Busy Friends in a Busy Month

We have been busy in 1st grade over the past couple of weeks!  Has your first grader shared that we met our Daily 5 Stamina goal of 20 minutes?  That's right, these six and seven year olds have learned to sustain activity for twenty entire minutes, independently.  So, what exactly are they doing for twenty minutes?  They are practicing high frequency words, writing letters, list or in their personal journals, listening to books with CD players, exploring Epic Books to listen and read stories on the iPad, and of course, reading independently.  Their independence allows me to pull students one on one or in small groups.  I'm excited to begin small group reading next week.  Each student will meet with a group of students for a skill, specific lesson.  During these lessons we will be working with words, reading and writing.  Expect to see 1-2 books come home with your child each week.  These books should be read aloud and then returned to school.  Watch for a separate plastic bag to come home this week!  Inside you will find a book and a reading log for you to sign.

All students in grades K-2 participated in Bus Safety this week.  Students learned about safety both inside and outside of a school bus.  Even if your child doesn't ride the bus daily, all students will ride the school bus next month for our first field trip.  Student practiced sitting properly in the bus seats as well as evacuating the bus from the rear in a practice drill.

Thank you so much for all of the recent Scholastic Book Orders.  Did you know, your purchases directly support our classroom?  As a classroom teacher, I earn bonus points which can be spent on new classroom books.  Additionally, our class was sponsored by several of my friends and family members this year.  Students will receive a free book each month.  We will work to write thank you notes to send to the donors this week.

Star Student

Our Star Student this week was Eli.  In addition to serving as my assistant for the week, Eli also celebrated his birthday!  We loved learning about Eli's family, interests and hobbies.  The students were especially interested to learn that Eli can hop on a pogo stick without his hands!  

A Peek at Our Week

Reading: This week students will read Curious George Goes to School and practice sequencing events in a story using words such as first, next and last.  We will also define verbs as action words by playing "Guess the Action."  Students have been busy reviewing their kindergarten high frequency words.  While most students are able to read these words, our efforts have been spent on spelling and writing the words as well.  A high frequency word list has been added to your child's G.O. Book for your reference.  This list will be updated as your child masters reading and writing all of the words.  I encourage you to practice these words at home as well.

Writing: In writer's workshop students have learned about the three key components of the lesson.  Many students are filling their writing folders with writing pieces.  One of the best parts of writing is sharing the work.  This week students learned how to share their work with a partner.  Each partner read their piece.  When done, students provided a compliment to their partner.  

Math: This week we will begin our next unit in math where we will begin our work on addition and subtraction to 10.  Students will learn about math symbols, number bonds and how to combine numbers to 5.  Each lesson will allow for collaborative activities as well as independent practice of the skills.  

Science: Students are currently learning about plants and animals in science.  Last week we learned to identify plant parts as well as about the plant life cycle.  On Monday we will plant carrot and bean seeds to learn about plant needs.  

Upcoming Reminders

September 27: School Pictures 

October 3: Learn Not to Burn Firefighter Visit

October 5: Washington Walk-A-Thon

September News

It has been a great couple of weeks in 1st grade!  We are learning about being safe, respectful and responsible in all areas of the school.  We are also learning that it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them for next time.  We read the story The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Gary Rubinstein and learned about Beatrice Bottomwell, a 9 year old girl who is seemingly perfect, until one day when she makes the most epic mistake of all during a school talent show!  After reading this adorable book, I introduce students to Miss Take, a teacher at Washington who makes lots of mistakes on a daily basis.  I share that this teacher sometimes forgets students' names, trips on the carpet, and forgets to make copies.  I finally then introduce students to Miss Take who happens to also be Mrs. Sterling.  It is my goal that students will see that even I can make mistakes and it is okay!  No one is perfect, even teachers!

This week we will begin with our weekly Star Student activities.  I will model the process with students so they see each daily component.  I'm excited to share about my hobbies, favorites and family so that students can get to know me better.  Next week our first student will be showcased in the classroom!  Check the monthly calendar and watch for a purple letter to come home about a week prior to you child's special week.

A Peek at Our Week

Reading: In reading we will begin our first unit in the Journeys curriculum.  We will be reading What is a Pal? and learning about main idea and key details.  Students will be introduced to nouns in grammar and practice naming people, places and things.  In phonics we will review letter sounds, specifically short /a/ and several consonants.

Writing: In writer's workshop students are learning how to generate writing ideas.  On Friday students will learn to plan and write a simple story with multiple parts.  Students will be encouraged to add both words and pictures to their writing.  As I conference one on one with students, I take time to share with them their strengths (stars) and any personal goals (targets) they can make with their writing.

Math: In math we will finish Unit 1: Numbers to 10 this week.  Students have been working hard in their interactive notebook for practice each day.  We will take our first unit test.  Watch for this to come home in the near future.  This test will need to be reviewed by you and then signed and returned to school for their student portfolio.

Social Studies: Our focus this week in social studies is honesty and respect.  We will read Howard B. Wigglebottoms and the Monkey on His Back and discuss the metaphor of a monkey on someones back.  We will also read Hey, Little Ant to discuss respect, particularly the Golden Rule.

Upcoming Reminders

September 14: Book Orders Due!  Use online code HXP7Y to order online at Scholastic.com.

September 27: School Pictures