November 18th-November 22nd Newsletter

First Grade Newsletter

November 18th-November 22nd

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 2 Week 2 

Main selection:  The Farmer in the Hat

Weekly Question:  How is a school a community?

Amazing Words: group, respect, share, aquarium, borrow, lines, rehearsal, soothe

High-Frequency Words: be, could, horse, of, old, paper

Phonics Target: Long a: a_e; Consonants c /s/; g /j/

Comprehension skills: Cause and Effect

Comprehension strategy: Monitor and Clarify

Genres:  Realistic Fiction

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 green sheet sent home Monday) for Unit 2, Week 2 (second column). 

PHONICS

Lively Letters (Sounds)

• Review each letter/letter pairs: p/b, t/d, k/g, f/v, qu, m/n, ng, a/o, j, s/z, ch, r/l, u/i, wh, e, x/y/c, w/h

Spelling 

• Skill(s): Tapping out sounds in words with CVC patterns (Consonant, Vowel, Consonant; such as 'cat') 
• Spelling words with digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck)
• Trick Words: you, your, I, was, one, said
• Taught Trick Word List: the, of, and, a, was, to, or, for, me, be, she, he, me, has, as, into

**Trick words are irregularly spelled words that each child is expected to be able to spell in their writing.**

Handwriting Without Tears

• Review formation of the following letters…c, o, s, v, w, t, a, d, g, u, i, e, l, k, y, j, p, r, n, m, h, b, f, q, x, z
• Alphabetical order  

Math in Focus

**Chapter 4 Test is Monday, November 18th**
Chapter 5

Shapes and Patterns

Thinking Skills
- Induction; Analyzing patterns and relationships

Problem Solving Strategies  
- Guess and check

                               Objectives

                                                                                  - Identify, classify, describe, and sort plane and solid shapes.
                                  - Divide shapes into two and four equal parts and describe the parts.
                                  - Describe the whole as the sum of its parts.
                                  - Combine and separate plane and solid shapes.

*                                      

Science

Patterns in the Sky

 Students completed their investigation about the moon's phases. This week we will learn more facts and figures about the Moon and will learn about the movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon in relation to one another. 

Social Studies

Thanksgiving Unit

We are continuing to work on developing an understanding of life as a colonist and a Wampanoag Native American. We will be learning about the clothes the Native American children wore and the activities the colonist and Native American children did for fun.

Second Steps—We continued our Empathy Unit last week with identifying feelings. This week we are learning about how a person's feelings can change about the same situation.

 Specialists

MONDAY: Music

TUESDAY: P.E.

WEDNESDAY: Music

THURSDAY: P.E.

FRIDAY: Art; Music; Library

Writing Workshop

Six Traits of Writing~ Ideas

     This week students will write their stories about how Tom the Turkey escapes Thanksgiving dinner. Each student will develop their own story using details such as different characters, whether or not if Tom escapes or gets caught, and how he is either captured or escapes. I am excited to read each student's story!

Framing Your Thoughts ~ Predicate Expander of Where
     This week students will be practicing using the predicate expander of where (The snow drifts across the field.) by constructing their own from pictures and fall-themed activities during literacy centers and writing time. 

This week’s mini-lessons will include… 
Students will also learn about conferencing… 
- What a whole-class conference is 
- How to give compliments to their peers 
- How to make constructive suggestions to improve their peer’s stories

Parent Reminders

1. Library day is on Friday. Please make sure you help your child remember to bring in their book in by the end of the week.

2. November Scholastic Catalog- November catalog orders have been placed! The book orders should be in by the end of this week! 

3. Reading Phonics & Sight Word Lists (Unit 2)- Unit 2 Cards were handed back today, Monday, November 18th. Please practice Week 2 (the second column only) of your child's Reading Street word lists. I will be collecting the Reading Street Unit 2 sheets on Friday, November 22nd to check-in with students for the second week of the unit. Thank you!

4. Dialogue Journal- A journal entry should be written each week. I hand out journals on Wednesday and the journal should come back on Friday or the following Monday.
5. Recess Gear- Due to the temperature slowly becoming colder, children need to wear or bring a coat, hat, and/or mittens to school in order to go out to recess. Please be sure to write your child's name on the tag or another convenient place on their gear. Thank you!
6. Photo Retakes are this Tuesday, November 19th. 
7. Trick Word Reading & Spelling List- A trick word reading and spelling list was sent home today, Thursday November 21st. Please practice reading and spelling these words with your child. I will be checking in with your child on Wednesday, November 27th. 

Have a great week! 

Miss Biggar

Homework for the Week

 Daily

Reading Words (Phonics/Sight)

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

Trick Word Reading and Spelling

This week's homework:
Reading Log (due on Friday) [Passed out on Monday]
Flip & Create Number Bonds Game Sheet [Passed out on Tuesday]
Dialogue Journal #7 (due on Friday) [Passed out on Wednesday]
Thanksgiving Dinner Comprehension (due on Friday) [Passed out on Tuesday]