Week of 5/14 – 5/18

First, Happy Mother’s Day to you, all of you great moms out there!  I hope you are enjoying your special day!

 

Can you believe it is the next to last week of school?  Wow!  There are a lot of events and changes coming up, so let’s start with the “classroom” announcements:

 

-This is the last week for homework.  There is no formal homework menu, but I did assign two math lessons on triple digit subtraction.  They are optional.  More homework information can be found on the homework page!

 

-We have concluded our Words their Way / spelling lists for the year – no new words will be given this week or the next.  The students did take final spelling placement tests last week – these are not used to place students in groups for next year.  They are used to show growth, and additional information for next year’s teacher.  They will be given another spelling placement test again at the beginning of the next school year.

 

-We are still chugging along in Language Arts, Math, and Science!  Check the pages to see what we are learning this week!

 

School-wide events:

 

-Monday, 5/14:  We have a School House Rock Assembly (not the music concert…an event for the students) in the morning, and Art Masterpiece in the afternoon.

 

-Tuesday, 5/15:  K-2 Music Concert (see Ms. Ball’s website for more information).

 

-Thursday, 5/17:  First and Second Grade Field Trip to Arizona Science Center (chaperones going for our class:  Connie Lapujade, Kristina Kai, Nicole Hubbard, Mary Traub, Rachel Vogel).  I will be getting more info (itinerary, what to bring, etc.) that I will pass on to you shortly.

 

-Tuesday, 5/22:  Learning Celebration

 

-Thursday, 5/24:  Last day of school, field day (more info to follow)

 

Have a great week!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 5/7 – 5/11

Howdy, families!  The kids worked really hard on their benchmark tests last week, and finished them on Friday.  Because of this, we are going back to our regular schedule of learning!  Homework is assigned, and all of the subject pages have been updated.  We still have MAP tests to finish, as well as final spelling placement tests (so there are no new spelling words this week), so still send your child to school well-rested and with a nice morning breakfast!

 

See the following for the upcoming events this week:

 

-Wednesday, 5/9 – Early release day (11:30)

 

-Friday, 5/11 – All SRC and Library books due back in.  We will not be testing on any incoming books, because our computers are being used for MAP testing.  So students can finish the book they have at their leisure, and bring it in by Friday.

 

Next week:

 

-Tuesday, 5/15:  First grade music concert (see Ms. Ball’s web page for more information)

 

-Thursday, 5/17:  First and second grade field trip to AZ Science Center (more information, as well as chaperones going, coming very soon).

 

Final week of school:

 

-Tuesday, 5/22:  Learning Celebration

 

-Thursday, 5/24:  Last day of school / field day

 

Have a GREAT week!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 4/30 – 5/4

Hello families!  I hope everyone is well.  We had a great week of learning last week, especially as we learned more about human body systems.  We also made wonderful nature paintings after a neat Art Masterpiece lesson from Mrs. Gauerke.  Spirit week was also a blast!  It was so fun seeing all of the crazy hats, hair, and costumes students wore each day.  What creative kids!

 

May is around the corner!  There are many things going on this week and the next, in the classroom AND school-wide, so please read the following announcements and notes:

 

-MAP testing (the tests students take on computers) and Benchmark testing (paper tests in reading/language arts and math) will be occuring this week and next week.  Please send your child to school with a full night’s sleep and a good breakfast in his/her tummy!  Benchmark testing usually only takes a week;  MAP testing usually takes two full weeks, because it is administered individually on computers (each student takes 4 tests, not all at once, but separately- usually each 20 minutes long – 24 students – two classroom computers).  How does it make the next two weeks a little different?

- Homework will be minimal for this week, due to testing.  Only reading logs are due, and students with writing assignments can write on a topic of their choice.  Homework will go back to normal next week.

-Although no new concepts will be taught / reviewed in some subjects, progression spelling, science, and math facts will remain the same.

-I’d really like to keep the computers open all day for MAP testing, so SRC will be halted for this week.  Depending on how many MAP tests are completed this week, we may continue SRC again next week.  Please suppliment reading at home with other books if needed.  If you signed up to help out for SRC, no need to come in this week, but if you would like to visit and help out with other things, you are always invited!

 

-You may have noticed a field trip permission form and letter in your child’s folder this week.  The first and second grade classes are going to the Arizona Science Center on May 17th.  If you would like your child to go, please send in the permission slip with the amount due on May 4th.  If you are interested in volunteering as a chaperone for a student group, please indicate so on the form.  I will let you know which parents are chosen after May 4th – I will try to choose parents who have not gone on a trip yet .

 

-We are going to start another research assignment in science, similar to the mammal research we created last quarter.  This time around, students have chosen a MEDICAL INVENTION to research!  A letter explaining the research assignment, as well as the first part of the assignment, will be in your child’s folder Monday night.  This assignment is much smaller than the mammal project (only 3 parts).

 

-Finally, the Gifted website is also updated with two new articles.  The Gifted Article of the Week is about how to prepare your gifted child for school next fall, and the Love and Logic article is about how to tackle homework battles.  Good reads!

 

Have a great week, families!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 4/23 – 4/27

Howdy, families!  I hope everyone is enjoying the sunny weekend!  The website is updated and homework is assigned.  We had a great week of learning last week, even though I was absent on Thursday.  Because of this, we are a little bit behind in science, but we will still go full-speed-ahead and learn more body systems this week.  The students seem to really enjoy this topic, and I thank parents/students that have shared some cool resources with us, unasked!  Thanks again, everyone, for reinforcing what is learned in the classroom, at home.

 

Classroom news:

 

-Our classroom will be having Art Masterpiece this week, on Wednesday (thanks to Mrs. Gauerke for setting it up!).  The students will be doing an outdoor painting project, so be sure to pack an “art shirt” that day, or have your child wear clothes that you don’t mind being “colorful” at the end of the day.

 

-Any donations of white drawing paper, in any size or format, would be appreciated for the upcoming art masterpiece project, and for other upcoming classroom projects.

 

School-wide news:

 

-This week is Spirit Week at San Tan!  Special dress-up days include:

Monday:  Crazy hair day

Tuesday:  Career day

Wednesday:  Opposite day

Thursday:  Sports day

Friday:  Crazy hat day

As a reminder, students are welcome to participate in dress-up days as long as it does not become a distraction .   I can’t wait to see what everyone does!

 

-This Wednesday, 4/25, is an early-release day.

 

-The last round of benchmark and MAP testing for the year will begin next week (can you believe May is around the corner?).

 

Have a GREAT weekend, and a SUPER week ahead!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week of 4/16 – 4/19

Hello families!  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  Homework is assigned and the website is updated, so check out what we’re learning this week!  We are starting our science unit this week, but we do have a few social studies projects to finish up as well.

 

Some reminders:

 

-4/20:  Parent surveys due, no school

 

-4/21:  STLC Golf Tournament…We are still taking donations for the 1st grade raffle basket.  Anything “cooking” related will go with our theme (think cookbooks, spices, kitchen supplies, etc.)!

 

 

Have a great week!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

 

 

Week of 4/10 – 4/13

 

Happy Monday, families!  I hope everyone has enjoyed their long four-day weekend.  The website is updated and homework is assigned for the fun week ahead!

 

Notes about our class:

 

-You may notice, for the remaining weeks of school, that we are reviewing topics in grammar.  The last weeks will be a complete review of all grammar topics that we’ve learned this year, so they stay in long-term memory over the summer.  Students will still be tested on these topics, about every other week.

 

-This is the last week of our American People social studies unit. The students really enjoyed learning about Native Americans, Pilgrims, and the colonists.  Hopefully this excitement will transfer over into later years, as they study these topics with more depth!  For our last week, we are jumping ahead to Westward Expansion, and what frontiers are left for us today.

 

-As temperatures increase, please remember to send a waterbottle to school with your child.  Remember to put names and initials on all containers to prevent misplacement.

 

Other school-wide notes:

 

-4/12:  Noetic Math competition at school

-4/13:  San Tan Bounce U Night

-4/19:  Lunch orders due

-4/20:  Parent surveys due

-4/21:  STLC Golf Tournament

 

Have a GREAT week!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 4/2 – 4/6

Hello families!  The website is updated and homework is assigned.  Click on each subject to see what we are learning this week!

 

Some notes:

 

-There is no school this Friday, 4/6, and no school Monday, 4/9.

 

-The first grade team would like to thank those who have contributed to our basket for the Golf Tournament raffle!  We are still looking for items related to our “cooking” theme.  We’ve gotten some neat cookbooks and kitchen gadgets so far.  Any donations are welcome!

 

-The Environmental Committee is still collecting old sneakers for their Shoe Drive.  If you have any old athletic shoes around, please drop them off at the school.

 

-Be sure to check out the Gifted Webpage on the San Tan site.  Gifted articles and Love and Logic articles are updated weekly.  Check out this week’s article on gifted children and sensitivity http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/gifted/article-of-the-week/ .

 

Have a great week!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 3/26 – 3/30

Happy Monday, families!  The website is updated and homework is assigned.  We had a great first week back from Spring Break, and we plan to keep the momentum going!  Check on each page to see what we’re covering this week.

 

Our golf tournament is just around the corner and each grade is putting together themed gift baskets for the silent auction. Funds raised will go directly to our Growing Brilliance program, which helps fund the teachers and staff at San Tan Learning Center. The kiddos are very excited to help with this. If each parent could donate anything related to our classroom theme, that would be wonderful.

 

1st Grade

Theme: Cooking

This will be a great gift for the chef, cook and kitchen-lover that you know. This basket could be filled with all the ingredients to help a cook transform into a chef!!! Suggestions include cooking utensils, recipe books, specialty cooking wines, a gift card to Crate and Barrel or a specialty cooking store, an apron, cookie sheets and anything that would help this chef enjoy the kitchen!!!

 

Other notes:

 

-Wednesday, 3/28 is an early release day.

 

-We are continuing our American History unit in Social Studies.  We learned about a few Native American tribes, and how they were alike and different – homes, food, culture, customs.  We are so lucky to live in a state rich with Native American culture, artifacts, and ruins – if your family has ever visited any special history-related sites, I always encourage students to share pictures and their experiences as we learn about a unit!  This is a recent national monument I went to, the Wutpatki National Monument, on the way to the Grand Canyon http://www.nps.gov/wupa/index.htm for those families looking for a little educational field trip!  It’s a great way to bring what they are learning to life.

-The Arizona Association of the Gifted and Talented is holding its annual Parent Conference this Saturday 3/31.  The conference includes seminars on social and emotional development, balancing family life, creativity, the gifted brain, advocating for your child, gifted with learning challenges, and its a great way to network with other parents!  For more information, go to  http://arizonagifted.org/events/institute.aspx.

 

Have a super week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

 

Week of 3/20 – 3/23

Hello families!  I hope everyone is continuing to enjoy Spring Break.  I have updated the website and homework for next week already, so feel free to browse!

 

We’ll be picking up right where we left off last week.  We have new stories and concepts to cover in Language Arts, and we’ll be diving into our time and temperature topic in math.  We are also starting our new Social Studies unit on U.S. History, which, over the next few weeks, will take a glance at the past Native American cultures of North America, early settlers (the Pilgrims), later colonists and the Revolutionary War, and Westward Expansion.  That is  a lot of history to cover in a few short weeks, but remember that this is an introduction to these topics and time periods.  We have many engaging projects planned for this unit!

 

Remember that there is no school on Monday, March 19th, due to a teacher inservice day.

 

Copies of Q3 and Q4 ILPs will be in your child’s folder sometime this week.  Thank you all for taking time to meet with me!

 

Have a great rest-of-the-break, and see you Tuesday!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 3/5 – 3/9

Hi families!  Can you believe this is the last week of Quarter 3?  Time has flown by!  Because it is the last week before Spring Break, there are many events happening this week.  Here are some announcements and reminders of what is going on in our classroom, and at STLC:

 

-The website is updated, and homework is assigned.  Even though it is a shorter week, we still have new things to learn and concepts to master!  We are finishing up Topic 14 in math and learning new concepts in literacy / language.  Words their Way spelling lists will start up again after spring break.  We are finishing up past science and social studies projects so they can be showcased during the learning celebration.  On Friday, Mrs. Gauerke is going to be our guest Art Masterpiece teacher, and the students will create a “trompe l’oeil” project.  What a fun finale to the week!

 

-Our Quarter 3 Learning Celebration is this Tuesday, March 6th.  Please park and visit our room!  The students will have their mammal poster, as well as a physical/political map of an island and other projects on display.  Even though it is advertised at 3:30, remember that first grade dismissal is at 3:00, so you may visit our classroom at the earlier time.  If your child has older siblings, please try to visit our room first, as older students have a later dismissal time.  At 4:00, I will have to take down the projects in order to prepare for the next school day, so please try to come beforehand to see your child’s projects.

 

-ILP meetings will be held LATE Wednesday (evening of the 7th), and before and after school Thursday and Friday (8th and 9th).  Please sign up for a spot via Sign-Up Genius if you have not done so.  If any of the available times are difficult for you to make, please contact me so we can reschedule.  The ILP agenda will be sent to you shortly!  I look forward to meeting with you this week.

 

-While attending the Learning Celebration and the ILP meetings this week, make sure to stop by STLC’s Spring Book Fair!  The Book Fair will be going on from March 6-9.

 

Have a SUPER week, and a great Spring Break!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 2/29 – 3/2

Hello, families!  The website is updated and homework is assigned.  Many exciting things are coming up this week; here are some reminders and announcements!

 

-Wednesday, February 29th is an early-release day (and Leap Day).  Registration for the 2012-2013 school year is also due that day.

 

-Friday, March 2nd is the all-school field trip to Higley Performing Arts Center.  No hot lunch will be served that day, so please have students bring a packed lunch and a snack they can eat later in the afternoon.  Please have students wear their green STLC shirts that day as well.  Our parent volunteers for this trip will be Ms. Traub and Ms. Button.  Thanks to all that signed up to volunteer!  Hopefully we can squeeze in one more field trip for Quarter 4, so I can bring other parent volunteers who have not gone on a field trip yet.  For more information on this trip, please contact Ms. Ball.

 

-Students completed their math benchmarks this week, and will be resuming their math topic on capacity and weight.  Units of measurement in capacity (gallons, quarts, pints, cups) can be tricky for students to remember, but there is a neat story that students can use to remember these units – check out the math page!

 

-We are now working on our language benchmarks this week.  Because of this, there are no language reteaching worksheets on the homework menu this week.  We are also reviewing past lists and review testing in spelling this week.

 

-We are putting together all of our mammal project research this week.  If your child is missing any sheets, I will be emailing them to let them know what they are missing.  Any missing sheets will be due on Thursday (when we are putting our posters together).

 

-Can you believe Quarter 3 is almost over?  Time flies fast!  This also means ILPs are coming up (week of 3/5 – 3/9).  Look out for a schedule sign up and the agenda for this round of meetings sometime this week.

 

-Looking ahead:  Next week (Tuesday, 3/6), will be our Learning Celebration event afterschool!  More information to come.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 2/21 – 2/24

Happy Presidents’ Day, families!  The website is updated, and homework is assigned.

 

This week, we are beginning the first of the benchmark tests for the end of quarter 3.  The students will be completing their math benchmarks this week, and completing their language benchmarks next week.

 

Because of the math benchmarks this week, we are pausing our math topic on capacity until next week (2/27 – 3/2).  The math benchmarks are quite lengthy, but will be broken up into smaller sections that the students will complete throughout the entire week.  No math homework will be assigned this week.

 

The final mammal research worksheet was given out last week (part 5).  Next Monday students will be putting all of their research onto individual posters.  Please make sure all students return sheets by this week, and they are all about the same mammal that was assigned to the student at the beginning.

 

Thank you for all of the generous donations of dry erase markers and glue sticks!  These are the top two items that continously run out towards the last part of the year because of all of the hands-on activities we do.  Any future donations are also appreciated!

 

Jump Rope for Heart is this week (2/24)!  Check out Coach Alessa’s website for more details.

 

Registration for next year is due next week, 2/29.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 2/13 – 2/17

Hello wonderful families!  The website is updated and homework is assigned for next week.

 

We had a WONDERFUL field trip to World Wildlife Zoo this past Friday!  We saw so many amazing animals, and it was a nice finale to our animal unit in science.  Thanks so much to parent volunteers Mrs. Solorza, Mrs. Springer, Mrs. Danilewicz, Mr. Bouchie, and Mrs. Smith for taking such great care in guiding our students through the trip.  It was a blast!

 

We have a full week of school coming up.  Valentine’s Day is this Tuesday, 2/14.  We are making valentine holders in class, and having a small celebration Tuesday afternoon where students can pass out valentines to classmates if they wish.  Students should have brought home a name list they wrote themselves, but if it didn’t quite make it home, let me know if you need it!  If you are interested in donating any easy-to-eat fruits and veggies for our celebration, please let me know ahead of time…it would be appreciated!

 

We are running low on glue sticks and dry erase markers.  Any donations of these would be appreciated too!

 

Other upcoming events:

-The March lunch order form is available on the school website.

-Coach Alessa’s Jump Rope for Health will be held February 24th.  Check out her website for more details on this event that gives back to the American Heart Association!

-Registration for San Tan Learning Center for the 2012-2013 school year is due to the office by February 29th.

 

Have a great weekend, and a super week ahead!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

 

Week of 2/6 – 2/10

 

Hello super families!  The website is updated and homework is assigned.  Here are some announcements for the week ahead!

 

-The first grade field trip will take place this Friday, February 10th, to the World Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium in Litchfield Park.  Look for an email update this Monday, on the field trip.  I will also be emailing Monday about which parents have been chosen to volunteer (I apologize for not having it today – I am still catching up from my “sick day” Wednesday!)  Thank you all for your patience!

 

-We will have a school assembly on Monday, 2/6, in celebration of Dental Health Month.

 

-Wednesday, 2/8, is an early release day.

 

-Please visit Coach Aleesa’s page on our website for information on Jump Rope for Health!  All proceeds go to the National Heart Association.  Classes and students who lead in donations get some fabulous prizes, and help out a great cause!

 

-We are switching from our science unit (Animals) this week to our social studies unit (Geography and World History), so be sure to check out the social studies page this week!

 

-Because of the early release day on Wednesday and our field trip on Friday, we will not have SRC testing on those days.

 

-Next week, we are planning to have a small Valentine’s day celebration.  We will be making valentine holders in class.  If your child would like to give valentines out and you are planning ahead, we have 25 students in our classroom.  Students will be writing everybody’s first name on a paper tomorrow to take home.  Please remember to not attach candy to go along with our school’s nutrition policy.  However, glitter, hearts, stickers, and other fun things are allowed!

 

Thank you everyone for your donations of egg cartons  and pencil cap erasers.  We now have an adequate supply of all!  I am always so appreciative of how quick all of you respond to a classroom need.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 1/30 – 2/3

 

Hello wonderful families!  The website is updated and homework is posted.  We have a nice full week of school coming up (no early release days or holidays), so be sure to check the website pages to see what we’re learning!

 

A few notes:

 

-Thank you so much for all of the egg carton donations!  Our class now has enough.

 

-Any donations of pencil cap erasers would be appreciated.

 

-Students will be making a slight change in how they write in agendas in class this week.  Instead of writing three concepts we went over in class, they will be writing a sentence or two about what they did.  This is to reinforce basic sentence structure (capitalization, spacing, punctuation, good handwriting/print).  When signing your child’s agenda nightly, please also check your child’s sentence to reinforce these concepts.

 

-Art Masterpiece is visiting our classroom this Monday!  Click on the art page to see what artist the students will be studying.

 

-Remember to turn in field trip permission slips by February 3rd, this Friday.

 

-The Daddy/Daughter Dance will take place this Saturday, February 4th.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 1/23 – 1/27

 

Hello families!  I hope everyone is having a fun and relaxing weekend.  The website is updated and homework is assigned, so feel free to check out what we’re learning this week!

 

We had many fun learning moments last week.  To add to our study of animals, Ms. Nelson brought in a desert tortoise and a chicken.  We studied their characteristics and behaviors.  Students began their mammal research projects (and have brought in some amazing research so far!) and will continue this week.  We began our class book project, where students demonstrated what serious authors and illustrators they could be.  I am proud of their work!  Remember, if you did not returned your child’s permission slip (whether or not you’re ordering a reprint) on Friday, I need it by Monday.

 

Another announcement:  The first grade classes are taking a field trip to World Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium on Friday, February 10th!  More information (permission slips, what to take, parent volunteer sign ups, etc.) will soon follow.

 

Other notes:

-This Wednesday, 1/25, is an early release day.  Dismissal will be at 11:30.

-Club registration starts Monday, 1/23.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 1/17 – 1/20

 

Hello families!  It was a SUPER first week back-at-school after Winter Break!  We dove into new units/themes, and the students tackled everything from geometry to the animal kingdom to new spelling words.  To take a peek into what we’re learning this week, click on each subject page!

 

Ms. Chandler  has created the new parent volunteer sign up genius pages for Quarter 3 and Quarter 4.  Please consider signing up for the SRC block to ensure that the students have the ability to test and receive new books daily.  We always enjoy when parents stop in!  The students will be getting new SRC books as of Tuesday and will be able to test on days when volunteers are in.

 

Thank you for the donations of clay and pipe cleaners that we’ve received!  We still need some egg cartons (the cardboard-like kind), so if you have any, recycle them to our classroom!

 

Other reminders:

-The 2nd and 3rd grade teachers are hosting a Math Parent Night on 1/18, where they will be discussing fun math games parents can use at home.

-Lunch orders are due 1/20.

-There will be a Daddy/Daughter Dance 2/4, tickets are available in the office now.

-Club registration will be held 1/23 – 1/25.  Clubs will start 1/30.  For more information, please contact Ms. Campbell.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 1/10 – 1/13

 

Hello parents and students!  I hope everyone is still enjoying their Winter Break, even though there is only a little bit left!

 

We’re going to hit the ground running when school starts back up on Tuesday, January 10th (remember…there is no school Monday, January 9th).  Homework has been assigned, and the website is updated with what we are doing in each subject.

 

Remember that spelling groups have changed; if you don’t recall your child’s new group from the ILP meetings, or haven’t had your ILP meeting yet, no worries – your child will come home with their list and their group color on Tuesday.

 

Science is our focus for the next four weeks (living things, ancient animals, animal kingdoms), and then we will switch to Social Studies for the next four.  Check out what we are learning in Science this week!  Also, we will need the following donation items for projects in upcoming weeks.  If you are looking to give, these would be appreciated:

-air dry clay

-egg cartons (the cardboard/papery kind, not the plastic)

-pipe cleaners

 

The daily schedule has changed slightly as well.  To check it out, visit the Daily Schedule page.  All of the special times remain the same; the science/social studies block has been moved to the afternoon, while a bulk of literacy/language arts has been moved to the morning.

 

Parent volunteer sign ups will be coming up soon, and will most likely be starting in a week or two.  SRC books and testing will start with parent volunteer sign ups – so SRC books will not be coming home this week.

 

See you Tuesday!

Ms. Shaffer

 

Week of 12/19 – 12/22

Hello families!  It was so nice to see all of you at the Learning Celebration last Friday.  Thank you for coming and supporting your child’s achievements!

 

This week consists of four early-release days.  Dismissal will be at 11:30 am.  Events that are coming up this week:

 

-The schoolwide Spelling Bee will be held Monday the 19th.  Each classroom winner will participate.  Wear black and yellow to show your support for the spellers!

-The Quarter 2 Character Assembly will be held Wednesday the 21st.  Liberty Wildlife will also be visiting the school at the assembly to teach students about native Arizona birds!  For more information, follow this link:

http://www.libertywildlife.org/

-Coach Aleesa will still hold PE for our class on Tuesday and Thursday.  Wear sneakers!

-Because of the early release days, we will only be reviewing in math this week.

-On Thursday the 22nd (the last day before break), I will be reading the book Heart of a Snowman, and the students will be creating their own snowman out of clay (pretty much the only kind we can create here in the desert!).  Any air-dry clay donations are welcome.

 

ILP meetings are also held afterschool this week.  If you have not signed up for a time spot, please email me.   I am excited to be meeting again to share how much your
child has grown!  We’ve accomplished so much and have many things to talk
about.  Below is an agenda for our meeting – please read carefully – we have a lot of data to review!
-Results of most recent benchmark tests in reading/language and math  (Each literacy & math component that comprises the overall score will be represented with testing data to guide Individual Learning Plan goals.)

-Report cards (These documents are based on your child’s knowledge of first grade standards.  They are given mid-year and at the end of the year.  Each standard is marked with an “Exceeds”, “Meets”, “Approaching”, or “Falls Below”.  At the end of the year, a first grader is expected to meet or exceed all of the standards listed.  If your child has any approaching or falls below marks, we will be discussing strategies to help them meet that standard by the end of the year.)

-Individual Learning Plan from last quarter (Remember, ILP goals can be based on first grade standards or above based on your child’s learning needs.  Goals from last quarter will be marked with an “M” for mastery, or “P” for progressing/still working on.)

-3^rd Quarter Individual Learning Plan Goals

• Reading-
  including Words Their Way mid-year update
• Writing-
  writing sample
• Math-
  includes Math-in-a-Minute or fact mastery update
• Character
  goal
• Current Scholastic Reading Counts progress
• Review of homework level
• MAP (NWEA) testing data- Fall to Winter Growth  ( I may not have official scores for parents meeting on Monday and Tuesday, but I can give you an overview.)

 

If there are concerns orquestions outside of these topics please email them before the conference, so I can address them separately.  I am looking forward to collaborating with you!

 

Have a great week (and a great winter break)!  See you soon,

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 12/12 – 12/16

Hello students and parents!  Can you believe it is almost the end of Quarter 2?  There are many exciting events occuring this week and next, so please read the following notes carefully.

 

-The students were such hard workers this past week.  We accomplished almost all of our testing, so we are back on track with our normal routines and subjects this week.  We still have some of our MAP tests to complete (the tests that students take using the computers), so continue to prepare your child for success by making sure they get a good night’s sleep, a good breakfast, and are in school on time.

 

-The students will be painting their insects’ exoskeletons on Monday, December 12.  Please have your child bring an old “art” shirt they can wear over their clothing, or just have them wear clothing you don’t mind getting a little…colorful.

 

-SRC testing will end Tuesday, December 13 for Quarter 2.  Please have your child bring in his/her SRC book by then.  If he / she is not ready to test on it by then, then the book will not be tested on, just handed in.  If you are schedule to help out with SRC on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, there is no need to come in.

 

-The first grade music concert will be held this Tuesday, December 13.  Please see the Ms. Ball’s site  (http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/music/) for details.  To see the proper attire for the Winter Concert, please click on the “first grade” page on the music site.  Ms. Ball is also looking for parent volunteers for the music concert; if interested, please contact Ms. Ball.

 

-The Quarter 2 Learning Celebration will be held Friday, December 16.  Please park your car, and come into the classroom to see what your child has been working on!  The kids have been working SO HARD on their insect models, right down to the antennae!  The dismissal / beginning of the learning celebration for the lower grades is at 3:10; it is easier to visit us first before going on to older siblings’ classrooms, where dismissal is later at 3:30.

 

-The Reuse-a-Shoe Drive is still going on.  http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/blog/2011/12/03/reuse-a-shoe-drive/

 

-Next week consists of four half days.  Dismissal will be at 11:30, and the remainder of the days will be spent on ILP conferences.  Mrs. Chandler has posted the times on Sign Up Genius; you can find them here http://www.signupgenius.com/index.cfm?go=c.SignupSearch .  If you cannot make any of the posted times, please email me right away and we can set up a time.  More information about ILPs will follow.  Please keep in mind that if your child goes to another classroom for math, you need to contact your child’s math teacher directly to schedule a separate meeting.

 

Have a wonderful week, and see you at the Learning Celebration on Friday!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 12/5 – 12/9

Hello families!  The website is updated, and homework is assigned.  We have a busy week coming up!  Benchmark and MAP testing will be conducted this week; make sure your child comes to school well fed, well rested, and on time.  Although we will be testing, some new concepts will be introduced and others reviewed, so please check the site pages to see what we are doing in each subject.  Homework will be on the “lighter” side this week also – please check the posted homework menu.

 

On Monday, we will be paper mache-ing the “exoskeletons” of our insect models in class, so feel free to have your child wear / bring an old paint shirt that day.

 

Some other notes for this week (and the next):

-The first grade music concert will be held Tuesday, December 13th.  Please visit Ms. Ball’s website at http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/music/ for more information!

-Do you have any old sneakers lying around?  Go green and donate them! San Tan has kicked off the Reuse-a-Shoe Drive.  It’s a really neat program where old sneakers are actually transformed into playground surfaces! For more information, check out http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/blog/2011/12/03/reuse-a-shoe-drive/ .

-With the holidays coming up, you may need some gift ideas for your gifted child.  Check out this site about top games for gifted kids:  http://giftedkids.about.com/od/booksandtoys/tp/top_ten_games.htm .  They list a few games that help develop / challenge language and spatial skills.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

Week of 11/28 – 12/2

Hello parents and students!  I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving break spending time with loved ones.  Can you believe December is around the corner?  The website is updated with what we are exploring this week, and homework is posted!

 

Some quick notes:

 

-This Wednesday (11/30) is an early release day.  Dismissal is at 11:30.

 

-We are starting the first part of our math benchmark test this Friday (12/2), since we are finished up with Topic 9 (this only applies to the students that stay with me for math).  Make sure your child comes to school well fed and well rested.  The rest of the math benchmark, the reading benchmark, MAP, and other placement tests for the end of quarter 2 will begin NEXT week (week of 12/5).  More information on those tests will follow soon.

 

-We are starting our insect study unit in science this week.  We will be studying life cycles, adaptations, and characteristics of different species of insects (as well as some arachnids).  After identifying different characteristics of insects, students will create an information profile and paper mache model of an insect they have “discovered”.  We are beginning the paper mache next Monday (12/5).  I think I already have a parent volunteer signed up for that day, but paper mache and 25 first graders is an adventure requiring more than two adults!  So if you are free on 12/5 at around 10:15, and are not afraid of newspaper and glue, please email me and I will sign you up for that day – I will take volunteers on a first-come-first-serve basis.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 11/21 – 11/23

Hello parents and students!  We had a great week – students dove into double-digit subtraction, we started our life science unit, made giant plant cells.  We thought about how chlorophyll makes plants green…what if it wasn’t green?  What would plants look like?  We reviewed capitalization, and read an interesting expository story about banking.  It was a very busy and full week!

 

Even though this week only contains two and a half days, it is just as busy and full…here are some notes about what is going on this week:

 

-Our official classroom spelling bee will be held in the classroom on Monday morning (11/21).  Students are encourage to wear black and yellow to support the bee!  There will be one winner and one runner up from each class in the school.  The winner from each class will move on to the school-wide bee in December.  The spelling bee is optional for students – they will choose whether or not to participate.  In either case, students are expected to have good sportsmanship and to show respect to the spellers during the bee.

 

-We will be reviewing in reading/language arts and in spelling – tests in these subjects will not be held this week.

 

-There is no homework menu for this week, but students are encouraged to keep up with their reading logs.  Math is assigned as well.

 

-We will be dissecting plants, flowers, seeds, and fruit in science this week.  I plan on using strawberries as the fruit we are dissecting – if your child is sensitive to strawberries, please let me know no later than Monday.  We will not be using any sharp instruments to dissect, only our fingers and some magnifying glasses.

 

-Wednesday is an early release day due to the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  Dismissal is at 11:30.  Please park and pick up your child in our classroom – and then find a place in line for pumpkin pie!

 

-Mrs. Nelson, our parent Art Masterpiece coordinator, still needs some fabric for an upcoming art project.  Any donations are welcome.

 

-There is no school on Thursday (11/24) and Friday (11/25).  Happy Thanksgiving!  I am thankful for such a wonderful class, and supportive parents!  Have a great week.

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

 

Week of 11/14 – 11/18

Hello families!  I hope everyone is having a peaceful Veteran’s Day weekend.  The website is updated, and homework is assigned for this week.  We are switching from our social studies unit to our science unit as of this week – make sure you check out the science page to see what we are learning!

 

We have an upcoming paper mache project in science, and thanks to our families, we have collected enough newspaper!  If anyone would like to volunteer to take it home and cut it up into strips, let me know!

 

Last week we practiced our spelling bee words, and had practice “bees”.  The students displayed GREAT sportsmanship the whole way through…I was very proud of them.  We will be returning to our normal spelling words this week (check out the Words their Way page), but keep practicing those lists at home, because the official classroom bee is next Monday, November 21st.  Even though the first grade list may seem easy, still focus on those words, too – in both of our practice bees, no one made it past the first grade list.  They can be trickier than they look, and we found spelling them out loud can be harder than writing them down!

 

I’ve added a “Word of the Week” to our weekly routine. In class, we’ll focus on an interesting word and its meaning, and try to record how many times we can use it that week.  This is not to be tested on, just a fun way to build vocabulary!  See if you can use it at home, too.  This week’s word is…

 

ecstatic: (adjective)  Showing or feeling great pleasure or delight.  Anna was ecstatic when she won the contest!

 

Have a great weekend, I am ecstatic to start the new week!

 

Ms. Shaffer

 

Week of 11/7 – 11/10

Hello students and parents!  Homework is posted and assigned, and the website is updated.  Some notes for the week:

-  We have a four-day week ahead (no school on Friday, the 11th).

-  We’re wrapping up our Social Studies unit on Economics this week with a focus on “resources”, and we’ll be ready to jump into Science next week (Plants and insects, here we come!).

-  We’re taking a break from our normal Words-their-Way spelling words this week to practice our spelling bee words (see the Words-their-Way page for more information).

 

 

Week of 10/31 – 11/4

Hello families!  The website is updated and homework is assigned for the week ahead.  This week is a full week – no early release days.  Browse the subjects pages to see what we are focusing on this week!

 

As stated in Principal Haughan’s Highlights, San Tan Learning Center will not have Halloween festivities in respect to all families’ traditions and beliefs.  We are planning to do a pumpkin project in class on Monday; however, it is a math-based project.  We will be identifying vertical lines on pumpkins, creating a class graph on the information we’ve obtained, and then creating either AB or ABB patterns (math and art based standard) on the pumpkins.  Each child will be able to take their “math pumpkin” home with them.

 

We are still in our Economics unit in social studies, and the students will start the buying/selling part of their Marketplace project this week, but our science unit on plants and insects is coming up.  This is a unit where we may need some classroom donations.  I will list them here – if you have any extra in your home, our class welcomes you to donate them during the next few weeks:

 

-newspaper (We will be creating paper mache insects…more information later!)

-soil, plastic cups

-any bug habitats that your family wouldn’t mind sharing with the class for a few days (last year we had two sets of butterflies, ladybugs, worms)

 

Again, donations are optional, not mandatory.  I appreciate any /all support!  We are also a little low on pencil eraser tops.

Also, make sure to take a peek at the Gifted Information website.  Each week the Gifted Team will post one parent-submitted question from the Gifted Information Night held last week, along with one research-based article.

 

Have a great week!

Ms. Shaffer

 

 

Week of 10/24 – 10/28

Hello families!  We had a great week back from Fall Break.  We jumped right back into the flow of learning, and had an especially fun time with our new Social Studies focus on economics.  We began our Marketplace project where students group into pairs or threes, and create “goods” to sell at their store, while the other students are the consumers.  (We’re focusing on the “consumer end” this week, and talking about needs vs. wants, and the benefits of saving.)  Students dressed up in their “keenest” clothes for 50s day…lots of leather jackets and poodle skirts were on campus!

There was a great turnout for the Gifted Information Night last Wednesday.  If you happened to miss it, the Gifted Team will be posting the powerpoint and transcript to the website soon.  For those that attended and left a question, we will be posting and answering those weekly, with an attached article for further exploration on your topic.  Thanks for your input and keep an eye on the gifted website to see when your question is addressed!

Remember that Wednesday, October 26 is an Early Release Day (11:30).

The website is updated and homework is posted.  Have a great Sunday evening!

Ms. Shaffer

 

Week of 10/18 – 10/21

Hello families!  I hope everyone is continuing to enjoy their Fall Break.  I have posted homework and updated the website for the school week ahead.

In Quarter 2, I plan on structuring Science and Social Studies a little differently.  Instead of alternating science and social studies every week, I plan on teaching them in blocks – we’ll be doing our social studies unit for the first four weeks, and then our science for the remaining five of the quarter.  This way we can be totally immersed in a project and a unit for a definite amount of time.  If you signed up to volunteer for a social studies or science time during this quarter, know that you may be walking into either a science OR a social studies project.  Both are equally interesting and fun!

Remember, there is no school Monday, October 17th.

To celebrate our 50th day of school on Wednesday, October 19th, the first grade classes are participating in a 50′s Dress-Up Day!  Feel free to dress up in your coolest 50s clothes!  (This is optional!)

The Gifted Team will also be holding a Gifted Information Night on Wednesday, October 19th, in the Gymacafetorium.

Enjoy the rest of Fall Break, and see you soon!

Ms. Shaffer

 

Week of 10/3 – 10/7

Hello families!  We have a shorter week ahead of us , with only two full days and three early release days before fall break, but we are excited for the events to come!

Our main focus academically this week is to finish up our math topic on counting money, working on our weekly spelling list, and finishing up benchmark testing and learning celebration projects.  I’ve updated the Math and Words their Way sections of the website to reflect what we are doing day-by-day this week.

Homework is assigned.  Because of our shorter week, there are no Language Reteaching pages, and only two math homework assignments due to our “wrapping” up of Quarter 1.  Please see the newly posted homework menu for the assignments given, and on what days to have your child complete them.

Because of all of the events this week, here is a day-by-day of what’s happening!

Monday 10/3 (full day of school):

• The mayor of Gilbert is visiting our school!  We are having a morning assembly and awarding Character Awards.  To show our patriotism and support our Quarter 1 Social Studies theme, it will be Red, White, and Blue Day.  Students are invited to wear their most patriotic colors!
• Scholastic Reader testing for Quarter 1 will end as of Monday.  Please hand in all Scholastic Readers as of Monday so the school can inventory.  If a book was read only halfway through at this point, it is okay – the student can hand it in without testing on it.

Tuesday 10/4 (full day of school):

• San Tan’s Learning Celebration Night will begin at 3:30.  Come and see the class’s social studies and science projects from Quarter 1.  We will have our “invented” state posters on display (including maps, Constitiutions, and other information about their states), the country map of our “invented” states, as well as some science projects we’ve done (a seasons diagram, wind vanes, salt crystal evaporation projects, cloud types display).  The students have been working hard!  Please park your car and pick up your child in the classroom as they show you around the room. Coach Aleesa will also have a learning celebration on display – make sure to stop by and see her too!

Wednesday 10/5, Thursday 10/6, and Friday 10/7 (all early release days):

• Parent pick up will start at 11:30 for our class.
• ILP meetings will be held in the afternoon.  If you have not signed up for a time, please do so at the following sites:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/thursday270 or http://www.signupgenius.com/go/friday529
• I will be sending out an email about the agenda of the ILP meetings this week.  If you cannot make any of the times listed, please let me know, and we can reschedule a convienient meeting time.
• As you stop by for the ILP meeting, make sure to also check out San Tan’s Fall Book Fair that will be held after school on Thursday and Friday as well!

 

 

Week of 9/26 – 9/30

Hello families!  The website is updated and homework has been assigned for the week!

This week we are completing the second round of benchmark testing for this year.  Students will be benchmark tested only in math and language arts during this testing period – MAP and Words their Way tests will be taken again in December.  The students will test mainly Monday and Tuesday this week, and from there we will move on to new concepts or review for the rest of the week.  There are no Language Reteaching pages for homework this week due to testing and review.

Also, thanks to all that have donated numerous supplies to our classroom in the past few days!  All of you help our classroom run so smoothly!  Thank you!

Important dates coming up:

Wednesday, September 28th:  Early release day (11:30)

Tuesday, October 4th:  Learning Celebration afterschool (more information to follow)

Wednesday, October 5th, Thursday, October 6th, and Friday October 7th:  These are early release days next week.  I will be scheduling ILP meetings in the afternoons, for these three days.  Be on the lookout for the sign up sometime this week!

Have a super week,

Ms. S

 

Week of 9/19 – 9/23

Hello!  The website and assignments have been updated for the upcoming week.  Go ahead and browse through to see what we are doing this week!

The weekly gifted blog has been updated with an article on “perfectionism” and a Love and Logic article on schoolwork.  To read, visit http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/gifted/.

Other announcements:

• Picture day is this Tuesday, September 20th.  Our class is scheduled to go at 10:30 (before recess and P.E. – no worries about getting dirty!).  Bring your smiles and favorite outfit!
• The first day of autumn is this Friday!  We will be doing an autumn painting project in art that day…wearing old tee-shirts/clothes might be a good idea.  Coincidentally, we are also learning about seasons in science this week!

 

 

Week of 9/12 – 9/16

Hello families!  The website is updated with what we are learning this week, and homework is assigned and posted.  We still didn’t get to those monochromatic paintings in art last week due to my absence, so we WILL create them this Friday!  Here are some notes about what else is going on this week!

• Grandparents’ Day is September 12th.  San Tan is inviting all grandparents to join students for lunch on Monday.  Our lunch period is from 11:25 – 11:55.  Please check into the office if interested!
• September 14th, Wednesday, is an early release day.  Dismissal for our class is 11:30.
• The Scholastic Reader program is moving along smoothly.  Remember, for your child to take the computer quiz, he/she must have the book with him/her, to return later.  If your child scores below an 80%, he/she will get the same book back to review one more night.  They will have one more chance to test on the book before getting a new one.
• Parent volunteers start this week!  If interested, please sign up on the Sign Up Genius sites Ms. Chandler is e-mailing to you.  I look forward to seeing you!
• In lieu of a “gifted newsletter” this year, the gifted teachers will be updating a gifted blog weekly.  You may find it on the school website or click here: http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/gifted/.  You will find updated gifted articles, Love and Logic articles, and resources.

Have a wonderful week, and see you Monday!

Ms. Shaffer

 

Week of 9/6 – 9/9

 

Hello parents, students, and families!  I hope everyone
has a relaxing three-day weekend, because we have a busy week of learning
ahead!  In math, we will begin our study of place value.  In Language
Arts and Writing, we’re writing personal narratives and reviewing subjects,
predicates, and sentence structure.  Scholastic Readers will also go home
this week. Science is our focus this week, and we will be learning about the
water cycle!  We’ll see how water changes in nature with an evaporation
project, as well as how to identify several different types of clouds.
Last week in art, we did not quite get to our monochromatic paintings and
Picasso, so we will get to that this week (any donations of white or black
tempera paint are appreciated!).  With Words their Way night on Wednesday,
NFL Kickoff Assembly on Friday, and clubs starting, a fun week is on the
horizon!

 

 

Week of 8/29 – 9/2

Hello Families!

The website is updated with an overview of the topics we are covering this week, your child’s Words their Way/spelling list, and homework.  Math is assigned on the EnVision website.

 

A few extra notes:

-Look out for a weekly “gifted blog” created by Mrs. Esposito, Mrs. Perry, Mrs. Clapham, and myself. In the blog, we recap what each of our classes are doing each week.  This way you can see an overview of the whole gifted program at a glance, each week!

-Words their Way and Math-a-Minute had a great start last week – the students started each program well!  The Scholastic Reader program will start soon, as well.  More information will follow sometime this week.

-Wednesday, August 31^st, is an Early Release Day.

-Our class is currently in FIRST PLACE for the school’s paper/toner drive!!  WOW!!  Thanks to all that have donated so far…you are great!  Last year our class won, so I am hoping history repeats itself!  Thanks for all you do, parents!

 

Week of 8/22 – 8/26

Hello Parents!

It was great to meet and talk to all of you during ILP  conferences this week.  I am looking forward to working with all of you, as a partner in your child’s education this year!

Our class website is updated.  Look here each week for your child’s  spelling list, basic topics in literacy/language arts, math topics (unless your  child goes to another class for math – if that is the case, please check the  corresponding teacher’s website), and what we are learning in either science or  social studies this week.

I am also doing something a little different with homework  this year.  After hearing from a multitude of families about their homework needs, I decided to post ALL homework on my website, instead of making physical copies that go home on Mondays.  So on the homework link of  the website, you can open, download, and print the following homework  components – which will be updated every weekend:

- The weekly homework menu for Levels A, B, C, and D

- The weekly reading log

- Language Arts reteaching worksheets (if you picked Levels C or D)

- A writing page template (For those who picked  the Level D writing assignment, and maybe want nice lined paper – totally optional though)

- The math, of course, you can always get online –  but at the Envision website as usual, not my website.

I did this homework option to give you greater choice in what you want to work with at home.  I  want to give access to all homework components to all families, even if you
picked an A or B level.  In that same  regard, if you picked A Level homework, I still assigned the online math  homework to you, JUST so you have access to it if need be.  Do not feel obligated to have your child  complete any of the homework components that were NOT agreed to at the ILP  meeting.  They are just there for you if you want them – and it saves on the school’s paper .

Also, on the website, if you click on the “Online Resources”  tab, I set up a link to a really neat math website called ixl.com.  IXL math is a great website resource for those  students looking for math problems to complete, in ANY grade, in ANY math  subject!  I believe it is a few dollars a  month for a subscription, but it’s great extra practice for those  math-and-computer-hungry students.

New academic components added this week:

-Math-a-minute, which are timed math facts at your child’s  level.  Look out for little strips of  about 15 problems that he/she did in class, in your child’s take-home folder.

-Words-their-Way, our school’s individualized spelling/word  study program.  Your child will complete  word study exercises with his/her list (look on website!), and will be tested
on them every Friday.

-“Read to Someone” – reading partners.  Before I can take in specialized reading groups, we train the students on how to work independently, without being disruptive, while doing meaningful reading or literacy exercises – think  “centers”.  This training takes a little  while, but is needed for when I pull reading groups, so those reading groups are not disturbed, AND to make sure the rest of the class is doing meaningful work.  So far, the class has an excellent job on the “Read to Self” portion (where they have sustained silent reading for around 10 minutes).  Now we will also practice “Read to Someone”, and how to successfully read to a partner.

Have a great rest of the weekend, families!

P.S. – You’ll note in science this week, we are learning about weather and adverse weather conditions – we are also learning about warm and cold fronts, and what symbols the weather forecasters use to show those fronts.  Later on this week, have your child sit and watch the weather news with you – see if they can identify the fronts – a neat at-home activity.

 

 

Week of 8/15 – 8/16

Even though the students have a very tiny week ahead of them, I’ve updated the website to let you know what we are doing.  In a nutshell…

-Remember that there is no school this Wednesday August 17^th, Thursday August 18^th, and Friday August 19^th.  On Wednesday, the teachers will have meetings, and will be busily preparing for our students’ ILPs held this Thursday and Friday.  Please sign up for a
spot to meet with me, on the Sign Up Genius website, if you have not.

-Be on the lookout for another email from me this week, explaining the agenda of topics we will be discussing during the ILP meetings.

-No homework will be given out this week due to its  brevity.  Nothing books will start again next week.  It was so nice to see so many thoughtful letters written back to the kids!

-We will have two new topics in math and a short lesson in  social studies (see website for topics), but language arts will be a review.

-We will be officially done with testing on Monday!

-Math-a-minute and Words their Way (our spelling/word study program) will start AFTER ILPs, when I have a chance to discuss your child’s level in both programs.  We will do some spelling activities these next two days, but it will be with an easy practice list to help your child learn the routine (because it can be confusing to learn a new routine AND a new concept at the same time).