Mrs. Shields' Weekly Update
1st Grade Ireland Elementary
Welcome Back and Happy New Year 2020!
Hope you all had an amazing, relaxing and joyous holiday break. After a few rounds of illness (fingers crossed we are healthy now!) my family was able to celebrate the holidays and new year at our two most favorite places in the world: the beach and Disney World! I am truly blessed and am looking forward to a wonderful start of the new year with all of you as well.
Our report cards for second quarter will be distributed later this week. After you have had a chance to look them over, please sign and return to me. I do this just to make sure they make it safely home to you and everyone has had a chance to review their child's progress so there are no surprises later on in the semester. Although there are no formal parent teacher conferences scheduled for second semester, please know that I am available to talk with you about your child's progress and any concerns you may have at anytime. Please feel free to contact me to schedule a time to meet in person or by phone.
Here is what is happening in Room 140 this week!
Our Learning Goals for this week
- Read and spell words with soft c and soft g/dge spelling pattern
- Understand Tens and Ones in two-digit numbers
- Read high frequency words any, from, happy, once, so, upon
- Read and spell words with -ed and -ing ending
- Understand cause and effect in stories using story elements, plot, character, etc.
- Make and confirm predictions in text
- Begin working on second 100 Sight Words
- Math Facts 11-15 (orange scoops)
- Write an opening, closing, and fact sentence
AR Prize Sheets
All students have the opportunity to "spend" any Accelerated Reader (AR) points they have earned this last semester on prizes/experiences. Your child will be bringing home a prize sheet with their accumulated points and overall comprehension score along with the available prizes and their "costs". Please help your child fill that prize sheet out and return to school as soon as possible so that we can schedule all of the rewards. If you have any questions, please contact me. I have attached a copy of the blank prize sheet for you to consult if needed.
CANVAS (worth repeating from last newsletter)
I have added a button below for our online learning management system, Canvas. Canvas is the tool that we use to access all online learning platforms in the classroom. It is used district wide by all of GJCS students. The kids have used it in class to practice skills. You can access it at home as well.
Students username and password are their usual numbers that we use each and everyday in the classroom, and at lunch. They should definitely have memorized these by this point in the year. If you find they have not, please let me know and I will send their information home in their green folder. Please help them memorize this information as it will follow them throughout their entire career at GJCS.
Within Canvas, you will find an announcement section where I will post this and future newsletters, announcements, and other information in addition to sending the links by email. Please feel free to explore the links in Canvas. I will assign relevant videos, games, and learning opportunities weekly. Especially important is the CLEVER link in blue along the left side of the screen. Clicking on it will provide you access to Xtra Math, iReady, ABCya, Dance Mat Typing and many more.
This system will be the vehicle that we will eventually use for E-Learning days/snow days should we institute them district wide. It is important that your child be familiar with navigating this platform. As I mentioned, we have been using it in the classroom for quite some time now so they should all be familiar with it.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. Have a great week!
Important Dates:
Jan. 20, 2020 Professional Development Day - No School
Feb. 14, 2020 Snow Make-Up Day - No School
Feb. 17, 2020 Snow Make-Up Day - No School
Mar. 18, 2020 End of Third Quarter
Mar. 23-27, 2020 Spring Break - No School
Apr. 10, 2020 Snow Make-Up Day - No School
May 22, 2020 End of Fourth Quarter and Second Semester