Week 2

We have been working on reading and writing long vowel words that end with a silent e. I am very impressed and proud of the progress students are making! We have also been asking questions about various texts we are reading and practicing using text evidence to support our answers. It has been a fun learning experience!

In writing, we have been working on writing an expository. Your child is using a web to organize their thinking and then putting their plan into their draft book. We will begin publishing on computers this month! This is always so motivating for students! Ask your child what the difference is between narrative and expository text...

In math, we are beginning to work on subtraction and seeing the relationship between addition and subtraction. For example, 4 + 2 = 6 can be thought of as 6 - 4 = 2 or 6 - 2 = 4.

We will soon begin our new science kit about solids and liquids. Can't wait for the excitement!

Please make sure your child is practicing reading the paper decodable books at home as well as the leveled reader that was sent home in a ziploc bag along with a reading log. As soon as your child can read their leveled reader fluently (appropriate rate and expression with accuracy), they may return it and I will replace it with the next book. Your child is receiving a leveled reader that matches the DRA level they are working toward.

Our holiday program "Of Mice and Mozart" will be on Tuesday, December 16th from 6:00-6:45pm at the Sunset Gym. Your child has been practicing these songs for over a month now. If you would like to practice at home, the words are on Mr. Roderick's blog at http://jcemusic.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_3.html.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I sincerely apologize for my lack of posting during the month of November! Yikes! :)

Week 3

Conference week is Tuesday, October 28th - Friday, October 31st. Your child should have recently brought home a conference time on a bright green slip of paper. If this time does not work for you, please contact me as soon as possible at 509-698-8100 or AndreaPiatz@selah.k12.wa.us.

We have completed our first reading unit! Your child should be able to read words with short vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u), blends (st, mp, fl, cr,...), and inflected endings (-s, -ing). Unit 2 will introduce digraphs (sh, ch, tch, th, wh) and long vowel sounds (cake, line, here, poke, cube,...).

Students have been taught to use their "word attack" skills whenever they come to a new word. This means that they first look to see if the word has an ending (-s, -ing). If it does, they should cover it up and read the base word first (mix - ing). They should also look for any previously introduced phonics targets (blends, digraphs, silent e, etc.). Your child should be looking at each part of the word so that they are prepared to read it. If your child is struggling with a word, ask them to use their "word attack" skills.

Each day, I have the opportunity to hear your child read. They may bring home a small colored piece of paper with words written on it so that they can practice at home. There may also be a compliment or a goal written on that paper. This gives you and your child immediate feedback on their reading abilities.

We are continuing our work with finding various combinations of numbers to 10. Your child should be able to draw an accurate picture of a story problem presented, create a number bond, and create a number sentence for the problem.

This week, we have been studying worms! Ask your scientist what happened when we placed a barrier in front of the redworm.

Week 2

No school tomorrow! Teachers will be at an all-day training to help us improve instruction. Yay! We love learning too!

This week was fire safety week. Your child should have brought home a fire safety plan for you to fill out together and place on your refrigerator or near your phone. Your child should have this information memorized. There was also a drawing contest to go along with it. If your child would like to participate, they will need to draw a picture of somebody who is a hero to them and fill out the bottom portion of the form. These will be due back by Friday, October 17th along with the Scholastic Book Orders. The grand prize winner will have a classroom visit from author Tedd Arnold, the writer of the Fly Guy book series. 10 runners-up will receive a 10-book set of the Fly Guy series!

When is the last time you changed the batteries in your smoke detector?

Holiday Program Auditions

Our Holiday Program this year is a wonderful musical by Michael and Jill Gallina entitled "Of Mice and Mozart". 

Parents:  If your student is interested in a special acting, singing, or dancing role in "Of Mice and Mozart", please come to our auditions! Information below:

AUDITIONS: (All students grades 1 – 4 invited): Tuesday, Oct. 14, 3:05 – 4:00 PM  AND Wednesday, Oct. 15, 7:30 – 8:25 AM -  Both in the Sunset Gym. 

REHEARSALS WILL BE HELD  BEFORE SCHOOL (7:30 – 8:25) AND AFTER SCHOOL  (3:05 – 4:00), SO ANY STUDENT AUDITIONING MUST  BE ABLE TO ATTEND BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL REHEARSALS. 

If you want more information about the musical, rehearsal schedule, performance times and even lyrics to the songs, go to mr. Roderick's blog http://jcemusic.blogspot.com/ and click on "Of Mice and Mozart."

Week 1

Hello! Today I am asking for your help with reminding your child of our Cougar PRIDE expectations. Please visit the Discipline Plan tab on this blog and review expectations with your child. We have been having a particularly rough time with noise level and raising hands before speaking. Thanks for your support! We have so much learning and so little time, it seems!

Your child should have brought home an October reading log. Please have your child color in one pumpkin for each day/night that (s)he spent 20 minutes reading. At the end of the month when your child returns their reading log, they will earn a Pizza Hut coupon for one free personal pizza! Reading is YUMMY! Reading at home is also one of the best ways that you can support your child's learning.

We are still working hard on finding combinations of numbers to 10. I am very pleased with the improvements our class is making!

Ask your child about the snail races we had today...so much fun!

Have a fun and safe weekend! :)

Week 4

Good Afternoon!

Our individual pictures are scheduled for Thursday, October 9th at 10:50am.

We have been working on reading words with short vowel sounds /a/, /i/, and /o/. We have also been talking about words that end with plural -s (dots, pots, mops, pins), inflected ending -s (helps, licks, tags, yaps), and ending -ing (helping, licking, packing). Our paper decodable readers contain these kinds of words to give your child practice applying these skills. Your child should be bringing the previous week's decodables home every Monday. Please listen to your child read these stories to you to help build their fluency.

In math, we are working on finding parts that make 10. We are using rekenrek bracelets, number bonds, and number sentences to show our work.

Today, we observed which food a snail prefers. Ask your child what we found out!

Week 3

Open House was a success! Thank you for your participation in this fun and eventful evening! Our year is off to a great start and we have begun digging deep into learning.

Our class has been working on reading and spelling words with the short vowel sounds of a, i, and o.

In math, we have been practicing building and recording combinations of numbers up to ten. We will continue this work over the next few weeks.

In science, we have been studying the anatomy and behavior of goldfish. We will begin studying guppies this week and will have the opportunity to compare them to goldfish. Students will record their observations in their science journals. This is a great way for students to apply their writing skills!

We are working on narrative writing this quarter, in which students will be able to write a three-part plan with a beginning, middle, and end. Students will be practicing using finger-spaces between words, capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, and punctuation at the end of a sentence. Your child will be encouraged to use their best "kid writing." When I confer with students about their writing, I will add "adult writing" with correct spelling and we will set goals together for future writing. This is a very developmental process, so goals will be different for each student.

Please make sure to review your child's homework each week as this gives you a good idea of what skills we are currently working on.

Have a great week!

Week 2

Hello and welcome to the end of our third week of school! Time sure flies when you're having fun!

We have reached the halfway point of our school-wide fundraiser. Thank you for your efforts in supporting our school! There have been many alien friends being dispersed to students!

Your child's first homework along with a letter to describe homework procedures will go out on Friday, September 12th. I will also post this letter in the "Homework" section of my blog so you can refer to it as often as needed.

Open House is on Thursday, September 18th from 6:00pm-7:00pm. Your child is so excited to show you their classroom!

My plan is to update this blog at least once a week, so please remember to come back and visit! Hope you have a great weekend!

Week 1

We are coming to the close of our second week of school! We have been practicing routines and expectations and are beginning to feel established in our new surroundings. Please check out our class schedule and discipline plan above and feel free to comment if you have any questions or concerns.

A reminder that the Reading Round Up Forms are due by Friday, September 12th. Your child will receive a discounted fair ticket for $1.00 when they read for 300 minutes. Maybe I will see you there!

We will have a Mileage Club kickoff assembly on Friday morning to get your child motivated to participate in walking or running around the field during their recesses. This is a great way to promote exercise! Thank you to those of you that have returned the blue form showing your interest in helping with Mileage Club! We appreciate you!

Save the date: Thursday, September 18th is our Open House. Grades K-3 at John Campbell are scheduled for 6:00-7:00pm.

Welcome to Mrs. Piatz's First Grade Classroom!

Summer vacation has come to an end and I am excited to begin another brand new school year! This will be my twelfth year teaching, but my first year at John Campbell Elementary School. I taught kindergarten in Sunnyside for eight years and will begin my fourth year teaching first grade in the Selah School District. I have two children whose ages are four and two. They keep me very busy at home! I look forward to meeting you all and getting to know each other throughout the school year! If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email me at AndreaPiatz@selah.k12.wa.us.