LaShelle Joiner

April 14, 2009

Welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing break!

Just a few reminders as we get back in our daily routines...

Next week we will begin our CRCT testing on Tuesday. Please make sure your child gets a good night's rest as well as a healthy breakfast. We will start testing promptly at 8:15. If your child is tardy, he or she will held in the media center until testing is over. He or she will make up the testing with another teacher during make up testing. It is very beneficial to take the test in the normal testing environment so please try to be on time! We would like to serve a special snack for the class on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. If you would be willing to donate a class snack, please email me.

I would love to fill our Mystery Reader dates! Check the available dates and let me know if you are interested. It is such an exciting time to see your child's eyes light up with surprise!

Donations needed: store items and  snacks (large bag of pretzels or fish crackers)

AR will be ending May 4! Please make sure your child is reading books to make it to 100%. We would love for our whole class to make it!

Please check all the dates listed on the last posting. Don't forget to mark your calendars!

Blog question: What did Mrs. Joiner buy for our class that was new?

4/14-Tonight is the last Chick-fil-A night!

If you are interested in going on the field trip, please let me know ASAP!

If you have not turned in your white notebook for our end of the year project, please do so as soon as possible!

March 31, 2009

Academic pages to the right are updated.....

We are in full swing with our practice for CRCT. Please make sure you go over any missed problems on the sheets that are being sent home for you to sign. I am very happy with the students listening skills as we continue to practice every day! I would also like to make you aware of dates we have set aside for special events to complete this school year. Please add these to your calendar!

April 21-23 CRCT

May 5 Volunteer Luncheon with time TBA & Chick Fil-A night 5-8

May 7 Field Trip to Chattahoochee Nature Center

May 13 Field Day 8:15-1:00

May 15 Author's Tea 1:00-2:00 (You may want to invite grandparents to hear your child read a story he or she has written-more info to come)

Last week activities...

May 18 Reading Day-Bring pillow/towel.

May 19 Puzzle Day

May 20 Game Day

May 21 Island Day

May 22 Movie Day LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

When we return from Spring Break, I know this time will go by so fast! Please check any the mystery reader dates! We are ready to have some special guests!!

We will also be cooking several more times before the end of the year. If you would like to participate by sharing an easy and fun recipe please let me know.

Cooking dates: April 28 10:15, May 5 10:15, May 19 10:15 

We will have two more shopping dates in the store before we "save" our money to the last week of school. I would like to ask you to begin sending in fun items to make our last shopping day really cool! These items can be used for swimming/summer or whatever!

Blog question: What new animal do we have in our classroom?(Write the answer in your child's agenda to allow him/her to earn $5 magic money.)

If you did not send in your white notebook at the beginning of the year, please do so after the break. Please make sure it has the clear see through cover. This will be used for an end of the year project.

Lashelle Joiner

December 1, 2008

Academic pages to the right are updated....

Time is flying and we are having fun in first grade! We had a great cultural feast and were able to try many new foods. It was very interesting to hear about the different traditions shared by our families! We are already wrapping up 2008! You should have recieved an email from our room moms concerning our holiday party as well as ornament decorating. Please email them immediately if you are able to help. It has been great being part of such supportive parents this year!

 Dates to remember:

December 4 10:30-12:00 ornament decorating

December 8 Ms. Young visits

December 9 Special mystery guest with lots of fun!

 December 9 Chick-Fil-A night 5:00-8:00

 December 18 10:00-11:00 Holiday party

The students will be exchanging a puzzle. Please send in a wrapped puzzle. Boys bring puzzles for boys and girls bring puzzles for girls. Please send this in by December 15, Monday. December 19 end of the nine weeks

 Student of the Week November 10 Ansley Scherer

 December 1 Griffin Dunn

December 15 Gabriela McQuade

Great website to check out is www.harcourtschool.com and click on the different subjects for great games!

Mystery reader dates have been updated! Please email me if you are interested in reading!

Please take time to view our book fair in the media center. Info went home yesterday. Don't forget to continue reading AR books! Our class is doing great! Students will retake the Star test before leaving for the holidays. I'm sure you will be impressed by the growth they have made this year in the reading levels!

Thanks, Lashelle Joiner

October 21

October is flying by and the holidays will be here and gone!! We are enjoying our fall weather! Many students are coughing so keep washing those hands!

Academic pages are to the right are updated...

Dates to remember:

October 30 Fall Centers Volunteers are Jeannie DeCarlo, Hayden Dunn and Janet Stover (anyone else??) 11:15-12:15

November 4 No school

November 11 Chick-Fil-A night 5:00-8:00

November 14 Fall Festival 6:30-9:30

November 24-28 Thanksgiving Holidays (Culture Feast info coming home soon....)

Items needed: Snacks-large bag of pretzels, animal cookies,candy corn-for math activities

***Please remember to send in healthy snacks each day for your child!

I hope you were all pleased with the report cards! I am very happy with the progress the students have made so far this year! Agendas are getting signed which means  the communication is working! AR is moving right along. Keep reading at least one AR book a week with your child so they can get their sticker. Remember to also just read for fun!!

Have a great week!

Lashelle Joiner

October 6

Academic pages to the right are updated....

Fall is in the air! Our room temperature is very inconsistent. You may want to send a jacket/sweater daily with your child. Report cards go home next Friday! Several students are still unable to tie their shoe. Please work on this skill! AR is up and running. Students are rewarded every Monday with a sticker for the poster if they have passed at least one test. When a test is not passed, it is sent home to reread and try again. We have completed our unit on weather. We are almost finished with Ben Franklin. Have your child some of his inventions and famous sayings!

blog question: What was in the estimation jar from Jared?

I was so impressed with the entries for Reflections! They were all great!

Several dates are still available for Mystery Reader. Please check the page to the right and email me a date you can come in!

Items needed: anything for store...wrapped candy,toys for treasure box, dollar store items, gallon ziploc  bags, bandaids

10/1 Student of the Week Jared Culpepper

10/13 Student of the Week Skylar Rakestraw

Please remember to send a healthy snack in each day!

thanks,

Lashelle Joiner

Great websites!

http://www.intech4all.com/GPS_ELA_1.htm

September 23

Reminder: Reflections entries are due Friday!! I would love for everyone to enter. It is simply coloring a picture describing "wow" in your child's life. Please email me or jot me a note for directions!

September 22, 2008

Academic pages to the right are updated....

Take a minute to ask your child to sing our continent song for you! We definitely have a talented group this year! We have completed our unit on continents as well as landforms. We have introduced our weather unit today. We will be identifying different weather types as well as instruments used to measure weather.

Literacy centers are going great! Thanks to our weekly helpers for volunteering! You should have recieved a note concerning AR today. Please remember to read each week with your child. After reading, write "ready for AR" in the agenda so I will know they are ready for a test. Our AR moms are doing a great job getting us started!

We missed out on Mystery reader last week. (Boo-Hoo!) If you are interested, please check the dates to the right under mystery reader and let me know which date you are interested in. They love the surprise!

blog question: What do we put our name clips on for behavior?

We are using a new system with table awards. Each table earns pennies to trade for a nickel, dime, quarter, etc. The table that gets to 25 cents will go to the candy jar! I would love for donations like "ring pops, blow pops, (big candy) to fill it up. They are working hard to get together to get the goal!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Lashelle Joiner

Items needed:

September 8, 2008

Academic pages are updated to the right....

I hope you all had a great weekend! I am amazed at how fast the students are picking up on the routine of "getting ready for the day". Each day they unpack, make lunch choice and copy homework in agendas. They are doing great! It is very important to return agendas everyday! This is our primary means of communication this year. Make your child responsible for packing it back into their bags after homework. Train them while they are young or you will be packing their bags forever!!

AR reminders: After your child has read an AR book (marked with a yellow tag), please write in agenda-"ready for AR test". This is the only time they will be allowed to take a test. They will get help reading the five question test during our literacy center block with a parent volunteer. If a book is too difficult to read, please right "too difficult" and he/she can check out another one. You are able to read it with your child as long as you think they can answer the questions. After taking the test, they are able to check out a new book.

Office reminders: Please sign in the front office anytime you "visit" the school. Also, do not write any notes on the outside of ASP or money envelopes. Please have the notes on a separate piece of paper.

Dates to remember:

9/9 Chick-Fil-a night (Class with most in attendance will have the Chick Fil-A cow for the month.)

9/17-9/19 Cogat testing (Please avoid these days for appointments. Any make up testing will not be done with me.)

9/12 AR Moms will meet with us and award each child that has read and passed one book this week with a sticker for the AR poster.

Can you believe we are learning the seven continents?? Ask your child about the new ocean...

Blog question: What do you get on your desk after passing an AR test? (Write the answer in your child's agenda for $magic money.)

Student of the Week: Ryan Michna

Birthdays: Adam Borowski

Thanks to:

Academic helpers last week: Tanya Michna, Beata Borowski,Janet Stover

Our cooking mom: Carin Culpepper (We ate dirt and worms!!)

Beth Lair for being our first Mystery Reader!

If you have any questions, please email me anytime!

Thanks!

lashelle joiner

lashelle.joiner@cobbk12.org

Welcome to First Grade!!

Welcome to First Grade!

Get ready, get set, go!!!!

We are very busy working on learning rules and routines. I have to keep remembering the students are moving from a class of 14 with 2 adults to 21 with one adult! They have so much to tell me and so many questions!! We talked today about the appropriate times to ask questions and not interrupting. I hope I answered many of your questions at Open House but here are some things I forgot to cover:

Grading system-Students are learning to grade their papers with their own red pen. It should have a smiley at the top and circled wrong answers.

Papers that I grade will have a star for 100% correct and -# when wrong. Always take time to go over what they missed. Spelling papers will have +#right. We are not giving letter grades this year on the report card so please be patient as we determine the best way to track progress.

Reminders-

• Don't forget to sign agendas after checking over homework. It is great for you to circle wrong answers and have them correct them at home. They will not get a magic money $ if it is not signed.
• Don't forget to sign top of reading book (printed ones) after you have heard them read.
• Label water bottles. I am throwing away full bottles at the end of the day. They can't remember what kind they brought.
• If you have not purchased a class t-shirt, please do so very soon. We will start spirit day and you will want a Still t-shirt.
• One pack of stickers to decorate their writing journal by Tuesday

***Mystery blog question: What do we use for our lunch count? (Ask your child and write answer in the agenda for $5 magic money!!)

Mystery Reader Vote-I would like to know which day works better for readers who signed up. I am open but would like to keep it to the same day each week. Please email me with your vote and I will go with the majority. (any day except Mondays and Fridays) Time will be 12:00-12:20

Reflections-I would like to encourage everyone to enter the Reflections this year. The title is "Wow". It can be as simple as drawing a picture. Please let me know if you would like a entry form. This is very easy and low maintenance on your part. They will recieve an award in assembly and be very proud!

Items needed:

Puzzles (We use these before school every morning. We desperately need more!!!)

Snacks(large bag of pretzels, animal cookies)

Store items (wrapped candy, happy meal or dollar store items)

Dates To Remember

9/1 No school

9/16 Early Release

9/17-9/19 Cogat Testing

9/22-9/26 ITBS testing

***Please note the pages to the right have student of the week and show and tell rotations. Please add these to your calendar.

****Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who have been in this week to help with star testing and stapling books!! I can't wait to work with you all this year!

Please remember to email if you have any questions!!

Thanks,

Lashelle Joiner