First Grade News

News items:

• Our last first grade field trip will be on April 23rd. You should have received info and the permission slip in folders recently. If you have not filled out and signed the permission slip, please do so ASAP. The sooner the better. The deadline was Monday, March 9th. If you haven't taken care of that, please send the permission slip and the $15 on the Monday after Spring Break - March 23rd.
• First graders will be taking the last administration of the MAP test the first week in May. Students will take both the math and reading tests. It will be exciting to see what kind of growth students have made since the last took it in January and also since they took it long ago in September. You will receive the results shortly after everyone has completed the 2 tests and everything is finalized. More info to come.
• During the last couple of weeks of school first grade will be doing some theme days to encourage students to "Finish Strong" and stay engaged while doing so. Your child's teacher may be sending home a wish list (Amazon, and/or otherwise) requesting items to help make that special learning time fun. When it comes home, take a look and see if there is a way you can help by donating something. Please take note of the time frame so that items arrive in time for the special themes which will happen on particular days. Any help, large or small, is greatly appreciated.
• Brock will be having a Career Day on May 1st. Various speakers will come in and speak to classes and/or grade levels to tell a bit about their career. Kids will be able to dress up as their favorite career professional. If you (or someone you can recruit) are/is interested in coming in to speak to Brock students, please reach out to Ms. Todd, our wonderful school counselor. You can sign up for all day, a half-day (morning or afternoon), or whatever time frame you are able to contribute. Please see the graphic below. It has more information as well as a QR code where you can sign up. Thanks for your support for this special day!
• We will be having our Brock Field Day on Friday, May 15th. Kindergarten and first grade will be from 8:30-10:30 (with 2nd-3rd going from 12:45-2:45). The kids will rotate around to 10 stations and be at each station for 10 minutes. Here is the link for purchasing a Field Day t-shirt: https://malloryprint-burlesonbrockfieldday2026.itemorder.com/shop/sale/ T-shirt cost $15. The deadline for ordering is April 26th with delivery to Brock on May 8th.

• Even though we are more than 3/4 of the way through the school year, we are still continuing to reinforce classroom rules and procedures. Spring is often a time when some behavior issues begin again or new ones start. Continue to talk about school expectations with your child. If you are unsure of the particular classroom rules for your child's class, please reach out to your child's teacher with any questions you might have. You should have received a message from Mrs. Kimberling regarding this issue. Please find it below for your convenience.
• Please do NOT send food or drink items to school in glass containers. The risk is too great for an accident to occur. Thanks so much! 😀
• Please continue to go over those "tricky words' regularly even if your child knows them. There are 50 of them. Try to increase the speed at which he/she recognizes them. That will help tremendously with reading comprehension. There is more information below about "Tricky Words".

• STAAR Days are April 7, 14, and 21. Students in 3-5 will be taking the tests. NO VISITORS ON CAMPUS THESE DAYS.
• Monday, April 20th- "Dream It! Achieve It" Wear your PJs! (STAAR for 3rd-5th 4/21)
• Thursday, April 23 - Field Trip to the Fort Worth Zoo
• May 1 - Career Day - Dress like your future career goals
• Spring MAP Testing Window May 3rd-15th
• May 15th - Field Day. 8:30-10:30
• Last Day of School - Thursday, May 21st. Early dismissal at 11:40.

Miscellaneous:

• Yearbooks are on sale NOW! See the info below about ordering. Prices will be going up after Spring Break. Prices will go up on April 1st. ORDER YOURS TODAY! SEE MORE INFO BELOW.

• PLEASE REMEMBER THAT if you applied last year for your child to receive free or reduced lunch, you must re-apply this year. Otherwise charges will be applied to your child's school lunch account. Here is the link to complete the form for so you can stay current:

https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new

• If your child will be eating breakfast at school, please have him/her here by 7:15/7:20. The school doors open at 7:15. Students who eat breakfast need to be here that early so they can finish eating by 7:40 when the school day begins. If they do eat breakfast at school, they should go to the cafeteria immediately and not to the classroom first.

**Thank you for being awesome parents/guardians. We are so grateful to be partnering with you on this important and worthwhile journey.

**Fort Worth Zoo field trip - Thursday, April 23 !

*All students need a sack lunch (no lunch boxes, please) and a drink.

*Students will tour the zoo with a chaperone and 1-3 other students.

*Best Brock behavior is expected.

*Apply sunscreen before leaving home.

*Students may wear a hat if desired.

*Water bottles are recommended, but students will be responsible for keeping up with the water bottle.

*Wear a Brock shirt, orange shirt, or blue shirt.

*Wear tennis shoes - no sandals or flip flops.

Please read and let us know if you have any questions.

*** Here is a lovely article from DFW Child with tons of links with fun things to do with kids around the metroplex. It's a great resource for parents looking for things to do nearby that are interesting and fun for the kiddos.

The "Tricky Words" are words that do not follow regular spelling rules and must be memorized. The tricky words from Units 1 and 2 have been introduced and are practiced at school. We began Unit 3 the week of October 14th. and are currently in Unit 4. These words appear regularly in grade-level texts and if a student does not immediately recognize and read the word, he/she slows down which heavily affects comprehension. We suggest making some flash cards at home and reviewing the ones your child knows and work on the others a few at a time until they are mastered. More words will be added as time goes by.

Here's the link for the list of tricky words in Unit 1 and Unit 2 and Unit 3:

https://bit.ly/48EMiNb

Here's a link so that if you are able to print, you can make flash cards. If not, you can just copy the words onto an index card or piece of paper so you can practice them with your child. Work primarily on the words from Unit 1 and 2 on the list in the link above. A few minutes a day will go a long way toward mastery.

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:d012f878-8a05-4028-bacf-91fd220471ad

Spelling tests happen every other week or so. Spelling lists go home in folders for your convenience. The words show the spelling pattern that will be on the test - NOT the actual words that will be on the test. Please check folders regularly.

There is a strong connection between children who do chores and success. There is a great article about a very long study by Harvard Medical School which talks about the connection.

Here's a great quote from the article:

"Specifically, children who were given regular chores in childhood displayed stronger work habits, higher self-esteem, and greater long-term happiness."

Here's the link to the article:

https://www.modakmakers.com/learning/chores/chores-build-competent-adults-harvard-grant-study

To help parents with assigning chores for children, here is a handy list of age-appropriate chores for kids.

7:40-8:05 SS (MM)

8:05-8:40 Science

8:40-9:30 "AMP" (Art/Music/PE)

9:30-10:30 Math

10:30-11:00 Lunch

11:00-11:30 Math

11:30-12:30 ELAR

12:30-1:20 WIN

1:20-1:50 RECESS/SNACK

1:50-3:00 ELAR

3:00-3:10 Clean up, Pack up

3:10 Dismissal

He lines out the tips in 4 parts:

1. Increase their reading ability.

2. Increase their background knowledge.

3. Increase their vocabulary.

4. Expose them to complex text.

The video is under 7 minutes long.

Take a look - here's that link:

Low price of only $35 has been extended. The price will go up to $40 on May 4th.

Here's the link:

bit.ly/annbrockyearbook25-26

See the graphic below.

Contact Ms. Burke - jennifer.burke@bisdmail.net

** Since we have begun having spelling tests, here's an article you might find interesting and helpful. If offers 10 great activities to help with working on spelling at home. Keep in mind that the spelling tests we are giving include words that follow a particular spelling pattern. The words we send home for practice are not the exact words that will be on the test. Students should be familiar with the spelling pattern (ie, /ar/, /er/, /ing/, /ee/, /ow/, etc.)

That link is here: https://commonsensepress.com/fun-spelling-activities/

Reminders:

• PLEASE be sure to check Dojo / Remind regularly. Teachers are communicating important information via these methods. Many times it is sent to a parent of one student regarding scheduling, dismissal issues, or behavior. Often there are last minute messages sent to all parents. If you prefer to have your notifications turned off, please check in regularly so you don't miss out on important messages. It helps teachers so much!!
• There are some supplemental math and/or reading materials that your child's teacher may send home from time to time. If you receive them, you will get a message from the teacher with more information about what to do with them. They are simply another resource for you to use at home to reinforce what is going on in the classroom. The teacher will let you know if the pages would need to return to school completed or not. Any questions - always reach out to the teacher. We are always happy to help.
• Please consider sending a light jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt that your child would be able to leave at school in his/her locker. (Send one he/she doesn't wear much or pick up an extra at Goodwill or a garage sale.) It is virtually impossible to have the temperature in the classroom perfectly comfortable for everyone. When it is hot outside and the AC feels great when we first come in from outside, but after a bit students often get chilly. If your child is one who is usually chilly, please send something for him/her to put on as needed in the classroom.
• Please be sure to send a water bottle with your child each day. We encourage all students to bring water bottles to drink in class. It helps to have them conveniently located in lockers. Please make sure they bring water and not juice. Students can have juice/other drinks at lunch, but we prefer water in class. Spills make for a sticky mess and attract ants. Students may bring water bottles with a securely closing lid with water only. Water fountains will be available for refilling water bottles.
• We will have snack each afternoon, so please be sure to send one each day. It would be a good idea to let your child know what the snack is and where it is in the backpack. We finish lunch at 11:00, so waiting until well after 3:00 to have a snack after school is such a long time without a nice afternoon pick-me-up! We try to avoid anyone becoming "hangry". :) Students will be responsible for bringing their own snack. Please send snacks that are not messy and can be eaten in a short period of time, as we will often be snacking and working at the same time. For example, do not send Cheetos, since they make messy fingers. Pretzels, crackers, and dry cereal are great for snack time.
• Dismissal is at 3:10. If your child is a car rider, please be prompt. Teachers have other duties after dismissal, so please be mindful of that. We appreciate your attention and help with this matter.
• If your child will be eating breakfast at school, please have him/her here by 7:15/7:20. The school doors open at 7:15. Students who eat breakfast need to be here that early so they can finish eating by 7:40 when the school day begins. If they do eat breakfast at school, they should go to the cafeteria immediately and not to the classroom first.

• Mrs. Beckwith
• Mrs. Lengyel

• Mrs. Clifton
• Mrs. Montes
• Mrs. Hawthorne

🕣 ~Conference time: 8:40-9:30 📞 ~Phone: 817-245-3800