March 5th-March 9th Newsletter

First Grade Newsletter

March 5th-9th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 4 Week 1

Main selection:  Mama's Birthday Present

Weekly Question:  How can a surprise be a treasure?
Amazing Words: 
High-Frequency Words: about, enjoy, give, surprise, worry, would
Phonics Target: Vowel digraphs ai. ay; Single and plural possessives

Comprehension skills: Draw Conclusions
Comprehension strategy: Monitor and Clarify

Genres:  Realistic Fiction
Written Expression: Predicate Expander "When" (The sun shines in the afternoon.)
Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 3 Family talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6-week overview of the unit. (Sent home March 6th)
• Practice reading words (see white sheet sent home Friday) for Unit 4, Week 1 (first column). 

Fundations: Unit 9, Week 2

Students will learn about...

• Closed syllables with short vowels
• Closed syllable vs. open syllable
• Vowel team sounds: ai, ay, ee, ea, ey, oi, oy
• Sight Words: say, says, see, between, each
• Unit Story: Fred the Frog
• Unit 9 Test: Friday, March 9th

Math in Focus

Chapter 11
**Chapter 11 Test on Wednesday, March 7th**
Picture Graphs and Bar Graphs

Thinking Skills
- Comparing
- Classifying 

Problem Solving Strategies  
- Make a systematic list

           Objectives
- Collect and organize data
- Show and understand data shown in a picture graph (also using symbols).
- Draw a picture graph.
- Make a tally chart.
- Show and understand data shown in a bar graph.

*                                      

Science

Backyard Growers Enrichment
     This week our Backyard Growers enrichment program begins! This is a great opportunity for the children to learn science content through a local organization with hands-on activities. The first lesson will be about the garden ecosystem. 
     

Social Studies

   We will use our Social Studies time for Science lessons this week. 
Second Steps- We will begin our last unit on Problem Solving. This week we will be focusing on a lesson all about naming the problem.

 Specialists

MONDAY: Music; Library

TUESDAY: Early Release

WEDNESDAY: Music

THURSDAY: P.E.; Backyard Growers

FRIDAY: Art; Music

Writing Workshop
Pen Pal Letters
     This week students will continue to respond to their pen pal's letter using our letter format (greeting, body, closing, & signature). Students will be asking their pen pals questions to gather information about him/her. The students will be 'mailing' their letters back to their pen pals this week. 

This week's mini-lesson will include...
- Letter format
- How to respond to a letter
- Grammar (punctuation, uppercase)
- Questions to ask a pen pal to gather more information about the person

     

                   Parent Reminders

1. Our library time is Mondays at 1 p.m. Please have books brought back to school by the Friday before or Monday morning.
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. Early Release on Tuesday, March 6th at noontime.(If your child's pick up changes from the normal transportation, please send in a note.)
5. Math Facts- As I check in with your child, I will send a note home about which rules they still need to work on. If they have the majority of the math facts mastered, I will send home the subtraction fact cards. Keep up the good work! 
6. Fry 200 Words- I will be sending home a list of sight words your child should know by the end of first grade.
7. On Dr. Seuss' birthday, we had some special readers... Ms. Imel and Mr. Grant read to our class! Students were able to ask questions and tell them about their favorite part of our new school. 
8.**Dr. Seuss Comprehension Homework**- Before assigning this homework activity, I wanted the children to be exposed to The Cat in the Hat story multiple times before completing the assignment.

Have a fantastic week! 

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Words (Phonics/Sight)

Reading Log (with discussion questions)
Number/Letter Formation

Math Number Sense Games
Coin Games

This week's homework:

 Reading Log (due on Friday)

 Go Fish! (Pairs of 10)  (Daily) [Sent home on Tuesday]

 Dialogue Journal (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]
Dr. Seuss Comprehension (due on Friday) [Sent home on Monday]**