Thanks to those family members who continue to send in letters about your child.

These letters help me to see your child in another light and aid me in being a better teacher. It is not too late to send in your letter if you have not done so.

Nancys Newsletter Week of September 16th-20th

I introduced the CAF menu, a visual organi ational tool used to teach children strategies that good readers use. !e discussed comprehension, accuracy, fluency and vocabulary. These are big words that are tricky for " and # year olds to understand. This was an initial e$posure, we will return to these words often throughout the year. %rs. &tuart, the reading teacher, taught the first reading strategy called 'Check for (nderstanding). This idea asks children to stop while reading a book and check in with themselves to see if they understand what they are reading. *Comprehension+. I modeled this several times this week as I did the daily read aloud. !e also began a list of new vocabulary words after discussing them. ,ou might want to review these words with your child and refer back to them in conversation. The words we added so far are- relatives, drooped, peered, furiously, self control, and keepsakes.

.ur new word chunk is 'at/ and our two new heart words *sight words+ are 'at) and 'like). !e completed our first word sort activity this week. 0lease find it in the weekend folder. If your child did not finish this in school, please have them complete it at home. It does not have to be returned.

!e role played several different situations and how you would feel if that situation happened to you. A discussion followed about feeling sad, angry, worried, e$cited, and surprised. !e will focus on feelings and how you can tell how someone is feeling *body language+ over the ne$t few weeks.

!e began to talk about collections and I highlighted some of mine such as shells, rocks, and buttons. I also read books about collecting. .ne was about collecting rocks and another was about a young boy who loved to play with his 1randma/s collection. *The 2utton 2o$+. The children love to

e$plore these collections by sorting them, counting them and making designs. !e made a list of collections that each child has. 3ach child will have a special day to bring in their collection to share with the class. 0lease find a note in the weekend folder telling you what day this will be. A collection can be as small as two items, and most collections are items that can be found, not bought. It is not necessary to go out and buy items for a collection. If your child does not yet have a collection, you can have fun together starting a new one. &ome ideas are- rocks, shells, buttons, dolls, cars, 4egos, leaves and bottle caps. .ur poem of the week was about 5eepsakes, special things you find and want to keep for along time.

3ach afternoon we start our math time with a number talk. This involves children figuring out how many dots are on the easel, and sharing how they figured this out. %ost children can easily figure out the correct amount, the tricky part is e$plaining the mental math they performed to their classmates. !e have been doing number talks for eight days now, and I already see progress in children/s ability to e$plain their thinking6 !e learned the number words this week and worked with partners to play a number word game. 2efore doing this we brainstormed important behaviors to show when working with a partner. The children completed a two day district math assessment. 7e$t week there will be a writing assessment, followed by a reading assessment the following week. This information will aid me in my teaching. All assessments will be shared at the 7ovember conference.

,our child is bringing home their library book for the first week. 0lease help them to keep this book in a safe spot and en8oy reading it together6 The books should be returned to school by Thursday so that they check out a new one.

Curriculum Night September 26th at 6:30. I look forward to having u together a a new group of caregiver upporting our children. !lea e find a de cription of m" program in the

weekend folder. I hope "ou can find time to read it before #hur da" night when we meet.

#here will be childcare if needed. !lea e bring "our calendar conference in November.

o that "ou can ign up for a

$n $ctober %th the three fir t grade will go on a field trip to the Cornell &pple $rchard. 'e will leave at (:30 and return around )2:)*. I will need two parent to +oin u on thi trip. !lea e let me know if "ou are available. If "our child u uall" get lunch from chool we can plan on getting a bag lunch to take with u . !lea e write me a note to let me know "our choice, onl" if "our child get lunch from chool.

School picture are on intere ted in getting picture .

. !lea e end back "our picture form if