Canned Food Drive

Although the beginning of November marks the official end of our school canned food drive, please remember the less fortunate in our community over the coming holiday season and cold winter months.

Walk to the Beach Postponed

Unfortunately we're going to have to reschedule today's walk to the beach due to rain. We will reschedule soon!

Permission Slips

Last week you should have received two permission slips to sign- one for our CHESPAX trip to Cypress Swamp on Monday, 10/28 and another for our Fall walk to Bayfront Park on Wednesday, 10/30. Please make sure you sign and return both as soon as possible! We will draw names for chaperones in the next few days.

Jingle Bell Walk/Run 5K

Mrs. Grenier will be running (and walking!) in the Jingle Bell 5K on December 7th in Ellicott City, MD. We will be raising money to fight arthritis. If you'd like to contribute to our team fundraising, or check out our goals, please visit the race site at: Casey Grenier's Personal Page for 2013 Jingle Bell Run/Walk - Ellicott City, MD

Shape Story and Activity Videos

In the last few days we've started our first math unit on Geometry! We've read and listened to different stories about shapes to help us discover the distinguishing characteristics of each plane shape.

"The Greedy Triangle" by Marilyn Burns

 "Mouse Shapes" by Ellen Stoll Walsh  

 Mouse Shapes Activity- http://www.digitalpencil.org/Projects_AllGrades/MouseShapes/MouseShapes_Geometrics.aspx 

 Shape Train

   

 "Skippy John Jones: Shape Up" on We Give Books- must create free membership to see. http://www.wegivebooks.org/books/skippyjon-jones-shape-up

Welcome to the 2013-2014 School year!

For all of those coming to our class website for the first time, welcome! I'm looking forward to a wonderful year in first grade with your child. I hope you'll take some time to look around our site. I update as often as possible to include important class information, class pictures, homework assignments, and useful links.

Be sure to use your family code from our first-day packets to sign up for behavior updates on classdojo.com.

Text (925)401-3860 with the message @mrsgfirst to sign up for our Remind 101 account. This will allow me to text you in case of homework or schedule changes or for important reminders. Remember that it is not a two way account, so if you need to reach me please use email or call our school phone number.

If you have any questions about these or any of the other paperwork or assignments coming home, please let me know by email at grenierc@calvertnet.k12.md.us or by phone at 410-257-1512.

Almost back to school!

It's that time again, mid-August and back to school time! Tomorrow I'll be heading in to the classroom to start setting up for another wonderful year!

Donors Choose Project

Hi Friends,

I want to make sure my students have the materials they need to succeed. So I've created a classroom project request at DonorsChoose.org, an award-winning charity.

I'm asking for donations of any size to help my kids. For the next week, any donation you make to my project will be doubled! If you know anyone who is passionate about education, please pass this along. Your donation will brighten my students' school year, and you'll get photos and thank yous from our class.

Here's my classroom request:
Scientists in Training

To have your donation matched dollar for dollar, enter the match code INSPIRE on the payment screen. This awesome match offer lasts through August 9, 2013.

My students and I greatly appreciate your support.
Casey

Summer Break

Hello students and families!

I hope you're doing well in these last few school days before your summer break. As you plan your summer camps, vacations, and daily activities, remember to keep the things we've learned on track! On Friday I sent home a list of websites that I recommend for learning games and activities, and remember that this site and all of its links and activities will be running all summer as well.

Most important, remember to read, read, read and have lots of fun!

On a personal note, an elementary teacher friend will be spending his summer break building homes in El Salvador as part of Habitat for Humanity. He is asking for support to try to make a fundraising goal as well as moral support! If you're able, please visit his site at the address below. Thank you!

http://share.habitat.org/charles-codling-morazan-el-salvador

Please note- as of this newest information, it seems that the BOE is only considering Plan #1 and Plan #2.

Board of Education Sets Public Hearings for Beach Elementary Redistricting

The Board of Education will hold two public hearings on proposed redistricting plans for Beach Elementary School on June 3 and 4, 2013, at 7 p.m. at Northern High School.  After a formal presentation, citizens will have the opportunity to comment on two proposed plans developed by the Beach Elementary School Redistricting Committee.

Under both proposed plans, students would be redistricted out of Beach Elementary School into Plum Point and Windy Hill elementary schools.  Sunderland Elementary will not be affected in either of the two plans the being considered by the Board.  The goal of redistricting is to reduce the number of students attending Beach Elementary.

Beginning May 28, maps and boundary descriptions for both redistricting plans will be available to the public on the school system’s website atwww.calvertnet.k12.md.us as well as in Beach, Plum Point, and Windy Hill elementary schools.

On May 23, the Board of Education stated that it is considering moving forward with redistricting for the 2013-2014 school year.  

In addition to accepting oral comment at the public hearings, the Board will accept written comments through July 5, 2013.  Written comments may be submitted at the public hearings, by mail or by email.

Send written comments to:

Board of Education

Brooks Administrative Center

1305 Dares Beach Road

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

maxeyk@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Redistricting Plans

Many parents have asked for information concerning next year's emergency redistricting. We have no inside information at the school (and in fact, will probably find out what is decided from the newspapers!) but here are the three plans and official information that was posted by the BOE today:

http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/calvert/Board.nsf/files/97SPYH665BE4/$file/BES%20Geographical%20Attendance%20Area%20Study%20Final%20%5BCompatibility%20Mode%5D.pdf

I will try to post when we find out dates for BOE meetings set up to discuss and vote on these plans.

Field Trips

You're not going crazy (although we might be!) first grade really is going on two different field trips!

Our class will be having our yearly CHESPAX trip to Battle Creek Cypress Swamp on Wednesday, April 24th. this permission slip came home on Monday and came with an extra half sheet form for parent volunteers. If you would like to chaperone this trip, please send back the extra half sheet. All student permission slips for this trip have been returned! (Yay!) We can take quite a few chaperones on this trip.

Next, we will be going to the Calvert Marine Museum with Mrs. Ernest's class on Tuesday, May 7th. This permission slip came home on Tuesday. This trip is allowed very limited chaperons (2-3 per class!) so let us know if you'd like to chaperon on the permission slip, but please do not send any money until I let you know if you've been picked to go. I will try to pick the chaperones in the fairest way possible.

Our next big event will be Field Day and our walk to Bayfront Park, both coming up on Friday, May 17th.

We will have no new homework, spelling, or vocabulary words this week!

Have a great Spring Break and we'll see everyone back on Monday, April 8th.

Moby Max Educational Site

I've recently registered our class for an educational website called mobymax.com. Students will be bringing home a form with their own unique username and password for our class. The program will automatically move students through lessons based on their needs.

Simply go to the site at, www.runmoby.com/md1343 , to access the Beach Elementary page. From there, sign in with the username and password given in class.

Please feel free to use mobymax.com at home. We will occasionally use the site at school, but as with any educational tool, the more practice students have, the more they will benefit. Thank you!

Go Cameron!

We want to cheer on our classmate Cameron as he plays in tonight's "Mites on Ice" game with the Washington Capitals! Cameron's team will be playing during intermission time of tonight's game versus the Boston Bruins in front of 18,000+ cheering Caps fans. Go Cameron and go Caps!

Elements of Vocabulary Words 2/25-3/1

Hi everyone! Sorry for the lack of vocabulary letter this week. Here are our words:


pasture
velvet
scraps
mandatory
tempting
provide

We watched this Domino video in class today as part of our lesson on cause and effect. The students wanted a link so that they'd be able to share with their families, I hope you enjoy!