MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

AHHHH....We made it through the first semester of school!! 

We have been working hard and learning lots of skills in our classroom.  During the Christmas break, I hope everyone gets rested and recharged for more learning and fun during the second semester of school. 

When we return to school, we will be working on fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions, and geometry in math.  We will continue with writing prompts and grammar skills in English.  Your child will be involved in timed readings in order to boost their reading skills and improve their comprehension. 

If you would like to visit our classroom, please feel free to come by any time you want.  You will get to see how we learn and what we are all about! 

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Happenings in our classroom:

In reading, we have been reading "Don't Get Mad, Get Even".  This is a suspenseful story and we are eager to see how it ends.  We have been answering comprehension questions and doing various activities as we read. 

In math, we are adding fractions with like and unlike denominators.  Ask your students to show you the "Across, Up, Up" method. 

In English, we are learning all about paragraphs, sentences, and organizing our writing.  The students have a daily writing prompt they answer in paragraph form.  I am enjoying reading their writings because they cover a wide range of topics.  Your children are creative, funny, and sometimes very opinionated in their writings!  :-) 

Christmas is right around the corner, but let's make sure we keep the students motivated to learn.  They all know they can come see me before school, suring their break, or after school.  If they need any help or you have any questions feel free to contact me.  Your childs success is very important!!!

FALL FRENZY!!

I hope you all had a relaxing and fun-filled fall break!  I certainly did, but I am very happy to be back to school.  Your children make me so happy and it is my privilege to get to know each of them!!

Here are some skills we will be working on this week:

• Math:  We will be learning about factors, multiples, and prime and composite numbers.  
• Reading:  We will be reading fables and the morals they are teaching.  We will also be learning about the setting, plot, and characters. 
• English:  We are taking a big leap this week into writing.  We will be discussing the proper way to write sentences, making outlines, and then.....oh yes, it's true......we will be writing our own descriptive paragraph.  The students will read their paragraph to the class and it is our job to figure out what is being described.  I am looking forward to hearing their descriptive paragraphs!!  They also have spelling contract activities to complete each night.  

I hope your children are enjoying school and tell you about all the fun we have learning in our classroom!  There is definitely no shortage of enthusiasm!

If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me through e-mail, phone, or a classroom visit.  We would enjoy your presence in our classroom, so feel free to join us anytime! 

Week of September 19 - 23

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend!!   The sun may not be shining outside, but your children are sure shining.  We have started off the week with a great, positive attitude!  This week junior high basketball practice begins, Club Day will be Wednesday, and 8th graders will be taking the EXPLORE test.  Those are just a few activities that will be happening at Hickman County High School this week. 

Ask your children about their spelling contracts and encourage them to complete the nightly assignment.  This not only improves their spelling skills, it also helps with their writing and grammar skills.  In math, we will be learning to solve equations using addition and subtraction, as well as practicing other skills we have previously learned.  In reading, I am teaching the students strategies for reading  a Social Studies textbook.  We discussed how the title, headings, and subheadings help us find information we are looking for.  We will also be looking at maps, learning new vocabulary words, and locating the problem and solution in the text. 

We are having a great time learning in our classroom!  If you would like to join us, come on down!!  We welcome visitors anytime!  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. 

Hello from Ms. Stairs!

I just want to say hello to all my parents and students!  I hope you are all doing wonderful and finding school enjoyable.  In our classroom, this week we will be learning rules for multiplying and dividing positive and negative numbers, as well as reviewing our rules for adding and subtracting them.  We will also be looking for the main idea and supporting details in passages and short stories that we will be reading.  I feel like they really enjoy and benefit greatly from the spelling contracts we are working on...their spelling grades prove it!

I am so proud of my students for all the hard work they put into their education.  Their hard work definitely does not go unnoticed in our classroom!!!  If you would ever like to join us in our classroom or just wanna pop in after-school for a chit-chat, please come on in! 

I hope you all have a blessed week,

Ms. Stairs  :-)

HAPPY SEPTEMBER!!!

I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend!  We may only have four days of school this week, but we are still working hard. 

Textbook reading can be very intimidating to some students.  This week in reading we will be learning strategies that will help us understand a science textbook.  We will be learning how to read charts and diagrams, gain information from headings and subheadings, and how to answer questions throughout the text.  After lots of practice and hardwork, the students will be able to navigate their way through their science textbook with ease.

The students are doing great getting their work completed on their spelling contracts...KUDOS to them!  Writing, practicing, and reveiwing spelling words is more important than just saying and spelling words aloud.  They seem to enjoy the activities! 

Your child should also be bringing home more homework as we progress into more difficult topics.  The homework I give is simply for practice.  I do not give students homework on a topic that we have not discussed in class.  Math especially requires lots of practice and application in order to master the skill.  Ask your child about their homework and encourage him/her to complete it and return to school the following day.

I hope this is a great week for you and your child!!  Feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns.

Okay everyone, WE DID IT!!!  We all survived the first two weeks of school!!!   We have been having a great time learning and participating in various activities in our classroom.  Your students are the best!! 

This week the students were given a spelling contract with an activity to complete each night.  They can turn in their assignments as they complete them or they can turn them all in on Friday.  They will be a wonderful benefit to their spelling skills!  Please encourage your child to complete their spelling contracts.  They will receive a new one each Monday, so be looking for them!

In math, we have been learning about variables and solving equations with variables.  We have also been learning how to find the mean, median, mode, and range in a set of numbers.  Your children are full of enthusiasm when it comes to math. That is a fact!!  Ask your child about their new skills!  This week we will be learning about negative and positive numbers. 

Again, we are having a blast learning in our classroom.  Join us anytime you can!!!  :-)

Hello Everyone!

I hope you had a great summer and are ready to begin this new school year. I am exciting about joining the great faculty and staff at Hickman County High School and working with your children.

As we start this year, lets make it our goal to work hard, stay focused, and ask questions!!  Parents, encourage your child to speak up when they do not understand, and to ask why!  This will open up their mind to learn.  Teachers accept those "why" questions as an opportunity to teach and inquire about new and exciting things.

Check my web page from time to time, as I update.  Also, email me at lori.stairs@hickman.kyschools.us about any concerns, suggestions, or questions you have.

Parents, I consider it such a  blessing to work with your child.  Please keep me informed about changes in your life that might effect them at school.  Call me at the school, and if you don't reach me, leave a message and I will return your call as soon as I can.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Lori Stairs