feb. 18 newsletter

A Peek at the Week

Yay!  We have had a full week of school and beautiful weather.  This week in reading, we are focusing on making inferences about what we have read.  In math, we are working on telling time to the hour and half hour.  In science, we are learning about rocks.  In writing, we are writing on demand writing pieces.

On Demand

Today, your child will bring home an on-demand writing piece stapled to two book orders.  Their task was to convince you to buy them a book from the book order.  Do not feel obligated to buy a book, I just took this excellent opportunity to write an authentic on demand.  The book order date on the back is wrong.  The book order is due Feb. 25 if you are interested in purchasing a book.

Music News

Students have been working hard in music class to learn songs to include on the upcoming "Great American Songbook Project" CD.  The CD will even feature the teachers in one song!  Each CD will be sold for $15 with the proceeds going to benefit the music program at WES.  This is a great keepsake for family and friends to commemorate your child becoming a "recording artist!"  Order forms and checks are due by Monday February 28th.  Checks need to be made payable to  Wilmore Elementary School.  Thank You!!!!!!

Fairy Tale Ball

Our annual first grade fairy tale ball will be Thursday, February 24  at 10:00.  Parents are welcome!   Please send your child to school as a fairy tale character.  We will be studying fairy tales at the end of February through the middle of March.  The fairy tale ball will include decorations in the main hallway, a large castle cake and dancing.  Some fairy tale characters include:  princesses, knight, dwarf, Jack from Jack in the Beanstalk, etc.

Specials Schedule

21 library

22 Spanish

23 Early dismissal

24 computer

25 Library music

Upcoming Events

February 21 – Make up snow day (school will be in session)

February 24 – Fairy tale ball

Feb. 25 – book order due

March 12 –Spring fling

                                                                                                                       

Homework, spelling test and Valentine's party

We will still have our Valentine's Day party on Friday at 1:45.  Don't forget to send in Valentine's Day cards.  Also, the homework and spelling test originally scheduled for Friday, Feb. 11 will be postponed until Feb. 18.  There will be no new homework next week.  Enjoy the snow!

Newsletter -- Feb. 11

A Peek at the Week

In science, we are studying earth materials.  We have used the rocks the children have brought to school to describe color, size and other features.  In reading, we are learning about inferences.  We are learning to take what we already know and what is in the text to make an inference about what we read.  This is usually very difficult for first graders, but these students have already started to understand this concept.  We will be practicing inferences for a couple of weeks.  In math, we have finished our unit on addition to 20 and have begun learning about time to the hour and half hour.

Upcoming Events

Feb. 17 Book-a-neer night at school

February 21 – Make up snow day (school will be in session)

February 24 – Fairy tale ball

March 12 –Spring fling

Please Join the Wilmore Island Crew of “Book-aneers”!  RSVPs are recommended so we can arrange your voyage!  Pirate Tryouts will be held Thursday, February 17^th!  The ship will board between 6:15pm and 6:30pm with a strict departure from the dock at 6:30pm!  Late arrivals will walk the plank!  This Family Literacy Workshop will walk you and your “Book-aneer(s)” through the 5 essential components of reading instruction.  Your family will leave Wilmore Island with techniques and activities that you can use at home to improve the quality of your child’s reading skills.  Not to mention. . .we will have a boatload of fun, games and treats.

So come dressed in your finest pirate garb (or your new WES t-shirt) and grab your sons and daughters!  Pirate Tryouts for The Readers of the Caribbean are coming to Wilmore Island!

Do you have what it takes to become a Wilmore Island “Book-aneer”?  AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

NOTE:  RSVP to Carlola Foster, Family Resource Director at 859.858.3134 to assure safe passage on the W.E.S. Storyteller!

Fairy Tale Ball

Our annual first grade fairy tale ball will be Thursday, February 24.  Please send your child to school as a fairy tale character.  We will be studying fairy tales at the end of February through the middle of March.  The fairy tale ball will include decorations in the main hallway, a large castle cake and dancing.  Some fairy tale characters include:  princesses, knight, dwarf, Jack from Jack in the Beanstalk, etc.

Valentine's Day Party

Our Valentine's party is Friday at 1:45.  Parents are welcome. 

Feb. 4 newsletter

Mrs. Smith’s Class       Ferbruary 4, 2011

A Peek at the Week

We have gotten so much accomplished this week with a full week of school!  In reading, we are comparing and contrasting characters in stories we have read.  We have read various stories that contain two characters and we have used picture cues, inferring and what is “right there” in writing to tell about the characters.  In math, we are learning ways to help us add faster.  For example, we have learned about neighbors (which are addition problems that are 1 more than a double, like 3+4=7 is one more than 3+3=6) and doubles plus 2 (4+4=8 helps us solve 4+6=10).  Additionally, we have been learning to make 10 to help us add number with 9 and 8.  We have (finally!) finished writing our letters to family/friends.  We have finished our study of solids, liquids and gases by making jello.  Jello starts as a liquid and you can change the state of jello by putting it in the refrigerator and making it a solid.  Finally, we enjoyed eating our jello!

Upcoming Events

Feb. 17 – Pirate night at schools (please have your student wear their new white WES t-shirts or dress up like a pirate; this is a parent learning night and you and your student will learn about all the elements of reading)

February 21 – Make up snow day (school will be in session)

March 12 –Spring fling

Thank you

Thank you so much for the Mary Kay makeup for Christmas.  It is perfect and I love it!  What a wonderful treat!  I would love to thank everyone who donated to the gift personally, but I didn’t write down who gave money.  Thank you again for the wonderful gift!

Earth materials science unit

Next week, we will be studying earth materials.  Specifically, we will be studying properties of rocks.  Please send in a rock on Monday.  It can be any kind of rock.  You can look outside in your yard for one or bring one from a collection.  We will be using them this week and will send them home on Wednesday.

Mrs. Smith’s News

I am almost finished with my Rank 1 degree in Library Science.  Unfortunately, my studies require me to do a 4 week practicum in a school in a different county.  I wish I could do it in the summer or during snow days, but that will not work because of the requirements of EKU.  So, I will be taking the first two weeks in March (beginning Feb. 28) to complete my practicum at Dunbar High School in Fayette County.  Mrs. Kusche has agreed to sub for our class.  She is wonderful and has subbed in our room before.  She is a certified teacher.  I am very sad and I will miss the students terribly.

Jan. 26 newsletter

Homework and spelling test postponed

I know I am ready for spring and for this crazy weather to end.  This newsletter will replace your normal Friday newsletter.  Due to the snow days, we will NOT have a spelling test on Friday.  You will also have until February 4 to complete the homework originally due January 28.  Our spelling test that was normally scheduled for Jan. 28 will now be Feb. 4.  So, in other words, no homework due or spelling test in the month of January!  I will leave the homework in the folders, even if it is finished to allow you to practice spelling words.

Upcoming Events

February 21 – Make up snow day (school will be in session)

March 12 –Spring fling

Thank you

Thank you so much for your donations of supplies.  It has been a huge help!

Spring Fling Information

Don’t forget to think about any items you would like to donate for our “Date Night” spring fling basket.

Cereal Boxes and Conversation Hearts

We will be decorating empty cereal boxes to put our valentines in.  Please send in any empty cereal boxes you can.  Don’t worry if your family doesn’t eat cereal, we can usually collect enough to go around.  We will be doing lots of activities with conversation hearts around Valentine’s Day.  If you could send in a bag of hearts, that would be very helpful.

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You can help the academic team

HealthSource in Lexington is offing $10 30-minute massages to help support the Academic Team.  These certificates can be purchased from the office or from Mr. Tate and Miss Whyte before and after school.  This fundraiser helps cut the cost of Annual Academic Team Overnight Trip and we make 100% profit for all certificates sold.  The last day we will sell certificates will be February 11th.

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s day is coming soon!  We will be exchanging valentines in our class.  Our class list is in your child’s folder.  I thought writing valentines might be a great snow day activity so I am giving you our list early.  I will have extra copies in case your list gets misplaced between now and Valentine’s day.  If you should lose your list, write me a note and I will give you another list.  Please make sure your child writes who the valentine is for on the envelope and their name on the back of the card.  Please make sure your child makes a valentine for everyone in our class.  Have fun!