Alligator News

September 4, 2012

        

We’ve gotten off to an enthusiastic, energy-filled beginning to the school year.  Thanks to all of you who completed the forms required at the start of the school year for all students.  If you haven’t yet sent them in, please take the time to finish them so our records will be complete.

Attached you will find a copy of our general weekly schedule.  This schedule may also be viewed (in a different format) at my page on the new school web site (www.waitsfieldschool.org).  I will also post this and future newsletters on my blog (http://mralligators34.blogspot.com).  If you want to continue receiving a hard copy of the newsletter, please let me know.

Homework:  As we all try to transition our way from summer to school days while taking advantage of these last opportunities to enjoy evening daylight, I will try to ease us into the homework routine.

v There is always the expectation that each student will read a minimum of 20 minutes of self-selected material outside of school each day. This may include any combination of silent reading, reading aloud or being read to.  Reading charts are going home today and are due back Friday.  In the future a new reading chart will be sent home each Friday.

v Each student will also have ten spelling words to study each week—5 in common with his or her spelling group and five selected specifically for each student.  A spelling quiz will be given each Friday.

v Each student is also working toward fluency in basic math facts (addition and subtraction facts through 20; multiplication and division through 12).  Students will be assigned a math facts group to work on each week in preparation for a timed quiz on Friday.

v The Investigations math program sometimes requires short homework assignments that will be sent home by our child’s math teacher (either me or Ms Hale).

v For now I will also be sending home optional math and/or writing assignments, so if you or your child feel the need or desire to take on a greater challenge, these will be available.

v Reading charts will go home today; all other homework assignments will begin next week.

Book Orders:  I am sending home a selection of book order pamphlets from Scholastic.  There are two ways to order:

v Fill out the relevant order forms (including your child’s name on each form) and return them to me with a single check made to Scholastic Book Clubs to cover the total of all the items ordered.  Orders should be returned by next Friday, September 14.

v You may also order online by going to http://orders.scholastic.com/KR2C8, setting up an account and placing your order with a credit card.  The link to this site is also available on my classroom web page.

Please continue to watch for more information about upcoming events and my efforts to create some more interactive communication between home and school.  I will also be sending out a form in the coming week for anyone willing and able to offer some volunteer time on either a regular or occasional basis.

I hope your child has been sharing with you some of the things we’ve done and discussed so far this year.  If you haven’t already heard, ask about chess, Gregor the Overlander, logic number puzzles, Humpa-Dumpa, theater games, marble ramps, things we care about, subjects and predicates, magnets, Wollygoggles and skipping. 

It’s been an exciting start to a new year and I’m looking forward to a year of great growth in a wide range of areas for all the students in this class.  Thanks again for entrusting them to me each day.

So it goes,

Thom McAllister