|
|
|
|
4/21 Class Trip Cancelled Unfortunately, due to an oversight by the bus company, there was no bus to bring us to our class trip today. If a replacement trip is planned, we will let you know. Update: We'll be going to Insectropolis on Friday, 5/19 :)
2/17/17 Sugar Cube Castle – Guess the Cubes - Winner This year the sugar cube contest consisted of guessing the amount of sugar cubes used in constructing all 5 of the 7th grade castles. The range given to guess in was 10,012 to 14,801. The actual amount of cubes used was 12,627. The winner this year is the FIRST GRADE. They guessed 12,717, only 90 cubes away from the actual amount. -Mr. Kennedy GREAT ESTIMATING SKILLS, FIRST GRADERS!
UPDATE: Chick Play Day (Take 2) is Weds., 1/25Our 12 eggs have arrived! Farmer Eric told us how to care for the eggs and, with our care, to expect 6 or more of the eggs to hatch into chicks. Parents are invited to come see and hold the chicks on "Chick Play Day" which is Wednesday, January 18, 2017. The parent open house (drop in and out as you're able) time is from 1:45-2:25.
1/4
Next week on 1/10, the first graders will have eggs delivered to the classroom to complement our unit in Science on the life cycle of a chicken. The eggs are scheduled to hatch by Tuesday, 1/17 and will be returned to the farm on Thursday, 1/19. “Chick Play Day”- a tradition at BHS- is Wednesday, 1/18 and is a day for K-8 students to visit the first grade classroom and see and hold the baby chicks, with the first graders instructing them. Once the Chick Play Day schedule is made, I will send home another notice inviting parents to come meet the baby chicks, as well.
12/22 For a holiday surprise, Miss Kiss, Mrs. McGoey, and Ms. Meyer asked a former BHS parent, Cheryl (sometimes known as Loon-E the Clown) to come in and teach the kindergarteners and first graders about balloon-ing! Each student made their own candy cane and then had a specially made reindeer hat made to fit! Check out the "2016-2017 PHOTOS" tab for lots of pictures! Ho ho ho and happy holidays! :)
11/4 A letter from Mr. Camardo about conferences was sent home in HW folders on Thursday, 11/3. Conferences will be held on Monday, 11/28 during the school day. There will be no school for students during that day.
To schedule your conference, please go to the Conferences tab on this website for information.
10/27 static.sixflags.com/readtosucceed/ReadToSucceed_FAQs.pdf Great Adventure sponsors the Read to Succeed program. Students who record 6 hours of reading, record it on a reading log, and hand in that reading log to Ms. Meyer by Tuesday, 2/21/17 receive a free ticket to Six Flags Great Adventure for one visit during the summer of 2017. Reading logs will be sent home the first week of November 2016. Click on the link for more info.
10/26 Another way to encourage reading in a fun way- leaving a note in your child's lunch. Here is a link to download some cute paper for lunch notes (though the old-fashioned napkin note works, too!) www.readingrockets.org/books/fun/notes
10/26 There are a lot of kids in this class who enjoy Legos, and what child doesn't LOVE getting mail? Click this link to sign up for a FREE Lego newsletter. www.lego.com/en-us/club/member/articles/details/magazine-sign-up-2-e344dd7a1961497187adf5352ff87e53
10/5 Fire Poster Contest Winners announced: Congratulations to all students for beautiful posters! The Fire Department awarded gold coins to: Gillian (3rd place), Evan (2nd place), and Avery (1st place)!! :)
10/4 HOMEWORK SUGGESTION FOR ALL STUDENTS- Tues. –Thurs.
On Friday October 7, 2016, first graders will be having a Fundations (Phonics) assessment on forming all 26 letters of the alphabet and recognizing the sounds associated with 10 of the letters.The best way to study for this assessment is to practice writing all letters in alphabetical order and to review the sounds associated with all 26 letters. I have attached practice paper and an alphabet chart to a note in your child's Homework Folder to help students study. We reviewed this information in class today, so your child should be aware of the upcoming test and its requirements.
10/3 Thanks very much to the parents who volunteered to be the first grade class parent. In a random drawing of interested volunteers, Rebecca Whitley was selected. Thanks very much to all!
9/30/16 What a great turnout for Back to School Night! 100% attendance! This class comes with a reputation for being a bunch of nice kids who come from nice families, and the rumors are true. Very nice "meeting" all of you and I'm looking forward to a great year!
9/20 "Two Books & a Blanket" On Friday of Sea Week (9/30), all BHS classes will be walking to the beach after lunch. Once there, kindergarten and first grade students will stay a while to participate in "Two Books & a Blanket." Miss Kiss will read two beach-themed stories while children (in listening distance) have a chance to play in the sand. Parents who plan to join us at the beach are welcome to "pull up a towel" and enjoy the stories, as well as bring beach toys from home (rakes, sand molds, sifters, etc) for children to use while they listen to the stories. After the stories, students will walk back to school, and regular dismissal procedures will be in place.
9/7 Several parents have asked about being a class parent. In years past, the selection of "class parent" has been handled in different ways: sometimes selected by Home & School, sometimes selected by classroom teachers. If Home & School is not involved with choosing class parents, I believe the most fair way for me to choose one would be to select a name from a "hat" from all those who are interested. If you're interested in being the class parent, please let me know and I'll throw your name in the hat- and thank you in advance!
Sept. 1, 2016 Remind is a free, safe, and easy way for me to send class announcements or reminders. You can choose to receive notifications by text, email, or the app. Click on the link in this message to subscribe to messages for FIRST GRADE 2016-2017. www.remind.com/join/7ab8a7 or text @7ab8a7 to 81010. Having trouble? Go here: https://help.remind.com/hc/en-us/articles/203541849
August, 2016: WELCOME to first grade at Bay Head School! The summer reading suggestion was to read a book- any book of your choice- about trees, and to complete one of the suggested activities. Students were also asked to complete an "All About Me" page and mail it to Ms. Meyer in the addressed, stamped envelope handed out in June. If you did not receive the packet that includes this information, they are available in the main office. Students who are not/were not able to get a packet should not worry. :)
August, 2016: Many parents have inquired about supplies. The school budget allotted money for student supplies, so every first grader has everything he/she needs waiting for him/her in the classroom. However, I know that some boys and girls enjoy shopping for school supplies, so students are welcome to bring in their own pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, folders, etc.
ARCHIVES:
2015-2016
10/1/15 After talking with parents and colleagues about the benefits of non-traditional seating (see this article http://life.gaiam.com/article/how-sitting-ball-helps-kids-focus-and-do-better-school), the 4th and 5th graders are experimenting with an exercise ball in Ms. Meyer's classes. Each day a new student will have the opportunity to use the ball, if they wish. After every student gets a turn, we will discuss how/if the exercise ball affected our learning. If your child has an exercise ball at home, they are welcome to bring it into school during this experimental time, to use in Ms. Meyer's classes only. (This archived post explains a bit about my philosophy and policies that apply to the first grade classroom, so it has not been deleted.)
2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR:
2/23 Nominate a child ages 6-18 to win scholarships based on community service. Kohls Cares program. Info here http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/scholarship/ Deadline to nominate is 3/13
2/20 Interesting news if you're a 4th grader in September 2015! http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/02/19/let-s-get-every-kid-park
1 /21 Student Progress Folders will be sent home today and tomorrow. This packet contains information about your child's progress. It is meant to provide more detail than the report card coming next week, and also to give parents a "jump start" on parent teacher conferences. With only 8 minutes for each conference, Mrs. Wisliceny and Ms. Meyer feel having information in advance can help us all make the most of our time. PLEASE bring this folder with you to conferences. If you do not need/want a conference, please return the form confirming you've reviewed the folder.
1/20 Barlow's Flower Farm holds worskhops for kids and adults on a wide variety of topics. Knowing this current group of students, I thought the following link might be of interest: http://www.barlowflowerfarm.com/events/upcoming/
12/11 CONGRATS to TESS and REID, who will represent the 5th grade class on Monday, December 12th in the Spelling Bee.
12/10 Parent/teacher conference schedules have been approved. Tuesday 1/27 and Wednesday 1/28 are 12:15 dismissal days. Conferences begin at 1:15 and end at 2:45 on both those days. Also, evening conferences are on Wednesday 1/28 from 6:00PM until 7:45. Please call the main office to schedule a conference. Because the time & format only allows for 8 minute conferences, Ms. Meyer & Mrs. Wis will send home a "progress folder" the week of/before conferences to help answer some questions in advance.
12/10 CONGRATS to Tanner and Seamus, who will represent the 5th grade class on Monday, December 12th, in the Geography Bee.
12/8 CONGRATS to Trevor and Warren, who will represent the 4th grade class on Monday, December 12th, in the Geography Bee.
12/5 Today I attended a workshop on the PARCC, the standardized test administered by the state of NJ that is aligned to the Common Core standards. Anyone interested in learning more about this test can click on this link for a Powerpoint shared with me at this workshop. http://tinyurl.com/moarqur
_
11/17-12/1: In between units 1 & 2, we took a break from our usual routine to reflect on what we've learned, review & supplement certain skills, and enjoy a novel in whole group, independent work, and small group.
4th grade novel: Loser by Jerry Spinelli
5th grade novel: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
11/17 In this weeks Friday Folders, 4th and 5th grade students will find a reading log/journal for this year's Six Flags "Read to Succeed" program. Students who record 360 minutes of reading on this log will receive one free ticket to Six Flags Great Adventure, to be redeemed in summer 2015. Please turn in your reading logs ANY TIME, but no later than February 1, 2015.
10/17 Starting next week, the Music program will be cut back. 4th graders will have Music class 1st and 3rd marking periods, and 5th graders will have Music class 2nd and 4th marking periods. See handout in Friday Folders on 10/17.
10/15 Thanks to the Board of Ed and Home & School, 4th & 5th graders will see Slapstick Sonata at the Count Basie Theater on 10/27. Permission forms will go home this week. Students will leave school in the morning (around 9:30) and return to school to eat a bagged lunch in the classroom around 12:45. Since this is a later lunch than usual, students may bring one small snack (no drink) to eat on the bus on the way back to school. Students will return to school in time to participate in Phys Ed and Spanish.
10/10 Fire safety poster winners: Congrats to 5th grade winners Haley (1st), Emily (2nd), and Tess (3rd) Congrats to 4th grade winners: Owen (1st), Isabella (2nd), and Aidan (3rd)
10/2 If your 5th grade student would like to explore a reading comprehension website I just discovered, please do so- and let me know what you think! The website is ReadTheory and 5th graders can log into http://www.readtheory.org/auth/login Use sharksbhs5 as your password and then change your password after logging in. For your username, please send an email request to me at meyer@bayheadschool.org. More info about the website can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGYV0FeIyDo
9/23 Many thanks to Miss Andrews for starting keyboarding instruction with 4th & 5th grades this week during Library time. New state mandates require students to be able to type 1-2 pages in one sitting (approx 30 minutes)- not an easy task for students who've not had keyboarding instruction. These Tuesday sessions are a step in the right direction in learning a valuable skill.
9/21 Sunday- One Day of Peace-- What is it? Why did 5th & 7th grades learn about it? https://www.ted.com/talks/jeremy_gilley_one_day_of_peace?language=en and see the 9/26/14 edition of the Ocean Star for more info on BHS's celebration
9/15 Spanish increases from two to THREE times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) Read the following for an article on why that's good news for your child's brain! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/10126883/Why-learn-a-foreign-language-Benefits-of-bilingualism.html
and this article https://deepenglish.com/article/12-surprising-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language/
9/2: Please email me at meyer@bayheadschool.org if you're interested in being the parent contact for 5th grade. Thank you!
9/3 Happy new school year!
2/17/17 Sugar Cube Castle – Guess the Cubes - Winner This year the sugar cube contest consisted of guessing the amount of sugar cubes used in constructing all 5 of the 7th grade castles. The range given to guess in was 10,012 to 14,801. The actual amount of cubes used was 12,627. The winner this year is the FIRST GRADE. They guessed 12,717, only 90 cubes away from the actual amount. -Mr. Kennedy GREAT ESTIMATING SKILLS, FIRST GRADERS!
UPDATE: Chick Play Day (Take 2) is Weds., 1/25Our 12 eggs have arrived! Farmer Eric told us how to care for the eggs and, with our care, to expect 6 or more of the eggs to hatch into chicks. Parents are invited to come see and hold the chicks on "Chick Play Day" which is Wednesday, January 18, 2017. The parent open house (drop in and out as you're able) time is from 1:45-2:25.
1/4
Next week on 1/10, the first graders will have eggs delivered to the classroom to complement our unit in Science on the life cycle of a chicken. The eggs are scheduled to hatch by Tuesday, 1/17 and will be returned to the farm on Thursday, 1/19. “Chick Play Day”- a tradition at BHS- is Wednesday, 1/18 and is a day for K-8 students to visit the first grade classroom and see and hold the baby chicks, with the first graders instructing them. Once the Chick Play Day schedule is made, I will send home another notice inviting parents to come meet the baby chicks, as well.
12/22 For a holiday surprise, Miss Kiss, Mrs. McGoey, and Ms. Meyer asked a former BHS parent, Cheryl (sometimes known as Loon-E the Clown) to come in and teach the kindergarteners and first graders about balloon-ing! Each student made their own candy cane and then had a specially made reindeer hat made to fit! Check out the "2016-2017 PHOTOS" tab for lots of pictures! Ho ho ho and happy holidays! :)
11/4 A letter from Mr. Camardo about conferences was sent home in HW folders on Thursday, 11/3. Conferences will be held on Monday, 11/28 during the school day. There will be no school for students during that day.
To schedule your conference, please go to the Conferences tab on this website for information.
10/27 static.sixflags.com/readtosucceed/ReadToSucceed_FAQs.pdf Great Adventure sponsors the Read to Succeed program. Students who record 6 hours of reading, record it on a reading log, and hand in that reading log to Ms. Meyer by Tuesday, 2/21/17 receive a free ticket to Six Flags Great Adventure for one visit during the summer of 2017. Reading logs will be sent home the first week of November 2016. Click on the link for more info.
10/26 Another way to encourage reading in a fun way- leaving a note in your child's lunch. Here is a link to download some cute paper for lunch notes (though the old-fashioned napkin note works, too!) www.readingrockets.org/books/fun/notes
10/26 There are a lot of kids in this class who enjoy Legos, and what child doesn't LOVE getting mail? Click this link to sign up for a FREE Lego newsletter. www.lego.com/en-us/club/member/articles/details/magazine-sign-up-2-e344dd7a1961497187adf5352ff87e53
10/5 Fire Poster Contest Winners announced: Congratulations to all students for beautiful posters! The Fire Department awarded gold coins to: Gillian (3rd place), Evan (2nd place), and Avery (1st place)!! :)
10/4 HOMEWORK SUGGESTION FOR ALL STUDENTS- Tues. –Thurs.
On Friday October 7, 2016, first graders will be having a Fundations (Phonics) assessment on forming all 26 letters of the alphabet and recognizing the sounds associated with 10 of the letters.The best way to study for this assessment is to practice writing all letters in alphabetical order and to review the sounds associated with all 26 letters. I have attached practice paper and an alphabet chart to a note in your child's Homework Folder to help students study. We reviewed this information in class today, so your child should be aware of the upcoming test and its requirements.
10/3 Thanks very much to the parents who volunteered to be the first grade class parent. In a random drawing of interested volunteers, Rebecca Whitley was selected. Thanks very much to all!
9/30/16 What a great turnout for Back to School Night! 100% attendance! This class comes with a reputation for being a bunch of nice kids who come from nice families, and the rumors are true. Very nice "meeting" all of you and I'm looking forward to a great year!
9/20 "Two Books & a Blanket" On Friday of Sea Week (9/30), all BHS classes will be walking to the beach after lunch. Once there, kindergarten and first grade students will stay a while to participate in "Two Books & a Blanket." Miss Kiss will read two beach-themed stories while children (in listening distance) have a chance to play in the sand. Parents who plan to join us at the beach are welcome to "pull up a towel" and enjoy the stories, as well as bring beach toys from home (rakes, sand molds, sifters, etc) for children to use while they listen to the stories. After the stories, students will walk back to school, and regular dismissal procedures will be in place.
9/7 Several parents have asked about being a class parent. In years past, the selection of "class parent" has been handled in different ways: sometimes selected by Home & School, sometimes selected by classroom teachers. If Home & School is not involved with choosing class parents, I believe the most fair way for me to choose one would be to select a name from a "hat" from all those who are interested. If you're interested in being the class parent, please let me know and I'll throw your name in the hat- and thank you in advance!
Sept. 1, 2016 Remind is a free, safe, and easy way for me to send class announcements or reminders. You can choose to receive notifications by text, email, or the app. Click on the link in this message to subscribe to messages for FIRST GRADE 2016-2017. www.remind.com/join/7ab8a7 or text @7ab8a7 to 81010. Having trouble? Go here: https://help.remind.com/hc/en-us/articles/203541849
August, 2016: WELCOME to first grade at Bay Head School! The summer reading suggestion was to read a book- any book of your choice- about trees, and to complete one of the suggested activities. Students were also asked to complete an "All About Me" page and mail it to Ms. Meyer in the addressed, stamped envelope handed out in June. If you did not receive the packet that includes this information, they are available in the main office. Students who are not/were not able to get a packet should not worry. :)
August, 2016: Many parents have inquired about supplies. The school budget allotted money for student supplies, so every first grader has everything he/she needs waiting for him/her in the classroom. However, I know that some boys and girls enjoy shopping for school supplies, so students are welcome to bring in their own pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, folders, etc.
ARCHIVES:
2015-2016
10/1/15 After talking with parents and colleagues about the benefits of non-traditional seating (see this article http://life.gaiam.com/article/how-sitting-ball-helps-kids-focus-and-do-better-school), the 4th and 5th graders are experimenting with an exercise ball in Ms. Meyer's classes. Each day a new student will have the opportunity to use the ball, if they wish. After every student gets a turn, we will discuss how/if the exercise ball affected our learning. If your child has an exercise ball at home, they are welcome to bring it into school during this experimental time, to use in Ms. Meyer's classes only. (This archived post explains a bit about my philosophy and policies that apply to the first grade classroom, so it has not been deleted.)
2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR:
2/23 Nominate a child ages 6-18 to win scholarships based on community service. Kohls Cares program. Info here http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/scholarship/ Deadline to nominate is 3/13
2/20 Interesting news if you're a 4th grader in September 2015! http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/02/19/let-s-get-every-kid-park
1 /21 Student Progress Folders will be sent home today and tomorrow. This packet contains information about your child's progress. It is meant to provide more detail than the report card coming next week, and also to give parents a "jump start" on parent teacher conferences. With only 8 minutes for each conference, Mrs. Wisliceny and Ms. Meyer feel having information in advance can help us all make the most of our time. PLEASE bring this folder with you to conferences. If you do not need/want a conference, please return the form confirming you've reviewed the folder.
1/20 Barlow's Flower Farm holds worskhops for kids and adults on a wide variety of topics. Knowing this current group of students, I thought the following link might be of interest: http://www.barlowflowerfarm.com/events/upcoming/
12/11 CONGRATS to TESS and REID, who will represent the 5th grade class on Monday, December 12th in the Spelling Bee.
12/10 Parent/teacher conference schedules have been approved. Tuesday 1/27 and Wednesday 1/28 are 12:15 dismissal days. Conferences begin at 1:15 and end at 2:45 on both those days. Also, evening conferences are on Wednesday 1/28 from 6:00PM until 7:45. Please call the main office to schedule a conference. Because the time & format only allows for 8 minute conferences, Ms. Meyer & Mrs. Wis will send home a "progress folder" the week of/before conferences to help answer some questions in advance.
12/10 CONGRATS to Tanner and Seamus, who will represent the 5th grade class on Monday, December 12th, in the Geography Bee.
12/8 CONGRATS to Trevor and Warren, who will represent the 4th grade class on Monday, December 12th, in the Geography Bee.
12/5 Today I attended a workshop on the PARCC, the standardized test administered by the state of NJ that is aligned to the Common Core standards. Anyone interested in learning more about this test can click on this link for a Powerpoint shared with me at this workshop. http://tinyurl.com/moarqur
_
11/17-12/1: In between units 1 & 2, we took a break from our usual routine to reflect on what we've learned, review & supplement certain skills, and enjoy a novel in whole group, independent work, and small group.
4th grade novel: Loser by Jerry Spinelli
5th grade novel: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
11/17 In this weeks Friday Folders, 4th and 5th grade students will find a reading log/journal for this year's Six Flags "Read to Succeed" program. Students who record 360 minutes of reading on this log will receive one free ticket to Six Flags Great Adventure, to be redeemed in summer 2015. Please turn in your reading logs ANY TIME, but no later than February 1, 2015.
10/17 Starting next week, the Music program will be cut back. 4th graders will have Music class 1st and 3rd marking periods, and 5th graders will have Music class 2nd and 4th marking periods. See handout in Friday Folders on 10/17.
10/15 Thanks to the Board of Ed and Home & School, 4th & 5th graders will see Slapstick Sonata at the Count Basie Theater on 10/27. Permission forms will go home this week. Students will leave school in the morning (around 9:30) and return to school to eat a bagged lunch in the classroom around 12:45. Since this is a later lunch than usual, students may bring one small snack (no drink) to eat on the bus on the way back to school. Students will return to school in time to participate in Phys Ed and Spanish.
10/10 Fire safety poster winners: Congrats to 5th grade winners Haley (1st), Emily (2nd), and Tess (3rd) Congrats to 4th grade winners: Owen (1st), Isabella (2nd), and Aidan (3rd)
10/2 If your 5th grade student would like to explore a reading comprehension website I just discovered, please do so- and let me know what you think! The website is ReadTheory and 5th graders can log into http://www.readtheory.org/auth/login Use sharksbhs5 as your password and then change your password after logging in. For your username, please send an email request to me at meyer@bayheadschool.org. More info about the website can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGYV0FeIyDo
9/23 Many thanks to Miss Andrews for starting keyboarding instruction with 4th & 5th grades this week during Library time. New state mandates require students to be able to type 1-2 pages in one sitting (approx 30 minutes)- not an easy task for students who've not had keyboarding instruction. These Tuesday sessions are a step in the right direction in learning a valuable skill.
9/21 Sunday- One Day of Peace-- What is it? Why did 5th & 7th grades learn about it? https://www.ted.com/talks/jeremy_gilley_one_day_of_peace?language=en and see the 9/26/14 edition of the Ocean Star for more info on BHS's celebration
9/15 Spanish increases from two to THREE times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) Read the following for an article on why that's good news for your child's brain! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/10126883/Why-learn-a-foreign-language-Benefits-of-bilingualism.html
and this article https://deepenglish.com/article/12-surprising-benefits-of-learning-a-second-language/
9/2: Please email me at meyer@bayheadschool.org if you're interested in being the parent contact for 5th grade. Thank you!
9/3 Happy new school year!
