Mrs. Koontz's Newsletter
January 8, 2018
Important Notes
- If your child will go home a different way than usual, you will need to write a note. If I do not have a note saying they will go home a different way, I will send them home their normal way. Please do not Dojo message to tell me. I do not check my messages on Dojo until after school.
- Please, please make sure your child has a supply of pencils. I am quickly running out of pencils to loan out.
- Please remember, our day starts at 7:30. Students switch classes at 7:45. Every minute of our day is precious. Thank you.
- We will go outside for recess everyday unless it is raining, the playground is under water, or it is below freezing. Please send your child to school dressed for the weather. Our recess is 30-40 minutes long. Any students without adequate coverage will not be permitted to have outside recess.
- If you need to contact me, please use email. It is not easy to see that there is a dojo message. In addition, students sometimes see who the messages are from as dojo is displayed on the Smartboard at all times. Thank you.
- Please check the MCS web page for updates regarding possible make up days due to inclement weather. www.ncmcs.org
Language Arts Notes
Before our snow days, we started the first of many reading unit benchmark tests. These tests are designed to build student reading stamina so that EOG testing will be less stressful. These tests are from our reading Journeys series. These tests are not for a grade, but will be reviewed in class. In addition, we will also take county created benchmark tests on the computer next week. Like the unit tests, the benchmark test will not be for a grade and you will not get a report. It is for diagnostic purposes only.
In addition to these tests, we will also take a short SRI test this week so that we can establish student lexile scores. SRI tests are given three times a year to track student reading progress. These scores will be used as a guideline for students when selecting reading material and for me when creating small reading groups.
Not only will we be testing over the next two weeks, but we will also continue addressing our reading standards. This week, we will read a nonfiction selection with our focus being on text features. We will also review author's purpose and introduce some new suffixes. Next week, we will review main idea and supporting details. From now until the end of the school year we will continue to read all genres, however, we will begin to read more and more nonfiction.
In Writing, we will continue expository writing, particularly writing to persuade. Students usually enjoy this writing genre as they are given permission to argue in their writing. They seem to be very good at arguing their point of view. Based on how much student writings have improved this year, I feel confident they will all do well with this type of writing.
Social Studies Notes
We will begin the new year with a very brief review of the European colonization of North Carolina. We will then go into North Carolina's role in the Revolutionary War. After that, we will identify some state symbols, discuss North Carolina's early statehood, and begin North Carolina's role in the Civil War. The next few weeks will be filled with lots of interesting information.
Important Dates!!!
January 12 - K Kids induction ceremony (SFL cafeteria) 8:00 am (For K kids members only)
January 15 - No school for students
January 19 - Last day of 2nd quarter marking period
January 22 - Teacher Workday
January 26 - Report Cards
Contact Me!
Email: tkoontz@ncmcs.org
Website: www.ncmcs.org/sfles
Location: Sandhills Farm Life Elementary, Farm Life School Road, Carthage, NC, United States
Phone: (910) 949-2501