Welcome to our first grade blog. When accessing this blog, please click on the category that you are looking for located on the right hand side.  This way, you will find the specific information that you are looking for within this blog.

In addition, do you want to stay automatically updated on whenever a new post is published? Consider subscribing (yes, it’s FREE!) to this blog via the RSS Google option or the RSS Entries option on the upper right hand side of the screen. If you would like more information about the RSS option click here for more information.

Thank you all for coming last night! It was great to put a face with names. I’ve heard so much about you!

Reading- This week we started our reading groups. Be sure to ask your child what book they are reading, one thing about the book- like the character, and the name of their reading group. Skills that we have focused on: beginning sounds of words, the short a, the ap word family, and the it word family. Some friends continue to struggle with rhyming, be sure to ask your child to rhyme some words this weekend.

The bookit reading program is starting tomorrow (October 1.) Be sure to set some reading goals with your child. If they read for the designated time on the bottom of the page, they can earn a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.

In math, we started our subtraction chapter. I forgot to mention last night that I have several friends asking, daily, for extra math- be sure to ask your child if they are one of them. If you have internet, I would like the children to go on First in Math.

Science- We are wrapping up our “What is a Scientist” unit. This week we made our science journals and did an experiment with pennies. Be sure to ask, what happened to the pennies. Were our predictions correct?

If you haven’t already, please send in your child’s permission slip to attend the farm show next week. **Bring a packed lunch, where we can throw everything away. NO MONEY is allowed, we will not be making any food purchases.

Chaperones for the farm show- we will leave Doe Run at 10:30 and return at 1:30. I will have a scavenger hunt for the children to complete in your group. I will also send some cameras with you, for you to take photos of your group.

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a crazy week! I hope you are all safe and as dry as possible. The children talked about the water problems in their houses this morning. They were really scared.

This is one way I will communicate with you. Each week that we have a 5 day school week I like to write a “Rewind Letter.” This letter will include information about what we have learned about throughout the week, specific lesson focus, experiments, guests, and assemblies. New this year I will post a homework club. I will post the names of the children that have completed their homework throughout the week.

Today I sent home a green paper asking you to please let me know how you would like to receive these updates. I have the blog set up and you can subscribe to it free. Basically it works like this, you subscribe and everytime i post something you get an email notification to check out the blog. You may decide that you would like to get these weekly updates through email. I will email the rewind to your email accounts, yes there can be more than one. Finally, I can also send home a paper copy of the rewind letter. Please let me know which way will best suit your needs.

This week, we have spent time getting to know each other. We have celebrated two birthdays both Dylan and Ava.  I have also shown the children how to log onto First in Math. This is an awesome math site, please have your child practice their facts online 10 minutes at least five days a week. I think you’ll find once they start they won’t want to stop! In reading we are reviewing the letters, their sounds, and how to write them correctly.  When helping your child write their word of the day please make sure they are only using capital letters when needed, a special name or the beginning of a sentence.

I will keep you posted on back to school night, I’m not sure when/if it will be rescheduled.

The school year is off to a great start! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

My email is sunderlandj@manheimcentral.org or you can leave a message on my voice mail at Doe Run the extension is 8873. Please remember that I am unavailable to talk during the day, as I am with your children but I will return your call as soon as possible.

Have a safe weekend!

Mrs. JoAnn Sunderland