Our Classroom 

In addition to our supportive classroom environment, we have created this dedicated page where students and parents can stay connected and informed about the exciting happenings within our learning community. Here, you will find weekly updates on what is happening in our classroom, including the topics explored in various subjects. Effective communication between home and school is essential for student success, and through this platform, we aim to keep everyone engaged and involved in the educational journey. By sharing the latest news, accomplishments, and insights, we hope to foster a sense of shared responsibility and collaboration, where students, parents, and teachers work together to create an enriching educational experience.

Week: 9/2-9/5

9/2: First Day of School!

 WELCOME BACK!

This week was filled with excitement, curiosity, and a mix of emotions as we kicked off our new school year! Some of us were a little shy, while others couldn’t wait to meet new friends and dive right in. We spent the week getting to know each other, practicing yoga and meditation, and taking our first steps into our academic routines.

We learned and practiced our classroom expectations, shared about ourselves, and started building a strong, caring community. It was a wonderful start to the year, and I’m so proud of how quickly everyone is settling in. Here’s to many more weeks of learning, growing, and having fun together in C-1!

Week: 9/8-9/12

Dear Families,

Welcome to Week Two! I hope your child had a great first week and is ready for more learning and fun ahead.

This week, I will be sending home your child’s specials schedule so you know when they have P.E. On P.E. days, please make sure your child wears sneakers so they can participate safely and comfortably.

We will also begin library this week! Please check the specials schedule to see which day your child has library, and remember to send back the book they checked out the previous week. Students can only check out one book at a time, so returning it on time will allow them to choose a new one.

In addition, we will start sending home the daily point sheets for students. Please take a few minutes to review the sheet with your child. Celebrate their successes when they receive all of their points, and if they miss any points, have a conversation about what happened and allow them to explain why they think they didn’t earn them. At school, students self-reflect on their points after each period, so this reflection at home will be a valuable extension of that process.

Thank you for your continued support! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Week: 9/15-9/19

Dear Families,

Welcome to Week Three! Over the past two weeks, we have focused on learning our classroom routines and building our community. Now that students are comfortable with our routines, it’s time to dive into our academic work.

This week, we will begin our ELA and Math rotations. Please be on the lookout for math homework coming home with your child.

• For students in grades K–2: Your child will start bringing home a book baggie. Please encourage your child to read the books in their bag each night. You may notice that some books repeat—this is intentional, as rereading helps build confidence and fluency.

• For students in grades 3–4: Please continue to make sure your child is reading daily. If they don’t have a book at home, they are always welcome to borrow one from our classroom library.

We are so excited to begin this next stage of learning and can’t wait to see our students grow as readers, writers, and mathematicians! Thank you for your continued support at home.

Week: 9/22-9/26

9/23: No School

Dear Families,

     Welcome to Week 4! Students have been doing a wonderful job getting used to our different rotations in ELA and Math. While we still have a few routines to smooth out, we are well on our way.

     Students have started bringing home their book baggies and math homework. Please make sure your child is reading for at least 15 minutes each night. Some students may be bringing home books that feel very easy and below their reading level. At this time of year, our focus is on building confidence and fluency so they’re ready to take on bigger challenges soon.

      In Math, all grades are working on Topic 1. This unit is designed as a review of skills from last year, so it may feel easy at first. That’s okay—it helps students strengthen their foundation before moving on.

      This week, we are also beginning to post the point sheets in Google Classroom. If you haven’t yet received an invitation to join, you should get one at the beginning of the week. Please bear with us as we may not have it running perfectly right away, but I promise it will be up and working soon.  

Reminders for this week:

• Tuesday – No school

• Wednesday–Friday – MAP Testing (Reading & Math). Please be sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast.

• Thursday at 6:15 PM – Back-to-School Night / Open House. We are very excited to welcome you into our classroom!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you for your continued support!

Week: 9/29-10/3

10/2: No School 

Hello Families,

It was wonderful seeing so many of you at Back-to-School Night. Thank you for taking the time to connect with us. It truly helps build our classroom community.

Math Update

This week, some students will be taking their first math test of the year. Once tests are graded, they will be sent home for you to review with your child. Please sign the test and return it so we know you’ve seen it.

Social-Emotional Learning: Nonviolent Communication

Last week, we began learning about Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a way for students to share their feelings and needs respectfully.

Here’s the simple 4-step process we are practicing:

1. Observation  – Say what happened without blaming.

Example: “When you took the ball…”

2. Feeling  – Share how it makes you feel.

Example: “…I felt sad.”

3. Need – Explain what you need.

Example: “…because I need a turn to play too.”

4. Request  – Ask kindly for what you’d like.

Example: “Would you be willing to give me a turn with the ball?”

At home, please practice this with your child. It’s an important skill for learning how to express feelings and be heard. Last week, we focused on Step 1 (Observation) and Step 2 (Feelings). This week, we will practice Step 3 (Need) and Step 4 (Request).

Looking Ahead

Next week is our Week of Respect. A flyer will be sent home with the dress-up days and daily challenges. We are excited to celebrate kindness, respect, and community together.

As always, if you have any questions or need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week! 

Week: 10/6-10/10

Good morning families,

Welcome to Week 6! We have a busy and exciting week ahead.

• Life Skills: Students will be learning about fairness.

• Writing: We’ll begin working on opinion writing.

• Math: We’re continuing to review concepts from last year. Some groups are starting Topic 2, while others are finishing Topic 1.

• Grammar: Our focus this week is on nouns and the different types of nouns.

We also have a few special events this week:

• Picture Day – Tuesday

• Fire Truck Visit – Thursday

• Harlem Wizards Assembly – Friday

Please remember to sign and return your child’s Topic 1 math test if you haven’t done so already.

As always, thank you for your continued support. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a wonderful week!

Week: 10/13-10/17

Dear Families,

     Welcome to Week 7! The weeks are flying by, and it has been so exciting to see how our students are settling into their classroom routines. Each day, I am seeing more growth as they learn to use their coping skills and problem-solving strategies. It is wonderful to watch their progress and confidence grow.

     This week in Life Skills, we will be learning about coping strategies and creating our very own relaxation bottles to help us calm down and refocus when needed. In Math, we will continue reviewing and practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division strategies to strengthen fluency and confidence.

     Beginning this week, we will also start sending home fact fluency cards.

• Grades 1 and 2 will receive addition fact cards to practice each night.

• Grades 3 and 4 will receive multiplication fact cards to review daily.

     Please make sure your child spends a few minutes each evening practicing their math facts. All students will also practice during our daily math rotations, but extra practice at home is extremely beneficial. Developing automaticity with basic facts will help prepare students for more complex math concepts in the months and years ahead.

      Please continue to encourage your child to complete their homework daily and read for at least 15 minutes each night. If your child does not have books at home, they are always welcome to borrow one from our classroom library. There are plenty of fun choices waiting for them.

I hope everyone has a great week! 

Week: 10/20-10/24

10/20: No School

Welcome to Week 8!

We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Just a quick reminder — there will be no school on Monday, October 20th.

Life Skills

This week in Life Skills, we are learning about self-control and how to use the traffic light strategy as a reminder of what to do when we feel upset or frustrated:

 Stop and calm down.

 Think about solutions and possible consequences.

 Go ahead and try our best choice or action.

We’ll also continue to practice using our Zones of Regulation and keep working on yoga and mindfulness during our calm-down times.

Math:

1st Grade: Continuing to practice addition and subtraction using mental math strategies.

2nd Grade: Exploring arrays and repeated addition.

3rd Grade: Reviewing Topic 2 to prepare for our upcoming lesson assessment.

4th Grade: Working on multi-digit addition and subtraction, focusing on place value and regrouping.

ELA:

In ELA, students are continuing to work on opinion writing — stating their opinion clearly, adding supporting details, and closing their writing by restating their opinion. We’ll also continue practicing grammar, reading comprehension, and sentence structure.

SEL & Wellness:

We’ll continue learning about our Zones of Regulation and practicing yoga and meditation to help our bodies and minds stay calm and focused throughout the school day.

Reminders:

Please visit our classroom website for updates and information shared by the PTO about the upcoming Halloween Hoot and other fun activities planned for October!

Have a wonderful week!

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or need anything.

Week: 10/27-10/31

Week: 11/3-11/7

11/6-11/7: No School 

Week: 11/10-11/14

Week: 11/17-11/21

11/20-11/21: Early Dismissal 

Week: 11/24-11/28

11/24-11/26: Early Dismissal 

11/27-11/28: Thanksgiving Break

Week: 12/1-12/5

Week: 12/8-12/12

Week: 12/15-12/19

Week: 12/22-12/26 

12/23: Early Dismissal

12/24-12/26: Winter Break

Week: 12/29-1/2 

Winter Break

Week: 1/5-1/9

Welcome Back!

Week: 1/12-1/16

Week: 1/19-1/23

1/19: No School 

Week: 1/26-1/30

Week: 2/2-2/6

Week: 2/9-2/13

Week: 2/16-2/20

2/16-2/17: No School 

Week: 2/23-2/27

Week: 3/2-3/6

Week: 3/9-3/13

Week: 3/16-3/20

3/20: No School 

Week: 3/23-3/27

Week: 3/30-4/3

3/30-4/3: No School

Happy Spring Break!

Week: 4/6-4/10

Week: 4/13-4/17

Week: 4/20-4/24

Week: 4/27-5/1

Week: 5/4-5/8

Week: 5/11-5/15

Week: 5/18-5/22

Week: 5/25-5/29

5/25: No School 

Week: 6/1-6/5

Week: 6/8-6/12

Week: 6/15-6/19

6/17-6/18: Early Dismissal

6/18: Last Day of School

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER BREAK!