Now that the 2010 Census is fast approaching, media throughout the state of Alabama is doing all it can to encourage state residents to fill out and return their census forms starting April 1. Alabama Public Television (APT) is taking that encouragement a step further by helping Alabama’s children learn why it’s crucial for everyone in the state to be counted.

Parents who want to help their children understand the process, teachers who would like to incorporate census information in their curriculum and any Alabama resident interested in learning more about the census can visit APT’s Census Resource page at www.aptplus.org/aptplus/census 24 hours a day to get the census information they need. The page contains 85 separate Web links with everything from the history of the U.S. Census and maps, to a sample census questionnaire and fun quizzes. Nineteen of those links are targeted to schools, 39 are for classroom teachers, and 22 are specifically for the student. (Some links contain information available in multiple languages.) There are even coloring books for our state’s youngest residents.

In 2000, an estimated 53,000 Alabama residents were not counted in the U.S. Census, meaning that funding for government services did not accurately reflect Alabama’s true population. Data collected in this year’s census will affect the day-to-day lives of Alabama residents until 2020. It determines the number of seats our state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and impacts the federal dollars we receive. The census is vital to ensuring that Alabama communities have the resources to provide adequately for growth, changing values and interests of their residents.

APT Site Helps Children Understand Census is a post from: PhD in First Grade

Local/National Contest Encourages Children to Write and Illustrate Their Own Stories

Alabama Public Television and PBS KIDS GO! have announced a new contest designed to let children’s creativity flow while they improve their literacy skills. The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, a local/national contest for children in kindergarten through third grade, invites children to write and illustrate original stories, then submit them to APT for judging.

Original stories written and illustrated by the child must be mailed to APT (postmarked no later than March 26, 2010), who will select first, second and third-place winners in each grade level. Winners will be notified of their winning status and will receive a certificate and prizes for their work at the Alabama Book Festival in Montgomery on April 17. 

Local first-place winners will be entered into the national level of the contest, where a renowned panel of judges will identify the best of the best. National contest winners will earn additional prizes including laptops, digital cameras and MP3 players.

For contest details, rules and entry forms, log on to www.aptv.org/rr. A PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest Web site, at www.pbskids.org/read, will include the winning stories in each of the contest categories as well as an archive of winning stories.

Cindy Kirk, vice president of educational services at APT  explains that developing writing and other communications skills early is important in school achievement.. “This contest also gives free rein to an active imagination for added value,” she adds.

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is a part of PBS KIDS^® Raising Readers, a national program that uses the power of public media to build the reading skills of children ages 2-to-8, with an emphasis on children from low-income families.  The effort is funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, part of a cooperative agreement with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), PBS and The Ready To Learn Partnership. 

Now, don’t you want to get your first grader to get going on that first book? This replaces the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators contest that APT has been part of for more than ten years. It’s so exciting to see the kid’s faces when they read or have their story read at the Alabama Book Festival! There’s tons of information at the above Web site.

APT and PBS are Rockin’ My World These Days is a post from: PhD in First Grade

Breakfast and Lunch – October 12 – 16 is a post from: PhD in First Grade

*THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 5TH- 9TH WILL BE UNIT ONE READING REVIEW AND TEST.  BE AT SCHOOL – THIS IS A LENGTHY AND DIFFICULT TEST!!!!  THERE WILL NOT BE ANY SPELLING, SIGHT WORD OR VOCABULARY TESTS THIS WEEK!!!

Homework:

Monday 5th – Wed. 7th

“Free-Choice”

Thurs. 8th – No school and No homework

Friday 9th – Field Trip to Pumpkin Patch – no homework

Thursday, October 8th is Parent/Teacher Day!!

Students DO NOT attend school on this day.  Scheduling information will come home soon.

Friday, October 9th is our Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch.

Pardon my Delay is a post from: PhD in First Grade

Breakfast and Lunch – October 5 – 9 is a post from: PhD in First Grade

*This is a collection of this week’s graded papers.  These papers have been recorded in the grade book.  Please look over the papers and sign on.  These papers should be left attached to this form and sent back on Monday.  They will be kept on file until the end of the semester and then sent home.  Thanks for your cooperation!

A place for the parent’s signature is here.

*Please remember to follow the homework schedule for next week.  It is located in the front of the reading folder.  Also, remember to study spelling words, vocabulary words, and sight words nightly.  Remember to fill out the homework log and sign nightly.  It’s a reading homework grade!

*Please look over the weekly reminders every week to check for important information.  They’re located in the front of the reading folder.

If anyone would like to donate a can of Lysol to our class, it would be greatly appreciated.  It helps keep down and kill germs*  Be sure you have new reading schedule for next week.

First Grade – Week of September 28, 2009 through October 2, 2009 is a post from: PhD in First Grade

Breakfast

Breakfast Burrito

Juice

Milk

Lunch

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Lettuce/Tomato Slice/Dill Slices

Sun Chips

Baked Beans

Pears

Milk

Mayo/mustard

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Breakfast

Cheese Toast,

Applesauce

Milk

Lunch

Breaded Steak Patty

Green Beans

Rice Pilaf

Wheat Rolls

Peaches

Milk

Wednesday September 23, 2009

Breakfast

Cereal

Pears

Toast, Roll or Biscuit

Milk

Lunch

Vegetable Beef Soup

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Dill Spears

Fresh Apples

Crackers

Milk

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Breakfast

French Toast Stix

Peaches

Syrup

Milk

Lunch

Chicken Nuggets

Mashed Potatoes

California Mixed Veggies

Wheat Rolls

Jello with Fruit

Dippin’ Sauce/ketchup

Friday, September 25, 2009

Breakfast

Biscuit, Gravy

Chicken Patty

Juice

Milk

Lunch

Beef Tacos

Shredded Cheese

Lettuce/Tomatoes

Salsa

Pineapples

Milk

Breakfast and Lunch – Sorry for the delay! is a post from: PhD in First Grade

Sep 12th

Posted by admin  as Featured

You should have a collection of papers with the following note attached.

*This is a collection of this week’s graded papers.  These papers have been recorded in the grade book.  Please look over the papers and sign on.  These papers should be left attached to this form and sent back on Monday.  They will be kept on file until the end of the semester and then sent home.  Thanks for your cooperation!

A place for the parent’s signature is here.

*Please remember to follow the homework schedule for next week.  It is located in the front of the reading folder.  Also, remember to study spelling words, vocabulary words, and sight words nightly.  Remember to fill out the homework log and sign nightly.  It’s a reading homework grade!

*Please look over the weekly reminders every week to check for important information.  They’re located in the front of the reading folder.

First Grade – Week of September 21, 2009 thru September 25, 2009 is a post from: PhD in First Grade

Friday, October 9, 2009

PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION CAREFULLY

*We will be taking our first field trip of the year on Friday, October 9, 2009.  We are going to the Pumpkin Patch at Whittemore Farms in Curry.

*The cost per student is $12.00 ($10 for the Pumpkin Patch, and $2.00 for driver/fuel) and the deadline for money is Friday, October 2, 2009.  NO EXCEPTIONS!!!  You may pay with cash (exact amount) or check.  Checks must have a working phone number and a valid driver’s license number.

FIELD DRIP MONEY IS NON-REFUNDABLE!!!

*As of now, this is the only field trip that we have planned in which parents may attend, so please make every effort to attend with your child!!!  Please limit to TWO PARENTS —– we are not the only school scheduled to attend!!!!  Parents may follow the bus — leaving at 8:15 AM or may meet us at the Pumpkin Patch gate ($10 per person).  SCHOOL-AGE SIBLINGS ARE NOT TO ATTEND—- Results in an unexcused absence!!!

*All students MUST ride the bus to the Pumpkin Patch, but parents may check them out in the afternoon.

*Students will need a sack lunch and a sack snack (disposable sacks only)!!!  Write your child’s name and teacher on the bag!! A sack lunch will be provided by the lunchroom for students who receive “free”  lunch only.  These students still need to bring a snack.

*Parents (younger siblings) may bring a lunch, or a snack bar is available for any parent who wishes to buy.

*Students should not bring toys or additional money!!

*Please watch the weather and dress your child accordingly!!!  We will wear our field trip T-shirt. Check the weather to see if your child needs a long-sleeved under shirt.  If needed, jackets will be the responsibility of the student–not the teachers.  Please make sure name is written in any outerwear.  Children need to wear tennis shoes that they can maneuver easily and independently —this includes tying!!!

*Also, remember this is outdoors.  If bug spray or sunscreen is needed, you must apply it to your child.  We cannot do this.

*  IF YOUR CHILD HAS A DIAGNOSED ALLERGY OR OTHER HEALTH ISSUE, OR REQUIRES MEDICATION, BE SURE YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED!!!

*Sign and return the attached permission form, and the parent attendance form by Monday, September 21st, so that we have an official head count.  Money may be paid at anytime, but is not due until October 2nd.

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip All First Grade Classes is a post from: PhD in First Grade

*This is a collection of this week’s graded papers.  These papers have been recorded in the grade book.  Please look over the papers and sign on.  These papers should be left attached to this form and sent back on Monday.  They will be kept on file until the end of the semester and then sent home.  Thanks for your cooperation!

A place for the parent’s signature is here.

*Please remember to follow the homework schedule for next week.  It is located in the front of the reading folder.  Also, remember to study spelling words, vocabulary words, and sight words nightly.  Remember to fill out the homework log and sign nightly.  It’s a reading homework grade!

*Please look over the weekly reminders every week to check for important information.  They’re located in the front of the reading folder.

First Grade – Week of September 14 – 18 is a post from: PhD in First Grade