First Grade

Flyer

September 16, 2016

We are off to a fabulous start this year!  What a nice group of first graders, they are excited to learn!  Some classroom expectations we are working on are: being active listeners (with their whole body), following directions (even if you don’t want too) and keeping up with our busy and fast paced routines.   Please support these same topics at home by giving your child daily responsibilities and chores.  Some ideas are: Jobs such as hanging up coats and backpacks, putting their lunchbox by your sink, setting or clearing the table, wiping down counters, empting dishwashers, folding or sorting laundry, or taking out the trash.  Consistent expectations and reinforcement are important for 6 and 7 year olds to learn.  They can do these jobs as a way to practice following directions and to help out their family.

          This week we have also dedicated time to talking/reading about being a “school family.”  Members of a family help one another, practice always being respectful, responsible, ready and safe.  We also discussed how to react if someone does or says mean things to you… (Stop!  Take a breath, and then react with words. Don’t continue the negative action.)  Our focus word this week was “empathy.”  We are learning to put ourselves “in someone else’s shoes” and how to show kindness and compassion as well.

          Starting next week, we will continue our morning with Reader’s Workshop. This is when I model what good readers do and teach a reading strategy through a mini-lesson. After the mini-lesson the children are given a basket of books to independently practice what they have just learned.  The strategies that will be taught next week  are Good Readers … practice everyday, predict during the story as to what they think will happen next, and look at the pictures to get our brains thinking about what words we might see on that page and how to pick out a “Just Right book” for themselves.  We will also be starting our “Writer’s Workshop”.  Everyday your child will produce a piece of writing.  At this point in the year, we review what authors and illustrators do, model how to think of a topic (out loud), choose a topic, sketch a quick drawing of your idea, count how many words are in their sentence when spoken out loud, and stretch each sound in the word to write it.  We also remind them about “5 Star Sentences”:

1. We start our sentences with a capital letter.

2. Leave spaces between our words

3. Use punctuation at the end

4. Our sentences need to make sense

5. Our sentences need to be neat

 When writing at home (a thank you note, message to a parent or Grandparent,, grocery list…) with your child, please be consistent in following this same routine.   

          In a couple of weeks, your child will be bringing home a leveled book from my classroom.  These are in a special bag and labeled with your child’s name.  You will find a note inside the bag, for parents, explaining how to help your child when reading at home.  

Please assist your child in remembering to return it daily for a new book J        

In math, our math workshop time is in full swing!  We learned many math routines and procedures and we began using lots of different “math tools” that will help us become great “mathematicians!”  Our focus in Unit 1 is on building numbers and solving story problems.  Great start mathematicians!

We will soon begin our investigation of U.S. National Symbols for Social Studies.  We will learn important facts about the American Flag, Bald Eagle, Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, White House, and Mount Rushmore.  We will look at some literature and will be viewing short video clips and making posters to teach others about these unique symbols.

Every Friday, your child will be bringing home a red Wildcat folder (unfortunately, these folders have not come in yet, loose papers will be in your child’s backpack this week).  This folder will contain important information from the office and our classroom.  Please return these folders to school every Monday after removing all papers.

          At this point for homework, please encourage your child to read daily before bed, finding sight words and pointing to the words as you or they read. 

We had a super first 2 weeks with your child.  We hope they have enjoyed their first grade experience so far! 

Thank you for all of the generous classroom donations; we greatly appreciate it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Mason and Mrs. Putnam

Reminders:

*Send a healthy, peanut free snack for your child every

 day.

*Be prepared for the day’s specials classes (see special schedule included in paperwork in backpacks today)

* Send all lunch money in an envelope or baggie with your child’s name on the front.

Important Dates:

ü      Sept.21 PTC Boxtop collection kick off

ü      Sept. 22 PTC Chuck E Cheese Night

ü      Sept. 23 Picture Day

ü      Sept. 23 Blackout Football Game

ü      Sept. 27 Family Watch Dog Night 6-7pm/PTC meeting 7-8pm

ü      Sept. 30 Field trip money due ($12) and PTC Hat day