I do hope that everyone enjoyed family and friends and had some time to relax! I returned to Virginia to be with my family. I was able to see beautiful leaves of many colors and actually wear a sweater. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I am very thankful for today. The children were well rested and focused. We accomplished a great deal. I will hope the rest of the week will prove to be the same!
Tonight's responsibilities are as follows:
Math... workbook page 90 and study 6's and 7's
Spelling...abc order on the sheet with the list of words
Geography.. study Waterways Map for a quiz on Wednesday.. they should have this map in their homework folder
Wordly Wise... page 52
Reading Comprehension...The Hickory Toothpick due on Friday
Scholastic Book Order due tomorrow
We began Lesson 6 of Wordly Wise. The words are as follows: schedule, chasm, continent, credit, enable, foul, gust, ordeal, plateau, rig. Please make sure that the children review the definitions each time they bring home the workbook for homework,
Our Spelling list this week is a group of words with a double consonant ff, ll, and ss. The words are as follows: difficult, gruff, squall, success, stress, staff, press, floss, thrill, stroll, sniff, scroll, classic, stuffy, massive, messy, willing, blissful, passing, skillful.
We are continuing with out study of Unit 4 in Math. We will be doing a great deal of work with Multiplication and Division fact families. Please make sure your child is studying the basic math facts nightly. We will use arrays to help with math facts. The children also learned a new game today, Baseball Multiplication. They seemed to really enjoy this game. I will show them a challenging option for this game tomorrow and then they can bring these games home to play with you. We are working towards having a test on this unit by the end of next week.
We took some time today to play "The Great American History Race". The children had a study buddy and they attempted to complete a Native American History match as quickly as they can. I was thrilled to see and hear just how much they did retain from our study. I will be discussing a project with the children tomorrow and will then send home an email giving you more details.
We are completing our study of Charlotte's Web. I will provide some pictures for you to see in my next email. Your child and their first grade story buddy did a fabulous job creating a scene from the story. They had to identify if the scene represented an event from the beginning, the middle, and the end. They also had to discuss the characters in that scene and what the role of the characters were in the story.We are continuing with our new class novel, A Lion To Guard Us. The children really seem to enjoy this historical fiction book and have been very curious about this time period in history.
My goal is to complete introducing and practicing all the capital letter in cursive by Winter Break. You may see more cursive practice coming home for homework.
We are looking forward to our Author's Celebration on December 13 from 9:30 to 10:00 am.We will have a couple of personal narrative, a couple of essays, and some journal response entries to share with you. A couple of our writer's lessons this week include the use of repetition, sound effect words, similes, and metaphors
The children are becoming quite the expert at technical drawing as a result of our first 2 lessons in Motion and Design. Today they completed their first build by following a side view and top view of a technical drawing that they has not seen before. It was a huge success!!!
Please make sure you child is completing a book log at home and bringing it in to me for credit. I love to see that each child is reading at least 15 minutes nightly. They are allowed to choose their own book. Please find time to ask them questions about the book they are reading. The children love to talk about what they are reading!
Don't forget our Holiday Gift Drive. Our holiday container is beautifully decorated and waiting for your sweet donations. Thank you!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Gobble Gobble Monday!
It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is upon us. Today the children wrote about three things they are thankful for. From what I read thus far, parents are tops on the list. I myself am thankful for supportive parents. I do hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Report cards will be coming home soon. If you have any questions or concerns after reading the report card, please don't hesitate to contact me. Knowing that we are in the second reporting period, I am expecting each child to focus more on the quality of their work. The children have a phrase on their desk written by Howard Newton that reads..."People forget how fast you did a job-but they remember how well you did it."
By the end of the week, we will conclude our study of Floridian Native Americans and begin working on a group culminating project that demonstrates what they have learned. I am not sure that everyone saw the poems that were outside the classroom. But the children also wrote a Diamante poem comparing and contrasting two Native American groups. I will save them and we can celebrate them in December when we have our Author Celebration.
We do have a spelling list this week of compound words. I would like the children to do at least one Spelling City activity before Friday. Tonight's spelling homework doesn't relate to compound words. It is a challenge abc order activity. There are six lists of words that have similar beginning letters.
We are moving on to Unit 4 in math. This unit covers skills such as: multiples of equal groups, multiplication arrays,word problems demonstrating equal sharing, division ties to multiplication, division fact families, estimating distances with a map scale, and a review or perimeter and area. Tonight they are coming home with a parent letter that I am sure you are going to want to read. Please continue to review multiplication facts nightly. I am going to give the children a little check up on 0's -6's by the end of the week. Then the children will know which facts they possibly struggle with and then can focus on just those facts.
This weeks at home reading comprehension activity includes two poems. The children must compare and contrast the two poems. They only have to turn in the sheet that has the questions on the back. Please make sure that you sign the reading paper as well.
In Writing Workshop, we will do a couple of lessons on using repetitive words and phrases as a strategy to emphasize something that is really important. We are using a few books such as Saturdays and Teacakes, In November, and The Other Side as examples of this author's craft.
I am hopeful that the children will consider these strategies when writing the second personal narrative or with any other story that they may write.
We have completed our first lesson of Motion and Design. My plan is that in the next couple of days, the children as a group reflect and share with the entire class the easy or difficult aspects of designing a vehicle. As the lesson progress, the objective will be more specific as to what pieces they can use to build the vehicle and how far the vehicle must travel.
The children did a wonderful job at Poetry in the Park. Several of you have already shared pictures. I am collecting any and all pictures that I can. So please feel free to share!
Report cards will be coming home soon. If you have any questions or concerns after reading the report card, please don't hesitate to contact me. Knowing that we are in the second reporting period, I am expecting each child to focus more on the quality of their work. The children have a phrase on their desk written by Howard Newton that reads..."People forget how fast you did a job-but they remember how well you did it."
By the end of the week, we will conclude our study of Floridian Native Americans and begin working on a group culminating project that demonstrates what they have learned. I am not sure that everyone saw the poems that were outside the classroom. But the children also wrote a Diamante poem comparing and contrasting two Native American groups. I will save them and we can celebrate them in December when we have our Author Celebration.
We do have a spelling list this week of compound words. I would like the children to do at least one Spelling City activity before Friday. Tonight's spelling homework doesn't relate to compound words. It is a challenge abc order activity. There are six lists of words that have similar beginning letters.
We are moving on to Unit 4 in math. This unit covers skills such as: multiples of equal groups, multiplication arrays,word problems demonstrating equal sharing, division ties to multiplication, division fact families, estimating distances with a map scale, and a review or perimeter and area. Tonight they are coming home with a parent letter that I am sure you are going to want to read. Please continue to review multiplication facts nightly. I am going to give the children a little check up on 0's -6's by the end of the week. Then the children will know which facts they possibly struggle with and then can focus on just those facts.
This weeks at home reading comprehension activity includes two poems. The children must compare and contrast the two poems. They only have to turn in the sheet that has the questions on the back. Please make sure that you sign the reading paper as well.
In Writing Workshop, we will do a couple of lessons on using repetitive words and phrases as a strategy to emphasize something that is really important. We are using a few books such as Saturdays and Teacakes, In November, and The Other Side as examples of this author's craft.
I am hopeful that the children will consider these strategies when writing the second personal narrative or with any other story that they may write.
We have completed our first lesson of Motion and Design. My plan is that in the next couple of days, the children as a group reflect and share with the entire class the easy or difficult aspects of designing a vehicle. As the lesson progress, the objective will be more specific as to what pieces they can use to build the vehicle and how far the vehicle must travel.
The children did a wonderful job at Poetry in the Park. Several of you have already shared pictures. I am collecting any and all pictures that I can. So please feel free to share!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Trip to the Book Fair Tuesday!
We had a very busy day today! One of the highlights of our day was out trip to the Book Fair. All the children have a "Wish List" coming home today. We will return to the Book Fair tomorrow morning to make purchases. After tomorrow morning, there will not be another time during the day for the children to purchase. However, the Book Fair has after school hours so that you and your child could come and make your purchases as well. There are some terrific books!!!
There will not be a spelling list this week, thus no test! I am sure the children are very upset by this decision! There is a reading comprehension activity, Ice Can Scream, is due on Friday. This reading activity focuses on verbs.
The children and their teacher has a Spanish assignment due tomorrow. We are to write a 4 line verse where the second and fourth line rhymes using the Spanish word first and the English word second. The children were given this assignment on Friday. For example:
Pollito chicken
Gallina hen
Lapiz pencil
y pluma pen
Also included in the homework folder tonight, you will find a letter for you regarding multiplication. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. One of the children brought in a Math Rap CD. We listen to one multiplication table in the morning and practice our facts before we begin the day. It is always amazing how quickly the children pick up on songs and the lyrics.
Please take some time to look over the papers that are coming home today, particularly the Math Test. I was very proud of everyone, but still discovered that many continued to have some difficulty in making measurement conversions. Even if your child got those questions correct, please try and find time to have them calculate feet to inches.. etc.. it is a good mental math practice.
We are publishing our Free Verse poetry this week along with our Diamante poems about the Floridian Native Americans. We will use out T-Charts that we created last week and turn them into poems about the lives of two Native American tribes.
You will want to ask your child about out Picture Lady today and the subject of our picture. The children were very interested and asked a lot of great questions that reflected their interest.
In Science, we are now beginning our hands-on portion of or Motion and Design unit. We have been reading and discussing what each of thinks of motion and design. The children devised two great charts that now hang in the room and should help them with the next steps of our study. Tomorrow they will be exploring the various pieces to create a vehicle/cart that can travel 100cm (39 inches). As the lessons progress, the requirements get more specific and as they are doing in the computer lab, they will make reflections on what works and what doesn't. What they learn from one lesson, they should be able to apply to the next lesson without much teacher direction.
At some point, we may have to have a Show and Tell for parents.
We will be completing our Charlotte's Web book study. We have been using this text to fine tune our skills on how to respond to literature by using sticky notes. We may be increasing the sales of sticky notes, but the children are learning how to think and respond to literature in the following way. Does the book make you:
* feel something
*ask yourself questions
*make connections( to self, to text, to the world)
*make predictions
*can you read between the lines(knowing the point the author is making without he/she really saying it)
I look forward to seeing you at Poetry in the Park. A notice will come home tomorrow regarding the time and sequence of the poets. However, please realize that we have no control over how fast or slow the day progresses. It would be great if you would come and enjoy the entire morning with us. The kids love having you here! I will provide a tarp for the children to sit on. But you feel free to bring your own beach/lounge chairs for your sitting pleasure.
There will not be a spelling list this week, thus no test! I am sure the children are very upset by this decision! There is a reading comprehension activity, Ice Can Scream, is due on Friday. This reading activity focuses on verbs.
The children and their teacher has a Spanish assignment due tomorrow. We are to write a 4 line verse where the second and fourth line rhymes using the Spanish word first and the English word second. The children were given this assignment on Friday. For example:
Pollito chicken
Gallina hen
Lapiz pencil
y pluma pen
Also included in the homework folder tonight, you will find a letter for you regarding multiplication. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. One of the children brought in a Math Rap CD. We listen to one multiplication table in the morning and practice our facts before we begin the day. It is always amazing how quickly the children pick up on songs and the lyrics.
Please take some time to look over the papers that are coming home today, particularly the Math Test. I was very proud of everyone, but still discovered that many continued to have some difficulty in making measurement conversions. Even if your child got those questions correct, please try and find time to have them calculate feet to inches.. etc.. it is a good mental math practice.
We are publishing our Free Verse poetry this week along with our Diamante poems about the Floridian Native Americans. We will use out T-Charts that we created last week and turn them into poems about the lives of two Native American tribes.
You will want to ask your child about out Picture Lady today and the subject of our picture. The children were very interested and asked a lot of great questions that reflected their interest.
In Science, we are now beginning our hands-on portion of or Motion and Design unit. We have been reading and discussing what each of thinks of motion and design. The children devised two great charts that now hang in the room and should help them with the next steps of our study. Tomorrow they will be exploring the various pieces to create a vehicle/cart that can travel 100cm (39 inches). As the lessons progress, the requirements get more specific and as they are doing in the computer lab, they will make reflections on what works and what doesn't. What they learn from one lesson, they should be able to apply to the next lesson without much teacher direction.
At some point, we may have to have a Show and Tell for parents.
We will be completing our Charlotte's Web book study. We have been using this text to fine tune our skills on how to respond to literature by using sticky notes. We may be increasing the sales of sticky notes, but the children are learning how to think and respond to literature in the following way. Does the book make you:
* feel something
*ask yourself questions
*make connections( to self, to text, to the world)
*make predictions
*can you read between the lines(knowing the point the author is making without he/she really saying it)
I look forward to seeing you at Poetry in the Park. A notice will come home tomorrow regarding the time and sequence of the poets. However, please realize that we have no control over how fast or slow the day progresses. It would be great if you would come and enjoy the entire morning with us. The kids love having you here! I will provide a tarp for the children to sit on. But you feel free to bring your own beach/lounge chairs for your sitting pleasure.
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