Is it weekly or monthly. I don't have a copy of it but I will describe it for you. Mine is weekly. At the top it says, "Second Grade News."
Box on left - I list the subjects and what we are learning that week
Box on right - I list important dates
little box in right - theme
little box on left - Classroom needs
little box on right - Note from the teacher
It is pretty basic, but is helpful to the parents.
i'll attach 3 of my newsletters from this year--they pretty much have the same format: questions for parents to ask kids, vocabulary words, important dates what we're studying this week (my newsletters go home in Monday Folders), and blurbs on any other timely topics
I started something new this year at the suggestion of another 1st grade teacher in my building - each child has a "Newsbook". It's just a wide ruled spiral bound notebook and I type a newsletter each week, my aide shrinks it on the copier and I staple it into each child's newsbook. I don't have anything fancy, just friendly letter format and upcoming dates on the calendar at the bottom.
Then, on Fridays we brainstorm all the things we worked on that week and I make a list. I also try to get them to think about the purpose behind those activities (yes, we played BINGO but it was sight word BINGO to help us practice sight words).
Finally, in friendly letter format, the students write to their parents significant things to them from the list. Theirs might say, Dear Mom and Dad, We worked on nickels and pennies in math. I had 37 cents. Love, Child's Name. And - here's the part they love the most - the parents have "homework" too! The parents have to write back to them and we read it together as they come in and get ready to work on Monday mornings.
It's really cool to see the writing improve just in this first quarter! I tell them the goal is two sentences and then they can choose to write more or illustrate what they've written about.
At the end of the school year, the parents have this compact little view of their child's impressions of First Grade.
Here's my not so fancy weekly newsletter. Parents love it and I've heard from them that they especially enjoy when I fill them in on what's going on at school and how to help their child at home.
I use Publisher which is a bit more complicated than Word but has some fun options. I will try to attach an example... This file includes page 1 from a current newsletter and page 2 from an old one. I send a shorter version this year mainly because the informational stuff I included previously didn't seem to be necessary. OOps... I am still considered a new member(?) so I can't add attachments. I need to post more often!
10-23-2005, 05:20 PM
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