What a wonderful first week of school it has been! I am enjoying getting to know your children and I think they are quickly making new friends! Everyone is becoming more comfortable with our new building and new routines each day. I try to introduce new things a little at a time, as not to overwhelm the children! I was EXTREMELY impressed with how well the children did memorizing the poem this week. I had many children recite this solo for the class. For the month of September, I am not requiring a solo recitation. Beginning mid-October, I will ask student to at least try it on their own. I know it will be nerve-wracking for many! Each week the new poem will be sent home in Friday Folders.

If you are on Facebook and have not yet joined our closed class Facebook page (search The Milka

Way and then choose the 2019/20 page), I encourage you to do so. It is private, so I will have to add you once you’ve asked to be invited. I have found this to be one of the absolutely quickest and best was to communicate the daily happenings in our classroom. If you are not on facebook, please don’t feel you have to join, the most important information will always be shared through email and/or our weekly class newsletter.

If you have not been receiving emails from me already please let me know, by sending me a quick email so that I have your correct email address!

The theme of our classroom this year is #kindnessmatters. While academics are important to me, the social and emotional growth of your child is equally important.

We will have lessons about kindness and learn how much being kind matters and ways we can spread around kindness to our school, community and the world.Classroom Procedures We are working very hard in class on learning classroom procedures and my expectations for student behavior. If you are interested, you will find a copy of my classroom discipline plan on my website. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Class Dojo In our classroom we use a behavior and classwork portfolio sharing system called Class Dojo. If you have not yet signed up for this, please do so. If you need a new information sheet to do so, let me know.

"Each time one prematurely teaches a child something he could have discovered himself, that child is kept from inventing it and consequently

from understanding it completely." ~Piage

News from the Milka Way SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 269.668.3361 X1642

Don't forget that students are responsible for their own healthy, afternoon snack. I have included a list of good, healthy, Mattawan EES approved snack ideas on my website. We are a NUT FREE CLASSROOM. Snacks should also be brought on all half-daysS N A C K

Class Facebook: 2019/20 ~ The Milka Way Website: www.milkaway.weebly.com Email: dmilka@mattawanschools.org

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sept. 18 Picture Day Sept. 20 Book Orders Due Sept 27 Walk -a-Thon pledge sheets due Oct. 3 - Walk-a-Thon (time tba)

Fun Fact about Mrs. Milka: She LOVES Donny Osmond

and has since she was in second grade herself!

REMEMBER: Blue Daily folders come home M-Th, but Fancy Friday Folders come home on Friday! Each folder should be returned the following day.

THANK YOU! A HUGE thank you to all those who have taken the time to fill out the online survey about their child and have sent me your Million Word… or Less letter. This information is a huge help to me in getting to know the whole child! I f you have not filled this out online, you will find “hard copy” in your child’s Friday Folder today. Please return it on Monday.

Scholastic Book Orders Our first Scholastic Book are due by September 28. All Book Orders need to be done online. Also, this month, when you order online and spend $25 or more, you will be prompted to choose a free book ($5 or less). Please see the additional note from Scholastic to help you with this. Lastly, due to the generosity of a number of my personal friends, each month I will be ordering a book or two for EVERY child as a special gift of kindness. More information about

this will be sent home in upcoming weeks.

The newsletters will also be posted each week on our class website, so if you lose them, toss them or need to remember something from a previous newsletter, you will always be able to find them there!

Classroom Store The children have begun earning class money to spend at our classroom store. I am still in need of a parent to run the store, preferably on Fridays each week (or even every other week. Please contact me if you are interested. I cannot run this program without a volunteer to help.

Also coming home this week: • Dolch Word List and explanation

letter. • Friday Letters Notebook with

explanation letter inside front cover.

• New Poem • Picture order forms • Walk-a-thon Pledge Sheets • Other things from the office

Enjoy your weekend with your child!

Weekly Word StudyThis year we will not have weekly spelling tests. I find that spelling tests often only teach children to study for the test, then forget the words a week or two later. Through our word study I hope that the children will ‘own’ these words and learn to spell them consistently. We will, however, be beginning Words Their Way later this Fall. I am not sure what this entails yet, but it will be individualized to the needs of each student.

Articles: Why Some Kids Can't Spell and Why Spelling Tests Won't Help Word Study: A New Approach to Teaching Spelling