Wanda Upchurch

                                     UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                                          MAY 12, 2008

PARENTS PLEASE SEND IN A SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED, LEGAL SIZE ENVELOPE IN ORDER FOR YOUR STUDENT'S REPORT CARD TO BE MAILED TO YOU AFTER SCHOOL IS OUT.

Today, Monday, your child had their High-Touch, High-Tech in house field trip.  They learned about sound and made water fly and salt jump.  They also were able to make an instrument.  Ask your child about all the fun things they were able to do.

This week's spelling words are the days of the week; Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, weeks, months, and years.

LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL  Special Events

MONDAY - Game Day - Students may bring a boxed game to school that 2 or more students may play.

TUESDAY - Puzzle Day -  Students may bring a puzzle to school. (please put their name on the box)  The Author's Tea is also that morning at 9:15 in the Media Center.

WEDNESDAY - Reading Day w/ Pajamas - Students may wear their pajamas and bring 2 or 3 books to read.  They may also bring a towel to lie on.

THURSDAY - Pirate Day - Students dress up like a pirate and we go on a "treasure hunt".  STUDENTS MAY NOT BRING ANY TOY OR LOOK ALIKE SWORDS OR WEAPONS!

FRIDAY - Last Day of School!

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                                        UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                                               MAY 5, 2008

This week we will be learning about animals and writing about them.  We will be practicing and  reviewing Math concepts taught this nine weeks.  We will have a Unit test at the end of the week.  We will have some of our Sitton words as spelling words this week.  They are have, they, you, one, was, what, to, of, when, and that.  Our bonus word is animals.  If your child had those all correct or only missed one or two, they will practice the ones they missed and have contractions for the challenge words.

We will be learning about Magnets this week also.  Our class will have High-Touch, High Tech next Monday morning the 12th of May.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED LETTER ABOUT OUR UPCOMING AUTHOR'S TEA, TUESDAY, MAY 20TH.

                                          UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                                             APRIL 28th, 2008

CRCT tests ended Friday for First Grade.

This week in PHONICS we will review the various long vowel spellings and work on contractions.  The spelling/phonics words are won't, isn't, haven't, didn't, weren't, that's, she's, he's, where's, and it's.  The bonus word is insects.

This week in MATH we will practice our double digit addition and subtraction.  We will have a test covering that concept on Thursday. 

This week we will be reading and writing about insects.

This week is our KSU student, Miss Boraks, last week with us.  We have enjoyed having her in our class and will miss her the last 3 weeks of school.  TODAY WAS THE LAST DAY FOR AR TESTING. FRIDAY, MAY 2nd we will have an AR Rally.  ALL BOOKS CHECKED OUT TO STUDENTS NEED TO BE RETURNED BY WEDNESDAY, MAY 30th. THANK YOU CYNTHIA LEATHERWOOD FOR ALL YOUR HELP WITH AR THIS YEAR!

PLEASE RETURN YOUR STUDENT REGISTRATION INFORMATION IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEND IN EMPTY PAPER TOWEL ROLLS,  I HAVE 5 SO FAR AND WILL NEED 15 MORE BEFORE THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL.

THANK YOU TIFFANY DONNELLY AND LUCY DONNELLY FOR YOUR HELP IN OUR CLASSROOM!

                                     MRS. UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                                         APRIL 21st, 2008

This week your students will be taking the CRCT tests on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Please make sure they are well rested, and have breakfast at home or when they get to school. 

There will not be any spelling/phonics words this week.

Thursday of last week, April 17th, your student brought home their registration form for next year.   Please check the information printed on the form and fill in any information that needs to be updated.  It has two sides, complete the back also and sign and print your name on the appropriate lines.

TODAY, THE 21ST, YOUR CHILD IS BRINGING HOME THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE HIGH-TOUCH, HIGH-TECH IN HOUSE FIELD TRIP.  THERE IS AN ENVELOPE ATTACHED, PLEASE RETURN IT WITH YOUR DONATION BY FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK.

Friday, we had a fun time enjoying Field Day together.

IF YOU HAVE AN EMPTY PAPER TOWEL ROLL PLEASE SEND THEM IN.  WE WILL BE USING THEM THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL.  THANK YOU!

Thank you MRS. LUCY DONNELLY, TIFFANY DONNELLY AND CYNTHIA LEATHERWOOD for your help in our classroom this past week.

                     MRS. UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                         APRIL 14TH, 2008

WELCOME BACK!  I HOPE YOU ALL HAD AN ENJOYABLE SPRING BREAK!

This week we will continue reviewing for the CRCT.  I have sent home all of the practice tests that we have completed.  We will continue to review areas of weakness.  There will be a couple more practice tests to come home.  We will also have at least one for homework this week.  The CRCT testing begins next Wednesday, April 23rd.  First grade tests are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

This week in PHONICS we will be learning about the /f/ sound spelled with 'ph'.  We will continue reviewing the various spelling patterns for long vowels.  The spelling/phonics words are photo, phase, phone, rosebud, baseball, himself, herself, birthday, were, and when.  The bonus word is sunlight.

In MATH this week we will continue with double digit addition and subtraction without regrouping.

This week our KSU Student, Elissa Boraks, will be teaching various lessons about plants.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH, IS FIELD DAY FOR FIRST GRADERS.  ALL STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE, MOST ACTIVITIES ARE OUTSIDE WITH A COUPLE OF ACTIVITIES IN THE GYM.  PARENTS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN YOUR CHILD FOR THE DAY.  PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD WEAR TENNIS SHOES AND SUNSCREEN.  IF THEY HAVE A CLASS T-SHIRT, PLEASE HAVE THEM WEAR IT OR A PINK T-SHIRT.

               MRS. UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                    MARCH 31ST, 2008

This week we will be completing several more CRCT practice tests.  Some of them will be given is small groups and gone over when taken.  The longer ones are completed whole group, scored and sent home.  The week after spring break we will target the weak concepts in preparation for the CRCT.  You can help your child by looking over their tests to see if there are homework practice sheets that you could do with them.  One day this week, I will send home a small packet of CRCT review sheets that can be done as you have time. 

This week in PHONICS your child will be learning the silent 'w' as in write and the meaning of the prefix 'un'.  We will also review phonics rules taught previously.  Our spelling words for this week are:  wrong, wrote, wrist, wreck, write, untie, unsafe, but, what, and all.  The bonus word is measure. 

This week in MATH we will continue our unit on measurement, we have completed length and weight and will be working on capacity.  We will also begin double digit addition, without regrouping.

If your child is working on sight words, we will send a new list this week.  If they have completed their sight words look for a comprehension sheet to come home.

SPRING BREAK - APRIL 7th-11th  The week after Spring Break I will be sending home a permission form for an in-house Field Trip.  We will have THE MAD SCIENTIST present a lesson on "Sound", at the end of April.  It is a lesson with hands-on opportunities for learning.

THANK YOU, Tiffany Donnelly and Mrs. Rudy for sending in extra snacks.  THANKS, Tiffany Donnelly for helping in our classroom this week.  If you have any donations that you would like to send in for our Treasure Box, it would be greatly appreciated.  Your child earns "Smilies" that they can spend each week to 'purchase' small toys from the Treasure Box.

                                       MRS. UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                                             MARCH 24, 2008

In PHONICS this week we will be reviewing the 'ough' sound as in thought.  We will review words ending in "y" that change to 'ie' before adding 's'.  Your child will learn about the silent 'g' as in gnat.  The spelling words for this week are ought, bought, fought, thought, brought, gnaw, gnat, babies, cities, and parties.

We will begin taking various CRCT Practice tests on paper this week.  When the tests have been checked and reviewed with your child I will send them home.

This week our KSU student Miss Boraks will be in our class every day for the next 5 weeks.  She is completing her course requirement that comes before student teaching.  She will be teaching some lessons while in our class. 

This week in MATH we will continue with measurement.  We have been measuring length and will begin measurement of weight then capacity.  This past week, I sent home a copy of the Math concepts that will be covered this last 9 weeks.

Thank You, MRS. RUDY and MRS. DONNELLY for sending in extra snack.  Thank You, MRS. TIFFANY DONNELLY AND LUCY DONNELLY for your help in our classroom this past week.  Thank You, CYNTHIA LEATHERWOOD for all you do for our class for AR.

If you have not sent in your contributions for the BOOSTERTHON, your child may still bring it in this week.   

                MRS. UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                      MARCH 17th, 2008

This week in PHONICS your child will learn about the sound of /oy/ and /oi/ in words such as boy and join.  They will review /oo/ sounds in words and compound words.  We will also review the silent 'k' in words.  The spelling/phonics words this week are boy, toy, joy, enjoy, point, boil, soil, coin, had and not.  The bonus word is knapsack.

This week in MATH  your child will be learning how to measure length using non-standard units to measure.  They will make estimates and use measurement in problem solving.  They will learn about fair shares. 

This week we will continue learning about the weather and writing about books that we read together concerning weather.

This coming FRIDAY is the last day to turn in your BOOSTERTHON Pledges.

THANK YOU to Tiffany Donnelly for helping in our classroom this past week.  THANK YOU Cynthia Leatherwood for all your help with AR. 

 

                                    MRS. UPCHURCH'S UPDATES

                                           MARCH 10, 2008

This week in PHONICS your child will be learning the /oo/ sound as in food.  Other spellings of this sound are 'ue', 'u', 'u_e', and 'ew', in words such as cue, tuna, rude, and few, respectively.  We will also learn about the sound of /oo/ as in look and the silent 'k' as in know.  The spelling words for this week are mood, food, stool, spoon, glue, blue, true, or, by, and one.  The bonus word is cartoon. 

This week in MATH your child will have an end of the nine weeks cumulative test on Monday, it is for our class data to show growth, not a grade.  Then Tuesday I will give a MATH test over our chapter on Time/Calendar.  We will then review tens and ones and counting coins and dollar bills.

This week in LANGUAGE ARTS/SCIENCE your child will be learning about weather and writing about what they are learning.  This is our last week for our writing focus on "Statements of Information".  Last week your child should have brought home one writing on Nutrition and this week they will bring home another writing piece that they did on Nutrition.  I will also be sending home a writing that they completed on going to the dentist.

This week students will participate in the Boosterthon Fun Run on Wednesday, March 12, between 10:15 and 11:15 on the track behind the school. 

We are out of extra snacks for our class.  If you would like to send something in, it will be appreciated.

THANK YOU TO TIFFANY DONNELLY AND LUCY DONNELLY for all the many ways you volunteer and help in our classroom.  THANK YOU CYNTHIA LEATHERWOOD for working with our class for AR and for sending in our book orders. 

                             MRS. UPCHURCH'S UPDATE

                                 MARCH 3, 2008

This week in PHONICS students will learn the sound of 'aw' as in paw and 'au' as in pause.  We will also review the comparatives with 'er' and 'est'.  The spelling words for this week are saw, draw, lawn, fawn, claw, paw, law, raw, crawl and from.  The bonus word is August.  We will also review the sound of 'or' in words.

This past week in MATH we had a test over Fractions.  We began with telling time to the hour.  This week in Math we will continue with time to the half hour, using the calendar and using a schedule.  We are continuing to practice counting coins to a dollar.  Please continue to allow your child to practice counting coins with your help. 

This past week in our Language Arts & Health, students have been learning about Dental Health and writing about going to the dentist.  This coming week students will write about what they have learned about Dental Health.  Students will lean about nouns this week, also.

Thursday, February 28th, I sent home a letter concerning CRCT practice on-line with your student's I.D. number on it.  We will begin using CRCT practice on paper with Reading, Language Arts and Math.  I will send them home as I check them and go over them with the students.

TUESDAY, MARCH 4TH IS EARLY RELEASE DAY.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ASIA W., she is our Character Kid for last week.  The word of the week was Sportsmanship/Cooperation.