October 25 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s Firsts Grade News

October 25, 2024

Review of our week:

In math we are really working on doubles, doubles plus one and adding to a ten.  I have been seeing a lot of progress in reading.  I am very happy about that.  We wrote about what we are going to be for Halloween.

Reading:

At this point I want your child to be doing the reading for all of or most of the time, instead of having somebody read to them.  It is great if you are reading to them on top of their 20 minutes and I would like you to continue with that, but they really need to be doing their 20 minutes of reading themselves.  Reading to them will help make them better readers also. 

When your child is reading to you, please listen to the way they are reading.  We are really working on fluency and expression especially if your child is on a level F or higher.  We talk about how when you are reading it should sound like you are talking and not like a robot.  Please listen to your child and help them work on these things.  This is one of the reasons they should be reading their take home books at least 2 or 3 times. If your child is reading on a g or higher, they only need to read it 1-2 times.  I would also like them to be reading the sight word lists. If you would like some more books for your child to read at home, please let me know.

Red Ribbon Week:

I am sending home a purple paper with the dress up themes for next week.  On Friday, we can wear costumes, but no masks or face paint.  There will be a Halloween parade on the upper field at 2:45.

Carving Pumpkins:

I could still use 2-3 more dads to help with carving pumpkins next Friday at 10:00.

F.Y.I’s:

* I just wanted to thank all of you who come in and help in our            classroom it really means a lot.

•I will be sending home some addition flashcards.  It will really help them in math if they can learn these math facts.

Upcoming Events:

*October 28-November 1 – Red Ribbon Week

*Thursday, October 31 – Carve Pumpkins with dads @10:00

*Thursday, October 31 – Halloween Party @12:30

*Thursday, October 31 – Halloween Parade @2:30

*Wednesday, November 6 – Picture Retakes

*Thursday, November 7 – Celebrate Winter’s Birthday

*Tuesday, November 26 – Thanksgiving Feast

*November 27-29 – No School (Thanksgiving Break)

October 11 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

October 11, 2024

Review of our week:

I just wanted to thank everybody for coming to SEPs. I have been seeing a lot of progress in reading.  I am very happy about that. Please make sure your child is reading every night.  I hear “I forgot to read my take home book last night” a lot. I promise this will make the biggest difference with their reading. 

We made some fun Halloween writings and projects this week. 

Field Trip:

We are going to the Robinson Family Pumpkin Patch on Friday, October 25 @9:15. If you would like to come with us, we would love to have you meet us there.  There won’t be room on the bus.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

Carving Pumpkins:

I am looking for 6-7 dads to come in and carve pumpkins with us on Halloween.  We will do Thursday, October 31 at 10:00.  If you are interested and can come, help please let me know, so I know how many pumpkins to get.  Thanks

Upcoming Events:

*Friday, October 11 – End of 1st Quarter

*October 18-21 – No School (Fall Break)

*October 28-November 1 – Red Ribbon Week

*Thursday, October 31 – Carve Pumpkins with dads @10:00

*Thursday, October 31 – Halloween Party @12:30

*Thursday, October 31 – Halloween Parade @2:30

*Wednesday, November 6 – Picture Retakes

*Thursday, November 7 – Celebrate Winter’s Birthday

*Tuesday, November 26 – Thanksgiving Feast

*November 27-29 – No School (Thanksgiving Break)

September 20 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

September 20, 2024

Review of our Week:

In math we have been working on adding and subtracting with a number line. In our reading program, we are reading stories, working on nouns and spelling patterns.  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.  We have made a lot of progress since we started these interviews.  

I don’t be sending a newsletter next week because we will be meeting the next week for SEPs.

Snacks:

Today was our last day for snacks provided by our leader. If your child would like to bring a snack for themselves, they are welcome to.  Please make sure it is something healthy and not candy.

SEP’s:

If you have not signed up for an SEP, please click the link I emailed and sent out on Remind.

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 will be ready to move up a level with in the next couple of weeks.  I can tell they are reading at home.  

I am sending home a copy of the sight words that we are learning and will be learning in our reading program.  Please take some time and help your child learn these “Tricky Sight Words”.  We have learned up to “was”.

Reading Parents:

If you have done your background check and would like to start coming in next week, that would be great!!! I have included the list of who I have signed up.

Upcoming Events:

• Wednesday, September 25 – Picture Day

• September 30-October 4 – SEP Week (School will get out at 2:30, except on Friday it will be 1:30)

September 13 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

September 13, 2024

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 are working on subtracting and adding within 10.  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.    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.

Please help your child to read it and bring it back every day.

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.     If you can and would like to come in and read with us, we would love to have you. The time will be either 8:30-9:00 or 8:45-9:15, if that works better for you.   Let me know if there is a day that would work for you.  You do have to have your background check with the district.

Upcoming Events:

• Friday, September 20 – Celebrate Ezra’s Birthday

• Wednesday, September 25 – Picture Day

• September 30-October 4 – SEP Week (School will get out at 2:30, except on Friday it will be 1:30)

August 30 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

August 28, 2024

Review of our week:

I have been doing some assessing this week to see where your child is in reading. Each day, 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 ways to make 10.  

I will be gone next Thursday and Friday. I won’t be doing a newsletter next week.

Next Week’s Leaders:

Monday, September 2 – No School (Labor Day)

Tuesday, September 3 – Isabelle

Wednesday, September 5 – Maya

Thursday, September 6 – Gemma

Friday, September 7 – Mason

Monday, September 9 – Ollie 

Tuesday, September 10 – Reese

Wednesday, September 11– Ronix

Thursday, September 12 – Rylan

Friday, September 13 – Rex

Parent Readers:

We will be starting in a few weeks.  You do need to pass a background check with the district to do this.

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 soon.  Your child will be getting 1 book they can read on their own Monday-Thursday. If you would like extra books, I have some I can send home. 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 2 – No School (Labor Day)

• September 5-6 – Mrs. Bali will be gone. I will be with my boys at the Stock Show.

• Saturday, September 7 – South Family Swim Night @ the Aquatic Center6:30-8:30

• Friday, September 13 – Celebrate Rex’s Birthday

• Friday, September 20 – Celebrate Ezra’s Birthday

• Wednesday, September 25 – Picture Day

• September 30-October 4 – SEP Week (School will get out at 2:30, except on Friday it will be 1:30)

August 23 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

August 23, 2024

Review of our week:

We have our first full week of regular schedule behind us. We are still working on learning our procedures and getting into a routine.  We are really working on listening and following instructions.  I am so excited about our class and the upcoming year.  I have really enjoyed getting to know your child.  There are a few things I wanted to remind you about as well as some things coming up.

Raz Kids: 

If you have not checked out the website or downloaded the app, please do so.  I sent home a log in paper with the information on it at Back to School Night.

Preps:

We have P.E. on Tuesdays.  Please send your child with appropriate clothes and shoes.  

Forms Online:

If you have not done this, please do so ASAP.  If you still have questions, email or call Mrs. Griffith in the office.

FYI:

* If your child has not turned in the papers, I sent home please do so    ASAP.

* Thank you to those of you who donated things off of my Amazon wish list as well as the items from Back to School Night. You were very generous.

* Remember school starts at 8:50 please have your child here before that. We do Bell Work each morning until 9:00. I have several who are not getting it finished.

Upcoming Events:

• Monday, August 26 – Celebrate Braysen’s Birthday

• Friday, August 30 – Celebrate Taviah’s Birthday

• Monday, September 2 – No School (Labor Day)

• September 5-6 – Mrs. Bali will be gone. I will be with my boys at the Stock Show.

• Saturday, September 7 – South Family Swim Night @ the Aquatic Center6:30-8:30

• Friday, September 13 – Celebrate Rex’s Birthday

• Friday, September 20 – Celebrate Ezra’s Birthday

• Wednesday, September 25 – Picture Day

• September 30-October 4 – SEP Week (School will get out at 2:30, except on Friday it will be 1:30)

Here is a list of snacks for the next several of weeks. Please send

24 snacks.  If you can send prepackaged snacks, that will help a lot. We have several allergies, so please do not send anything with nuts or nut butters. If you are unable to send a snack, please let me know. Thanks!!

Monday, August 26 – Braysen

Tuesday, August 27 – Emmett

Wednesday, August 28 – Ezra

Thursday, August 29 – Fynn

Friday, August 30 - Taviah

Monday, September 2 – No School (Labor Day)

Tuesday, September 3 – Isabelle

Wednesday, September 5 – Maya

Thursday, September 6 – Gemma

Friday, September 7 – Mason

Monday, September 9 – Ollie 

Tuesday, September 10 – Reese

Wednesday, September 11– Ronix

Thursday, September 12 – Rylan

Friday, September 13 – Rex

Monday, September 16 – Samantha 

Tuesday, September 17 – Skylar

Wednesday, September 18– Winter

Thursday, September 19 – Wyatt

August 16 Newsletter

Mrs. Bali’s First Grade News

August 16, 2024

Review of Our Week:

We have had a great week getting to know each other and learning procedures.  We have also done some pretty fun activities this week.  Next week we will be starting into our regular schedule with I-Ready Math and our CKLA reading program.

FYI:

We have our AC up and running.  You might want to send a jacket with your child.  We sit right under the vents and some of the kids get cold.  

Leader and Snacks:

Each day we will have a leader and I would like that leader to bring a healthy snack to share with the class.  They are still adjusting to being back in school and they get hungry during the day.  Please send 24 snacks.  If you can’t send a snack, just let me know.  If your child would like to bring their own snack, they are welcome to do that.

Monday, August 19 – Addie

Tuesday, August 20 – Anastin

Wednesday, August 21 – Ari

Thursday, August 22 – Elanor

Friday, August 23 - Emi

Upcoming Events:

• Monday, August 26 – Celebrate Braysen’s Birthday

• Monday, September 2 – No School (Labor Day)

• September 5-6 – Mrs. Bali will be gone. I will be with my boys at the Stock Show.

• Saturday, September 7 – South Family Swim Night @ the Aquatic Center6:30-8:30

• Friday, September 13 – Celebrate Rex’s Birthday

• Friday, September 20 – Celebrate Ezra’s Birthday

• Wednesday, September 25 – Picture Day

• September 30-October 4 – SEP Week (School will get out at 2:30, except on Friday it will be 1:30)