IMC Change

The first graders will be going to the IMC this Wednesday instead of Friday since we do not have school.  If your child would like to check out new books, please make sure they return their books on or before Wednesday!  Have a wonderful weekend!

October 29th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The last few weeks in literacy we did some focused work with vowels.  Vowels are tricky, and if we don't continue to notice and emphasize them they can be very confusing.  We found them in our shared reading poems, we created a vowel chart, and we've been finding them on various print around the classroom.  We've been practicing both the short and the long sounds for the vowels.  You can help at home by doing the same with words you notice when reading with your child or even when looking at a holiday catalog or a recipe!  Help your child understand that words are all around us, and they all have to have at least one vowel.  Keep in mind, it is best to use words that either have the short or the long sound in them, like in "bat," but not "ball."  Or in "that," but not in "the." 

This week we will continue our first study of small moment (or narrative) stories for the year.  We are hoping to be done with this unit next week.  Some stories will continue to come home, and some will be saved for parent teacher conferences.  It sure has been fun to learn more about these amazing kids and get to know them in the best way, through their stories!  I've learned about their friends, their pets, their families, their weekend adventures and more!  Keep the stories coming!

In math, we will explore the relationship between addition and subtraction with number triangles (fact families), solve if, then equations (if 9+_=13, then 13-9=_), and solve for unknown addends using number bonds, tens frames, and number lines.

This week we will be finishing up our Land and Water science unit.

Thank you for all of the help and donations for our Halloween Classroom Party!  The kids had a blast!

Special Points of Interest

• Remember to dress your child for the cold weather.  They will be going outside for every recess unless it rains.
• November 2 - No School
• November 9 - Veteran's Day Assembly

October Family Projects - Puzzle Pieces

Hi Families!

Our puzzle pieces are due tomorrow.  Please send them in if your child has completed it.  If they haven't completed it yet, please have your child work on it and send it in when they're finished.  If you're able to make it to the parade tomorrow, make sure to check out all of the completed puzzles in the hallway across from our classroom!

Thanks!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Hi Parents!

On Monday, you will receive an email and directions for signing up for conferences on Skyward.  If you are not able to make it one of the two evenings, feel free to contact me and we can schedule a different time to meet.  I am available before school on most days (7:45-8:00, 8:00-8:15, or 8:15-8:30) or during our specials block (2:00-2:15, 2:15-2:30).  Please let me know if this is something you'd be interested in doing!

Thank you!

October 22nd Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

During our literacy block, one very important time of our day is called Community Writing.  During this time, we do some writing together as a whole group, that relates back to a book we read or an experience we had.  For example, after a big book we read called, "In a Dark, Dark Wood," we wrote our own version called "In a Dark, Dark School!"  It was so much fun to share ideas and write the story together.  We work on composing a message, listening for the sounds in the word, spelling word wall words (sight words) correctly, and letter formation.  One goal is to keep the purpose of the writing very authentic, so we also wrote a letter to Ms. Hoeppner's class (by vote) and asked them if they'd like to read our book.  It was very exciting to have a real audience for our writing!

We are really growing as writers, this week we'll focus on telling a story part by part, so that we understand how to include a beginning, a middle, and an end.  See what authentic ways you can get your child writing at home!  They could help with the grocery list, or write a letter to a family member, or keep a diary/journal.  Seeing parents write at home is also very supportive!

This week in math we will solve for unknown addends in equations using multiple strategies (ten frames, number bonds and number lines), understand the meaning of the equal sign, explore the relationship between addition and subtraction, and review double-digit numbers as having groups of tens and leftover ones.

We will be continuing our Land and Water unit in Science.  The students will learn about the ocean, the need for water, and fast and slow changes that happen to Earth's land.

THANK YOU in advance to everyone who will be donating items or volunteering to help at the party this Friday.  The kids are already looking forward to it!

Special Points of Interest

• Remember to bring in your pumpkin for Pumpkin Days (October 22-26)!
• Halloween parties will be on Friday afternoon, please send your child's costume in a bag.  The children will be changing right before the parade.
• No school on Friday, November 2nd.  It is teacher progress report writing day and professional development.

October 15th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We're off to a great start in guided reading!  All groups have met with multiple times and I'm just so proud of these 1st grade readers!  Please remember when reading at home that it is very important to give children lots of practice with reading text that they are able to read well.  This means fluent reading that sounds good!   Don't be fooled into thinking that your child isn't learning or progressing unless they're struggling or working hard to decode.  Their reading should sound like good reading.  If the reading doesn't sound fluent, feel free to try reading together for a few pages.  It will help your child to hear your fluent reading of the same text he/she is reading.  

This week during literacy, we'll continue to learn the routines of guided reading and we'll also be focusing on complete sentences.  You can help at home by encouraging your child to speak in complete sentences.  When they use an incomplete sentence, model what the complete sentence version would sound like and have them repeat it.  This will support our work in writer's workshop as we make sure we are beginning with a capital letter and using ending punctuation in our complete sentences.  

Our students have been working very hard on a small moment (narrative) story that spans multiple pages.  They have been adding to their stories day by day as well as making corrections such as capital letters and ending punctuation.  Take a look at them when they come home.  You will be so proud!

In math this week, we will begin a unit on Numbers in Base Ten, create groups of ten with "leftovers" and build, count, and write numbers to 50 using base ten blocks.

In science, we have been working on our Land and Water unit.  Your child will be learning about natural resources and their uses in the environment.

Special Points of Interest

• Tomorrow is Picture Retake Day
• Our Halloween party is next Friday, October 26th.
• Thursday, November 1st - End of First Quarter
• Friday, November 2nd - No School - Teacher Professional Development and Record Day

October 8th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week we'll get started with guided reading, now that we have learned how to do each of our centers.  Our centers have become one of the favorite parts of our day.  During this time students are reading independently or with a buddy, or with a small group.  In some centers we read with big pointers and in some we're reading the poems we learn during shared reading.  A favorite is the listening center, where students use iPads and their headphones to listen to a variety of picture books, which are changed monthly.  We're also doing some word work, some free writing, and even some art!  Often we will be illustrating pieces of writing we did as a whole group and either creating a big book or hanging them in the hallway to share.

This week in math we will learn multiple strategies to assist in solving addition story problems including:  Adding 0, counting on using a number line, using a ten-frame, using double facts, using doubles plus one facts.  We will also practice highlighting important information from story problems and create models, drawings, and equations to show our thinking while solving story problems.

This week we will continue to learn and write about animals that we see in the fall.  We will also begin our Land and Water science unit.  We will investigate rocks and recognize that rocks and soil are part of Earth's land that people use.

I am implementing a math center called "Counting Collections" to give students more opportunities to count and group objects in order to build understanding of place value. I am looking for donations of the following items to put in these collections:

• Fun/seasonal Mini eraser (Target dollar spot)
• Puzzle pieces (if you have a puzzle missing pieces)
• Mini pom pom balls (approx. half an inch in diameter)
• BIG googly eyes
• Buttons

**Bonus Items: Clear plastic cups or small durable paper plates to use when grouping objects.

THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY DONATED!

Special Points of Interest

• Wednesday, October 10th - Walk to School Day
• Friday, October 12th - Jaguar Jumpstart
• Book Orders are due this Friday, October 12th.  Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub Class Activation Code: JBVLX
• Tuesday, October 16th - Picture Retake Day

Counting Bags

Dear Families,

I am implementing a math center called "Counting Collections" to give students more opportunities to count and group objects in order to build understanding of place value. I am looking for donations of the following items to put in these collections: 

• Fun/seasonal mini erasers

• Small puzzle pieces (you can even send in old puzzles that are missing pieces!)
• Mini pom poms (about one half inch in diameter)

• Buttons

See the video below of what this looks like in the classroom! 

https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/skip-counting-with-kindergarteners

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

IMC TOMORROW!

Due to the Fun Run on Friday, our IMC day needs to be changed.  We will be going to the IMC tomorrow (Wednesday, October 3rd) in the afternoon.  Please send your child's IMC books back tomorrow if they want to check out new books.  Thank you!

October 1st Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week, we'll be working on making our stories clear and understandable, by telling them in sequence.  In reading, we will focus on thinking about what word would make sense when we get stuck reading because "sounding it out" doesn't work all the time.  We'll also practice retelling some of our stories, making sure to include the important parts of the story.  This will help us understand what we should be paying attention to in a story.  Both of these skills will be something we practice a lot throughout the year.  

Please remember that reading to you child is extremely important.  Modeling for your child with expression and sharing what you are thinking will truly set your child up for success later on.  Thank you so much for your support!  


Our take-home book program will begin this week!  Please remember to initial and return the books after you have read them so that your child can bring home new books.  Thank you for reading with your child each night at home.  It is extremely important!

In math this week we will use objects, drawings and equations to solve word problems involving addition and subtraction.  We will also count to 120, starting at any number (not always 1), mentally find 10 more or 10 less than any two-digit number (with the help of number grids).  Additionally, we will learn about even and odd number patterns.  We will continue to practice math center routines and learn procedures for a few new math centers so that we can add them to our center board.

This week we will be learning about animals that we see in the fall.  We will be learning about these animals by reading non-fiction stories and using an online resource called Pebble Go.  

Special Points of Interest

• Monday, October 1st - PIE groups start!
• Friday, October 5th - Fun Run
• Friday, October 12th - Jaguar Jumpstart - Wear Thorson Spirit Wear (or blue)