third quarter progress report notification

Just a heads up. Check your child's backpack tomorrow for the third quarter progress report. It is on purple paper. I just finished adding today's 2 minute time test results,so everything is up to the latest minute.

Also, remember to send in the $1 for the HONK play at the college on April 10th. So far only 4 children have brought that in.

Thanks,

March 13

Today is the end of the third quarter. Wow, time goes by quickly.

A few things to be aware of:

1. The music teacher is having the kids do a talent show if they so choose to be a part. The dates are Monday, March 23rd at 1:30 and Thursday, March 26th at 3:00. Parents are welcome to come if they want to.

2. April 10th, the second grade classes will be going to the Playmakers play at the college. The tickets are $1 each. Please send that in as you have a payday. Thanks.

3. Easter Break is April 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

4. We have begun our money chapter in math. Quite a few kids aren't even able to recognize the different coins. Please have your child dump out his/her piggy bank and just practice counting money. Practice is the only way for them to learn. Thank you for your help.

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Carolyn Olenslager

Spelling Bee

I want to send an exciting announcement!  Three of our classmates made it to the spelling bee "spell off," Kristian Corry, Nelson Jolley and Addison Pampinella. They all did really well. The boys made it into the last few rounds, Addy Pampinella won the whole school in the K, 1st, 2nd grade competition. Congratulations kids!!!!

February 20

Just a note to let you know what is going on at school.

First of all.....thanks to everyone for helping with the treats at the grandparent program. You were all great!

FYI:

1. Next week is our Green Ribbon week. Your child should have brought home the note yesterday that tells you the happenings for each day with a note attached for you to sign and return each day. Look for it if s/he didn't give it to you yet.

2. Coming up the first week of March is Parent Teacher Conference. As I did at the first of the year, those of you who have more than one child attending South will be scheduled to coordinate with the other teachers. Those who have just one child attending South, I will send home the open calendar so that you can sign up for a convenient time for you. It will be on a first come, first serve basis. Watch for it next week.

Curriculum:

Reading: Many of the guided reading groups are now in early chapter books. They are loving it. We delve a bit deeper now into vocabulary, author's purpose, foreshadowing, etc. Comprehension at a deeper level is the goal.

Language: We will begin a deeper study of prefixes and suffixes - how they change meanings of the root words.

Math: We are now on chapter 6, addition and subtraction with regrouping into the hundreds column. The students should do quite well with the strategies and background we have built in so far with the last chapter.

Science: We are still working with our weather unit. This will culminate at the end of February. I usually do this unit in January and February because of the great differences that are seen between the icy winter weather and the spring weather. This year I think the weather backfired on me. Oh, well.

Spelling: As you may have noticed, the children on the higher grade spelling words are seeing suffixes and prefixes added to your child's words. This helps them learn the spelling of the main word with the added challenge of the affixes. I'm trying to expand their little brains.

Writing: We are just finishing our winter poems. This has been a challenge for some of the kids. It requires using the language skills we have studied plus thinking and planning. BUT they did it!

Have a great week. I'll see you at Parent Teacher Conference.

Mrs. O

February 4th

I just thought I would check in with a couple of tidbits.

1. There will be no science fair for the younger grades this year. The district is not sponsoring any science fair. The 4th and 5th grades are still requiring their students to do one as part of their curriculum, though.

2. Going home tomorrow is a pink paper. Be on the lookout for it. It gives you your food assignment for the upcoming grandparent program. Just send it in with your child the morning of the program.

3, Also, the children need to dress in nice clothing for the program. Church attire or not holey jeans are okay. They can just bring their clothes and change into them after lunch if you prefer.

4. There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 16th because of President's Day.

5. Also coming home tomorrow on a purple sheet is the class list for Valentines. Due to the program, we will be handing out valentines on THURSDAY the 12th in the afternoon. The kids will just bring them that morning.

See you at the program!

January 19, 2015

First, congratulations to the students who completed all reading centers this week:

(comprehension, spelling, writing, listening)

Brody       Addy

Cache      Berkley

Colin        Emma

Kristian     Megan

Nelson

Sawyer

Tate

Jordan

*Kids aren't held accountable for centers when they are absent.

Coming home on Tuesday is the information for the spelling bee. I guess some of the rules have changed since I first sent it home last Novemberish. So if your child is interested in joining the spelling bee, please read the new rules so you are aware of the changes. Then start practicing.

Next, we really need the count on how many grandparents are coming to the program. We already started the art portraits. If the kids need to make more, we need to use every available minute to do that. Also, on Thursday we are writing the invitations for the grandparents. The kids need to know how many to write.

During our weather unit, the students will periodically be bringing home homeword-in-a-baggie homework activities. We can't do these at school. They would be destroyed the first time we put them outside. They are such fun activities that I want the kids to have the opportunity to do them. Hands-on is always the best way to learn!

Last, I have found out that we need to have treats for the grandparent program. If you can help with this, let me know. Thank you!

Mrs. O

Grandparents Program

On February 13th at 1:30 in the gym the second grade classes will be putting on a grandparents program. (Of course you are invited, too, but the honored people will be the grandparents.)

I need a count of how many grandparents will be attending so the kids can begin writing the invitations, doing the personalized writing for each grandparent, and drawing a portrait of each one.

Please contact your child's grandparents to see how many will be attending. Either email me with the number, or have your child tell me by next Tuesday.

Thank you for your help!

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Carolyn Olenslager