September 2nd, 2010
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I wanted to introduce myself and let you know a few things about our class as we get started in Grade 1/2. My name is Lori Hobbs and I have been a teacher for 7 years now. This is my 6th year teaching with the Halifax Regional School Board and I taught in England for a year and a half before coming here. I taught Grade 1/2 last year and I am so happy to be teaching it again!
Our specialist’s classes and Library times are as follows:
Mondays (a.m.) – Music
Wednesdays (a.m.) – Gym
Thursdays (a.m. and p.m.) – Gym and Music
For music and gym, children need a clean pair of indoor sneakers with soles that do not leave black marks. It would be wonderful if these can be kept at school as their indoor sneakers. Students should also wear suitable clothes for physical education on gym days (no jeans please). Thanks so much. J
Fridays (a.m.) - Library
Once classes start, books should be returned by the following Friday, earlier if possible.
In Grade 1/2 we will use a plastic pocket-folder to send home notices, notes and unfinished class work to be finished. Please send this back each day. I would like the students to get used to the routine and responsibility of organizing and carrying this from school to home. This can also be a great communication tool between us. If you wish to send me a note, just tuck it inside one of the pockets.
When sending money to school, please send it in a sealed envelope or zip-loc bag with your child’s name, the purpose and amount clearly marked. Different monies go to different people to be counted and recorded, so, if it is possible, please do not combine money for different purposes. Thanks so much. J
It would be very helpful if your child’s belongings (including coats, hats, footwear and extra supplies) were marked with your child’s name.
Students who ordered supplies through the school will be given their supplies as needed.
I will have a class website up and running shortly. On the website, I will post monthly newsletters about Grade 1/2, weekly homework, a class schedule, contact information and more.
Please feel free to contact me via message folder, email (lhobbs@staff.ednet.ns.ca) or telephone (832-8950) anytime you have any questions or concerns. If you prefer to contact me via telephone, please call either before classes start (before 8:55am), at lunch time (12:00pm-12:55pm) or after school (after 3:00pm), as we have a classroom teacher answering all phone calls at our school. Thanks so much. J
I will be sending home a letter next week regarding homework and book orders.
I am really looking forward to meeting all of you and to the year ahead! J
Sincerely,
Lori Hobbs
September 9th, 2010
Dear Parents,
I wanted to keep you up to date on a few topics that have come up over the past couple of days.
Our library time will be on Friday afternoons, so students are expected to return their books by Friday morning each week. Library will begin tomorrow, September 10th.
A notice went home last week regarding agendas. Our grade 1/2 class will not have agendas this year. We will be using our message folders to communicate back and forth from home to school.
We will be starting a home reading program in a few weeks. Students will be expected to read for 15 minutes each night from Monday to Thursday. More information regarding home reading will be sent home with students’ home reading folders.
I have a website up and running for our class. It is linked to our school website (www.sunnyside-elem.ednet.ns.ca), under teacher pages. I will post newsletters I send home, as well as homework, a month-by-month calendar of events, a class schedule and more.
Starting in October, I will be sending home a newsletter each month outlining some of the things we will be learning in grade 1/2 this year.
On Sept. 23rd, curriculum night, I can hopefully answer any questions you may have about our grade 1/2 class. I look forward to meeting/seeing everyone then. However, please do not feel that you ever have to wait for school scheduled times, such as curriculum night or interview times, to speak with me. If there is something you think I should know or if there is a question that you would like answered, please feel free to get in touch with me via email, phone or a note.
***This year we have a student in our class who is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. As all grade 1/2 students eat together in our classroom at both recess and lunch times, I kindly ask that students not bring items for recess or lunch containing peanuts or tree nuts. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. J
Thank you,
Lori Hobbs
October Newsletter
Dear Parents,
I want to begin a monthly newsletter to give a brief outline of what we are learning in each of our subjects in grade 1/2.J
We have reading workshop daily for our reading portion of language arts. In reading workshop we practice a reading or comprehension strategy each day. This month we are focusing on figuring out unknown words in a variety of ways. We have writing workshop daily for our writing portion of language arts. In writing workshop we are beginning to focus on an aspect of writing each day. This month we are focusing on one of the six traits of writing (ideas), where students are engaging in narrative and descriptive writing. We are also doing some weekly word work, where students are making words with cut-out letters and completing different activities with word wall words.
In math we are focusing on geometry and number sense. The grade 1’s are sorting, naming, describing and building with 2-D and 3-D shapes, as well as learning about slides and reflections of 2-D shapes. They are also counting, sorting and ordering numbers. The grade 2’s are recognizing, identifying, describing and representing reflective symmetry. They are also ordering, counting, estimating and comparing numbers.
In social studies this year, we are learning about interactions (grade 1’s) and change (grade 2’s). Grade 1’s are starting their unit on groups this month and grade 2’s are starting their unit on people. We are alternating between science and social studies every month or two. In health we are learning strategies for positive personal development and healthy relationships. In art we are exploring and manipulating materials, as well as interacting with others during art making.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hobbs
November Newsletter
Dear Parents,
Wow! Can you believe that we are into November already? The end of the first term is near. Here’s what we’re working on this month. J
In reading workshop we are focusing on our fluency, finding small words in big words and making some text-self connections. In writing workshop we are focusing on two of the six traits of writing: ideas and organization, where students are engaged in narrative and descriptive writing.
In math we are focusing on number sense, operation sense and patterns. The grade 1’s are counting, sorting, ordering, adding and subtracting numbers. They are also creating patterns. The grade 2’s are ordering, counting, estimating, comparing, adding and subtracting numbers. They are also comparing and contrasting patterns.
In science we are learning about physical science. The grade 1’s are continuing their unit on materials and objects and the grade 2’s are continuing their unit on relative position and motion. In health we are learning strategies for positive personal development and healthy relationships. In art we are exploring and manipulating materials, as well as interacting with others during art making.
It was so great to meet with all of you last week. I look forward to meeting again second term. J
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hobbs
December Newsletter
Dear Parents,
The month of December has come so fast! Here’s an update of what we’re working on this month in grade 1/2.
We are continuing with our reading workshop daily for our reading portion of language arts. This month we are focusing on our fluency, stopping at periods, retelling stories and using expression in our voice when we read aloud. We are continuing with our writing workshop daily for our writing portion of language arts. This month we are focusing on two of the six traits of writing: voice and word choice, where we are continuing to write narrative pieces.
In math we are focusing on operation sense, patterns and measurement. The grade 1’s are adding and subtracting numbers. They are also creating patterns and looking at length, capacity and area. The grade 2’s are adding and subtracting numbers. They are also comparing and contrasting patterns, as well as looking at standard and non-standard units.
In science we are continuing to learn about physical science. The grade 1’s are finishing up their unit on materials and objects and the grade 2’s are continuing to work on their unit on liquids and solids. We are going to continue to alternate between science and social studies each month. We will begin our social studies again next week, where the grade 1’s and grade 2’s will be working on their units on the environment. We will continue our units on the environment into January. In health we are learning strategies for positive personal development and healthy relationships. In art we are continuing to explore and manipulate materials, as well as interact with others during art making. J
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hobbs
January and February Newsletter
Dear Parents,
January’s here already! Here’s what we’re going to be working on over the next six weeks in grade 1/2.
In our daily reading workshop for our reading portion of language arts, we are focusing on our fluency, asking questions, finding small words in big words, making connections and choosing just right books. In our daily writing workshop for our writing portion of language arts, we are focusing on writing personal narratives, poetry and we will continue to learn about our fourth Write Trait: Word Choice.
In math we are focusing on geometry, number sense, operation sense and patterns and relations. The grade 1’s are learning about spatial sense, 2-digit numbers and the relationship between addition and subtraction. They will also learn to use number patterns to help solve addition and subtraction questions. The grade 2’s are learning about spatial sense, 3-digit numbers and how multiplication can be used to determine the total amount in groups of equal size. They will also learn how addition can be used to solve subtraction problems and vice versa, as well as identify and use patterns for addition.
Last month we began our unit on Environments in social studies. The grade 1’s will continue to learn about the environment’s natural and constructed features, how people depend upon and interact with different natural environments and how to take age-appropriate action to practice responsible behaviour in caring for the environment. The grade 2’s will continue to learn about sustainable development and its importance to our future, how and why physical environments change over time and how people’s interactions with their environment have changed over time. In February, the grade 1’s will learn about daily and seasonal changes in our Earth Science unit and the grade 2’s will continue to learn about liquids and solids in our Physical Science unit. In health we are learning some strategies for healthy living. In art, we are beginning an artist study on Vincent Van Gogh. We are also interacting with others during art making.
Thanks so much for your continued support at home.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hobbs
March Newsletter
Dear Parents,
Wow! Time flies! I hope everyone had a wonderful break. Here’s what we’re going to be doing in March. J
We have continued with our daily reading workshop for our reading portion of language arts. This month we will be focusing on our fluency, making connections and making inferences. We have continued with our daily writing workshop for our writing portion of language arts. This month we will be focusing on story writing, where we will be editing and revising our work. We will also be looking at the last two traits of writing: Sentence Fluency and Conventions.
In math we will focus on operations, patterns and relations, and measurement. The grade 1’s will be adding and subtracting. They will also learn about number patterns for addition and subtraction, as well as compare and order lengths, capacities and areas. The grade 2’s will be adding and subtracting. They will also learn about patterns in an addition table and extend place value patterns, as well as measure capacity in standard and non-standard units.
This month the grade 1’s are learning about daily and seasonal changes in our Earth Science unit and the grade 2’s are continuing to learn about liquids and solids in our Physical Science unit. As well, the grade 2’s will be learning about air and water in the environment in our Earth Science unit. In health we are learning some strategies for healthy living. In art, we are continuing our artist study on Vincent Van Gogh and we are also experimenting with a variety of materials in art-making.
We are having a show-and-share month this month. During this month, students can bring in one item they would like to share with the class.
8th- Matthew, Marianna, John, James, Emily
15th- Emma, Mitchell, Nicole, Luc
22nd- Marlee, Alyssa, Riley, Aiden
29th- Isabella, Abby, Iasan, Georgia
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hobbs