Don’t forget everyone that this is Red Ribbon Week. Today was RED day. On Tuesday, don’t SWEAT drugs and wear your sweats with your school shirt. PAIR up with a friend on Wednesday and dress alike. Wear your cap and use your HEAD on Thursday and finally on Friday, SPOOK OUT drugs and wear your costume. Be sure to check the planner to make sure you abide by the rules with the costumes. It should be a fun week!
We begin graphing this week in math, but we will continue to reinforce addition and subtraction. We will continue to work with syllables in our reading and writing and we are writing about being Drug Free. New spelling words will come home this week. Be sure to watch for this on the yellow and white writing paper and study at home. The test will not be until next week. In our reading groups this week, the students are working on a class Halloween Readers Theater. There will be no blue reading folders coming home this week.
I look forward to seeing all of you at conferences tomorrow to discuss your child’s progress. See you then!
Mrs. Benson

This week should be very exciting with our Pumpkin Patch field trip coming up on Tuesday. Pray for good weather as we approach this day. Don’t forget to send a sack lunch with a drink.
This week in class it will be more of the same. Our word work will continue with digraphs and we will add syllabication. In math we will continue with subtraction and the relationship with subtraction and addition.
Be aware of a blue “reading” folder to come home usually once a week. The book in the folder is the book that your child had worked on in reading groups throughout the week. There may be activities, sight words, or vocabulary words to go over. The students should always read the book at home. Look for good fluency and don’t forget to record the book on their reading log. They will still have their nightly reader to read also. Some students are finishing up their “reader” and will be bringing home leveled trade books for their nightly reading. All students will eventually be doing this. These books are independently chosen by your child with guidance on their levels. Please record these on their reading log as always.
Congratulations to Caleb Ormes for sending in LOTS of box tops. He was awarded this past Thursday for his and his families efforts. Everyone keep sending them. There will be another competition next semester and for now each student receives a small treat for filling up their Halloween chart.
Thanks to everyone!
Mrs. Benson

Well, at least the students get off for Columbus Day. The rest of the faculty and I will be in training. I hope everyone enjoys their day off. Coming up this week we will be getting school pictures made on October 14th. All children will be photographed whether pictures are purchased or not. These will be the pictures used for the yearbook so dress appropriately. Parent conferences are coming up on October 26th. A scheduling letter will be sent home this week to be signed and returned.
This week in our word work we will continue working with blends and adding digraphs, such as /sh/, /ch/, /th/, and /wh/. We are working on applying these to our reading and writing. Guided reading groups will continue. Some students may be bringing home a blue folder with their guided reading book and some sight words. Please read the book, add it to their reading log, and send it back the next day.
We are continuing subtraction and some addition this week in math. Connecting the computation to the problem solving is key. At home please make sure their weekly homework is done and that each student is practicing both addition and subtraction with counters (pennies, beans, marbles, etc) or they can draw a picture to represent the problem.
This week in writing we will be writing a class book while applying what we know about building a sentence and staying on topic.
The students celebrated their first R2W last week. Please encourage your child to not be absent and be at school on time READY 2 WORK!
Thanks,
Mrs. Benson

We have officially completed our 30th day of school! The first six weeks was over last Friday and report cards will be going home this Thursday. Please look for it and send it back signed on Friday. Also, permission slips and the $4.00 entrance fee to the Pumpkin Patch are due by the 15th. The field trip is Tuesday, October 19th. We get out early on October 11th for parent conferences, so be looking for a note to come home with a scheduled time for your conference. Finally, school pictures will be October 14th. More information will be sent home about this.
This week in our word work or phonics, we will be working with blends. Guided reading groups have begun and books will begin coming home to read in addition to their reader. Please list it on the reading log along with their daily reader.
In math this week we will begin exploring subtraction with manipulatives in both computation and problem solving. Remember, the students are ALWAYS allowed to use their manipulatives or counters to help them.
New spelling words were sent home today with graded papers. Study these at home for their test on Friday. We are continuing our study of “change” in science with our author/book study of Leo Lionni.
This month our character trait is “courage.” I hope that all of our students have the courage to always do the right thing.
Thanks again for all of your support.
Mrs. Benson

Well, after a long wait, we finally are feeling fall-like weather. In order to better get a hands-on feel of some of these changes, we ventured out to the Nature Center this past Friday. We used our five senses to better observe and record some of those changes. Our Nature Center is an awesome place that is being developed more and more. I invite you to ask your child about it. We will be visiting there again and again. In science this week we will continue to explore “Change” by comparing the different seasons of the year.
This is the last week of the six weeks so there will be reading and math evaluations. In phonics we will be disecting words and focusing on the ending sound. I would like to take this time to thank all the parents for making sure that your child does his/her reading homework each day and the weekly math homework. Three cheers for the parents!!!
We’re continuing addition in math, both computation and problem solving, with manipulatives.
At the end of this week we will have been in school for about 30 days. During the first 30 days of school, it is crucial for the students to internalize and maintain the class rules and expectations. Please support me in helping them use their self-control and remember their CHAMPs.
DON’T FORGET! PARENT ORIENTATION THIS TUESDAY @ 5:00-6:00.
This will be a great six weeks with 5 more to go! I can’t believe that!
Mrs. Benson

This week has been a real turn of the tide. Following the rules is becoming more automatic as the students become more comfortable with first grade expectations. If your child is still having trouble please let’s be supportive of one another to help him/her make good choices.
Again, graded papers will come home Monday. Go over the assignments with your child to strengthen understanding. We will continue breaking words apart and examining beginning, middle, and ending sounds. We will continue reviewing long and short vowel sounds.
Continue to read with your child each day and sign your child’s reading log. We will be getting new spelling words this week that also need to be reviewed at home. Thanks to all of you that have made sure your child’s math homework has been completed and returned the next day. You can always look for math homework on Wednesday or Thursday of most weeks. Also, be sure your child has his/her library book to exchange every Wednesday.
I hope you all have a great weekend!
Mrs. Benson

This past week was a busy one and this one will be the same. The students are really catching on to first grade routines and expectations. I’m really proud of them.
We had our first spelling test this week with dictation and most students did well. I encourage you to review their spelling words periodically at home. They came home with a new list of words today but don’t forget the previous ones. The words will continually cycle back around. In penmanship this week we will focus on “Cc” but the the students will be held responsible for the previous “Aa and Bb.”
Texas Primary Reading Inventory reading/phonics testing will begin and continue through next week. This is a state-mandated reading inventory that is used 2-3 times a year to monitor your child’s progress.
Math will continue with exploring addition with manipulatives. In science, we are reading and learning about colors and what can happen when colors mix. This will prepare us for our unit of “Change” coming up in a couple weeks.
We began our Character Education last week and will continue to see how “kindness” will help us be a better CHAMP.
I encourage you to always check your child’s homework folder and planner each and every day. Graded papers come home every Monday and need to be gone over with your child. Sometimes papers need to be corrected and returned.
Thanks you,
Mrs. Benson

Because we are getting into the core of our curriculum, CHAMPs is evermore important. Our social contract, that was signed by each and everyone of us, states that we will all treat others with kindness, keep our hands, feet, and body to ourselves, work during all work times, and listen with our eyes, ears, and brain to the speaker. Most of these have gone pretty well, except the listening and NOT speaking. With that being said, I am asking you to please review this social contract with your child and reinforce good listening and knowing when to talk and not talk. I am constantly going over this and am holding each child more and more accountable for his/her behavior. Thank you for your support with this.
This week I will continue to test in reading and the class learn how reading stations/centers work. We are focusing on our long and short vowel sounds. In writing we will continue to write through the process in Writers Workshop and write about our favorite Kevin Henkes book. We will learn the “Roughneck” way to write the letter Bb in penmanship and we will have our first spelling test on Tuesday and apply these spelling words in our writing. In math we will conclude exploring patterns and begin adding or “joining” groups.
We begin Character Educaiton this week, discussing Kindness and we will be checking out our first books from the library on Wednesday.
Thanks again for all of your support!
Mrs. Benson

We’re off to a great start! It’s going to be a great year with amazing boys and girls. This week has been full of learning rules and procedures. These will continue to be reviewed over and over for the first 30 days of school to insure the best learning environment and smooth transitions. Please go over CHAMPs behavior with your child regularly and check for any messages and/or behavior notes in their planner daily and initial.
This week I will be assessing each student’s reading to determine their specific level. Each one already has a take-home reader that is to be read each day and recorded on their reading log. As soon as their levels are determined, they will begin reading leveled trade books for reading homework. We will also begin process writing and penmanship. Math will consist of reviewing and understanding numbers. We have begun an author-study of Kevin Henkes and are continuing to read and explore his books and characters.
Thank you for everything you have done and for your involvement. Please don’t hesitate to call or email with any questions or concerns. Also, notes can always be left in their planner.
Mrs. Benson