Next week we need to sign our Master Agreements before March 8th. Come by the classroom between 8:30-8:45am, any day during the following week.

You may have forgotten about it (I know I did), but as a school we signed up for the Six Flags Read to Succeed program.  I sent home an individual reading log to each student to fill out and return to class. This program gives away a free ticket to Six Flags as long as they fill out a reading log. It is an easy way to earn something fun! Download the form below and then return to the classroom before March 6th.  Fill out the log using any books you have read the entire school year.

Sign up for a conference by clicking on the "Change Name PTC" link by the time you would like. Click on MORE DETAILS. Click on  "Change Name PTC" and it should let you type in the name or names of parent or parents that will be attending. Then click SAVE. And "only for this event."

There is one opening everyday at 8:10am, if the afternoon times do not work for you.

If you are unable to use the calendar below you can email me immediately by filling in the form below the calendar (in this post) and I will sign you up as soon as possible. If I do not respond by the end of the day, please feel free to email me again.

Our Monday Memo is posted on the Newsletter page. Below you will find the spelling words for this week.

Also, I plan on (hopefully) posting a slideshow of student activity every week. This week I will post our gift exchange that we did before the holiday break. And tomorrow I will post activities that we did last Thursday during math! Enjoy!

Check the Newsletter page for the most current information.

SECOND GRADE: On the Documents page I have included the high frequency words that they should know how to read automatically and be able to spell correctly. In the newsletter I will include high frequency words that are being introduced in our curriculum weekly. Daily practice is great to increase speed and fluency.

EVERYONE: The IS from January 4th is also on the Documents page. There is some valuable information on there that you can use for reference that states what your student is expected to know. It can also be a guide for creating your own IS on unexpected absence days. Remember, that even on days of unexpected absences, IS needs to prove that at least 4 hours of work was completed. It is helpful if you make a list of tasks or subject areas practiced at home. Also, if your student is very sick and isn't up for too much activity I recommend checking out education websites that may have videos or audible information texts that your student can watch or listen to. Please include the video or audio in your list with the amount of time spent watching or listening.

Example List of IS:

Student Name & Date
1. Reading - "Bunnicula" - 30 minutes
                    Played grammar and spelling games on iPad - 40 minutes
                    High Frequency Word Flash cards - 30 minutes
2. Math - Studied geometric shapes with parent - 30 minutes
                Practice math facts on chalk board - 20 minutes
                Completed worksheet - 20 minutes
3. Writing - Journal Entry on student blog - 20 minutes
                    Friendly letter - 40 minutes
4. Science- Nature walk observation - 60 minutes   
                    Discussed plants and animals with parent - 30 minutes
           
                                                    __________________________
                                                        (parent signature & date)

Great Interactive Websites:
http://pbskids.org/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

Free Printable Worksheets:
http://www.education.com/
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-worksheets/
http://www.adaptedmind.com/Math-Worksheets.html?


Also, our Learning Conference is Thursday, January 10th. Be sure to arrive promptly at 8:30 AM.

As a reminder there will be no spelling words this week.

Homework for this week is going to be "business as usual." However, it is being used to supplement for NO ENRICHMENT this Friday (12/21). This homework will be returned on Monday, January 7, 2013. In a whole NEW YEAR!

Please check the Documents page for this week's homework!

It is time for our first round of Parent Teacher Conferences.  Below you will see a list of times and dates available.  We will have conferences during the week of 10/22 - 10/25. The times available are from 1:00 pm - 4:00pm.  Each conference will be 15 minutes (with five minute transitions).

Please go to the Google calendar to pick a time slot. You will receive an email with an invitation or link.

If you do not have a Google account then you will need to sign up with a Google account.  You can use your own personal email.  You DO NOT have to have a Google email account. To learn about getting a Google account scroll down to the end of this blog post (after the calendar).

Replace "NAME" with your name and spouse's name (if attending).  If you are unable to access the calendar please email me as soon as possible and I will update the calendar myself.  If none of these times or dates work for you, contact me and I will try my best to meet your needs.

The calendar below will update automatically as parents sign up.  Check back here to find the latest update of times available.

If you would like to learn how to get a Google account (with out Google email)...  Click Read More

If any changes are needed to be made please go to the google doc and then notify me by email.  Thanks!

    First Day of School 
    I have to be honest... This is a great bunch of kids that have shown me how great it is to be a teacher.  We started our day with a classroom meeting that really set the tone of community and friendship for our classroom.  We have many new students to Creekside in our class that really benefited from being a part of our meeting/community.  During these meetings I really like to stress that it is important to feel welcome and accepted. We will know that our class has all different types of students that are equals when it comes to learning, no matter our age, gender, or interests.  We concluded our meeting sharing the "Summer Collages" that were made for independent study.
    Class Docs
    I am looking forward to all of the fun events and happenings we will be having in the next couple of months.  Just to get an idea of what will be going on this week our newsletter is available here on the website and will also be mailed out to you.  Also, notice at the top (in the menu bar) there is a page for documents.  In the documents you will find a copy of this week's homework and any other documents I may find valuable to share with you. 
    After-school Procedures
    Thank you parents for suggesting a list for parents to sign in the morning to let me know who is going with whom.  We all know that the kids love spending even MORE time with each other (after almost 6 hours together) after school.  However, it is hard for me to keep track as they are ready to burst out the door.  So I will put a white board at the back of the classroom for you to sign to make sure I know who is going with whom. Those students will line up first and be released together at the front of the school with the parent that is taking them home.  If you participate in an after school program, I have a list that was sent out in the Snippet by Camille.  If there are any changes needed to be made please email me.  Additionally, make sure to communicate in the morning to your student what there after school situation will be EVERYDAY. That way we are all, The Triad (what I like to call parents+teacher+student), on the same page.  And whatever is on the white board is "set in stone" unless I receive notice, otherwise, throughout the day.

Thanks again everyone for making this a great first day at Creekside!