1. Mrs. Kurth’s Classroom News March 28th – April 1st, 2016

2. Dates to save: April 21st: Science Fair
May 26th: First Grade Music Concert
May 27th: Grandparents’ Day
May 30th: Memorial Day - No School
May 31st: First Grade Track and Field Day
June 6th: Minnesota Zoo Field Trip
June 7th: Last Day of School

3. Box Tops Do you have any remaining Box Tops at your house…
We will collect any final Box Tops on Monday

4. Spring Break Homework Challenge
Please send the Spring Break Challenge sheet back to school on Monday.
Please remember that it was optional:
I know some people were busy over break while others are looking for something extra to do 

5. Growth Mindset Growth mindset = how to keep going
even when things are hard.
How do I help promote a Growth Mindset?
Give feedback on the process
praise effort, persistence, strategies, seeking challenges, setting goals, planning or using creative strategies.
Intelligence is not fixed—it’s changeable.
The brain can grow stronger and intelligence can improve throughout your life.

6. Outside Recess
Students should also bring a jacket (or at least a sweatshirt) each day.
Although the high for the day might be fairly warm, it might not be that warm when we go outside for recess and the wind can really make it feel a lot colder than it is.
PLEASE put names on jackets, etc.
We appreciate all of your help with this!

7. We will celebrate your child’s birthday here at school
If you decide to send store bought treats or goodies please send 24 of them.
If it's a weekend day we will celebrate the Friday before or Monday after.
We will also celebrate ½ birthdays. If this doesn’t work for you we can celebrate it in May.
Please let me know which day you will choose if it falls on the weekend or holiday break.
March Birthdays
14th: Stella
½ Birthdays:
None

8. Upcoming Academics: This will change each week!

9. Unit 4 Review Week Comprehension Skill: Unit 4 Assessments
Phonics: Review of Unit 4 and Assessments
Grammar: Unit 4 Assessments
Writing Skills: Opinion Writing

10. Spelling Words: 14 words!!
try, want, done, were, first, your, could, there, because, think, was, very, little, please
(Plus 10 randomly chosen words that follow phonics patterns learned in Unit 4)
*Practice writing sentences with word wall words, words with –long vowel sounds, vowel-consonant-e (VCE) word endings and 2 vowels together (oa, ow) combinations so your child will be prepared to write a sentence on the final test.

11. Anticipated Homework:
Math Concepts in this Unit: 2-dimensional shapes, classifying blocks by their shape, color, and size; recognizing attributes such as number of sides and square corners and identify the difference among shapes that are polygons and shapes that are not.
Anticipated Homework:
Monday: 7.5
Tuesday:  7.6
Wednesday: No Homework
Thursday: 7.7
Friday:  None (testing)

12. More Math…. Here is the link if you need to reprint homework pages:
Things you can practice at home if you are looking for additional ideas:
-Number Stories
-Addition Facts
-Telling Time to the half hour and quarter hour
-Find the value of coin combinations

13. “Ten Friends” examples: 1+9 = 10 2+8 = 10 3+7 = 10 4+6 = 10 5+5 = 10
1+9 = = = = = 10
“Turn Around Facts” examples :
1+9 = = = = = 10
9+1 = = = = 10
+0 examples
1+0 = = = = = 5
+1 examples
1+1 = = = = = 6
Doubles examples:
1+1=2 2+2=4 3+3=6 4+4=8 5+5=10 6+6=12 7+7=14
Doubles +1 examples:
1+2=3 2+3=5 3+4=7 4+5=9 5+6=11 6+7=13 7+8=15
Practicing these types of problems can help with “fact fluency” which helps solve a variety
of other math problems with greater efficiency.

14. Word of the Week
Extra:
Each week, your child can receive a sticker for their sticker book by writing down our special word/phrase of the week along with a parent signature.
This word also helps me to know that you have seen the newsletter!
They love stickers!
Word of the week: Welcome Back

15. Family Journals are due each Monday.
Please find your child’s current entry and use the next empty page to complete your response to your child.
I also encourage you to use the letter format to allow your child to see and experience that format.

16. General Homework Expectations
Mondays: Spelling words and word wall words will come home (practice these words to be ready for the spelling test on Friday
Wednesdays: Wednesday work: students complete the comprehension page as well as practice reading the words on the opposite side. When you feel your child is confident in knowing the words and has completed the comprehension page, please return it to the classroom. It is due by the following Tuesday at the latest.
Monday through Friday: Math homework will be sent home each day, except Wednesdays. I expect each page to come back the following day.

17. Volunteering Sign Up With Students Sign Up Without Students
Sign Up Without Students

18. Volunteering
The media center is also looking for volunteers to help shelve books.
In the past, some parents have volunteered in the library right before coming to our room to volunteer.
Please contact them beforehand to see if they have an available opening.
Thank you for ALL your help!
We couldn’t do it without you!!!

19. Digital Days Day of the Week Digital Day Specialist
Important Reminders
Monday 3
Media and Computer
Bring Library Books
Tuesday 4
Computer & Phy. Ed.
Wear Tennis Shoes
Wednesday 5
Music
Thursday 1
P.E.
Friday 2

20. Contact Information
Angie Kurth 1st GradeTeacher – rm ext.4102, Classroom Website/Blog: