Classroom News for Room 313
Due to EOG (end-of-grade) testing that is taking place this week, first grade will have a different lunch time for the nest two days. All first grade classes will go to lunch at 11:00 am on Wednesday (5/27) and Thursday (5/28). This means that lunch will end at 11:30 am. Please plan accordingly if you plan to join your child for lunch on these two days.
Our recess time will stay the same (11:45-12:15pm).
Students will not have specials on Wednesday (5/27) and will have a different specials time in the afternoon on Thursday (5/28) due to testing.
Students may still bring in a snack. We will have snack in the afternoon on both of these days due to our early lunch time. If you have any questions about our schedule changes for the next two days, please do not hesitate to email me.
Our recess time will stay the same (11:45-12:15pm).
Students will not have specials on Wednesday (5/27) and will have a different specials time in the afternoon on Thursday (5/28) due to testing.
Students may still bring in a snack. We will have snack in the afternoon on both of these days due to our early lunch time. If you have any questions about our schedule changes for the next two days, please do not hesitate to email me.
Our class will be going to the book fair tomorrow (May 5th at 9:10 am) during our Media special. If you would like your student to be able to purchase books, please send in money with them. Students are responsible for keeping their money. We recommend sending the money in an envelope or ziploc bag. This makes it easier for students to carry. Students will be allowed to go to the book fair before school throughout the remainder of the week. They will be allowed to go before the 8:15 bell rings if they have checked in with Ms. Griffin first. This is important so that they are not marked absent.
Today our class went to Laurel Hills Park for a field trip. Make sure to check out pictures from our exciting outdoor adventure. Students participated in a pond study and learned about the changes animals go through during their life cycle. Students also participated in a nature scavenger hunt. We had a great time learning about organisms and getting a chance to catch our own pond friends! Thanks to the wonderful weather, we were able to eat a picnic lunch outside and play on the playground for recess prior to returning to Hilburn.
Many many thanks to our fantastic chaperones who met us at the park! Our trip would not have been nearly as successful without the help of our chaperones! Our chaperones rocked!!!
Many many thanks to our fantastic chaperones who met us at the park! Our trip would not have been nearly as successful without the help of our chaperones! Our chaperones rocked!!!
Spring picture day is tomorrow, May 5th at 11:10 am.
Please send all picture forms and payment in to school tomorrow with your student for those who wish to purchase individual or class pictures.
Please send all picture forms and payment in to school tomorrow with your student for those who wish to purchase individual or class pictures.
Students have really enjoyed learning about different possible careers they could have when they are older. On Tuesday, our class learned about being a Personal Chef. Students loved the healthy, homemade, and delicious treat that Cate and her mom made for them! Find the recipe above the slideshow of pictures on our STEAMtastic Day page.
Today, students learned about being a Perfusionist. Elijah's mom taught the class what is means to be a Perfusionist and the skills and education needing to be successful. A quick fire drill didn't stop our class from being engaged in our learning and asking thoughtful and detailed questions about the profession.
We are looking forward to learning about two more careers tomorrow to round up our career week! Thank you to all the parents and family members that volunteered to take time out of their day to come in to school and teach our class about their profession! Career week wouldn't be possible without your dedication, time, and the hard work of our counseling department! Thank you to all.
Today, students learned about being a Perfusionist. Elijah's mom taught the class what is means to be a Perfusionist and the skills and education needing to be successful. A quick fire drill didn't stop our class from being engaged in our learning and asking thoughtful and detailed questions about the profession.
We are looking forward to learning about two more careers tomorrow to round up our career week! Thank you to all the parents and family members that volunteered to take time out of their day to come in to school and teach our class about their profession! Career week wouldn't be possible without your dedication, time, and the hard work of our counseling department! Thank you to all.
The following students have not paid the $8.00 for the field trip (Monday, May 4th). If you wish for your child to attend the field trip, you must turn in the $8.00 by this Friday, May 1st. It is too late to order a bag lunch from the cafeteria at this time. Your student must bring a bag lunch if they have yet to turn in the lunch form. We do not have change for larger bills so please only submit either one five dollar bill and three one dollar bills. The school does not have change and the cafeteria is run by a separate part of Wake County so we can't take change from the cafeteria. Thank you for understanding and respecting this policy/procedure. If your child has not paid the money as of Friday, May 1st. They will stay back at school with another class while our class attends the field trip.
Students Who Have Not Paid: #3 #7 #21
Students Who Have Not Paid: #3 #7 #21
Students who did not attend student-led conference night for 3rd Quarter conferences will have the opportunity to take home their papers from their Data Notebook in next week's Monday folder (4/28/15). I have received some emails from parents who are interested in having their student still walk them through their growth charts and works samples at home. If you are interested and have not already emailed me, please email me by this Thursday, April 23rd.
The following classroom numbers represent parents that have already emailed me interested in having their student-led conference at home with their student: 1, 15, 20
The following classroom numbers represent parents that have already emailed me interested in having their student-led conference at home with their student: 1, 15, 20
With report cards comes third quarter parent/teacher conferences! Conference week will be held April 13th - April 17th. These conferences will be different from conferences in the past and they will be led by your children! They have worked hard at keeping track of their reading level data, their math data, and Letterland data. They are excited to present their work and data to you all. This is not a conference that you sign up for a time, rather this will be an open slotted time where parents may come and go as they please with their student. Student led conferences are just that, led by your students. I will be here to answer any major questions/concerns, but your child will be leading you through all the things they have done well on, and all the things they need to work on. If I feel the need to meet with you individually, I will contact you personally to set up a conference time. Student-led conferences will be held on Wednesday, April 15th from 4:30 - 5:15 pm.
Please remember to sign the empty report card envelope and send them back with your student the next day!
Please remember to sign the empty report card envelope and send them back with your student the next day!
Don't forget to have your child practice answering the mClass written comprehension questions for any level book using complete sentence and providing detail to support their answer. These question stems can be found on our website using this link. More information about the mClass testing system can be found using this link.
End of year testing begins the second week of May. Students will be tested by another grade level teacher and/or certified staff member. Students must be able to fluently read a level J book, independently answer oral comprehension questions and written comprehension questions to be considered on grade level and promoted to second grade. Students must be able to read the written comprehension questions on their own without assistance. They must also understand what the question is asking and be able to answer to the question on their own using support from the text, character names, setting names, and other key detailed information from the story/book to "pass" the reading level.
End of year testing begins the second week of May. Students will be tested by another grade level teacher and/or certified staff member. Students must be able to fluently read a level J book, independently answer oral comprehension questions and written comprehension questions to be considered on grade level and promoted to second grade. Students must be able to read the written comprehension questions on their own without assistance. They must also understand what the question is asking and be able to answer to the question on their own using support from the text, character names, setting names, and other key detailed information from the story/book to "pass" the reading level.
A great way to practice 1st grade standards is by utilizing the Scootpad account subscription that each 1st grade class has. Each individual student has their own Scootpad login name and password. This information was sent home in the fall. Proficiency level is considered to be between 70-75% depending on the standard so make sure your student is spending the majority of their time practicing standards that are red (not proficient on). Scootpad is an adaptive program that sets a personalized and differentiated learning path for each individual student!
If your child is not on grade level (i.e. received a level 1 or 2 on their report card) and you wish to schedule a third quarter conference, please email me. Student-led conferences will be held beginning at 4:30 due to a Leadership meeting taking place on Wednesday, April 15th.
STEAM night is this coming Thursday, March 19th. STEAM Night will be held from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Unlike in past years, each class has been assigned a time to have their classrooms open to classroom parents, students from that particular class, and other parents and students who wish to explore what another class studied, learned, created, and/or presented for their project this Spring Expo. Our class will be open from 5:45 - 6:30 pm.
When our classroom is not open, I encourage you to check out other grade levels projects and even take a look at what our middle school students have done. What better way to get excited about moving up to another grade level than to see what exciting things you have to look forward to! Part of our project will be displayed in the hallway. For example, the student's Sydney Opera House art and writing is displayed outside of our room. We collaborated with Mrs. Ganzon's class to create a coral reef with recycled materials that is also outside our classroom displayed on our side of the hallway near Mrs. Ganzon's room.
Each student has been studying a particular coral reef animal and used recycled materials to create a model/representation of their animal. Inside the classroom, you will be able to check out student's "All About" reef creature books as well as their group project. Even if you can't stay for the whole event, please try to come stop by between 5:45 - 6:30 pm so that your student has a chance to share their enthusiasm with you about their learning. Who knows, they might teach you a thing or two about a coral reef creature!
We are looking forward to a STEAMtastic event! Hope to see you there!
When our classroom is not open, I encourage you to check out other grade levels projects and even take a look at what our middle school students have done. What better way to get excited about moving up to another grade level than to see what exciting things you have to look forward to! Part of our project will be displayed in the hallway. For example, the student's Sydney Opera House art and writing is displayed outside of our room. We collaborated with Mrs. Ganzon's class to create a coral reef with recycled materials that is also outside our classroom displayed on our side of the hallway near Mrs. Ganzon's room.
Each student has been studying a particular coral reef animal and used recycled materials to create a model/representation of their animal. Inside the classroom, you will be able to check out student's "All About" reef creature books as well as their group project. Even if you can't stay for the whole event, please try to come stop by between 5:45 - 6:30 pm so that your student has a chance to share their enthusiasm with you about their learning. Who knows, they might teach you a thing or two about a coral reef creature!
We are looking forward to a STEAMtastic event! Hope to see you there!
As many of you know, the county decided to turn three Spring Break days into school days. One day was originally scheduled to be a teacher workday, while the other two days were not. Even though all of these days were not scheduled or labeled as potential make-up days, turning these vacation days into school days was voted on and approved by the county. I realize that many families probably already had plans to go on vacation, visit grand-parents, or just spend time together during the break.
The first grade team has created a survey in effort to figure out how many students will actually be showing up. This has nothing to do with your student's grades or their attendance. We want to make sure that those three days are used as wisely as possible. Teaching new material when more than one or two students is out ends up creating more of a problem as other students try to play catch up later on. We want to make sure that we are planning appropriate activities for whoever will be here. I can't guarantee at this time that specials will take place during these three days but we will do what we can to make the schedule as normal and consistent as possible. In the absence of teachers, when substitutes have not filled the jobs, other staff members in the building are pulled to cover a class for a day. This is to ensure proper codes are followed and students are safe. Just as many of you have made plans, many staff members have already had trips planned with their families etc. so we trying our best to be proactive and plan in advance.
Please take this survey and let us know what your plans are for those make-up days. We are not asking or telling you that you have to cancel your plans by any means. We simply just want to know who knows that their student will be out, and who knows they will be here. Again, this does not change whether their absence is excused or not and will not change their grade. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me. Thank you advance for helping us be prepared!
The first grade team has created a survey in effort to figure out how many students will actually be showing up. This has nothing to do with your student's grades or their attendance. We want to make sure that those three days are used as wisely as possible. Teaching new material when more than one or two students is out ends up creating more of a problem as other students try to play catch up later on. We want to make sure that we are planning appropriate activities for whoever will be here. I can't guarantee at this time that specials will take place during these three days but we will do what we can to make the schedule as normal and consistent as possible. In the absence of teachers, when substitutes have not filled the jobs, other staff members in the building are pulled to cover a class for a day. This is to ensure proper codes are followed and students are safe. Just as many of you have made plans, many staff members have already had trips planned with their families etc. so we trying our best to be proactive and plan in advance.
Please take this survey and let us know what your plans are for those make-up days. We are not asking or telling you that you have to cancel your plans by any means. We simply just want to know who knows that their student will be out, and who knows they will be here. Again, this does not change whether their absence is excused or not and will not change their grade. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me. Thank you advance for helping us be prepared!
This is a friendly reminder that all permission slips, field trip money ($8.00) and lunch order forms (if your student would like to get a bag lunch from the cafeteria that day) is due AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! I can't turn in our forms to the park and the lunch order forms to the cafeteria until I have the entire class. If you have any questions at all about how to fill out the form, the cost of the trip, or any general questions about the trip, please do not hesitate to email me. If your student's classroom number is listed below, I am missing the following items from them:
Payment
3, 7, 21
Permission Form & Payment
4, 8, 12
Payment
3, 7, 21
Permission Form & Payment
4, 8, 12
Tomorrow (Friday, March 13th) students will be celebrating all of their hard work thus far in raising money during the Boosterthon fundraiser. Remember that the pledge window has been extended until Wednesday, March 18th (same day that all pledges and donation money are due). Please continue to collect pledges and donations. Students reached many of our classroom goals that we set for Boosterhton. They earned "reading with their favorite stuffed animal, watching a movie, pajama day, and a class dance party." We are going to do all of these things tomorrow! Students are allowed to wear their pajamas, bring their favorite stuffed animal to read with, bring their rocking dance moves, and a blanket, beach towel or pillow to use during our special movie (it's one of Ms. Griffin's all time favorites.)
The pledge window for Boosterthon has been extended until Wednesday, March 18th. Please make every effort to continue collect pledges and flat donations. Every dollar helps our school get closer to our goal. We are currently 75% of the way towards our goal! Thank you for your hard work thus far and dedication to our school. Every little bit helps us get closer to having enough money to purchase classroom libraries for every grade level and class. All money for Boosterthon is due on Wednesday, March 18th. Collection envelopes went home in Monday folders, yesterday (Wednesday, March 11th). Please do not return the envelope until all of the money has been collected. Cash and checks are accepted. All check should be made out to Hilburn Academy. If donors wish to pay online via credit card, they can do so if you child has been registered and logged in to funrun.com.
A friendly reminder that our field trip is on May 4th. Permission slips, lunch order forms (for those students wanting to get a bag lunch form the cafeteria) and payment information went home on Wednesday, March 4th. The following classroom numbers represent those students who have not turned in their forms and/or payment yet. The payment cost is $8.00. It is an additional $2.00 for lunch from the cafeteria. Please make sure that you submit the exact amount and do not submit bills that require change. For example: If you child is buying lunch and paying for the trip. exactly $8.00 must be submitted for the trip cost (money goes to the office) and exactly $2.00 (either in change or two single dollar bills) for the lunch cost which gets turned in to the cafeteria. Please do not submit ten dollar bills, two five dollar bills, and any larger bills. We do not have change and this creates a lot for extra work and delays proper payment for your student. We appreciate your willingness to respect our time!
Parents who are willing to chaperone should contact me via email. There is limited space on the bus. We will meet all chaperones at Laurel Hills Park at 9:30 am. Please make sure you bring a snack or lunch for yourself. We will be eating lunch at the park. The field trip should end around 1:30 pm. All students will ride the bus back to school with their teachers for the remainder of the instructional day. Under no circumstances are siblings, neighbors, friends and other visitors allowed to attend the field trip. This is due to safety. If you wish to be a chaperone, you must be a registered volunteer. See the front office for this registration process and further information. We are looking forward to a great trip!
Need Form & Payment
2, 4, 8, 9, 13, 19
Just Need Payment
3, 7, 21
Parents who are willing to chaperone should contact me via email. There is limited space on the bus. We will meet all chaperones at Laurel Hills Park at 9:30 am. Please make sure you bring a snack or lunch for yourself. We will be eating lunch at the park. The field trip should end around 1:30 pm. All students will ride the bus back to school with their teachers for the remainder of the instructional day. Under no circumstances are siblings, neighbors, friends and other visitors allowed to attend the field trip. This is due to safety. If you wish to be a chaperone, you must be a registered volunteer. See the front office for this registration process and further information. We are looking forward to a great trip!
Need Form & Payment
2, 4, 8, 9, 13, 19
Just Need Payment
3, 7, 21
The Boosterthon Fun Run is tomorrow: Wednesday, March 11th. Please make sure that your student is dressed appropriately for this activity. I highly suggest wearing active clothes and tennis shoes/sneakers. Students will be keeping track of their laps on a sticker this year as opposed to a shirt. Please take this into consideration when they get dressed tomorrow morning. As always, if students would like to bring in a water bottle, we will be taking a bin outside with us that they can keep their water bottle in for after the Fun Run. Cross your fingers that weather permits us to take part in such a healthy and rewarding activity!!! Get pumped up to go run some laps!
Please disregard the Work Habits and Conduct grades that you received on the interim reports. The grades are not accurate due to a flaw in the Powerschool system. Due to the fact that it is possible for students to earn a Level 4 on assignments/assessments the system tries to populate the work habit and conduct grades in the same way. This is not accurate due to the fact that the highest level of achievement in Work Habits and Conduct is a Level 3. As a result, we enter the work habits and conduct grades in differently trying to "trick" the system. Unfortunately, as a direct result of the system limitations, the report we have to run prior to printing often tries to "out smart" us and changes the grades back. It is a very confusing and time consuming process to say the least. Hopefully one day a process such as this that should be simple for teachers, will be. Until then, I will be sending home accurate conduct and work habits grades in folders tomorrow to replace the ones you received today. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me once you view the correct grades. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Students attended their Boosterthon pep rally this afternoon! They got to meet the Boosterthon team members and were introduced to what Boosterthon is all about. For those who do not know, Boosterthon is a fundraiser that Hilburn Academy has in order to raise money for academic materials such as books for classroom libraries and technology such as new ipads and projectors. Without this money, our school would not be able to provide each classroom with these extra needed materials. The Boosterthon team teaches students important character treats as part of the fundraising process.
The Boosterthon team has instructed students to contact family members and friends to ask for donations. Teachers, other students, and strangers are not allowed to donate and should not be asked for any reason to donate. This is to keep all students safe and the Boosterthon fundraiser a fun and enjoyable one.
Students are bringing home their Boosterthon "pledge book" tonight in their Monday folder. DO NOT lose this booklet. Your child's name is on the front cover of this booklet along with the website needed for logging in and you student's personal log-in code. Without this code, your student will not be able to log-in to the website and collect pledges online.
All students should log-in to www.funrun.com tonight to begin.
If your student logs in to the website tonight (2/23/15) he/she will earn a Boosterthon wristband as a prize. This prize will be passed out to all students who log-in properly with parental help tonight, at the next pep rally which takes place on Tuesday, February 24th. For those students and families that are so excited to start fundraising, they just can't wait to get started, additional prizes can be earned by collecting pledges tonight in addition to logging in to the website tonight!!
Let's do our part to make sure this Boosterthon fundraiser is the most successful one yet! Happy fundraising!
The Boosterthon team has instructed students to contact family members and friends to ask for donations. Teachers, other students, and strangers are not allowed to donate and should not be asked for any reason to donate. This is to keep all students safe and the Boosterthon fundraiser a fun and enjoyable one.
Students are bringing home their Boosterthon "pledge book" tonight in their Monday folder. DO NOT lose this booklet. Your child's name is on the front cover of this booklet along with the website needed for logging in and you student's personal log-in code. Without this code, your student will not be able to log-in to the website and collect pledges online.
All students should log-in to www.funrun.com tonight to begin.
If your student logs in to the website tonight (2/23/15) he/she will earn a Boosterthon wristband as a prize. This prize will be passed out to all students who log-in properly with parental help tonight, at the next pep rally which takes place on Tuesday, February 24th. For those students and families that are so excited to start fundraising, they just can't wait to get started, additional prizes can be earned by collecting pledges tonight in addition to logging in to the website tonight!!
Let's do our part to make sure this Boosterthon fundraiser is the most successful one yet! Happy fundraising!
The STEAM Expo has been moved to Thursday, March 19th. This is the last Thursday prior to Spring Break. The STEAM committee, along with Hilburn decided to move the exposition due to the four school days missed last week. It is important that students have ample time to complete their projects prior to showcasing and presenting them on STEAM Night. For more details about STEAM Night on March 19th, please visit the Hilburn Academy website. I will post the schedule and more details late this week once the STEAM Team has finalized this information. Classrooms will be open during a designated portion of STEAM Night. During the time that a classroom is not open, students along with parents and visitors, are encouraged to visit other grade level classrooms to see other projects or connect with our community partners.
School is closed for Friday, February 20th due to inclement weather. Stay warm and stay safe!!
School is closed for Thursday, February 19th due to inclement weather. Stay warm and stay safe!!
School is closed for Wednesday, February 18th due to inclement weather. Stay warm and stay safe!!
School is closed for Tuesday, February 17th due to inclement weather. Stay warm and stay safe!!
3rd quarter interim reports for 1st grade will be sent home on Monday, February 23rd in Monday folders. Due to all of the testing that occurs for mClass in first grade for middle of the year benchmarks in reading and writing in combination with the middle of the year math benchmark assessment for WCPSS, interim reports going home will be delayed one week. We appreciate your understanding in this matter. With almost a full month of testing in January, our team feels that taking the extra week to make sure we have an accurate assessment of your child's ability at his time is most important. We want the interim report to be as accurate of a report as it can be and reflect your child's current ability. Thank you!
Please also keep in mind that should you receive a phone call from me at school from a (703) area code, that is my personal cell phone number. Unfortunately the WCPSS phones at school are not able to call long distant numbers. For example, if a cell phone, work number, home number, emergency contact number, or any phone number that is listed on your student's paperwork is not a local number, and therefore, begins with three numbers other than (919) the only way I can get in touch with you is by using my personal cell phone. Please make a note of this that way you know to answer if you are available and do not think it is a telemarketer. I also ask that you respect the new WCPSS policy and do not contact me in anyway (i.e. phone call or text message) using my personal cell phone number for any reason at anytime. If you are unable to get to your phone and have a voice mail message from me, please call me back using the Hilburn Academy phone number: (919) 571-6800 and leave a message with the front office. Thank you for following this WCPSS policy and I greatly appreciate your willingness to respect my privacy.
Just a friendly reminder to all parents about dismissal. In the event that WCPSS dismisses school early, or your student's normal dismissal method changes for whatever reason, please remember to email me at [email protected]. It is imperative that I know how your student is going home each and every day. This means whether it is a normal school day, early release day, or early dismissal day. I greatly appreciate all the parents who were proactive in emailing me their child's dismissal plan for today. The less time I have to take calling home, calling cell phones, leaving messages and tracking down parents and babysitters, the more instructional time I have to teach your child. It never hurts to email and leave a message with the front office or send a note in with your child to turn in to the note bin. This will ensure that I receive the correct information in one form or another. I try my best to respond as quickly as possible to dismissal changes that way you know that I have received your email, but in the event that dismissal plans change during the school day, I am out sick, or the system is down and I am unable to check my email prior to dismissal, the office will double check to make sure I am aware of the changes.
For those parents who do not have a car-pool tag/number yet, I strongly encourage you to purchase one from the office. You can keep your same number from year to year! By purchasing a tag for $2 from the front the office, the car-pool line speeds up, your child has a consistent number to listen for during the dismissal process, it is easier for all staff members to assist your child with dismissal changes and processes in general, and over all it makes the process of going home car-pool run more smoothly for all involved. For those families that do not currently have a car-pool number and do decide to purchase one, please email me your assigned car-pool number and I will add it to your student's file and to their locator card.
For those parents who do not have a car-pool tag/number yet, I strongly encourage you to purchase one from the office. You can keep your same number from year to year! By purchasing a tag for $2 from the front the office, the car-pool line speeds up, your child has a consistent number to listen for during the dismissal process, it is easier for all staff members to assist your child with dismissal changes and processes in general, and over all it makes the process of going home car-pool run more smoothly for all involved. For those families that do not currently have a car-pool number and do decide to purchase one, please email me your assigned car-pool number and I will add it to your student's file and to their locator card.
Don't forget to check out our STEAMtastic Day tab on our classroom website for fun pictures and information about special activities and events that our class has participated in! This page is designed to share pictures and details about learning experiences that take place in our classroom and activities that our class participates in both inside our classroom and in within the school. Enjoy!!
Students had quite an exciting Friday! We celebrated the hard work of our school community on a job well done for 2nd quarter and highlighted those students that made exceptional growth and those who earned academic excellence!! Great job to all. Students exchanged Valentine's with their classmates and enjoyed looking through all of the beautiful and sugar-filled surprises. Students ate lunch in the classroom since it was an early release day. Students were allowed to enjoy one sugary treat from their Valentine's Day mailbox after they finished their lunch. The rest of the treats are coming home in the mailbox they decorated to enjoy at your discretion.
Knowing very well that there would be plenty of sugar to go around, I made the students heart-shaped crayons using recycled crayons! For those who wish to make their own crayons from broken pieces you have at home, simply peel the wrappers off of the crayons, break them up into .5-1inch pieces. Put the pieces in a non-stick baking-pan of some sort and cook for 10-14 minutes at 270 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and let the pan completely cool (at least a few hours) or place the pan in an ice tray in the freezer. Regular muffin pans work great too as long as you line the muffin cups with tin foil and place the crayons inside the tin foil liners. For fun shaped crayons, simple using a non-stick cake pop pan or other interesting shaped non-stick pan.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!!
Knowing very well that there would be plenty of sugar to go around, I made the students heart-shaped crayons using recycled crayons! For those who wish to make their own crayons from broken pieces you have at home, simply peel the wrappers off of the crayons, break them up into .5-1inch pieces. Put the pieces in a non-stick baking-pan of some sort and cook for 10-14 minutes at 270 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and let the pan completely cool (at least a few hours) or place the pan in an ice tray in the freezer. Regular muffin pans work great too as long as you line the muffin cups with tin foil and place the crayons inside the tin foil liners. For fun shaped crayons, simple using a non-stick cake pop pan or other interesting shaped non-stick pan.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!!
We need YOUR help! Please send in ...
1st graders are taking part in two different projects. In preparation for these projects and for STEAM Night, we need your help! We are asking that you send in any and as many of the following recyclable materials as you can. We really can't have too many of any of the items listed below. We ask that if at one time or another an item contained food, that it be thoroughly washed out and dried prior to arriving at school with your student. No containers that ever came in contact with peanuts or traces of peanuts should be sent to school due to allergy and safety concerns.
Materials Needed Include ...
Project #1 (at least one per student)
- water bottles
- liter bottles
- plastic bags (i.e grocery bags, Target bags, Walmart bags, drug store bags etc.)
- 6 pack plastic rings
Project #2 (as many as you can send in)
- wrapping paper scraps
- tissue paper
- plastic bottle caps
- tin foil
- cellophane
- colored saran wrap
- colored paper
- colored card stock
- egg cartons
- colored pipe cleaners
- old clean socks (any color)
- scrapbook paper scraps
- foam to-go containers
- cereal boxes
- empty paper towel/toilet paper rolls
- plastic and paper bags
- curling ribbon
- bows/wrapping paper ribbon
- colored plastic cups
- colored plastic straws
- empty thread spools
- empty pill bottles with the labels removed
- paint chip samples from Home Depot or Lowes
- fabric scraps
- wall paper scraps
**Any other odds and ends that you think we might be able to use to create 3-D sea creatures and a 3-D coral reef (approx. 12 ft X 4 ft.)
***Feel free to use the Scrap Exchange website to brainstorm other recyclable materials that we might be able to use!
Thank you in advance to everyone who help make the upcoming STEAM Night (March 5th) a huge success by sending in as many recyclable materials as possible!
Materials Needed Include ...
Project #1 (at least one per student)
- water bottles
- liter bottles
- plastic bags (i.e grocery bags, Target bags, Walmart bags, drug store bags etc.)
- 6 pack plastic rings
Project #2 (as many as you can send in)
- wrapping paper scraps
- tissue paper
- plastic bottle caps
- tin foil
- cellophane
- colored saran wrap
- colored paper
- colored card stock
- egg cartons
- colored pipe cleaners
- old clean socks (any color)
- scrapbook paper scraps
- foam to-go containers
- cereal boxes
- empty paper towel/toilet paper rolls
- plastic and paper bags
- curling ribbon
- bows/wrapping paper ribbon
- colored plastic cups
- colored plastic straws
- empty thread spools
- empty pill bottles with the labels removed
- paint chip samples from Home Depot or Lowes
- fabric scraps
- wall paper scraps
**Any other odds and ends that you think we might be able to use to create 3-D sea creatures and a 3-D coral reef (approx. 12 ft X 4 ft.)
***Feel free to use the Scrap Exchange website to brainstorm other recyclable materials that we might be able to use!
Thank you in advance to everyone who help make the upcoming STEAM Night (March 5th) a huge success by sending in as many recyclable materials as possible!
Students will be using their knowledge of shapes from our geometry unit to decorate their mailbox. Students must bring in a shoe box (with the lid) or empty cereal box NO LATER then the morning of Wednesday, February 11th. Students will then cover their box in paper that day in preparation for their Valentine's Day themed math activity on Thursday afternoon. I thought it would be nice for students to enjoy a treat and drink while they decorate their mailboxes.
Please use this sign up to select an item to send in for this activity. Students will then use their decorated mailboxes on the morning of Friday, February 13th (early release day) to exchange their valentines with classmates. Just a friendly reminder that students may only pass out valentines if they bring in enough for the whole class (20 students). Students can either write classroom numbers 1-20 on the valentines at home ahead of time, or wait until Friday morning and write their classmates names on the valentines for morning work. Due to privacy laws I do not send home any student information lists etc. I appreciate your willingness to understand and respect this policy. Thank you advance to all who sign up to send in treats. Should you have an extra shoe box or empty cereal box, feel free to send in more then one.
Please use this sign up to select an item to send in for this activity. Students will then use their decorated mailboxes on the morning of Friday, February 13th (early release day) to exchange their valentines with classmates. Just a friendly reminder that students may only pass out valentines if they bring in enough for the whole class (20 students). Students can either write classroom numbers 1-20 on the valentines at home ahead of time, or wait until Friday morning and write their classmates names on the valentines for morning work. Due to privacy laws I do not send home any student information lists etc. I appreciate your willingness to understand and respect this policy. Thank you advance to all who sign up to send in treats. Should you have an extra shoe box or empty cereal box, feel free to send in more then one.
Check out the exciting learning experience our class participated in today! Click here to check out how Discovery Education, First Lady Mrs. Bush, and our class interacted in a live reading of Rushmore by Lynn Curlee. Video footage of the live reading and question session that followed the live reading will be posted soon. We had a blast traveling all the way to Texas A&M University where Mrs. Bush read from the George Bush Presidential Library.
Our class kicked off this week with our Australia Day celebration. Many thanks to all the parents who sent in food, paper products, decorations, and supplies to help us celebrate! As the week progresses, students have started researching the similarities and differences of Australia Day and the 4th of July. I have posted pictures of the students collaborating with peers, answering driving questions about their holiday and of their research experience (on KidRex). I am extremely proud of how hard they are working on this activity and how well they are collaborating with their peers. These activities will be showcased in further detail at our Spring STEAM Expo. There were too many exciting learning experiences and activities to fit in one day. Our class will continue to work this week on other Australia Day activities that align with our literacy standards and STEAM project. Students will be exploring pictures from Australia, learning about animals that are native to the country, and even get a chance to hear about traveling to Australia and see a toy that children in Australia often play with.
Wake County Public Schools will be on a 2-hour delay again for tomorrow - Thursday, January 15th due to inclement weather. The first bell will ring at 9:45 am and the final bell will ring at 10:15 am. Stay warm, stay safe, and stay tuned to the local media for updates.
As of 5:25 pm this evening, Wake County Public Schools will be on a 2-hour delay for tomorrow - Wednesday, January 14th due to inclement weather. The first bell will ring at 9:45 am and the final bell will ring at 10:15 am. Stay warm, stay safe, and stay tuned to the local media for updates.
Due to the weather forecast, Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) has canceled all evening activities for today (1/13) after 5:30 pm. This means that tonight's MS Open House for prospective families will be postponed and aftercare must end at 5:30 pm instead of 6:00 pm. The building will close at 5:30 pm. Stay tuned for information on whether school will open on time, be delayed, or possibly even canceled. I will post the information on this page as soon as WCPSS and Hilburn Academy notify staff members of an delays or closings.
On Monday, January 26th we will be celebrating Australia Day. Students focus their attention on, and global awareness of, Australia in first grade. On Monday, January 26th we will be celebrating Australia Day. Students will work to compare our 4th of July holiday to that of Australia Day. Students will work in collaborative groups to explore similarities and differences between the United States and Australia. We will even take a virtual field trip to Australia on the 26th! Please use this sign up genius link to sign up to contribute food items and decorations for our celebration. Thank you advance for your support and willingness to donate to our festive celebration! Students should feel free to dress in red, white and blue on the 26th!
The 2nd quarter ends this coming Friday, January 16th. Teachers will be busy writing report cards and entering in last minute grades on Tuesday. Report cards will go home in the next Monday folder.
Remember that this coming Monday, January 19th is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. All students and staff do not have school on Monday in observance of this holiday. Students also do not have school on this coming Tuesday, January 20th due to a teacher work day.
This Thursday is the Winter music concert for K-2. The program begins at 6:30 pm in the gym and students should arrive at 6:00 pm. Students should meet their grade level team down at one of the grade level classrooms (the exact classroom is TBD). First grade students should meet their peers down at the end of the pink hallway where the first grade classrooms are located. Students will practice and get in the correct order in line before proceeding down the gym for the performance at 6:30. There will be at least one or two staff members with the students in the classroom prior to the performance. The students have been practicing most of the first semester for this performance and are all looking forward to show casing their hard work. Thank you to Mrs. G (music teacher) for her dedication and hard work towards getting the students ready! We look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday evening for a wonderful evening of winter themed music!
We would like to welcome a new student to our class! We are very excited to welcome her to room 313. She moved all the way from Michigan and we are thrilled to have her join us. The students are doing a great job of making her feel welcome. Our class total is now at twenty students. We finally have an equal amount of male and female students in our class!
As we head in to the middle of Winter, it is important that we all do our part to stay healthy. Some germs we certainly can't avoid, but we can do our best to not spread germs. In our class we cough and sneeze into our forearm that way we aren't catching the germs in our hands. This helps to reduce how quickly and easily germs are spread in the classroom. In cases where we forget, we wash our hands with soap prior to returning to our work. We also wash our hands with soap and water before we eat and after we use the bathroom.
At the beginning of the year, the county unsure of whether or not Clorox and Lysol wipes were going to be allowed in the classrooms this year. After school began they decided that they would still allow the wipes to be used, they just have to be kept up high where students can't reach them. As a result of this timing, Clorox and Lysol wipes we not included on the 1st grade supply list. I would GREATLY appreciate anyone who is willing to donate Clorox wipes to our classroom. I bought a couple economy packs from Costco at the beginning of the year, but those have run out. We wipe down the student's tables, chairs, Daily 5 center tables, keyboards etc. to help minimize the germs spread between tiny hands. Thank you advance for your generosity and help to keep our classroom clean and healthy!
At the beginning of the year, the county unsure of whether or not Clorox and Lysol wipes were going to be allowed in the classrooms this year. After school began they decided that they would still allow the wipes to be used, they just have to be kept up high where students can't reach them. As a result of this timing, Clorox and Lysol wipes we not included on the 1st grade supply list. I would GREATLY appreciate anyone who is willing to donate Clorox wipes to our classroom. I bought a couple economy packs from Costco at the beginning of the year, but those have run out. We wipe down the student's tables, chairs, Daily 5 center tables, keyboards etc. to help minimize the germs spread between tiny hands. Thank you advance for your generosity and help to keep our classroom clean and healthy!
We have made it to the middle of the school year which mean some supplies start to run out. Many students are on their last glue stick. I have labeled the glue sticks with each student's class number that way they know which glue stick at their table is theirs. Glue sticks go rather quickly in first grade. Students use them for projects, but also for gluing activities and assignments in their writing, steam, and math journals on a daily basis. These journals come home at the end of the year and are a great tool to have over the summer when reviewing 1st grade concepts as they prepare for 2nd grade. If your child lets you know that he/she is out of glue, please know that it isn't to play with and they do need more glue. We recommend the Elmer's brand "disappearing purple" glue sticks for 1st graders. The tinted glue allows them to see where they already put glue and, therefore, won't be wasting the glue by going over an area that already has glue. Feel free to send in a multi-pack and I will put their number on all of the sticks that way they have extra for when one runs out. Should you feel so inclined to donate glue sticks to other students, just write a note or mark the box in some way that will let me know that those glue sticks are for students who do not have any, and not for your student. Thank you advance!
The temperature in Raleigh can be warm one day and quite chilly the next. Please be mindful that we go outside for recess unless it is raining, too wet/muddy due to rain or snow, or unless the temperature is around freezing and there we are notified by administration that we are not allowed to go outside. As the temperature drops, make sure your child is coming to school with a coat, hat, and gloves or mittens. It can get quite windy on the playground and we don't want any chilly hands or ears at recess. Also be mindful that school can be delayed due to below freezing temperatures in the morning during bus stop hours even if there is not snow.
Weekly reader response journals will be checked this Friday. Students are still bringing home this week's leveled reader and questions. I will check both this week's assignment and the writing from the week before break at the end of the week.
As I am sure you have heard from your student, we have started our 2nd quarter Science Unit: Pebbles, Sand and Silt. Students are bringing home a letter on owl paper in their homework folder. This letter is for you to keep. The letter provides some information about the science unit and encourages you to help your student look at different rocks around the yard, while on walks in your neighborhood, and anywhere you may go with your student. Students will learn not only the types of rocks, properties of rocks, and sizes of rocks but also how we use rocks in the real world as building materials and resources. Any rocks your student collects at home and wishes to bring in, are welcomed at school. Feel free to send them to school in a plastic grocery bag, ziploc bag, or container of some sort. Students will also practice sorting rocks based on properties and describing how they organized their groups of rocks. We appreciate your support and excitement towards this messy and dirty science unit!
Students are bringing home the 1st grade word list for the spelling bee. The spelling bee will take place after break. Feel free to go ahead and start practicing the words over break. When the exact spelling bee date is announced, I will post it. Students will randomly be given a word to spell and the student is required to spell the word correctly back. Some of the words may be from this list, and others may not but all words will be of the same level of difficulty. Good luck to all!
Weekly Reader Response - Students are bringing home their Reader Response Journal tonight (12/15/14). Students have been practicing Students have been practicing how to respond to what they read in class. Students have been working very hard in Daily 5 and reading groups to further their knowledge on proper ways to start sentences, how to re-word the question in their answer, and how to read a variety of questions and what they mean. Students practiced with their group last week how to respond formally to the books that they read in their Reader Response Journal. All students completed this activity/practice using the same book: Chad and the Big Egg.
Students are now bringing home their book buddy bag with their reader response journal, and their leveled book for the week to complete the written comprehension activities for homework. Monday nights activity is already glued down on the next blank page. Students are to complete each nightly activity on a new blank page. It is easier to check their work this way. Students should bring their leveled book, book buddy bag, and reader response journal to school everyday. We will be using their work, books, and giving students an opportunity to share sometimes in reading groups. On Friday, these three things (book buddy bag, leveled reader book, and reader response journal) should be turned in to the Journal bin in our classroom. I will check their work on Fridays and over the weekend. On the following Monday, students will bring home another book and new set of questions.
While the books are differentiated to meet the needs of each student, the level reader your student brings home, may be one or two levels below their current instructional level. This is on purpose. Research shows that young readers are more confident and successful in their writing if they are writing about a text they either have read before, or a text that isn't too tricky for them.
It is VERY important that students re-read the book each night for fluency. This is listed as the first thing to do on every assignment. Re-reading texts to improve fluency is a best practice of young readers. It might be tempting to skip this part of the assignment in the evening due to crazy schedules, please try your best to make sure your student reads the book at least one time every night. This not only helps to increase fluency but also helps them to remember what happened in the story, therefore making the plot fresh in their minds when they are answering the questions.
Students are now bringing home their book buddy bag with their reader response journal, and their leveled book for the week to complete the written comprehension activities for homework. Monday nights activity is already glued down on the next blank page. Students are to complete each nightly activity on a new blank page. It is easier to check their work this way. Students should bring their leveled book, book buddy bag, and reader response journal to school everyday. We will be using their work, books, and giving students an opportunity to share sometimes in reading groups. On Friday, these three things (book buddy bag, leveled reader book, and reader response journal) should be turned in to the Journal bin in our classroom. I will check their work on Fridays and over the weekend. On the following Monday, students will bring home another book and new set of questions.
While the books are differentiated to meet the needs of each student, the level reader your student brings home, may be one or two levels below their current instructional level. This is on purpose. Research shows that young readers are more confident and successful in their writing if they are writing about a text they either have read before, or a text that isn't too tricky for them.
It is VERY important that students re-read the book each night for fluency. This is listed as the first thing to do on every assignment. Re-reading texts to improve fluency is a best practice of young readers. It might be tempting to skip this part of the assignment in the evening due to crazy schedules, please try your best to make sure your student reads the book at least one time every night. This not only helps to increase fluency but also helps them to remember what happened in the story, therefore making the plot fresh in their minds when they are answering the questions.
Spirit Week Holiday Edition - Next week Hilburn Academy is celebrating Spirit Week. This Spirit Week is a Holiday Edition. Each day, staff and students are welcome to dress in the theme assigned to that particular day. Our very own Hilburn Academy Student Council created this fun and exciting opportunity for all Hawks to show their enthusiasm and spirit for the Holidays. Please see below for the specific themes and dates.
Monday (Dec. 15th) - Mis Match Day
Tuesday (Dec. 16th) - Tacky Sweater Day
Wednesday (Dec. 17th) - Wacky hat and sock day
Thursday (Dec. 18th) - Pajama Day and Stuffed Animal Day
Friday (Dec. 19th) - Winter Wonderland Day
Monday (Dec. 15th) - Mis Match Day
Tuesday (Dec. 16th) - Tacky Sweater Day
Wednesday (Dec. 17th) - Wacky hat and sock day
Thursday (Dec. 18th) - Pajama Day and Stuffed Animal Day
Friday (Dec. 19th) - Winter Wonderland Day
Any items not picked up from the Lost & Found by Friday, December 19th (last day of school before Winter Break) will be donated to Good Will. Please remind your student to stop by the Lost & Found to check and see if any of the items belong to them. There are many sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, and lunch boxes. The Lost & Found is located by the entrance door to the cafeteria by Mrs. Brenda's (custodian) office.
Our class goes to the Book Fair tomorrow (12-9-14) during our media specials time. Please remember to send money with your student to school in a sealed envelope if you would like them to be able to purchase a book at the book fair.
This week is college week. As a class, we have been talking about college and what college is. We covered many essential questions including:
What is college?
Where are colleges located?
What colleges do we know of?
How do you go/get to college?
What do you do at college? What is the purpose?
Why is college important?
How does 1st grade relate to college?
Why go to college?
Please have your student wear their favorite college colors on Thursday, December 4th
Please have your student should wear University of North Carolina Wilmington's colors (navy, teal, white & gold) on Friday, December 5th.
What is college?
Where are colleges located?
What colleges do we know of?
How do you go/get to college?
What do you do at college? What is the purpose?
Why is college important?
How does 1st grade relate to college?
Why go to college?
Please have your student wear their favorite college colors on Thursday, December 4th
Please have your student should wear University of North Carolina Wilmington's colors (navy, teal, white & gold) on Friday, December 5th.
Students brought home a Social Studies project today (12/3/14). Please use the white directions page to help guide your student as they complete this project. The green shaped paper is the "tree" students should use to decorate for their favorite celebration or holiday. It is not shaped like a Christmas tree on purpose. Please feel free to decorate the tree for other holidays other than Christmas or holidays that are "green" themed. The project is due Monday, December 8th.
There isn't any Letterland homework this week. Due to the short school week, we are not covering a Letterland unit this week. We will resume with Letterland after break and will cover Unit 11 the first week back. Feel free to begin working on Unit 11 words over the break. See the homework tab of our web page for the list of words.
At 10:00 am this morning, Hilburn Academy had a code red drill. While a drill is just practice, it is important that all students know how serious and important drills are. We reviewed what a code red drill is and the purpose for it prior to the drill this morning. We went over what the procedure is for a code red lock down in our classroom, if we were in transition in the hallway, outside, specials etc. Students had a chance to ask questions prior to the drill to ensure that all students understood what was expected of them. I am very proud of the majority of our class for following directions and not talking during the code red drill. Our number one job is to stay safe during a code red, and staying safe means staying still and quiet no matter what. Feel free to discuss the code red drill with your student and reinforce at home, the importance of staying still and quiet in order to stay safe.
The first grade team is having a Thanksgiving celebration at lunch on Thursday, November 20th. Use this link to go to our class Sign-Up Genius to sign up if you are able to donate items and would like to contribute. If you would like to attend our Thanksgiving celebration at lunch, please email Ms. Griffin at [email protected] by Wednesday night. If you plan to bring the item you are donating with you to lunch, please make sure to arrive no later than 12:20 and include this information in your email. We will meet you at the cafeteria at 12:20 pm if you plan to attend. We look forward to an enjoyable celebration and are thankful for the partnership we have with such dedicated parents! Students should absolutely still bring a packed lunch, or plan to buy lunch as normal on this day. Donated food items are in addition to a normal lunch. Thank you advance for your generosity and contributions!
Our new student has finally arrived and we are thrilled to have him be a part of our class! We are working as a class to help him feel welcome and get settled here at Hilburn. We took time as a class to review some of our routines and procedures (i.e. walking in the hallway on the hawk express, bathroom procedures for using the restroom both in our class and on the K-1 hallway) as well as introduce ourselves to him. Taking time to review procedures is always good extra practice for everyone! We will continue to practice these routines and procedures as we all get settled in as a class of 21 students now through the coming weeks! I am encouraging all students to make our new student feel welcome and help make Hilburn feel like his new home! This means inviting him to play at Recess, talking with him at lunch, showing him around our school and classroom, using kind words to welcome him, and making sure we are all being good role models. Thank you in advance for your support in this process at home, and your student's support and help at school.
Today, students were assigned their "Turkey Project." Your students are bringing home the following materials in a ziploc bag with their classroom number on it: white poster board (their name is already on it), a brown cutout of a turkey, white feather cutouts (your student can choose to use these or make their own with pictures), a strip of printed directions and their plan from class. Students should glue their turkey to the poster board and decorate the feathers/poster board with things that they are thankful for. We talked about what the word "thankful" means and brainstormed things we are thankful for in class. Students then had the chance to brainstorm on their own and draw pictures of these items that they are thankful for. Please feel to remind students of what it means to be thankful (i.e. we are thankful for clothes on our bodies, a roof over our heads, school, families etc.). Students at this age tend to immediately think of things like candy and new toys. Turkey projects are due on Wednesday, November 12th. Students can use pictures, magazine clippings, stickers, drawings, and other misc. items such as dried pasta, cereal or clean wrappers from food for their project. This project is designed to be done by your family. This should not be done in one night. Please take your time and work on this collaboratively as a family. Note: Please return the ziploc bag to school with the project. We will reuse the bag in the future!
Students are bringing home their 1st Quarter report card in their Monday folder today (11/5/14). Please return the envelope (you keep the report card) with your student to school. If you have already signed up for a conference time, your conference time is listed next to the conference box for 1st quarter. Please make sure you sign the 1st Quarter line prior to return the envelope to school.
Students had a blast comparing and measure pumpkins today! Each student made a prediction of how many seeds were inside of each pumpkin. Students then worked collaboratively to take all of the seeds out of the pumpkins. They separated the seeds from the pumpkin insides and collected all of the seeds from their group's pumpkin. It was very neat to see how students reacted to touching the seeds and pumpkin insides. Some students couldn't get enough of the gooey experience while others made some pretty hilarious facial expressions as they mustered through touching the slimy seeds. Look at the STEAMtastic day tab of our website for pictures from this afternoon's experience! We ran out of time for tasting the seeds, students will have a chance to taste them on Monday!
Students will take their Letterland assessment on Monday. Unfortunately, I lost my voice on Wednesday and haven't fully gained it back yet. It is slowly coming back, but I felt that it wouldn't be an accurate representation of what students knew if I gave the assessment today seeing as I was talking so softly. Now students have a few extra days to review over the weekend!
Monday folders will be sent home two times next week. Monday folders will go home on Monday (11/3) with normal announcements, flyers, and student work. Monday folders will go home again on Wednesday (11/5) with 1st Quarter report cards. Please make sure your student brings their folder back to school on Tuesday and turns it in to the blue bin so that their report card can be sent home on Wednesday. Remember to sign up for 1st Quarter conferences if you have not already done so.
Scootpad is up and running in our classroom! Each student has their own username and password that is connected to our classroom account. A parent letter is going home this evening (10-28-14) explaining what Scootpad is and includes your student's log in and password information.
At this time, feel free to have your child log in to a computer at home so that you have the opportunity to see what their log in and home screen looks like. At this time, students are completing their ELA (english languagrt-arts) placement test. Please do not allow your student to complete any assignments at home at this time. Once every student has completed their placement test, and we have completed our tutorial as a class on how to use Scootpad, I will notify you and at that you may feel free to have your student work on Scootpad at home.
You also can create a parent account using your student's information. Your parent account is free through your child since we have a paid subscription at school. Your parent account not only allows you to see how your student is doing, but it also allows for me to communicate with you about your child's growth and struggles they may be encountering through your parent account and email. There is a "wall" for teacher and parents to communicate privately and also as a whole class.
This week students will be completing their placement tests, first Letterland word work/spelling assignment, and getting to know Scootpad and how to use it.
At this time, students will be using Scootpad during one of our Daily 5 rotations during our Literacy block. I am working with the technology specialist at school to get the app loaded onto the 1st grade ipad cart. Once this is done, students will have increased access to this great resource.
Feel free to download the app at home if you have a smart device/ipad. I am thrilled to share this research based best practice/resource with you all!
At this time, feel free to have your child log in to a computer at home so that you have the opportunity to see what their log in and home screen looks like. At this time, students are completing their ELA (english languagrt-arts) placement test. Please do not allow your student to complete any assignments at home at this time. Once every student has completed their placement test, and we have completed our tutorial as a class on how to use Scootpad, I will notify you and at that you may feel free to have your student work on Scootpad at home.
You also can create a parent account using your student's information. Your parent account is free through your child since we have a paid subscription at school. Your parent account not only allows you to see how your student is doing, but it also allows for me to communicate with you about your child's growth and struggles they may be encountering through your parent account and email. There is a "wall" for teacher and parents to communicate privately and also as a whole class.
This week students will be completing their placement tests, first Letterland word work/spelling assignment, and getting to know Scootpad and how to use it.
At this time, students will be using Scootpad during one of our Daily 5 rotations during our Literacy block. I am working with the technology specialist at school to get the app loaded onto the 1st grade ipad cart. Once this is done, students will have increased access to this great resource.
Feel free to download the app at home if you have a smart device/ipad. I am thrilled to share this research based best practice/resource with you all!
Please use the link below to sign up for 1st quarter conferences. Conferences are being offered during Hilburn Academy's conference week which takes place the week of November 10th. Note: There is NO SCHOOL on Tuesday, November 11th in observance of the Veteran's Day Holiday. You will also find a link to sign up for conferences in the email you received from me today. I look forward to meeting with you soon!
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/70A0A48ABA823A31-1stquarter1
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/70A0A48ABA823A31-1stquarter1
Want to help out with our Fall learning experience, but can't come in? Don't worry! You can still contribute and donate items! Use this link to go to the sign up genius page that our fabulous room moms have created for this event. It's as easy as signing up for an item, purchasing the item, and sending it to school with your student! Feel free to send in the items before next Thursday (Oct. 30th) that way we can make sure we have all the materials and supplies needed. Thank you in advance to all the parents who have donated items to our class this year thus far and to those who are donating items for our Fall learning experience. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Today we had our monthly guidance lesson with Ms. Daley. Her lesson focused on learning to get along and how to take turns. Students learn how to be a positive and supportive partner during partner activities and turn and talk (i.e. be excited to work with a partner even if it is not your good friend, being polite, taking turns, giving everyone a chance to be right etc.). Students also learned different ways to decide who goes first (i.e. one round of rock-paper-scissors-shoot, bubble gum, or simply just offering for your partner to go first). Ms. Daley used WeDoListen.org as a resource. Students watched a small clip about Howard B. Wigglebottom. The animated story was about how Howard was not invited to a party at the park because he was always so bossy, interrupted all the time, did not share, had to always be right, and did not use manners or let other friends talk or choose. I am posting the link to the website in case you want to review this with your student or home, or let them re-watch the video. Please only click on the animated video with the rocket ship picture titled Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns To Get Along. Other videos will be used in upcoming guidance lessons and we ask that you only allow your student to watch the video they saw today. Thank you!
When: Our fall STEAM event is taking place during the day this year! The STEAM Committee is very excited to announce STEAM Day on October 24th.
What: STEAM Day is an opportunity for students to play the roles of collaborators, audience members, presenters, and reflectors. This process will look different at each grade level due to the 21st century skills that particular grade is focusing on. Older grade levels focus more on presentation skills and career connections while younger grades focus on collaboration skills, how to be a team member when working in groups, and how to process and synthesize information. See the attached flyer for more information on STEAM Day. Space is limited in each classroom for adults to attend due to the actual space available.
Who: This is a day for the students to explore, collaborate and discover! Note that STEAM Day is for the students (i.e. this is not a time for parents to have a conference with teachers, or chat with their students.) All students will be engaged and focused on the activities and collaboration opportunities at hand. This is a day for the students and the students will have the greatest opportunity of getting the most out of STEAM Day if they are allowed to focus on the activities and engage in collaboration with other students. We appreciate your respect of the learning environment. Each class has been paired with another grade level to go observe and be audience members of. Each grade level will also have another class visiting their room. With two+ teachers and 50+ students in each classroom, space is limited for parents to attend.
Where: Our class will welcome adult visitors that have sent an email with their RSVP to their classroom teacher by October 20th from 11:00 am - 11:40 am in room 313. All parents must RSVP to their child's teacher by October 20th with the number of adults that plan on attending.
What If: If you can't attend, or can't find a babysitter for siblings or children, don't worry, the STEAM Committee is creating a video of footage from STEAM Day. Each grade level will be included in this video, and I will post pictures from STEAM Day in our classroom under the STEAMtastic DAY tab of our website for parents, friends, and family members to view that were unable to attend STEAM Day.
Important Information: All parents who wish to observe STEAM Day in action in our class, should RSVP to Ms. Griffin by October 20th with the number of adults who plan on attending/observing STEAM Day in action (11:00 am - 11:40 am). Our traditional STEAM Night, where parents and students explore other classes presentations, discuss the learning and engineering that took place, and participate in discussions/can ask questions of their child and child's teacher) will take place in the Spring.
The Fall expo is an in-school academic event focused on students.
The Spring expo is an after school event open to the public.
We can not accommodate a visitor request of more than two adult visitors per student.
We are glad there are so many people interested in a child's educational experience, but this is not an event that can accommodate a large audience. (We will have our classroom of 20 students, plus a sixth grade class of 30 students, plus the teachers and additional staff members in our first grade classroom before we add any additional parent vistors).
We hope families will take advantage of other opportunities throughout the year that are intended for family visitors (i.e. parents, other adults, siblings, friends, neighbors etc.) We want to maintain the safety of our students and are mindful of fire code regulations. We want to maintain and honor the academic integrity of the event for all of our students, and excessive outside visitors will impact the learning experience of our student audience members.
What: STEAM Day is an opportunity for students to play the roles of collaborators, audience members, presenters, and reflectors. This process will look different at each grade level due to the 21st century skills that particular grade is focusing on. Older grade levels focus more on presentation skills and career connections while younger grades focus on collaboration skills, how to be a team member when working in groups, and how to process and synthesize information. See the attached flyer for more information on STEAM Day. Space is limited in each classroom for adults to attend due to the actual space available.
Who: This is a day for the students to explore, collaborate and discover! Note that STEAM Day is for the students (i.e. this is not a time for parents to have a conference with teachers, or chat with their students.) All students will be engaged and focused on the activities and collaboration opportunities at hand. This is a day for the students and the students will have the greatest opportunity of getting the most out of STEAM Day if they are allowed to focus on the activities and engage in collaboration with other students. We appreciate your respect of the learning environment. Each class has been paired with another grade level to go observe and be audience members of. Each grade level will also have another class visiting their room. With two+ teachers and 50+ students in each classroom, space is limited for parents to attend.
Where: Our class will welcome adult visitors that have sent an email with their RSVP to their classroom teacher by October 20th from 11:00 am - 11:40 am in room 313. All parents must RSVP to their child's teacher by October 20th with the number of adults that plan on attending.
What If: If you can't attend, or can't find a babysitter for siblings or children, don't worry, the STEAM Committee is creating a video of footage from STEAM Day. Each grade level will be included in this video, and I will post pictures from STEAM Day in our classroom under the STEAMtastic DAY tab of our website for parents, friends, and family members to view that were unable to attend STEAM Day.
Important Information: All parents who wish to observe STEAM Day in action in our class, should RSVP to Ms. Griffin by October 20th with the number of adults who plan on attending/observing STEAM Day in action (11:00 am - 11:40 am). Our traditional STEAM Night, where parents and students explore other classes presentations, discuss the learning and engineering that took place, and participate in discussions/can ask questions of their child and child's teacher) will take place in the Spring.
The Fall expo is an in-school academic event focused on students.
The Spring expo is an after school event open to the public.
We can not accommodate a visitor request of more than two adult visitors per student.
We are glad there are so many people interested in a child's educational experience, but this is not an event that can accommodate a large audience. (We will have our classroom of 20 students, plus a sixth grade class of 30 students, plus the teachers and additional staff members in our first grade classroom before we add any additional parent vistors).
We hope families will take advantage of other opportunities throughout the year that are intended for family visitors (i.e. parents, other adults, siblings, friends, neighbors etc.) We want to maintain the safety of our students and are mindful of fire code regulations. We want to maintain and honor the academic integrity of the event for all of our students, and excessive outside visitors will impact the learning experience of our student audience members.
steam_day_flyer.pdf | |
File Size: | 12455 kb |
File Type: |
Homework 101 - A Few Friendly Reminders ...
1. Homework is designed to be independent.
2. Per Wake County policy, homework is not graded. Skills and strategies that are practiced on a homework assignment may be assessed at school, but homework assignments completed at home are not graded.
3. Read the directions to your student if they are unable to do so themselves. Prompt them to think about what the directions mean, look at any pictures, examples, or equations that are given and give it their best shot.
4. Seeing as homework is independent practice, your child should be completing their homework ON THEIR OWN. This is their chance to practice skills taught or reviewed in class. Completing your child's homework for them, telling them the answers, or "holding their hand" while they complete their homework will only increase their need to be dependent on you. First grade is all about fostering independence and encouraging students to think on their own.
5. Students will make mistakes in this process, however, that is normal and quite ok. Students learn more from their mistakes and from their efforts to do their homework on their own, then they will learn from being told the answers or from receiving excessive help.
6. It is noticeable when students are unable to demonstrate proficiency in the classroom on an assignment or assessment, but can suddenly do so on a homework assignment. As tempting as it may be to want to make sure your child has all of the correct answers, please refrain from doing so. It is ok for your student to make a mistake or get a problem wrong. Remember, homework is not graded!
* * Be sure to check the homework tab each night for the posted homework.
1. Homework is designed to be independent.
2. Per Wake County policy, homework is not graded. Skills and strategies that are practiced on a homework assignment may be assessed at school, but homework assignments completed at home are not graded.
3. Read the directions to your student if they are unable to do so themselves. Prompt them to think about what the directions mean, look at any pictures, examples, or equations that are given and give it their best shot.
4. Seeing as homework is independent practice, your child should be completing their homework ON THEIR OWN. This is their chance to practice skills taught or reviewed in class. Completing your child's homework for them, telling them the answers, or "holding their hand" while they complete their homework will only increase their need to be dependent on you. First grade is all about fostering independence and encouraging students to think on their own.
5. Students will make mistakes in this process, however, that is normal and quite ok. Students learn more from their mistakes and from their efforts to do their homework on their own, then they will learn from being told the answers or from receiving excessive help.
6. It is noticeable when students are unable to demonstrate proficiency in the classroom on an assignment or assessment, but can suddenly do so on a homework assignment. As tempting as it may be to want to make sure your child has all of the correct answers, please refrain from doing so. It is ok for your student to make a mistake or get a problem wrong. Remember, homework is not graded!
* * Be sure to check the homework tab each night for the posted homework.
A Few Birthday Reminders ...
1. Birthday celebrations during school (i.e. lunch) must be scheduled with your child's teacher a minimum of 48 hours (2 school days) ahead of time.
2. Birthday treats should consist of MINI cupcakes, MINI cookies, or a MINI treat of some sort. Bringing large cupcakes with a mound of icing directly effects a child's ability to learn after lunch and impedes their ability to focus. Large treats will also often upset small stomachs. Only MINI sized treats will be allowed. Thank you for your understanding in advance and for your support of our learning environment and for your consideration in what's best for the students!
3. Birthday treats are NOT allowed to be shared with students from other classes. I know it might be fun to share a treat with a friend from your child's Kindergarten class, but this singles out other students and puts them down. Sharing of treats is not allowed!
4. Invitations for parties may only be passed out at school if everyone in the class is invited. If all students from our class are not being invited to the party, then the passing out of invitations will not be allowed and they will be sent home with your student.
1. Birthday celebrations during school (i.e. lunch) must be scheduled with your child's teacher a minimum of 48 hours (2 school days) ahead of time.
2. Birthday treats should consist of MINI cupcakes, MINI cookies, or a MINI treat of some sort. Bringing large cupcakes with a mound of icing directly effects a child's ability to learn after lunch and impedes their ability to focus. Large treats will also often upset small stomachs. Only MINI sized treats will be allowed. Thank you for your understanding in advance and for your support of our learning environment and for your consideration in what's best for the students!
3. Birthday treats are NOT allowed to be shared with students from other classes. I know it might be fun to share a treat with a friend from your child's Kindergarten class, but this singles out other students and puts them down. Sharing of treats is not allowed!
4. Invitations for parties may only be passed out at school if everyone in the class is invited. If all students from our class are not being invited to the party, then the passing out of invitations will not be allowed and they will be sent home with your student.
Monday folders will go home tomorrow (10/14/14).
It's that time of year again when the creeping crud is out! There is a virus going around first grade. Please, please, please do not send your child to school with a fever! If you give them a 'fever reducer' at 7:00am it starts to wear off around 10 and the fever comes back. In the meantime several children and many staff members have been exposed to it and have been out sick as a result! Wake County policy states that a child needs to be FEVER FREE for 24 hours WITHOUT MEDICATION before returning to school. This means if your child is "fever free" because medication such as Tylenol, Motrin etc. is working, this does mean your child is fever free. The flu has already begun as well. Our assistant was out all five days last week due to the flu and many students have been getting sick to their stomach in first grade over the past two weeks. We are extra diligent with hand washing and are asking that you do the same at home. Remember that healthy foods, healthy snacks, water, and a good night sleep are all things that help a child to stay healthy and illness free.
Use this QR code to access information on the basic grading system for Wake County Public Schools. I hope you will find this information helpful in understanding the new format of the interim report. The interim report is a snapshot of how your student has performed in various areas up until this point in the school year. Conferences will be held during Hilburn Academy conference week. I will post a link to a Sign Up Genius a few weeks prior. Look for this link at the end of October/beginning of November. Any immediate concerns can be address via email.
Be sure to check out our STEAMtastic Day page on our website. Every so often, I will post pictures of students from class. Today I posted pictures from our math lesson. Pictures that include student's faces will only be posted if their records folder has the correct documentation and signatures stating that you authorize this. For those students who can't have their picture posted, I will try to include a picture of them that does not show their face. This may mean that I take a picture of their work, or make sure that their position in the picture does not show their face etc.
Monday folders will be sent home on Wednesday this week (10-1-14). Please look in your child's Monday folder on Wednesday for your child's interim report and mClass home letter. For more information on mClass beginning of the year assessment scores, please visit "Understanding mClass under the Common Core tab on our classroom website.
Picture day is TOMORROW (9-30-14)! Your child should come to school dressed in whatever clothes you would like them to wear when they have their picture taken. Our picture time is 11:22 pm. This is before our lunch which is always nice. That way we don't have any red sauce on white shirts. Recess will be in the afternoon if we do not have time to go out for recess before lunch. Sometimes there can be a delay in our picture time depending on how quickly classes before us have gone through the process.
If your child's classroom number is listed below, then he/she has not turned in their Go Play Save book. All books and orders are due TOMORROW! Please return the order forms and books and/or money tomorrow.
Picture day is Tuesday, September 30th. Please turn in your ordering form and money as soon as possible if you are planning on ordering pictures. Students will not be changing clothes that day, so please take that into consideration when your child gets dressed in the morning. Send your student to school in what you would like to be in when their picture is taken.
Hilburn Academy went on a code red lock down right before dismissal today. I am sharing this information in case your student brings it up at home and wants to talk about it. This is all the information about this incident that I can share at this time.
Extra copies of the "Look Say Cover Write" sheet can be found on the homework tab of our website. Each student is bringing home one tonight. This is the only copy we will be sending home. In weeks to come, you can either print an extra copy from our classroom website, or use a piece of lined paper and fold it into three parts etc.
Go Play Save books are due by this Friday, September 19th. Please turn them in as soon as possible. If you have not yet bought your book or sold it, please make a really good effort to sell them. This fundraiser helps to raise money for Hilburn. The money from this fundraiser goes towards extra curriculum materials and supplies, technology, and resources for students and teachers. Thank you in advance for all of your hard work! Go Play Save!
We began our first Letterland Unit today. During our Letterland lesson, we discussed what we already know about Letterland, questions we have about Letterland and what we will be learning this year, and shared activities that we remember from our Kindergarten experiences with Letterland. In your child's homework folder tonight, you will see the Student List sheet for Unit 1 as well as the Letterland Homework sheet that explains the four activities that are suggested for practice (Monday-Thursday) in preparation for the Letterland Assessment that will take place each Friday. You can find an extra copy of these papers on the Homework page of our website. Please make sure that the Student List paper stays in your child's homework folder. You may remove the list on Friday after the students have completed the classwork and assessment for that week's words. Feel free to keep these student lists at home throughout the year. They are great for practicing and reviewing with your student throughout the year and Summer vacation.
Please remember when packing your child's lunch that only containers that your child can open independently (i.e. on their own) should be packed in their lunch. If it is hard for your child to open apple sauce, then please put it in another container that your child can open, or choose another option to pack in their lunch. If you are packing the squeezable yogurt, please make sure your child can tear the tab at end on their own. There are not scissors in the cafeteria and after this week, there will only be three assistants to help with all grade levels eating in the cafeteria at that time. There will only be three assistants in the cafeteria this year for the whole lunch room, so having containers and necessary utensils and drinks already packed in their lunch boxes is very important. Students are not allowed to get up from their seat to go get spoons, cups of water etc. Please consider this when packing their lunch. Make sure you pack all drinks, utensils etc. that they might need to eat their lunch. The first grade team high discourages any visitors from joining us for lunch until the third week of school. Classroom teachers eat with their students for the first two weeks of school to help teach procedures and reinforce cafeteria rules. Having visitors in the first two weeks is highly distracting to all students during this time. The first grade team thanks you in advance for respecting this request. We look forward to seeing you during the third week, and remainder of the year, for lunch dates!
As the school year begins, there are often schedule changes that occur. I have updated our class schedule on our website and will continue to do so should there be any more changes. Having a later lunch can be difficult on tummies, so please feel free to send in a DRY and HEALTHY snack with your student. The first grade team is figuring out the best time for snack these first two weeks. I will post what our official snack time is once we set one.
2014-2015 Classroom Information
Water Bottles
Students may bring in water bottles with their name written somewhere on the bottle. Students are allowed to keep their water bottles at their seat throughout the day (given they do not become a distraction). Students may also bring these water bottles outside for recess to stay hydrated. I encourage each child to bring in a water bottle with his or her name on it. Trips to the water fountain multiple times a day quickly becomes a distraction to the learning environment.
NO Crystal Light powder, Gatorade powder, or other additives for water please. Water bottles must have a secure spout. Screw on tops are not considered to be secure spouts seeing as they spill very easily. |
Classroom Distractions
The first grade team and I are encouraging students to keep games, toys, school store items and electronics at home. These items become a distraction while students are trying to learn. Thank you for your help in supporting our classroom learning environment.
Please help to remind your children of appropriate items to bring to school. Students will also be reminded that any items purchased at the school store must be put directly into their book bags to take home. Thank you for helping us in implementing these expectations, as this will help better our classroom learning environment! |
Parent Procedures
1. If your child's route home changes, please let me know by note with your child the day of, or by email (before 9am), or by calling the school. Our specials are first thing in the morning which is when I will have a break/chance to check my email. If you do not receive a response to your email sent, please call the office and they will make me aware of the change. Office Number: (919) 571-6800.
2. Please send in healthy snacks for your children. Any fresh fruits or vegetables are wonderful snacks! Goldfish, crackers, dry cereal, granola bars, and pretzels are great snacks as well. All snacks should be dry. 3. When sending water bottles, please only send water. Juice or tea is high in sugar and usually stains the carpet when spilled. Thank you! 4. If you want your child to eat breakfast at school, please help them to arrive in time to eat in the cafeteria prior to the 8:15 bell ringing. All students are expected to be in the classroom by 8:15 am or they will be marked tardy. |
Hilburn Academy News
Exciting things are always happening at Hilburn Academy! Please visit the Hilburn Academy website to find out more about our school. You can also find links to many information pages on the Hilburn Academy website by clicking on the parent tab in the toolbar above on our classroom website.
To find out times and locations of events at Hilburn Acaemy, please visit the calendar of events page on the website. Hilburn Academy is very fortunate in that we have a FABULOUS Parent Teach Association (PTA). For more news about our PTA, how to join, and volunteer opportunities, please visit the Hilburn Academy PTA page on the website. |