February 12th-16th Newsletter

First Grade Newsletter

February 12th- 16th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 3 Week 5

Main selection:  I'm a Caterpillar

Weekly Question:  What changes can be seen in nature?
Amazing Words: cycle, develop, insect, rearrange, flurries, emerge, fragile, vessel
High-Frequency Words: done, know, push, visit, wait
Phonics Target: Contractions; Vowel r-Controlled er, ir, ur

Comprehension skills: Fact and Opinion
Comprehension strategy: Text Structure

Genres:  Literary Nonfiction
Written Expression: Predicate Expander "When" (The goose honked nervously this morning.)
Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 3 Family talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6-week overview of the unit. (Sent home January 10th)
• Practice reading words (see white sheet sent home Friday) for Unit 3, Week 5 (sixth column). Please return sheet by Friday, February 16th for students to be tested on Week 6 words. 

Fundations: Unit 8, Week 2

Students will learn about...

• Consonant blends and segmenting and spelling words with four sounds (review)
• Baseword and suffix -s (review)
• Digraph blends (lunch)
• R-controlled vowels (er, ir, ur)
• Sight Words: her, over, number
• Unit Story: The Pink Dress
• Unit 8 Test will be on Wednesday, February 14th.

Math in Focus

Chapter 9
**Chapter 9 Test on Wednesday, February 14th**

Length

Thinking Skills
- Comparing
Problem Solving Strategies  
- Act it out
- Use a diagram

           Objectives

                                    - Compare two lengths, using the terms tall/taller, long/longer, and short/shorter.
                 - Compare more than two lengths using the terms tallest, longest, and shortest.
                 - Use a common starting point when comparing lengths.
                 - Measure lengths using non-standard units and understand that using different non-standard units may give you different measurements for the same thing.

This week we will be wrapping up our mini-lesson on money at our Valentine's Celebration. The students will be making change and shopping at three different stores. **Continue to play the coin games at home for added practice.**

*                                      

Science

Physical Science
Sound Waves
     This week students will be learning about how sound travels over a distance through vibration waves. They will be using string phones to experiment whether then can hear a friend speak quietly through the phone. 

Social Studies

   Economics Unit- This week we will shift gears to learn about goods and services. The students will sort pictures into two piles, goods and services and determine which ones fulfill a need or a want. 
Second Steps- We are continuing our Emotional Management unit this week with a lesson on positive self-talk.

 Specialists

MONDAY: Music; Library

TUESDAY: P.E.

WEDNESDAY: Music 

THURSDAY: P.E.; Valentine's Celebration

FRIDAY: Art; Music

Writing Workshop
Pen Pal Letter Writing
     This week students will be given a pen pal letter from another Gloucester first grader. We will go over what a pen pal is and begin writing our introduction pages with a portrait of each student and their names. We will be going over letter structures and how a letter should be written. I am very excited to see how these pen pal letters come out!

100 Year Old Prompts
      Last week students wrote creative writing pieces about what they would be like when they were 100 years old. There were so many great ideas ranging from what the students thinks they will look like at the age of 100 to what activities they would do. 

     

                   Parent Reminders

1. We will not be going to the library this week due to the book swap. Our class will be going to the book swap this week instead. 
2. Reading passages are due on Thursday. Reading Street Word Lists are due on Friday. 
3. Please make sure to record the comprehension questions you discuss with your child on the reading log each night. Thank you!
4.. Scholastic Book Club: February book orders should be in this week. I will send home the books when they arrive at school.
5. Valentine Celebration (2/15)— Thank you to everyone who sent in donations and have offered to help out! Volunteers, please be here by 12:15 so I can let you know which centers you will be running. The kids are very excited! Thanks again!
6. On Friday, I will be sending home your child's Math workbook from the first half of the school year. You can use this at home for extra practice. 
7. Shoe tying- When your child wears snow boots to school, they have up to 6 opportunities to tie their shoes. Please help your child learn this important life skill. 
8. Happy Numbers- This week I will be sending home students logins for a program called Happy Numbers. This is a math enrichment program that is another great way for your child to practice their math skills on. Enjoy!

Winter has finally arrived!
One more week to go! 

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Words (Phonics/Sight)

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

This week's homework:

 Reading Log (due on Friday)

 Shopping Coin Game & Math Facts  (Daily) [Sent home on Monday]

 Dialogue Journal (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]