Mrs. Thomas' Blog

Parents, I want you to become familiar with the term, “Numberness.”  This is the act of really knowing numbers.  Over the course of the year I will be assessing each child on his/her numberness.  When I assess I will know that they know that they know their numbers.   Let that sink in awhile.  What that means is that there will be no doubt on either side, that my students completely understand everything about a number.  Assessing them will include: the name – “five”, the symbol – 5, the representation – *****, the equivalent –  2+3=5, count forward to five, and backwards from 5.  If I show a representation of any number less than 5 and ask, “how many more do I need to make 5?”, your child should be able to answer.  That’s a very big task, but I think we’re up for it.  You can begin to help your child by counting constantly – forwards and backwards to and from 25 right now.  Our goal will increase as the year moves on.  Lay out small items like pennies, erasers, paper clips, etc and have your child count them one at a time.  This will show you if your child has one-to-one correspondence and strengthen their skills to prepare them for “Numberness.”  I’m very excited about what this will prepare them for.  We’re going to have such a fun year full of math!

We have THE cutest door in the whole school. (I love Pinterest!) I am so thankful for the two moms who decorated our door for the month of October. Thanks ladies!

I am so excited about the start of the new week. We have conquered the “First 20 Days” of Kindergarten. We’ve learned how to sit independently to read a book and take care of materials. We’ve drawn our friends and practiced writing a sentence about them. We’ve learned and practiced how to write our names correctly. We’ve practiced all of our new rules and now we’re ready to hit the ground running on Monday.
Monday brings the beginning of our reading series. You will notice that the work that comes home is much more structured. Each day will bring a new skill and practice for the next several weeks. The homework that comes home on Monday will directly mirror what I’m doing in class. It’s so valuable and helpful to let you know how your child is doing. You will see strengths and weaknesses immediately. Remember that while this homework is NOT mandatory, it is super helpful for your child.  Remember to return those pages on Fridays, signed three times. *Hint: it helps me know which signature belongs to which little person if he/she writes his/her name at the top each week. THANKS!
I am really looking forward to this change of pace. You may find that your Kiddo is extra tired for the next week or two. The pace is much more rigorous so we’ll all be mentally exhausted by Friday.
Thank you for your continued help and investment in your child’s education. I can’t wait to begin to see every one of them grow!

Hello! I’m very excited about the group of students I’ve been given to spend this school year with. Now that I feel like I’m beginning to get to know them, I have a lot of thoughts I’ll be sharing in the coming days.
I hope you’ll find this site helpful. Unfortunately it doesn’t have a “Notify” component so you’ll need to check back often – just in case I forget to email you a notification.
Thank you for the support you’ve given us already. I’m looking forward to teaming with you this year to further your child’s education. I think it’s going to be a wonderul year!
Mrs Thomas

It has been such a great year. I cannot brag on this group of kids enough. They have all worked so hard and have come such a long way. I was so proud of their DIBELS scores when I saw them. It actually brought tears to my eyes. Pat yourselves on the back for the work you’ve done, through their homework and other means, to help them grow like they have this year. Next year is going to be so wonderful for them because of the foundation you’ve helped lay. Thank you for all of your help and support. I could not have done all of this by myself.
While I’m looking forward to our End Of The Year party, I’m not looking forward to it being the end. I will remember this group with great fondness. Thank you all for being a part of it!
Have a blessed and safe summer, and I hope to see you all in the fall!

What a busy week. We enjoyed being “unique” today for Leap Day. It was fun to see how each family interpreted that. We also enjoyed the Third Grade Bluebird‘s Patriotic concert today.
Also today we read Pet Show, by Ezra Jack Keats and we decided that we should have a pet show ourselves. I’m looking forward to that tomorrow.
On Friday we will celebrate Dr. Suess’ birthday with a few fun activites.
I’ve been very excited about how much my kiddos’ reading is growing. What a joy to be surprised when I hear them read words, phrases and sentences they weren’t able to read before. Almost everyone is bringing home “bag books” from the school library. Those circulate every 2 – 3 days instead of just on Friday’s so be sure to send them back after adequate practice with each book in the bag. Please understand that I bump them up when they reach a goal that consists of accuracy, fluency and comprehension. Just because your child has a large sight word base and can call words, doesn’t mean the book is too easy. Bear with me!

Thanks for your continued support and help at home!  Your child is growing because of your efforts!

Every one of our door decorations have been so cute, and so well done. Next Month’s is no exception. Thanks so much to Elizabeth B.    

We had a wonderful experience today. The parents of one of our classmates are in the Philippines this week, and we were able to coordinate some time to Skype with them this morning. My kiddos got to hear a little bit about the culture over there. Guess what Dad had for dinner? He had spaghetti from McDonalds! I never would have guesseed that. Mom told us that it is really hot over there right now too! We hope they have a wonderul trip and bring home many more wonderful stories.
If you or someone else in your family Skypes, please let me know!

We have some of the most amazing animal skin stories I’ve ever seen. They really understood how the Indians had to use pictures to tell a story. You’ll love these when they come home!

We have THE cutest door in the whole school. Thanks Kelly!!!