Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful week. I forgot to mention the monthly reports in my last blog. I wanted to tell all the parents not to worry about the "incomplete" check marks on your children's reports. These check marks do not indicate that your children are doing poorly in school, these boxes are marked as "incomplete" because we haven't covered and mastered the material in these areas yet. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding but I assure you that all of your children are progressing at acceptable rates.

This week we worked on some addition and subtraction in math class. I think the students are finally getting a handle on basic addition and subtraction. In reading class we read a story called the Seven Sillies and the kids thought it was very funny. Then we learned the word "reflection" and I was very proud of your children for remembering what this word meant. In science class we reviewed plants and mammals, and talked about the life-cycle of a frog. In phonics we discussed the difference between the sounds "th" and "sh." We also learned about when we should add an "s" to the end of a verb: such as, 'she sits,' 'they sit.' I was happy to see most of the children completing their word searches this week, as it used to be quite difficult for some of them in the past.

Adam is making good progress in his reading. Please encourage him at home to sound out the words at home while reading. The more he practices the easier it will be for him to identify the sounds of the vowels and consonants.

Terry is doing very well in the area of reading. He is able to read larger words all the time. I am impressed with his ability to identify patterns both in English and math.

Ethan is progressing nicely. I think it will take him a little bit of time to build up his confidence. He is still very unsure of himself and this causes him to second guess himself while answering questions.

Ian seems to be okay in class although he sometimes gets upset. I have been observing him lately and I think he is an exceptionally sensitive boy. He sometimes isolates himself from the other students and says he doesn't want to sit with anyone. He is keeping up with all his classwork and his reading is improving.

Tony sometimes has a hard time staying in his seat, however he is improving in this area. He has been well behaved for the most part last week. For the most part he finishes his school work and does it correctly, however sometimes he says "I don't know how to do it" when he doesn't feel like finishing a task.

Joyce's reading is improving all the time. Over the next few weeks I would like to focus on improving her basic mathematical skills as she seems slightly disinterested during math class. I think at this point it is important for Joyce to be a well-rounded student.

Paige is very patient. She always takes her time and never rushes. I never see her pushing her way to the front of the line or knocking into people trying to get somewhere first. She shows the same patience in her work. She is thorough and likes to understand and finish things before she moves on. Please encourage her to ask me if she does not understand something.

Emily is a sharp student who seems to take joy in completing her work. She continues to impress me with her ability to catch on to classroom activities. She also has a very good memory for vocabulary. She doesn't find it difficult to focus even when there are distractions around her.

Erin likes to talk. While I encourage her to practice her English, I would like her to practice some self-discipline also. I sometimes have to repeat instructions several times because Erin was talking through the lesson. I would encourage her to practice reading out loud at home also. She can identify vowel and consonant sounds but she needs to learn to blend them together to sound out the words. Also, Erin has not been filling out her reading journal at home and only has one entry so far, please ask her to finish her homework.

Stephanie is focusing more these days. She is learning to be more independent during classroom activities and is actually finishing her work instead of wasting time. Keep up the good work Stephanie!

Melissa is very good at math. She understands simple math problems and can identify mathematical patterns. Her spoken English seems to be improving, however, she seems too shy to try reading. She should be encouraged to read short English books at home and practice sounding out the words slowly. I know she can do it!

I hope your weekend is fun-filled and relaxing and I'll see everyone back here on Monday!