Snack

Please don't forget that we don't provide snack to the first graders. Most of the kids have hungry little tummies by the afternoon, so I'm sure they'd appreciate a snack in their backpacks. Kids seem to do way better in school when they are happy and fed. Have a great day!

IXL at home

This year our Title 1 Department has purchased a great tool for practicing math skills. We will start doing this at school, but luckily for you the kids can access it at home as well. Please read the following information about IXL. If you need usernames or passwords, please contact me.

Your son or daughter has access to IXL at home. IXL is a math website that offers engaging problems, detailed explanations and unlimited practice. This will help your child potentially master thousands of math skills. IXL also offers cool virtual prizes for meeting math challenges, which encourages your child to spend more time practicing math.

1. Go to the website www.ixl.com

2. Enter your username and password.

3. Click on the appropriate grade level to view relevant practice skills.

4. Click on a skill to start practicing it.

5. Answer each problem. You will get immediate feedback.

6. Continuing practicing the skill until you get a mastery score of 100.

7. Click on the awards tab to view each skill that is mastered.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2011! I hope that everyone had as wonderful of a holiday as I did! It was great to see the kids back this week, ready to get started. I missed their little faces so much! We did a lot of reviewing expectations and procedures the last few days, so I think we are off to a great start. Here are a few announcements and reminders:

• Congratulations to Hailey and Jacob! They were Decembers Good Citizens.
• Yesterday I sent home the IXL log-in and passwords. Please make sure your child is getting on and practicing their math skills a few times a week. In the next few weeks, this will become homework. If their is a computer issue at home, please make sure to take advantage of the computers at the public library.
  
• I do have a few volunteer projects that can be taken home, so please let me know if you'd like to help.
• We will be doing a project in February and each child will need a cereal box. Please send in an empty box with your child.
• PTC is sponsoring "Muffins with Mom" next Wednesday January 12th from 8:35-9:00am. Hope to see all of our moms there! "Doughnuts with Dad" will follow on Tuesday January 25th.
• Please continue to check your child's Monday envelope, sign and return it. Thanks for your help!

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy and blessed 2011!

Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone has a fantastic holiday season! The kids sure got off to a great start today with our Christmas party. The book exchange was a great success, and everyone got to take home a new book. Thank you for all of your donations! The kids' eyes really lit up when they opened their new book. We also had a great time making our doughnut snowmen, although I definitely learned a few things for next time. Hopefully they weren't to squished when they came home. :) Please make sure to have your child reading over Christmas break. 3 weeks is a long time for the children to be out of school, and we don't want anybody regressing. We've worked so hard to get this far. Also, make sure you go on our new online math computer program IXL. With report cards, everyone got a username and password to use. If you have lost yours, please email me and I will get back to you. I will be checking my email every so often if you need anything. Again, have a wonderful Christmas, and enjoy spending this time with your little kiddos. I will miss them! See you next year!

Thank you for all of the wonderful Christmas presents! It was so thoughtful of you, and made me feel quite spoiled!

Book Exchange

Please don't forget to send in your book for the Christmas Book Exchange. Each child that brings a book will get to pick a new book to bring home. It can be a new or gently used in good condition. Please wrap and attach a tag that says who it is from. I need books by Wednesday, December 15th. Thanks for your help!

Christmas Party

Notes are coming home today about our Christmas Party, which is on December 17th at 2:00. Please return the paper asap if you would like to donate something to our special snack. I need to make sure we don't have too much, and that we have everything for our snack-craft that we will be making. Thanks ahead for your flexibility and helpfulness! We will also be doing a book exchange this year, so please send your book in by December 15th. This can be either a new book, or a gently used one in great condition. Check BiMart and HiSchool Pharmacy, because they have great books for only a few dollars. Every child will be then come home with a new book! We have a busy 2 weeks ahead of us as we prepare for the holidays, so here we go! :)

Good Citizens

Congratulations to McKenna Salvetti and Harliegh Riehle! They were our Good Citizens for the month of November.