Busy Week!

It's going to be a fun and busy week.  On Wednesday, we have field day at Bitterroot from 9-10:30. Make sure your kiddo wears tennis shoes and is dressed for PE.  You may need to put sunscreen on your child before they come to school-depending on the weather.

On Friday, we have our annual field trip to Riverfront Park.  Make sure your child has appropriate clothes for the weather, running shoes, packed lunch, bug spray, sunscreen, hat, water bottle, jacket
and a packed lunch if you did not order one from the school. Volunteers-I'll be sending home a letter on Wednesday with details!

You will start seeing a lot things coming home so make sure you check your child's backpack everyday.

We will be finishing up our last reading unit, reviewing some year-long math skills, and writing letters to classmates and schoolmates to practice all of our amazing growth this year. I still can't believe we're almost done. These kiddos have grown so much and I can't wait to show them some work from their portfolios. They'll be just as amazed!

Wishing you well,
Mrs. Dimock

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!  I hope you are getting spoiled by your awesome kiddo today!

For those of you who have not turned in the permission slip and/or lunch slip I am sending home a second copy of them on Wednesday.  Be sure to fill it out and get it back ASAP!

Thank you to those who came and supported the first graders at their music performance.  It was so much fun!

The final PTA meeting of the year will be on Thursday, May 17th at 6:30 in the library.  They are still looking for a treasurer and secretary.  Please consider becoming a part of the PTA board!

We are finally back to our normal reading group routine.  This week we will be learning and reading about traditions.

In writing, we will be reviewing the different genres and completing our fourth quarter writing samples

In math, we will be learning about graphing and the different types of graphs.

Wishing you well,
Mrs. Dimock

Another Short Week!

There is no school on Friday, May 5th.

I will be sending the permission slip and sack lunch slip home for our upcoming field trip to Riverfront Park on May 26th.  Your child will also need to bring $2.00 to purchase a Snowie shaved ice.  If you are unable to send $2.00 please let me know and we can work something out.  Also, please let me know if you would like to volunteer to help out with the field trip.

It's assessment time again.  This week we will be completing the FASTBridge assessments for math and reading.  It is very important that kiddos come to school every day, well-rested.

We will still be doing whole group reading, but will not be having reading groups due to testing.  Our essential question this week is, "Who helps you?"

We are knee deep in animal research and writing.  We will be finishing up our writing this week and hopefully will have time to get some illustrating done.

In math, we are moving on to geometry.  We will continue with 2-D shapes and move on to 3-D shapes.  We will be learning about the defining attributes of the shapes (sides, vertices, open, closed).  We will also squeeze in a few fraction lessons while learning about shapes.

Wishing you well,
Mrs. Dimock

Welcome Back!

I hope you and your kiddo enjoyed the long weekend and were able to spend some extra time together.

The changes in morning walk have helped reduce the number of issues we were having.  We will continue to have the students walk in one big circle with all grade levels walking together.

PTA will be electing three new board members for the upcoming year during the meeting on April 20th.  Positions up for election are Vice-President, Treasurer, and Vice-President of Communication.  If you are interested in running for one of these positions please fill out the paper that will be sent home in Wednesday Folders and return to school the following day.

We are still in need of volunteers for our end of the year field trip on May 26.  You must have a background check to volunteer.  These usually take a few weeks to get back so now is the time to get the process started.  Christy has the forms at the office.

We will also need a few volunteers for field day.  This will take place on May 24 from 9:00-10:30.  Please let me know if you are interested in helping with this fun-filled morning.

In reading, we are back to our regular routine.  Our essential question is, "How do things get built?"  The phonics instruction will focus on the oi, and oy sounds.  Please make sure you are reading each night with your child.  It makes a huge difference in their reading performance.

In writing, we are still working on structure for Personal Narratives.

We are changing gears in math.  This week we will learn to identify and count coins.  Each day this week the students will learn about a different coin.  We will start with pennies, move on to nickels, then dimes, and end with quarters.  Counting coins is a tricky task for firsties.

Wishing you well,
Mrs. Dimock

Getting Ready for the Last Quarter!!

Report cards go home today.  Remember BE PROUD OF YOUR KIDDO'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS!  First grade is hard, especially third quarter.  These kiddos worked their tails off this quarter and gave it their all.  After reviewing your kiddo's report card please send the empty, signed envelope back to school.

Mark your calendars...Friday, May 12 will be a busy day for first graders at Bitterroot.  First grade will be hosting our second annual Mother's Day breakfast from 7:30-8:05.  More information will be coming out at a later date.  We will also be having a spring music performance from 1:15-1:45 in the gym.  Hope to see you at both events!

We need volunteers to help out with our end of the year field trip to Riverfront Park on Friday, May 26.  We will need help from 10:00am to 12:30pm.  Responsibilities include running a game station, eating lunch with a small group of kiddos, and going on a nature walk as a class.  You must have a background check completed before attending.  Mrs. Z can hook you up with a background check form.  These take a few weeks to get back so it would be wise to get it done now.  If you are interested in volunteering please let me know.

This week we will be working on many fun concepts! In reading, we will answer "What sounds can you hear? How are they made?" In math, we will continue to work with time to the hour and half hour, writing it both analog and digital. Spelling we will go into ou and ow words. Keep up the great work, parents! Your kiddos are doing so well with your support.

Wishing you well,
Mrs. Dimock

Spring has Sprung!

I can't believe how fast the school year is flying by.  Third quarter ends on Friday, March 24.

A huge thank you to Colter and Joey's mothers for coming in to help with our leprechaun science experiments.  The kiddos had so much fun!

Thank you to those who donated to the first grade raffle basket.  If you have not already done so there is still time to donate.  Our basket theme is family fun.  Please send donations to school on Monday, March 20.

The Classroom Carnival is Friday, March 24.  The teachers and PTA have been working hard to plan a fun night for the kids.  The funds raised go directly to the teachers to purchase items for the classroom, field trips, and other special projects.

In reading, we will be learning about the sky and what we can see in the sky.  The comprehension skills this week are, making predictions and cause/effect.

In writing, we will begin book reviews.  Each student will get a Mo Willems book (because he is my favorite author!) to review.  They will start by using a graphic organizer to plan why they liked the book or why they did not like the book.  We will then use the graphic organizer to write an opinion piece.  After the students write their opinion piece they will be working on revising and editing.  Revising and editing will be a big focus throughout fourth quarter.

In math, we will continue to work on non-standard measurement.

Have a great week!

Quick Update

Hello, families!

I don't have a lot to report from this week other than my students did amazing on their reading assessments! With report cards coming up again, I wanted to get a better idea of their new reading levels, and I was amazed at how much they've grown in 1 quarter!

Coming up this week, we'll start Unit 5 of Wonders, Chapter 9 in GoMath, and gear up with writing for some St. Patrick's Day fun!

 Reading

Essential Question: How can we classify and organize things?

Oral Vocab: trouble, whole, classify, distinguish, organize, startled, entire
Phonics/Spelling: cart, barn, arm, art, yarn, harm, happy, key, four, none
HFW: four, large, none, only, put, round

Math

How can we measure length?

On Friday, we will be doing a Mystery Morning and then a Science Afternoon. I have a few people on board for helping out. Let me know if you're interested!

Also, Mrs. Vergara and I are doing Popcorn and Cotton Candy for the school carnival. If anyone would like to help out, we'll be 6-8 (5 for set up) on March 24th. Thanks!

Wishing you well, 

Mrs. Dimock

Update

Thank you to those who donated food and drinks for our Valentine's party.  We had tons of fun passing out Valentine's, playing Minute to Win It games, and eating!

Class pictures and spring pictures will be taken on Thursday, February 23.  The order form went home in backpacks on Friday.

Members from the Lion's Club will be visiting first grade on Thursday to teach us about the American Flag.

We will start buddies this week with Mrs. O'Donnell's fifth graders.  Our focus this week will be to learn about personal space.  Our class has difficulties with boundaries and staying out of each other's personal space.  Hopefully, with fifth grade role models we will learn what is appropriate!

In reading, we will be reading about how animals survive in nature.

February is Dental Health Month.  In writing, we will be writing informational pieces about dental health.

In math, we are continuing to work on adding within 100.  Last week, we became experts at adding and subtracting multiples of 10.  This week, we are making it a bit tougher.  Students will be adding 2-digit numbers to single digit numbers.

Another quick behavior update:
We had a lot of unsafe behaviors last week. It is my number 1 job to keep kiddos safe, and if they are not listening and following directions I cannot do my job. Recess restriction, bathroom buddies, and different seating placements have been the usual consequences for not being safe. If it does not improve, we'll need to brainstorm together to help keep your child and other children safe. Thanks for all that you do at home to support their schooling!

Wishing you well,
Mrs. Dimock

Valentine's Day

We have our Valentine's Party tomorrow. We won't celebrate until after lunch, as to keep the day as "normal" as possible. Although it's a short week, we have a lot of discovering left to do!

In reading, we are entering Unit 4 Week 2. Our Essential Question is: "How do animals help each other?" Our high frequency words are because, blue, into, or, other, small. Our spelling pattern is ee, ea, and long e. 

In writing, we will be doing some writing projects centered around Presidents Day and Valentine's Day. We are taking a step back and focusing on capitals, periods, spacing, and does it make sense?

In math, we continue to work with adding numbers within 100. Students are expected to use patterns and strategies to help them solve the equations quickly, but not just memorizing answers. This is where fact fluency 1-20 is serving them well!

Adding a behavior update: We are still working on doing as we are told the first time, having learning stamina to be able to sit for no more than 10 minutes for a lesson, and also our new phrase, "I cannot do whatever I want whenever I want. I am part of a school family." Any support at home is greatly appreciated!

Have a great week and another shout out to the volunteers helping provide snacks for our party!!

-Mrs. Dimock

Sunday Update

The week is starting out cold.  Please make sure your kiddo has appropriate snow clothes for recess.  We have had very cold kiddos at recess and lots of tears.  

Thursday, February 9 is a noon dismissal day.  Please make sure you have arranged a ride for your kiddo.  There is no school Friday, February 10 and Monday, February 13.  School resumes Tuesday, February 14.

Our Valentine's Day party will take place on February 14th in the afternoon.  So far I have not heard from anyone of what they will be bringing.

I know it is early, but it is time to start thinking about all of our end of the year activities.  If you are planning on helping our with field day, our field trip, or any other activity please make sure you have completed the background check process.  Please contact Mrs. Z to start the background check process.

We will be starting Unit 4 in Wonders this week.  This unit is titled, "Animals Everywhere."  This looks likes a very interesting and fun unit.  This week, we will be learning about how animal bodies help them.  In reading groups, we will be reading folktales about animals.

I am so excited for writing this week!  It's all about Valentine's Day.  We will be brainstorming and writing about what fills our hearts.

In math, we are continuing to work on 10+, 10-, 1+, 1-.  We will continue to work on adding within 100.

Have a great week,
Mrs. Dimock

Here We Go!

Hello, parents! We had such a blast at Fun Friday last week. The kiddos loved frosting cookies and playing with centers. The Bootcamp kids did great at practicing their first grade behavior expectations. If you have any questions about report cards, give me a call or send an email.

Just as an F.Y.I., I will not be at school Wednesday through Friday. My husband's company has the opportunity to present a project a conference in New Orleans, which means us wives get to go have some fun!! I can't wait to get back and tell the kiddos how much fun we had. I will sure miss them, but they will be in good hands and I know they'll do great.

This week will be answering the question, "How is life different that long ago?" We will read texts, stories, and learn some new vocabulary to build ourselves up to answer the question. Some spelling words to practice are o__e and u__e words and some high frequency words to know by heart are "ago, boy, girl, how, old, people."

In math, we will continue working with 10 more 10 less, 1 more 1 less. Are you sick of our 100's chart shuffle song yet?!? 

In writing, we are still working on Personal Narratives. The students did a great job last week of taking what they brainstormed on a graphic organizer and transferring the story onto lined paper. Huge step for our little writers!!

As always, thank you for allowing me to work with your children. They are such blessings and I am honored to be their teacher.

Wishing you well,

Mrs. Dimock

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

Hello, families!

I'm a doing a blog post early because I will be moving into my new house tomorrow. I will be gone tomorrow afternoon and our guest teacher will take over after lunch. 

Next week we do not have school on Monday, January 16th. Teachers are going to a presentation about Generational Poverty at West High in the morning and then working in our buildings in the afternoon.

We will be starting Unit 3 Week 3 in our reading curriculum. Here are the skills we will be working on: 

Weekly Concept: Tales Over Time

Essential Question: What is a folktale?
Oral Vocab: tale, hero, eventually, foolish, timid
Phonics/Spelling: -ed, -ing/ soft c, g, dge
HFW: any, from, happy, once, so, upon

In writing, we will continue to work on Personal Narratives. The kiddos are getting better each day! Practice makes progress.

In math, we will begin 10 more, 10 less and 1 more, 1 less. We've spent weeks working on writing our numbers 1-120, addition strategies, recognizing patterns on a hundreds chart, and great than/less than. They are well prepared for the task at hand, and I have no doubts they will take this new challenge head on!

Just a few reminders:
Snow clothes are getting pretty smelly. Please think about washing. The kiddos eat before they play at lunch, so they wear most of their gear to the lunch room.
Also, our attendance has been very poor since coming back from Christmas break. Please remember to call the office if your child will not be attending school.

I can't wait to get unpacked and back into a routine! I hope you all have a great weekend.

Wishing you well,
Mrs. Dimock

FastBridge Week

Hello, Families!

I spent the weekend working on report cards. It is so rewarding to go back and review the growth that each of my students has made! We are becoming better readers, writers, and mathematicians every single day and the assessments prove it!

In reading this week, we will be covering long i. The weekly concept is--Watch It Grow!

Our weekly question is "How do plants change as they grow?" We won't have reading groups this week due to FastBridge testing. We will still have Daily 5 rotations and mini-lessons covering the phonics, phonemic awareness, and concepts for the week. Our sight words this week are green, grow, pretty, should, together, and water. The spelling words are: like, spike, ride, hide, bike, mine, make, came, water, should

In writing this week, we are beginning winter poetry in a "diamond" format. The kids should have a blast creating their poems on Monday and Tuesday! Pictures to follow! We will also work on adding details to our writing by completing a snowman activity. Hopefully, they'll be able to tell you all about how important it is to be descriptive in their writing.

In math, we are beginning to compare numbers using the <, >, and = symbols and using the vocabulary greater than, less than, and equal to. I have no doubts that this class will work their hardest to master this standard! We have some fun activities to really "cement" these concepts into their long term memories!

I suppose we'll have to wait and see what the weather does this week. As always, send the winter gear. Any chance we have to go outside, I'm taking it!! Indoor recess is not as fun after a 2+ weeks of being inside.  Wishing you well! Mrs. Dimock

Happy 2017!

Happy 2017!  I hope you had an enjoyable holiday break.  I certainly did!  It was full of family, friends, sleeping in, and relaxing!  It is going to be tough waking up early tomorrow!

We are welcomed back to school with some COLD weather.  Be sure to dress your kiddo for the weather.  If it is below zero we will stay inside for morning walk and recess.

We will be easing back into school mode by reviewing behavior expectations.  It always seems like this is necessary after the long holiday break and a good way to start out the last half of the year.  Second quarter is quickly coming to an end.  This year is flying by.

In reading, we are stating Unit 3. Our essential questions is, How do we measure time?" We will start back up with reading groups and hopefully not have fallen too far behind over break. Did your kiddo do Mrs. Anderson's reading challenge? I can't wait to see!

In writing we will be working on Personal Narratives. I'm sure the kiddos will have some great stories to share after break.

In math, we will focus on counting and writing numbers 100-120.  We will also be playing some review games to help us review 10s and 1s.

I sure do miss the kiddos and can't wait to see everyone tomorrow.
Wishing you well, Mrs. Dimock