September 27, 2004

Dear Friends and Families of Room 2:

As we round out September, I am happy to report that all of my major assessments are complete and we will be starting our instructional reading and math groups this week. These small, instructional groups, provide me with the opportunity to target in on the specific needs of your children in the areas of mathematics and language arts instruction. This trimester, I have four math groups, focused on the areas of number concepts, place value, subtraction with re-grouping, and division. In reading, groups will be working on sight words, reading strategies, and novel groups.

We are continuing to work on our Toy Factory. This week, we should finish the interior plan of the factory and be ready to begin creating the characters to go with our “story” next week. Stop by and see the floor plan if you have the opportunity. It is coming along nicely.

The training offered last Wednesday afternoon on Running Records was well attended by volunteers in our classroom, and so we will be establishing weekly routines that will allow those volunteers to regularly assess your children’s reading success and areas of need. Thank you to all those that were able to attend. If you were unable to attend, and would still like to have an opportunity to learn how to record running records while reading with children, contact me at billalsdurf@hotmail.com and I’ll put you in contact with one of the parents that were in attendance.

I really enjoyed our time together at Curriculum Night last week. It was nice to get the opportunity to go over some of the plans for the year and to meet each and every one of you. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend. If you ever have any questions regarding curriculum or your child’s progress, don’t hesitate to ask.

At the end of this newsletter is a coupon for five cents. Please sign, cut out, and give to your child to use during “Bank and Store” time next week. If you receive both a paper copy and an email copy of this newsletter, please use only ONE of the coupons. Thank you.

Here are a few reminders about events that are happening at Eagle Rock in the weeks ahead:

• School starts precisely at 9:30, with the classroom doors opening at 9:15. Please try and be on time. If you arrive after 9:30, you must accompany your child in to the office and sign them in. They will then be asked to wait in the office until 9:45 when they will be allowed to enter the classroom. This will help cut down on interruptions and distractions that late arriving students can sometimes cause.

• Monday, October 4^th, is the first of three potluck/education nights for parents at Eagle Rock. The potluck will begin at 6:30. You will need to bring one food item, as well as your beverage. We will have our October PTA meeting from 7:00 to 7:30, with mini-workshops beginning at 7:30. These workshops have been designed to help with issues related to volunteering at Eagle Rock and provide training on a number of topics. An e-vite was sent out today with all the details as well as information on what type of food to bring. Hope to see you there.

• October 6^th: Half Day

• October 8^th is a No School Day.

This is a state-wide in-service day where teachers from around the state will be attending trainings and classes on a variety of educational topics.

• October 11^th: SBC Meeting from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

• October 19^th: Zoo Field Trip Day

Please make sure that all of your paperwork is turned in on time for this trip. Permission slips MUST be turned in at least ONE WEEK PRIOR to the trip or your child won’t be able to attend. The Field Trip Agreement, found in the middle of the Field Trip Handbook must also be returned prior to this first field trip.

Something to keep in mind, from the book, “Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me”….

Don’t argue for a later bedtime if you’re wearing pajamas with feet

Warmly,

Bill Alsdurf Jr.

Educator