Monster of the Week

Monster of the Week Activities

You will be notified when it is your child's week to be our "Monster of the Week."  Please help them prepare so they can participate in and present each activity to the class on thier chosen week of school!

Monday: Pictures and Sheet

An area in our room is designated and available to hang about five pictures (snapshots) of your child.  It's really nice to see a baby picture, one of the family, pets, house, a sport, holidays and pictures of different ages.  Please do not send in more than five pictures and please keep photo albums at home as space is limited and we wouldn't want any damage to come to valuable family keepsakes. They will be pinned to our board and returned to you either Friday or Monday.  Please be sure to fill out the "Monster of the Week" sheet as we will have fun going over that also!

Tuesday:  Favorite Book

We will take time to read your child's favorite book to the class on this day!  Please be sure to write your name in the book in case it gets mixed up with our other classroom books.

Wednesday:  Favorite Stuffed Animal

Your child will have the opportunity to share his/her favorite stuffed animal with the class. Please talk with him/her about why it is special and where it might have come from.

Thursday:  Recipe for Favorite Food

The  class will listen as your child tells them how to make his/her favorite food.  Please write down the steps in which they THINK the food is prepared:) They will read these steps to the class and we will collect the recipes to make a class book!

Friday:  Read Class Book

Throughout the week the class will be drawing a picture of our monster of the week and writing something they have learned about him/her.  We will make a book for your child.  On Friday, we will read the book and then send it home for your MONSTER to keep!

Oral Language Activities

Below are the oral language activities that the students will be participating in on a weekly basis this school year:) Your child will receive a paper notice when it is their turn to participate in oral language for that week.  Each student will have the opportunity to participate in each job during the school year.  Please help your child prepare at home so they are ready to share with their classmates on their designated day!  Thank you for all of your support....as always, please feel free to email me with any questions you might have:) 

Ms. Benear :)
benears@howellschools.com


Oral Language Activities

Tuesday: "Just A Minute" reporter...Please help me prepare to talk to the class for one minute on something I know a lot about.  I can bring things to show!

Wednesday: "News Reporter"...Please help me find and article, picture or advertisement in the newspaper that I can report on to my group!

Thursday:  "Weather Forecaster"...Please help me prepare for this so I can present the day's weather to my class!

Friday: "Joke or Poem"...Please help me find a joke or a poem and prepare to present it to the class!

Mystery Reader

You are invited to surprise our class by being a “Mystery Reader”! Mystery Readers can be parents, older siblings, relatives or special friends. Mystery Readers will visit us on Fridays at 12:45.


Mystery Readers are asked to bring a favorite story to read. If you can't decide, I can recommend some terrific books! Just let me know what topics interest you.  So, check your calendar and find a Friday at 12:45 that works for you. The schedule will fill up fast so please give me your top two choices for dates. I will do my best to accommodate you.

Sign ups can be done via email at benears@howellschools.com or by sending your choices to school in a “top secret” envelope. I will get back to you to confirm your official Mystery Reader date and time.

A week before your mystery visit I will send you a reminder email. You will then be asked to email me 5 clues about yourself. These clues will help students solve the mystery of who will be reading to the class. You should start with a hard clue and end with an easy clue. It is so much fun to see children’s faces light up when they have figured out that their family member is the mystery reader.

Remember, you are a mystery to the class. Try not to tell your child when you will be coming. Email me or drop me a “secret” note if you have any questions. I hope you'll be part of our Mystery Reader program!


Happy Reading!
Ms. Benear


Here is an example of clues…

1. I like chocolate
2. I have two dogs
3. I love to run
4. I coach girls’ basketball
5. I love to go four-wheeling at my cottage in Lewiston, Michigan

• Please be sure to fill out the proper paperwork in the office. All mystery readers must have their volunteer forms turned in at least one week before their scheduled date (even Grandma’s and Grandpa’s).

Ms. Benear's Specials Schedule

Monday: Music/Gym

Tuesday: Art 1

Wednesday: Gym/Music

Library

Thursday: Art 2

Friday: Technology

Open House

Please come to The Hutching's Elementary

Open House

• Thursday, September 9th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm!
• I will be briefly explaining the first grade curriculum at 6:15pm.
• You may sign up for fall conferences at that time.
• I am excited to see and meet all of you!

A Few Classroom Policies

Just a few things to keep in mind to make sure we are buzzing off to a good start...

• Take home folders and backpacks are needed every school day!
• Birthday invitations are welcome to be distributed at school as long as the ENTIRE class is included. Feelings are hurt when invitations are passed out and a child does not receive one. Please be mindful of this in planning.
• Send a note to school whenever there is a change in transportation. Please send a dated and signed note with details for how your child will be getting home after school. If a change occurs during the school day, please call our school office and notify them of the change.
• All money brought to school must be contained in a sealed well-labeled envelope. For example lunch money should be in an envelope with your child's first and last name as well as the amount inside and the teacher's name.
• Water bottles are always welcome in our classroom. We must limit it to water only as many accidents can happen with so many active little bodies!
• When winter arrives; extra winter wear (hats, mittens, socks) should be kept in your child's backpack just in case it's needed.
• An extra change of clothing should be in your child's bag if they are prone to accidents. This will save you a trip to the school and your child feeling funny in clothes from the office.
• Please be mindful and send in two HEALTHY snacks daily.  We have a multitude of allergies in our classroom including severe peanut and milk allergies, so please keep this in mind when packing snacks for your child.

more to follow...... :-)

What to Expect on the First Day of School

It's almost here..the first day of school. I know that many children are excited and ready to go to school, while others are hesitant and don't want too many surprises. No matter how your child feels about the first day of school, know that I am here for them to help them have a wonderful first grade experience.  Below is what to expect on the first day.

One great idea is to talk with your child about the first day routine so there aren't too many surprises! I will be outside by the buses holding a sign with my name on it. The children are to come get into a line behind the sign. If your child rides the bus, have him or her look for me with my sign.  If you are dropping your child off, have him or her walk out back by the buses and look for me.

You may walk them out back the first two days of school. After that, the children will walk to the classrooms by themselves. You may stand by the main stairwell and watch them walk down the hall if you would like. If at any point throughout the school year you would like to speak with me, please send a note with your child, email me or leave me a message to set up an appointment. It is too busy at the beginning of the day to conference with parents and the children really need our attention.

We will walk the children to the classroom and show them their desks. At that time, they will empty their backpacks and then we will take them to their lockers. This is how the daily routine will go for the first two days.

Be sure to have a name tag on your child with his or her first and last name, teacher's name, bus number or pick-up or kids kare written on it. Please also be sure to label all of your child's clothes and items that belong to them.

If your child has reservations about starting school, a great way to reduce anxiety is to send a picture of the family for your child to hang in his or her locker (please also send a magnet). The children love to look at the picture when they are feeling homesick! Also, please tell your child not to worry about staying all day and eating lunch in the cafeteria as I will be eating with them the first week of school!

Please keep in mind our school policy of leaving personal belongings such as toys, stuffed animals, etc. at home. We would feel awful if something were to happen to your child's special "security" item at school.

We will have a great first day! Our classroom theme this year is the "Furry Friends" (also known as cute little monsters)! Please feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions.  I'm sure things will run smoothly as we are in the same classroom with almost the entire same class as last year:-)