December 3rd to 7th

Here’s a peek at our week!

Responsive Classroom/Positive Discipline: K is for
kindness, Zones of Regulation, expressing ourselves using: " I feel...", Bug
and a Wish, " Please stop", counting to ten to cool down or taking a break.

Zoo-phonics Friends: Review ALL letters ( sounds/ naming)... we will focus on long
vowel sounds and rules.

Reading: Daily 5 implementation -leveled readers, sight words, letter blending,
word work, stretch/say, sentence dictation, rhyming and picture labeling.

Mentor Sentence: " He piles up presents under the tree."

L.Arts: rhyming, sound substitution, letter/ word manipulation, ccvc and ccvce
words, syllables and contractions

Writing Workshop: Informational.. teaching someone about
something we are experts on. We will continue working on
labeling the parts in our pictures and adding details to our writing.
Science: Gingerbread STEAM challenge

Math: Teen numbers, base ten, comparing numbers, comparing sets, addition
sentences, place value and CGI within 10 (subtraction)

Homework: Practice sight words nightly and complete a square from the calendar

We will be having a class party on December 14th at 1:30. I will be sending out more details
through our class email. Please be on the lookout for this email. :) We will need
volunteers to help us. :)

You can now order your child’s yearbook online!!

Go to www.balfour.com

• Click the Shop Now button on the home page
• Type in Rocky Branch Elementary School in the search bar, our school should pop up.
• Just follow the prompts from the website to fill out the information requested, please make sure it is all correct before you submit. The information provided is what we will use to get the yearbook in your child’s hands at the end of the school year.

If you have any questions, issues, or concerns please contact Balfour customer service. Yearbooks are $27. All orders must be placed by January 31, 2019.

No late orders will be accepted. If there are any additional/extra yearbooks they will be for sale in the front office for $30. Please do NOT count on additional yearbooks being available. Order your child’s today!

Please help the 2nd grade students make a difference by contributing pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.   It costs between $50 and $100 to operate a room at one of their facilities. The RMH receives market value, usually between $0.35 and $0.50 per pound, for the recycled metal in order to assist families in need.  Last year our school collected just over 100 pounds of aluminum through our collection efforts. This would almost pay for one night’s stay at one of the Ronald McDonald facilities. In order to help more families, we would love to increase our goal to 150 pounds of aluminum this school year.

In order to contribute, remove the pop tabs from every aluminum can and send them in to your child's homeroom teacher each month. The 2nd graders will collect each teacher’s tabs month, weigh and graph the data, and take the pop tabs to an individual who will deliver them to the Ronald McDonald House of Atlanta.   Thank you so much for your contributions!

First Grade is participating in a year long service learning project involving fire safety and prevention. They are partnering with Oconee Fire and the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation to raise money for the “Give Burns the Boot” charity, whose mission is “To partner with the fire service and burn care community to provide fire safety and prevention education, support medical facilities and assist burn survivors in their recovery.” 10% of all “Give Burns the Boot” proceeds goes back to Oconee Fire and is used for fire education, smoke detectors, protective gear, etc. Each Friday this school year, beginning October 12th, first graders will act as firefighters and collect spare change in the morning carpool line. Not a morning car rider? No problem! Students can still bring change to school and drop it in the boot located in the front office!

Thank you for helping give back to our community and support this worthy cause!

PBL: Plastic

Kindergarten is collecting plastic for our project based learning. We are learning about recycling and reusing. The plastic we collect is measured/weighed and graphed. This is a wonderful learning opportunity for our students. Thank you for helping us! Students who bring in plastic will have the opportunity to place the bags in the cardboard boxes on our hallway. :)

   Ice Cream Fridays!  

Our PTO will continue to sell ice cream each Friday for $1. Please send the money with your student in a labeled ziploc or envelope if they'd like one. :)

We will be visiting the library to check out a new book on Wednesday. Please encourage your student to put their library book back in their book bag when they are finished looking at it each night. :)

We have 10 minutes in our schedule for snack time. Each student is encouraged to bring one snack to enjoy during this time. If you would please help your student pack them item in their book bag, this will help when they are trying to locate their snack. :)

We love to celebrate birthdays! Snack time is the best time of the day to celebrate. If you would like you are welcome to send in a small treat to enjoy. Some easy things that students have enjoyed have been goody bags or a donut or a cookie. If you are thinking passing out birthday invitations at school, we ask that each student receive one. :) 


We understand that changes in transportation are necessary from time to time. If you would please, either send in a hand written note for the office or call the front office with the transportation change. We can not accept email transportation changes. Thank you for understanding. :) 


Please check their FISH book nightly for teachers notes, student work or messages from the office. All of the student work can be removed daily. Please check the student work to see if anything needs to corrected and returned. 

When money is being sent to school, it would be very helpful if it came in a ziploc or an envelope with your student's name, my name, grade level and a brief description of what the money is for. ( lunch money, book fair, ice cream, etc.) Thank you for helping us! 

Upcoming Events
Dec. 3rd  -- Math MAP Testing
Dec. 5th -- Reading MAP Testing
Dec. 11th -- 5th Grade Play
Dec. 14th -- End of 9 Weeks / Holiday Parties @ 1:30pm
Dec. 17th to Jan. 2nd -- Holiday Breaks