Week 17 - Happy New Year!

Students learned about how NCAL helps animals find new homes.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!  We were all happy to be back together again on Tuesday after our December break.  With the weeks leading up to our break being busy with projects and special events, this week we got back into our regular routine again.   

In literacy we worked on phonemic awareness and phonics.  First graders learned the spelling for the welded sounds /ung/ and /ong/.  Second and third graders are learning about suffix spelling rules for suffix ing.  We read a Scholastic News article on Tuesday, and students wrote in their journals.  We also had reading groups and students practiced literacy skills with literacy centers and Lexia Core 5.  

During Math this week each grade completed a unit or unit section.  First graders and second graders completed unit 2 and did practice pages and a unit assessment.  Third graders completed section B of Unit 2 with a focus on area and relating area to the multiplication table.  On Friday they completed a section checkpoint before getting a start on the first lesson in the next section of unit 2.  The will complete unit two next week.  

On Thursday we traveled to NCAL to bring our donation of $197.40,  which the students raised during the month of December with the Penny Challenge.  Students had a tour of the NCAL, learned about the services NCAL provides for cats and dogs, students read to some cats, and then we walked to the barn where we were able to watch part of a riding lesson takin place.  We ended the trip by walking out to one of the paddocks to see some horses.  When we returned to school we had just enough time for students to write in their journals about the trip.

On Friday students enjoyed scrambled eggs, hash brown patties, sausage links and clementines for hot lunch along with ice cream and cookies for dessert.  In the afternoon students had Fun Friday and Chinese Lessons with Dan Peterson!

Jess Boutin will provide hot lunch on Jan. 12th.  Students will have Pizza. carrot sticks and dessert.  

Please email me your school lunch orders for the week.

A reminder that Thursday, Jan. 11th we will be traveling to Spruce Peak for our  the day of theater and outdoor recreation.  The Bus will leave Elmore at 8:30 and will return by 2:30.  On Monday I will ask who plans to ski and who plans to skate.  I am currently looking for a pair of youth size 5 (woman's 7) ice skates.  Please let me know if you have a pair you could loan or donate.  All lunches brought from home on Thursday need to be cold Lunch (no heating), as we will be eating at the performing arts center before we transition to skiing and skating.   Parent Volunteers should meet us at the "Cottage" at 12:00 - 12:15.

Students earned the second Reading Reward!  We will Celebrate with a School Dance next Friday afternoon at the Town Hall.  Students are invited to "dress" for the occasion of they would like to.  

I have updated the reading log.  Beginning next week, students will fill in the days they read during the week.  These may include weekend days.  Students should still plan to read a total of : 40 min/wk - grade 1 ; 80 min/wk - grade 2 ; and 120 min/wk - grade 3.  They may do spread this out over the entire week rather than just school nights.  I hope this helps to relieve some of the nightly stress for kids and families.   Please let me know if you have any questions.

 Other Announcements

• Library is Monday - remember to bring your books back.
• School Banking is Monday - remember your deposits.  
• Thursday, Jan. 11th- Spruce Peak Theater and outdoor recreation begins - see permission slips in student Friday Folders.  Parents:  Please use this link to sign a waiver for the Curious Place Theater Program.  
• No School - Monday, January 15th (Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)
• No School - Friday, February 2nd (teacher PD)
• Wednesday Feb. 14th - Valentine's Day Celebration.
• Feb. 16 - Mar. 5 - Winter Break
• Thursday, March 14th - Annual Elmore School Concert @6:30 pm at the Elmore Town Hall
• Wednesday, April 17th - 2nd annual Grandparents Breakfast

Students practice a Lunar New Year Yoga Story on Friday morning.