December 4th-8th Newsletter

First Grade Newsletter

December 4th-8th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 2 Week 3 

Main selection:  Who Works Here!

Weekly Question:  Who works to make our community a nice place? 
Amazing Words: citizen, community, law, leader, branch, headquarters, earn, patrol
High-Frequency Words: people, live, work, who, out
Phonics Target: Long i: i_e; Digraphs- wh, ch, tch, ph

Comprehension skills: Author's purpose
Comprehension strategy: Important ideas

Genres:  Expository Text
Written Expression: Predicate Expander "Where" (The sunflower blooms under the blazing sun.)
Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 2 Family talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6-week overview of the unit. (Sent home November 16th)
• Practice reading words (see white sheet sent home Wednesday) for Unit 2, Week 2 (second column). 

Fundations: Unit 6, Week 1

Students will learn about...

• Base word and suffix with the suffix -s
• Pluralization
• Narrative fiction vs. informational books 
• Reading with accuracy
• Sight Words: are, were
• Reading Selection: Jack's Bags

Math in Focus

Chapter 7

Numbers to 20
Prerequisite Skills: Count & compare to 10 , Make patterns (counting on/back)

Thinking Skills
- Analyzing patterns & relationships

Problem Solving Strategies  
                                     - Look for patterns

                               Objectives

                                                                                  - Count on from 10-20
                                  - Read and write 11-20 in numbers and words.
                                  - Use a place value chart to show numbers to 20.
                                  - Show objects up to 20 as tens and ones.

*                                      

Science

Light and Sound Wave Unit 
Last week students experimented with six different materials to test if they were transparent, translucent or opaque. They made predictions as to what they thought the object was (transparent, translucent or opaque) and then using their flashlight, they tested the material. After they tested a material, they recorded the outcomes.  
This week the student will review what they already know about how light travels and learn about the law of reflection through a series of experiments.  

Social Studies

          Jan Brett Author Study 

The Hat
How is The Hat similar and different from
the story The Mitten? 
Vocabulary: ridiculous,
startled, magnificent

Second Steps—We are continuing our
Empathy Unit by thinking about how....

 Specialists

MONDAY: Music 

TUESDAY: Early Release

WEDNESDAY: Music

THURSDAY: P.E.

FRIDAY: Art; Music

Writing Workshop

Jan Brett Author Study~ Mitten Riddle

     This week I will be conferencing with the students about their animal riddle clues. Students will move onto their final draft of their animal riddle and complete the riddle with a picture of the animal they chose. 

Six Traits of Writing~ Ideas

      This week students will continue to brainstorm ways to escape a Thanksgiving dinner and write sequential steps to help a feathery friend out. Students will also be learning about conferencing and I will conference with each student about their writing.

Framing Your Thoughts~ Predicate Expander of Where
This week students will begin to practice making their own barebone sentences using the predicate expander of where. This expander begins to allow students to add detail to their barebone sentences. Students will be creating sentences based off of pictures, personal experiences, and brainstorming winter-themed subjects, predicates and predicate expanders of where. 

This week’s mini-lessons will include… 
- What an individual conference is 
- How to give compliments to their peers 

- How to make constructive suggestions to improve their peer’s stories

                   Parent Reminders

1. Our class went to the library today. Please remind your child to bring back their library book by next Monday, December 12th. 
2. Early Release Tuesday, December 5th at noon!
3. Scholastic Book Club catalogs will be going home
tomorrow (Tuesday, December 5th). I know we just had the book fair and I
do not want anyone to feel pressure to order
more books. I had some parent requests for the
December catalogs and thought I would just send
them to everyone. If you want any “surprise” or gift
books for your child, please let me know and I
can contact you when the books are in.) Orders
are due by Monday (Dec 11th), so the books can
be delivered before the holiday break.
(Online code—P9JVK).
4. DIBELs Winter benchmark testing will be
done with Ms. Nedde this week.
5. It’s just about hat and glove season…please label everything, if possible. Sometimes the children have a hard time identifying their
own clothes.

Have a fantastic week! 

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Words (Phonics/Sight)

Reading Log (with discussion questions)
Number/Letter Formation
Number Sense Math Games

This week's homework: 

Reading Log (due on Friday)
Number Bond Math Game Recording Sheet  (due on Friday) [Sent home on Tuesday]
 Dialogue Journal (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]
 December Celebrations: Kwanzaa (due on Friday)