We're Just Batty!

Pioche 1st and 2nd graders are batty! Well, actually they just made bats to hang outside in the hall. Take a look at our colony of bats hanging upside down in our hallway:

Classroom Cares Literacy Program

Pioche 1st and 2nd graders have joined the "Classrooms Cares Literacy Program" sponsored by Scholastic Book Clubs. Each student has pledged to read 10 books by December 17, 2010. Students will note the titles of each book read on a special bookmark they received. When every student in the class has completed his/her pledge, Scholastic Book Clubs and its charity partners will donate one million books to kids in need in all 50 states. It's a great way to encourage reading and a wonderful opportunity to share resources with those in need. Visit www.scholastic.com/ClassroomsCare for more details.

A Kind Class!

Pioche 1st and 2nd graders demonstrate acts of kindness throughout the day. Each kind act is written on a green, yellow, or red slip of paper and stapled to our Act of Kindness bulletin board in the room. Since the beginning of school, 1st and 2nd graders have demonstrated 79 acts of kindness. Here are just a few of those acts:

• 8/18/10 - Alexis gave Paris two of her pencils.
• 8/19/10 - Kenny helped Garret tie his shoes.
• 8/24/10 - Josee gave Breanna a pencil topper.
• 8/31/10 - Breanna gave Garret the pencil topper right off of her pencil.
• 9/2/10 - Garret offered to fill up Wylee's water bottle.
• 9/7/10 - Wylee took care of Mrs. Reifsnyder's coat when she left it in the room.
• 9/9/10 - Paris shared her computer CD with Hagen.
• 9/14/10 - Tanner shared his Smarties with Garret.
• 9/15/10 - Harlie gave Tanner her computer.
• 9/15/10 - Irish offered Tanner a pencil.
• 9/16/10 - Hagen helped Mrs. Jane put things away and close computer programs at lunchtime.
• 9/28/10 - Kobe gave up a green apple for a red one since there weren't enough green apples.
• 10/4/10 - Aria picked up Mrs. Jane's reading book when it fell.

Being kind to others is an important part of our class. I am proud of these 1st and 2nd graders for demonstrating kindness to others.

Turning in Homework is. . .Easy!

Pioche 1st and 2nd graders find it easy to turn in daily homework. Just see how easy is it for them in the pictures below:

That was easy!

Thank you for encouraging your child to do his/her homework every night and making sure it is inside the homework folder and returned the next day. This habit will benefit your child throughout his or her school years.

Flat Stanley visits Pioche

Last year's 2nd graders participated in a fun literature, writing, & geography project based on the book "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown. In the book the main character, Stanley Lambchop, is flattened by a falling bulletin board but lives to tell about it. He enjoys slipping under doors, flying like a kite, and being mailed to his friends for vacation. Children all over the country read the book and send Flat Stanley to family and friends for a visit.

Mrs. Jane's grade-school cousin in Indiana is participating in this project and has sent a Flat Stanley to Pioche for a visit. First and second graders enjoyed his visit this week and are looking forward to reading the book and participating in the same project later in the year.

Early Dismissal on Tuesday, September 14

Due to a teacher in-service, school will be dismissed at 12:05 on Tuesday, September 14. Lunch will be served but there will be no after school program.

How Can I Help My 1st Grader Read?

Reading is an important skill for 1st graders to develop and practice. Thank you for encouraging your 1st grader to read his or her take-home book each night. One of the fun ways we are learning frequently used words in class is to play Memory and Go Fish. You can do this at home, too. Using the 1st grade words from the weekly list in your child's homework folder, write each word on four to six old playing cards. Then play Memory or Go Fish using just the sight words to make matches. Pioche 1st graders love these games and it is a good way to become proficient with each week's words.