September 2, 2014
Dear Parents:
The start of the new school year has been a successful
one. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting
to know your child through activities we have done in the classroom to
establish a sense of community. I am
very excited about the learning experiences your child will participate in and
look forward to a productive school year.
CURRICULUM
Last week we learned the procedures and expectations of our
“Daily 5” program for literacy. Students
are doing a wonderful job practicing read to self while at the same time
building their stamina for reading. They
have been asking questions before, during, and after reading to set a purpose
for reading, stay engaged during reading, and check for understanding. During Writer’s Workshop, students have been
learning how to write a well-organized paragraph with a topic sentence and
supporting details. This week we will
begin writing focused, small moment personal narratives. Our focus in math has been on reviewing
various methods to fluently add and subtract.
These methods include place value drawings, show all totals, and
expanded form. We have also been working
on “math talk” in the classroom because it is important that students be able
to explain the process of their problem solving rather than just give an
answer. We began our first unit of study
in Science today which is the human body.
There are many fun, hands-on activities planned in this unit to help
students understand various systems within the human body.
HOMEWORK
Students are writing their homework assignments in their
agendas. Your child should be bringing
home his/her math and homework binder nightly.
This binder contains his/her agenda, the green Douglas folder which will
contain homework papers, and the math focus lessons for the quarter. There is also a reading log inside the green
homework folder which needs to be signed nightly (Monday – Thursday),
acknowledging that your child read 20 minutes and checked for comprehension
that evening.
COMMUNICATION
I am always happy to
talk to you about any questions or concerns you may have about your child. Please do not hesitate to send a letter,
write a note in the agenda, call the school (919-881-4894), or email me at dunderwood@wcpss.net. I think it is very important to keep the
lines of communication open between home and school in order to create a
positive learning environment for your child.
Folders will be sent home every Monday to inform you of your child’s
progress, important events, and upcoming dates.
I am sending these home today since Monday was a holiday. Please take the time to review the
information/class work/homework with your child. Please feel free to keep the papers in the
folder other than those that specify to be returned. I am also in the process of updating our
class website. This classroom blog will
serve as another means of communication between home and school.
BOOK ORDERS
Included in today’s Monday folder is a book order from
Scholastic. These orders will be sent
home often. If you would like to order
any books, please send back the order form and check by September 15. Make checks payable to Scholastic, and please
do not send cash. We will receive
classroom points redeemable for free books for orders made online using our
classroom code J64DG.
HIGHLIGHTS
MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION
I am also including a special school offer to subscribe to
Highlights magazine. Highlights is a fun
magazine that offers activities to make children think, crafts that spark
creativity, fiction and nonfiction reading, as well as games and puzzles to
build learning skills. By checking yes
or no on the white form, you can help our classroom earn a free gift.
UPCOMING DATES
9/11 – Beginning of Grade Assessment, 9/18 – Open House
(5:30 – 7:00 p.m.), 9/25 - Workday
Thank you for the classroom donations of tissues, wipes,
copy paper, expo markers, etc. These
supplies are definitely needed, and I appreciate your generosity. I am very grateful for the opportunity to
teach your child. I look forward to
helping your child grow academically and develop the skills needed to function
effectively in our global society.
Sincerely,
Donna H. Underwood
