Picture Day! We will have individual pictures taken next Friday, September 7th. Please check your child’s Friday Folder for ordering information if you are interested.

EnVisions Math 
We have begun our new math curriculum and are working to get into our daily routines. As a result, you will see that a lot of the work coming home has either been completed together, and/or not all problems have been solved. This provides a wonderful opportunity for optional extra practice at home. Any additional work you do at home will certainly benefit your child’s math understandings, but please know that this does not need to be returned.

Friday Folders 
Please take the time to look through your child’s Friday folder with him/her each week and make sure it’s returned by the following Friday.

This Week at Thunder Valley…
 
1st Grade Reading
We have been reading Stellaluna and Frog and Toad: Dragons and Giants. Both are about friendship and have taught us about characters, setting and plot (beginning, middle and end).

1st Grade Writing
We’ve been writing about our texts. We planned and wrote about the beginning, middle and end of both stories. We practiced saying our sentences and then wrote them using a capital at the beginning, spaces between our words and a period at the end.

2nd Grade Reading
We are reading Charlotte’s Web and we are LOVING it. We are noticing the relationships between the characters and how they each have a different point of view.

2nd Grade Writing
We’ve mostly written opinion pieces so far this year. Some have been from our own point of view and some have been written from the point of view of a character from the story.

1st Grade Math
We are working on Topic 1 with a focus on solving addition and subtraction problems through 10 using various strategies. Much of our work in this first topic is being completed together as we are learning our routines and expectations for our math block.

2nd Grade Math
We’re working on Topic 1 with a focus on fluently adding and subtracting within 20. Many of the strategies we’re using are a review of last year’s work, including making a 10, doubles, counting on and back, and fact patterns.

1st and 2nd Grade Social Studies
We’re working on learning to identify and practice our 7 Habits:

1-Be Proactive (I’m in charge of myself)
2-Begin with the End in Mind (Have a plan)
3-Put First Things First (Work first, then play)
4-Think Win-Win (Everyone can win)
5-Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood (Listen before you speak)
6-Synergize (Together is better)
7-Sharpen the Saw (Balance feels best)

Upcoming Dates:
September 3rd: NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
September 5th: Late start - school starts at 10:50
September 7th: Picture Day
September 20th & 25th: Fall Conferences
September 21st: Field Day
September 28th: September Birthday Celebration

Birthdays!!! 
Our August birthday celebration will be Friday, August 31st. If your child has an August birthday and would like to bring treats, please let his/her teacher know so that she can plan accordingly!

iReady 
We have started our beginning of year iReady assessments. First graders have taken their math assessment and will do the literacy portion next week. Second graders have taken their literacy assessment and will do the math portion next week. We will be sharing this data with you soon!

Friday Folders 
Please take the time to look through your child’s Friday folder with him/her each week and make sure it’s returned by the following Friday.

This Week at Thunder Valley…
We have had a very busy week as we began both our literacy (ReadyGen) and math (Envisions 2.0) curriculums this week. In addition, we continue to work on defining and practicing the Raptor Way which includes Kindness, Respect, Leadership and Grit.

Upcoming Dates:
August 31st: August Birthday Celebration
September 3rd: NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
September 5th: Late start - school starts at 10:50
September 7th: Picture Day - more info coming soon
September 20th & 25th: Fall Conferences

We are so excited to get the new year started!  We hope to see everyone at Back to School Night on Tuesday, August 14th from 4:30 - 6:30.  Remember that our first day of school is Wednesday the 15th!!!