Just a short newsletter as I was "sick as a dog" this week. We've been studying idioms;)
As a reminder, I do look at spelling assessments closely, but more importantly I look at students' use of the spelling pattern generalizations in their writing to see if they are transferring these lessons to their high frequency words (words most often used by this age group). I hope you are finding the grammar/convention portion of the spelling assessments to be a useful communication of your student's convention.
I will be regularly posting optional handwriting pages in our weekly blog. Some students will be assigned handwriting pages as part of their nightly homework if their handwriting is identified as a focus area. I will email those parents directly. I will post the pages on the blog for every one's use in case you would like them. As we begin cursive later in the year, I will change from print to cursive letter formation. Practicing letter formation along with their spelling is a manageable amount of attention to letter formation, unlike writing where the motor focus will interfere with getting ideas down on the page. Eventually, the letter formation practice will begin to transfer to general writing. You can click on each of the handwriting/spelling pages and print at home.
I have finished scoring student's Developmental Reading Assessments (DRAs) and will be sending your students score home next week. The DRA has proven to be an invaluable tool in directing student learning and instruction.
We have nearly finished our math addition and subtraction strategies and our first unit. I will assess students early next week and send the assessments home for you to see.
Important Dates and Reminders
October 3rd - 7th: Box top collection
October 4th: Ohio Reading Achievement Assessment (Please do not schedule any appointments for this date)
October 5th: Walk to School Day
October 7th: Fall Family Night 6:00-8:00pm
October 20th: School Picture Retakes
October 26th: Field Trip to Highbanks Metropark. Please let me know if you are able to chaperon.
October 28th: End of first grading period
October 28th: Halloween Party
8:15 Classroom activities
12:00 Dismissal for extended lunch (grades 1-5 until 1:15)
1:15 Students return from lunch dressed in their costumes and report to their classrooms for attendance
1:30 Parade around Windermere School (parade route begins in back of the school on the playground and proceeds around the south end of the building on the sidewalk) October 31st: No School for Students (Teacher Grading Day)
2:00 Parties in classrooms
2:50 Dismissal
From Mr. Scarpitti: "Windermere's Halloween parade and parties will be held on Friday, October 28th. The daily schedule for students and staff will be modified on Friday, October 28th to accommodate our annual Halloween parade and parties. On this day, children are encouraged to go home or to a friend's/relative's house for lunch and change into their costumes. However, for students who desire to stay at school for lunch on that day, the cafeteria will be open for those who have packed a lunch or wish to buy one (school pizza will be served). Adults will be available to help these children change into their costumes." "Please remember this day is merely a time to dress up in costumes and have fun for those children who choose to participate. Costumes should neither be excessively frightening nor gory. Also, by the Superintendent's directive, no weapon or facsimile of a weapon is permitted on school grounds, thus should not be a part of a costume."
I ask that no one wear any costume that marginalizes, regardless of intent, any economic group, culture or country (no "hobos," Rap artists, ethnic groups, etc.). Thank you for your support!
October 31st: Beggar's Night from 6:00 to 8:00.
Also from Mr. Scarpitti and PTO: "PTO Fall Family Fest is October 7th. An exciting new feature is the display of scarecrows and jack-o-lanterns that day. Each classroom (including morning and afternoon kindergarten classes) will take their kids out to the scarecrow display to view them on October 7th. The scarecrows and pumpkins will be lined along the stop drop and go Windermere side. (jack-o-lantern's will be placed there the morning of the festival, scarecrows will be placed there the night before). Each scarecrow and pumpkin will be numbered for voting. Teachers will parade the children past the scarecrows/pumpkins and then will return to their classrooms for voting (including teachers/assistants votes). Mrs. Holt will email a picture of the pumpkins/scarecrows along with the numbers associated to each one for the teachers to display on their overhead to help remind everyone which scarecrows/pumpkins were there for judging. The teachers will take a tally in their classrooms of all the scarecrows/pumpkins and then forward the tallies to Kirsten Bradley (kirsten.bradley26@gmail.com) who will determine the winners are for both 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place of scarecrows and pumpkins. Winners will be announced that night at Fall Fest."
