Dear Parents,

We made it through our first week!  Yay!  How is your firstie doing at home?  Are they starting to get into somewhat of a routine?  If it is not happening quite yet, do not fear…it will take a little time, but it will happen!  Consistency is the key! 

Thank you for working on homework with your kiddo and sending it back to school!  We are starting to get into the first grade classroom routine too!  One of the things that we do as a part of our morning routine is spending a little time on the back carpet talking about the day of the week, the date, making a prediction of the weather for the day, and having prayer time.  Each firstie is given a chance to share a prayer request and then I pray for us.  At the end of our time at the back carpet, we give each other a blessing on each other’s hands and it is the sweetest thing!  Ask your firstie to give YOU a blessing too! 

"I bless you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

For the first few weeks we will be doing a lot of reviewing but starting next week, we will have our first spelling and memory tests.  The calendar for the month is coming home today (it is pink) and the spelling words for next week are on the front and the memory is on the back.  If you want to get a jump on things over the weekend that would be awesome, but not required.  However, starting next week, firsties will need to study their spelling words and memory work at home.  Did you get the paper about Spelling City?  This is a free website for your firstie to practice their spelling words in a fun way. 

We have been practicing writing our letters!  Did your firstie tell you about Space Man?  Make sure to ask about him… ;) We also are reminding ourselves to NOT start our letters from the bottom line and to write from the top going down.  Please, please, please reinforce this at home the best you can.  The more they hear it, the better. 

Did your firstie tell you about what we have been reviewing in Religion class?  We have been talking about God’s beautiful creation and we drew pictures about some of the wonderful things that God created for us to enjoy. 

 Then I had the kids take a black crayon and scribble all over it!  You should have seen their faces (I even had one firstie start to get teary….)!  

 But once they did that we talked about how sin entered our world and messed up God’s perfect creation and how that made Him sad.  Then I reminded the kids that God had a plan and that He loves us!  One of my favorite Christian bands is a band named “Rend Collective” and they wrote a song that has to do with God’s plan and that NOTHING is impossible for God.  Even though we sin, even though we have hard things to deal with in our lives, we can rest assured that God is crazy in love with us and that nothing is IMPOSSIBLE for Him.  Take a listen below!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF84v-oOhp0 

Recess outside has been fun!  Yesterday there were DARK clouds, but it never poured (thank goodness!). 

 It was, though, I good reminder for me to remind you all to send in the extra clothes for your firstie, in case of an emergency.  Also, please double check our dress code!  Tank tops, “cold-shoulder” shirts, and super short shorts, are not permitted. 

Have a WONDERFUL long weekend!  Blessings! 

Miss Gallagher