Let the Countdown Begin!

Please be sure your child comes dressed for the weather this week.  Remember when it snows they must have snow pants and snow boots to play on the big toy or in the field.  If they do not bring these items to school they will be limited to playing on the black top and that gets boring for them very quickly.

This week we have some very fun activities planned.  We will not be doing Lead 21 this week so we can get some fun Christmas activities in.  We will be making our parent gifts, an elf art project, and doing some Christmas writing.  We will also be using this week to catch up on some projects and assignments we have started, but have not had enough time to finish.

Since we are not doing Lead 21 we will not have spelling or vocabulary this week.  However, we will be reviewing the high frequency words we have worked on thus far.  They are listed on the right side of the blog if you would like to work on them with your kiddo.

In math we will continue to work on word problems and take a few assessments.  We will also be reviewing missing addends.

We will also get to go into the Starlab on Tuesday.  The students will learn about astronomy and
Native American legends of the night sky.  I bet they will love this!

Our music program is this Friday.  We will be performing at 8:45 and at 12:45.  Mrs. McKinsey asks that you only attend one performance due to the lack of space.

The following week, we have school on Monday and Tuesday.  Tuesday is a full day and we will have regular dismissal times.

Tuesday we will be doing our Polar Express day in the afternoon.  The children are allowed to wear pajamas that day.  They may also bring a small blanket, slippers, small pillow and/or a stuffed animal.  These items must fit in their backpack.  Please do not send them if they cannot fit them in their backpack.  We will also be going to recess that day so make sure they are wearing warm jammies.  If your child brings slippers they must come to school in regular shoes and boots and then change into them.  This is such a fun day!

There is no school Dec. 24-Jan.4.  School resumes Monday, January 5, 2015!

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Years!  Safe travels to those who are traveling.

-Mrs. Dimock

Happy December!!

We are moving into Unit 3 this week in our reading series.  Unit 3 is all about communities.  This week we will talk about different types of communities and places people live.  Our comprehension strategies are asking and answering questions about the text and distinguishing fact and opinion.

Our focus in math will be understanding and answering word problems.  We will work on the meaning of words like altogether, how many more, how many left, etc.

Not only will we talk about opinions in reading, we will also be writing a Christmas opinion piece this week.  We will also work on peer editing, which can be very beneficial to students.


A note from second grade...
Bitterroot's second graders are having a food drive beginning on Monday, December, 8th. Please send non-perishable food times to school with your first grader. Let's show them our support!!! Thanks so much.

Purple Hand Award

Congrats, Ryder!

Early Update

Reminder this week is a short week.  We have a full day of school on Monday and noon dismissal on Tuesday.  We have no school Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.  School resumes Monday, December 1.

We will be doing lots of fun Thanksgiving activities this week.  We have an a few art projects we will be working on.  One will be a watercolor cornucopia and the other will be a long-legged turkey.  We also have some writing projects.  One will be about the long-legged turkey and the other is writing a how to disguise a turkey using the turkeys the kiddos disguised at home. We will not have a spelling test this week.  In math, we will be working on related facts.

Our week after Thanksgiving will be used to wrap up unit 2 in Lead 21.  Our focus question is, "How can matter change?"  As always, we will be reading a variety of books that will help us answer this question.  Our spelling words will be short e words.

In math, we will continue to work on fact families and subtraction strategies.  We will learn to use addition to subtract,  and use 10 to subtract.  We will also do a missing addend review.

During writer's workshop will continue to learn how to write an information piece.  We will use a website called PebbleGo and write about an animal.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and if you are traveling drive safely!

Update 11/19/2014

Hooray for warmer temperatures this week!

Your kiddo will be bringing home a paper turkey for homework. Please help your kiddo disguise their turkey.  We will be brainstorming a list of ideas tomorrow and I will post it on the blog.  Feel free to use one of those ideas or use a different one your kiddo comes up with.  Please only use things you have around your house.  Do not go out and buy anything!  In the past students have use cotton balls, tinfoil, toothpicks, etc. to disguise their turkey.  Your child can also color their turkey if you do not have supplies at home.  We will be using the turkeys for a writing project the following week, so please make sure your child has brought their turkey back by Monday, November 24th.  Have fun and be creative!

We are cruising right along in Lead 21 and will begin week 3 in unit 2 this week.  Our focus question this week is, "How does nature affect the way we move and change?"  To help us answer this question we will be reading books about weather and nature in reading groups.

In math, we will be working on many concepts this week.  We will continue to work on adding 10 to a number.  We will also begin working on fact families and adding 3 numbers.  Our graph this week is about pie...so of course we will have to do some pie tasting!

The holiday music program will be held on December 19.  All grades, except 2nd, will be performing in the morning and afternoon.  Here are the times the grades will be performing
8:45  K-1st
9:30  2nd
10:15  3rd-6th
12:45  K-1st
2:00  3rd-6th

Have a great week!

Update 11-12-14

Happy Wednesday! 

What a cold week! Make sure to keep sending all that snow gear even if we aren't able to go outside for very long. It helps keep them warm for afternoon dismissal.

We've started using our new app, Raz-Kids, this week. It is a great way for me to hear them as a reader without having to sit and listen to every single child read every single day. I can just get on my computer, send an assignment and listen to them read online! It is an app, but you can login on a computer to view your child's project. Here is my username: cdimock0 They do not have passwords, so I trust each student to only read on his or her account. Here is the link to the website http://www.raz-kids.com/main/ParentLogin/parentEmail/

Happy November!!

Well, the cold weather has finally found us!  Please make sure your child has the appropriate clothing to stay warm...hat, mittens, snow pants, snow boots, and a warm coat.  We will be having recess unless it is below zero.  Children must have snow pants and snow boots to play in the field or on the big toy when there is snow on the ground.  If they do not have snow pants and snow boots they are limited to playing only on the blacktop.  Also, feel free to send an extra pair of shoes with your child to change into in between recesses.  LABEL ALL ITEMS WITH YOUR CHILD'S NAME.  It is amazing how many of us shop at the same stores. Hats and gloves often go missing.  It really helps us keep track of them if your child's name is on them.

Thank you to the parents who came for parent teacher conferences.  It was great to have a chance to visit with you. Together we can make sure your child has a great year!

Also, a big THANK YOU to the families that brought money for the All for Books Coin Challenge. Our class raised almost $24.00.  That is a lot of coins!  Thank you!

We will continue with unit 2 in Lead 21.  This week we will try to answer the question "How do things move and change?"  Please have your child bring in one picture of movement from a magazine, newspaper, online, etc.  We will be making a movement collage this week for our inquiry project.

We will be working on short u words in spelling.  Remember, letters need to be on the line properly, no capital letters in the middle of words, sentence needs to start with a capital letter and end with punctuation, and must have spaces between the words.  We will have our test on Friday.

In writing, we will begin learning about topic sentences.  Hopefully, by the end of the week we will know how to select a topic and be able to write a topic sentence.

In math, we will review the subtraction strategies we have already learned, counting back and using the number line, and learn a few new strategies.  We will also learn how to add 10 to a number.

Have a great week and stay warm!

-Mrs. Dimock

Late Update! 11/6/14

We got lost in a whirlwind of report card/conference season!! I'm enjoying meeting up face-to-face with the parents that make the world go 'round for these kiddos. 

Our very special November Purple Hand Cookie Award went to our sweet Lillie! Great job, girlie! You earned this for sure.

Homework was/is a number line subtraction sheet. It is very important for all learners to be able to use a variety of addition and subtraction strategies. The number line is one of those! Help your child use this strategy by requiring them to use the number line while solving the problems. Some students say they don't "need" to use the number line, but it is still good practice to slow down and practice.

Conference Week!

NOON DISMISSAL WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY!  Please contact the office if you need to reschedule your conference.  I am very excited to visit with you about your kiddo.  

We will begin unit 2 in Lead 21 this week.  Unit 2 is a science unit and is lots of fun.  Our theme question is How does our world change?  This week's focus question is How do plants and animal grow and change?  In order to answer this question we will be reading a non-fiction book about desert plants and animals during whole group and many books about plants and animals during reading groups. 

In math, we will begin learning about subtraction and different strategies to use when subtracting.  We will also begin learning about fact families.

We will have a spelling test on Friday.

Report cards go home on Tuesday, November 4.  Please remember report cards are not like they used to be.  They are now a standards based progress report.  This means we look at the full year expectations and report where your child is currently.  However, in the reading categories we look at the current quarter's reading level expectations and report based on those reading levels.  There will be many 1s and 2s on your child's report card.  This is perfectly normal.  A 3 is our goal for the end of the year.  A 1 does not necessarily mean your child is not where they should be academically.  It could also mean that we have not taught all parts of the standard.  We will go over your child's report card during conferences and visit more on how your child was assessed.

Halloween 2014

Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm...Spider Soup!! 

Update 10/29/14

Hello, all!

We are pushing through assessments and moving into our Halloween projects. You may have heard of our "Spider Soup," or inferencing lessons. We are sure having a blast!

A few notes,

I sent home conference slips (pink), 1/2 day lunch slips (purple), and a conferencing survey (white). Please look at all three pieces and send them to me before the weekend. I told the kiddos their parents had homework. They thought that was pretty funny! 

We will be having half days on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week for Parent Teacher Conferences. This is a great chance for me to talk with parents about report cards and behaviors. The conference survey will really help focus in on some reachable goals for Quarter 2!

Here is the recipe for the pumpkin bars if you were interested!

Happy-Almost-Halloween!

Courtesy of the Litzsinger Family!

Update 10/22/14

I hope you all had a great, long weekend with the kiddos. They all seemed well rested and ready to tackle the end of Quarter 1! Picture Day went smoothly and I can't wait to see the photos come back!

I updated the important date section of the blog, so you'll want to check those out. I'll be volunteering at the cake walk for the Pumpkin Patch Party! I hope to see you all there. 

Here is the homework for this week. Missing addend is a hard concept for most math brains. It involves using a given part and whole of a number sentence and solving to find the missing part. For example, 4+__= 6. We know it is 2, but how? Because we counting the difference between 6 and 4, or 4 and 6. That is how I teach students to solve these equations. 

Also, this week, we are working on our "can, have, are," writing project. Next week we start assessments. Part of Quarter 1 assessing is an expository piece of writing. We've been working on brainstorming and telling and audience about a particular topic. This week, we practiced with pumpkin writing. Here is our brainstorm!

Red Ribbon Week

Here are the dates and descriptions for Red Ribbon Week! Any volunteers to come up with an idea and decorate our door? 

Update 10/15/14

Happy Wednesday!

Remember, half day today and no school tomorrow or Friday. It will be a nice break for the kiddos (and me ; ) We've really been on a learning roll the past few weeks! End of quarter is on Halloween, so we'll be starting assessments that week. I look forward to seeing all the growth they have made in the first quarter! 

A few reminders,

1.) Picture day is Wednesday, October 22. Slips are going home today in green folders.

2.) No spelling this week, but next week, we will be working on short o.

3.)  No toys at school! We've already had a few lost toys this year. 

4.) Homework is a making 10 worksheet. They must write 11 different ways to make 10. It is okay to use the flip-flop (i.e. 2+8=10 and 8+2=10)

5.) We had Fire Safety last Friday. Here are a few photos! 

Here are some more pictures from the last week. Thanks for sharing your kiddos with me!

Update 10/8/14

Happy Wednesday! 

Here are some updates from this week:

1.) MEA week next week. No school Thursday or Friday, and a half-day on Wednesday.

2.) Homework this week is making 10. This is a first quarter skill that we will spend a lot of time on.

Fill in the missing addends to make 10!

3.) We made it 20+ minutes for our reading stamina! This a HUGE accomplishment in 1st grade! Way to go, my little firsties!

4.) Picture day is coming up on October 22nd! You should see packets coming home soon!

5.) Remember, Spelling Test this Friday! The words are on the right-hand side of the blog. Practice, practice, practice!!

As always, keep on sending binders and folders back! Have a great rest of the week!

-Mrs. Dimock

Spelling and Other Ramblings!

I hope all of you firstie families had a restful weekend! I spent the weekend recovering from a nasty virus that I had last week. No fun!

This week we start spelling tests with sentences. It is a big deal in first grade that we start showing what we know in spelling! You will be able to find the words on the far right column of the blog. I won't send home paper spelling lists, as I know they get lost in back packs and the Thursday panic is not worth it.

Our weekly routine will be...

Monday-Practice sheet, side 1

Tuesday-Practice sheet, side 2 (with corrections from page 1)

Wednesday-Practice sheet corrections, sent home in Wednesday folder

Thursday-More practice!

Friday- Test, graded and sent home

We will practice on our whiteboards daily and they will have access to practice centers.

The biggest struggle is blending sounds together and remembering capitals and periods on the sentences. If you have any questions on how they will be graded, email or comment below!

**Remember poetry binders due tomorrow with a signature on the back of the most recent poem!**

Weekly Update 10/1/14

October 1st! Can you believe it?! We are gearing up for a fun month!

Here are some updates...

1.) With the weather changing, please send a light jacket every day, even if it seems to be warm in the morning. The wind picks up on the field and makes recesses a little colder now.

2.) P.E. on Friday. Send appropriate shoes.

3.) Homework this week is a doubles page. We are working on knowing our doubles in a "snap!"

4.) We are also working on fragments vs. sentences. We did a neat picture sort to help understand the "whole" picture vs. "part" of the picture.

5.) We will be having bus safety on 10/23!

6.) Our fundraiser went great! We made  quite a bit of money in our class alone. I am excited to see the school totals. Way to go!

Purple Hand Cookie Award!

Update 9/24/14

Happy Wednesday!

We've had an eventful week in first grade! Our literacy centers are going very well and the kiddos are enjoying the many addition activities in math. 

A few important notes:

1.) Half-day on Thursday. I dismiss at 11:55. It is a crowded time as intermediate dismisses at 12. Please make sure you contact daycares to make sure they pick-up on those days or you provide alternative arrangements.

2.) Homework is going home tonight! It is due on Friday. It is a math worksheet that looks like this...

We have been working on solving addition sentences by looking at the biggest number and counting on. We have also have been using the term "flip flop," or commutative property, to solve the addition sentence. For example, you can see 7+1=8 AND 1+7=8. Either way, you get the same sum. Please do problem solving on the bottom.

3.) We started 6th Grade buddies this week!

4.) Thank you for the candy shack donations! The 5th graders are going to be getting them all bagged up and ready to go for Saturday Live.

5.) Here are some cute photos documenting our learning! 

Myley and Lillie playing Addition Strikeout!

Trying our yellow, red, and green apples for our Favorite Apple graphs. I think Lanita's is too sour!!

Tayshaun and Ryder enjoying the reading center!

Xtramath!!

Please check out the xtramath starter video to begin fact practice with your child! We are set up on my end to start, but if there are any problems, comment below and we'll figure it out together. I sent home a flyer with your child's pin/code. If you need a reminder, email me and I can send you the code. We talked about internet safety, but please remind your child to ask for permission before exploring for xtramath. I believe there is even an app. so that might be a safer/easier way at home. 

Happy Math Days!

Update 9/17/14

Happy Wednesday! We have been working extremely hard this week. We are done with assessments and have jumped into our math core and started literacy centers. While continuing on with writing our letters, please practice letter formation at home. The faster they know how to write their letters, the better writers they will become in our Writer's Workshops during the year.

A few important reminders:

1.) Again, no homework this week. We are still building our class routines, so focus on spending time reading together at home tonight. 

2.) I received almost everyone's poetry binder signed on Monday! Amazing turn-out. Remember to sign on the back of the most recent poem. They get a sticker each time they return a signed binder.

3.) The coupon book sale ends on September 22nd. Please send back the packets, even if you didn't do the sale. If we don't get the coupon book inside the envelope back, you will get charged for it. ($20) If you have questions, contact bitterrootpta@hotmail.com

4.) Saturday Live is coming up! We are asking each student to bring in 2 bags of non-chocolate candy or $4.00 to help with the Bitterroot Candy Shack. Send it in their backpacks and I will collect. If you are interested in helping out at the booth, contact Laura.

5.) Half Day, Thursday, September 25th, 2014. There is a sack lunch sheet in the folders. Please put student's name, my name, and circle which account you fall under. ( full, reduced, or free)

6.) Scholastic book order went home today. It is due October, 3rd, 2014. 

7.) Check out the next post about xtramath.org!

Update 9/10/14

Happy Wednesday!

Thank you to all the parents who came to Open House last night! If you have any lingering questions, give me a jingle!

We are really excited to be done with beginning of the year assessments and moving into our normal routine. 

Important info for this week:

1.) No homework this week! Please send the green folder back by Friday. We'll start homework as soon as we get into a groove. Thanks!

2.) Poetry Binders will be sent home on Friday. There is an instructions sheet at the front of the binder. Please read the directions, the most recent poem, and sign the poem to let me know that you and your child read it together. Return on Monday! Thanks!

Weekly Update

Hello, Firstie Parents!

Just a heads up that the PTA sent home the fundraising packets. Please read the information sheet inside of the packet for instructions. If you have any questions about PTA, the fundraiser, or joining, here is the information http://bitterrootpta.weebly.com/.

Please contact bitterrootpta@hotmail.com with questions! 

Happy Thursday!

Back-to-School!

Welcome back, Bitterroot Bobcats!

I hope you find this blog useful and informative. The point of a class blog is to connect parents and teachers, while still remaining an easy task. This is where I will be posting spelling words, weekly updates, important dates/events, and FYI's. Please check a few times a week and sign up for Remind. 

I will send out a text whenever I write a new post.

Check out the Bitterroot Website http://bitterroot.weebly.com/ for new school-wide information. 

I know this is going to be an awesome year. Watch out, world! Mrs. Dimock's First Graders are coming full force!!

Field Trip!

Thanks for the great year, families!!!