Brignac's Brightest: Weekly Update (9/24-9/28)

Things to Know:

CONFERENCE SIGNUPS: You can now sign up for fall conferences through THIS LINK to SignupGenius!

FALL FAMILY FUN NIGHT: Looking for a fun family outing? Come to Somerset's Family Fun Night TONIGHT! (Friday, September 28th) The festivities will begin at 6 and go until 8 p.m.

READ-A-THON: Please check your child's Friday Folder for information on our school's Read-A-Thon! It kicked off on Friday and will continue through the month of October!

TALKING PIECES/TOYS AT SCHOOL: I am new at learning the practices of "Restorative Circles" in place of a typical morning meeting at school- so forgive me as I work through the idea of the "talking piece." As opposed to using a teacher-chosen sharing stick, students are invited to bring a small item that is important to them to put in the basket to be used each morning at circle time. Each morning, our circle leader chooses a talking piece for our meeting; whoever is holding the talking piece is the only person allowed to talk. It helps us learn to be thoughtful listeners when people are speaking, as well as ensuring that everyone in the class has an opportunity to talk. In the beginning of the year, students brought in an item to share at circle time. Many students wanted to take theirs home after they got to share it, and some wanted to trade it for a different talking piece. So far, this has been a great experience and I do not want to squash kids' enthusiasm about the idea...however I have a few guidelines that I am hoping you can help with:

Talking pieces should be SMALL. Here are some examples of "super important things" a first grader might choose to bring. ;-) Please do not allow your child to come with anything that couldn't fit in the palm of his/her hands.

One at a time, please! (aka please discourage your child from stuffing his/her backpack with a bunch of stuff!

Other than talking pieces that stay in our class basket, toys are not permitted at school. I'm loving getting to know your children at circle time and it has become a great way to build our classroom family! Thank you for your support. :-)

BOX TOPS CONTEST: Did you know Somerset collects box tops? To kick our collections into high-gear this fall, we will be having a classroom contest! In your child's homework folder, you'll find a collection map. If you wish, you can have your child tape or glue your box tops and bring them in when it is full. Every penny counts over here! :-) (Also, there is a cool app that allows you to easily collect points by simply scanning your everyday shopping receipts. Visit THIS LINK to learn more!)

ART ADVENTURE: Our class is currently looking for a volunteer to lead Art Adventure. Please see the note below:

SPELLING: We will begin taking spelling tests in late October. To get ready, students will be taking a practice test to get accustomed to the routine. In your child's Friday Folder, you'll see a list of words. This is an example list that will be used on a practice test. The list is copied onto a practice sheet that is OPTIONAL (I will NOT be collecting the spelling lists.) We will be learning phonics patterns in a systematic way that will help students progress as both writers and readers. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

BOOK ORDERS: You can order books through the Scholastic Book Clubs website using the teacher code JTNRT (or through their "Connect to Teacher" tool!)

RULES UPDATE: Thank you SO much for reviewing our classroom rules with your child at home over the past few weeks. We had another amazing week, and I attribute that to not only great kids and a great school, but also to the support you give each and every day at home.
Over the course of September, we reviewed our classroom rules and how they can make our classroom a safe and productive place to learn. We read many stories that helped us understand what can happen if rules are not followed and how important kindness is to our classroom family. We learned that we must care for each other and our school. We also learned that hearts, just like other material things, can be broken, too! This lead us into our discussion about consequences:

Ask your child about the "wrinkled heart" pictured above!

"Before you speak, think and be smart. It is hard to fix a wrinkled heart."

While we all pledge to make good choices and to follow our classroom promise, we understand that everyone makes mistakes from time to time. We discussed what happens when rules are broken. Here are the descriptions of the consequences for breaking a rule:

1. You break it, you fix it: If a student breaks or damages something on purpose (accidents need not apply), he or she must work to fix it. This refers to many things: whether it be a classroom tool, dropping something on the floor, or even hurt feelings (hearts can be broken, too!), students must work to fix their mistake. If it is something that cannot be fixed (such as a snapped pencil), students will be asked to replace that item.

2. Take a break: There are several areas around our classroom in which students may be asked to take a quick time-out. This time out (called "take a break") is a quiet reflective time that must not exceed three minutes. During this time, students remove themselves from the area, reset their brains, and reflect on how they plan on fixing the mistake when they return. Breaks are not considered good nor bad; they simply are regarded as time to "refocus." We all need this...even adults!

3. Loss of privilege: Another consequence that a student may face is a loss of privilege. This is meant to be a logical consequence for behavior- not a "punishment." The privileges that may be lost will always be tied to student behavior. For example- if a student makes a poor choice during a game, the student may be asked to sit out for the remainder of the time. If a student mishandles a classroom tool on purpose, the student will lose the tool for the remainder of the day/week.

Again, thank you for your support in making our classroom a wonderful place for learning!