THE BRAKE CLASS NEWS

Only 4 weeks Left!

Important Information

             We made it through the CRCT for first graders. I am proud of how hard the class worked. It is very difficult to sit for that long of time and stay focused on me reading the questions. We hope to get the scores before school is out. I will keep you posted.

             A.R. is in its last 3 weeks. Students will not be able to check out books after May 8th. All library books are due at that time. Please encourage your student to read, read, read!

Field day is May 14th for first graders. We are in the afternoon time. I will send more information as I get it.

 

Focus of Lessons this Week

Reading– Authors Study

Writing– Response to literature

Math– Problem solving

S.S.–  Annie Oakley and Davy Crockett

Homework–      See Calendar

M-Art

T– P.E.

W–  Music

TH– P.E.

F–  Science

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org

 

****May 1st is our student teacher’s, Mrs. Vance, last day. We will truly miss her.

 

Dowell Yard Sale

Don't forget that the 2nd annual Dowell community yard sale is this weekend!  The information is as follows:

Dowell Elementary is hosting its 2nd annual Community Yard Sale.  It will be held at Dowell Elementary on Saturday, April 18, 2009 from 8:30AM-1:00PM, rain or shine!

Fees:
$20 for a 4 parking space area or
$30 for a covered walkway space
You keep 100% of your sales!  The fees go toward Dowell Elementary's PTA.
You can pair up with someone else and split the booth fee!

Limited space is available. Call Leslie Bell at 678-567-1800 or email kathy@dowellpta.org
Option to participate in "bargain hour"- 12PM-1PM with items 1/2 price.
Charity truck to pick up at 1PM

Welcome Back!

Important Information

April 21st CRCT testing begins– 1st grade will test for 3 days about 1 1/2 to 2 hours per day. We test Reading, Math and Language Arts skills. As we make our final preparations for the CRCT, I wanted to share some good test prep ideas that are research based: 1. get plenty of sleep 2. eat healthy 3. use relaxation breathing 4. positive thinking 5. Try your best! Please help your student with these ideas. We will build on them at school too:)

A.R.– The report this week is for only 5 days. I printed the weekly report instead of the whole nine weeks. I will send the correct one next Monday. We have at least 3 students that have made their goal and are aiming for our McDonald’s gift card of having the most passed tests.

 

Focus of Lessons this Week

Language Arts– Author Study— Literature Connection

Phonics– Making words and blending sounds

Writing– Informational writing on activities at school

Math– Measuring capacity and skills review

S.S.– American Folk Heroes– Paul Bunyan

Homework–

*** There quality of homework being turned in has dropped. Please check over your students work. Especially the writing. Many students are still leaving off capital letters and punctuation on their sentences. Thank you for your help.

M– Computers

T– P.E.

W–  Art

TH– P.E.

F–  Music

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org

 

One Week Unitl Spring Break

We had a great time on our field trip. The rain held off while we walked the nature center and then started back as soon as we headed back to school.

 

April 1st– Kindergarten Registration

April 2nd– Dowell’s Author’s Tea– Qynn is representing our class.  Participants were chosen from a in-class district wide writing contest.

April 6 to 10– Spring Break

April 22nd CRCT testing begins– 1st grade will test for 3 days about 11/2 to 2 hours per day. We test Reading, Math and Language Arts skills.

 

Focus of Lessons this Week

Language Arts– Author Study— Literature Connection

Phonics– Making words and blending sounds

Writing– Informational writing on activities at school

Math– Measuring weigh and capacity

Health–  Safety– Bike, swim, fire and medicine

 

Homework– See calendar-

*** Look for the April calendar on Wed.

M– P.E.

T– Music

W–  P.E.

TH– Science

F–  P.E.

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org

 Have a great spring Break!

 

Week of March 23rd

 

Field Trip– Please be sure to send in your students form and $7.50 this week for our March 26th field trip. Please remember to send in a sack lunch if you said you would on the field trip permission form. Students need to wear comfortable shoes for walking. We will go rain or shine.

 

Show and Tell– We are taking a break from Show and Tell for a few weeks. I will let you now when we begin it again.

 

March 26th– Chattahoochee Nature Center Field Trip

April 1st– Kindergarten Registration

April 6 to 10– Spring Break

April 22nd CRCT testing begins– 1st grade will test for 3 days about 11/2 to 2 hours per day. We test Reading, Math and Language Arts skills.

 

Focus of Lessons this Week

Language Arts– Author Study— Compare and Contrast

Phonics– Making words and blending sounds

Writing– Informational writing on activities at school

Math– Measuring length

Science– Animals– Needs, appearance, motion and growth

 

Homework– See calendar-

*** A Venn diagram is 2 over lapping circles where similarities go in the middle and differences go in the outer circles. We complete Venn diagrams in class so students have used them before.

 

 

M– Science

T– P.E.

W–  Computers

TH– Field Trip

F–  Art

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org

 

Busy Last Nine Weeks of School

Important Information

Field Trip– Please be sure to send in your students form and $7.50 this week for our March 26th field trip

Show and Tell– Student are allowed to bring 1 item for show and tell on their assigned day. It must fit in their backpacket.

A.R.— The goal for the last 9 weeks is 16 passed tests. The last day for A.R. will be May 15th due to other activities the last week of school.

Picture day– We will have individual and group pictures this Thursday. The pre-pay envelope is in the folder today.

Dowell Dash-

Our first Fun Run will be held on Friday, March 20^th during school.  We are encouraging students to become fit, so our PTA decided to make a fund-raiser by becoming fit.  This will take place of our annual cookie dough fund raiser.

Directions:

Have your child ask friends and family to sponsor their run.  They can pledge an amount per lap or just give a donation.

Complete the green form in the folder.

Students will be running in school.

Then the students will collect the money pledged for each lap they ran.  Money is due one week after the Fun Run.

PRIZES for participation:

All students will receive exercise!

    2. Students who collect:

         $50+ = Medal

         $100+or $200 for family=entered in drawing for Wii

         Top 10=Pie in Mr.  Manson's face

         Top Class=$100 Visa card for teacher, treats for stu dents, teacher throws pie at Mr. Manson

         2nd place class, $50 for teacher + treats +pie

     3rd place class, $25 for teacher + treats +pie

 

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!!!!

 

March 19th– Spring Pictures

March 19th– Report Cards come home

March 20th— Dowell Fitness Night and Dowell Dash

March 26th– Chattahoochee Nature Center Field Trip

 

Focus of Lessons this Week

Language Arts– Literature Response

Phonics– Making words and blending sounds

Writing– Informational writing on animals

Math– Pre-test, Benchmark test and measurement

Science– Animals– Needs, appearance, motion and growth

Homework

See calendar

M– P.E.

T– Art

W–  P.E.

TH– Music

F–  P.E.

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org

Dowell Health and Fitness Night—Feb. 20th
 Do you want to become healthier and fit? Well, now is your chance. Dowell is having its first ever Health and Fitness Night! Many businesses will be providing important information on health and fitness. Gold's Gym, the Kennesaw State University Physical Education Department and Dowell students will be here providing several fun activities. Healthy snacks and water will be available for purchase to support our Relay for Life team. So bring the family for a night full of fun and fitness!

 

 

March Madness

  Important Information

New Homework– I was thrilled with the homework this week. Students did a fabulous job. Thank you parents for working with your student. I found with my son that once I showed him what his teacher wanted, he could do the rest on his own. So, for now, we are continuing the new style of homework.

March 10th– A.R. ends

March 12th– A.R. Party/End of the 9 weeks

March19th– Spring Pictures

March 19th–Dowell Health and Fitness Night
 Do you want to become healthier and fit? Well, now is your chance. Dowell is having its first ever Health and Fitness Night! Many businesses will be providing important information on health and fitness. Gold's Gym, the Kennesaw State University Physical Education Department and Dowell students will be here providing several fun activities. Healthy snacks and water will be available for purchase to support our Relay for Life team. So bring the family for a night full of fun and fitness!
 Report Cards come home

Focus of Lessons this Week

Language Arts– Assessments/Main Idea and Details

Phonics– Making words and blending sounds

Sitton Spelling– No list this week

Writing– Informational writing on animals

Math– review/assessments

Science– Basic needs of plants

Homework

See calendar

Specials Schedule

M– Music

T– P.E.

W–  Science

TH–P.E.

F–  Computers

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org

March News

Important Information

Tree planting has been rescheduled due to rain. It will be one day soon.

 

Early Release Day– Tuesday is an Early Release day. School is over at 12:20.

Important Dates-

March 3rd– Early Release

March 5th– PTA meeting 

March 10th– A.R. ends

March 19th– Report Cards come home

 

Focus of Lessons this Week

Language Arts– Assessments

Phonics– Making words and blending sounds

Sitton Spelling– No list this week

Writing– Informational writing

Math– review of time and money/assessments

Science– Parts of plants and basic needs of plants

Homework

Please look for the Monthly Calendar in the notebook sent home on March 2, 2008

Specials this week

M– computers

T–

W–  P.E.

TH– Art

F–  P.E.

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org

 

 

January News

Important Information

    Welcome back to the second half of the school year! We are mid-way through the year and have many exciting and challenging things ahead. I appreciate your continued support and look forward to this part of the year!

We will continue with the Georgia Performance standards for first grade and also add on test taking skills. We have the CRCT in April and we will be ready!! This is the test students take each year from 1st to 8th grade. Look for more information to come home.

Another activity we will continue is Accelerated Reader. This proven program helps with recall of details in books. The goal will be 18 books for the nine weeks. Almost everyone in the class is reading the green dot level of books which is second grade level. I am proud of the class’s hard work on A.R.

The last week of January we have Parent/Teacher conferences. For the parents that have more than one student at Dowell, I will schedule your time to be before or after the sibling ('s) time. Report Cards are given out at the conference.

 

Focus of Lessons this Week

Language Arts– Main idea and details

Phonics– Making words and blending sounds

Sitton Spelling– None this week

Writing– Dictionary skills and How to paragraph

Math– Identifying 1/2 and 1/4 of a whole

S.S.– Harriett Tubman

 

Homework

There will is a packet for homework.  Return the packet Friday.

Reading each night is also a part of the homework. Students are to read at least 15 minutes every night and write the book(s) read on the reading log. Students earn a star for every 60 minutes they read. After 5 stars, they can go to the Treasure Box. I will send home books if a child needs them. Otherwise they can read books from home or the library.

 

Schedule- Lunch - 10:38 to 11:08

Specials– 1:10 to 2:00

 

M–

T– Music

W–  P.E.

TH–  Science

F–  P.E.

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org

 

Happy Mid-October

 

Important Information

Report Cards were sent home Friday. Please sign the signature card and return it in the envelope provided.

A.R. Reading Range– Students will be required to read books in their reading range. I have written it on their library card for them. If a student reads a book that is too easy for them, I will not count it. The books read last week are not effected by this new rule. Remember the goal is 18 books by the end of the nine weeks.

Sitton Spelling– We are beginning our spelling program this week. There will not be a list sent home as I am training the students about the program. Beginning next week I will give a pretest on Monday and them assign the list of words to study. The Sitton program is set up for students to become spellers in everyday writing, not just pass the test  on Friday. Words will be given in context and tested that way. Students will have words several times over the program in order to assure they can spell the words.

Red Ribbon Week– Oct. 27th to 31st is Red Ribbon Week. Our theme is We Elect to be Drug Free. Look for info to come home about dressing up each day of the week.

Shape unit– Next week we will study

3-D shapes. It is fun to learn these shapes using candy. I am asking parents to send in a bag of individually wrap candy by Monday, Oct. 27th. Examples: Snickers-rectangular prism, Toosie Rolls-cylinder, Whoopers-Sphere, etc. I will send home the candy with students to eat at the end of the week.

First Grade Math Night at Dowell– Thursday, Oct, 23rd 5:00 to 6:00.

 

Focus of Lessons this Week

Language Arts– Cause and Effect in stories

Phonics– Making words and blending sounds

Sitton Spelling– Introduction to spelling

Writing– types of nouns and writer’s workshop

Math– Skip counting and adding 3 numbers

S.S./Science/Health– Healthy bodies

Homework

There will is a packet for homework.  Return the packet Friday.

Reading each night is also a part of the homework. Students are to read at least 15 minutes every night and write the book(s) read on the reading log. Students earn a star for every 60 minutes they read. After 5 stars, they can go to the Treasure Box. I will send home books if a child needs them. Otherwise they can read books from home or the library.

Schedule- Lunch - 10:38 to 11:08

Specials– 1:10 to 2:00

M– P.E.

T– Science lab

W– P.E.

TH– Computer Lab

F– P.E.

My email:cynthia.brake@cobbk12.org