November Reminders from Mrs. Paget…

*Thank you to all of you who have already placed book orders or sent in donations for Timothy’s Toybox!  To date, we have collected $122 – thank you for the fabulous response!!!  All the book orders placed thus far have totaled just over $110.  When combined with our TTB donations, it puts our class in the 2^nd highest bonus point earning bracket; that means approximately 3000 bonus points worth of FREE books for TTB.  Wow!!  I will be ordering books for approximately 75 children ranging in ages from infant to 16 years using the monies collected from Room 13 as well as the $250+ collected at our Family Literacy Night last spring.  I am sure I will have quite a collection to share with the children when the books arrive.  The children will assist me in sorting the books by age and gender.  I am extending the deadline to Monday Nov. 18^th so if you would still like to order books or make a donation, please do so by then.  Participation in our TTB collection is completely optional.

*Please let me know ASAP if your child will not be in school on Tuesday November 26th. Our 1st Thanksgiving play rehearsals are well underway. Family members of students who will not be in school on November 26th or family members who are unable to attend our play on Nov. 26th, are welcome to attend our dress rehearsal on Friday November 22nd from 11-11:30am. Please let me know if you will be attending our dress rehearsal so I can plan accordingly. Also, please let me know if there will be NO family members present on Nov. 26th…

*Each child will need 2 small snack containers, with secure lids, labeled with their name, to transport food items home from our activity centers on Nov. 26th.   The containers should be big enough to hold ½ cup of relish and/or homemade butter.  Please send containers to school on or before November 26th. 

*We are still in need of supplies for our activity centers following the play on the 26^th.  We are all set for volunteers for this day.

*a small celebratory snack (mini muffins, donut holes…) - enough for 20 students

*3 half pints of heavy cream

*4 bags of cranberries

*4 lge. Oranges

*4 c sugar

Fun ways to practice your weekly word study words!

Here's a web tool I have been experimenting with since my T21 course last year.  I used the site, fotobabble.com, to create the following audio recording of myself explaining 3 different ways to have fun with your child while practicing weekly word study words.  I hope you find it helpful!

Today's Number Screencast

Another web tool I learned about in my T21 course was screencasting.  I used the site educreations.com to create the screencast above called, "Today's Number".  "Today's Number" is an activity the children learn about in the Investigations Math Curriculum. In first grade, there are several opportunities to teach children how to represent a number, such as 12, in a variety of ways.  In this screencast, I will demonstrate how to complete the "Today's Number" activity just as I would demonstrate it to the children during math class.  

I hope you find that this screencast opens a window into a typical math lesson in first grade. As you glance through your child's math workbooks that will be coming home shortly, look for evidence of their growth with the "Today's Number" activity.