I hope you and your family had a restful winter break! I’ve enjoyed having my 2 big kids home from college to join my high schooler, but I’m ready to see my 26 little kids very soon! Oh how I miss them! We’ll have a short week together packed with a fun start to the new year!

January 2, 2020 – Our special is Music. New spelling words will come home today. We’ll start off the New Year by reviewing our school rules and getting ready to do our best work!

January 3, 2020 – Our special is Phys.Ed. Please send the kids to school wearing sneakers. We’re going to have an all school assembly today and a house meeting. Please send the kids to school wearing their house shirts. We have book exchange today. Tristan’s dad will be coming in to help us build a circuit! What a fun treat for our class!

Did you know you may create a school lunch account for your student through the My School Bucks Website? Creating an account allows you to add money to your child’s account electronically. It also allows you to check the balance and view what your child is purchasing to eat each day.

Did you know that as long as there are sufficient funds in your child’s lunch account, s/he is allowed to purchase ice cream or a snack in addition to their lunch? I’ve been seeing a few of the children buying ice cream every day, even when chips or cookies are offered as part of the daily lunch. Many of my first graders eat the snacks first, and are too full to finish the healthier part of their meal.

If you would like to limit the amount of snacks your son/daughter purchases, please talk with them. Sometimes parents allow children to purchase a treat on a specific day of the week, or a certain number of days each week. You may also place a note in your child’s account that says “no snacks” if that is what you prefer. Send an email to heather.joniec@pennmanor.net and she can help you with this request.

As a mom, I thought you may want to know a little about what happens at lunch. On another note, some of you pack some really tasty looking lunches!! YUM!

Just a reminder that Pizza Hut Reading logs may be turned in any day this week! Thanks for reading at home with your student!

Thank you for the many donations you sent in for our class. I am so appreciative! We’ll be using them all in this last week before our winter break!

Excitement is in the air and I needed to pull out a little teacher trick today. We had a quiet contest. The class was split into two groups and two students were chosen to be the captains of our teams. The captains awarded their team a tally when they saw a teammate being kind, working hard, or following directions. It worked like a charm! The kids worked hard, the winning team was allowed to choose from my prize box, and requests for another quiet day were heard! Don’t you just love first graders?!

Monday, December 16 – Our special is applied engineering. We have a spelling test today. It’s dress like a snowman day at Eshleman. Wear hats, scarves and the color white. We’ll be making decorative trees using ice cream cones and candy!

Tuesday, December 17. – Our special is Music. Today is wear your favorite “bling” day at Eshleman. I will not be sending home spelling words this week – my gift to you!! A Christmas present for your family will be coming home today if all goes well! The kids are excited to share and may want to give it to you right away! Our Math lesson over the next two days is HARD! The kids need to “make a 10” to subtract! If you thought make a 10 to add was hard, you haven’t seen anything yet! Don’t worry if your kiddo can’t understand this concept. As adding and subtracting become more fluent, this will come more naturally!

Wednesday, December 18 – Our special is Phys. Ed. We’ll be having a Grinch themed day today. Eshleman students are wearing festive sweaters. You area also welcome to deck the kids out in green or other grinch apparel you may have at home. Green spaghetti will help us practice our words!

Thursday, December 19 – Our special is Art. Eshleman students are wearing PJ’s to school today! Our classroom will be having a gingerbread themed day. Gingerbread play dough will help us review our sight words and of course we will eat a homemade gingerbread cookies made by our very own Miss Rachel!

Friday, December 20 – Today is a 1:30 early dismissal day. Please send any transportation changes to the office. Our special today is applied engineering – welcome back Mr. Kelley! Eshleman students may wear a holiday hat. We’re getting ready for the new year by cleaning out desks and choosing new seats! That is always a thrill!

In January, we will begin sending home “Bubble Gum Math” facts. Similar to learning sight words, students will master addition facts one level at a time, and then move on to subtraction. I’ll send home a letter in the New Year explaining how everything works. All I ask is that you find a few minutes each night to practice these facts. We’re still learning strategies to make addition and subtraction faster, however memorizing math facts is the ultimate goal. Many students rely on using concrete objects, fingers or drawing pictures, and that’s OK!

When we return to school on January 2 our special will be Music. Have a relaxing winter break and I look forward to see the kids in 2020!

We have book exchange tomorrow as well as phys. ed. Please send the kids to school with sneakers and library books.

Tomorrow morning is also our day to go to the holiday shop. If you would like your child to participate, please send them to school with their money to make their purchases.

If you haven’t returned the Save Around fundraising book, please do so as soon as possible.

Thank you so much!

Monday, December 9 – Our special is Art. New spelling words will come home. We’ll begin chapter 4 in Math (Ways to make subtracting faster). There is a PTO meeting tonight at 6:30. All are welcome to attend.

Tuesday, December 10– Our special is Applied Engineering.

Wednesday, December 11 – Our special is Music. Please practice spelling words for a few minutes each night.

Thursday, December 12 – Our special is Phys. Ed. Our class will go to the Eshleman Holiday shop today. If you would like your student to purchase gifts for a family member, please send money to school in the envelope that was provided this week from the PTO.

Friday, December 13 – Our special is Art. Our spelling test will be on Monday.

Thank you for donating on the sign up genius! Your generosity is appreciated!

Everyone signed up so quickly for the items on the sign up genius! You are so kind!

Mila’s mom came in today and talked with us about Hanukkah! She showed us a Menorah and talk to us about some of the traditions her family has. She read us a funny story and even shared a special treat with the class! We had so much fun with you today! Thank you!

Save Around coupon books or payment should be returned to school ASAP.

First grade is collecting toothpaste to help Penn Manor Families. If you are willing to donate, please send your toothpaste to school by Wednesday, December 11.

Scholastic book orders are due on Friday, December 6th @ 8 AM. Paper book orders should be sent to school by Thursday. Thank you!

December 5 – Our special is Music. Please practice spelling words for our test tomorrow. Please practice sight words in your child’s red reading folder for a few minutes each night.

December 6 – Our special is Phys. Ed. Please send the kids to school wearing sneakers. Our spelling test on the “ng” sound will be today. Today is our “First Friday” spirit day. Students may wear their house shirts or any Eshleman/penn manor clothing.

Book orders are due today. Please let me know if you would like to have your order held in the office.

We’re going to sprinkle in a lot of fun activities with our learning over the next few weeks – Feel free to click on the link below if you would be willing to donate some supplies to our class. Thank you!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0C49A4AE292-first