October 29th-November 2nd Newsletter

First Grade Newsletter

October 29th- November 2nd

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 1 Week 4

Main selection:  Fox and a Kit

Weekly Question:  How do wild animals take care of their babies?
Amazing Words: observe, wild, parent, canopy, screech, million, native, reserve
High-Frequency Words: eat, five, four, her, this, too
Phonics Target: Inflected Endings -s and -ing

Comprehension skills:  Main idea and Details
Comprehension strategy: Important Details

Genres:  Literary Nonfiction
Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 1 Family Talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6 week overview of the unit. 
• Family Times gives various activities that can be done at home that connect to the concept we're learning this week.
• Practice reading phonics and sight words for Unit 1, Week 4 (fourth column only).   

Fundations: Unit 3 (Week 2 of 2)

 ** Unit 3 Test on Thursday**
Students will learn about...

• Introduced to digraphs: wh, sh, ch, th, ck
• Spell words with digraphs
• Observe the form of a narrative story (character, setting, and main events)
• Sight words: we, he, she, be, me

Math in Focus

Chapter 4

Subtraction Facts to 10 

Thinking Skills
- Analyzing parts and a whole

Problem Solving Strategies 
- Guess and check

Objectives

      - Take away to subtract
                                        - Count on OR back to subtract
                                        - Use number bonds to subtract
                                        - Write and solve subtraction sentences.
                                        - Tell subtraction

*

Science

Weather- This week students will learn about clouds, how they are formed as well as the names & characteristics of the different types. 

Light- Last week students discussed how light can pass through some objects, but not others. We discussed the three types of objects: transparent, translucent, and opaque. This week students are experimenting with six different materials. They will be making predictions as to what they think the object is (transparent, translucent or opaque) and then using their flashlight to test the material. After they have tested a material, they will record the outcomes.
Decomposition of Pumpkin-Last week students made wonderful observations about our decomposing pumpkin. Once students record their observations, they make a prediction. Some students think the pumpkin will continue to grow while others think it will start to rot. The class will continue to record and predict what will happen to the pumpkin over the next couple of months. 

Social Studies

Thanksgiving Unit
We will begin working on developing an understanding of life as a colonist and a Wampanoag Native American. We’ll start by learning about each of their homes.
Character Education—We will begin our Empathy Unit this week with identifying feelings. 

 Specialists

MONDAY: Music

TUESDAY: P.E.; Halloween Parade

WEDNESDAY: Music

THURSDAY: Early Release!

FRIDAY: Art, Music

Writing Workshop

Framing Your Thoughts 
    Last week students completed their first barebone sentence book and we will also learned about the connector ('and') that connects two subjects or predicates in a sentence. This week students will practice subjects, predicates, and connectors to construct sentences using partner shares, creating sentences from pictures and writing sentences.
Genre Writing~ Narrative

      This week we will begin our pre-write with brainstorming characters, the setting, and discuss problems vs. solutions of students' stories. 

Six Traits of Writing~ Ideas
     When writing the stories, each student will be looking at their heart inventory paper to find ideas of what topic they would like to write about. Once the students have a topic, they will write five important details they want to share in their story about the topic. These details will be in one or two word phrases on the Five Finger Detail organizer. By giving students the organizer, the focus will be more on five solid details about the topic than writing a proper sentence.

This week’s mini-lessons will include…

• Choose a topic 
• Use important details to tell about a topic
• Use spacing in between words 
• How to write an introduction and closing

                   Parent Reminders

1.  Scholastic Reading Club-November catalogs will be going home this week. November orders are due Friday, November 9th.
2. Our class' library time is Monday at 1 p.m. Please have your child return their library books to school on Friday or Monday morning.
3. Halloween Parade- Our Halloween Parade is tomorrow, October 30th beginning at 2:25 p.m. Please be at the school by 2:15 p.m. to watch the parade. If I have confirmed with you about volunteering, please be in Room 116 by 2:00 p.m. If you would like to dismiss your child right after the parade, please send in a note tomorrow morning with your child in their green homework folder. 
4. Ten Fram Math Game- I sent home the directions to the newest math game. Use the number symbol cards (ex: 1, 2, 3, 4..) for your child to choose from. Each child can choose what they would like to build the number with (ex: Legos, buttons, Goldfish, etc.)

5. Unit 1 Reading Card- I recorded how many of the phonics and high-frequency words your child read correctly. I also starred the words you did not read correctly. This week you’ll practice the fourth column of words. Please note I am looking for the students to be able to read these words with automaticity (within 3 seconds). If your child needs a new list, please let me know. (Reminder: please return these on Fridays.) 

6. Parent Conferences & Confirmation Slips- The second round of conferences will be held this week on Thursday, November 1st in my room (Room 116). If your child's conference is this week, please be thinking about questions and/or concerns you may have about your child as well as academic and social goals you have for him/her. I sent home conference confirmations last week and the last of the confirmations will be sent home tomorrow. If I have not received a conference slot time from you, I attached a updated late sign up sheet. Please send back in ASAP. Thank you!

Happy Halloween!

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Log (with discussion questions)
Number/Letter Formation

Math Number Sense Games

This week's homework:

 Reading Log (due on Friday)
Ten Frame Math Game [Sent home on Tuesday]
Dialogue Journal #4 (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]

'Flash the Dots' Math Game 2018

Flash the Dots! Math Game

Materials:

- Flash the Dots! mat (with instructions) in clear protector sleeve

- 1 thin dry erase marker

- 1 piece of paper towel for eraser

- Dot pattern cards (from Activity #1)

Game Description

This activity includes a partner and the dot cards from Activity #1. The child’s partner will pick out one dot card, put it in their hand, and show him/her the card for three seconds. (This makes sure that the child is not seeing the pattern from the back of the card.) The partner will then hide the dot card and ask the child to draw what he/she saw in the space below without showing the pattern again. Give the child ample time to draw the dot pattern he/she saw. Once the child has finished their drawing, ask your child about what they saw. (See the back of this paper for an example conversation.) The partner will continue to do this process until all of the pattern cards have been used.

Example Conversation

[After showing the dot card and your child drawing what they saw.]

Partner:  What did you see?  

Child:  I saw 5 dots.

Partner:  How do you know?  Did you see any patterns to help you remember there were 5 dots?

Child:  Yes, I saw 4 dots here and then one more dot on the side. (Or they might say, I saw 2 dots on top and 3 on the bottom.)

{Repeat this process with the other dot cards.}

Here’s a little blurb from the article “Subitizing is an Important Math Skill” to explain more about the purpose behind it.

While “subitizing” may not be a well-known word, it is certainly an important mathematical skill.  It is the ability to instantly recognize the amount of objects without actually counting them. Much like the importance of being able to calculate estimates, subitizing is something that comes up in the everyday lives of students.  One example is counting the dots on the faces of dice: when you roll a six, chances are you don’t actually count out each of the dots. Rather, you have come to recognize the pattern of three rows of two as being equal to six.  According to The National Council of Teachers and Mathematics, one key part of effective subitizing is developing pattern recognition.

As author of Subitizing: What Is It? Why Teach It? Douglas Clements says, “Students can use pattern recognition to discover essential properties of numbers, such as conservation and compensation. They can develop such capabilities as unitizing, counting on, and composing and decomposing numbers, as well as their understanding of arithmetic and place value—all valuable components of number sense.”

October 22nd-26th Newsletter

First Grade Newsletter

October 22nd-26th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 1 Week 3

Main Selection: The Big Blue Ox

Weekly Question:  How do animals help people?
Amazing Words:  past, present, produce, transportation, danger, serve, snuggle, enormous, powerful
High-Frequency Words: blue, help, little, from, use, get
Phonics Target: Short 'o', plural -s; consonant 's'/z/

Comprehension skills:  Character and Setting
Comprehension strategy: Visualize

Genres:  Animal Fantasy
Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Family Times gives various activities that can be done at home that connect to the concept we're learning this week.
• Practice reading phonics and sight words for Unit 1, Week 3 (third column only).   

Fundations: Unit 3 (Week 1 of 2)

Students will...

• Segmentation
• Spell words with -ck at the end
• Observe the form of a narrative story (character, setting, and main events) 
• Story: Cod Fish
• Sight words: a, was, to

Math in Focus

Chapter 3

Addition Fact to 10 

Thinking Skills
- Analyzing parts and a whole
- Deduction

Problem Solving Strategies 
- Act it Out
 - Draw a diagram

Objectives

      - Count on to add 
   - Use number bonds to add in any order

- - Write and solve addition sentences
- - Tell and write addition stories about pictures

Science

Weather- This week students will learn about clouds, how they are formed as well as the names & characteristics of the different types. We will also continue to build on the students' knowledge of snow and rain. The class discussed how snow and rain are formed and the different patterns of each weather type.
Light- Last week students discussed how light can pass through some objects, but not others. We discussed the three types of objects: transparent, translucent, and opaque. This week students are experimenting with six different materials. They will be making predictions as to what they think the object is (transparent, translucent or opaque) and then using their flashlight to test the material. After they have tested a material, they will record the outcomes.   

Social Studies

We will be focusing on communities over time and transportation through our weekly readings. This week the children will work to answer the question, "Who helps animals?"

This week the class will be continuing to put into practice the four Skills for Learning throughout the day. We will begin Unit 2 of Second Steps on Wednesday by discussing empathy. 

 Specialists

MONDAY: Music
TUESDAY: P.E.

WEDNESDAY: Music

THURSDAY: P.E.

FRIDAY: Art, Music

Writing Workshop

Framing Your Thoughts 
    This week students will complete their first barebone sentence book. In our Fall Barebone Book, students wrote sentences using fall-themed subjects and predicates. We will also begin to learn about the connector ('and') that connects two subjects or predicates in a sentence. 

Genre Writing~ Narrative
      Last week, we discussed that fantasy is make-believe and the key components of a fantasy story. This week we will begin our pre-write with brainstorming characters, the setting, and discuss problems vs. solutions of students' stories. 

                  Parent Reminders

1.  Homework Reading Log- Please make sure to write down the discussion question number(s) you and your child talk about each night you read.

2. Dialogue Journals- Please send in your child's dialogue journal with the third letter completed. If your child is has a 'Mystery Letter' from me, their letter for that week should be a response to my letter. If your child does not have a 'Mystery Letter' from me, he/she will be able to write about another topic of their choice. 
3. Library- Our class goes to the library on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. Please bring in their library books the Friday before or on Monday morning. Students need to return their library book in order to check out another one. Thank you!
4. Unit 1 Reading Card- I recorded how many of the phonics and high-frequency words your child read correctly. I also starred the words you did not read correctly. This week you’ll practice the third column of words. Please note I am looking for the students to be able to read these words with automaticity (within 3 seconds). If your child needs a new list, please let me know. (Reminder: please return these on Fridays.) 
5. Parent Conferences & Confirmation Slips- The first round of conferences will be held this week on Thursday, October 25th in my room (Room 116). If your child's conference is this week, please be thinking about questions and/or concerns you may have about your child as well as academic and social goals you have for him/her. I sent home the last of the conference confirmations for all conferences today. If I have not received a conference slot time from you, I attached a updated late sign up sheet. Please send back in ASAP. Thank you!
6. Wish List- Thank you for your donations and support!
7. Flash the Dots! Math Game- With the math homework recording sheet going home on Tuesday, I will be posting a separate message on the blog tomorrow explaining more about the new math game for this week's homework. The description will also be on your child's homework sheet. I will send another game sheet home on Tuesday as well. The game board that goes into the page protector should not be written on in order to play the game multiple times.

Have a fantastic week!

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Log (with discussion questions)
Number/Letter Formation

Math Number Sense Games

This week's homework:

 Reading Log (due on Friday)
Flash the Dots Game Recording Sheet (due on Friday) [Sent home on Tuesday]
Dialogue Journal #3 (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]

October 15th-19th Newsletter

 First Grade Newsletter

October 15-19th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 1 Week 2

Main selection:  Pig in a Wig

Weekly Question:  Who helps animals?
Amazing Words: career, service, sloppy, scrub, tool, exercise, comfort, search
High-Frequency Words: she, take, up, what
Phonics Target: Short 'i', consonant 'x'/ks/

Comprehension skills:  Plot
Comprehension strategy: Summarize

Genres:  Animal Fantasy
Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 1 Family Talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6 week overview of the unit. 
• Family Times gives various activities that can be done at home that connect to the concept we're learning this week.
• Practice reading phonics and sight words for Unit 1, Week 2 (second column only).   

Fundations: Unit 2 (Week 2 of 2)

 Unit 2 Test on Friday

Students will...

• Manipulate the beginning, middle, and end sounds of words
• Blend and read words with three sounds, including short vowel sounds
• Segment and spell words with three sounds, including short vowel sounds
• Begin learning sentence dictation starting with capitalization, punctuation (period), and proofreading steps 
• Sight words: the, of, and

Math in Focus

Chapter 3

   Addition Fact to 10 

  Thinking Skills
- Analyzing parts and a whole
- Deduction

Problem Solving Strategies 
- Act it Out
 - Draw a diagram

                           Objectives

                                                            - Count on to add 
                                   - Use number bonds to add in any order

-                            - Write and solve addition sentences
-                            - Tell and write addition stories about pictures

*

Science

Weather- This week students will be learning about weather. We will discuss what weather is and important vocabulary that is associated with weather. We will also learn about clouds, how they are formed as well as the names & characteristics of the different types. 
Light- 
Social Studies

     We will be focusing on who helps animals in our community through our weekly readings. This week the children will work to answer the question, "Who helps animals?"

In Second Steps, we will continue to learn how to be assertive when learning for the fourth and final Skill for Learning. I encourage the students to use the skills that they have learned about throughout their day and find the strategy that works best for them. 

                  Specialists

 
MONDAY: Music

TUESDAY: P.E.

WEDNESDAY: Music

THURSDAY: P.E.

FRIDAY: Art, Music

Writing Workshop

Framing Your Thoughts 
    This week students will begin creating their own fall-themed 'barebone sentence'. There will be whole group session to brainstorm fall-themed subjects (noun) and predicates (verb) a rough draft, and final draft of the sentence including an illustration. Our class will publish our fall barebone sentences. We will also be learning about adjectives.

Six Traits of Writing~ Ideas 
     Magic Camera
           This week students will be focusing on creating word lists associated with each sense. For example, the words 'bitter', 'salty', and 'sweet' are all associated with taste.

                  Parent Reminders

1.  Our class goes to the library on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. 

2.  Scholastic book order- The October catalog orders have been shipped! I will send home the orders with your children once they are in. 

3. Wish List- Thank you for your snack donations!
4. CORI Checks- If you need to have a CORI done, the paperwork needs to be done through the main office at the Blackburn Drive office. Thank you for your support of our class!
5. Unit 1 Reading Card- I recorded how many of the phonics and high-frequency words your child read correctly. I also starred the words each child did not read correctly or read fluently (within 3 seconds). This week each child will practice the second column of words. Please note I am looking for the students to be able to read these words with automaticity (within 3 seconds). (Reminder: please return these on Fridays.) 
6. On the back of your child's Daily Reading Log, you'll find a numbered list of discussion questions. Please jot down which questions you discussed with the books each night in the 'title' box. 
7. Dialogue Journals—I will be sending home the journals tomorrow for students to write their 2nd letter. A couple reminders are that students should be sound spelling words that they do not know how to spell, skipping lines for corrections and comments to be made, and writing each letter in pencil. Use the sample letter on the last page of your child's journal as a guide. 

I hope you all have had a fantastic weekend!

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Log (with discussion questions)
Number/Letter Formation

Math Number Sense Games

This week's homework:

 Reading Log (due on Friday)
Math Sense Number Game (due on Friday) [Sent home on Tuesday]
Dialogue Journal #2 (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]

October 8th-12th Newsletter

 First Grade Newsletter

October 8th-12th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 1

Main selection:  Sam, Come Back!

Weekly Question:  What do pets need?

Amazing Words: need, tickle, responsibility, faithful,

                            responsibility, shelter, fetch, cuddle, 

                            heel

High-Frequency Words: come, in, my, on, way

Phonics Target: Short 'a', -ck (rock)

Comprehension skills:  character, setting

Comprehension strategy: monitor/clarify

Genres:  Realistic Fiction

Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 1 Family Talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6 week overview of the unit. (Sent home Oct. 1st) 
• Family Times gives various activities that can be done at home that connect to the concept we're learning this week.
• Practice reading phonics and sight words for Unit 1, Week 1 (first column only).

Fundations: Unit 2 (Week 2 of 2)

 Unit 1 Test on Wednesday & Thursday

Students will...

• Manipulate the beginning, middle, and end sounds of words
• Blend and read words with three sounds, including short vowel sounds
• Segment and spell words with three sounds, including short vowel sounds
• Begin learning sentence dictation starting with capitalization, punctuation (period), and proofreading steps 
• Sight words: the, of, and

Math in Focus

Chapter 2
**Chapter 2 Test on Thursday, October 11th**

Number bonds

Thinking Skills
- Analyzing parts and a whole
- Deduction

Problem Solving Strategies 
- Act it Out
- Guess and Check

Objectives

      - Identify the use for number bonds (to show parts and a whole)

      - Use different math materials to find number bonds, such as connector cubes and math balance

- - Find different number bonds for numbers to 10
- - Understand there are more than one set of parts for a whole

   **This week the class will be introduced to addition math facts to 10 beginning with +0 rule.**

*

Science

Weather- This week students will be learning about weather. We will discuss what weather is and important vocabulary that is associated with weather. We will also learn about clouds, how they are formed as well as the names & characteristics of the different types. 
Senses- Last week we defined and discussed the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste). We went on a walk around the school using our 'sense cameras' to take pictures of different parts of the school and use our senses to describe the scene in each picture. Students used their senses to experience all of the sights, sounds, textures, and smells of the Topsfield Fair. This week students will continue to work on their Topsfield Fair sense reflections.

Social Studies

     We will be focusing on what pets need through our weekly readings. This week the children will work to answer the question, "What do pets need?"

In Second Steps, we will continue to learn how to be assertive when learning for the fourth and final Skill for Learning. I encourage the students to use the skills that they have learned about throughout their day and find the strategy that works best for them. 

                  Specialists

 
MONDAY: Columbus Day!

TUESDAY: P.E.

WEDNESDAY: Music

THURSDAY: P.E.

FRIDAY: Art, Music

Writing Workshop

Framing Your Thoughts 
    Last week we focused on reviewing the subject of a sentence, examples of different subjects, and  reviewing predicates (verbs). The class played a version of Freeze Dance where they were given an action to do until the music shut off. This week the class will review 'barebone sentences' and continuing working with subjects (nouns) and predicates (verbs). There will be whole group discussion and brainstorming, partner discussion activities, and individual writing activities.

Writing Fluency-This week the class will be introduced to our writing fluency check ins. During this writing fluency activity, students will be given a sentence starter to practice a narrative piece of writing. Each fluency prompt will be 5 minutes long. One minute for students to brainstorm ideas about the prompt's sentence starter and 4 minutes to write their ideas. The goals for each fluency prompt are to see growth in the number of words students write and to see students applying grammar and writing skills they are learning throughout the year. 

Six Traits of Writing~ Ideas 
     This week students will be creating a story as a whole class. As each student adds on another detail, the teacher will transcribe the ideas on the board. This activity is to get students' ideas flowing without the pressure of writing their thoughts down themselves. 
     Magic Camera
           Last week the students went over the five senses (sight, scent, sound, taste, and touch). We discussed words associated with the different senses and experiences students have had where they observed with their eyes, ears, nose, mouth or skin. Last week we also took a sensory walk through and around the school to practice using our senses with our magic sense cameras. Each student had a chance to discuss what they observed and reflect on what they saw on our walk. During this week's walk, we will be focusing on touch and smell.

                  Parent Reminders

1.   Parent/Teacher Conferences—Thank you to everyone who signed up for conferences at Meet the Teacher Night. You will be receiving a confirmation message with the date and time you signed up for. I will be sending out messages about available times on October 25th and November 1st for those who were unable to sign up. If none of the dates & times work for you, please send an email or Bloomz message with dates & times that work for you.

2.   Topsfield Fair Field Trip- The first grade had a great time at the fair! Take a look at the update about our trip on Bloomz and what we learned at the fair. Thank you to the parent volunteers who came with us!

3.  Scholastic book order- The October catalog was sent home last week. October's orders will be due on Thursday, October 11th, so that I can get your autumn books to you in time for fall festivities.   

4. Wish List- Thank you for your donations! We are still looking for snack donations. If you would like to contribute, please send your donations in with your child or drop them off in the main office with Ms. Lane. 
5. Our class will not be going to the library this week due to Columbus Day. If your child has not returned their library book from the previous weeks, please send them in this week for next week.
6. If you are looking to get your CORI done, please go to the main office at Blackburn Drive. Thank you for your support of our class!
7. Match the Numbers! Math Homework Activity- Last week I sent back home with students a recording sheet for Match the Numbers! math game. This activity is to help build number fluency and strengthen students' foundational math skills with numbers 1-10. Please keep the cards in the plastic bag for safe keeping because we will be using these cards for different activities throughout the coming weeks. If you need another copy, please let me know and I will send one home with your child. I will review how to play the game with the class to clear up any confusion. Here is a link to a website that has other great ways to use the cards you were given for other activities: https://thisreadingmama.com/number-sorting-cards/.
8. Dialogue Journals- Journals will be sent home on Wednesday, October 10th. Students' first entry is due on Friday, October 12th. Please let me know if your student needs extra time to complete their entry over the weekend. 

9. Unit 1 Reading Card- I will not be sending home the reading cards this week. The class will be reviewing the words for the first column this week during class. When I meet with each child to read the first column, I will record how many of the phonics and high-frequency words your child read correctly. I also will highlight the words each child did not read correctly. Next week each child will practice the second column of words. Please note I am looking for the students to be able to read these words with automaticity (within 3 seconds). (Reminder: please return these reading cards on Fridays.) 
10. On the back of your child's Daily Reading Log, you'll find a numbered list of discussion questions. Please jot down which questions you discussed with the books each night in the 'title' box. 

I hope you all have had a fantastic long weekend!

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Log (with discussion questions)
Number/Letter Formation

Math Number Sense Games

This week's homework:

 Reading Log (due on Friday)
Top Dog Card Game (due on Friday) [Sent home on Tuesday]
Dialogue Journal (due on Friday) [Sent home on Wednesday]