Homework

Another spelling/writing homework packet came home today and will be due next week by Friday.

We will have two more weeks of that homework, then for break I will be sending home some super-sized homework to do over the break. My goal is make sure that the students retain their skills over break. This is such a precious time of year for learning and I want to make sure everyone keeps practicing the skills they have learned so far.

Happy Homeworking!
Mrs. Weathers

Just wanted to let you know...

Here is an optional activity you could do over those long days of winter break. No need to let me know if you are going to participate, just send in your poster.

Thanks,

Mrs. Weathers

It’s that time again… time to gear up for our annual

Oregon Garden Earth Day poster contest! For the past 13years, kids have been celebrating and learning about the earth with us through their art contributions. Wewould like to invite your students to participate in this year’s contest to help promote Earth Day 2013.

Our theme this year is

“EARTH DAY, Every Day.” Please read further down this post what that means.

The poster contest is open to students in all K

‐12 programs. The Earth Day Committee will choose one GrandPrize winner for the official 2012 Earth Day posters, advertisements, billboards, and website that will be used to promote our event. We will display all poster entries at the event and also award a First Place Prize to one student in each of these categories: grades K‐3; grades 4‐7; grades 8‐12. The contest rules are enclosed, and all poster entries must be postmarked by Wednesday, Jan. 30th, 2013. Please address entries to:

Alan Pennington

Marion County Public Works

5155 Silverton Rd. NE

Salem, OR, 97305

For questions regarding the poster contest, please contact Alan at 503

‐365‐3188 or

apennington@co.marion.or.us.

Our 14

th annual Earth Day Celebration at The Oregon Garden on Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 10 am to 4 pm is a FREE event made possible by generous sponsorships from Marion County Environmental Services, Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Oregon Department of Energy, and others. This year’s Earth Day Celebration will feature educational activities for children and adults with ideas on how to “Reduce our Carbon Footprint” by making simple changes in our everyday lives. For more details on the event, check for updates at www.oregongarden.org. Come support environmental stewardship while enjoying spring blooming at The Oregon Garden!

Marion County Public Works

‐Environmental Services

Earth Day 2012 Poster

Contest Rules

Use this checklist to make sure all entries are eligible for judging:

•

All entries must be created by students currently in the K through 12th‐grade age range (home‐school

students welcome!)

•

Each entry MUST include the student’s first and last name, grade #, and school name on the back of

the artwork.

The entry must be the original artwork of the student whose name is on the piece.

•

The size of the artwork must be NO LARGER than 11” x 17”. Smaller sizes are acceptable as well. Any

kind of paper may be used; we promote recycled paper but this will not be a criterion for judging!

•

The artwork must be related to this year’s theme of “EARTH DAY, Every Day”.

•

Entries may be done in marker, ink, crayon, colored pencil, watercolor, acrylic, or tempera paint.

•

We discourage entries with words. Posters with words will not be immediately disqualified, but in

some cases the words will make the poster unusable. Please tell students to not write

EARTH DAY,

Every Day

on the poster.

•

No computer‐generated artwork will be accepted.

•

Entries must be mailed flat, and must not be folded, rolled, matted, or mounted.

Entries must be

postmarked by Wednesday, Jan. 30th, 2013.

Prize list (categorized by grade level):

K

‐3rd: $50 Gift Card/Fred Meyer

4

‐7th: $50 Gift Card/Fred Meyer

8

‐12th: $50 Gift Card/Fred Meyer

Note:

the winning entry from those above that is chosen as the Grand Prize will receive an additional

$50!

Discussion of Theme

“

EARTH DAY, Every Day”

We share the resources and bounty of Mother Earth with all living organisms. These

resources are finite but humanity’s appetite for food, shelter, and material goods is

growing to unsustainable levels. How we manage our planet affects not only us but all

other plants and animals.

􀂃

What types of natural resources are there?

􀂃

Are these resources renewable?

􀂃

Where do the products we buy come from?

􀂃

How does the way in which food is produced or materials made affect the planet?

􀂃

What simple actions can we take in our daily lives to have less impacts on the earth?

􀂃

How can our purchasing choices help or hurt the planet?􀂃 What is sustainability and how do we become more sustainable in our daily lives?

Thanksgiving Break

Good Afternoon!

Just a reminder that we have conferneces next week. During the week of the students will have a spelling/writing homework packet (like the last 2 weeks) and it will be due the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Pleae continue to read every day! I would challenege you to try and read 60 minutes or more a day over break. This can be you reading to your child, with your child, or them reading to themselves. We have been working on story maps in class. We can write down our book title, a sentence about the beginning, middle and end of the story as well as identify the setting and characters. I would encourage you to continue this conversation over break or find a journal where your child can write out a story map after they read.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at all conferences. Today you will get the report card and a paper to fill out after you read it. Please bring this with you to the conference and we can talk about all the wonderful things your first grader is doing at school and discuss areas that seem to be tricky for them right now.

Please email me or call if you can't make it to your conference and we can reschedule or do a phone conference. Take care, stay well and have a great thanksgiving! I am thankful for the wonderful families I get to work with this year!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Weathers

Healthy Choices Assembly

This week we had an assembly that talked about making making healthy choices. It was a super creative and interactive musical that encouraged kids to eat fruits and veggies, drink water, and exercise! Here are a couple pictures and a short video.

 

Journal Writing in Class

Lots of times in class we have time to write in our journals. I spent some time today reading through journals to see what everyone is writing about. I found some superstar writing!!! I had six kids share their secret to success when it comes to writing time...

Biaggio says, "I think about my friends and family when I am writing!"

Isabel says, "I think about what I want for Christmas and write about other things I'm looking forward to."

Jesus says, "I look at books I'm reading to help me get ideas."

Kaeden says, "I read books to learn new words then I use those words in my writing."

Miylee says, "I write about things I do like Trick-or-Treating and fun things I've done."

Ariel says, " I write about things I do at home like reading and things I do at school like playing with my friends!"

At home, please encourage your students to write about things!  Remember, like the writing homework, it doesn't have to be perfect spelling- it just needs to be getting ideas down on paper and remembering or communicating through writing. Much like reading, writing is a life long skill that can be both useful and enjoyable! Tonight, ask your child what they are writing about in their journal at school and see if you can find some time to write at home (grocery list, letter to a family member or friend, a response to reading, etc.)

Happy Writing!
Mrs. Weathers

Election Wrap Up!

This week we read a few books about being the president. Today the kids filled out their ballot for which read aloud was their favorite. Looks like they liked Duck for President the best! I'll admit, it is a cute book. We finished up our election unit today in class with another little book about voting and the leaders in our government. We also made a timeline of the events in election (The Campaign, Election Day, Primaries, Natuional Conventions, Inaguration, etc). The kids will be bringing some of these things home today. Also, there is a true-or-false election game page that you can play at home just for fun- quiz them on what they know. There will be more presidential learning ahead in the next few weeks and months after the election, but this is all for now. Remember to vote! We live in a great country!

Take Care,

Mrs. Weathers

1st Grader As President

This week in our election learning we discussed what the president does for a job. We talked about how the president has things that are important to him and wants good things for our country. Then the students thought about what would be important to them. This little gal wrote on her paper "If I were president and I would protect the people who are sick."

Take Care,

Mrs. Weathers