News from Our Classroom

       Hello! I have not sent sight word cards home this week because we missed a few days between these two weeks, so we will continue to practice the same words until this Friday, when we will be tested on those words. I hope you still have the cards--I did tell the children last week that they would need them this week.
        Rugrats starts this week!  Hopefully, the rain and freezing rain we've had all weekend is over for the near future, and we will be skiing as planned.  As I told you in my last blog, the children in first grade are taught how to ski by the ski coaches at Sunday River's ski school "Perfect Turns".   (Many of the other grade levels are taught by Gould kids working with Sunday River, but our group is taught by "Perfect Turns" 's staff.)  They offer instruction at all ability levels, so it doesn't matter whether your child is a budding ski star or a beginner--there will be instruction at his or her level.  Should your child be using his own equipment, you can leave it for him at Perfect Turns, or he or she can bring it with them on the bus, but he or she will have to be able to carry it.  At the first grade, they do NOT offer snowboarding classes--that starts at third grade, I believe.  We leave Crescent Park at 12:15 pm, and leave the mountain at 4:00 pm.    If you wish to pick up your child at Sunday River (and maybe ski with them for a little while before heading home), you can do so at the Perfect Turns building at 3:45 pm each day that we ski. The bus leaves the mountain to return the children to CPS right at 4:00, so we are usually back at school by 4:15.  There are no bus runs at that time, so you will need to make arrangements to collect your child at that time.  Please let me know to whom I may release your child on each ski day.  MKA is still an option, if you can't be at school at 4:15.  MKA closes at 6 pm.   Though I will not be skiing with the children, I will be close by should there be any problems, and I will be dismissing them at the end of the day.  When you pick up your child (whether at the mountain or at school), please speak to me so that I know your child has been safely handed off to you or an adult of your choice.  Thank you.  I always worry a little that I won't get each child where he or she is supposed to go, though I have never lost one yet!  Your help with this would be greatly appreciated!
      The school will be trying something new for the next few months, and I wanted to share the information with you.  Many school districts have a day or two a month when the children have either a delayed start or an early dismissal so their teachers can meet together to work together to explore improvements and proposed changes in curricula.  Dr. Murphy is not in favor of these late starts or early dismissals, but he has agreed to having grade levels meet once a week for an hour, and hiring subs to take our places for that hour.  The first grade meeting time is Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 2:00.  This will mean your child will have a sub for 40 minutes three Thursday afternoons a month.
       This Wednesday morning, I will be attending a meeting of the Math Committee as the first grade representative.  We will be reviewing what is expected at each grade level for the new Assistant Superintendent, who also happens to be the Curriculum Coordinator.  I should be back in the classroom by lunch time.  As far as I know now, the remainder of the week will be class as usual.
       That's all the information I have to share with you at this time.  Have a good week.  I will  be in touch next week.