Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all the parents who sent something in for our Fall Celebration. The students absolutely enjoyed all of the yummy snacks. I think I did too.
Just a reminder: We have our Field Trip to Fernbank next week. Please let me know if you would like to come. There is room on the bus. Parents will have to pay $13.00 at the door when we arrive.
We are in desperate need for copy paper. So, if you are feeling generous please help us out.
Nicholson has begun an exciting, new math game that can be played on the computer at school and home.It’s called First in Math and it is designed to raise math achievement and understanding.On Wednesday, your child brought home the log in and password card that can be used to log in from home to play the games.Here is the link:
Field Trip Permission Slip and Money: Due Tuesday, October 20th
We have received seven orange permission slips and payment envelopes. Thank you, parents! If you have not brought yours, remember that tomorrow is the due date. After that, we will know if we can pay for the field trip to Fernbank or have to cancel. Without your parent's written permission, we can't take you on the trip. Bring those permission slips back!
As we begin this next nine weeks I would like to remind you of some of the expectations for reading and math. The students should be practicing addition and subtractions facts. This is so important as the students work on more complicated problems. I hate to watch them get the difficult concept correct and then mark a problem incorrect because of a basic fact that is not right. I try to give the timed tests once a month. Some students are making steady progress and others not any. Flash cards or computer practice will help with this.
Many students are working to make that move into more extended chapter style books. If your student is reading at 2.5 or above on AR tests then he/she should be able to find AR books that are a little more lengthy. This "sustained reading" is an important skill for building comprehension. I also want the students to have a balance of fiction and nonfiction in their reading. Sometimes a student may need to read non-fiction at a lower level because the concept and vocabulary may be unfamiliar as well as learning how to use nonfiction text features (captions, graphs, diagrams, index, headings......).
It's hard to believe that next week is the end of this first nine weeks! We will spend some time reviewing and assessing. Report cards will come home the following week.
Compliments to all of the students! They have done a great job with getting their homework completed neatly and turned in on time. As they year progresses, we will add some other activities to the homework. Note that this week they have to identify vowels and consonants and the subject of a sentence.
Keep practicing those "no excuse" words. A good way to practice spelling is to let the students briefly look at the word and then write it from memory. Spelling is a visual skill that needs to be developed. Just copying the word over and over OR spelling it orally doesn't always do the trick. At this point in the year I need the students to try to apply spelling skills based on long or short vowel sounds. I talk about "good mistakes" like attempting to spell "boat" "bote", rather than "bot". That shows me that they are applying the knowledge that most long vowel sounding words will have two vowels.
Have a great week.........I enjoy my days with your children!
I was very happy to see everyone back at school last Thursday. We were very sad to hear that one of our very own schools found itself underwater. Clarkdale Elementary lost everything. We are trying to help by donating any supplies that we can. If you would like to help please send in school supplies for students and teachers. Thanks. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated.
Friday is movie night. Space Buddies was the winning choice. Everyone will enjoy this family film and night at Nicholson.
Mark you calendar now for Tuesday, September 22. There will be a spaghetti dinner followed by math games. The dinner will be by reservation so be on the look out for those papers to come home this week.
Thank you for all that you do to make your child a success in school!