Week of December 20th-December 24th

 

First Grade Newsletter

December 20th-December 23rd

Literacy

Review

   During this shortened week, students will be reviewing literacy skills they have already been taught in different hands-on activities, read alouds, and small group work.

PHONICS

Spelling 

• Skill(s):  Glued sounds (-an, -am)
• Review: Bonus letters at the end of a word: ff, ll, ss (and sometimes zz); Use digraphs (sh, wh, th, ch, and -ck)
• Trick Words: REVIEW
• Review trick words and practice using in writing: the, of, and, a, is, his, as, has, in, into, we, he, she, be, me, or, for, you, your, I, they, was, one, said, from, have, do, does, were, are

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

Lively Letters (Sounds)

• Review stories and sounds for each letter pair: No new pairs
• Last week’s letter pairs: p/b, t/d, k/g, f/v, qu, m/n, s/z, j/ch, r/l, x/y/c, w/h,  a/o, u/i, e, ng, wh


Handwriting Without Tears
• Review all letter formations
• Alphabetical order 

Math in Focus

Review Skills from Chapter 1-4

   This week students will be reviewing concepts and skills that they have learned in Chapters 1-4 in independent work, whole class exercises, and small group activities.

Science

Sound & Light Unit
        Last week students brainstormed everything that they know about light and conducted an experiment with a cardboard box, a pinhole, flashlight, and red crayon. This week students will learn three important vocabulary words: transparent, translucent, and opaque.

Social Studies

This week students will review information they have learned about the three winter holidays they have studied: Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas.

In Second Steps, students will continue to learn about empathy. Students will learn how to identify how the other person is feeling by observing their face, body language, and learning about the situation the student is in.

This week, the class will complete activities that tie into Jan Brett and the themes that she incorporates into her stories.

Students social skills mission this week is to complete 3 acts of kindness.

Specialists

MONDAY: Art  

TUESDAY: Music

WEDNESDAY: P.E.

THURSDAY: In-School Holiday Sing-a-long

FRIDAY: NO SCHOOL!

Writing Workshop

This week students continue the morning work assignment that requires students to about one activity that they did over the weekend, including who was there, where the event took place, and how did the child feel about this event (favorite/worst part, sad, excited, etc.)The purpose of this exercise is for students to practice putting their ideas on paper through words and illustrations.

Opinion-Gingerbread Man

     This week students will write their final drafts explaining which Gingerbread character s/he wants to be and the reasons why.

Parent Reminders

1.  Our class goes to the library on Mondays at 2PM. Please make sure your child has their library book in their backpacks, so that they can take out a new book for the week.

 2.    Before School Help is on Tuesday morning at 8AM.

 3. Please be sure your child returns their green school-to-home folder and their homework folder to school everyday.  Also, please check your child's school-to-home folder each day for important handouts. I will write about specific handouts that you should be looking for throughout the week in this section of the newsletter. Students should also have their red homework folders in their backpacks every day.

4.    Children should bring in a small healthy snack (separate from their lunch) to have in class at 9:50 a.m. Please make sure that it is nut-free and has no glass products.

5.  Jan Brett Celebration- On Wednesday afternoon, the class will go through different centers that are Jan Brett and winter-themed. They will be making an ornament, playing a math game, creating their own riddle, and eating a sugar cookie.

6. On Thursday, December 23rd, students will be dismissed at noon.

7. Thursday Celebration- The class will have Pajama Day and watch The Polar Express on Thursday, December 23rd. (Please make sure your child brings sneakers to wear during P.E.)

  

I hope you have a fantastic week full of warmth and relaxation! 

Happy Holidays! 

Mrs. Ash

Homework

Your child will bring home their red homework folder on Monday. Inside the folder is a reading log, math activity with materials, and individual login information for all of our online platforms. This week students should be reading for 10 minutes, write a letter in their journal, and rewatch 'Cluster Card 10' on Bloomz and complete the corresponding sheet.

Your child also will bring home their Dialogue Journal (penpal journal). Please read my letter and have your child respond to it in 1 penpal letter. If I did not write your child a letter, your child can write to me about anything s/he wants. Once your child has finished his/her letter, return it to school. If I did not receive your child's journal last week, please have your child write a letter to me this week and I will check both letters once the journal is turned in. 

Behind the reading log, there is our word lists for the next 6 weeks on orange paper. Please practice all of the marked words on the sheet this week. Keep the orange word sheet in your child's homework folder.

Holiday Comprehension Pages

**This week I have added a holiday review page for students to complete. This week it is a Christmas review page. Please read the passage at the top of the page and answer the questions below.**

Week of December 13th-December 17th

 

First Grade Newsletter

December 13rd-December 17th

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 2 Week 5 & 6 

Main selection:  Life in the Forest & Honey Bees

Weekly Question:  How are plant and animal communities important to each other? 

How is an insect community like a community of people?

Amazing Words: environment, require, thrive, inhale, slimy, sludge, capture, creature, individual, industrious, special, creep, slither, romp, eagerly, wander

High-Frequency Words: grow, under, water, around, food, find, also, family, new, other, some, their

Phonics Target: Long e_e (Pete)/ Long u_e (use); Inflected Ending -ed (called, printed, fetched); Long e: ee (keep); Two syllable words with consonants next to each other (basket)

Comprehension skills: Author's Purpose; Comparing/Contrasting

Comprehension strategy: Background Knowledge; Questioning

Genres:  Expository Text

Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 2 Family talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6-week overview of the unit. (Sent home November 15th)
• 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 2, Week 5 & 6 (fifth and sixth column only). Please practice the words that are marked on Columns 1, 2, 3, & 4. I sent home Reading Street Unit 2 sheets on Monday, November 15th.

PHONICS

Spelling 

• Skill(s):  Glued sounds (-an, -am)
• Review: Bonus letters at the end of a word: ff, ll, ss (and sometimes zz); Use digraphs (sh, wh, th, ch, and -ck)
• Trick Words: from, have, do, does, were, are
• Review trick words and practice using in writing: the, of, and, a, is, his, as, has, in, into, we, he, she, be, me, or, for, you, your, I, they, was, one, said

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

Lively Letters (Sounds)

• Review stories and sounds for each letter pair: No new pairs
• Last week’s letter pairs: p/b, t/d, k/g, f/v, qu, m/n, s/z, j/ch, r/l, x/y/c, w/h,  a/o, u/i, e, ng, wh


Handwriting Without Tears
• Review all letter formations
• Alphabetical order 

Math in Focus

Chapter 4

Numbers to 20

Pre-requisite skills and number sense

**Chapter 4 Test on Friday, December 17th or Monday, December 20th**

Objectives

- Count on from 10 to 20

- Read and write 11 to 20 in numbers and words

- Use a place-value chart to show numbers to 20

- Use tens and ones to show numbers to 20

     -  Compare numbers to 20

      - Order numbers to 20

     - Find 1 more or2 more than a number

     - Find 1 less or 2 less than a number

-    - Find the missing numbers in a number pattern

Science

Space Unit

   Last week students completed their science posters and they are displayed in the hallway.

Sound & Light Unit
        This week students will begin to brainstorm everything that they know about light. After discussing everything they know, students will conduct an experiment with a cardboard box, a pinhole, flashlight, and red crayon. 

Social Studies

Our social studies learning this week is embedded in our reading program. We will be focusing on families and community through our readings.  This week the children will work to answer the question "How are plant and animal communities important to each other?" and "How is an insect community like a community of people?".

On each Friday, students learned all about a different winter holiday. Students learned about Hanukkah last week and recorded the important symbols and meanings of the holiday. This coming Friday, students will learn about Christmas. As we gather information, we will write and compare all three holidays students have studied.

In Second Steps, students will continue to learn about empathy. Students will learn how to identify how the other person is feeling by observing their face, body language, and learning about the situation the student is in.

This week, the class will listen to "The Hat" and compare the stories "The Mitten" and "The Hat" to find similarities and differences in each story.

Specialists

MONDAY: Music  

TUESDAY: P.E.

WEDNESDAY: Art

THURSDAY: Music

FRIDAY: P.E.

Writing Workshop

This week students continue the morning work assignment that requires students to about one activity that they did over the weekend, including who was there, where the event took place, and how did the child feel about this event (favorite/worst part, sad, excited, etc.)The purpose of this exercise is for students to practice putting their ideas on paper through words and illustrations.

Genre Writing-Narrative

     This week they will continue to write and I will conference with each student to help him/her continue their story.

Tom the Turkey Narrative Writing

     Students will continue to write their Tom the Turkey stories.

Opinion-Gingerbread Man

     This week students will finish listening to different versions of the Gingerbread Man story. Each student will begin to choose which Gingerbread character (Gingerbread Man, Ninjabread Man, Gingerbread Girl, or Gingerbread Baby) s/he would like to be and why.

                  
Parent Reminders

1.  Our class goes to the library on Mondays at 2PM. Please make sure your child has their library book in their backpacks, so that they can take out a new book for the week.

 2.    Before School Help is on Tuesday morning at 8AM.

 3. Please be sure your child returns their green school-to-home folder and their homework folder to school everyday.  Also, please check your child's school-to-home folder each day for important handouts. I will write about specific handouts that you should be looking for throughout the week in this section of the newsletter. Students should also have their red homework folders in their backpacks every day.

4.    Children should bring in a small healthy snack (separate from their lunch) to have in class at 9:50 a.m. Please make sure that it is nut-free and has no glass products.

5.  Holiday Fridays-This week students will learn about CHRISTMAS. 

  

Have a fantastic week!

Mrs. Ash

Homework

Your child will bring home their red homework folder on Monday. Inside the folder is a reading log, math activity with materials, and individual login information for all of our online platforms. This week students should be reading for 10 minutes, write a letter in their journal, and watch 'Cluster Card 10' (and rewatch the other Cluster Card videos) on Bloomz.

Your child also will bring home their Dialogue Journal (penpal journal). Please read my letter and have your child respond to it in 1 penpal letter. If I did not write your child a letter, your child can write to me about anything s/he wants. Once your child has finished his/her letter, return it to school. If I did not receive your child's journal last week, please have your child write a letter to me this week and I will check both letters once the journal is turned in. 

Behind the reading log, there is our word lists for the next 6 weeks on orange paper. Please practice the words in Column 2.5 and 2.6 on the sheet every day this week. I will check in with each child at the end of the week. The homework folder should always be brought to school in your child's backpack, but only returned on Fridays. (Keep completed work in the homework folder.)

Holiday Comprehension Pages

**This week I have added a holiday review page for students to complete. This week it is a Hanukkah review page. Please read the passage at the top of the page and answer the questions below.**

Week of November 29 - December 3

 First Grade Newsletter

November 29th-December 3rd

Literacy

Reading Street: Unit 2 Week 3 

Main selection:  Who Works Here!

Weekly Question:  Who works to make our community a nice place? 

Amazing Words: citizen, community, law, leader, branch, headquarters, earn, patrol

High-Frequency Words: people, live, work, who, out

Phonics Target: Long i: i_e; Digraphs- wh, ch, tch, ph

Comprehension skills: Author's purpose

Comprehension strategy: Important ideas

Genres:  Expository Text

Reading Street Parent Connection:

• Unit 2 Family talk letter for concept conversation starters and 6-week overview of the unit. (Sent home November 15th)
• 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 2, Week 3 (third column only). Please practice the words that are marked on Columns 1 & 2. I sent home Reading Street Unit 2 sheets on Monday, November 15th.

PHONICS

Spelling 

• Skill(s): Bonus letters at the end of a word: ff, ll, ss (and sometimes zz) [For example: puff, less, tell]
• Review: Use digraphs (sh, wh, th, ch, and -ck); Tapping out sounds in words with CVC patterns (Consonant, Vowel, Consonant; such as 'cat') 
• Trick Words: from, have, do, does
• Review trick words and practice using in writing: the, of, and, a, is, his, as, has, in, into, we, he, she, be, me, or, for, you, your, I, they, was, one, said

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

Lively Letters (Sounds)

• Review stories and sounds for each letter pair: No new pairs
• Last week’s letter pairs: p/b, t/d, k/g, f/v, qu, m/n, s/z, j/ch, r/l, x/y/c, w/h,  a/o, u/i, e, ng, wh


Handwriting Without Tears
• Review all letter formations
• Alphabetical order 

Math in Focus

Chapter 3

Shapes and Patterns

Pre-requisite skills and number sense

**Chapter 3 Test on Friday, December 3rd**

Objectives

-  Recognize flat and solid shapes

-Identify sides and corners in flat shapes

-  Sort shapes in different ways

-Divide shapes into equal parts

     -  Move solid shapes in different ways

      -  Use flat shapes to make pictures

     - Use solid shapes to make models

     - Recognize repeating patterns involving flat shapes and solid shapes

-    - Identify flat and solid shapes around you

Science

Space Unit
Patterns in the Sky
     This week students will finish their space posters and share their findings with their classmates. They will also complete a check in to see everything that they have learned about space.

Social Studies

Our social studies learning this week is embedded in our reading program. We will be focusing on families and community through our readings.  This week the children will work to answer the question "Who works to make our community a nice place?".

On each Friday in December, students will learn about a different winter holiday. The three holidays we cover are Kwanzaa, Hanukah, and Christmas. We will begin with Kwanzaa (the story, important symbols/objects, and special traditions) this Friday.

In Second Steps, students will continue to learn about empathy. Students will learn how to identify how the other person is feeling.

This week, the class will begin our winter Jan Brett author study. Throughout the month of December, we will be reading, writing, and discussing Jan Brett as an author and the unique characteristics of her stories.

Specialists

MONDAY: Art / Book Fair PREVIEW Day

TUESDAY: Music

WEDNESDAY: P.E.

THURSDAY: Art / Book Fair PURCHASE Day

FRIDAY: Music 

Writing Workshop

This week students continue the morning work assignment that requires students to about one activity that they did over the weekend, including who was there, where the event took place, and how did the child feel about this event (favorite/worst part, sad, excited, etc.)The purpose of this exercise is for students to practice putting their ideas on paper through words and illustrations.

Genre Writing-Narrative

     This week they will continue to write and I will conference with each student to help him/her continue their story.

Tom the Turkey Narrative Writing

     Students will continue to write their Tom the Turkey stories.

Opinion-Gingerbread Man

     This week students will begin to listen to different versions of the Gingerbread Man story. After each story, we will write down the details of the story. Once we have read another version, we will compare it to the others.

                  
Parent Reminders

1.  Scholastic Book Fair-On Monday, November 22nd, I sent home the Scholastic Book Fair catalog. We will be going to the book fair on Monday November 29th to VIEW our book choices. Students will come home with a slip of their top 3-4 book choices. On Thursday, December 2nd at 1:30P.M., students will SHOP for their books. Students who bring in money for books need to have the money in a Ziploc bag with their name and teacher's name on the front.

 2.    Before School Help is on Tuesday morning at 8AM.

 3. Please be sure your child returns their green school-to-home folder and their homework folder to school everyday.  Also, please check your child's school-to-home folder each day for important handouts. I will write about specific handouts that you should be looking for throughout the week in this section of the newsletter. Students should also have their red homework folders in their backpacks every day.

4.    Children should bring in a small healthy snack (separate from their lunch) to have in class at 9:50 a.m. Please make sure that it is nut-free and has no glass products.

5.  Holiday Fridays-This week students will learn about KWANZAA. 

6. Monday Library Time- Our class has library time on Mondays at 2PM. Please make sure your child has their book in their backpack on Monday morning to return in the afternoon. If a student does not return their book on Monday, s/he will have to wait to take another book out the following week.

  

I cannot believe it is already December this week! 

Have a fabulous week!

Mrs. Ash

Homework

Your child will bring home their red homework folder on Monday. Inside the folder is a reading log, math activity with materials, and individual login information for all of our online platforms. This week students should be reading for 10 minutes, write a letter in their journal, and watch 'Cluster Card 8' & 'Cluster Card 9' on Bloomz.

Your child also will bring home their Dialogue Journal (penpal journal). Please read my letter and have your child respond to it in 1 penpal letter. If I did not write your child a letter, your child can write to me about anything s/he wants. Once your child has finished his/her letter, return it to school. If I did not receive your child's journal last week, please have your child write a letter to me this week and I will check both letters once the journal is turned in. 

Behind the reading log, there is our word lists for the next 6 weeks on orange paper. Please practice the words in Column 2.3 on the sheet every day this week. I will check in with each child at the end of the week. The homework folder should always be brought to school in your child's backpack, but only returned on Fridays. (Keep completed work in the homework folder.)