Homework begins this week!

We made it through the first week! The kids worked really hard, as we reviewed place value in Math, and discussed putting together our Science journals. Thank you so much for helping your child decorate their journal. I love their creativity, and made sure to show them off to our class!

This week brings their first week of homework. We started off pretty simple and have given them the entire week to finish their assignments. Please make sure your child brings their homework back to school this Friday, September 2, 2011.  This pattern of homework will continue throughout the year....homework assigned on Monday and due back on Friday. There may occasionally be additional assignments, but we do our best to limit them. We will be having projects due throughout the year as well and will let you know more about them later.

This week in Math, we will continue with place value (through the thousands) and also be reviewing greater than and less than. In Science, we will be touring the Science lab and talking about laboratory safety and science tools.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please let me know! Have an awesome week!!

Tired Tuesday...

Yesterday, the kids were sleepy and not very active. Today, they were tired and trying hard to stay awake! The transition from summer to school schedule is always rough.  I have to compliment every one of them though, they have hung in and done their very best! I'm proud of them!!

I've had several questions from my students, so thought I'd take a moment and answer them here.

1 - Do we have homework?  No. We typically do not give homework the first week of school.  

2 - Do I really need a red folder?  Yes, you do :)  Our red folder is our main communication source between student, parent and teacher. This folder always contains their homework and conduct card, and also any necessary notes, nurses notes, etc. It's important to check their folder every night.

3 - Should I be reading?  Absolutely! Reading is an essential component to any child's education. I encourage my students to be reading at least 20 minutes a night, even if we don't have homework.

4 - Why aren't we going outside for recess?  Our recess time is at 2:30. With the weather still scorching hot, we will be keeping the kids inside for recess.

5 - Will we have snack everyday? Yes. We will always try to have a break for snack around 9:30ish. We don't have lunch until 12:05, and I know they get hungry. I do!

And, just a few details about our schedule. It is a little different from last year, and we have a great reason for the change. We want to be able to concentrate on planning and teaching 1-2 subjects, instead of 5, so that we can be the absolute best teacher for your child! You should have a detailed schedule in your classroom letter, and I have one posted on the website. ( www.starnesm.weebly.com )  Basically, the kids will be rotating rooms one time a day.  I will concentrate on teaching Math/Science and Ms. Grant will concentrate on Reading/Language Arts/Social Studies.  Our schedule looks like this:

Ms. Starnes' Homeroom                                                                 
8-9 Small group/PE                                                                          
9-11  Starnes Class - Math/Successmaker/Science                          
11-12  Specials                                                                                
12-12:30 Lunch                                                                                
12:30-2:30 Grant's Class - Math/Successmaker/Science                  
2:30 Recess/Dismiss    

Ms. Grant's Homeroom                                                                    
8-9 Small group/PE
9-11 Grants Class - Reading/Language Arts/Social Studies
11-12 Specials
12-12:30 Lunch
12:30-2:30 Starnes' Class - Reading/Language Arts/Social Studies
2:30 Recess/Dismiss


Thank you so much for letting us teach your precious children! And, as always, if you have any questions, please ask!

Meet the Students...

On Thursday night, we held "Meet the Teacher" night. All of the students came in, so excited and eager to find out who their new teacher would be, and to see which friends would be in their classroom.  We were just as excited, and couldn't wait to see how much they had grown over the summer! I really enjoyed meeting everyone...parents and students!

Monday kicks off our brand new school year, and we're ready to take off and learn! Just a reminder, school starts at 7:45 am, so please make sure your child is on time and has eaten a healthy breakfast. Also, traffic next week (especially Monday) will be very heavy, so you might leave a little earlier than usual. And, we do have a snack time in the morning, so you're welcome to send a nutritious snack with your child. We have PE at 8am, so everyone will need to remember their tennis shoes!

As we get started with our year, I'll be using this blog to update you about events that have happened in the classroom, and to keep you informed about our studies and special projects. As always, if you have any questions, please let me know! Looking forward to an incredible year!!!

Shelves of School Supplies....

As much as I enjoy summer, I know that the beginning of school is almost here. Store shelves are full of scissors, paper, glue, crayons, markers, and notebooks. And, like a magnet, I head straight for the supplies aisle in every store I walk into!

I have to admit, I love to buy school supplies for my girls!  They aren't very excited yet, but they'll get there....  Oh, and I can still remember the excitement of brand new supplies and new clothes when I was a kid. I still miss the "tub o' glue" with that fun plastic stick!

Just a couple of weeks, summer will be over before we know it. I'm planning to enjoy every last minute!