This week we will be beginning an author study on Leo Lionni and reading many of his children’s books that all show some type of  “change.” We will be using these books and what they teach us in our shared reading and writing.

Guided Reading groups will continue as will stations. Last week each student brought home their blue Guided Reading folder with either an activity or some sight words to go over at home. This folder, with their guided reading book, will come home once a week on most weeks. Please, always have your child read the book, check for an activity or new sight words, and list it on the reading log along with their other book of choice.

We will begin digraphs this week in our Word Work- /sh/, /ch/, /th/, /wh/, and /ph/.  Remember, reading these “chunks” is easier than writing them. Even some of the best readers still do not apply these in their writing. And all students should learn them to apply to all new words learned in reading and writing.  In writing, we are continuing to write complete sentences with a capital, spaces, punctuation, and best penmanship.  Also, look for 5 new spelling words this week.

Although we will always continue problem solving with addition and later on subtraction; this week in math we will be exploring 2-dimensional shapes. Everything we have done until now will continue to spiral through our lessons.

Don’t forget Monday is Blue Shirt Day – World Day of Bullying Prevention.

Thank you for your support and a great beginning to a great school year.

Mrs. Benson

Fall is finally here and a little bit of cooler weather. It is so nice outside, so this week we will be taking a nature walk to our nature center behind the campus to use our Five Senses and see what we can learn about our surroundings.

The Texas Primary Reading Inventory or TPRI is finally complete and reading groups will begin. Some of the students have begun bringing home regular trade books. List these on their reading log and if and when they read their library book, list that one also. They will get 2 stickers for that day.

Our word work this week will include reading and writing words with /s/, /l/, and /r/ blends. There will be NO spelling words this week, but penmanship will continue. We are writing about our favorite season and applying the spelling words we have learned so far.

In math, the students will be decomposing numbers. For example, how many ways can we add to get 10?

Don’t forget that school pictures are this Tuesday. Every child’s picture will be taken if purchasing pictures or not.

Hope you all have a great week!

Mrs. Benson

This week we are exploring the things around us with our 5 senses. A lot of our reading and writing will revolve around this. Talk to your child about what we can learn through paying close attention and using our 5 senses.

Your child brought home a new list of spelling words on Monday and again the test will be this week on Friday. Long vowel sounds are our focus in our word work this week and counting up using dot addition and the number line remains our focus in math, along with problem solving.

Remember to always go over your child’s papers on Mondays and check for anything that needs to be redone and returned and check the planner for any important information.

If anyone has not yet paid for their planner/folder and party dues ($10.00) please do so as soon as possible. Thanks in advance for this. Also, school pictures will be next Tuesday.

Have a great week,

Mrs. Benson

This week will be a lot of the same. We are continuing to analyze short and long vowels. Remember, these vowels don’t only have to be read but should be seen used properly in their writing. EVERY WORD HAS A VOWEL!

TPRI testing will begin. This is a mandatory Texas reading assessment that is required by our state. It is done individually and gives a lot of information on what your child knows and is still learning. Reading books will continue to come home daily. Remember to read daily with your child and sign that reading log.

In math this week we will continue problem solving with addition-joining groups. The students will use their tools available to demonstrate how they reached the answer. Also, we are comparing numbers by identifying which ones are more, less, and equal. We are beginning to use the <(less than), >(greater than), and =(equal to) symbols.

Your child should have come home with this week’s spelling words and again the test will be Friday. Please check their list along with their graded papers. Some students have a paper to “redo and return.” Please return it the next day.

We have switched from our Social Studies unit of CHAMPS behavior and rules and procedures to our Science unit of observing primary and secondary colors.

Remember, Wednesday is early release at 11:30. Have a great week!

Mrs. Benson

We are beginning our third week of school and so far everything is going smoothly. The students are working hard to be CHAMPS and I am continuing to get to know them. They are also learning my expectations for them for optimal learning.

This week in our word work we will continue examining vowels in our reading and writing. Guided Reading Stations will continue as I continue to finish testing each student for reading levels. Please continue to read with your child each and every night. If the book sent home seems too easy, then work on fluency-rate and expression. If the book seems too difficult, then read it with your child or to them. Pick out sight words and read for meaning. **What is read always needs to make sense!**

In Math this week we will continue to use the many tools available to solve for quantities in addition. Problem solving is an important part of this.

The students will receive 5  new spelling words. Always take these lists on “yellow/white writing paper” and study the words at home. The test will again be this Friday.

And as always we are continuing our Social Studies theme of being CHAMPS and using our good manners and good working habits.

I hope to see you all at Parent Orientation this Tuesday at 6:00. This is an excellent time to hear exactly how your child’s day progresses and the high expectations we have for them.

Thank you,

Mrs. Benson

I hope you all are enjoying your Labor Day Holiday. I will be enjoying the day with my family as well.

We had a great week last week and I’m looking forward to many more to come. As routines, procedures, and CHAMPS behaviors are our significant focus for the first six weeks of school, there are also many other things we will be diving off into.

This week the students will begin Guided Reading Stations as I begin to test them to see exactly where they are in their reading abilities. The books they are bringing home now are assigned more as an educated guess at their levels. Testing each one individually will give me an exact level. Their reading homework books and their guided reading groups will be determined by this level.

I will also be pretesting them orally in math to determine if there are any needs in this area. We will also begin addition with manipulatives and learn about all the many tools that are used to understand problem solving with addition.

In Word Work this week we will review beginning sounds and focus on vowel sounds.

The first 5 spelling words will be given in a preview or pretest this week. This helps me determine which words need more review. The test will be Friday. Spelling tests are not always on Friday, but many times are.

Always check your child’s planner and Roughneck folder each day for notes and messages. These are very important.

Thank you for all of your support,

Mrs. Benson

Any student who completed his/her reading and writing activities this summer needs to return them to me by tomorrow so that they can receive their award. I have been given a couple already.

Also daily reading homework starts today. Check your child’s folder for a book, reading log, and instructions on how to mark the log. Reading will be their homework every day, Monday through Friday. Thank you for helping them get into this good habit of responsibility and daily reading.

Thank you,

Mrs. Benson

Traffic was a bit congested this morning, to say the least. In order to help with this, the route across the high school parking lot will be opened back up for through traffic until 7:55. Parking will not be permitted here, but parents can pass through to drop off their children at the elementary school. Remember, school begins at 8:00. Try your best to be on time.

We had a fantastic first day of first grade and I’m looking forward to an awesome year!

Thanks for your understanding as we work the kinks out of car pick-up and drop-off.

Mrs. Benson

The first day of school is finally here! Can’t wait to get started tomorrow. I was so pleased to see each of you at Meet the Teacher and I hope everyone is ready and on time as we begin our new school year in First Grade. I’ll greet each of you at our classroom door so remember, school begins at 8:00 and dismisses at 3:00. See you then!

Mrs. Benson

School begins in just a few short days. I’m excited and I hope you are too. I welcome all of you to first grade and I hope you will use this tool to keep up to date on what we are doing in the classroom from week to week.  I hope to see you all at Meet the Teacher on Thursday, August 21st from 4:00-5:00. Don’t forget to bring your supplies so you will be ready to learn on the first day of school, Monday, August 25th. Can’t wait to meet you!

Mrs. Benson