Picture Day 2019

Happy September families. We survived a full week back after our weird two day cyber week, and we survived Friday the 13th with a full moon!  We have one more new routine to add this week, RTI. Please read on to learn more about that below, as well as what is happening in our class this week.

Math:  This week we will finish working on our strategies for counting on. After this we will move onto understanding the equal sign and constructing true number sentences (ex: 2+3 = 4+1). More challenging, students will identify false number sentences and learn how to fix them by changing an addend. 

ELA:  We are moving into unit 2 from our NatGeo series, which means that the theme of our NatGeo series will be plants for the next 4 weeks. We will be tying these stories into our science the next several weeks as well. In grammar we will be looking at present progressive verb tense (ing with am, is, and are).

Social Studies:  We will be wrapping up Ancient Mesopotamia this week. We will have an Ancient Mesopotamia taste testing to try some of the foods from the region. We will need the following food donations to make this happen. If you can bring in any of the following supplies by this Friday (September 20th) we would greatly appreciate your contributions:

• Apples (sliced)
• Honeydew (sliced)
• Cantaloupe (sliced)
• Pita Bread
• Figs
• Dates
• Goat Cheese
• Grapes

Science:  Now that we have learned all about what it means to be a scientist we will begin our science units. As mentioned above, our first unit will be plants to coincide with our ELA unit. We will begin by planting alfalfa and ryegrass seeds and focus on the question, "What happens to seeds in moist soil."  This also begins our learning of the scientific process, which we will follow and record in our notebooks every time we conduct an experiment.

Picture Day:  Picture Day is this Wednesday. If you are ordering pictures please make sure you have your packets returned to me by Wednesday morning at the latest. You may also order pictures online at mylifetouch.com using your ID SR259110Q0. If you order pictures online, make sure you let me know via a note in the agenda. We are scheduled to take our pictures at 10:15 Wednesday morning, so please be on time.

RTI:  RTI begins this week. RTI is our whole school reading intervention. First grade goes to RTI after lunch. We break into small groups based on individual reading needs of our students.  Then during these 25 minutes we work on meeting those needs/skills in smaller and more intensive group settings. 

Mustang Gallop:  The Marshall Gallop is our annual jog-a-thon fundraiser where 100% of the proceeds comes back to Marshall school in the way of school supplies for students and other classroom items needed by teachers at the beginning of the year.  Your child should have gone home with a packet on Friday. This is so that they may begin collecting pledges from family and friends. Pledges can be made per lap or as a flat rate. We will run our Jog-a-thon on Friday, September 27th. First grade running time is at 9:30. This day is to determine how many laps your child has run so they can go back and collect from those who choose to donate per lap. Money envelopes are due back on October 4th. Check are accepted, made payable to Marshall PTO. We would love to have 100% of the students participate in this event! This is our 12th annual Gallop and our theme is Lunar Launch. I think the class has agreed that we will be Shaw's Shooting Stars. If you would like to come join us for the Gallop, we would love to see you here!

Snacks Needed:  We are out of snacks! If you could provide us with one or two healthy snacks to carry us through for a while we would greatly appreciate it. Our first graders get very hungry between breakfast and lunch and a snack is needed to help fuel their brains and bodies until they can make it to lunch. 

The students are noticeably becoming more familiar with routines and expectations, and I see it in their behaviors and attentiveness during class and instructional time. We are growing, and I am proud of the gains we are making! - Ms. Shaw

Updates September 9th-13th

Happy September, and welcome back! Thank you for being patient while FUSD worked diligently on restoring all systems back to where they needed to be to ensure the safety of all students and staff, and preforming the proper maintenance needed on all computer systems to get us back to running on business as usual. The FUSD Tech team, and everyone else who spent countless hours to make sure we could be open on Monday did an amazing job, and I for one am extremely grateful for the work they put in and the response of the district! The 2 cyber snow days put us slightly behind, so next week will be spent doing some catch up, then we will be back on track. Here's how next week will look academically...

Math:  We will wrap up our unit on addition word problems, which will conclude with a unit test about mid week. After this we will  begin counting on to solve addition problems.  

ELA:  Due to our 2 day week last week we will continue with our short o spelling words. This means I will send home the same list of words so that the children may continue practicing their short o list, and the test will be given on Friday. We had a few weeks of cushion built into our yearly schedule for spelling, so this will be just fine. Also, we did not have an opportunity to read "The Dot" so we will do that this week. We did have the opportunity to start our grammar lessons with Ms. Perkins however. We have started learning about nouns and verbs. I will continue to reinforce these two concepts with additional lessons this week. Ms. Perkins will also be teaching about pronouns, adjectives, and prepositions. Then we will be learning how to put all our parts of speech together to form sentences.  We are also continuing our handwriting lessons, currently focusing on correctly writing numbers 0-20.

Social Studies:  We will be hitting all our Ancient Mesopotamia concepts we did not get to last week. Ziggurats, cuneiform writing, and inventions/contributions of the Ancient Mesopotamians. Next week we will be concluding our unit of study with a taste test of foods from Ancient Mesopotamian times. Please be on the look out in next weeks blog for food we will need donated for this special lesson. 

Science:  Before we begin our science units I like to introduce the students to science by reading the book, "What Is a Scientist?"  This gives them an ideas of what a scientist does, and what they will be doing as scientists in our classroom. Then we will cut and paste scientists into our notebooks and write adjectives to describe a scientist. This activity also gives us an opportunity to become familiar with our science notebooks and start hearing terms such as predict and hypothesis and data.  

Marshall Gallop:  This Friday our students will be attending the Pep Rally for our Marshall Mustang Gallop. The Gallop is our amazing annual PTO fundraiser. Your students should be bringing home pledge packets on Friday, I believe. These are to collect pledges from friends and family members who would like to donate to our school fundraiser. Pledges may take form in an amount per lap (for instance, someone may want to pledge $1 per every lap your child runs on Gallop day) or they may be a flat donation in any amount. The actual Gallop (the day the kiddos run their laps) will be on Friday, September 27th. We will be sending home volunteer forms for this day as well. This is just the basic information I have thus far, more information will be coming. Please remember, this is the only fundraiser for Marshall for the entire year. We highly encourage as much participation as we can get, seeing as 100% of these funds always go directly back to our students. Last year the money raised went into buying all the back to school supplies for every students and teacher here at Marshall. This is very unprecedented in our field of work, and I know I for one was extremely grateful not to have to buy supplies out of my pocket for the beginning of the year. This was the first year I did not have to do this, and it would not have been possible if not for this fundraiser and the generosity of our amazing PTO! I know they plan to continue this contribution to our families, so let's all do our share in making this happen and go out there and collect those donations! Thank you for your participation!

Picture Day:  Marshall picture day is next Wednesday, September 18th.  Picture packets should be going home soon!

I really look forward to seeing the kids Monday morning, and having a full week of school to do some learning! Let's do this! -Ms. Shaw 

Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! Hope everyone is relaxing and preparing for our short week ahead. Four days, still packing it all in. Here's what we have happening for our week ahead:

Math:  We will be finishing up addition word problems. The students will be learning how to solve problems with missing addends (ex: 5 + ____ =  8). We will continue to work on writing all answers in number bonds and number sentences. We are also learning how to solve problems with math drawings (simple shapes to represent our objects in our stories) and to make sure our drawings show the parts we know in our stories clearly. 

ELA:  We will be working on the short o sound this week, which will give us the chance to read the fiction story, "The Dot." We will incorporate a fun Dot art project with this story as well. We will also learn to how to do Work on Writing during Daily 5 (which we did not get to do last week). This week we will also begin our daily grammar lessons with Mrs. Perkins. She will be coming into our classroom everyday Monday-Thursday and be doing a 30 minute grammar lesson with the whole class. These lessons are designed to help us improve reading, reading comprehension, and writing skills. 

Social Studies:  We are still studying Ancient Mesopotamia. The students enjoyed our mapping activity where they colored the two rivers that surround Ancient Mesopotamia (The Tigris and The Euphrates) and colored in the land that was Ancient Mesopotamia (which means "land between two rivers"). This week we will learn more about the clothing of the Mesopotamians, and their Ziggurats. If time allows we will also learn about their writing and try our hand at writing our name in Cuneiform.

Volunteering at School:  The first PTO meeting of the year is this Wednesday in the library at 4:30. The PTO is a fun and easy way to get involved in your child's schooling here at Marshall. The meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month from 4:30-5:30 and free child care is always available. I know this is a great way for you to hear first hand what is happening here at school and that you can help in what you can, no pressure to do more than that! If you would like to see what our amazing PTO is all about make plans to stop in Wednesday for their first meeting, they would love to see you there! 

If you are more interested in volunteering in the classroom that would be great as well. I am in search of someone to help grade rocket math (20 minutes daily). If you would like to come in and help in some other capacity, reach out and we can make it happen! Thank you!

Suzuki Violin:  Suzuki Violin starts back up this week. This is our amazing partnership with NAU where all Marshall students, K-2 receive free Suzuki violin lessons twice a week here at school. This is such an amazing, one of a kind program and we are so excited to be offering it to our students once again!

I hope everyone is rested and ready for our week ahead!       -Ms. Shaw

Open House 2019 Updates

Hello families. This blog is full of important information regarding open house, so please stay tuned for all of that and more. First, a look at what we will be learning for the week.

Math: We will begin a kind of long unit on addition word problems, focusing both on total unknown problems and addend unknown problems. This unit will go into next week as well.

ELA: This week we will learn and practice the final piece of Daily 5, Work on Writing. This is often the trickiest for first graders, as we learn how to come up with topics to write about, and what to do when we write a word and we are not sure it is spelled correctly. We are still working on making working on all parts as a whole and building stamina. We will introduce our leveled readers from NatGeo and begin our small group work as well as begin working on sight words with individuals. 

Social Studies: We are wrapping up our unit on families, although our NatGeo stories will focus on families for the next 3 weeks. Therefore we will move onto our unit on Ancient Mesopotamia. We will spend the next few weeks learning about where Ancient Mesopotamia is located, their people and contributions from that time, and how they farmed, as well as so much more. 

Open House: Open House is this Wednesday from 5:30-7:00. However, the first grade session is only running until 6:30. This is how the evening will go. If you have a child in K-2 you will attend the Title 1 information fair in the gym from 5:30-6:00 with Principal Reasor. From there you will join me in our room (9) for our presentation on first grade expectations and how we will get there together. If you have a child in grades 3-5 you will go to their designated class from 6:30-7:00. If you do not have an older child you are free to leave after our session together! This is not our typical see the classroom Open House, w e did that before school during the BBQ. This is more informational for you on what first grade is all about and how we can work together to ensure your child has a successful school year. I hope to see everyone there!

Pink Emergency Form: This years Student Emergency Form is pink and will be going home tomorrow with your child. Please fill it out and return it by the end of the week in the blue agenda folder. Attached is a check list of forms that were to be filled out for registration to be complete for this year as well. If you would, please check off those you have completed online in person on paper and return that to me at the same time as well. Thank You!

Grading Marks:  You may have noticed marks on papers that go home.  If it is a test it will have a number from 1-4, which aligns with a standards report. 1 means your student is struggling with understanding the concept/standard taught . 2 means they understand with a bit of support, and are progressing. 3 means they are proficient in their understanding. A 3 is where we want every first grader to be in all areas. A 4 is exemplary, they have a high level of understanding of the concept taught. I have made a symbol system for papers that are not tests (such as morning work and math practice packets) that match this so that you can see at a glance how your child is doing with in class work. This look like...

                    1 =  a minus sign

                    2 =  a check mark

                    3 = a smiley face

                    4 = a star

It is important to note that I have never and will never discuss what these marks are with the students, they think they are random and are just happy to get a mark on their paper. They think it is their for me to keep track of completion, which is half true. I do this so not to cause any frustration for those who are receiving a 1 or 2. When they have a 1 or 2 I work with them to achieve a level of understanding, these marks are simply to let you know where there level of understanding was overall. If you have any questions about the scoring feel free to contact me.

Homework:  Please start developing good homework habits with your children now. Develop a routine of when they do homework and where they do homework. I know it is a new concept for our firsties, but it is important that they learn this new part of school life. I know it is not always easy, but I would like to make sure that ALL students complete their entire homework packet by the end of the week. If the Friday deadline is too hard for your family, please come talk to me and we can work something out. At the same time, this is only first grade. Homework should not take over your lives! I do not want children (and parents) frustrated on any given night. If your child is not feeling it and it is turning into a struggle on a night, write me a note and explain it wasn't happening on that particular evening. I want happy homes and snuggles and no tears. Homework does not need to equal frustration! We can work together to help our little ones find that balance of this new expectation, but hopefully not make it a source of frustration. If you ever need to communicate homework concerns or questions, pop in, email, or write a note in the agenda. Thank you.

Birthday Treats and Snacks: I want to remind parents that we want to be mindful of what we send in for snacks and for birthday treats. Per FUSD policy, these need to be healthy. FUSD has really made strides in making sure our students are eating healthier and have put in place guidelines that limit their intake of sugar. We are asking your help in this endeavor. If you choose to bring in a snack or a birthday treat, please make it healthy. Please read the attached note, I believe from Principal Reasor in regards to this matter.

Healthy Classroom Parties

Dear Families,

When you contribute snacks for a classroom celebration, please provide healthful, nutritious choices for the students to enjoy. Flagstaff Unified School District strives to teach healthful eating habits, both in theory and in practice. This includes during all classroom parties and events. Our goal at FUSD is to make healthy choices easily accessible to all. Thank you for helping to create a healthy school environment!

Healthy Options

Fresh, whole fruit (apples, pears, oranges, bananas, grapes)

Fruit or applesauce cups (no sugar added)

100% Fruit Juice

Bagged baby carrots or other vegetables served with hummus

Whole grain crackers or pretzels

Dried fruit mix

Brown rice cakes

Bagged, low-fat popcorn

Cheese sticks or slices

Yogurt cups

Fresh Fruit Salads

Healthy Classroom Celebrations - Teachers Resource

Flagstaff Unified School District teaches healthful eating, both in theory and practice. This healthy philosophy includes during classroom parties and events, as well as after school activities. The goal of FUSD is to make healthier choices easily accessible to all and promote healthy behaviors for life.

Many schools have chosen to celebrate birthdays once per month and without food. If food is served, healthy options are required.

This is a shift that comes easier with practice, and first grade is the time. I myself quit giving out candy in birthday bags and for rewards about 5 years ago because so many families do not want that as an option for their children. For those of your who read the beginning of year letter I sent out, one option is to donate a birthday book to the class. I will add your child's picture to the book, and have them sign it. Then we will read it to the class and add it to our library. Those who have chosen this route have loved sharing their favorite story with the class. If you would like other nonfood options, feel free to reach out. Please remember, bringing in anything is a choice, and we have many families who skip this altogether every year. This is perfectly acceptable. Every child still receives a birthday cup and we still sing to them regardless. I love celebrating them on their special day!

Stanford Harmony: Stanford Harmony is a district adopted social emotional learning program designed to foster communication, connection, and community both in and outside the classroom. We have been using the SH cards to have conversation, do buddy up activities, and learn about each other and build team work. Last week one of the activities was to make a sticker collage with a partner. The children were so happy working on the project, and below is pictures of the teams and their creations. The coolest part is how easily almost every team decided who would take their collage home. Great teamwork!

Save the Dates:

• Wednesday, August 28th - Open House 5:30-7:00 (First grade session only runs from 5:3-=6:30)

• Monday, September 2nd - School Closed - Labor Day

• Wednesday, September 4th - First PTO meeting of the Year in Library - 4:30-5:30 - Childcare Available

• Wednesday, September 18th - Picture Day

• Friday, September 27th - Mustang Gallop (More Into to Come)

Looking forward to our week ahead! -Ms. Shaw

Updates August 19th-23rd

Hello Mustang Room 9 Families. We are entering our second full week of school. Last week was an adjustment to those full, long days - and the heat did not help. This week should be a little easier, although it appears as though it will be hotter still. We will also begin homework this week. Please read on to learn more about this.

Math:  The students spent time last week discovering all the ways there are to make 6 and 7 (ex: 6 is 4+2, 3+3, 6+0, etc...). and learning that the inverse answer is the same as the original answer (if 4+2 are parts of 6 so are 2+4). This week we will work on the same for making 8 and 9.  Students will continue to write number bonds for these problems.  Students will also be making their own rekenek bracelet's to help us start working in groups of 10, and we will generate all expressions that equal 10.  At the end of all this we should be taking our first math test of the year, probably on Thursday.

ELA:  This week we will begin using our NatGeo Curriculum and this means students will start reading from our readers, and we will begin our spelling program.  Last week during Daily 5 we practice Reading to Self (building stamina so we we learn how to read for longer periods of time everyday)-which we will practice more of this week. We will also learn how to pick good fit (or just right) books. Last week we learned how to use Word Work (where the students have 6 options to choose from to help learn their weekly spelling words) and this week we will add Read to Someone (which has very specific roles for each child, and very specific language for them to use) and Listen to Reading, which will have them scan a QR code to hear a story and then draw a picture and write a few sentences that correlate with the story. 

Each student will need their own pair of earbuds of headphones for Listen to Reading. Please purchase, label, and bring these in ASAP. Thank you!

Social Studies:  Social Studies and Science will often alternate. We will begin the year with a quick social studies unit on Families. This coincides with our ELA NatGeo story. You will notice that our social studies and science units often align with our ELA curriculum. 

Homework:  We will begin homework this week.  In order for your child to begin establishing healthy study habits now it is best to start developing some sort of homework routine.  Maybe it is a snack and then homework, or first thing after dinner.  Up to you, but a regular spot to work is a good idea.  Our homework will consist of writing our spelling words daily, a page of breaking up our spelling words into their sounds, and a page or so of math. The math comes straight from our math program, and will always be a review of a concept we already learned in class.  Sometimes the concepts can be confusing to us grown-ups, or we may not be quite clear on what is being asked of our students.  If you visit my staff page via the Marshall website there is a link titled Eureka math homework help.  I have also attached the link here https://www.fusd1.org/Page/10110.  The videos have a lady who explains the lesson both visually and orally, and I would suggest watching these if you need any homework assistance. If you look at the top of your homework page it will tell you the Module (1-1 means first grade module 1) and the lesson that you need to click on. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Open House:  Wednesday, August 28th is our Open House from 5:30-7:00. I do not have much information at this time other than it will not be our ordinary meet the teacher, we did this during the back to school BBQ. This will be full of much more important information regarding what is pertinent to your child's educational success in the first grade. What is our focus for them this year and how can we partner with you at home to maximize your students educational success. As far as where you will be and at what times, stay tuned for those details. Please mark your calendars, I believe this will be an important night for all to attend.

Parent VUE Codes:  Some of you may have received a letter in your child's backpack in regards to a Parent VUE activation code. If you did it is because you have not activated your online Parent VUE account yet. You need Parent VUE to log on and finish the beginning of the year registration process. All parents that are in our system have access to Parent VUE; however, only one parent needs to complete the process. Please keep in mind, if we do not have this documentation on file, your students will not be completely registered for the school year. This will affect computer and iPad use as well as other important academic needs.  Please make sure your Parent VUE is active and your registration is complete by the end of this week. The registration can be done through this link https://www.fusd1.org/Page/15517. Thank you.

Dates to Remember:

• Wednesday, August 28th - Open House - 5:30-7:00 pm

• Monday, September 2nd - School Closed - Labor Day

• Wednesday, September 4th - First PTO meeting of the Year in Library - 4:30-5:30 - Childcare is Available

• Wednesday, September 18th - Picture Day

• Friday, September 27th - Mustang Gallop (More Info to Come)

Hope everyone had a restful weekend. -Ms. Shaw

First Week 2019 School Year

Welcome to our first full week of the 2019-2020 school year. This week will be all about learning expectations and some routines. We will be learning what we do and how we do it. Here is what is in store for your first grader...

Math:  We are beginning our math curriculum this upcoming week.  We will be looking at embedded numbers, which means seeing parts inside of whole numbers (ex: inside of 5 we have the parts of 4 and 1, or 3 and 2, etc...).  We will also focus on making number bonds from the whole number and it's embedded parts.  Understanding number bonds now is very important because they will be part of nearly everything we do in math the rest of the year.

ELA:  We are going to be packing a lot into our English Language Arts time this week. This will be our review week of our letters and sounds, along with handwriting practice of our letters. We will also begin learning our Daily 5 routines. Daily 5/CAFE is a literacy framework that I use in conjunction with our district approved ELA curriculum to teach our children how to read. Daily 5 is a series of 5 choices your child will make everyday during part of our ELA time.  CAFE is the methods I will teach them to implement while they are reading during Daily 5.  It may sound like a lot, but I will explain each part here in the blog as we come to it.  You may also feel free to stop by the classroom any day before or after class and I will be happy to explain it in detail.  This week during Daily 5 the students will learn how to read to self, which is broken into 3 parts - read the words, read the pictures, and retell the story.  

• Please note that since we are just beginning math and because we will not begin our regular ELA curriculum until next week there will NOT be homework until next week. Again, homework will not begin until next week.

Science/Social Studies:  Before diving into our traditional science and social studies we will spend this week learning about growth mindset.  Growth mindset is a belief that your basic abilities come from dedication and hard work.  In first grade we start talking to ourselves about how you can train your brain by learning, how mistakes are proof that you are trying.  We will be reading a book called "My Fantastic, Elastic Brain,"  and learn about the different parts of the brain, and what those parts are in charge of and how they make us, well...us.  We will extend the book with lessons about how we can help our brains grow through learning and with hard work.  We will learn how mistakes are the best ways to help our brains grow, and how every time we make a mistake it's ok because we learn what not to do and our brains are growing!  I love this so much!  Growth mindset will be a concept we will work on throughout the year, focusing on more ideas such as the power of yet, one of my favorites, and incorporating it with as much curriculum as possible (such as STEM challenges and ELA).  Again, I will keep posted here in the blog of these activities.

School Supplies: I would like to begin by recognizing and thanking our amazing PTO for supplying everything our students and I need to begin our school year! This has been truly amazing to only have to send out an extra supply list. Thank you also to our families who any items off of that extra supply list. We are stocked and set for a while. If and when we should run out of or need any supplies for the classroom I will post that need here on the blog. The only item you will still need to provide at this point (if you have not already done so) is a set of earbuds/headphones for your child to use during Daily 5. We will label them with your child's name and store in the room for the remainder of the year. If you are interested in becoming a part of our outstanding PTO they meet the first Wednesday of every month from 4:40-5:30 in the library. The first meeting is Wednesday, September 4th. Free childcare is available.

Paperwork:  Please make sure to visit the district website to fill out all the required beginning of the year paperwork for re-enrollment and record updating. Instead of the pile of paperwork the district is requiring these forms to be filled out online this year instead. You can access this website through this link https://www.fusd1.org/Page/15517. Once you are at this site you will need your Parent VUE activation key code if you do not already have an active Parent VUE account. The front office can help you obtain this key code (773-4044), I cannot-I do not have this information. I believe that once you have this set up this year, the process will be much easier in the years to come. Also, please make sure to fill out the form for free and reduces lunch at  http://www.heartlandapps.com. This is one of the most important forms, because the more families that qualify for free and reduced lunch, the more Title 1 funds Marshall school receives. These monies are used for so many things that directly impact your child's education here at Marshall. These funds are used for our Magnet programs, including Suzuki Violin, which every K-2 student participates in for free twice a week, among a myriad of other programs and people that benefit all students here at Marshall. Even if you do not think you will qualify, please take a minute to fill out the form anyway. I did not think I would qualify when my son attended, and it turned out he was eligible for reduced pricing. Although he ate home lunch, I was happy knowing that our completed form was helping Marshall earn funding. Again, thank you for your time in doing this for our school and our students!

Save the Date:

• Open House - Wednesday, August 28th @ 5:30
• Labor Day - School Closed - Monday, September 2nd
• Marshall Picture Day - Wednesday, September 18th

This group had no problem making themselves at home during our first two days together. I can't wait to dive into our year together.  -Ms. Shaw

Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year!

Welcome back students and families! This is our class blog where you will find all the information you need to stay updated on all the happenings at Marshall and in room 9 for the 2019-2020 school year.  This post, our first of the year, is full of information you need to know before the school year begins.  Here is your first scoop of first grade of the year🍨...

You've got snail mail:  I have mailed out the beginning of the year letters.  This includes a supply list, general information sheet, and family information sheet.  Please fill out the family information sheet and return to me as soon as possible.  The how does your child get home section is extremely important to know by the first day of school!  If you have not received your letter in the mail  please let me know via email (ashaw@fusd1.org) and I can resend this information as soon as possible.  Sometimes this happens if you have moved and did not update your address with the office.  If this is the case, please call the office and update your address immediately.

Supply List:  Our Parent Teacher Organization has, for the second year in a row, decided to help Marshall families by buying the supplies the teachers usually request at this time of year.  Almost everything I usually ask for on the beginning of the year supply list has been purchased by our amazing PTO.  However, some bulk items are still needed.  All of this information is in the letter sent home but I have enclosed the list here as well.  The following still needed items are:

• 1 Box Kleenex (Girls)
• 1 Roll Paper Towels (Boys)
• 1 Container Disinfectant Wipes or Hand Sanitizer 
• Wipe Off Markers (Skinny Black)
• GLUE STICKS! (A LOT!)
• Playdough for Daily 5 Reading Program
• 1 set of earbuds for your child's personal use during Daily 5
• Snacks for 21 Students

I wanted to give you this list at the beginning of the year so that you could purchase items at beginning of the year prices, if you should choose to do so.  Your help with these items is greatly appreciated, as we will run out of these item throughout the school year.  Whenever we need supplies or snacks I will notify everyone here on the blog!  Thank you for your help, it is always appreciated!

Paperwork:  During the first days of school you will be receiving a packet of paperwork.  This will be inside your child's agenda, along with a note explaining how the agenda works, and what all those papers mean.  These papers are required to be filled out and collected at the beginning of every year.  One of the most important forms is the free and reduced lunch form, which I believe  can only be done online.  Here is the link to apply for free and reduced lunch, http://www.heartlandapps.com.  Please, even if you do not think you will qualify, log on and apply.  Even if you never plan on feeding your child a school lunch, log on and apply.  Every child that qualifies means more Title 1 funds that come back into our school. Here at Marshall all of those monies go straight back to your children!  A win win, but it only works if you take the time to log on and apply.  This one little thing is so helpful to our school, and we thank you for taking a few minutes of your time to do so!

Back to school BBQ:  On Tuesday, August 6th Marshall will be having it's first ever back to school BBQ.  This is a great time to bring your child to stop in and say a quick hello before or after you and your family enjoy a delicious BBQ dinner.  It is also nice for our nervous 1st graders to see the classroom before the first day of school, although it will be in preparation stages and they should be informed of this beforehand.  This is also a perfect time to drop off supplies if you have purchased any!  The BBQ will last from 5:00-6:00 pm. Our food services will be serving hot dogs or hamburgers, chips, baked beans, and watermelon for $3 per student and $5 per non students. I can't wait to meet everyone, and hope to see as many of you there as possible!

Box Tops:  As we do every year, we will be collecting box tops a couple of times this year (dates to be announced).  Please start collecting box tops now!

Blog:  After the initial round of letters and paperwork are done, this blog will become my official "newsletter" and for the most part I will not be sending home any paper newsletters the rest of the year.  I will update the blog weekly to let you know what is happening in our classroom and at Marshall.  Checking it every week will ensure you will never miss any important events or information, and that you will always know what your child is learning.  Every now and then there will even be pictures to allow you to peek into your child's day at school.  Feel free to bookmark this page for quick and easy reference.  Thank you for checking in and staying informed.

I cannot wait to meet my new first graders and their families at the BBQ or on the first day of school, Thursday, August 8th.  Until then- enjoy the rest of your summer! -Ms. Shaw