May 21st-25th Newsletter

First Grade Newsletter

May 21st-25th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 5 Week 5

Main selection: Alexander Graham Bell: A Great Inventor

Weekly Question:  How can a great idea change the way we live?
Amazing Words: determined, inventor, stable, technology, stalled, biplane, sketch, speech
High-Frequency Words: built, early, learn, science, through
Phonics Target: Vowel pairs: aw, au  (draw, launch); syllable pattern- diphthongs/digraphs (toybox)

Comprehension skills: Sequence
Comprehension strategy: Text Structure

Genres: Biography
Written Expression: Predicate Expander "Why" (Kids work so they can learn.)
Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 5 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 5, Week 5 (fifth column). 

Fundations: Unit 13, Week 1

Students will learn about...

• Adding -es ending to words ending with x, s, and z
• Trick Words: being, their, word, work, write

Math in Focus

Chapter 16: Numbers to 120
**Chapter 16 Test on Wednesday, May 23rd**

Prerequisite Skills: Use ordinal numbers and positions

Thinking Skills

- Comparing

- Identifying patterns and relationships

Problem Solving Strategies  

                                            - Look for patterns

           Objectives

- Use a place value chart to show numbers to 100.

- Show objects up to 100 as tens and ones.

- Compare and order numbers to 100 using a strategy.

- Find the missing numbers in a number pattern.

- Compare numbers to 100 using the symbols <, > and =.

*                                      

Science

Backyard Growers Enrichment
     Last week students learned about the five things plants need in order to grow through a scavenger hunt and by planting their own seeds. This week students will learn all about importance of the job bees do to help plants grow. A relay race may be involved to help show students how hard bees work to pollinate plants. 

     

Social Studies

Quality & Traits Unit
This week the students will begin sharing their famous American reports with the rest of the class.

 Specialists

MONDAY: Music; Book Fair (Preview) 

TUESDAY: P.E.

WEDNESDAY: Music; Book Fair (Purchase)

THURSDAY: P.E.; Backyard Growers

FRIDAY: Art; Music; Patriotic Performance

Writing Workshop

This week students will be completing the planning stages of an autobiography.

     

                   Parent Reminders

1. No library this week. We will be going to the Scholastic Book Fair during our library time to preview the books. 
2. Reading passages are due on Thursday. Reading Street Word Lists are due on Friday. 
3. "Reading is thinking!" The most important part of your child's reading blog is the discussion they have with you about the books. Please mark down which questions you  discuss. Thanks!
5. Scholastic Book Fair- Our class will be going to the book fair this week. Our preview day is Monday, May 21st and our purchase is Wednesday, May 23rd. 
6. Each student needs to bring in a snack everyday to school. If this is not possible for you, please let me know and we can work something out. Thank you!
7. Wish List: paper towels and Clorox wipes. If you have sent supplies in with your child, thank you for donating!
8. End of the Year Assessments continue. This week we will begin DIBELS and easyCBM testing this week.
9. Celebration of Learning is this Thursday, May 24. Come enjoy some of the skills your child has learned this year! I hope to see you all there!
10. Stone Zoo- A field trip permission slip will be going home next Tuesday. The permission slips are due back on Friday, June 8th.
11. Animal Project- Each child picked (from a hat) an animal we'll see at the Stone Zoo next month. This project is due on Friday, June 2nd.
13. Our Patriotic Presentation is this Friday, May 25th from 9:15 to 10:15 in our school gymnasium. The kids have been busy practicing. We hope you can make it!

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
Moon Log

This week's homework:

 Reading Log (due on Friday)
Zero the Hero Math Game (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]

 Dialogue Journal (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]
Moon Log (due on Friday, June 1st) 
Invention Comprehension (due on Friday) [Sent home on Monday]