Happy New Year!

Welcome back! It will be a tough start since I'm sure everyone, like me, ate too much, slept too long, and did just about whatever we wanted throughout the break! Just think of all the ways you're ready to grow academically this semester!

We are starting a few new things, but keeping some of the old. It won't be anything new to homework, but rather some things we'll be doing in class. I'm just posting them all here because the tasks will reflect each student's reading and math grades.

Once a week, each student is required to complete a FASTTMath lesson. He or she when then check off the lesson each week on the sheet in our classroom. This can only be done at school, and time will be given throughout the week as long as good time management is utilized by the kids each day!

Once per month, each student is still required to complete one Reading Counts quiz for a grade using a book from his or her lexile reading level. Lexile levels can be found on many of the books you read by going to www.lexile.com.

Spelling tests will still continue in the same fashion as before break. We WILL NOT have contracts due each week. It's possible that various assignments will be given throughout the week, however. Keep in mind though, as with most homework (other than math), plenty of time is given to get a good start on the assignments if not completely done during the school day.

Let's get ready to CHUG (Choose How U Grow) through this semester! I'm so excited to see how you've all grown since August! I can only imagine how you'll continue to soar though May! See you Tuesday!

Update 12/13

McTeacher Night for Reagan Elementary will be this Thursday, December 15 at the McDonalds on Main Street from 5:00-8:00 PM! Come out to see Mrs. Hill working, and to enjoy some good ole' fashion family dinner, all while donating to our school with each purchase!!

We are not having a regular reading, math, and spelling week. Therefore, we DO NOT have any study links for math, no spelling words to study, and no basal reading story for this week. We are, however, doing many other academic activities this week before the end of these nine weeks.

We DO have a Social Studies test on Friday over Chapter 6. Pages 228-229 have been assigned for completion by Thursday so we can discuss and review in class.

We are also in the process of publishing holiday picture books. The final publications are due Thursday morning so we can share them with our first grade buddies while making reindeer food!

We also are doing character education skits in science/health this week. The skits will be presented to the class on Friday afternoon.

One RC (Reading Counts) Quiz is due by Thursday, January 4. We return to school on Tuesday, January 3, so this allows for one extra day to complete the quiz. This CAN ONLY BE DONE AT SCHOOL! However, the reading of the books can be done whenever!

Update 12/7

Thank you to all families for your donations to the CHEER fund last week! Our class came in second with 145 items for families in our community that needed a little extra help this holiday season!

I wanted to apologize for not updating the blog over the last week or so! I felt that things were a bit more smooth this week, fewer assignments, and not much going on. Therefore, I didn't even think to update the blog! Holiday time=Crazy, Fun Time!!

We have our Unit 6 math test tomorrow (Thursday)! We have been preparing for this test for weeks, but we've also spent this entire week so far working with all of the skills. Your child has a study guide that we worked a bit on yesterday and today in class, but it needs to be done by Thursday.

We DO NOT have spelling this week!

We DO have a reading quiz Friday, as we usually do, over this week's story: The Case of the Flying Saucer People. As long as your child reads along in class (we read it or listen to it at least 2 times each week), he or she should NOT have to study further. One additional reading of the story and a review of the vocabulary words might help if needed.

Everyone has one Reading Counts Quiz due for December. I will accept scores through January 4.

Update 11/28

We got off to a slow start today, but picked up pace as the day went on . . . I think a few kids were still a bit sleepy from too much rest!

We are starting a donation competition tomorrow for our CHEER committee! The class that donates the most items by Friday (see list picture), wins a pizza party! If everyone can donate just one item, we will show compassion, this month's life skill, toward other families living in Brownsburg that need our help this holiday season!

Homework: The numbers in parentheses indicate the approximate amount of time each student was given to work on each individual assignment today or when assigned.

Spelling:

1. No test this week over HOW to spell the words in the packet, but each student MUST KNOW HOW TO USE the words from the packet by Thursday (20+minutes). The packet is due Thursday, too.

Reading:

1.  Island of the Blue Dolphin reading and packet for Chapters 9-11 due tomorrow (30+ minutes). This was assigned last Monday, and time was given last week to complete.
2. Workbook pages 60-61 due tomorrow (10 minutes)

Math:

1. Study Link 6.6 for all students is due tomorrow.

Extras:

1. Reading Counts quiz scores due to Mrs. Hill by Thursday, December 1. These can only be done at school. Students have been reminded on the assignment board, orally, and via the blog about this upcoming due date.
2. Yummy Reading Book It sheets for Pizza Hut pizzas are due by Thursday, December 1, too. The students must each read 20 points for this month of December. Point values are indicated on Reading Counts quizzes after each student passes the quizzes.
3. CHEER donations are due by Friday, Decembre 2. Help our class win a pizza party!

Update 11/18

We've been writing, or I should say, comparing and contrasting our favorite family games this week and last week. Therefore, we're going to have a "Thankful for Board Games Tuesday" for about 45 minutes on Tuesday afternoon. If you'd like to bring one of your favorite games that day, perfect! Or, you are welcome to use one of the games we already have here at school. Please DO NOT bring video games or computer games.

Upcoming events and assignments:

Social Studies: Chapter 5 test on Wednesday. We will have a review packet, and we will also review in class on Tuesday.

Science: Open book test for Chapter 3 on Tuesday.

Spelling: No spelling or vocabulary this next week.

• Tuesday, November 22: Thankful for Games Tuesday
• Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 NO SCHOOL for Thanksgiving Break!
• Tuesday, November 29-Friday, December 2: Cheer Donation Drive--See the Reagan Review for more information. I will also post more information to our blog next week.
• Tuesday, November 29 Acuity Math Assessment--ISTEP predictions!
• Monday, December 5 Acuity Language Arts Assessment--ISTEP predictions!

Students Show Compassion

Jonah Kiritschenko, one of our friends and classmate, debuted on Fox 59 last Friday to celebrate his 11th birthday on 11/11/11, and to donate his time and compassion to Veterans and soldiers around the world!

Enjoy this video clip from his TV debut .  .  .

http://www.fox59.com/videobeta/d0b078c0-62b3-427e-b8ba-35878429ba9f/Community/11-11-11-Birthday-boy-s-wish

Update 11/15

Thanks to all families for your donations to the troops and veterans last week! Our class won a cookie party on Wednesday because we collected the most items at Reagan! Yum!

Our class has a chance to shop at the Penguin store on Thursday. Items range from $0.25 to $10. If your child would like to purchase any holiday gifts, please be sure they bring money on Thursday. This is the ONLY day they will be allowed to shop.

Spelling Update: We DO NOT have an actual spelling test this week. Instead, your child has a packet to practice the uses of "their", "their", and "they're", as well as "its" and "it's", and "your" and "you're". These words are just a small part of our vocabulary study that we will focus on for the remainder of these nine weeks. ***BY FRIDAY, your child needs to know how to use these words in a sentence rather than know how to spell them from memory.

Homework:

Reading:

1. Island of the Blue Dolphins packet for Chapters 7 and 8 is due Friday (along with reading the chapters, of course!)
2. Vocabulary workbook page 56-58 is due Wednesday.

Spelling:

1. Know how to use your vocabulary words (from packet) by Friday for a quiz.

Social Studies:

1. The Landing of the Pilgrims handout is due Wednesday.

Long-Term Goals:

1. One Reading Counts quiz (can only be done at school) is due by November 30. These quizzes should be over books that are at your child's current Lexile level (I shared these levels with you at conferences).