September 23 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

September 23, 2022

Review of our Week:

In math we have been working on taking apart, taking from and subtraction in story problems. In our reading program, we have started reading stories.  We finished our interviews. I will have the pages your child wrote put together in a book at SEPs.  I am very impressed with the writing abilities of each of the students.  

SEP’s:

I am sending home a paper that tells you when your SEP is.  I need you to sign it and mark if you can make your appointment or not.  If you can’t make it please let me know as soon as possible, so I can reschedule it.  We coordinated with other teachers, so please try to make your appointment.  Remember school gets out everyday at 2:30, even on Friday.

Homework:

It is very important that your child is doing their reading for 20 minutes every night. I really need you taking the time to listen to your child read.  I have several who have already moved up a level and several who will be ready to move up a level with in the next couple of weeks.  I can tell they are reading at home.  

I just wanted to let you know, you don’t have to turn your child’s math packet in.  I am not grading it for homework.  You can turn them in, but you don’t have to.  I just wanted to send them home as some extra practice, if you wanted to have your child do it.  It has helped review and pre-teach some of these math concepts. I will do this with each chapter.

Book Orders:

I am sending home a book order.  If you would like to order books, there is a link at the bottom of my emails.  I will be submitting the order next Thursday, September 30.

Snacks:

We finished with our snacks and we won’t be doing them next week. If your child would like to bring their own healthy snack to eat at recess, they can.  Please, don’t send candy.

Upcoming Events:

• October 3-7 – SEP Week (School gets out at 2:30 every day.)

• Wednesday, October 5 – Celebrate Knox’s Birthday

• Friday, October 14 – End of 1st Quarter

• Friday, October 21 – No School (Teacher Day)

• Monday, October 24 – No School (Fall Break)

• Thursday, October 27 – Celebrate Lucy’s Birthday

• Friday, October 28 – Celebrate David’s Birthday

• Monday, October 31 – Halloween 

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

September 16, 2022

Review of our week:

Each day we interview the leader and I am really seeing some improvement in our writing.  We have also been working on sentence structure.  We started our next chapter on subtraction.  I am very impressed with each student’s math abilities.  I will be sending home the homework packet.  This does not have to be turned in.  It is great practice, if you would like to have your child do it. We have started reading stories in our readers.

Homework:

You and your child need to be reading for 20 minutes every night. We started the Take Home Library this week.  These books are on your child’s independent reading level, they should be reading them to you.  They may seem easy and that is because they are or they should be.  They are one level lower than where I have them instructionally.   I would like your child to read the book a couple of times.  After they have read the book have them tell you what happened in the book and ask them some questions about the book for comprehension.  I did the assessments over the last couple of weeks to find their reading level.  By the time we meet for SEPs, some of them will be ready to move up.  Please, be patient with their take home book level, it takes a while for me to read with them when they are ready to move.  If your child is on a higher reading level, they won’t move through the levels as fast.

Sight Words:

I will be or already have sent home a list of sight words for your child to practice.  Once they can read these words fluently, they will be able to read all the books on their reading level.  Many times, it is the sight words that hold their progress back.  I would really appreciate it if you would help them with these words.  There are 11 different lists.  If your child doesn’t bring one home, they have passed all of the words. I am also sending home a list of sight words that are in our stories we are reading in class.  Please help your child practice these words as well.

Reading Helpers:

I would like to start having parents come in and read with the class in 2 weeks. They can be moms, dads or grandparents.   I have included a list of the parents who signed up to come in and read.  If you can and would like to come in and read with us, we would love to have you.  Let me know if there is a day that would work for you.  

Reminders & FYI:

Our day to exchange take home books is on Tuesday.  If they turn them in on Wednesday, they still won’t be changed until the next Tuesday.  Also, I would like your child to keep reading the books until the next Tuesday. The repetition will be good for their fluency.  If you would like more books, please let me know and I can send some home.

Leaders for next week:

Monday, September 19– Gracie

After this, I will finish up the extra snacks and then your child can bring one if they would like a snack.

Upcoming Events:

• Wednesday, September 21 – Fall Pictures

• October 3-7 – SEP Week (School gets out at 2:30 every day.)

• Wednesday, October 5 – Celebrate Knox’s Birthday

• Friday, October 14 – End of 1st Quarter

• Friday, October 21 – No School (Teacher Day)

• Monday, October 24 – No School (Fall Break)

• Thursday, October 27 – Celebrate Lucy’s Birthday

• Friday, October 28 – Celebrate David’s Birthday

• Monday, October 31 – Halloween 

Reading Volunteers

10:30-11:00 or 8:45-9:15

Monday – Leslie Bird

Tuesday – Kass Smith, Neisha Hawkins, Makell        Bulloch

Wednesday – 

Thursday –Karli Melling

Friday – Tessi Wood

September 2 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

September 2, 2022

Review of our week:

I have been doing some assessing this week to see where your child is in reading. In the afternoon, we interview our leader and each child then writes something about the leader and draws a picture.  When we finish each student will have a book they have made with a page about each person in our class.  I am very excited to see how much each child has improved in their writing abilities.  In math we have been working on adding 0 and adding digits in any order and ways to make 9 & 10.  We will have our first math text next week. 

Next Week’s Leaders:

Monday, September 5 – No School (Labor Day)

Tuesday, September 6 – Gunner

Wednesday, September 7 – Averie

Thursday, September 8 – Mack

Friday, September 9 – Shams

*When your child is the leader please send a healthy, prepackaged snack for the class.  If you can’t provide a snack please let me know, so I can get something. 

Homework:

Your child should be reading every night. At this point their reading time can be a combination of them reading and you reading to them.  I know some of you are reading the full 20 to your child and that is great.    

We will be starting our Take Home Library next week.  Your child will be getting 3 books they can read on their own. We will get new books on Tuesdays.  Please make sure your child has them read and ready to turn in each Tuesday. Raz is also a great resource to be using.

Reading Records:

I have included the reading record for September. The reading record is due by the date at the bottom.  Please, take the time to help your child with their reading.  They need to color an apple for each day they read for 20 minutes.  Thanks

Upcoming Events:

• Monday, September 5 – No School (Labor Day)

• Tuesday, September 6 – Celebrate Gunner’s Birthday

• September 8-9 – Mrs. Bali will be gone. I will be with my boys at the Stock Show.

• Monday, September 12 – Celebrate Kol’s Birthday

• Monday, September 12 – PTA Family Fun Night (5-8)

• Wednesday, September 21 – Fall Pictures

• October 3-7 – SEP Week (School gets out at 2:30 every day.)

• Wednesday, October 5 – Celebrate Knox’s Birthday

• Friday, October 14 – End of 1st Quarter

• Friday, October 21 – No School (Teacher Day)

• Monday, October 24 – No School (Fall Break)

• Thursday, October 27 – Celebrate Lucy’s Birthday

• Friday, October 28 – Celebrate David’s Birthday

• Monday, October 31 – Halloween Party