LaRue's News

February

2012-02-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

February sure came quickly. I apologize for not having a January posting. I trust that everyone come through the January storms without too much damage. I lost power initially for 132 hours, got it back for 7 hours then the winds took it back out for another 12 hours. With 10 acres of mostly timber in the hills east of town we lost a lot of tree tops and limbs. No major damage but it will take a long time to clean up the debris.

February is a very busy month for us:

Junior Program envelopes have come home and most have been returned. If you haven't returned yours please fill it out and return as soon as possible. The yellow envelopes not only hold the money but are the permission slips as well and need to be signed by the parent/guardian in order for your child to attend. I am pleased to see how many volunteers we have had to usher. If you find that you cannot afford the fee, please contact us.

February 10th is our annual book exchange. The PTA is looking for people to help sort books at 6:00 on February 9th if you have time.

February 14th is both 100's Day and Valentine's Day. For 100's Day, I give a prize to the boy and girl that bring the most unique 100 items. We will be doing all kinds of activities to celebrate the 100th day of school and the number 100 during the morning.

We will have a Valentine's Day party at 2:00. Due to food allergies please do not send in any treats unless you have spoken to me. If possible do not send Valentine's with candy as we have a student in our class that cannot have sugar. Remember also that we have a peanut allergy in our class so please read labels and make sure that nothing your child brings has peanuts or has been manufactured in a facility that also uses peanut products. The kids have been fantastic about having me read any labels if they aren't sure.

Concert : our 1st grade concert is early March. If your 1st grader would like a speaking part, please fill out the form from Mrs. Wellings and return it soon or write a note if you have lost her form.

Dates to remember:

February 8th - Late start

February 10th - Book Exchange

February 14th - 100's Day and Valentine's Day and Election Day!

February 16th - Early release

February 17th - No school - Mid Winter Break

February 20th - No school - President's Day

February 29th - Leap Day

Winter Sharing/December Activities

2011-12-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

Thursday, Dec. 15^th from 1:30 – 2:30 we will be opening our wall and making ‘gingerbread’ houses with Mrs. Ryckman’s class. We need small size candies to decorate our houses as well as graham crackers, frosting (plastic tubs) and paper plates. Please check all ingredients and make sure that nothing was made in a facility that also processes peanut products. Send in items by Tuesday, Dec. 13^th so that we can supplement any needed ingredients. Let me know if you would like to help us.

Our Winter Sharing Program will be held on Friday, December 16^th. The morning Kindergarten, all-day Kindergarten and the first grade will be in the morning beginning at 8:30. The afternoon Kindergarten, all-day Kindergarten and second grade will perform in the afternoon beginning at 1:35. Our class will be performing for both programs, in the morning and the afternoon.

If you are planning on taking your child home after the morning program please sign your child out in our classroom. The rest of the day will be relaxing, activity sheets and possibly watching the Polar Express until the afternoon program.

December

2011-11-26T23:49:00.000-08:00

December will soon be upon us. With it comes more cold weather as well as a flurry of activities. We will be making 'gingerbread' houses with Mrs. Ryckman's class during the week of Dec. 12th. I will be sending home a note asking for graham crackers, frosting, sprinkles and small candy to decorate the houses. If you have time and would like to help out please let me know. We will most likely be making them on Dec. 15th from 1:30-2:30.

Our Winter Sharing program will take place on December 16th. Morning Kindergarten and either 1st or 2nd grade will perform in the morning while the other grade level and the afternoon Kindergarten will perform in the afternoon. We will sing Jingle Bells Penguin style for both assemblies. Our class will also do the 1st grade selections with the other first grade classes and likewise with the second grade classes. I will update you as to which time the performances are as I get more information.

As we think about giving gifts during this holiday season, please do not feel like you need to add me to your gift list. If you feel so inclined consider giving a gift to our classroom instead. Puzzles, inexpensive board games, card games, craft items, and books are always welcomed items.

Second Grade Concert

2011-11-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

The second grade concert was presented to a full house. The students did a nice job singing gardening songs. Kate, Emma, Bailee, Shawn, and Braxton also did a great job with their lines as did Ryan, Calan, Abby, Sierra, Braxton, and Gavin who held up pictures of fruits and vegetables during one of the songs. Thanks go to Mrs. Wellings for getting our second graders ready for their performance.

Our first graders will have their music program in the spring.

November

2011-10-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

Conferences: Conferences are Nov. 15th - 18th. I will be sending reminders about your conference day and time in the homework folder on Friday. You are more than welcome to bring your child to the conference. If you need to change your conference time, please call Parkside's office and Linda will let you know what might be available or she will get a message to me and I will make new arrangements with you. We strive to have a conference with all of our parents so that together we can make sure your child is reaching their potential. We are in the midst of a new grading system that will allow you to check your child's progress on line. I will tell you more about that at our conference.

Dates to remember:

Nov. 9th - Late start

Nov. 10th - 2nd grade Music program

Nov. 11th - Veteran's Day - No School

Nov. 14th - Full Day

Nov. 15th - Nov. 18th - Conferences - Early Release

Nov. 23rd - Early Release

Nov. 24th - 25th - Thanksgiving Holiday

Halloween

2011-10-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

We will celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31st at 2:00. We have several children in our class with food allergies so please do not send in any treats. Costumes may be worn to school but keep in mind that our school day is a regular day so costumes need to be those that will allow the children to participate in PE, recess and other class activities. Your child needs to be able to use the restroom without assistance getting in or out of a costume. We encourage positive costumes. Masks, weapons, sharp objects such as wands are not allowed. Please contact me if you have any questions.

October

2011-10-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

September came and went in a hurry! October is starting out as usual with cool rainy days. Remind your child to dress in layers as we go outside for recess when it is a misty rain and some afternoons are warmer. Your child may leave a sweatshirt or light jacket in the classroom for the days when they feel the classroom is cool.

**Important** Please check your child's lunch and snacks to ensure that there are no peanuts or peanut products. The kids bring them to me to read the labels and we have found that even snacks like Ritz cheese crackers say they "may contain peanuts or peanut products as they have been made in a factory that also processes peanut products".

Our students will be changing classrooms starting Oct. 3rd for 30 minutes for reading. We call this the March of the Penguins. Contact me if you have questions.

1st grade spelling will begin the last full week of October. Look for spelling words in their homework.

Dates to remember:

Oct. 7 - No school - state inservice day

Oct. 12 - Late start

Snacks

2011-09-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

We have a snack everyday at 10:00, right after morning recess. The children eat their snack while silently reading a book. Please help them choose a healthy, non-messy snack. Avoid such things as applesauce, pudding, yogurt and gogurt as they are harder to eat while reading. Cut up fruit into bite sized pieces. Ask your child what they like to eat, I see a lot of snacks and lunch food thrown away because the child says he doesn't like it. Great snack ideas are: fruit snacks, apple slices, crackers, pretzels, cheese sticks, etc.

Your child can have a water bottle at their desk which allows them to get drinks without needing to leave their seat during seatwork time. I would prefer a pop top type water bottle. This type helps prevent major spills, the screw lid type often gets knocked over allowing the water to get all over papers, NEO 2's, books, etc. I encourage them to take them home every Friday for cleaning but many take them back and forth daily. Please limit it to water.

Homework

2011-09-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

Homework will come home every Friday unless otherwise noted. All homework items need to be completed and turned in on time for full credit. Partial credit will be awarded for work done. Each week students will have Vocabulary and High Frequency words to study and be able to read and understand their meanings, Spelling, Math, and a Cover sheet with place to record weekly reading minutes. 100 minutes are required. Occasionally writing assignments and family projects will come home.

Reading: Remember to count time working on spelling, vocabulary and high frequency words as well as take-home books and library books as the reading minutes. You may also count time that you read to your child. Reading aloud to them is equally as important as listening to your child read out loud to you. Your child will increase their fluency the more they read aloud. If they are reading silently you won't be able to hear when they are making mistakes and help them with corrections. If they come across a word they don't know help them to sound it out, use the pictures for clues or read on to see if they can make sense of the word. These are strategies that we use in class. If your child is having specific difficulties please call me and we can work together to help your child.

August/September 2011

2011-08-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Room 8! I have been in the classroom getting things ready for you. I am excited to start a new school year and hope you are too! We have many wonderful things to explore together this year. As second graders in my class you will get the opportunity to master the second grade curriculum in all subject areas and you will be able to mentor the first graders in our class. As first graders you will learn to master the first grade curriculum as well as be able to work with second graders. As part of a combined 1st/2nd grade classroom we will have many perks that you won't see in the other classes. One special feature of our split class is that each of you will have your own NEO2 to use for the whole year increasing your math facts with Math Facts in a Flash, enhancing your reading skills with Accelerated Reader, learning keyboarding skills with Keywords and you will get to answer all types of questions using the Responder feature. I will let you know about more perks when I see you on the first day.

May 2011

2011-05-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

The Jog-a-thon today was a lot of fun. We had great weather for a change! Thanks to all of the parents and family members who came out to support our kids.

Teacher request week is May 31st - June 3rd. You must pick up the form yourself and return it yourself. We will not send them home with the students. You need to select 3 teachers and be able to give reasons why you want that teacher.

Field trip - Our end of the year trip to Tolmie State Park will take place on June 3rd. We will leave before 9:00 am and return by 2:15. We will be exploring tide pools and utilizing the hiking paths. We are fortunate to have Calan's dad, Chris Regan with us. Chris is trained in marine biology and is very know a lot about the things we will see there. Your child will need to wear clothing appropriate for splashing in tide pools and for the weather. Each child also needs to bring a sack lunch. Please use a paper bag and throw away baggies. You are welcome to come along and chaperone a small group of kids. Hopefully enough parents come to have a small number in each group. You are welcome to ride the bus or drive yourself. Remember though if you are planning on not having your child ride the bus back to school you will need to check your child out with me before we leave the park. This is a special time for you and your child so if possible leave siblings at home. If you must bring a sibling then you will only be responsible for your child but you may buddy up with other groups. Please make sure you have a current (this year) volunteer form on file. You will need to pick up one at Parkside, complete and include a copy of your driver's license.

June 17th is the last day of school. I will be making breakfast for my class. It will consist of toaster waffles, fruit and milk and will be served in the classroom from 8-8:20.

May 2011

2011-05-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

April came and went in a hurry! We had a lot of fun last week with our B.E.A.R. week especially with Laura and Rob Sams – film-makers of Stranger in the Woods, Lost in the Woods and First Snow in the Woods. They were very entertaining. We had the opportunity to watch all 3 DVD's before their visit.

It’s hard to believe that it is May already especially with the weather. Please help your child make good choices when dressing for school. As the sun starts to shine many want to wear shorts and sandals but in reality it is still cool in the morning when we have recess. A light sweater or hoodie works well and can be kept here at school. Also remember that flip flops are not encouraged. They do not provide protection or support for recess and PE.

We finished up our two weeks with Artist Barbra Kates. Our finished pictures are hanging at the Rockabillies Espresso Stand. A note came home explaining the Art Show in last Friday’s homework folder.

Field Trip – We will be going to Tolmie State Park for our field trip on June 3^rd. There is no charge but you need to have a current volunteer form on file with the district office in order to chaperone. Permission slips will be coming home soon.

VIP lunch – June 10^th – your child may invite 1 person to join us for lunch. The VIP must bring their own lunch.

Dates to remember:

May 4^th – Art Show 2:45-5:00

May 11^th – Late start

May 20^th – Jog-a-thon

May 30^th – Memorial Day No School

May 31^st-June 3^rd – Request Week

June 3^rd – Field Trip to Tolmie State Park

June 10^th – VIP lunch

February

2011-01-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

We are working hard to get all of our students at grade level or above in Reading and Math. Several students in each class go to the computer lab each morning to work on Math Facts in a Flash to increase memorization of basic math facts. Our goal is to have all of our first graders to pass all of the addition and subtraction levels by the end of the year. The students who don't go to the lab practice these facts on the NEO 2's or computers in the classroom. We are also increasing the Accelerated Reader tests taken in the classroom. I am requiring the kids to read at least one AR book and take the computerized test each week. They also take an AR test on the weekly story in our reading series. AR is not an instructive program but rather asks comprehension type questions to test understanding of what is read. I reward the students with a prize from the treasure box when they have scored 80% or higher. You can track your child's progress on the Home Connect portion of Renaissance Place. If you have misplaced the Home Connect letter let me know and I will print you a new one.

Report Cards come home on February 11th. Please call me or email if you would like to have a conference concerning your child's academic progress.

February 11th is 100 day. That is the day that we have been in school 100 days. Each child will bring 100 of the same item from home. The purpose of 100 day is to have kids see how much 100 is. We will graph 100, make combinations of 100 and more. I want to encourage kids to stretch their imaginations and bring something unique that no one else would think of.

February 14th is Valentine's Day. We will celebrate from 1:30-2:30. Please do not send in anything, I have it covered. I will be sending home a list of the students. We have students who are not allowed to have sugar so you might consider valentine's without candy.

Olympia Junior Programs - Please get your permission slips in to allow your child to attend. The play we will see is Peter and the Wolf. If you cannot afford the price please let us know.

February 25 is our Read Across America celebration. The kids have been given a Dr. Seuss hat to list 5 books that they have read. They then must color the hat red, white, etc. and cut it out. when they return it their name goes into a drawing for prizes at the assembly on Feb. 25.

January

2010-12-29T23:02:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

During the first week of January all Parkside students will be taking a reading test called DIBELS. This tests Nonsense Word Fluency and Oral Reading Fluency. We do these 3-4 times a year. Each test is administered in 1 minute timings. The data that we get from these tests helps us with our reading plans for our students. The kids like trying to 'beat the clock'. Nonsense words help us determine whether a student is able to sound out words rather than just having common words memorized. The Oral Reading fluency test encourages students to read fluidly instead of chopping up each word. Each child was given the tests at the beginning of the year for a baseline. Each successive test checks for each individuals growth. Students who have difficulty on any particular test will then be Monitored weekly to ensure progress.

Upcoming Dates:

January 12 - Late start

January 17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

January 20 - PTA Book Exchange Sorting Party 6:00 pm

January 21 - Book exchange (during school)

December

2010-12-29T22:43:00.001-08:00

December was a busy month for us. We had our first 2 Sneaker Science lessons. Our class went to Mrs. Waldock's classroom to learn about Animals and Habitats. Then in our room they learned about magnets, electricity, motion and simple machines. Hopefully your child was able to share with you some of the concepts they learned.

We also practiced for our Winter Sharing Program which was held on December 17th. I was pleased with how well the students sang and performed.

We also took three Math tests on the computer called Easy CBM (Curriculum Based Measures). We took the same tests at the beginning of the year and will take it twice again throughout the school year. This will give us a snapshot of their growth in some basic math concepts.

Many of our class is in the 100 Lap Club and about to join the 200 Lap Club in early January.

Winter Break provided a nice break for kids and staff to get ready to continue learning in January.

More November News

2010-11-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

Reading - our reading series is planned for full weeks. On weeks that have 3 or less days we do not follow our usual reading schedule. We use that time to do health, science, social studies, art or other projects.

Sneaker Science - November 22nd and 23rd are our first Sneaker Science lessons (named because kids walk to other classrooms for these science lessons). We have 8 planned altogether. Each 1st and 2nd grade teacher has become an 'expert' in one of our elementary science fields and will teach that lesson to all of the students in that grade level. For the first session the students will stay with me to learn about Motion, Push-Pull and Magnets. Other Sneaker Science topics for first graders are Plants, Animals and their Habitats, and the Sun, Moon and Earth. Along with these topics each teacher also teaches their own class topics such as weather, seasons, life cycle of butterflies and other topics that tie into our reading series. Our next Sneaker Science lessons will be taught the week before Winter Break then later in the Spring.

November

2010-11-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of important events happening in November.
Nov. 10th is a late start day, no breakfast will be served.
Nov. 11th is Veteran's Day so school is closed.
Fall conferences are Nov. 16th- Nov. 19th. These days are also early release days. School is dismissed at 11:30. We strive for meeting with each of our families to work together to provide your child's academic needs. I will send conference reminders home in the Friday folder. Please let me know if this time works for you, if not, we will try to reschedule.
Nov. 24th is an early release day.
Nov. 25th is Thanksgiving, no school.
Nov. 26th, no school.

October

2010-10-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

October is now upon us. We have a lot going on this month. From the 18th through the 22nd we will be helping the High School with Spirit Week. On Monday the 18th is Crazy Clothes Day, Tuesday the 19th is Sports Day, Wednesday the 20th is Hat Day, Thursday the 21st is Comfy Clothes - PJ's, sweats, etc. and Friday the 22nd is Red and Black day. It is the High School football teams last football game.

We will celebrate Halloween on Friday, Oct. 29th. Remember, no masks, weapons or sharp accessories. Children must be able to use the bathroom by themselves and do all school activities so please help them choose appropriate costumes. If possible try to choose positive costumes. Make-up may be worn.

It is getting cold in the mornings so remind your child to dress warmly. The children may leave a sweater, sweatshirt or light jacket to wear in the classroom if they are chilly.

Challenging your child

2010-09-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

I will do my best to keep your child actively learning and challenged where applicable. One way you can also challenge your child is through workbooks at a higher level. Many stores have such workbooks. I have even seen leveled workbooks at some dollar stores. The Internet has free printables that can be used as well as learning games for reading and math. I have included some links on my blog for a few good websites. Let me know if you have found others and I will include them.

When working with your child whether it is to challenge them or to just complete homework, make sure that you are both at ease. If your child is beginning to get frustrated, take a break and resume at a later time. Homework should never be a battle. Some children respond well to setting a timer and trying to 'beat the clock' to complete homework. Others do well with an incentive chart with a reward. If homework appears to be too easy or too hard talk to me about adapting it your child's needs.

Reading and Math

2010-09-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

Usually every Friday we will have a Reading test. The reading tests are part of our reading curriculum. They test the skills that were learned during the week. The vocabulary and high frequency words are those used in the weekly stories, classroom lessons and homework (Vocabulary Mastery sheet and Take-home book). The test also tests the vowel sound or blends worked on in class. Comprehension is tested by the story in the test that the students read and answer the questions (which I read to them). I identify the pictures but the students need to be able to read the answer choices and make their choice. In some cases they match beginning or ending sound to pictures or words. In others they find words with the same vowel sound. I model before each test how to use various strategies to make sound choices and not guesses. I also remind the students to check their work and to look back into the story to answer the questions. Each week please go over the test with your child and encourage them to do their best.

Math tests are given when we have completed the chapter. This usually takes 2-3 weeks. Take the time to look over the work pages that come home almost daily. When we begin a new chapter I send home the first page of the chapter that explains what we will be working on. One area of math that is on-going that you can help your child with is counting. We will be counting by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's in class - practice at home will help your child master these.

For Handwriting (Penmanship) we use the D'Nealian style. This style helps students transition into cursive writing. I include a sample sheet in the first weeks homework. If you need another, please let me know. We use whiteboard for practicing letter and numeral writing. Ours have lines so that they practice using the right formation. Your child could benefit from practicing letter and numeral writing on lined white boards or lined paper.

Homework Week of 9-13-10

2010-09-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Friday, Sept. 10th your child brought home their first homework folder. Please help your child set up a routine for homework such as setting up a time schedule, having a designated area and putting together supplies that will be needed to complete the homework. A shoebox or basket work well for homework supplies. Include pencils, crayons, glue stick and anything else you think you will need.

There are several reasons why we assign homework. Homework helps children:

· discover that learning occurs outside of school.

· develop responsibility.

· reinforce and practice skills that have been introduced at school.

· expand reading time.

· and allows parents to be a part of the learning process.

The Homework Packet

A homework packet will be sent home each Friday (or the last day of the week) in the Homework Folder. This packet is to be completed and returned to school the following Thursday. Keeping it together and turning it in as a packet helps pages not to get lost!

Parent homework responsibilities:

· Review the homework packet for mistakes & have your child make corrections before turning in.

· Listen to your child read or read to them, record reading minutes & total on Wednesday night.

· Sign the cover sheet and Vocabulary Mastery sheet.

· Help your child remember to turn in his/her homework on time.

Student responsibilities:

· Put your name on the homework.

· Do as much as you can independently. Ask your parents only if you need help.

· Tell your parents, baby sitter or day care person when you are reading so you can write down your minutes.

· Turn in your paper when you get to school on Thursday!

Homework Grades:

The homework assignments turned in on time each week will make up your child’s homework grade on the report card. If your child is absent on the day this homework is due, they must turn it in on their first day back to school after the absence. If homework is not turned in on time it will be considered late and will not receive credit. It is important to develop good homework habits at Parkside so that your child will be more successful when they leave our school.

Homework

2010-09-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Our first homework folder will come home on Friday, September 10th. It will include a cover sheet with a grid for recording Reading Minutes (this must be filled out for credit), 2 Math papers (Drops in the Bucket), a Take-home book and a Vocabulary sheet.

September 2010

2010-08-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Room 8! I have been in the classroom getting things ready for you. I hope you were able to come to Back to School Night.

Summer 2010

2010-06-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

Enjoy your summer but remember to read 20 minutes per day! Flash cards help keep math facts fresh too!

Join the Summer Reading Program at Timberland Library - earn prizes including a free pass to NW Trek!