Tuesday, March 12, 2013

*Germs, Germs, GO AWAY!*

Hello, families!

I hope this post finds you in good health. I know that a lot of us have been feeling the effects of flu season and are battling many illnesses at the moment. I just wanted to give a few tips and resources about keeping germs at bay, as well as an update on what we've been up to (if your child has been sick for many days).

Here we go! Currently, we have had many students around the school with strep throat, influenza, conjunctivitis and plain old viral illnesses. Our class has been averaging with 4-6 students absent each day since last week. Yikes! Here are some things to know and review with your child:

1. Wash your hands! Today, we reviewed when and why we should wash our hands (even if they LOOK clean). Here is a poster that I found on one of my favorite teacher blogs, http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/. It is now hanging up in our room!



2. If your child is sick, keep him/her home! As Laura Pesek (our school health specialist) stated in her e-mail, if your child has a fever, diarrhea, or has vomited in the past 24 hours of any day, please keep him/her out of school until symptoms have cleared. It is important that your child gets healthy and it will help speed up the process. Plus, the likelihood that it spreads will also decrease. We can catch your child up later!

3. Looking for kid-friendly information? Here is a website where your child can learn more about germs and how to stay healthy: http://scrubclub.org/home.aspx

SO...my child has been sick for days! 
What has he/she missed?

First of all, if your child is miserable and unable to process any information, don't worry. We can catch your child up when he/she returns. The first priority is to get better. However, if your child is still showing symptoms AND going stir crazy at home, why not try to get your child up to speed? Here are some things that we have been working on:

Math: 
  • Fact families, name collection boxes, fact triangles: Please refer to the HomeLinks book for information regarding these topics. If you have any questions, please contact me!


Reading: 
  • Author's purpose: Authors write for 3 main reasons: to teach readers something new (inform), to convince you to do or buy something (persuade), or to help readers have fun (entertain). When your child is reading, ask WHY the author wrote the book. Also, you can look around for different types of writing anywhere- think directions (even on medication bottles!), nutrition info, or commercials on tv.
  • Words: This week we are working on words with the long /o/ sound and 3-letter blends (such as str, shr, spl, and thr). Please have your child read the words on the decodable poster that was on the back of this week's refrigerator wrap-up. Here is a jpg image of the poster:   


Grammar:
  • MORE Adjectives: What types of adjectives do we use for size? (Think big, small, tiny, gigantic, huge, tall, short, etc.) Have your child look and listen for these types of adjectives as they read, talk, listen to conversation, etc!

Good luck and stay healthy!

:-) Mrs. Brignac





Sunday, March 10, 2013

Read Across America *and* March Photos!

Good evening!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. I spent a majority of the weekend WAY out of my comfort zone (camping...in Duluth)! Despite not being a really "outdoorsy" person (especially in the WINTER), I had a great time enjoying the snow. It was a beautiful and relaxing weekend! I mean, look at how pretty it was:


Okay, I have to admit: It wasn't truly camping. We had a cabin with heat and electricity, but hey... it felt rustic to us! Here is a picture of my husband, Bryan, and I outside of our little cabin. 

I hope you all got to enjoy the beautiful winter weather, too! (Can you believe spring is just right around the corner???)

Okay, enough about ME. Let's talk about some of the fun things that are happening right now at Somerset!

Read Across America


Throughout the month of March, students are celebrating a love of reading through Read Across America. Each week, we celebrate reading in some way. So far we've had a birthday party for Dr. Seuss, Cat in the Hat day, and a guest reader assembly! This week? We will have a parade as we dress as our favorite children's book characters! 

We are also encouraging children to track their reading at home. Your child should have brought home a blue slip of paper with 5 different Dr. Seuss hats on it. Each time your child reads for 20 minutes, he/she can color in a hat. Once the whole slip is full, your child can turn it in for an opportunity to win a special prize! 

I always find that students are extra motivated when we set a goal for our reading. This time, our goal is for each child in our class to bring in at least ONE reading slip. Just ONE! If we reach our goal of 100% participation, we will have a special celebration for our efforts. Please encourage your child to read and send in those slips! :-)

Okay, now for some MARCH PHOTOS!
Take a look:


 Happy Birthday, Cegan!


Floating lego rafts in science!






Yay! We earned a sledding party with our 4th grade buddies!










Happy 1/2 Birthday, Liam!




Two birthdays in one day? Yes, please! Here we are at Dr. Seuss' Birthday Party:







Mr. Sofie, Elizabeth's father, came to read to us!


Playing "Beat the Calculator"












Fun with adjectives!



  

Mrs. Bowman introducing the guest readers from Sibley High!



Our mystery reader, Mrs. Appleton:


Happy Birthday, Elsa!


The End (for now!)


Have a great Sunday!
:-) Mrs. Brignac