Mrs. Bernhardt's First Grade

Friday, August 22, 2014

August 22, 2014

We begin each day with the invocation, inviting God to be with us.

We had a great first few days of school and I look forward to doing more academics next week.

This will be a shorter parent letter because I will share a lot of information at PARENT'S BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT, THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 at 6:30.

It is very important that at least one parent attend the BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT. I would like for you to attend the first and second sessions with me in our first grade room. In the past we have had a separate night to go over reading information, but we would like to try to do it all on BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT. (Meeting in my room from 6:30-7:20) If you have other kids you can attend the last session at 7:30. This is for parents only no children please.

A quick look at next week:
Religion: Cain and Abel and Noah's Ark
Memory: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18(memory is in your child's homework memory may be said any dayTuesday-Friday)

Reading: Mrs. Masa will begin testing our class to find a beginning point for their literacy groups.
Centers: We will begin learning about our center time

Spelling: practice lesson 1

Phonics: rhyming words

Alphabet: ordering letters

Grammar: Sentences
Spelling: Lesson 1 Practice Test Friday
Spelling Words: We will have a practice test on Friday over Lesson 1 -at chunk words

hat, cat, mat, rat, sat, fat, bat, pat

sight words: the, and

Spelling Dictation Sentence: The cat is fat.

Math: Review of numbers and shapes
Science: What a Scientist Does
Social Studies: School Community
Art: Color wheel
I hope this will help you talk with your child about what we are doing next week in school.

I have a no homework on Fridays Policy.
The weekends are for family time so I do not give math homework on Fridays.
We do the homework side in school!

Your child may bring a water bottle to school to drink during the day. Please send a bottle that has a sippy type lid that pops up to keep spills to a minimum. Some of the bottles form condensation and I have told the kids to bring a sock to cover the bottom, then no more wet desk!

On Fridays and Mondays we have PE so please have your child's clean gym shoes in his/her backpack. The gym shoes need to be shoes that will not be worn outside and only worn inside at gym. If you are reusing an old pair of shoes please scrub the bottom to make sure the shoes are clean and free from pebbles, bark, or dirt. Please keep the gym shoes in the backpack so that the shoes are there if we go to the gym on a different day. Thank You!

Please look in your child's RED Friday Folder each week. Please mark the church and Sunday school attendance and initial so that I know you have looked at the Friday Folder! There isn't much homework in the red Friday Folder this week. There are some important notes:

-school picture

-scouting information

-a TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER FORM This is an easy fund raiser. Just use the form to order the TWB cards you want, include a check for the cards and send it back in your child's Friday Folder. The order will be filled and the cards will be sent home with your child on Monday.

You are invited to the DEDICATION SERVICE of the NEW WING of our building. The services will be on the weekend of September 6 and 7. The 5, 8, and 9:30 church services will be held in the gym and the new building will be dedicated. There will be a reception following each service in the new Commons.

Hot Lunch Program – Food Allergies: Since Zion participates in the National School Lunch Program, we are reviewed by the state every 3 years. Last spring we had our Administrative Review with the state, and it was brought to our attention that we need a note from a doctor when a student require substitutions for lunch – milk included. Please send a note from your doctor or chiropractor to the school office specifying which foods your student can’t have.

We have such an awesome God who invites us to talk to HIM and He listens. May our words to HIM in PRAYER begin with REJOICING and end with GIVING THANKS!

It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know your child this week and I look forward a terrific year. I hope to see many of you in church this weekend.

Please enjoy the pictures of our first days. It will give you a small picture of our awesome 4 days :)

SEE YOU AT BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT- THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, AT 6:30 !!

In HIM,
Amy

Bobcat Playdough on the Frist Day

What a surprise! We found we all had a great BOBCAT DAY!

In chapel Mr. Debrick talked to us about how God makes us strong and
how we can go to God when in prayer.

We reviewed the letters of the alphabet.

We played I have...who has?

It was a fun game to play and review the sounds each letter.

We wrote our first writing sample...

...we wrote about our summer.

We learned how to use our reading phones.

We started to make our poetry book and practiced reading the first poem.

We read a book and...

...learned about how to pick a "Just Right Book".

"Good Readers" look for words they know.

Choosing a "JUST RIGHT" Book

We can put books away.

We learned that God created the world in 7 days.

We made a book to share the creation story.

We had to follow three directions: COLOR, CUT, GLUE.

We used the EET, (ask your child to sing the song), to describe an object.
Can you guess what we are describing?
Tell your child what you think it is.

We learned a lot about our friends.

We reviewed number.

We built towers to match different number.

We built towers 0-9 and found they look like steps.

We did our first math paper and had math homework!

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One Nation under God indivisible
With Liberty and Justice for all

I pledge allegiance to the flag of our Lord Jesus Christ
And to the faith for which it stands
One Savior eternal
With mercy and Grace for all
So help me God

We started working in our handwriting books.

In art we are learning about the primary and secondary colors.

We mixed the primary colors to get the secondary colors.

We painted a color wheel.

On Fun Fridays we have a VIP come in are read to us.

Mr. Debrick was our first VIP Reader!

Too hot to go outside...

...need to have indoor recess...

...time to play Mrs. Bernhardt's favorite game...

...UNO!

Monday, August 4, 2014

August 4, 2014

Welcome Parents to First Grade!

I hope you are as excited for your child to be in First Grade as I am to have them.

This year our school theme is Rejoice always, Pray continually, and Give Thanks in all circumstances.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. We will have a prayer focus this year as we learn how to Rejoice, Pray and Give Thanks to our GREAT GOD!

First grade is such a big year for your child. I can't wait to be a partner with you as we help your child to grow spiritually and academically.

THURSDAY AUGUST 14, 4:30-7:00

I look forward to seeing you:Thursday, August 14 at the Open House from 4:30-7:00.

This will be an opportunity for your child to talk to me, see our classroom, pick out their desk, and bring their supplies to school.

Please put your name or initials on your supplies.

Please label your child's supplies with his or her name or initials. It is helpful to label each marker and crayon. You DO NOT need to labels pencils as I will collect all the pencils at the beginning of school and we will share them throughout the year.

If you child goes by a nickname or a shortened form of his/her name please email me by Friday as I am making up labels and name tags and would like to use the name your child goes by in school.

Parents also plan on attending the BACK TO SCHOOL on August 28. This is a very important night where you will learn a lot about our First Grade.

If you are a new family to Zion I would like to welcome you to our Zion family. I will be calling you soon to schedule a home visit. If you are a returning family to Zion and would like a home visit email me and I will schedule a visit you.

I hope you enjoy the last bit of summer and are ready for school!

See you at OPEN HOUSE.

Enjoy learning a little bit about me as I look forward to getting to know you and your child!

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks,

Amy Bernhardt

abernhardt@zionharvester.org

My Family

Hi, I have been teaching on and off for 20 years. I taught for 3 years then took 10 years off while my three girls were young. I have taught many grades including 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, and PDO. This is my 5th year in First Grade. I love First Grade and all the exploring, learning, growing, and fun we get to have!

I actually attended Zion 1-8, graduated from Lutheran High St. Charles, and earned a BA in Elementary Education at Concordia, Chicago. I have a minor in Biology and I love to teach Science. Although I could teach reading all day. I love helping students become better readers and watch them begin to love reading.

My passion is teaching and I love what I do. I want my students to know the love of Jesus and I try to share that love with them every second that they are in my room. I see each child as a special creation of God and try to treat them in a way that I would want my own daughters to be treated. I try to have fun in my classroom and I I want my students have fun as they learn and to have a thirst for knowledge.

I grew up here in St. Charles and I am blessed to have my parents, sister and her family, and in laws all living close by. My sister is Mrs. Hoehner, she is also a teacher at Zion.

My husband, Jon, is the principal at Lutheran High School, St. Charles. Two of my daughters attend Lutheran High, Hannah is a Senior and Grace is a Sophomore. My youngest daughter Maddie is an eighth grader here at Zion.

In my free time I enjoy watching my daughters play sports, baking and cooking, and reading.