- Matteson Elementary
- Classroom News & Assignments
Connolly, Theresa
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Hello Parents/Guardians:
Well, we made it to Spring Break, just wish the weather would catch up with us!. Time is moving quickly, and we have finished our third quarter of instruction. With that in mind, please note that third quarter report cards went home on Friday, March 22nd, in your child's 'Red Take-Home" folder. If you have not received one, please let me know right away. When we return from break, Class 25 will continue to roll towards Second Grade! Yes, you will soon have a second-grader. Where did the time go? We will continue to work on our reading and math fluency skills needed to begin second grade. I ask that you continue to practice at home. As always, I will continue to send home some "easy" reading materials. The purpose of this is to help the students become confident in their reading skills, which leads to faster reading fluency with 100% comprehension of what is being read. So these readers may not reflect your child's reading level, but they will help with fluency skills. In math, we just finished our units on time to the hour and half hour, measuring, and data collection. We will continue working on our "double digits" in addition (20 - 100), as well as begin our adventure with double-digit subtraction. These skills will give the students the solid foundation needed to be successful in the upcoming math skills needed for second grade. We have already started to lay the foundation of writing complete sentences with capitalization and punctuation. During our final fourth quarter we will work daily on turning these sentences into complete paragraphs. We will also continue upgrading our skills in writing narrative and persuasive passages. All of these needed skills will enhance your child's success in second grade as well as in creating a solid foundation for testing for both second and third (state) testing requirements. We recently started practicing a new "team-building" strategy called the Kagan Strategies. It allows students to work in groups, solving various problems and projects. It also allows students to share ideas at their own levels of knowledge. We plan to learn and utilize many of the offered strategies throughout the rest of the school year.
Please watch for upcoming information in regard to our upcoming fieldtrip to the farm, the Sneaker Ball, and Field Day. Information will be sent home in your child's red take-home folder in the near future.
The laptops will continue to go home daily. It is very important that students bring their laptops and their chargers back to school daily. It is even more important that the laptops are charged each night before they come back to school. It takes quite a while for the laptop to charge, and they are a very important part of our daily routine.
I will continue to utilize Class DoJo this year. I have sent invites requesting you to join us. I ask that you take a look and join us. If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me, contact me through Class Dojo, or contact me via phone after school hours. Please note that I may not see these messages until the end of the day after bus duty (3:30). If it is an emergency or a change in your child's dismissal procedures, please contact the school office before 12 p.m. I ask that you take a moment to read the following "important reminders".
Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy your Spring Break. Hoping the weather cooperates and you can do some fun and exciting things together. Be Safe and have fun, see you on April 8th (Solar Eclipse Day)!
FRIENDLY REMINDERS:
- Your child has a Chrome Book which will be taken home daily and must be returned fully charged the next morning. Chrome Books are used daily in the classroom as well as in technology.
- Student "Red" take-home folders will go home each evening and are expected to be returned in the morning. This will be used as another communication tool for district information, notes from me, permission slips, and any classwork/assessments that may require a signature. Please check your child's folder on a daily basis.
- Your child's school tools/supplies will remain in school. Please have an additional set at home to be used for homework assignments.
- Homework will be assigned weekly and will be expected to be completed and returned each Friday.
- Weekly Reading and Language Arts assessments will be given every Thursday in class. Spelling and Math assessments will be given on Fridays. Please make sure your child is prepared and in attendance for testing on Thursdays and Fridays. It is very difficult for students to make up the assessments the following week, especially if we have begun to work on new material.
- Our goal continues to be to have 100% perfect attendance and non-tardies.
As always, parents, you know I am here to answer any of your questions or concerns. I can be reached by phone (708) 748-0480, email: tconnolly@sd162.org, and through Class DoJo. A successful academic partnership is a team effort. I look forward to our academic journey together. Thank you in advance for supporting my efforts, laughing along with me, and being Room 25's number one fan and cheering section! As for my thoughts, parents, you ROCK! Without you, I could not do this on my own.
Please Note: Homework packets will go home weekly (Friday), they are to be completed, reviewed and signed off by parents/guardians, and then returned on Fridays. Please no exceptions. Packets contain skills covered in class along with spelling and grammar practice. As you know, I highly recommend that your child read at least 30 minutes per evening to help with his/her reading fluency skills.
Also Remember to keep those laptops charged, thank you!
Ms. Connolly’s Daily Schedule
7:45 – 8:15 Attendance/Morning Meeting/Calendar/Math Skill Review
8:15 – 8:40 Daily Journal Writing
8:45 – 9:00 Restroom Break
9:00 - 10:40 Reading Block (Reading Strategies, Vocabulary, Spelling, Grammar)
10:40 – 11:20 LUNCH
11:20 – 12:00 Specials (Mon. - P.E. and Library) (Tues. - P.E.) (Weds. - Technology) (Thur - Music) (Friday - Art)
12:00 – 1:00 Math
1:00 – 1:15 Restroom Break
1:15 - 1:45 Math (Cont.) Friday's Science/Social Studies
1:45 – 2:15 Prepare for Dismisal/Pack and Snack
Once again, thank you for your support. I look forward to a productive and successful school year.
Ms. Connolly