Weekly Update December 16th

Important Dates/Events:

·         Tuesday, December 20^th – Mass 10AM

·         Tuesday, December 20^th – Christmas Celebration 12:30-1:30

·         Thursday, December 22^nd-Monday, January, 2^nd – Winter Break

·         Tuesday, January 3^rd—School Resumes
 

Math: On Friday we had our unit six assessment, which focused on subtraction facts to 20.  Assessments were sent home with your child.  A new unit will begin after break. 

After Christmas vacation, we will begin first grade math facts.  Look for a notice about this process in your child’s red folder next week.

Phonics:  We will wrap up work in unit six next week.  This unit has covered basewords and the suffix s ending.  Your child’s assessment will come home next week.  After break students will begin work in our seventh unit with Mrs. Arbuckle, which covers additional glued sounds (and, ing, ong, ung, ank, ink, onk, and unk).

Guided Reading: In January, teachers will complete a mid-year benchmark reading assessment with your child.  As each child has grown tremendously with their reading ability, new reading groups will be created with the new information.  This will be a good time for you as parents to learn more about what books are appropriate for independent reading at home.  

Religion: In religion we have continued discussing the Christmas story as well as reviewing Advent and the Christmas season. 

Secret Reader:  There are a few slots open for secret reader during the spring.  If you are interested, please signup with the link below!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45a5a72babf58-1asecret 

Enjoy your weekend!

Alison

Scientist of the Week - Christian

Christian taught us about buoyancy with his Dancing Raisin experiment. He put some raisins in a cup of water. As expected, they sunk to bottom because they are heavier than water. In a second cup he added raisins and sprite. At first the raisins sank to the bottom but as bubbles of gas attached themselves to the raisins they would rise to the top of the cup. At the surface the bubbles would burst and the cycle would start again.

Weekly Update December 9th

In your child’s red folder you will find a copy of their trimester one report card.  Please sign only the envelope and return to me by Tuesday, December 13^th.  

Our holiday concert will be on Tuesday, December 13^th.  Students should wear dress clothes to school that day for the 10:00 concert.  There will be no gym on this day.  A second show will follow that evening at 6:30.  

Important Dates/Events:

·         Tuesday, December 13^th—Christmas Concert 10AM and 6:30PM

·         Tuesday, December 20^th – Mass 10AM

·         Tuesday, December 20^th – Christmas Celebration 12:30-1:30

·         Thursday, December 22^nd-Monday, January, 2^nd – Winter Break

Upcoming Star of the Week:  Emma

Math: This week we began work in unit 6, which focuses on subtraction facts to 20.  We are working with 10 as a familiar and easy number to help us subtract.  Our strategy is primarily using a ten-frame to visually see 10 to subtract with.  

Here are some good math games I have found for addition and subtraction:

http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=3565 (Ten Frames)

http://www.ictgames.com/whackAMole/index.html (Adding 1s, 2s, 3s, 5s)

http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=198 (Finding Missing Parts)

Most of the math games and activities that I suggest come from National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.  You can find tons of resources here:

http://illuminations.nctm.org/

Phonics:  We are working  in our sixth unit, which focuses on basewords and the suffix s ending as in shops.  We are focusing on pluralization as well as the second sound for s as in the word bugs.  Up next in unit seven will be eight new glued sounds.  (ang, ong, ung, ing, unk, onk, ink, ank)

Religion: In religion we have been reading and discussing the Christmas story as well as reviewing Advent and the Christmas season.  If you have time, check out our Christmas bulletin board about the gifts students would bring to baby Jesus.

Enjoy your weekend.

Alison

Scientist of the Week - Whitley

On Friday, Whitley shared the experiment, The Great Balloon Takeoff.  Using a plastic bottle with vinegar, Whitley covered the bottle opening with a balloon filled with baking soda.  The chemical reaction caused the balloon to completely fill up with gas.  Students were surprised with the results!

Weekly Update December 2nd

Important Dates/Events:

·         Thursday, December 8^th – Mass 9AM

·         Friday, December 9 ^th – Trimester One Report Cards

·         Tuesday, December 13^th – Christmas Concert (10AM and 6:30PM)

·         Tuesday, December 20^th – Mass 10AM

·         Tuesday, December 20^th – Christmas Celebration 12:30-1:30

Upcoming Star of the Week: Maya

Upcoming Scientist of the Week: Christian 

Math: This week we completed work in our fifth unit, Addition Facts to 20.  Our focus was doubles, with attention to the way in which doubles can help us solve other problems.  For example: 6 + 6 = 12 so we know 6 + 7 is the same as 6 + 6 and 1 more, making 13.  Our unit assessment will be on Monday.  Up next is Subtraction Facts to 20.  

Phonics:  We began work in our sixth unit, which focuses on basewords and the suffix s ending as in shops.  We will work on pluralization as well as the second sound for s as in the word bugs.  We markup these words by underlining the base word (ex: shop) and circling the suffix s ending.

Religion: As we enter into the Advent season, we will explore the liturgical calendar and the seasons of the Church.  At home, discussions of Advent will support student understanding. 

Have a great weekend!

Alison

Scientist of the Week - Sebastian

On Friday Sebastian taught us about capillary action by placing a freshly cut celery stock in a cup of water with blue food coloring.  Over the next few days the blue water will creep up the stock all the way to the leaves leaving a blue trail.  Nice work, Sebastian!

Weekly Update November 18th

Important Dates/Events:

·         Tuesday, November 21^st—1A Thanksgiving Celebration 12:30-1:30

·         Wednesday-Friday, November 22-24^th—Thanksgiving Break

·         Tuesday, November 29^th – Santa’s Workshop

·         Thursday, December 1^st -- Picture Retakes

·         Friday, December 2^nd – ½ Day (Noon Dismissal)

·         Friday, December 9^TH – Trimester One Report Cards

Student Council Food Drive: First grade is dry pasta for the food drive.  Due by Tuesday the 22^nd!  

Upcoming Star of the Week: Eliana (November 28^th)

Upcoming Scientist of the Week: Whitley (December 2^nd)

Math: On Tuesday we began work in our fifth unit, Addition Facts to 20.  We will focus on doubles, doubles plus one and two, and making easy numbers to add with.

Phonics:  We are working through unit five, which is a week-long unit covered the glued sound sounds “am” and “an” like in pan and ham.  Next Monday we will have an assessment on these skills and will then begin the suffix s ending like in the word hills after the Thanksgiving break.  Students will also learn that s can say the z sound like in the word bugs.  

Trick Word Assessments: On Tuesday your child brought home their trimester one trick word assessment.  Students have been working with these words this fall.  Words with errors are great words to add to a stack of flash cards for reading and spelling practice at home.  

Religion: We are continuing discussion of the Great Commandment.  Students are working to explore how we can apply the Great Commandment in their daily lives.

Guided Reading:  In Guided Reading, all students will begin a new book following Thanksgiving break in a new reading group.  Each group has now worked with a fiction and a non-fiction text.  We are enjoying reading groups very much!

Enjoy the weekend.

Alison