Weekly News

IMPORTANT DATES

·      Friday, February 15th: School Vacation begins at 2:20. School resumes at 8 am on Monday February, 25th.

·      Tuesday, February 26^th: 100^th Day of School

*If you will be away for additional dates before or after vacation, please let us know so we can plan accordingly.

SNOW AND RECESS

With the large amount of snow, come some additional recess rules. Our approach continues to be that students should wear all of the outdoor clothes that parents send them to school with (unless the weather drastically changes during the day). Students sometimes prefer to leave their boots or hats inside, but we check the cubbies and make sure children are wearing everything they brought. If you have a different arrangement with your child about what they may choose to wear, please let us know.

There are a few additional playground rules for snowy weather:

1.    No throwing Snow

2. You can only play on the snow if you have boots and snow pants. If you don’t have them, you may not play on the snow.

3. You may not play in the back of the playground by the little basketball hoop.

We have spent a lot of time talking about why these rules are in place and how they help keep us healthy and safe at school.

HUNDREDTH DAY

We will celebrate 100 days of learning on Tuesday, February 26th.  We will do a number of centers to work with the amount of 100 and to reflect on the things we have learned these past 100 days. Part of our homework this weekend will be to count and bring in 100 objects. These items can be small and will be returned after our day on Friday. In the past, children have brought in 100 paperclips, 100 cheerios, 100 Legos, etc.  The goal of the homework part of this assignment is to count to 100, or better yet, to find an efficient way to count 100 objects (making groups of 10, counting by 2’s, etc.)

COMMUNITY

We continue to focus on Friendship and building our classroom community. We shared our first round of Secret Valentine’s today. The children were really excited to read the compliments that their peers wrote to them. We will continue Secret Valentine’s throughout February.

We also made Valentine cards for our reading buddies. We thought of at least 2 kind compliments to write. We will share these cards on Friday.

We are also continuing our unit on China and Chinese New Year. We have identified China on a map. We have begun to learn about some Chinese New Year traditions, including: cleaning your house and wearing new clothes, having a special meal, giving red envelopes with money to wish good luck for the new year, dragon parades. We will continue to read non-fiction and fiction books to learn about this holiday and culture.

WORD WALL WORDS: use, here, make, ride, like

WE continued working with Sneaky E words and long vowel sounds this week. The e at the end of each word makes the vowel say its name or make a long vowel sound. We’ve also observed how a silent e can change a word from a short vowel word to a long vowel word (man to mane, us to use, etc.)

MATH

We are continuing to work with tens and ones. We learned a new math game this week, Race to 100, to practice adding tens and ones. We are using base ten blocks as tools to help us count. We have discussed that 10 ones cubes = 1 ten stick, and 10 ten sticks = 1 hundred flat. Following vacation, we will begin to work with another tool for counting and adding, and subtracting large numbers: the hundred’s chart.

SNACK

Please check in with your child about lunch and snack. Maybe it’s a growth spurt, or the weather, but many children are still feeling hungry after they have eaten their entire snack and/ or lunch. We are thrilled that the children are taking time to eat all of their food, rather than talking so much they forget to eat.

ASK YOUR CHILD…

These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.

·      What did you buy at the Valentine Store to decorate your Valentine Bag?

·      What did you write in your Valentine Card for your Reading Buddy?

·      What did someone write in one of your Secret Valentines?

·      Can you count to 100 by 10’s?

Weekly News

IMPORTANT DATES

·      Thursday, February 14th: Valentine’s Day.

·      Friday, February 15th: 100th day of School! We will celebrate 100 days of school on this day.

·      Friday, February 15th: School Vacation begins at 2:20. School resumes at 8 am on Monday February, 25th.

*If you will be away for additional dates before or after vacation, please let us know so we can plan accordingly.

HUNDREDTH DAY

We will celebrate 100 days of learning on Friday, February 15th.  We will do a number of centers to work with the amount of 100 and to reflect on the things we have learned these past 100 days. Part of our homework this weekend will be to count and bring in 100 objects. These items can be small and will be returned after our day on Friday. In the past, children have brought in 100 paperclips, 100 cheerios, 100 Legos, etc.  The goal of the homework part of this assignment is to count to 100, or better yet, to find an efficient way to count 100 objects (making groups of 10, counting by 2’s, etc.)

COMMUNITY

During February, we are focusing on Friendship and continuing to build our classroom community. Valentine’s is a great opportunity to think about our friends and the way we treat each other. We have been talking about many of the qualities that good friends possess. We are also looking at ways people have been good friends to us, and likewise, ways we can be good friends to others. We will talk about how are words and actions might affect our friends and ways we can help to solve problems. We will continue working on these skills all year, but really focus and practice them this month.

We are also beginning our unit on China and Chinese New Year. We have identified China on a map. We have begun to learn about some Chinese New Year traditions, including: cleaning your house and wearing new clothes, having a special meal, giving red envelopes with money to wish good luck for the new year, dragon parades. We will continue to read non-fiction and fiction books to learn about this holiday and culture.

VALENTINE’S DAY

We will have a small celebration and the opportunity to share valentine cards with the class. It is not a requirement to bring Valentines, but if your child would like to share valentines, please be sure there is one for each child in the class so no one is left out.

Here is our class list; we have 21 students.

Anya, Audrey, Ben, Ella, Elias, Farah, Gavin, Itamar, Katie, Lihi, Luke, Minti, Naomi, Priscilla, Rachel, Rohan, Ronan, Roy, Sasha, Stephanie, Therese

*Next week, we will decorate bags to collect our Valentines. We would love any donations of stickers, colored papers, doilies, or any other crafty articles to decorate with

WORD WALL WORDS: use, here, make, ride, like

This week’s Word Wall Words all have a “Sneaky” or “Silent” E. The e at the end of each word makes the vowel say its name or make a long vowel sound. We’ve also observed how a silent e can change a word from a short vowel word to a long vowel word (man to mane, us to use, etc.)

MATH

We are continuing to work with tens and ones. We learned a new math game this week, Race to 100, to practice adding tens and ones. We are using base ten blocks as tools to help us count. We have discussed that 10 ones cubes = 1 ten stick, and 10 ten sticks = 1 hundred flat. Following vacation, we will begin to work with another tool for counting and adding, and subtracting large numbers: the hundred’s chart.

SNACK

Please check in with your child about lunch and snack. Maybe it’s a growth spurt, or the weather, but many children are still feeling hungry after they have eaten their entire snack and/ or lunch. We are thrilled that the children are taking time to eat all of their food, rather than talking so much they forget to eat.

FIRST GRADE WISH LIST

We welcome donations of the following items for our classroom:

·      •Crafty items to decorate Valentine’s bags

ASK YOUR CHILD…

These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.

·      What is sneaky e, or super e? What happens when there is an e at the end of a word?

·      What is one tradition people do to celebrate or prepare for Chinese New Year?

·      How much would you have with 4 ten sticks and 7 cubes (4 tens and 7 ones)?

1MC WEEKLY NEWS

IMPORTANT DATES

•   Wednesday, January 23rd: Caldecott Night, 5-6:30 pm, Devotion Library

•   Thursday, January 31st: 1MC Family Breakfast, 8-8:45 am

OUR WONDERFUL, WELCOMING CLASS

Thank you for all of your support welcoming our new friend Priscilla and her family to our class! Stephanie and I have been so impressed by how kind and inviting the students have been. We are so excited that the children are using their wonderful friendship skills to learn about new friends, share about themselves and include others in activities.

FAMILY BREAKFAST

We will celebrate all of the great work in 1MC with a family breakfast on Thursday, January 31st. The breakfast will be held from 8-8:45. This will be an opportunity for your child to show you around the classroom and to share their great work with you. Any important people (parents, grandparents, siblings, babysitters) are invited. If you are unable to attend, please let us know and we will be sure to invite a special teacher for your child to share his or her accomplishments with. Please see the sign-up sheet outside our classroom.

COLD WEATHER and SLIPPERS

We will go outside for recess every day, unless it is raining or very cold, (below 20 degrees). As the weather gets colder, please be sure to send appropriate outdoor clothing. This includes heavy winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, boots and snow pants.

Also, this is the season for chapped lips and dry skin. Feel free to send your child with chapstick or lotion in their backpack to apply during the day.

   

If your child is missing a jacket or sweatshirt, please check the school Lost and Found, across the hall from the Main office.

SNACK

Please check in with your child about lunch and snack. Maybe it’s a growth spurt, or the weather, but many children are still feeling hungry after they have eaten their entire snack and/ or lunch. We are thrilled that the children are taking time to eat all of their food, rather than talking so much they forget to eat.

MATH

We continued working with the concept of “tens and some ones,” so we will use manipulatives to explore the actual amount that numbers represent and to make numbers in a variety of ways. We are practicing counting by tens and  examing the patterns that the numbers make when counting by tens (ex: they all end with 0) We are using using this skill to helps us add numbers  (ex: 10+7=17, 30+9= 30, or 40+10= 50).   We will also practice using and counting dimes. 

WORD WALL WORDS

Last week’s words: off, tell, all, call, for

This week’s words: thank, thing, long, me, we

COMMUNITY

Last week, we read many books about and discussed the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We learned about some of the ways life was different for Americans during MLK’s life. We read about Ruby Bridges, one of the first Black children to go to an all-white school. We talked about how things how things have changed, as well as ways that we can continue to help work towards Martin Luther King, Jr’s dream come true. We defined the words include and exclude, and we thought about ways that we can include peers instead of excluding.

We also looked closely at a map of Coolidge Corner. We found streets, stores, restaurants and train stops. We will also look at a map of Coolidge Corner from the 1800’s to see how the area has changed over time.

The following week, we will begin our unit on China and Chinese New Year. We will start by finding China on maps and learning a bit about China and Chinese culture. Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon begin on February 10^th.  As we move closer to the 10^th, we will read many stories and do projects related to this holiday.

VALENTINE’S DAY

We will have a small celebration and the opportunity to share valentine cards with the class. It is not a requirement to bring Valentines, but if your child would like to share valentines, please be sure there is one for each child in the class so no one is left out. More info to follow as it gets closer.

Here is our class list; we have 22 students.

Anya, Audrey, Ben, Elias, Ella, Farah, Gavin, Hailey, Itamar, Katie, Lihi, Luke, Minti, Naomi, Priscilla, Rachel, Rohan, Ronan, Roy, Sasha, Steph, Therese

Early in February, we will decorate bags to collect our Valentines. We would love any donations of stickers, colored papers, doilies, or any other crafty articles to decorate with.

ASK YOUR CHILD…

These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.

•   What are some words that end with ing or ink?

•   What are some things that are different between the time of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ruby Bridges and the time we live in now ?

•   What are some ways that Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ruby Bridges were brave?

Caldecott Night Update

I had the time incorrect. Caldecott Night is actually Wednesday, January 23rd from 5:00- 6:30 pm.

Weekly News

IMPORTANT DATES

• Monday, January 21st: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Wednesday, January 23rd: Caldecott Night, 6:30 pm, Devotion Library
• Thursday, January 31st: 1MC Family Breakfast, 8-8:45 am

FAMILY BREAKFAST

We will celebrate all of the great work in 1MC with a family breakfast on Thursday, January 31st. The breakfast will be held  from 8-8:45. This will be an opportunity for your child to show you around the classroom and to share their great work with you. Any important people (parents, grandparents, siblings, babysitters) are invited. If you are unable to attend, please let us know and we will be sure to invite a special teacher for your child to share his or her accomplishments with. (Breakfast sign-up sheet will also follow).

COLD WEATHER and SLIPPERS

We will go outside for recess every day, unless it is raining or very cold, below 20 degrees. As the weather gets colder, please be sure to send appropriate outdoor clothing. This currently includes sweatshirts, jackets, and sometimes rain boots. In the winter, this will include heavy winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, boots and snow pants.

Also, during the chilly boot-weather months, it is an option to bring slippers (with rubber, non-slip soles) to school. This will make for easy indoor-outdoor transitions, and give a warm and cozy feeling to the day. Your child is welcome to bring slippers (labeled with his or her name) and leave them in the classroom rather than take them home every day. We will have a place in the classroom to store slippers instead of leaving them in cubbies overnight.

   

If your child is missing a jacket or sweatshirt, please check the school Lost and Found, across the hall from the Main office.

MATH

We continued working with word problems, practicing our addition and subtraction skills, and counting money using Nickels and Pennies this week. We also began to explore "cross number puzzles" or "magic squares" to practice addition. This is a format to help children think about adding horizontally and vertically.

In the coming weeks, we will learn about dimes, practice adding to 10 and subtracting from 10, and counting by tens.

WORD WALL WORDS:

This week’s words:   who    what    when    where    how

This week, we will focus on words with  WH. We will talk about how the “h” changes the sound of the letter. WH can make an "h" sound like in who or whole and it can make a "w" sound like in what or when.  

These Word Wall Words are also question words, or words that begin questions. We will spend this week thinking about questions and question marks. We will also use question works to help add details to our writing.          

COMMUNITY

This week, we are discussing the many important jobs of people in our community. We are thinking of jobs within our school as well as jobs of grown-ups we know and jobs at places we go. Some of the jobs we came up with include: nurse, doctor, police officer, Lego designer, mother, father, robot maker, hair dresser, teacher, fire fighter, police officer, cook, and many more.

Next week, we will think about these jobs and name important places in our community. Then we will use our aerial map skills to study a Map of Coolidge Corner.

ANTI-BULLYING KICK-OFF

Devotion began its Anti-bullying program last week. We learned about our school-wide Anti-bullying rules (which we are calling "Rules to be a good friend.") and we learned about the many people in our school that are here to help us. We've spent this week focusing in on Rule #1: We will not bully others. We have described this rule in the positive; if we will not bully others, what will we do? We have come up with an extensive things we can do to follow this rule!   

LOCKDOWN DRILL

We will be having a Lockdown Drill on Thursday morning. This drill happens every year. We will talk about this drill on Wednesday, and explain it as practicing a way to stay safe in our classroom. One example for this drill is the rare event that a stray dog got into the school. We would not know if the dog was safe so all students must stay in the classroom and the principal, vice principal or police officers will go through the entire school to ensure that it is safe. 

Children are used to seeing fire fighters at our school during fire drills and police officers helping us cross the street during our evacuation drill. If you have questions or concerns regarding this drill, please let us know or contact the office.

ASK YOUR CHILD…

These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.

• What are some words that start with ch (or th, sh, wh)?
•  What was your favorite Caldecott contender book that we have read so far?
• What are some important jobs that people do in our community?
• What are some ways that we can follow our school rule, "We won't bully others"?