Mrs. Osburn's Class Newsletter

December 7, 2007

Hi,

What a great day!  Thanks for your great support of the SMART Board presentation today.  Thanks to all who assisted with food, etc.  I feel like it was a great way for us to show you the new technology.  The children were awesome.  I was so proud of them! 

The December Math Blaster folder is due tomorrow.  The new sheets will come home early next week.

Our winter holiday centers will be on Thursday, December 20!  All parents are invited.  Our theme will be snowmen. 

This month's optional report is something different!  I told the children to imagine they had received a very special gift.  They get to go on a vacation of their choice!  They should learn about the place they would like to visit.  The children can either write a report, a book, make a poster, or create a pamphlet about this place.  It can be anywhere in the world!  These are due on December 20! 

Enjoy this special holiday season!

November 15, 2007

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!   

SMARTBOARD PREVIEW! 

You are invited to see our new Smartboard!  We would like to share with you some of the many lessons that we are able to enjoy on the Smartboard.  You are invited to come in on Thursday, November 29 at 8:00 A.M.  We will work on several activities in order to show you many of the uses for the board. 

Target Information - The Target teachers delivered letters today for those who will be tested for Target.  If you do not receive a letter, then your child will not be tested this year.  Hopefully many of you attended the informational meeting yesterday.  If you did not attend, please send questions to the Target teachers.  This process seems to change each year and I know very little about it at this time.

Please remember that we have a child with a nut allergy in the class.  Please do not send nuts or peanut butter for snack!  THANKS!

Don't forget the Turkey Day Centers are tomorrow from 9:30 - 10:30.  All parents are invited.  Adults only, please!

Optional Thanksgiving reports are due on Monday, November 19.  I look forward to seeing them!

I have to tell you that I am so thankful for my students!  I am really enjoying the year.  You are a terrific group of very supportive parents.  I couldn't do it without you. 

Have a great Thanksgiving week!

November 8, 2007

                         The Smartboard is Here!

What an exciting few days!  Last Friday, our new Smartboard was ready to use.  The children and the teachers are all so excited!  It is fabulous.  Ask your child to tell you a little bit about it!  We can look at any educational web site.  The children can use their hands to move items on the board.  We can write on the board with our special markers.  I can't even begin to tell you how many uses there are for the board!  It is incredible. 

Instead of guided reading groups this week, I am individually assessing each child's reading.   Your child will still bring home a book each night, but it will be a book that we did not first read together. 

Children learn at different rates.  I have seen that our reading groups are ready for some changes.  The purpose is to keep your child with children that are on a similar level.  It is time to reorganize!  We'll begin new groups on Monday.

Don't forget the Turkey Day Centers are on Friday, November 16 from 9:30  - 10:30.  All parents are invited.  It should be lots of fun!  We'll enjoy crafts and snacks, etc.  Thanks for those who are helping to put this together!

This month's optional report is about Thanksgiving.  It can either be a report about the first Thanksgiving or it can be a book about your own family Thanksgiving traditions.  These reports are due on Monday, November 19!  I have changed the date because the special centers on Friday will keep us so busy.

Don't forget the new Math Blaster activities!  Have a great weekend and keep warm! 

November 1, 2007

Hi!

Thanks to all who planned and assisted with Scarecrow Day Centers.  They were great fun!  Don't forget the Turkey Day Centers on Friday, November 16 from 9:30 - 10:30.  All parents are invited. 

GUIDED READING!  We are taking a couple of days off of guided reading groups.  We're doing some other activities.   We'll finish the center chart from this week on Wednesday and Thursday of next week.  We are learning about a variety of things.  We look at parts of a book, main idea, characters, settings, problems and solutions, etc.  We also use the guided reading books to go over phonics skills, contractions, compound words, vowel sounds, etc.  I am excited about the progress that the children are making.

MATH BLASTER - Today your child brought home a new "Math Blaster Folder" for the month of November.  Please read the letter and look at the contents of the folder.  This is due at the end of November.  Please do not send it back early!  It is meant to be done over several evenings instead of just in a night or two.

CRCT - Your child also brought home a CRCT on-line form.  This includes your child's login and password.  Please keep this in a safe place.  You are welcome to begin this now if you'd like to, but we will all begin to do this in January. 

          Have a great weekend!  Don't forget that the children get a long weekend!  There is no school on Monday or Tuesday.  Enjoy!