will be testing this week and your child’s math test will be sent home later next week.  I strongly advise all of the students to practice the addition and subtraction facts at home to build up their memorization of the facts.  This will help them when solving larger addition and subtraction problems, which is a challenge for several students.  You can create flashcards and have your child practice those facts with you.  Thank you!

Lastly, if there is a 3-hour early dismissal on Wednesday, November 7th, as there is a teacher in-service.  Please plan accordingly for the 12:25 PM dismissal.  Thank you!

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.  Have a fantastic week!

Sincerely,
Mrs. McCarville