Hello Families,

I just wanted to thank you all for a great year. I appreciate your understanding, patience, flexibility, and support that you have provided myself and your child this school year. I have to say that I have been quite emotional all week. I am just so utterly proud of ALL of us. I think we all learned so much, and there were many silver linings this year. It honestly feels like an abrupt ending to our time together. I truly did not want to see your children leave my classroom. I feel like so many of them were just really starting to show such amazing growth (my favorite part of teaching this grade). Nontheless we had to end our year.  I want to remind you that your child's report card might  not reflect all of the growth that they made this year. The expectations for certain markers were still the same as the report card/assessments weren't changed regardless of the lessened time that I was able to spend with them and deliver instruction. Report cards will be mailed out Monday. Please spend time celebrating with your child all of the accomplishments that they DID make this year.  Ideally I would love to have you child continue to read and be read to this summer, but ultimately please enjoy your time together. I will miss this special crew of caring, hard working children who showed amazing perserverance.  I'm hoping to hug them when they return for second grade.

Thanks for sharing them with me. Happy Summer!

Hello Parents,

We are winding down our last few days together. Here are a few reminders:

• Please return library books as soon as possible.
• Please make sure that your child has a water bottle. Our days are getting hotter, our drinking fountains are closed, and I have run out of Dixie cups to use for students who don't have bottles.
• Our last day is on Wednesday the 9th. Dismissal will be at 11:30.
• Your child is welcome to bring a book to share and/or donate to our class for their birthday if their birthday happens during the summer break. 

Thanks and have a wonderful long weekend! 

Can you believe that we only have 14 more days of first grade?  

Our class has been working on a class book. It is a fictional story about an avocado and his best day ever (in Missoula). This story is entirely created, written, and illustrated by all of the students in our class. Each student will have a featured page with words and an accompanying illustration. Next Monday I will be sending our pages to a publishing company so that it can be published and returned in time before school gets out. Yesterday I sent home an order form. This form needs to be returned with a yes/money OR a no. Please return the form by Friday.  I understand that they are quite expensive. I have explained to our class that we will receive a class copy for all of us to share and enjoy regardless if they purchase on or not.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Homework packets went home on Friday. This is for your child to work on during their remote learning day on Monday. Please return on Tuesday or keep to finish, if needed. Also, please continue to work on filling the reading logs out.

• It was so great to have your children back for our first full week of this school year. Here are a few reminders:
• Picture Day is on Tuesday. Please send your order forms back/and or order pictures online.
• There will not be another homework packet until April 16th for our next Remote day which is on April 19th.  Until then please have your child bring their folder every day as it helps to organize other papers and notices from the office.  Continue to fill out reading logs as that is the only expected homework.
• Next week we start PE. Your child will need to have a pair of shoes other than boots that are suitable for running and playing in PE.
• Book orders were sent home today and will be due the following Friday.
   

    Have a great Easter weekend, and please let me know if your child will be absent for any additional days.  

I enjoyed meeting with you all for your child's conference.

Yesterday I sent home a packet for your child to work on during the Monday following our break. There will only be a couple of more packets that will be sent home with your child for the days which are remote Mondays.  I will also have office hours available. Please let me know if you would like/need to meet from 9-10. I will be available by phone or Zoom.  Please complete any unfinished packets and turn them in as this will be used as your child's homework effort grade.

Enjoy your break, and I'll see your child back on March 23rd.

Thanks so much for the donation to purchase two air purifiers for our classroom. We received them yesterday and used them today. I feel so much safer having them in our classroom. They give off a really relaxing and calming white noise.  Please make sure to pay Jen Sheldon if you were able to contribute.  It is greatly appreciated.

I look forward to seeing/speaking with you all next week during conferences. Please look over your child's report card and work that was sent home yesterday. We will have only 15 minutes to talk, so please be prepared with any questions or concerns that you might have.  Also, please be on time as I will have to keep to a very busy schedule.

Book orders were sent home yesterday. Please have checks and/or online orders completed by Monday morning.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine. There is NO school next Friday.

Here is the sign up for your child's conference. They will again be over Zoom or phone. Please copy and paste the link into your browser to access the times. I look forward to meeting with all of your again.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0949A9A62BA3FE3-spring2

Thanks!

Hello Families,

I was just informed that Mondays will stay remote up until at least the week before Spring Break. That means that your child is responsible for demonstrating that they are working/learning "remotely" at home.  Homework was sent home today and will be sent home for those weeks as well. Ideally, I would like the packets returned on Tuesdays (in their green folders), but please keep them if needed until your child has time to complete it fully.  Additionally, there is an effort grade on the report card for which your child will be evaluated considering their efforts.  Also, please keep filling out those reading logs. I have been replacing and collecting filled out forms as they come in.

I am so pleased with the amazing attendance that we have had! I think that all students were here and on time for every day this week. I think that they are gradually adjusting better to the larger groups. I am seeing some anxiety that is presenting as upset stomachs and frequents trips to the bathroom, which seem to be anxiety or stress induced. This has lead to lots of great conversation in our classroom about such things as coping skills and distinguishing between upset stomaches and nervous stomaches. Please let me know if your child has shared anything with you that I should be aware of. Most of the time these issues aren't brought up until conferences and I prefer to take care of situations as they arise.

Speaking of conferences, I will sending out the Sign-Up Genius time slots next week via e-mail.  Conferences will again be through Zoom or over the phone.

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Here is a message that Jen Sheldon would like for me to share with you: