Report Cards

FYI-Report cards are being sent home today. Please review the report and return the signed envelope in Janurary when we return back to school. I am very proud of the growth that all students have made! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. We will all meet for a third quarter conference but if you have questions or concerns before then, please let me know and we can schedule a time to meet sooner. Thanks!

Workbook and Supplies

FYI-I am sending home a reading/writing workbook for your child to keep at home. This is a supplemental workbook that we have not used very much this school year. The students seemed to be excited about having it to use at home for extra practice. Your child does not need to return the book or work they complete from this workbook.

I also just want to say thank you so much to everyone who has sent in the items requested for the second half of our school year. I really appreciate you helping us keep our classroom clean and germ free!

Items Needed

Items Needed:
We have finished the first half of our school year and we are getting very low on several classroom items. I would like to request that each student bring in the following items before we get out for Christmas break on Tuesday, December 21st.
-Clorox Wipes
-Sandwich Size Ziploc Bags
-Gallon Size Ziploc Bags
-Paper Towels

Thank you in advance!

Homework for the next 2 weeks

Next week (week of 12-13) your child is going to have 4 math worksheets to complete. You will see large numbers for them to add. For example, you may see 74+5. We have not learned how to add these 2 numbers vertically. We have however, spent time learning how to count on. I would like for students to be able to identify which number is the most and which number is the least. Then after identifying which number is the most, your child should be able to count on. For example, he/she should think 74 and then say 75, 76, 77, 78, 79. I hope this explanation helps you to understand the objective for this quarter. You are welcome to challenge your child by introducing vertical addition at home. Please have your child complete spelling homework this week and continue to read each night for at least 15 minutes.

The following week (week of 12-20) I do not plan to send home any math worksheets. Instead, please practice building fluency with addition and subtraction at home. Flashcards are an excellent way to strengthen fluency with math facts! Students will not have any assigned spelling homework for this week. Please have your child continue to practice reading (orally retelling stories read) over the holiday break. Thank you and happy holidays!

www.northpole.com

The students have asked me to post this website on our classroom blog. We have spent some time visiting this site and some students have even emailed their wish list to Santa! The students seem to really like this site and I thought I'd share it with you in case you have never seen it before.

Pajama Day

FYI: Our students met the school wide Fun Run Goal this year! For their reward, Dr. Creech has announced that students may wear appropriate pajamas to school on Friday. I know that the students will be very excited. Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Fun Run such a success this school year!

Homework Folders

I apologize for not sending homework folders home today. I left school at lunch today and forgot to pass them out to the students. I will be in tomorrow at lunch and I will make sure to pass out the homework folders as soon as I arrive. Students will have 3 assigned math worksheets to complete and they should complete at least 3 nights of spelling. Students should also continue to read each night and fill out the reading log. For tonight's homework, please have your child practice the rainbow words power point that is located both on my class web page and blog. Thank you!

Rainbow Words Power Point

Thank you to Mr. Tart for creating an interactive Power Point for our first grade students. What a fabulous resource for students to use both at school and at home! To locate this Power Point, please visit the school website and click on staff. After clicking on staff, you will need to visit the first grade Blackboard site and click on Bishop. Once you click on Bishop then you should see the link for the Power Point.

http://blackboard.wcpss.net/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_19892_1

Homework for the week of 11-22

Since we are only in school for three days this week, I am only sending home 2 math worksheets. These 2 worksheets can be found in your child's daily folder on Monday. I will not be sending home the weekly homework folder. Students will not have any assigned spelling homework for this week only. However, I would like for students to practice writing sentences at home. We continue to focus on consistently applying correct capitalization/punctuation, spacing between words, spelling sight words correctly, and adding details.

Tuesday 11-23

If possible, please have your child wear red and/or green to school on Tuesday. I plan to take a class picture on this day. Thank you!

Tumblebooks

FYI: Students spend time here at school visiting the Tumblebooks website. This website has a variety of leveled books for your child to read. The website also has comprehension quizes that your child can take. Please assist your child in locating the website at home and have him/her read books from home several nights each week. It is a wonderful site to use at school and home to help improve reading!

www.tumblebooks.com

Username: banksrd
Password: books

A Christmas or Birthday Gift

I am so excited about the Leapfrog tag system! I have recently purchased one pen and some books for our classroom and it appears to be an excellent tool to help motivate students and to help students improve their reading. If you have not seen this tool, check it out online at http://www.leapfrog.com/tag/

I am sure that many of you have already seen or purchased this for your child but just in case you haven't, I thought I would share it with you. Happy reading!

Homework

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a fabulous track out! Your child may or may have not told you but I was not in the classroom today because I was participating in an all day workshop here at school. Since I was not in the classroom, homework folders were not finished being prepared and they were not sent home. Homework folders will be sent home on Tuesday (tomorrow). I plan to send home only 3 math worksheets so your child will not have an assigned math worksheet for tonight. Please spend 10-15 minutes practicing addition and subtraction facts. Have a great evening!

Fall Centers

Homework and Track Out

What does my child need to work on over track out?
While I do not pass out track out folders with work, I do expect for each child to practice reading, writing, and math skills over the break. In reading, your child should continue strengthening his/her decoding skills and work on retelling stories. Students should be able to tell the setting, characters, events (including beginning, middle, and end), and author’s purpose. Students should also be able to make connections to stories read and tell the problem/solution if it applies to the story read. In writing, students should be able to use correct capitalization/punctuation and spell sight words correctly. We have been writing on lined notebook paper and I would like to see students begin to write on this paper correctly. I am encouraging students to write their letters smaller and try to fit more words on one line, but still continue to space correctly between words. In math, students are encouraged to continue strengthening problem solving skills and work on adding and subtracting fluently.

Share time

FYI: The students have enjoyed having share time during our snack. We have had a wonderful opportunity to learn about what our classmates are interested in. Once we track back in, we will continue to have our scheduled snack time, but we will not continue to have our daily share time.

Volunteers for Field Trip

If you are interested in attending the field trip with us on Tuesday, you must be an approved Wake County volunteer. All volunteers must have filled out an application and been approved this school year in order to attend. Please let me know as soon as possible if you have been approved and plan to attend. At this point, I am aware that Mrs. Pettaris and Mrs. Dixon are planning to join us. If you plan to join us, you will need to drive your own vehicle or carpool to meet us there. You are also welcome to follow the bus from school. Thanks so much!

Fun Run

We had a great time at the annual Fun Run today! Our class averaged running 5-6 laps per student-WOW! If your child has received any donations for this event, please send in the money as soon as possible. Your child received a certificate from the Fun Run that indicates how many laps he/she ran. Thank you for helping to support our school!

Conferences

Reminder: We have our first quarter conferences coming up. Please arrive on time and please let me know in advance if you are not going to be able to attend our scheduled conference. Thank you!

Monday, Oct. 25th
8:40 Jasmine
9:40 Lina
10:00 Audrey
10:20 Bianca
11:00 Dakota
1:00 Kendall
1:20 Alyssa
1:40 Selena
2:00 JJ

Tuesday, Oct. 26th
8:40 Elijah
1:20 Gabby

Wednesday, Oct. 27th
8:40 Andrew
9:20 Jacob
11:00 Amber

November Scholastic Orders

I have placed the Scholastic order forms for November in your child's Friday folder. If you would like to purchase books, please send the order form and money back to school by Friday October 22nd. I will place the order over track out. Check or cash (exact amount) will be accepted. Thank you!

NC State Students

I'm sure that your child has informed you, but we are hosting 2 NC State students (Ms. Michelle and Ms. Callie) this semester in our classroom. We are very excited to have them join us to learn about life in the first grade classroom! They will be visiting us from time to time throughout the semester and completing several assignments with our class.

Progress Updates

FYI: Progress updates for the first quarter will be given out at our first parent/teacher conference. If you have not already scheduled a conference with me, please do so ASAP. Thanks!

Homework for week of Sept. 20th

Next week your child will be bringing home 4 math sheets. On a couple of the math worksheets, your child will need to write labels to go along with the word problems. For example, if you see 7 cars in the parking lot-more cars come and now there are 9 cars. Students would need to write 2 more cars came. The answer would be 2 and the label would be cars. Since we have been talking a lot about writing equations, I wanted to clarify the homework directions for next week.

In addition, I want to let everyone know that some weeks students will bring home 4 math worksheets but on other weeks, they may only bring home 3. All assigned homework can be found in your child's weekly homework folder. Students are expected to be reading each night for 10-15 minutes as well. I will begin sending home the monthly reading logs starting in October. Thank you for all that you do to help your child be successful with their homework!

Scholastic

Thank you so much to everyone who purchased books from Scholastic for the month of September. We met our classroom goal of $200 and we received lots of free books! I am sending home order forms again for the month of October in your child's Friday folder this coming Friday. Please do not feel obligated or pressured to purchase books this month. I did however want to send the forms home in case anyone was interested in purchasing books again. Scholastic books make excellent Christmas presents! I will be glad to purchase books for your child and hold them in the classroom for you to pick up if requested. If you choose to purchase books, please send in the order form and money by Friday, September 24th. Cash (exact amount) or a check made payable to Scholastic will be accepted. Thank you!

Share Time

The students have been very excited about sharing items with their classmates. I have enjoyed learning more about your child's interests as well. Starting on Monday, I will not allow students to share toys or stuffed animals unless they relate to something we are learning about in class. For example, if your child has a book to go along with his/her stuffed animal, then they are more than welcome to bring both to share on their assigned share day. Please refrain from sending in expensive and/or breakable items. Please note: our daily share time is optional and students are not required to bring anything in on their assigned share day. Thank you and please let me know if you have any questions about share.

Rainbow Words Update

The students are doing an excellent job with their spelling homework. I will be updating the rainbow words for your child as soon as I have assessed them again. My goal is to update their color by the end of next week.

Book It-Pizza Hut

Book It is a program that is offered by Pizza Hut. Starting in October, I will be sending home a reading log for your child. Please record books/time read and turn the form back in at the end of each month. At the end of each month, I will send home a free pizza coupon to each student who has read at least 40-45 minutes each week.

Homework-Spelling Words

The students have done a fabulous job completing their homework. Please remember that homework folders are sent home on Mondays and they should be returned on Fridays. Homework folders will continue to include math worksheets for the week. In addition to the math worksheets, your child should continue to choose 4 different activties from the spelling contract to complete. Your child should be completing one spelling activity each night. Below you will find the assigned spelling words for the week of August 23rd. I am in the process of finishing up sight word assessments on all of the students. My goal is to begin assigning different words to different students as needed. Starting the week of August 30th, your child will bring home a colored sheet of construction paper with spelling words that I would like for him/her to focus on. This colored sheet of construction paper will be placed in your child's homework folder. Please leave the colored sheet of paper in the folder. I will assess students at least once a month to see if they are ready to move into a different color group. Please note: While I am assigning 4 spelling homework assignments each week, I do not expect for your child to practice all of the words found on his/her colored sheet of paper. Have your child focus on 4-5 words each week. Thank you in advance for assisting your child in completing homework. Homework is meant to be a review of concepts learned in class. Students should be able to read each night, in addition to completing the math homework sheet and spelling activity all within 30 minutes or less. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about homework. Thanks again!
Spelling Words for the Week of August 23rd
(This is the last week that I will post these words on my blog because the new words will be attached to your child's homework folder.)
had, can, was, on, are

Specials Schedule

Welcome back to first grade! I am looking forward to seeing everyone when we track back in on Monday. Below you will find our specials schedule for the upcoming 9 weeks.

Specials for August 23rd-Sept. 10th
Monday-PE
Tuesday-Curriculum Focus with our school guidance counselor Ms. Hibberd
Wednesday-Technology
Thursday-Music
Friday-Art

Specials for Sept. 13th-Oct. 1st
Monday-Art
Tuesday-PE
Wednesday-Technology
Thursday-Music
Friday-Art

Specials for Oct. 4th-Oct. 22nd
Monday-Technologoy
Tuesday-Music
Wednesday-Art
Thursday-PE
Friday-PE

Mastery Club (great idea for track out)

Mastery Club
This is an optional activity for students who are interested in going above and beyond the normal classroom expectations. All you have to do is learn all about the topics on your own. You can go to the library or click on the link below. Please let me know if you come across a link that does not work. Find the answers, write them down neatly, STUDY , and give me your answers and be ready for a short oral quiz.

You can become a 1-star member all the way up to an 80-star member.

You will earn 1 point for each topic. When you reach 10 points your name will be added to Mrs. Bishop's Wall of Fame.

You will be recognized and you will also receive a small prize.

SOCIAL STUDIES Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research....... 1. Name the 7 continents. More About the Continents 2. Name 15 world countries. Country Maps 3. Name 15 major world cities. Capital Cities of the World 4. Name 15 types of dwellings. 10 types of dwellings 5. Name 10 South American and Central American countries. South America Country Map Central America Map 6. Name 10 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. Country Maps 7. Name 10 countries in Europe. European countries quiz game Click on the correct European country game 8. Name 10 countries in Africa. Click on the correct African country game 9. Name 10 major bodies of water. Oceans and Seas 10. Name 10 major world rivers. Fact Monster - Principal Rivers of the World River Systems of the World 11. Name 10 large deserts of the world. FactMonster deserts of the world Desert maps 12. Name 10 large lakes in the North America. U.S. Lakes.com Lakes of the world 13. Name 10 major mountains or mountain ranges. World Mountain Maps - click a mountain Highest Peaks 14. Name the 50 states. 50 States Quiz 15. Write the names of the 50 states on a map. Explore the States 16. Name the state capitals. State Capitals - Homework Spot States & Capitals Game 17. Name the 13 Colonies. 13 Colonies Homepage List of the 13 Colonies 13 Colonies Quiz & Map 18. Name 10 Native American tribes. Native American Nations 19 Where does the Mississippi Riverstart? Minnesota State Parks 20. List 8 Georgia counties. Quick Facts from the U.S. Census Bureau 21. Name the state flower of Georgia. State Symbols of Georgia 22. Name 8 explorers. Zoom Explorers 23. Name 8 Civil War battlefields. Civil War Battlefields & information Civil War battlefields A to Z 24. Name the 1st - 10th presidents in order. Presidents of the U.S.A. KidsKonnect - Presidents 25. Name the 11th - 20th presidents in order. Presidents of the U.S.A. KidsKonnect - Presidents 26. Name the 21st - 30th presidents in order. Presidents of the U.S.A. KidsKonnect - Presidents. 27. Name the 31st - current presidents. Presidents of the U.S.A. KidsKonnect - Presidents 28. Name the person from Georgia elected as U.S. President. The Presidents of the USA 29. Name the five Great Lakes. Great Lakes Information Network Back to the top SCIENCE Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research....... 30. Name 15 kinds of fish. Northeast Fisheries Science Center KidsKonnect.com - Fish 31. Name 15 marine creatures. KidsKonnect.com - Aquariums 32. Name 15 mammals. All About Mammals 33. Name 15 vertebrate animals. Vertebrate animals & photos 34. Name 15 desert animals or wildlife. Loads of desert animal information 35. Name 10 amphibians. Amphibians 36. Name 10 reptiles. Reptile Database 37. Name 10 dinosaurs. Dinosaur Pictures KidsKonnect.com - Dinosaurs 38. Name 10 types of birds. State Birds of the U.S.A. KidsKonnect.com - Birds 39. Name 10 rain forest birds or mammals. Rainforest Wildlife Zoobooks - Rainforest Mammals Crossword Puzzle KidsKonnect.com - Rainforest 40. Name 10 deciduous trees. Deciduous Trees KidsKonnect.com - Trees 41. Name 10 rocks or minerals. Mineral Gallery - see photos Rock Hounds - How Rocks are Formed KidsKonnect.com - Rocks & Minerals 42. Name 10 chemicals and their chemical symbols. The Periodic Table of Elements Another Periodic Table Website 43. Name 10 constellations. Choose a constellation then "constellation lines" More constellation pictures Another constellation site 44. Name 10 organs in the human body. Tour of Human Body - Think Quest 45. Name 8 types of clouds. More about clouds 46. Name 5 inventors and their inventions. National Inventors Hall of Fame Timeline 47. Name 5 human body systems Virtual Body 48. Name the stages of the water cycle. Water Cycle 49. Name the order of the colors in the rainbow. About Rainbows 50. Label the major bones of the skeleton. Human Skeleton - Enchanted Learning Mr. Bones Assembly Activity 51. Name the order of the planets in the solar system. Introduction to the Nine Planets Back to the top LANGUAGE ARTS & LINGUISTICS Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research....... 52. Name 20 verbs. What is a Verb? Play the "Nouns or Verbs? game 53 Name 15 adjectives. What is an adjective? More adjective info. 54. Name 15 adverbs. More about Adverbs 55. Name 15 prepositions. Guide to Grammar & Writing 56. Name 10 common nouns & 10 proper nouns. Nouns Noun activities to quiz yourself with 57. Name 10 famous authors. Children's Authors KidsKonnect.com - Authors 58. Give 2 examples each of alliteration, personification, simile, metaphor, and onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia 59. Count to 20 in Spanish. Count to 20 & listen 60. Count to 20 in French. Click "Écoutons" to listen to the numbers & then click "Répétons" and finally, "Praticons" to play a game- neat site! 61. Use sign language and "sign" the alphabet. Animated sign language on the Net Sign the word you'd like here Back to the top MATH Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research....... 62. Draw the lines of symmetry for the capital alphabet. Symmetry of Capital Letters 63. Compute area of squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles. Math.com - Area Formulas 64. Name the perfect square numbers up to 225. Learn Your Square Numbers 65. Write in Roman numerals up to 100. Roman numerals Know your Roman numerals Take a Roman Numerals Interactive Quiz 66. Name 5 famous mathematicians. A long list of mathematicians 67. Earn 100% on the area & perimeter of rectangles quiz. Area of rectangles Play "Shape Surveyor" to practice both Area & perimeter - under "Free Activities", click "Area" to watch a cool slide show 68. Earn 100% on the square roots test. Learn about square roots Square roots flashcard game 69. Earn 100% in 4 minutes on the addition basic facts test. Arithmattack 70. Earn 100% in 4 minutes on the subtraction basic facts test. Arithmattack 77. Earn 100% in 4 minutes on the multiplication basic facts test. Arithmattack 72. Earn 100% in 4 minutes on the division basic facts test. Arithmattack Back to the top MISCELLANEOUS Here's a Web Site to Assist You in Your Research....... 73. Name one career for each letter of the alphabet. Jobs Kids Like 74. Name the birthstones for each month. Birthstones 75. Name 20 different modes of transportation. 76. Name 15 breeds of horses. Horse Breeds of the World 77. Name 15 breeds of dogs. Dog breeds from A.K.C. 78. Name 12 winter or summer Olympic events. KidsKonnect.com - Olympics 79 Name 10 large U.S. corporations. Career Lab - Corporate Clients 80. Name 10 instruments in a marching band. Instrument Encyclopedia 81. Name 10 instruments in a symphony orchestra. Sounds from the Orchestra- neat site! 82. Name 10 football teams and their cities. National Football League.com 83. Name 10 basketball teams and their cities. National Basketball Association.com 84. Name 10 baseball teams and their cities. Major League Baseball.com 85. Name 10 hockey teams and their cities. National Hockey League.com

Thanks to Mrs. Renz for this awesome idea.

http://www2.redmond.K12.or.us/mccall/renz/