"Sock"tober

The SWAT team has been hard at work and their first order of business is to try and help gather socks for homeless shelters. Socks, especially in the winter, are one the most in demand items needed by the homeless. 

Here are the Socktober specifics:

• Socktober will run officially Monday, October 9th through Wednesday, October 25.  The SWAT has established a school goal of collecting 1000 pairs of socks during that time.

• New, unworn socks will initially be collected in classrooms - all classrooms will be getting little "sock bins" to gather up their donations

• Sock collectors will be swinging by all classes during the AM recess to gather your collected goodies (you do not need to send runners down to my room with your socks, we will come and get them...thank you)

• All socks will be counted and sorted by the SWAT team and total school results will posted in the main foyer

• There will be a SWAT team organized "sock funded" bake sale on Thursday, October 19th whereby students can trade new socks for bake goodies, ie. one pair of new socks equals one cookie etc. 

• As a special bonus the class/homeroom donating the most pairs of socks throughout the month of October will receive a special "mystery" treat in November

Thank you all in advance!  It will no doubt have a tremendous impact beyond our school walls!

Words Their Way Spelling Program

Your child will be bringing home their first Words Their Way spelling list today. The Words Their Way program teaches students the importance of word study through phonics, vocabulary and the study of word patterns and their meanings. The main benefit of Words Their Way is that it differentiates instruction, allowing children to work at their appropriate instructional level.

Study at Home:

I ask that your child completes a different spelling activity each night to ensure that the words on their list and the word pattern of the week is mastered. If your child makes a mistake - help them with prompts such as “I see a word/two words in this column that don’t seem right - can you find them?” Encourage them to find the mistake on their own! If there is still confusion - help them make the connection.

Suggested activities are as follows:

Monday---Your child should cut out their words and sort the words into categories. Your child should read each word aloud during this activity. Ask your child to explain to you why the words are sorted in a particular way; what does the sort reveal about the spelling in general? Ask your child to sort them a second time as fast as possible. You may want to time them. Place the word sorts in a Ziploc bag and put them in a safe place. They will be needed for all activities this week.

Tuesday---Sort the words into the same categories again. Then, have your child write the words on a piece of paper along with the appropriate category headings.

Wednesday---Do a “blind sort” with your child. First, have your child write out the headings for the sort. Then, mix up the word cards. Say the word without showing the card to your child. Have your child choose the right category by pointing to the heading that the word connects to. Ask your child “How is the heading and the word you read out loud the same?” Then have your child write the word in the correct category without looking at the word, if possible.

Thursday--- Words Their Way activities not completed in class during the week will be sent home on Thursdays. Please have your child finish the required activities and return to class on Friday in preparation for the spelling test.

Words Their Way focuses less on memorization and more on allowing students to have a more hands-on approach to their learning. The Words Their Way program encourages family support at home. I thank you in advance for your participation and support. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.