Happy New Year!

Happy Snow Day!  I hope your family is staying warm and enjoying the unexpected time together. I am completing a course that I began over the vacation and didn’t have time to finish.  I’m excited about trying some new ideas in the classroom this year!

It seems like our vacation was so long ago now!  I hope you all had time to relax and “recharge your batteries” over the break.  I had a wonderful time with my twins, who are 27 and were both able to return for a visit.  Words of wisdom:  Cherish the time your little ones are still in your home!  

Homework:

This week we had a modified homework routine- we are starting a new unit in math, and by next week students will have some strategies for Adding 2-digit Numbers, so I can send home a game to play!  Spelling work continues, and I can see the results in students’ writing already.  Reading expectations will increase to 20 minutes per night, but there is always flexibility in whether this is spent in read alouds, independent practice or using Raz Kids or Lexia.

Sharing:

We have been doing much of this in class informally, but I would like to begin a weekly topic and assigned dates so students can have opportunities to share about their opinions and interests in a deeper way.  Your child’s day is on this Schedule, but they may pick any week in January for their share.  This month the topic will be “Someone they admire”.  This could be a family member, someone in the community, or someone not so close to home...There are interesting biographies on two sites links from our HH web page under “For Students” … Enchanted Learning and Encyclopedia Britannica. I will send home a suggested format for this share on Friday, January 5.

Winter Gear:

Thank you for sending in all appropriate winter gear, as well as the handy cloth bags!  Remember to include: shoes (for classroom use), boots, mittens, hats, coats and snowpants.  We will definitely need them now!! Stay warm!!!

Temporary Substitute:

You may hear about a substitute Teaching Assistant we have in our classroom … and it’s a familiar name to many:  Ms. Russo is actually Heather Russo, Deb Russo’s daughter!  She is on break from school in Maine and filling in for just 2 weeks while Julie Pond visits HER daughter in Virginia.  Small world!