"I can..." Statements for the Week of January 26th - Book Baggies

Here are our I can statements for this week:

I can summarize what I read.  This means I can tell you all about stories that I read.

I can monitor my reading and fix it up when I need to.  I can use the fix-up strategy to make sure I’m reading the words correctly and understanding what I’m reading.

I can read and spell words with a long E sound made with an EE or EA.

I can add and subtract numbers up to 20.  I can use doubles strategies and counting on to find the whole or missing part.

I can write a personal narrative.  I can include characters, setting, a problem and a solution.  I can use the steps in the writing process to make my writing better!

We will keep learning about weather as well.  

Looking ahead, we will be studying polar animals, presidents, and dental health throughout February.  Be sure to watch for information on joining us at school for a day of student presentations!  

Book Baggie: Please make sure your first grader is reading at home. It is CRITICAL for reading development at this point in the year and in your child's life.

It is so, so, so important that students get plenty of time to read throughout the day. Sometimes, extra time is hard to come by at school. Our days are very full. Here is a look at what Read to Self looks like in 1U.

FEBRUARY DATES - MPORTANT INFORMATION - VALENTINE'S DAY

February’s Important Dates:

2/2 PTO Meeting - 7pm @ Keystone Elementary

Book Order Due

2/4 1:00 Dismiss - PreK - 12 Professional Development

2/13 12:00 Dismiss - Valentine Exchange

2/16 NO SCHOOL - PreK - 12 Professional Development

New Student in 1U - 

Soon, a new student will be joining our first grade family.  Hailey S. will be joining our class at the beginning of February.  We are all very excited to meet her! When sending snacks for special occasions, please send 17.  

Valentine’s Day - 

We will exchange Valentine’s Day cards Friday, February 13th.  Participating in this is not required, but students do LOVE reading the cards they receive from one another.  A class list is attached to the book order.  In the past, we’ve had families decorate boxes.  This is going to be done at school this year.  

Snack - 

A letter about building-wide snack came home at the beginning of January.  In the past, parents have been asked to provide snacks on designated days throughout the month.  Parent costs for this system usually surpassed $50 a year.  This year, money has been donated to ensure all students get a healthy snack to keep their brain fueled and focused for optimal learning.  The school is asking for parent donations to continue the snack system at VHE.  If you are interested in making a monetary donation, please send it to school with your child.  Checks can be made payable to K/VH PTO.  Please clearly mark that the money is a snack donation.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  

Book Order - 

Every order earns points towards FREE books for our classroom!  When we get points in our “bank”, students go online and pick out which books they’d like to see added to our classroom library!

Scholastic Book Clubs Ordering Information:

Order Due: February 2nd

Scholastic Book Clubs

Class Activation Code: KXJMN

***Have you asked your first grader if he/she has all the necessary winter gear at school?  I’ve been encouraging students to keep an extra set of gloves and an extra hat in their lockers.  No one likes wet gloves at recess.  :)  

100th Day of School

We've had a GREAT 100th day of 1st grade!  

Coaches vs. Cancer Game Tonight

Tonight is the girl's basketball "Coaches vs. Cancer" event.  Please consider supporting the student athletes, coaches, and those battling cancer at tonight's game.  

If you are unable to make it to Van Horne for the game, it can be view online.  

LIVE Tonight – Girls Varsity Basketball: Benton vs Independence

Broadcast starts at 7:15 PM with Game Time at 7:30 PM

Utilize the direct link on the Benton Community website, www.benton.k12.ia.us, to access the streaming video.  Just click on “Enjoy Streaming Video Events at Benton” located at the bottom center of the page and it will take you to the Benton Community School page on the High School Cube website.  When the page loads just click on the event to view! Also, when you click on the event to view you will get a window asking you to log-in or register.  Do not be confused by this – just go to the upper right corner of the window and click on “skip”.  All events that we stream live are also available on this site for later viewing.

Please Note: High School Cube has made modifications to their website so you may be taken to their “New Concept Site”.  It will look different than what you have been seeing in the past, but you should still be able to access the game. They do have a link to “Return to the old site” if that is what you would rather view

.

New Symbaloos for 1U

We've been learning about weather so I created a Weather Symbaloo for first graders.  There are videos, books, and other interactive activities students can access to learn more about weather.  They've been excited to take a look at it.  

I've also been working on a Symbaloo with videos that relate to our phonics skill.  This week we worked on long o digraphs (oa, ow, oe).  Click HERE to find that Symbaloo.  It will continue to change as I add more videos and activities of skills we're working on.  If you save the link in a safe spot, you'll automatically received the update version.  

Let me know if you have any questions on how to access these sites.  Additional information is posted under the Symbaloos tab on the blog's homepage.  

"I can..." Statements for the Week of January 20th

I apologize for getting this to you late.  Check out the video to see what we've been focusing on this week.  

Also, you will be receiving an email from me in the next week or so about how your child did on the winter FAST assessment and what you could do at home to help him or her learn and grow.  These are individual emails and take some time to draft, so if you don't see it right away, it's still coming.  As always, please contact me with any questions.

100TH DAY OF SCHOOL REMINDERS

This is a reminder that tomorrow is the 100th day of school!  You're children are another 100 days SMARTER!  Please remember to have your child bring in a collection of 100 items to share in our class counting project.  (pennies, toothpicks, cotton balls, etc.)   Students may also dress up like they're 100 years-old if they'd like.  I did say yes to canes as long as they are responsible with them.  (They caught me at a weak moment.)  :)

Stay tuned for pictures of tomorrow's festivities!  It's a BIG day around here!

Events This Weekend/Coaches vs. Cancer

LIVE Tonight – Boys Varsity Basketball: Benton vs South Tama

Broadcast starts at 7:15 PM with Game Time at 7:30 PM

Utilize the direct link on the Benton Community website, www.benton.k12.ia.us, to access the streaming video.  Just click on “Enjoy Streaming Video Events at Benton” located at the bottom center of the page and it will take you to the Benton Community School page on the High School Cube website.  When the page loads just click on the event to view!  Also, when you click on the event to view you will get a window asking you to log-in or register.  Do not be confused by this – just go to the upper right corner of the window and click on “skip”.  All events that we stream live are also available on this site for later viewing.

Please Note: High School Cube has made modifications to their website so you may be taken to their “New Concept Site”.  It will look different than what you have been seeing in the past, but you should still be able to access the game.  They do have a link to “Return to the old site” if that is what you would rather view.

Spaghetti Supper - Van Horne Community Center - Saturday evening

There is a spaghetti dinner on Saturday that is being put on by the Lions.  I BELIEVE this is for the Benton Scholarship Foundation (not 100%).  

Change Collection Next Week - Coaches vs. Cancer

The Lady Bobcats basketball team is having a change drive next week.  There was information sent home with your student earlier this week about this collection.  If you're student is interested in donating loose change, please have him or her bring it next week.

NO SCHOOL MONDAY/100th DAY - FaceTime

No School Monday - 

There is no school on Monday, January 19th.  Benton staff will be participating in professional development at the GWAEA.  I look forward to seeing my first grade friends again on Tuesday!

100th Day - 

Dress up!  
The 100th Day gets more and more exciting as it approaches.  Students decided that they wanted to dress up as if they were 100-years-old!.  I sent a note home today about possible dress-up ideas for girls and boys.  Please let me know if you have any questions. 
**This is not required.

Collections of 100 
Please send your child's collection of 100 to school by Friday.  Let me know if you have any questions.,

FaceTime - 

We got to have a special FaceTime session with our friend, Haleigh!  Since we're learning about weather, we got to chat about what the weather is like where she is.  We all miss her and can't wait for her to get back!  The first graders LOVED doing this!  

Brown Bag Book Club

We had our first Brown Bag Book Club conversations today!  Students read a book of their choice, filled out a sheet with information about the book they read, taped it to the side of a brown bag, filled the bag with popcorn, and had great conversations about books with their peers.  This activity got great student reviews.  We all look forward to doing this again!

Clouds!

Today, we learned about different types of clouds.  We learned that clouds are made out of rain and that there are four different types.  

Nimbus clouds begin as cumulus clouds.  They collect rain until they can't hold on to it any longer.  When they can no longer hold the rain, it falls.  

Check out a couple pictures from our experiment today that showed students how this works.  

FYI... I heard some students say, "I want to do that when I get home!"  This was SUPER easy!  

1.  Fill a clear container with water. (Air)
2.  Spray shaving cream on top of the water.  (Cloud)
3.  Start dropping blue food coloring on the shaving cream.  When the "cloud" can't hold it any longer, it will fall.  

100th DAY OF SCHOOL

Currently, our 100th day of school will land on Friday, January 23rd.  This will be a day FULL of activities ALL based on the number 100.  It is one of my favorite days of the year.  In order to help make the day extra special, students need to bring in a collection of 100.  Whatever they bring needs to fit in a gallon size bag.  These bags will be sent home tomorrow and need to be returned on or before Friday the 23rd.  Examples of what has been brought in the past include 100 pennies, cotton balls, crayons, or even wrapped candies.  Please be sure to send something that does not hold a lot of value.  We will do different activities with the collections.  Please email me with any questions.  

1:00 DISMISS TOMORROW/Snowmen

This is just a reminder that we have a 1:00 dismiss tomorrow.  PK-12 staff will be participating in professional learning at the MS/HS.  Please call Mrs. Pealer in the office with any changes in transportation.  

If you happen to be near VHE and are able to stop in, come take a look at the super cute snowmen the first graders made!  They also wrote about what they would do if they were a snowman at night.  

Keep checking your email!  We'll be talking about clouds later this week and doing a science experiment that involves water, shaving cream and lots of food coloring.  YIKES! :)  

"I can..." Statements - Week of January 12th

Check out the video below for our "I can..." statements for this week.  

TONIGHT is the PTO meeting.  It is at 7pm at VHE.  

It looks like warmer weather is going to come back to us soon!  Please be sure your first grader is coming with a coat, snow pants, snow boots, hat, gloves, etc.  

As I'm sure you've noticed, there has been some extra math work in your child's take-home folder.  Please take a few minutes to work through this with your child.  It shouldn't take more than five minutes.  Here is a picture of some visuals we've been using to help remember doubles.  (I'm no artist... I know!)  :)  

Science: Air!

Our discoveries in science last week were all around the idea of air.  Through exploration, students learned that air is matter.  Matter can be in the form of solids, liquids, or gases.  Air is a combination of invisible gases that can move things, be trapped, and change the shape of objects, among other things.  Students explored the uses of air with a variety of objects and then made parachutes to see how air is used.  

We'll be moving on to more weather based explorations and discoveries this week!