Weekly Update 12/16 - 12/20

Hello families!
This is our last week before Christmas break! We have lots of exciting things happening this week!

Grinch Week

This week is Grinch Week down in first grade! We are getting super grinchy this week by doing a book study on How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Grinch art and science experiments, and Grinch math activities. On Friday, December 20th, we will have a Grinch Celebration by having a pajama party, have grinch snacks, and we will be watching the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas (We will be watching the 2000 version with Jim Carrey. Please let me know if you do not want your child to participate in this movie).

Thank you to the families that already donated supplies for our Grinch Week. We are still in need of someone to donate Grinch themed cupcakes (they don't need to be fancy -- they can be just green cupcakes or red and green cupcakes). Thank you for helping make this week a fun one! 😊

           Click HERE to donate supplies for our Grinch Week!  

Dress Up Days - This Week!

This week at Willow Creek, everyday is holiday spirit dress up days.

• Monday: Festive Sweater Day
• Tuesday: Holiday Hats - wear your favorite holiday hate to celebrate the season!
• Wednesday: Winter White-out Day - It's a blizzard in here! Wear all white for the day!
• Thursday: Comfy Cozy Day - Come to school ready to work in your comfy clothes!
• Friday: Grinch/Green Day - Celebrate the upcoming break with your favorite Grinch attire or something green! (Our class will be having a Pajama day as well) 

PTA Free Movie Night

This Friday, December 20th, the Willow Creek PTA will be hosting a free movie night! They will be showing the Grinch movie. Doors open at 5:30pm and the movie starts at 6pm. Concessions will be available for purchase and feel free to dress comfy, and bring a reusable water bottle and blanket. This is not a drop off event, students must be accompanied by an adult. 

No Homework This Week

There will be no homework this week. Please continue to have your child read to you 15-20 minutes every night. We will not start homework again until January 13th. Please continue to have your child read to you during Christmas break so they will not loose any progress they have made 

This Week We Are Learning....

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning how to retell a fiction story so we can understand it better.
*We are learning how to use a story map to summarize the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
Word Study
We are learning the long i (silent e) pattern. There will not be a spelling test on this pattern.
Math
We are learning how to use the take from 10 strategy to solve subtraction problems.
Writing
We are learning how to write a narrative story.

This week is going to be so much fun!! 

Weekly Update 12/9 - 12/13

Hello families!
We have 2 weeks before Christmas break! We have lots of exciting things happening over the next two weeks! 😊

Subway Day

It's that time of month again at the Creek -- Subway Day is on Friday, December 20th 🎉 Today, your child brought home a Subway order form. If you want to buy Subway for your child make sure to turn in the Subway order form by Thursday, December 12th. If you would like to join your child for Subway day, there are extra order forms at the office. Our lunch is from 12:15-12:35.

Salvation Army's Angel Tree

The Willow Creek PTA is excited to be helping out with the Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program again this year. Angel Tree Tags are located on the school Christmas tree between the gym and the cafeteria.  Parents are encouraged to select a tag with their student(s), purchase the suggested gift (or another age-appropriate one), and bring the UNWRAPPED gift to the school by December 19th. Once the toys are organized and delivered, the Salvation Army will set up a "toy shop" and qualifying parents are able to come and select gifts for their children.  Thank you for participating in making this holiday season special for our community!

The Grinch is Coming!! 

To kick of Christmas vacation, we will be getting super grinchy with a Grinch Week!! 🎉 Next week, we will have a book study on How the Grinch Stole Christmas and we will do some Grinch art and science experiments. On Friday, December 20th, we will have a Grinch celebration by having a pajama party, watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas and eat some grinchy snacks!! Our classroom will even be decorated in Grinch theme! Please keep this a secret from your child, as it is a SURPRISE!! Each day this week I will be leaving clues for the students for them to try to solve the mystery on who is coming to visit us next week. 😊  I need your help to get some of our supplies together for the week. Please up sign up for anything you would be willing to help us out with. Thank you in advance! 

Click HERE to donate supplies for our Grinch Week! 

This Week We Are Learning....

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning how to retell a fiction story so we can understand it better.
*We are learning how to use a story map to summarize the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
Word Study
We are learning the long a (silent e) pattern. There will be a spelling test this Friday on the spelling words.
Math
We are learning how to use the take from 10 strategy to solve subtraction problems.
Writing
We are learning how to write a narrative story.

It's going to be another great week down in first grade!

Weekly Update 12/2 - 12/5

Hello families!
Welcome back! I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving!! I am so grateful for the privilege to teach such an amazing group of kids, who have such awesome parents! 💖 Our class had so many fun activities the week before Thanksgiving break. We wrapped up our science unit on the sun, stars, and moon by making star constellations out of a paper cups, it was a major hit! We wrapped up our Thanksgiving unit by having a popcorn/pajama party on Friday and watched Charlie Brown's First Thanksgiving. We also had a special visitor  (Mason's Grandma) came and read Thank You, OMU! to our class for Read for the Record. Click HERE to find out more about Read for the Record.

Click HERE to see a slide show of the photos taken during the week 😊

No Homework This Week

There will be no homework this week. Please make sure to still have your child read 15-20 minutes a night. 

No School on Friday 

There will be no school on Friday, December 6th due to teacher collaboration.

Scholastic Orders

I've ordered the scholastic books. The books should arrive next week. Thank you so much for your order! 😊

This Week We Are Learning....

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning how to sequence/identify the beginning, middle, and end of a story so we can retell it to a friend.
*We are learning how to use a story map to summarize the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
Word Study
We are learning the KN, GN, and WR pattern so we can become better writers and readers. (Students will NOT be tested on these spelling patterns).
Math
We are learning how to use the Make 10 strategy to help us solve addition equations so we can become more efficient at solving problems.
Writing
We are learning how to write a narrative story. 

Weekly Update 11/18-11/22

Hello families!
This is our last week of school before Thanksgiving break! Thanksgiving break will be from November 25th-November 29th. I hope you all will have an awesome Thanksgiving break! 😊

Scholastic Book Orders

This is the last week to order books until January! We will not be doing book orders in December. If you are interested in ordering books click HERE make sure to use our class code NGTFY. They make awesome Christmas presents! Book orders are due November 22nd. Happy reading! 😃

Sight Words Assessment

At the end of this week, your child will be assessed on the sight words they have been learning the last couple of weeks. These are the sight words that have been sent home every week on their homework paper. If you would like to see all of the words they will be assessed on, click HERE to see the sight words list. Please review the words with your child to make sure they are ready for the assessment. Building fluency with sight words helps tremendously to build strong readers. They will need to be able to read these words within 3 seconds or less.

Pajama Day - This Friday! 

On Friday, we will be kicking off our last day of school before Thanksgiving break with a Pajama day! 🎉 We have been learning about the history of Thanksgiving, why we celebrate it, and comparing/contrasting pilgrim life vs. how we live today. To wrap up our Thanksgiving unit, we will be watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving movie and cooking popcorn. 😊

This Week We Are Learning...

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning how to sequence/identify the beginning, middle, and end of a story so we can retell it.
*We are learning how to summarize the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
Word Study
We are learning the SH, WH, and PH pattern so we can become better writers and readers.
Math
We are learning how to use the Make 10 strategy to help us solve addition equations so we can become more efficient at solving equations.
Science
* We are learning to use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
Social Studies
*We are learning about why we celebrate Thanksgiving.
* We are comparing how families today are similar and/or different from families in the past (pilgrim life vs. life now)

Weekly Update 11/11-11/15

Hello families!
Over the next two weeks we will be learning about Thanksgiving. We will be learning about why we celebrate Thanksgiving, and comparing how the pilgrims lived in the past vs. how we live today.

Hat Day 

The 3rd Friday of every month is "Hats Off to Teachers" at Willow Creek. Your child can wear a hat to school, with a $1 dollar "fee". This money is donated to the PTA and 100% of the money is given back to our classrooms as a donation for us to buy classroom materials! 🎉

Scholastic Book Orders

It's not too late to order books! If you are interested in ordering books click HERE. They make awesome Christmas presents! Book orders are due November 22nd. Happy reading! 😃

This Week We Are Learning...

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning the parts of a fiction story.
*We are learning how to sequence/identify the beginning, middle, and end of a story so we can retell it.
Word Study
We are learning the CH pattern so we can become better writers and readers.
Math
We are using the Make 10 strategy to help us solve addition equations with 3 addends so we can become more efficient at solving equations.
Science
* We are learning to use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
Social Studies
*We are learning about why we celebrate Thanksgiving.
* We are comparing how families today are similar and/or different from families in the past (pilgrim life vs. life now)

It's going to be a great week!! 

Weekly Update 11/4-11/8

Hello families!
We had such a fun week last week!! The kids loved all the Halloween activities we did and the Halloween party was a success! Thank you for your help with the party and the donations. 😊

Click HERE to see a slide show of the Halloween party & Trick-or-Treating at Willow Creek.

Homework

There will be NO homework this week. However, please still continue to have your child read 15-20 minutes every night. If you would like extra practice, you are welcome to practice any of the sight words or spelling words that we have practiced previously this year. 

Scholastic Book Orders

On Friday, your child brought home a Scholastic book order form. One of my primary goals for your child this year is for them to develop a love for reading. Scholastic offers high interest books at a low cost and our class earns bonus points with every order. These bonus points allow our class to receive FREE books for our classroom library!! When you order online you have access to all of the Scholastic books. This month's flyer had a winter/holiday selection of books. These make great stocking stuffers/Christmas presents!! 

*If you are interested in ordering books, click HERE and use our class code NGTFY 

If you have any questions, need help ordering, or would like book suggestions for your child, please let me know. I love all things Scholastic and would be more than happy to help! HAPPY READING!! 😁 

Subway Day

It's that time of month again at the Creek -- Subway Day 🎉 On Friday, your child will be brought home a Subway order form. If you want to buy Subway for your child make sure to turn in the Subway order form by Thursday, November 7th. If you would like to join your child for Subway day, there are extra order forms at the office. Our lunch is from 12:15-12:35. 

Papa Murphys Day

Did you know that every month our PTA has a fundraiser at Papa Murphys? It is the first Wednesday of every month. This month, it will be on Wednesday, November 6th. Papa Murphy's will donate a percentage of your purchases to Willow Creek. If you are ordering online, use the code SUPPORT. If you are ordering in the store, let them know you are supporting Willow Creek! 

This Week We Are Learning....

Reading Comprehension

We are learning how to use non-fiction text features to determine the main idea of a text. 

Word Study

We are reviewing the TH pattern and learning the CK pattern. 

Writing

We are continuing to learn how to write a narrative story. 

Math 

We are starting our next module in math. Click HERE to see an overview of the concepts we are learning during this module (November - January). 

Weekly Update 10/28-11/1

Hello families!
I enjoyed meeting with you all last week during parent teacher conferences. I know the time allotted for parent teacher conferences is limited, but you are always welcome to meet with me anytime during the year. 😊 This is an exciting week at the Creek, here are this weeks announcements.

Red Ribbon Week

This week is Red Ribbon Week.  Here are the dress days for the week:

• Tuesday - "Sock it to Drugs" -- Wear your favorite crazy fun socks!
• Wednesday - "Put a cap on Drugs" Students are asked to wear their "thinking caps" Hats may be worn during the day at the teacher's discretion.
• Thursday - October 31 - "Scare away drugs" Dress up in your Halloween costume for the day. (No masks, heavy makeup, weapons, toys, or props). 
• Friday - "Team Up Against Drugs: -- Wear your favorite sports team jersey/shirt to school. 

Ghouls at School

Between 3:30-3:55pm the students will be able to trick or treat around the school track. Parents are welcome to participate, however there will not be enough treats for siblings - we only have enough candy and treats for Willow Creek students. This special event is put on by the PTA and is one that students look forward to every year! 

The PTA is still looking for candy and  non-candy donations. Simply place your donation in the monster box outside the cafeteria. 

Halloween Party

We will be having our Halloween party this Thursday from 2:40-3:30pm. All families are welcome to join us for the party! If you would like to come to the party, please sign up HERE. If you are volunteering for the party, please arrive at 2:20 to help set up :) 

It's going to be a great week! 

Weekly Update 10/21-10/24

Hello families!
This week is parent teacher conferences! Thank you for signing up so promptly, I can't wait to meet with you all! 😊 Reminder: there will be school this Wednesday, but no school on Thursday or Friday due to parent teacher conferences.

Halloween Party 

Our Halloween party is coming up soon! Our class will be having a Halloween party on October 31st, from 2:40-3:30pm. All families are welcome to join us for the party! For more information or to sign up to volunteer, click HERE. I am still looking for a parent volunteer to help run the bingo game during our party! Thank you for helping make this a special day!

Book Fair

Our school will be having a book fair in the school library starting on Tuesday, October 22nd. The book fair will be open from 4:30pm-8:00pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and all day Thursday 8:00am-6:00pm. The students will be making a wish list during their library time on Monday, so they will not be checking out books this week.

This Week We Are Learning...

Reading Comprehension
* We are learning the difference between fiction & non-fiction texts.
*We are learning how to read informational texts.
* We are learning how to use non-fictions text features to determine the main idea of the text.
Word Study
This week there were no spelling words sent home. We will be continuing to work on blends, there will not be a spelling test on blends.
Writing
We are finishing writing our first narrative story!
Math
*We are learning how to use the counting on strategy while solving addition problems.
*We are learning about fact families
*We are learning how to write addition and subtraction equations for a fact family.
*We are learning how to solve subtraction problems.

Weekly Update 10/14-10/18

Hello families!
Over the next few weeks we have a lot of exciting things happening at Willow Creek 🎉. Parent teacher conferences, Ghouls at School, our Halloween party, etc.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Have you signed up for parent teacher conferences yet? Parent teacher conferences will be October 23rd & October 24th. I also added a few extra time slots that we could meet on Monday, October 21st. I can't wait to meet with you to discuss the progress your child has made so far. 😊

Click HERE to sign up for parent teacher conferences. 

Ghouls at School 

Every Halloween at Willow Creek, students and staff come to school dressed up in their Halloween costumes for the day (please no masks). At the end of the day the students are given a bag and they get to "trick or treat" at school. Our PTA puts this event on for us and they will be sending out more details as it gets closer to Halloween. Our PTA is asking for donations of candy and non edible items. To see a list of non edible ideas that you could donate, click HERE. You can drop off your goodies in the monster donation box at the front office. If you would like to volunteer for this event contact the PTA at willowcreekparents@gmail.com.  Thank you for your support! 

Halloween Party 

Our class will be having a Halloween party on October 31st, from 2:40-3:30pm. For more information and to sign up to donate supplies and/or volunteer, click HERE. All families are welcome to join us for the party! Thank you for helping make this a special day! 

Snack Time

Since school has started, we have always had snack in the morning. We will be switching to an afternoon snack time and no longer have snack in the morning. This works better for our schedule. Snack time is only a few minutes long and is optional. Please make sure your child has a filling breakfast in the morning. 😊

PTA Meeting 

The Willow Creek PTA will have their monthly meeting on Thursday, October 17th at 4:15pm. It's not too late to join the PTA if you are interested in joining! If you want to become a member, click HERE to fill out the membership form and send it to school with your child. Even if you don't fill out the membership form, you can still attend the meetings at any point throughout the year. 

This Week We Are Learning....

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning the difference between fiction & non-fiction texts.
* We are learning how to read informational texts.
* We are learning how to use non-fiction text features so we can understand the text better.
Word Study
We are learning to spell and read blends so we can become better readers and writers.
Writing
We are continuing to write our narrative story and edit with C.U.P.S.
Math
*We are learning to use the counting on strategy while solving addition problems
*We are learning how to solve subtraction problems.

Weekly Update 10/8-10/11

Hello families!
We had a great time at Jog-A-Thon last week! Our school raised over $12,000! 🎉 This is a major fundraiser that our PTA puts on to give money back to our school, so thank for your donations!

Parent Volunteers

Last week our parent volunteers started (YAY! 🎉) I am so thankful for your help! If you haven't signed up and are interested in volunteering in our class, you can sign up anytime throughout the year by clicking HERE to sign up. If at any time you are not able to come during your scheduled volunteer time, please email me at newton.kelsey@westada.org to let me know you are not able to come. I know we all have busy lives, so I understand when schedules conflict.

Box Tops

We are still collecting box tops! If you have any box tops, you can send them to school with your child. 😊 Box tops helps raise money for our school and the class that earns the most, wins a party!

Sight Words Assessment

At the end of this week, your child will be assessed on the sight words they have been learning since school has started. These are the sight words that are sent home every week on their homework paper.  If you would like to see all of the sight words click HERE to see the sight word list. Please review the words with your child this week to make sure they are ready for the assessment. Building fluency with sight words helps tremendously to make them strong readers. They will need to be able to read these words in 3 seconds or less. Thank you for your support!

Spelling Test

This Friday your child will take their first spelling test. The spelling words were sent home on Friday (short u).

Subway Day

Subway Day is coming to Willow Creek again on Friday, October 18th. This week your child will be bringing home a Subway order form. If you want to buy subway for your child make sure to turn in the Subway order form by Thursday, October 10th. If you would like to join your child for Subway day, they have extra order forms at the office. *Reminder -- you are welcome to join your child any day for lunch. Our lunch is from 12:15-12:35.

This Week We Are Learning...

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning the difference between fiction & non-fiction texts.
* We are learning how to read informational texts so that we can answer questions about the text.
* We are learning how to use non-fiction text features so we can understand the text better.
Word Study
We are learning to spell and read the short u pattern so we can become better readers and writers.
Writing
We are learning how to write a fiction story.
Math
We are learning addition strategies so can be more efficient solving addition equations. We will be learning about the doubles & doubles plus 1 strategy.

Weekly Update 9/30 - 10/4

Hello families!
We had a great time on our field trip this week! Thank you to all the families that volunteered to chaperone. Click HERE to see a slide show of the field trip 😊 

*Reminder: There will be no school next Monday, October 7th due to teacher collaboration. 

Jog-A-Thon

On Wednesday, October 2nd Willow Creek will be holding our annual Jog-A-Thon! Jog-A-Thon is a fundraiser put on by our amazing PTA that helps raise money for our school! The entire school will be walking or jogging on the Willow Creek track on Wednesday, October 2nd at 2:45pm. I hope you will able be able to join us! 😊

 Click HERE to see the flyer that was sent home with more information. 
*To make a donation, you can send cash/check in with your student or to donate online click HERE.

Thank you for helping support our school! Donations are due by Monday, September 30th. 

This Week We Are Learning...

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning the difference between fiction vs. non-fiction.
*We are learning how to identify the characters, setting, problem, and solution in a story.
*We are learning how to fill out a story map so we can understand the story better.
Word Study
We are learning to spell and read the short e pattern so we can become better readers and writers.
Writing 
This week we are starting our narrative writing unit. We are learning how to write a fiction story.
Math
We are learning how to use the counting on strategy to solve word problems & understanding the meaning of the equal sign.
Click on "Math Tips" at the top of this screen to see in more detail what we are learning during this math module. 


It's going to be an another awesome week down in first grade! 😁

Weekly Update 9/23 - 9/27

Hello families!
This week is our field trip! Our field trip to the Ag Expo will be on Tuesday, September 24th. Thank you for turning in all of your field trip permission slips so promptly! We will be leaving for our field trip at 11:30am and returning around 2:30pm. If you are planning on riding the bus with us, please arrive at 11:25am. If you are meeting us there, we will be arriving there around 12:00pm. Since we will be on our field trip during lunch time, we will be eating an early lunch BEFORE we leave. If you marked on the permission slip that you will be sending a lunch for your child, please send the lunch with your child in the morning so they will be able to eat it BEFORE we leave for the bus. We will be eating an early lunch around 11:00am. It's going to be a great field trip, I can't wait! :)

Are you wanting to join us on the field trip? If so, there is still time to sign up! Click HERE if you would like to join us. 😊

The Ag Expo is hosting a family night for all first grade families in our school district on Tuesday, September 25th from 5:30-7pm. This will be an opportunity to experience all of the stations that we are going to see on our field trip with your families. Click HERE for more information.

Scholastic Book Orders

Looking for books your child will LOVE to read? Scholastic offers high-interest books at a low cost. If you would like to order books, click HERE and enter our class activation code NGTFY.  

Book orders are due September 27th. 

Jog-A-Thon

Mark your calendars because on Wednesday, October 2nd Willow Creek will be holding our annual Jog-A-Thon! Jog-A-Thon is a fundraiser put on by our amazing PTA that helps raise money for our school! The entire school will be walking or jogging on the Willow Creek track on Wednesday, October 2nd at 2:45pm. The kids always have so much fun at this event! Parents and siblings are welcome to join us! This year, there is even a Disney twist..... everyone is allowed to wear costumes inspired by their favorite Disney characters. (No costumes that will hinder running, and no masks). Our school has set a goal for raising money for the Jog-A-Thon. Awesome prizes are awarded if our school makes our goal, and individual prizes for students that raise the most money. (See the flyer that was sent home on Friday for details). 

*To make a donation, you can send cash/check in with your student or to donate online click HERE.
Thank you for helping support our school! Donations are due by Monday, September 30th. 

This Week We Are Learning....

Reading Comprehension
*We are learning the difference between fiction vs. non-fiction.
*We are learning how to identify the characters, setting, problem, and solution in a story.
*We are learning how to fill out a story map so we can understand the story better.
Word Study
We are learning to spell and read the short o pattern so we can become better readers and spellers.
Writing 
We are learning how to write in a complete sentence and use C.U.P.S to edit our writing.
Math
We are learning to use the counting on strategy to solve story problems.
Click on "Math Tips" at the top of this screen to see in more detail what we are learning during this math module. 
Social Studies
We are learning what it means to be a learner at Willow Creek (BOOTCAMP!) This week we are learning about Kelso's Choices & the IMessage. These are conflict resolution strategies that will be used in our class when students have a conflict with their peers.

Click HERE to see what Kelso's Choices are (Kelso is a frog)

Click HERE to see Kelso in action 😂

Click HERE to see what the IMessage is

Weekly Update 9/16 - 9/20

Hello Families!

I enjoyed seeing you all at Back to School Night on Thursday! I look forward to getting to know you all more, it's going to be a GREAT year! :)  If you weren't able to make it, no worries! I sent home the information presented with your child on Friday. If you are interested in viewing the powerpoint that was presented click HERE.

Scholastic Book Orders

On Friday, your child brought home their first Scholastic book order of the year. Scholastic offers high interest books at a low cost. Becoming fluent readers and fostering a love for reading is one of my primary goals for the year! Research repeatedly shows that the best way to become a better reader is to spend more time reading! :) I would encourage you to read daily with your child --- them reading to you, and you reading to them. Honestly, as a teacher, reading at home plays one of the biggest roles in a student's progress throughout the year. If you decide to purchase books from Scholastic, our class earns bonus points! These bonus points allow me to order FREE books for our classroom library, bookshelf, and guided reading groups!! Last year, I was able to add over 100 books to our classroom! When you order online, you have access to ALL the Scholastic flyers (Toddlers - High School) 

*If you are interested in ordering books, click HERE and use our class code NGTFY

If you have any questions, need help ordering, or would like book suggestions for your child, please let me know. I love all things Scholastic and I am more than happy to help! :) I truly appreciate your support in fostering a love for reading at home!

Please submit your orders by Friday, September 27th. 

This Week We Are Learning....

Reading Comprehension
We are learning to identify the characters, setting, problem, and solution in a story so we can understand it better. 

Word Study
We are learning to spell and read the short i pattern so we can become better readers and spellers. 

Writing
We are learning how to write in a complete sentence. 

Math
We are learning to decompose combinations of 10.
 Click on "Math Tips" at the top of this screen to see in more detail what we are learning during this math module. 

Social Studies
We are learning what it means to be a learner at Willow Creek Elementary (First Grade Bootcamp!) This week we are learning about the "Learning Pit" and what "tools" are in our in our "Learning Toolkit" that can help us get out of the pit. 

Click HERE to see the Learning Pit and the Learning Toolkit. 

It's going to be another great week down in First Grade!!

Weekly Update for 9/9 - 9/13

Hello Families!

We have had an awesome 2nd week of school! First Grade Boot Camp is in full swing in our classroom!! Over the next few weeks, the students are "Troops in Training" for Boot Camp to learn about what it means to be a learner at Willow Creek Elementary. So far, we have learned in Boot Camp that to be a good learner you have to be resilient, curious about learning, independent, and embrace challenges. We have read different children's books to help teach us about what these characteristics look like and sound like in the classroom. For example, when we learned about being resilient, we read books like Pete the Cat and The Most Magnificent Thing. The students also have Army dog tags that can they can earn for different rules & procedures that they have mastered in our class room such as: lining up, making their lunch choice, clean up time, etc. The students have LOVED Boot Camp and we have had so much fun!

Click HERE to see the Troops in Training 

Field Trip

We are going on a field trip! Our first field trip will be on Tuesday, September 24th. We will be going to the Meridian Agricultural Expo. We will be leaving at 11:30am and returning around 2:30. On Monday, your child will be bringing home a permission slip and more information about the field trip. Please return the permission slip by Wednesday, September 18th.   You are welcome to join us on the field trip to help chaperone! :)

If you would like to join us on the field trip, click HERE 

Take Home Folders

On Monday, your child will be bringing home their take home folder for the first time. Inside, you will find their first homework assignment, picture day order forms if you choose to order photos, field trip information/permission slip, box tops information, and a subway order form. Please remove the papers, and return the folder on Tuesday. During the week, the students will be storing their class work in their take home folder and it will be sent home again on Friday. 

Back to School Night

Back to School Night will be on Thursday, September 12th. This will be an opportunity to see our classroom, get information about what your child will be learning this year, and information about our classroom rules & procedures. There will be 3 sessions. Each session will cover the same content, so you may choose the time that is most convenient for you. 

Session 1: 5:00-5:25

Session 2: 5:30-5:55

Session 3: 6:00-6:25

I hope to see you all there! If you can't make it, no worries!  I will send home the handouts & information home with your child the next day. 

Subway Day at Willow Creek

Every month, our school will be having Subway Day at Willow Creek. On Monday, an order form was sent home with your child and you may purchase a subway sandwich, cookie, and chips for $6.00. Families are always welcome to join their children at school for lunch anytime! Lunch is from 12:15-12:35. There will be extra order forms in the office if you would like to order an extra meal for yourself and join your child for lunch on this day. Order forms will be due by Thursday, September 12th. Subway Day is Friday, September 20th. 

I am looking forward to another great week in First Grade! :) 

Welcome Back to a New School Year!

Wow, we have had a GREAT first week! This is an AWESOME class! :) This week we have been working hard on learning what it means to be a good learner at Willow Creek.  It's going to be a great year and I am so excited to spend this year with your child!! :)

If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to our blog! You can subscribe to our blog by entering your email address in the "Follow by Email" box to the right of this blog. Once you subscribe, you will be able to see weekly updates that will be sent right to your email. We have already had over half of our families subscribe! Once you subscribe, you will be sent an email that will require you to confirm your email to activate your subscription. You will need to respond to that email to activate your subscription before you can receive updates to your email. 

A Few Reminders & Upcoming Events

• School starts at 9:05 everyday except for Wednesday. Every Wednesday is late start (9:20) due to teacher collaboration. The playground will be open and recess duties will be supervising starting at 8:45 on M,T,TH, F and 9:05 on Wednesday morning. I am a recess duty on the playground every morning, so I will not be in my classroom from 8:45-9:05. 

• Lunch starts at 12:15pm. You are welcome to come anytime to eat lunch with your child! School lunch costs $2.50 for students, and $3.95 for adults. If you want to add more money to your child's lunch account, you can access their lunch account online by clicking HERE. If you think your child may qualify for free or reduced lunch, you can find out more information about the program HERE. 

• Back to School Night will be Thursday, September 12th from 5:00-6:30. This will be an opportunity for you to see our classroom, get information on what your child will be learning this year, and information about our classroom rules/procedures. I hope to see you all there!! 

• Picture day will be September 17th. More information will be sent home with your child in the coming weeks. 

• Starting this week we will be collecting box tops!! Please send in your box tops with your child. Box tops helps give money back to our school! The class that earns the most box tops wins a party!!

HELP WANTED: Join the PTA

Are you wanting to become more active in our school and get to know other parents? If so, we would LOVE for you to join our PTA! We have an awesome PTA who are always supporting the students and teachers. Our PTA needs your help! If you would like to join the PTA or would like more information, click HERE. Joining the PTA is a great way to get to know other parents and become more active in our school! Thank you for supporting us! The first PTA meeting is on September 19th at 4:00pm.

Please feel free to contact me anytime. The best way to get ahold of me is by emailing me at: newton.kelsey@westada.org. 

I'm looking forward to another awesome week! :)

Welcome to First Grade!

Hello Families!
         My name is Kelsey Newton and I'm your child's first grade teacher this year! I am so excited for the opportunity to be your child's teacher! I can't wait to get to know you all. It's going to be an awesome year! :)
         Make sure to subscribe to this blog to stay up to date on all current events in our classroom! To subscribe, enter your email address under the "Follow by Email" box on right hand side of this page. During the school year, check back on this blog on MONDAYS to see what's happing in our classroom.
         Join me and the other first grade teachers for popsicles in the park on August 12th. This will be a chance to meet me and the other kids in our class..... all while enjoying popsicles and playing at the park! :) I hope to see you all there!