August 31st News and Notes

Blogging Full Speed Ahead!
Hello everyone!  I have heard from many of you regarding my blog invitation and it seems that it is working well so far!  Again, I thank you for taking the time to create your own gmail account in order to keep our blog more secure.   The kids have been talking about practicing their spelling words by using Spelling City and are really enjoying it!  This week, I will send one more printed copy of the blog home in the Friday Communication Folder.  Starting next week, please check the blog online on Fridays for the updated version.  Please let me know ASAP if you will need a printed copy.

Breakfast Is Important
We are still adjusting to being back in school again, and many of the kids are used to getting up late, eating a late breakfast, then having a normal lunch time.  Now that breakfast is happening early, they are "STARVING" by the time lunch finally rolls around at 11:00!  Please encourage your student to eat a good breakfast before coming to school each morning.  Unfortunately, there are no snacks (or naps!) in first and second grade!  Thanks!

Religion
There will not be Memory Work assigned for Tuesday, September 4th due to NO SCHOOL MONDAY in celebration of Labor Day.

Thursday (First and Second)
The Lord is faithful to all His promises.  Psalm 145:13

Friday (Second)
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.  1 John 5:21

Reading
First Grade Reading Story for the Week of September 3rd:  I Can Too!
Vocabulary:  too   it   over

Second Grade Reading Story for the Week of September 3rd:  Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea
Vocabulary:  enjoyed   company   delighted   wonderful   share   thinning

Spelling
Please look for the updated lists on Spelling City by looking for the Reading story title for the week.

First Grade Words:  dad   sad   nap   tap   sack   back   man   cat       Bonus Word:  too

Second Grade Words:  went   pet   tell   tub   hut   tug   bun   not   job   fog    Bonus Word:  wonderful

September Book Order
A book order form can be found in your child's Friday Communication Folder.  If you would like to order this month, please send order and payment back to school by Wednesday, September 5th.  Please make checks payable to the company from which we are ordering and return in an envelope marked with your child's name.

Next Week's Book Nook Topic:  Alphabet Books
If kids would like to bring in books that fit our topic each week from their home library, please make sure the book(s) are clearly marked with your child's name so they can be returned to the proper person.

This Week's Sonic Superstars:
First Grade - Aaron Logsdon
Second Grade - Kaleb Rickey

Thanks for all that you do!  Have a nice holiday weekend and week ahead!
Mrs. Bradshaw
kbradshaw@stjohnshannibal.org

August 24th News and Notes

Blog Invitations
I am including a printed copy of this week's blog in the Friday Communication Folder.  I have attempted to send a blog invitation to everyone who provided an email address to St. John's from our classroom.  Please let me know if you have not yet received an invitation by emailing me at  kbradshaw@stjohnshannibal.org. Thank you for helping St. John's save on paper and printing costs even more this school year!  Please be sure to check the blog every Friday for a new parent letter.  Let me know if there are any additional people in your family that you would want to be invited as a reader to our blog!

Religion
As part of our first and second grade Religion curriculum, I will be assigning Bible verses for the children to memorize and repeat back to me.  Verses will be said twice a week for first graders (Tuesday and Thursday) and three times per week for second graders (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) unless otherwise notified.  We will be practicing them during class time, but some additional help from home would be appreciated.  Look for the Memory Verses on the Friday parent letters.

Tuesday (First and Second)
God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.  Genesis 1:31

Thursday (First and Second)
God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.  John 3:16

Friday (Second)
The first commandment:  You shall have no other Gods.

Reading
First Grade Reading Story for the Week of August 27th:  Pam and Sam
Vocabulary:  up   not   jump

Second Grade Reading Story for the Week of August 27th:  David's New Friends
Vocabulary:  groan   different   whisper   carefully   excited

Spelling
Next Friday will be the first Spelling Test opportunity for both grades!  Please remember to check out the Spelling City website for more spelling word practice!

First Grade Words:  man   ran   can   cat   hat   mat     Bonus Word: not

Second Grade Words:  has   wag   sat   had   bad   six   if   him   will   fix    Bonus Word: whisper

Next Week's Book Nook Author:  Robert Munsch

This Week's Sonic Superstars:  First Grade - Maddie Bradshaw     Second Grade - Gabriel Foster

Thanks for all that you do!  Have a nice weekend and week ahead!
Mrs. Bradshaw
kbradshaw@stjohnshannibal.org

Book Cover for "All God's People Sing"

I always forget to add this to the beginning of the year materials list!  Many second graders like to bring in a stretchy book cover for the "All God's People Sing" song book that they are allowed to take to chapel this year.  This is not a requirement, but if your student would like to bring one in, they are welcome to, and these are readily available at WalMart in the BTS section.  The book is approximately 6" by 9".

Handwriting Helper

Attached is a copy of the handwriting style that we will be using in our classroom.  Please encourage your child to form their letters using this method.  Thank you!

Welcome Letter

August 2012

Dear Parents and First and Second Graders:

Hello!  I would like to welcome my students back to school!

First – a little background :  Three years ago,  I returned to St. John’s as the first and second grade teacher.  I previously had taught second grade here for the 1998-1999 school year, and then first grade after that for three more years.  Previous to that, I taught for two years at Holy Rosary School in Monroe City at the first grade level.  And before all of that, I graduated from Culver-Stockton College in May 1996 with a degree in Elementary Education.

After taking some time out in the business world (working for Niemann Foods in Quincy as an Equipment Buyer), I decided that I was missing the imagination and creativity that teaching brought to my days. So I returned to the field of education.  I live with my husband, Doug, and six year old daughter, Maddie in Payson, Illinois.  Maddie is a first grader in our classroom this year!

I would like the parents to know that they are always welcome to visit our room.  If you have concerns, questions, etc…please don’t hesitate to call me at school (221-0215), on my cell

(217-430-9257), or e-mail me at kbradshaw@stjohnshannibal.org.  We are working as a team to help our kids get the best education possible!

A few things to keep in mind:

1.         Please check your child’s bookbag every evening for a School Note Folder.  This folder will be sent home every evening with important all-school notes and information that often needs to be signed and returned.  Also you will find information about your child’s daily behavior inside this folder.  From time to time, the folder may contain completed work, work to be singed and returned, or work that needs to be completed and returned to school on the following school day.    Please go through the completed papers with your child.  Help explain to them any mistakes that were made.  Be sure to praise them for their really good work!  Folders need to be returned to school on the following school day.

2.         NEW THIS SCHOOL YEAR!  The Weekly Friday Parent Letter may be viewed online in “blog” form at the following address  http://www.mrsbradshawsclassroomblog.blogspot.com/  .  Other forms of reference for our classroom (handwriting samples, Book It! Forms, etc…) may be found and printed from this blog.  Also there are links to fun websites such as Spelling City where students may practice their weekly spelling lists.  If you are unable to access the blog and would like to request a paper copy of the Friday Parent Letter, please let me know.

3.         DIFFERENT THIS SCHOOL YEAR!  Due to the increase of students with various food allergies, I have decided to eliminate edible birthday treats in our classroom.  In order to still allow children to celebrate their special day in class, I am encouraging the kids to donate one favorite book to the classroom library.  Kids can write their names and birthday on the inside cover so the book will always be a representation of that special day.  Students may also have a special person come in and read the book to the class (please make an appointment with me in advance!).

Kids with summer birthdays will have “half-birthdays” (exactly six months from their real birthday).  I will contact these kids about when their birthday can be celebrated.

3.         Students will have gym class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Please make sure that they are wearing comfortable clothing, and they must be wearing tennis shoes to participate.  Kids may bring a pair of tennis shoes to school to always have on hand for gym class.  Also, we will be having Art on Friday afternoons, so kids might want to come in clothes that are not their “Sunday Best” in case of an accident!

4.         Twice a week, first and second graders will be bringing home a Reading homework assignment in a Ziploc bag.  Also included will be a note to sign and return indicating what the student is to read.  Please check your child’s bookbag  on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for this assignment.  Other regular homework in first and second grade will be Memory Work, Spelling Words (Friday tests), and Reading Sight Words which can all be found on the Friday Parent Letters.  Both first and second graders may have additional homework depending on what is not completed at school. 

5.         Much of elementary school in general involves the learning of important social skills such as good classroom behavior and getting along with others.  Our classroom uses several management plans to accomplish this goal:

            1.  The Card System – Each child has a pocket of colored index cards at the back of the classroom.  Each day every student starts with a GREEN card.  When a student needs to be reminded of their behavior he or she then turns their card to WHITE.  When a student needs to be reminded again, he or she must turn their card to YELLOW and they will sit for five minutes of their recess time.  If the student needs to be  reminded a fourth time, he or she turns their card to ORANGE and they will sit the entire recess time.  A fifth turn will result in a HOT PINK card which brings a silent lunch, loss of entire recess, and a possible visit to the principal and/or a call to parents. 

            2.  Row Prize – This is another whole class plan.  Each row in the classroom has the opportunity to earn points with good behavior throughout the school week (such as quietness, being ready first to start with the next activity, etc).  On Friday afternoon, the row with the most points gets a small prize.

I’m sure I’m forgetting something!  Please let me know if you have any questions.  I look forward to working with you this year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bradshaw

kbradshaw@stjohnshannibal.org