Wolff, Sharon | Pipestone Area Schools (MN)

Miss Wolff
First Grade

Email Sharon.wolff@pas.k12.mn.us
Ph: 507-562-6200

I teach First Grade at Pipestone Elementary School. I am certified to teach elementary grades K-6 as well as SLD K-12.

Home and School Communication
Be sure to read the classroom news on my website or the paper copy sent home on the last day of the week. You will find the skills taught that week as well as other important information going on in our classroom. The purple behavior sheet is sent home on the last day of the week. Be sure to sign it, add a comment if you wish, and return the purple sheet to school with your child the next school day.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via a phone call, note sent with your child, or by email.

Classroom Information and Expectations
We have phy. ed. and music four days a week. Technology is twice a week and our library days are Tuesday and Friday.

Our classroom expectations are quite simple-be ready, be respectful, and be responsible. I firmly believe all children are capable of appropriate behavior and are responsible for their actions.

Classroom Expectations
Listen and follow staff directions
Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself
Use materials responsibly
Keep the classroom clean
Participate and try my best

Homework
Occasionally a child will have homework to be returned to school. The due date will be written on the page or homework will be listed in the weekly note. Please help your child by setting aside a quiet place to complete the homework. Returning the homework is the child’s responsibility and I will not allow them to call home to have forgotten homework returned to school.

Helping Your Child
     Your child should bring home a folder to school every day and bring it home every night. Please take time to go through the papers with your child. Ask him/her to read the sentences on some of the papers, spell some of the words, or give them a few of the math problems to solve.

     A child’s ability to read is the biggest indicator of academic success. No activity does more to prepare a child to be successful than being read to and discussing the story. Please try to find time to read to your child every day and talk about the story. Readers are leaders!

     The new reading vocabulary words and sentences are sent home weekly. Please have your child practice reading these several times so they know them well and can read them fluently with expression. It is also wise to review words sent home in previous weeks. Reading fluency practice sheets and rapid word charts will be sent home for each story. Both need to be returned on the date indicated on the sheet.

A weekly spelling list and homework sheet will be sent home on Monday. Please help your child practice spelling the words and sentences. The homework needs to be completed and returned on the date indicated on the sheet. The spelling test will usually be on Friday. Be sure to have your child practice both the words and the sentences.

     Beginning learners write to read and read to write. Instead of telling your child what you are having for a meal or asking them a question, write it down and have your child write their response. They should be able to start sentences with capital letters and end the sentences with a period. We use fingerspelling to spell words the best we can. This is great practice and is another way to communicate with your child. Remember to talk “with” your child, not “at” him/her. This will develop their vocabulary as well as their listening skills.

Knowledge is power! Readers are leaders!

Look, listen, learn!

Please help your child practice the addition and subtraction facts. We have started taking timed tests on these facts. When your child has three consecutive perfect scores, he/she will not be required to take that particular test. It’s important your child have automaticity with these facts as many higher-level math skills require proficiency in math facts. We will be starting to learn place value in January so we won’t be working on the math facts every day.

Thanks for your help.

These are sight words we have learned to spell. I expect these words to be spelled correctly and read correctly.

September 11-15, 2023

Week of September 11 – 15, 2023

Reading +read What Is a Pal? and various other stories having words with the short a sound
+identified the main idea and details in a text
+found evidence in the text to support the details
+wrote labels for a picture

Phonics +read and wrote words having short a
+blended sounds to make words
+reviewed the beginning sounds and ending sounds

Math +reviewed making tallies and making a bar graph
+reviewed the concept of more and less
+identified one more and one less than a number
+compared numbers 1 – 10

Social Studies +identified how families are the same and different
+identified way families celebrate and meet basic human needs
+learned about school rules in our Scholastic News

I have been doing FAST testing this week and will continue next week. The district is not hiring substitute teachers for us while we are doing this. So, I am testing throughout the day and trying to teach, too.

Your child will have homework next week. The rapid word chart, vocabulary words and sentences, and spelling will be sent home on Monday. Your child needs to practice these to build fluency and recognition. Look for the due dates on the homework. The spelling test will be on Friday, September 22nd. Thanks for helping your child become a fabulous reader. Readers are leaders!

Enjoy the last weekend of summer!

September 5-8, 2023

Week of September 5 – 8, 2023

Reading/Writing +reviewed sight words learned in kindergarten
+made predictions, set a purpose for reading stories,and stated the summary
+learned to use the “linger finger” strategy to look at books
+wrote sentences using sight words and picture cards

Phonics +identified letters and their sounds
+identified the beginning sounds of various pictures
+counted the number of syllables in a word
+identified words beginning with the same sound

Math +wrote the numerals zero through nine
+reviewed patterns and made patterns with bath beads
+reviewed the concept of more and less and put numerals in order
+counted forward and backward from a given number

Social Studies +discussed how to be a kind person in our Scholastic News
+identified characteristics of a great classmate
+had Character Education with Mrs.Toni
+learned bus safety rules and discussed the danger zone around a bus

Our first week of school flew by! We were busy learning the routine and classroom procedures. Make sure your child has a water bottle to be kept on their desk since we don’t have a drinking fountain in our classroom. Be sure to sign the purple behavior sheet every week and return it to school. Thanks.

Have a terrific weekend!

Monday
8:15-8:40 Opening/Morning Work
8:40-9:10 Phonics
9:10-9:45 Reading
9:45-10:30 Music
10:30-11:05 Spelling/Reading.
11:05-11:30 Recess
11:35-11:55 Lunch
11:55 12:05 Bathroom Break
12:05-1:05  Math
1:05-1:20 Handwriting
1:20-1:45 Social Studies/Science/PATHS
1:45-2:15 Writing
2:15-2:30 Milk/Story/Snack
2:30-3:00 Phy. Ed.
3:00-3:15 Review day/Ready for dismissal

Tuesday
8:05-8:40 Opening/Morning Work
8:40-9:45 Math
9:45-10:30 STEM
10:30-11:05 Writing
11:05-11:30 Recess
11:35-11:55 Lunch
11:55-12:05 Bathroom Break
12:05-12:40 Phonics
12:40-1:40 Reading
1:40-2:15 Social Studies/Science/PATHS
2:15-2:30 Milk/Story/Snack
2:30-3:00 Phy. Ed.
3:00-3:15 Review day/Ready for dismissal

Wednesday
8:05-8:30 Opening/Spelling
8:30-9:10 Phonics/Spelling
9:10-9:45 Reading
9:45-10:15 Character Ed./Library
10:15-10:45 Writing
10:45-11:05 Handwriting
11:05-11:30 Recess
11:35-11:55 Lunch
11:55-12:05 Bathroom Break
12:05-1:00 Math.
1:00-1:30 Phy. Ed.
1:30-1:50 Milk/Snack/Story
1:50-2:00 Review day/Ready for dismissal

Thursday
8:15-8:40 Opening/Morning Work
8:40-9:45 Math
9:45-10:30 Library
10:30-11:05 Writing
11:05-11:30 Recess
11:35-11:55 Lunch
11:55-12:05 Bathroom Break
12:05-1:00 Reading
1:00-1:15 Handwriting
1:15-1:45 Writing
1:45-2:15 Social Studies/Science/PATHS.
2:15-2:30 Milk/Story/Snack
2:30-3:00 Phy. Ed.
3:00-3:15 Review day/Ready for dismissal

Friday
8:15-8:35 Opening
8:35-8:55 Spelling
8:55-9:45 Phonics/Reading
9:45-10:30 Art
10:30-10:50 Reading
10:50-11:05 Handwriting
11:05-11:30 Recess
11:30-11:55 Lunch
11;55-12:05 Bathroom Break
12:05-1:05 Math
1:05-1:35 Social Studies/Science/PATHS.
1:35-2:15 Art
2:15-2:30 Milk/Story/Snack
2:30-3:00 Phy. Ed,
3:00-3:15 Review day/Ready for dismissal