First Grade News

Greetings, Parents!

Thank you so much for a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week!  It has been such a great week filled with drawings, cards, poems, flowers, and sweet words from my firsties.  I feel very loved! 

I can't believe how the school year has flown by!  It's been a great year, and I have enjoyed watching those little kindergarteners who came to me in August grow into big kids ready to enter second grade!  The only thing I don't enjoy about teaching is the annual good byes I must say to the group of sweeties to whom I've grown so attached.  Thank you for sharing your child with me this school year!

But, we have one week left of school, and it's going to be a fun one!  Here's some important info:

• All reading logs are now due.  Please send those to school as soon as possible, and I'll begin recording your first grader's totals on the grade card.
• Century's Talent Show will be next week.  Due to the large number of participants, there are two talent show times.  Monday's show will be at 2:00 pm and Wednesday's show will be at 9:00 am. 
• Thursday, May 17th is Century Field Day!  Our class will spend most of the day rotating through different activity stations around the school (we'll take a little break around lunch).  We'll wear our tie-dye t-shirts and have a fun-filled day with our first grade friends. 
• Friday, May 18th is the last day of school.  Students will be dismissed at 12:45. 

***Important Dates***

• May 14-Talent Show, 2:00 pm
• May 16-Talent Show, 9:00 am
• May 17-Field Day
• May 18-Last day of school, 1/2 day

Thank you so much for all you do at home to support your child's learning!

First Grade News

Good afternoon!

Wow!  Thank you so much for my beautifully decorated door and all the sweet words I've heard from my first graders for Teacher Appreciation Week!  I truly love my job!

Here's the latest first grade news for this week:

• Our class has filled our hundred chart with compliments again!  Our class chose to have a stuffed animal day again, so your first grader may bring a stuffed animal to school on Tuesday.  Please help your child select a stuffed animal that does not make sounds.  Great job, first graders!
• Please remember to send a plain, white t-shirt to school with your child.  I'm hoping to have all the shirts in this week, so that I can take them home and tie-dye them this weekend.  Thank you!
• If you ordered a yearbook, it should be coming home with your child today.

***Important Dates***

• May 11-Choice Day (extra recess), May reading logs due
• May 14-Talent Show, 2:00 p.m.
• May 16-Talent Show-9:00 a.m.
• May 17-Field Day
• May 18-Last day of school (1/2 day for students)

Thank you and have a great week!

First Grade News

Good afternoon, Parents!

Here's this week's first grade news:

• All library books are due back to our Century library this week.
• Please continue practicing for our spelling bee!  If your first grader has mastered the 110 words I sent home, please begin practicing our complete spelling list from the year, since we will use these words if needed in our spelling bee.  That list is available at http://eckhardtfirstgrade.blogspot.com/p/this-weeks-spelling-list.html.
• April reading logs are now due.  Please begin recording your first grader's reading on the May reading log.  May reading logs will be due Friday, May 11.

***Important Dates***

• Thursday, May 3-Breakfast with Books
• Friday, May 11-Choice Day (extra recess, 25 signatures), May reading logs due
• Thursday, May 17-Century Field Day
• Friday, May 18-Last day of school, 1/2 day

Thank you and have a great week!

First Grade News

Dear Parents,

Thank you so much to everyone who was able to attend our Coffeehouse Poetry program!  Our first graders worked so hard and they did an amazing job.  I hope everyone had a wonderful time, and thanks again!

By the way, I was way too nervous to take enough pictures, and I didn't have a great view of the whole class, so if you were able to take lots of pictures, would you mind to email a few of them to me?  I would really appreciate it!

Here is this week's first grade news:

• Last week we took our final spelling test.  For the last month of school we will be reviewing the spelling of all 110 Word Wall Words.  We will be having a Spelling Bee for our classroom and our top four spellers will compete in the First Grade Spelling Bee!!  Please practice the spelling of the 110 Word Wall Words to help prepare your child for this big event!  The students who compete in the First Grade Spelling Bee will be tested over the Word Wall Words and the entire first grade spelling list. 
• The Care to Learn Backpack program supplies food to the students of Nixa in need.  Each week a personal care item such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo or deodorant is included.  Any brand or size of product can be used, including travel sizes from hotels.  Our Character Cadet program here at Century invites all of our families to donate these personal care products in the month of May.  A display will be set up in the foyer, and all items brought in for donation will be placed there.  At the end of May, all items will be given to the Care to Learn project.  Thank you for your support and for teaching our students the importance of compassion!  If you have any questions, feel free to contack Jennifer Maloney, Counselor, at 724-3804.
• The last day of the school year will be Friday, May 18, and it will be a half day of school.

***Important Dates***

• Tuesday, April 24-Meet Your School Night, 6-8:00 p.m.
• Friday, April 27-Choice Day (Sit by a friend, 25 signatures)
• Monday, April 30-April reading logs due
• Friday, May 11-Choice Day (Extra recess, 25 signatures), May reading logs due
• Friday, May 18-Last day of school!

First Grade News

Dear Parents,

Hello again!  It is hard to believe we only have five weeks of school left.  The end of the year is quickly approaching, and we still have so much to do!  Here is the latest news for this week:

• Tomorrow night there will be a community meeting on Nixa's new youth sports program.  It is at 6:30 and will be held at the Nixa High School Auditorium.
• Meet Your School night will be Tuesday, April 24th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  
• This week's challenge words will be could and should.

***Important Dates***

• Tuesday, April 17-PTA Skate Night at Skateland at 6:00 p.m., Community meeting on new youth sports program
• Friday, April 20-Coffeehouse Poetry program, 8:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, April 24-Meet Your School Night, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
• Friday, April 27-Choice Day (Sit by a Friend)
• Monday, April 30-April reading logs due
• Friday, May 18-Last day of School

Thanks and have a wonderful week! 

First Grade News

Good afternoon, Century families!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!  The beautiful weather has me all refreshed and ready for Coffeehouse Poetry.  Here's this week's news:

• Coffeehouse Poetry invitations and RSVP forms will be coming home on Monday.  Please RSVP with the number of guests your first grader is expecting by Thursday, April 12.
• Thank you for sending in your Box Tops!
• This week's challenge words will be enjoy and pointed.

***Important Dates***

• Thursday, April 12-Poetry RSVP slips due, Century Godfather's Pizza night
• Friday, April 13-MVP (Your first grader may choose to redeem 75 signatures for snacks and fun with the principal.)
• Tuesday, April 17-PTA Skate Night at Skateland, 6-8:00 p.m.
• Friday, April 20-Coffeehouse Poetry program
• Tuesday, April 24-Meet Your School Night, 6-8:00 p.m.

Thank you and have a great week!

We put tired words to bed!

Tired words want to go to sleep.

Let them rest!  Don't make a peep!

Try to use a synonym instead

Let those tired words stay in bed.

We're learning that there are some words in our writing that make Mrs. Eckhardt *yawn*!  Words like nice, like, funny, big, and said are words that are used over and over and over again, and they've gotten tired.  Instead of using those tired words, we use synonyms instead-words that mean the same thing, but aren't tired! 

Ask your first grader what tired words they've been putting to bed, and what synonyms they've been using instead. :)