Sterling's Snippets: 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.