March 1st Newsletter

                    

 Important Dates

March

            14 – First Grade Music Concert – 7:00

          15 – Movie Night

          19 – Early Dismissal – 12:00

          22 – Papermaking Assembly

          25 – Spring Break Begins

April 2 – Classes resume

          9 - No School – Teachers’ Institute

          12 – No School - Due to Conferences

Author of the Month

     Patricia Polacco is our author for the month of March.  Many of her books are about events that happened to her and her family when she was growing up.  These books discuss problems & feelings that many children have but may be afraid to talk about, such as being bullied, not being able to read, and sibling rivalry.  

The children had a great time at the play on Thursday.  They were very attentive and well behaved.  Thank you to the parents that chaperoned our trip.

Our next field trip, which is to Blackberry Farm in Aurora, is tentatively set for the middle of May.  I will send home more information on that once our plans are finalized and the date gets closer.

Reading

In our anthology we will read the nonfiction selection, See How They Grow BUTTERFLY.  We will also have an art link entitled Earth.

Comprehension Strategies

          We will be working on identifying the topic, main idea, details and summarizing.

Vocabulary Words

The vocabulary words for next week are: butterfly, caterpillars, changing, chrysalis, danger, enemies, nectar, orange, suit, suits, science words, color words, and pattern words.

Phonics Skills

We will be working on vowel pairs ow, ou, and syllabication (VCCV pattern).

Grammar Lesson

We will be learning about final blends.

Spelling Words

The spelling words for next week are:

box, job, bulb, own, grow, elbow, yellow, other, were, snowman

     Lauren will be our “student of the week” for the week of March 4^th.

February 15th Newsletter

                    

                    

 Important Dates

February

          18 – President's Day – No School

          19 – Reading Anthologies Are Due

          21 – Spring Pictures

          22 – Fuzzy Friend Day

          23 – Snowflake Ball   6:30-8:00

          26 – Early Dismissal

          27 – Field Trip

           

 

Black History Month

          Since February is black history month, we have been reading some books to go along with this theme. 

          The class really enjoyed the book called Almost to Freedom.  It's a story about slaves escaping to the North as told from a doll's point of view.  Ask your child to tell you about it.

Math

       We just started Chapter 13 in math.  We will be studying solid shapes (3-D) & plane (flat) shapes.  There are a lot of new vocabulary words in this chapter, such as sphere, cube, cylinder, pyramid, rectangular prism, etc.  The children are doing a fine job with it so far.

Owen will be our student of the week next week.

Reading

            The story from our anthology for next week is: If You Give a Pig a Pancake.  There is also a health link entitled Blueberry Pancakes.

Comprehension Strategies

          The children will work on the following strategies: questioning, fantasy and realism, how to read a recipe, and viewing categories.

Vocabulary Words

      The vocabulary words for next week are: born, bubbles, closet, favorite, maple syrup, music, piano, probably, & remind

Phonics Skills

          Next week the children will be working on the vowels oo, ew, ue, ou, u, u_e, and the long /i/ as in ie and igh.  They will also be reviewing the oo sound and compound words.

Grammar Lesson

We will be working on adjectives.

Spelling Words

The spelling words for next week are: lip, his, went, night, high, might, light, any, many, frightening

February 8th Newsletter

                    

 Important Dates

February

          8 – Field Trip Money is due - $7

     14 – Valentine's Day Party - 2:00

          18 – President's Day – No School

          19 – Reading Anthologies Are Due

          23 – Snowflake Ball   6:30-8:00

          26 – Early Dismissal

          27 – Field Trip

 

    Thank you for making the school's service project a success!  Our entire first grade collected over 400 items for our Have a Heart..Lend a Can project. Thank you for being so generous!

    Thursday, February 7, was our 100^th day of school.  We counted to 100, decorated crowns, completed a booklet, got tattoos, and did many other activities.  Ask your child to tell you about it.

 

Author of the Month

          Tomie dePaola is our author for the month of February. We have been reading his books every day for the past week.The children really enjoy his books about Strega Nona and Big Anthony.  We also had a good laugh after reading the book entitled, Tom.  Many of his stories tell about his life when he was growing up.

Reading

          We will read the stories Lost and On the Move.

Comprehension Strategies

          Next week we will work on sequencing, monitoring, clarifying, reading a diagram, and recognizing signs.

Vocabulary Words

          The vocabulary words for next week are: building, buildings, city, disappears, elevator, friendly, library, part, scare, and worry.

Phonics Skills

          The children will work on the o sound made when using double o as in the words book and look.  We will also work on the long e sound spelled /ea/.

Grammar Lesson

We will be reviewing nouns.

Spelling Words

       Our spelling words will be:

Met, web, spin, tea, heat, leaf, each, who, which, seashell

   

Reese will be our student of the week next week.