Happy Friday!

A few reminders before they leave my memory!  Please send math game bags back on Friday if you have one at home.  If you forget on Friday, that's fine, but I NEED it back by Monday to send with a new batch of friends.  I will be starting to send the Unit 2 math game bags home after next week.  Also, I had asked that when the last Friday folder went home (last week Friday, Sept. 21) that you look through the Unit 1 math test with your child, sign it, and send it back.  The good news is I got 7 of them returned.  The bad news is I didn't get the rest of them.  If you still have your child's Unit 1 math test at home, please sign it and return it, so we can look it over together during conferences.

These last 2 weeks have been incredibly productive and "normal" in our room.  We didn't have quite as many things going on as at the beginning of the year, so it gave us a chance to really settle into our routines and start to tackle some content.  The children read a story called Todd's Box this week and then did a writing activity about what they would put into a small box, who they would give it to, and why.  The writing they've been doing is just blowing me away!  They also wrote about their favorite part of a guided reading book that I had chosen for them.  We've been writing LOTS in first grade!  Math has been filled with exploring new tools and writing number models.  We've been talking lots about clocks and time to the hour also.  Money is a big topic as we count and draw coins each morning to show how many days we've been in school.  My class has also been very interested in Roman Numerals.  They may surprise you with how much they know about them!  We took just a few fall pictures this week of the trees changing colors on campus.  We will head out to the woods in the coming weeks for even more fall color.  We've discussed family, groups we belong to, and being ourselves.  Some of the titles we've read this week were Stripes and Unique Monique.  The kids have enjoyed the stories.  Next we will move into comparing ourselves to others and then when we begin our travels to Japan in social studies, we will be comparing ourselves and our families to those in that country.

All in all, a terrific past few weeks.  It looks like the nice weather is going to hold out for another week or so!  Enjoy your weekend, and Go Pack!  Did you see that last play on Monday night???  I could hardly sleep after watching that game - just incredible.  I'm glad the regular refs. are back -

Take care,

Mrs. Ptak