RTI Concepts by Month

• There have been questions regarding what is being taught in RTI.  Here is a list of themes and skills by month:

March:
 Generalizations, judgements, and predict and infer

April:
Week 2: Sequence of events, monitor and clarify
Week 3: Theme Test
Week 4: Author's Viewpoint, Evaluate
Week 5: State Testing, RTI cancelled

May:
Week 1: State Testing continued
Week 2: Noting Details, summarizing
Week 3: Problem solving, questioning
Week 4:  Theme Test

Only 7 Days Remaining

• It is hard to believe that the first half of the year is almost coming to a close.  We are all very excited about the holiday.  Please try to keep your child focused on learning as we have several assessments scheduled for the next few days.
• Santa hats are fun and adorable...lice is not!! We do not have lice in Room 1 but there is lice at Rio del Mar School.  If your child wears a Santa hat or any hat to school, please remind him or her to keep the hat on his/her head and to not let others wear the hat.  We want to start our vacation lice free.
• We are still looking for a piano player for our second grade play.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you know of someone who is interested.  We will happily take a high school student who is in need of community service hours and/or volunteer work.  Volunteering looks very good on college applications! :)
• If you are willing to asssist with the holiday party, I know that the moms in charge would welcome the extra help.  Let me know if you can help.
• Our last day of school is Thursday, December 20th.  It is a full day.
•  Please continue to have your child practice his/her math facts and read daily during the extra long holiday break.
• Finally, thank you again for your children.  This is a lovely class of respectful, bright, and caring students.  I am so blessed to have them for a year.  Your children are truly a holiday gift.  Have a peaceful holiday and a happy New Year.

It is December! Wow!

It is hard to believe that we are almost half way through the school year.  I am really enjoying your children!  Listed are some upcoming events and dates:

• We are looking for a PIANO PLAYER for our second grade play.  Ideally, we would like someone who could commit to daily practices from 9:55-11:00 AM (10:30 on Wednesdays) from Feb 28 through our second of two performances on Mar. 1.  I realize that this a big commitment. We can practice without the piano but the results are far more successful if the children get used to the piano.  We will happily take 2 people who would like to share the duty, grandparents, or even responsible high school or college students.
• The Winter Holiday is 12/21-1/14.  1/21 is another holiday (MLK).
• The children have really enjoyed studying rocks.  The rock sharing sadly ended today but I encourage you to get your budding Geologist and/or Mineralogist a box to continue his/her collection.
• Continue to practice money as there is no better way to learn money than real life situations.
• I appreciate all of the parents who commit to a weekly or every other week in-class work schedule.  You are all amazing!
• I have Stacy Mueller (Ava's mom) scheduled to organize the holiday party.  It would be great if another parent could help Stacy out.  If you are interested, contact Stacy directly or let me know and I can tell Stacy.
• Please continue to practice the math facts and to read nightly...even over the long holiday. 
• Thank you for all of your support with homework and for getting your child to school on time.

Information for Weeks of 10/25-11/15

• This is a bit early as children are asking about Halloween.  We will celebrate Halloween on Wednesday, 10/31.  The children are encouraged but not required to wear costumes to school.  Please have your child come to school dressed in his/her costume because there is no time to change before the parade.  Your child may bring a set of clothes should he/she like to change after the parade or during the day.  Provide a bag for your child to keep all of his/her costume parts together.  
• Thank you to Angie Healy and Angie Boudreault for organizing the Halloween celebration.  There was an email sent asking for help and/or donations.  Thank you in advance to all of the families who are helping to make the party a success.  The party is scheduled immediately after the parade.
• RTI has finally begun.  The children are doing a great job at getting to the correct RTI classroom on time.  The learning begins promptly at 8:00.
• Continue to help your child master money.  The more that your child handles money in "real life" circumstances, the sooner he/she will grasp the concept.  Counting "real" change is far more fun than working with plastic coins.  
• Make-up photo day is scheduled for Monday, 10/29.
• We still have about six Flat Stanleys hanging out in Room 1.  If your child's Stanley has not flown away, please provide him/her with an address and a stamped envelope.  We are starting to receive postcards!
• That is all for now.  Your children are still wonderful!  Thank you.

Thank you

• Thank you for attending your child's conference.  I thoroughly enjoyed discussing the progress of the children in Room 1.
• Thursday, 10/18 is our field trip to AJHS to see the play Beauty and the Beast.  I will need all of the drivers who have signed up to drive.  Thank you for volunteering.  We will be leaving around 8:30 am.
• Choir starts this week.  
• Monday, 10/22 is the first day of the RTI reading program.  Your children have met their teachers.  Please have your child to school on time as the program starts promptly at 8:00 am If your child is late, please have him/her report directly to his/her  RTI classroom.  RTI is scheduled every day but Friday.
• Wednesday, 10/31 is Halloween.  The children will come to school in costume.  A costume is optional.  The parade is scheduled for 8:30 am.  We have some busy parents organizing a Halloween celebration.  
• Thank you to all families who donated prize box items.  The children were thrilled when they saw the selection of goodies.  We will always welcome prizes.  As I have said a thousand time, this is a lovely group of well-behaved children.  Thus, the prizes for good work and behavior go quickly.
• We still have a lot of Flat Stanleys who have to fly away from Rio del Mar school.  Please provide an address and a STAMPED envelope as soon as possible so we can start getting mail.
• I am off to my weekend.  I love conferences but it is time for me to rest my voice and be a mom.

Information for the weeks of October 1-15th

• Conferences are next week, October 8-12.  I have scheduled all of the class a time and date.  If you need a time and date reminder, please send a note to school with your child.  I look forward to chatting with you regarding the academic and emotional progress of your child.
• Conference survey forms.  Please try to complete and return the conference survey.  The conferences are VERY short and it helps to identify areas of concern in advance so that I make sure to address them.
• I will have more information regarding Halloween in my next blog.  However, so that you are well prepared, costumes are optional but MOST of the Rio children do wear a costume to school.
• This Friday, October 5th, we will be celebrating our first completed reward chart.  The children voted on a Read/Lego party.  The children will get a portion of the afternoon to read and/or create with Legos.  They will be allowed to bring one cozy item...small stuffed animal or blanket and any books they would like to read and share from home.  I have asked them to also bring Legos.  They are to only bring Lego pieces (No kits with instructions).  We will make sure that the Legos do not get mixed up.
• Thank you to the families who have made generous donations toward our Prize Box and toward our classroom supplies.  We are all blessed to have such giving families.
• Thank you for reviewing the homework with your child every night.  The math concepts move very quickly and it is helpful to have a second teacher review the concepts.  The problems on the back of the homework gradually get more difficult.  Your child is only required to complete two problems on the back for homework credit.
• Keep practicing the math facts nightly.
• Finally, many of you may be aware that I celebrated my father's 80th birthday last weekend in New York City.  I was lucky enough to visit the 911 Memorial.  I shared a bit of the history with your children but I have also asked them to ask you what you know and remember about the event.  I did not want to get too detailed with the reasons or the details of the losses as I felt that you would do a better job at sharing what you would like your child to know.  Please take a moment to chat about this historical event.

Hello Again

• Tomorrow night is Back to School Night.  My presentation will begin promptly at 6:00 as we only get a half hour to present.  Mrs. Dorney's presentation will begin at 6:30 in the cafeteria.  
• The field trip is Friday.  Thank you to all my parent drivers.  A special thank you for turning in the tedious insurance forms.  We will be leaving the classroom at 9:30 and the children need to bring a sack lunch.
• Please remind your child to turn in his/her Reading Log every Friday and continue with the nightly math facts practice.
• Our Library Day is on Wednesdays and P.E. is on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• I am looking for prize box donations.  The Dollar Store is always a good place to find things.  Take your child with you because he/she will find things that other second graders like.  I can see that I will need lots of prizes this year.  This is an exceptionally well behaved, hard working group of students!