Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for home-school conferences in the last week. I appreciate all the work you do to support your child at school and at home. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your friends and family.
I can't believe the next time we see each other will be December! Wow!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Friday, November 21, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving
We've spent a lot of time this week discussing what it means to be thankful and how to show appreciation. Our first graders have done a fabulous job and showed just how much they were thankful by writing Thankful Books which will go home in folders today (along with report cards)! We celebrated their hard work with an Author Share during poetry cafe. Everyone was able to read their book. We enjoyed hearing how many things we are thankful for.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Home-School Conferences
I am looking forward to meeting with many of you next week. Please check our conference sign-up to see when we are scheduled to meet!
Thanks!
Mrs. Hershman's Conference Sign Up
Thanks!
Mrs. Hershman's Conference Sign Up
Number Scrolls and Venn Diagrams
We had a busy day in first grade today! In math we worked hard to complete number scrolls. If you look closely, you can see that almost everyone used a different strategy when completing their scrolls. Some students went by ones, some by 10's some by number pattern- it was really fun to learn from!
We learned that once we get to 100, we weren't really sure exactlly how to write the numbers. We will practice writing 3-digit numbers and looking at the number patterns and place value in our scrolls.
Remember, it is cold, cold at recess. Please be sure to pack your child with everything they need to be outside for 25 minutes at a time. Check out these first graders perfectly dressed for a wonderful time at recess:
We learned that once we get to 100, we weren't really sure exactlly how to write the numbers. We will practice writing 3-digit numbers and looking at the number patterns and place value in our scrolls.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Quarter 'til, Quarter Past
We've added two (really FOUR!), new ways to tell time. Quarter after (and :15), and Quarter 'til (and :45). The first graders did a fabulous job counting minutes around the clock and writing times. It is still tricky for us to remember to write the hour first and then minutes, like this hour:minute. Any support at home would be great. As you are eating dinner, getting ready for bed, or preparing to leave the house for the day, talk to your first grader about the time and how much time is left before the next event.
We are learning to compare and contrast characters in a story. To start, we are analyzing Charlotte and Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. We are having a lot of fun noticing how they are similar and different.
We are learning to compare and contrast characters in a story. To start, we are analyzing Charlotte and Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. We are having a lot of fun noticing how they are similar and different.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Snowy Day
Wow! What a great day we all had together. We learned to measure with a tape measure in math, and worked hard to respond to Charlotte's Web in literacy. We also worked on a special book at writing.
Today, at recess, it snowed the whole time! We loved making huge snowballs and running around in the snow. It is important that your child come to school every day with boots, snowpants, mittens, a hat and a coat. Please also make sure they have a change of shoes to help keep our school and classroom clean!
Today, at recess, it snowed the whole time! We loved making huge snowballs and running around in the snow. It is important that your child come to school every day with boots, snowpants, mittens, a hat and a coat. Please also make sure they have a change of shoes to help keep our school and classroom clean!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Dream Box
We have exciting news! We have an additional online tool that students can access from home- Dream Box. Your child has accessed Dream Box for the first time here and school and is ready to try it from home!
Here is a letter from Principal Carolyn Milham about Dream Box.
Here is a letter from Principal Carolyn Milham about Dream Box.
Porters Point
School has purchased DreamBox Learning's Math Program, an online,
Intelligent Adaptive Learning(tm) program that helps all students achieve
better, faster math proficiency. Adaptive learning programs pay attention to
which questions students are answering correctly and how long it takes them to
answer. The program uses this information to select material that matches the
student’s learning needs.
Your
student can access DreamBox Learning from any computer, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week by using the DreamBox link found on the Porters Point School website:
http://www.csdvt.org/pps/
DreamBox is
an online program - there's no software to download! All you need is a
high-speed Internet connection and Adobe Flash. Adobe Flash is free and is
included with many Internet browsers.
Students
will get the most benefit from DreamBox by using the program for at least 60 to 90 minutes per
week. Games that are marked with a gold coin represent the concepts that
students need to work on the most. Once a concept is mastered, the game will
stay on as a “practice” lesson for students to review. New games are added once
concepts are mastered.
Your child
should need little adult help to use DreamBox. Each lesson has a tutorial that
can be viewed at any time before and during the game. If your child asks for
your help often, remind him/her about the tutorial and resist the
urge to take over the mouse and answer the questions yourself. DreamBox will
adapt to your level of math proficiency, presenting material that is more
difficult than your child can do independently.
You may review your student's academic
progress by setting up a DreamBox Parent
Account. Please follow these steps to create
your free Parent Account:
1. Go
to https://play.dreambox.com/login/5spm/porterssps
2. Have your student login to their profile just as they
would at school
3. Click
Setup Parent Access at the bottom of the
page
4. Follow instructions to create a new login and
password
5. Read
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
6. Click "Submit"
7. Make a
selection under What do you want to do now? and begin
exploring!
A video
walkthrough of this process can be found at:
http://www.dreambox.com/parent-how-to-videos/school-plus-home
Log into your home account after set up:
2. Enter your email address and the password.
3. If you would like to see your student's progress,
click the "Parent Dashboard" button.
Using an iPad for DreamBox:
1. Download the DreamBox app from the App Store.
2. Open the app and select “School.”
3. When prompted, enter the school code:
5psm/portersps
4. Your child will select his/her teacher’s account and
log in to play.
If you have
any questions, please contact DreamBox Client Care by calling them at
877-451-7845 (weekdays 7am and 5pm, Pacific Time), or email support@dreambox.com.
Sincerely,
Porters Point School
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Feet, Feet, Feet, Feet
We measured with a standard foot today which was a little confusing because we all have feet on our bodies too. We practiced measuring from end to end and always lining up the ruler as close as we could.
Check out these first graders using excellent measuring strategies.
Check out these first graders using excellent measuring strategies.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Measurement and Point of View
Our new unit in math is all about measurement. Today, we learned different ways to measure with our bodies. We measured with our digits, hands, feet, paces, hand-spans, arms and arm-spans. We discussed things that are taller and shorter than us.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Walk to School
Wow! We had an awesome walk to school day! I enjoyed visiting with many friends on our walk to school.
Today we learned a new math game with 10's frames. Ask your first grader to tell you about it tonight! We also took our end of the trimester SWR test. We did a FABULOUS job! I couldn't believe how well the first graders could spell, write, and read. WOW!
Check out these first graders responding to literature with graphic organizers. They are really proud of their work. Can you tell?
Today we learned a new math game with 10's frames. Ask your first grader to tell you about it tonight! We also took our end of the trimester SWR test. We did a FABULOUS job! I couldn't believe how well the first graders could spell, write, and read. WOW!
Check out these first graders responding to literature with graphic organizers. They are really proud of their work. Can you tell?
Monday, November 3, 2014
Halloween and a Few Updates
Wow! We had such a great celebration on Friday. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the party and helped with our snacks. We really appreciate it. So many of us were sick on Friday that we saved a couple of Halloween activities for today so everyone could participate.
Updates:
Updates:
- The PTO fundraiser books need to be turned in ASAP unless you are planning to purchase them. Books can be purchased for $20.
- Our school social worker, Maddie Sivo, often meets with students during their lunchtime. She sometimes allows students to invite friends to join them so they can all work on social skills and building positive friendships. If you are not comfortable with your child being invited for these small groups, please let me know or contact Maddie directly – sivom@csdvt.org or 264-5918.
- On Tuesday November 18th, PPS and Union Memorial are hosting author and parenting coach Vicki Hoefle at Mallets Bay School from 6:00-8:00pm. Vicki Hoefle wrote the book Duct Tape Parenting, which gives parents a new perspective on what it means to be effective, engaged parents and to enable kids to develop confidence through solving their own problems.
- If you haven't signed up for a Fall Conference yet, please visit Fall Conference Sign Up to do so!
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