January What’s the BUZZ in First Grade? January 4, 2017 WWELCOME 2017! It is great to see the first graders after a long, wonderful break. Thank you so much for all the nice Christmas cards and gifts I received. A very special thank you to Mrs. Crye for organizing our class Christmas party and to all the parents who provided goodies! You helped to make it a wonderful celebration! Now it is time for us to get back to work. Almost half of first grade is over! It is hard to believe. At this time of the school year, I start raising expectations and guiding the kiddos into more independence. It is a great time to make your first grader more independent at home as well. You might consider making your child responsible for his/her backpack each night, ask for his/her help with packing lunch, and have your child read to you what they have written in the Daily Planner before you sign it. Let’s help your first grader become more independent! LUTHERAN SCHOOLS WEEK Along with Lutheran schools across the country and world, Bethlehem will celebrate Lutheran Schools Week from January 22nd - 28th. I thank God for the opportunity to provide academic preparation for your children, but I am most grateful for the opportunity to share Jesus’ amazing love with them. We will be celebrating with various activities through the week. Mrs. Landon’s weekly newsletter will keep you informed of the week’s activities. 100th DAY OF SCHOOL We are looking forward to celebrating the 100th day of first grade. Depending on possible snow days, this celebration is scheduled to take place on Feb. 2nd. Keep checking the note pouch in the BEE FOLDER for special information about this exciting day. / WEEKLY SPELLING TESTS As you have probably noticed on the weekly spelling tests, the children are asked to write a dictated sentence using some of the spelling words. We have been practicing writing these sentences for a few weeks now. I will now be including this sentence as part of the weekly spelling test grade. Beginning with UNIT 12, your child must spell all 15 words correctly and have the dictated sentence written correctly in order to receive 100%. The elements I will be looking for in the sentence are: correct capitalization, correct punctuation, and correct spelling of first grade words. Reminders Gym shoes must be worn to gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please label lunch heat-up containers with first and last names. Send utensils and napkins for your child to use at lunch. Mittens, hats, warm jackets, socks, and boots are a must for outdoor recess. Sweaters and sweatshirts worn in the classroom must follow the dress code. . Birthdays and Other Important Dates Jan. 12th: Elizabeth’s birthday Jan. 13th : 2nd Quarter ends Jan. 16th: Kylee’s birthday Jan. 16th : M. L. King Day (No School) Jan. 16th: Zach’s ½ birthday Jan. 22nd – 28th : Lutheran Schools Week Jan. 28th: Logan’s birthday