Conferences and the start of Spelling

Chinese Dragon Paintings

Dear Parents,

Welcome back from our little snow break! 

Today, we learned all about Chinese New Year. Today was the first day of the year of the Dragon. There are 12 different animals and each year is named after one of those 12 animals. We had fun finding out that we have a class full of roosters and monkeys.

We are busy here at school getting ready for our conferences next week.
Tomorrow, your child will be bringing home a confirmation letter for your conference time.   Please double check your time and return the bottom of the slip back to school.

Conferences will be On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (noon release).  Wednesday is our regular 2pm release with no conferences due to teacher meetings.

Today your child brough home a new homework packet.  We are starting our spelling tests this week.    Make sure your child practices spelling as part of their homework each night.  We will have a test on Friday.

For this week, there are no math enVision sheets. 

Weekly Update

Cut paper penguins... inspired by Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

Today you child brought home a conference sign-up form.   Sandburg conference days are Tues, Jan. 31st, Thurday, Feb. 1st, and Friday, February 3rd.

Please let us know your TOP 3 choices and we will do our best to give you one of them.   Forms are due back to the classroom by this Friday, Jan. 13th.

Mrs. Morissey will be conducting all conferences.  If you would like me to be there as well, just let me know and I will do my best to be there.

Happy New Year!

Polar Bears under the Northern Lights

Today we read a lot about Polar Bears, including a great fiction book by Erik Brooks called, The Practically Perfect Pajamas.   We were inspired to create our own polar bears.

After such a long break, everyone was very enthusiastic about writing today!  Here are some of our fabulous writers:

Kellie

Jacqulean

Happy Holidays

Thank you so much for the wonderful turn-out for our art show today!  The students were so excited to get to show you all of their hard work.

I forgot to take pictures today.   If anyone took pictures, I would love it if you could send me some that I can post on our blog.

Here are some pictures of the clay bowls your children made.

Thank you again to Caroline Adam and Shuko Mantooth for all their work ordering the fancy glaze, loading the kiln, and getting things ready for us. 

Because it isn't a Monday without an art project, we snuck in a little project about candles.   There are so many holidays this time of year that incorporate candles.

We had a wonderful art lesson by Pooya Darab this week.  The torn paper snowmen are adorable.

Tomorrow we will be treated to a Sandburg Singer choral assembly and on Wednesday we will meet with our big buddy class, Mrs. Nelson's class.   

Wednesday is Shira's last day here at Sandburg.  We wish her well on her move to Israel and we will be writing letters to her to keep in touch for sure.

Here's to a wonderful last week before winter break.

Art Show Next Monday

Dear Parents,

Next Monday, Dec. 12th at 11:00-11:55 is our Art Show.   We hope you can make it to see all the great art we did this year and so that you can take it home as a holiday gift.

Today we studied the painter Andrew Wyeth and his painting titled, Soaring.

We looked at the different ways he showed perspective... by drawing the bird closest to us really large.  Then we painted snowmen up close.

We are starting to get students' lovely holiday tradition posters.   It is fun to see all the things different families do during the holidays.    If you are interested in bringing a sample of something you do, please make sure to fill out the form that was sent home and let us know which date works for you to come in and talk with the class.

Today we started our next math topic, Addition Facts to 12.

Pingeon, Lindsey

Thank you Amy! Will send today also!

12:04 PM

And in other news...

There has been another case of Lice in the first grade at Sandburg. I am attaching some photos of lice eggs (nits) and live lice so you can see what to look for on your child’s hair/head. PLEASE check your child carefully tonight and nightly for a week. I have also attached a photo of the lice comb that I recommend you get for lice checks. This comb is very effective at removing lice and nits. The combs you pick up in the drug store are not very effective at removing eggs or lice from the hair. The teeth of the comb are too far apart and just slide through the hair. The Lice Meister or Terminator lice combs have teeth that are very close together. The teeth also have ridges that “scoop” the eggs and bugs off the hair.

With the holidays quickly approaching, the last thing we want you to have to deal with is lice! J We are trying to be very proactive to prevent this from spreading.

I am happy to meet you at the school and check your child if you are uncertain what you are seeing. If you find nits or live bugs on your child, please let the office know.

Thank you,