IMPORTANT DATES
• Thursday, May 31st: Big Book Bazaar, Book Fair. Stay tuned for information. Our class will go at 11am.
• Friday, June 1st: First Grade Concert. 8:30 am, Devotion auditorium, Stay tuned for details.
• Monday, June 4th: ALL LIBRARY BOOKS MUST BE RETURNED BY THIS DAY. No more books may be checked out, Library Inventory.
• Thursday, June 7th: 1MC Family Breakfast. 7:55- 8:45 am. More details to follow.
• Monday, June 18th: Last day of school. School ends at 12 noon, no lunch to be served.
WORD WALL WORDS
our out house down
This week we are focusing on the combinations of letters that make the “ow” sound. OU and OW make the “ow” sound. OW can also make a long O sounds like in snow.
END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR/ NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
If you know that you will be moving or leaving Devotion School (either before the last day of school on June 18th, or before the start of next school year), please let the office and the classroom teacher know. This can be done verbally or through writing with me. The office will need more information including your ending date and forwarding address. Please stop into the office to complete this paperwork.
WRITING
We are currently working on a class Writing Unit writing How To Guides. We thought about something we know how to do that we could teach someone else through writing and illustrating instructions. We have been working to think of all of the steps needed so the instructions make sense to our readers.
MATH
We have moved into Chapter 9. We began by exploring Cuisenaire Rods, 10 colored , mutli-length blocks. We used these rods to make patterns and number sentences. (Red + Green = Yellow). This led us to learning the term fact Family. We continue to use these fact families to strengthen our math facts skills and reinforce the our general knowledge about addition and subtraction. (For example, “If I know that 3+4=7, then I also know that 4+3=7 and 7-3=4 and 7-4=3)
SCIENCE
We continue to observe our mealworms move through their life cycle stages and. Our caterpillars have grown so large and many of them are in the chrysalis stage. We will transfer these pupae into a butterfly net so when they emerge as butterflies, they have lots of space to spread their wings. We continue to read and discuss many other insects and characteristics of insects.
COMMUNITY
We continued learning about Mexico this week. We read a book called Family Pictures. This books contains paintings depicting the childhood events of the author, Carmen Lomas Garza. She grew up in Texas near the border of Mexico and her family is from Mexico. She described the events that she painted. We were able to compare and contrast her life to ours. Some things she did we different that things we do, and some were the same. We also noticed different foods, plants and architecture in her paintings. We will learn more about Mexico and Mexican culture.
1MC WISH LIST…
We would greatly appreciate the following donations”
Glue Sticks
Old T-Shirts (any size and color)- We will be cutting them up to use for a project, so they will not be returned.
Paper shopping bags (like Trader Joe’s, etc. ~ We will use these to send supplies home at the end of the year.)
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• How have our caterpillars changed?
• What are you writing about for our “How To” book for Writing?
• What is a Cuisenaire Rod? How can we use them to help with Math?
• What is a fact family?
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Weekly News
IMPORTANT DATES
• Thursday, May 3rd: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
WORD WALL WORDS
say day play sister brother
This week we are focusing on the combinations of letters that make the long a sound. AY and AI make a long A sound.
ABSENCES
Please be sure to confirm all absences (planned for travel and unplanned due to sickness) with the office, as well as with me. An email or a note will be fine for the classroom. Please also send a note or an email, or call the main office to let them know of an absence. If they do not hear from you, you will receive a call inquiring about the absence.
END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR/ NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
If you know that you will be moving or leaving Devotion School (either before the last day of school on June 18th, or before the start of next school year), please let the office and the classroom teacher know. This can be done verbally or through writing with me. The office will need more information including your ending date and forwarding address. Please stop into the office to complete this paperwork.
MATH
We are continuing playing games and working in small groups to really strengthen our understanding and automaticity with facts through 12. We are also beginning to work in Chapter 9,which further focuses on modeling addition and subtraction concepts.
SCIENCE
This week we welcomed mealworms and caterpillars into our classroom. We received mealworms in different stages of their life cycle, so we are able to observe larvae, pupae, and darkling beetles. We will observe them move through these stages and even lay eggs to being the life cycle. Our caterpillars arrived all in the caterpillar stage, so we will observe as they grow, move into a chrysalis, and emerge as Painted Lady butterflies. We will also read and discuss many other insects and characteristics of insects.
COMMUNITY
We began this week learning about Earth Day. We read and discussed ways in which we can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to help make less waste and take care of our planet.
We also began our unit on Mexico. We’ve started by identifying Mexico on the map. We will learn much more about the geography and culture of Mexico.
FIRE SAFETY DAY
Today, Fire Fighter Patty from the Brookline Fire Department came to talk with the first grade classes. She showed us her fire suit so we would know what a fire fighter looks like during a fire. She shared with us things to do if we hear the smoke alarm: crawl on hands a knees, touch a closed door with the back of our hand to see if its hot, and going to a window and shouting for help if you cannot leave through the door. And we talked about what to do if our clothing caught on fire: Stop, Drop and Roll to put out the fire and cover your face. She stressed the importance of an outdoor meeting spot for the family in the case of a fire way. That, fire fighters can easily check in and make sure everyone is safe.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Please sign-up for Spring parent-teacher conferences outside the classroom. This will be an opportunity to share the spring conference report and discuss your child’s progress. Please let me know if the times do not work for you and we can find another time to meet.
*If you need to change your conference day or time, please try to do it at least 48 hours in advance. I prepare conference reports and will need enough time to have your child’s report ready for our meeting.
1MC WISH LIST…
We would greatly appreciate the following donations”
Glue Sticks
Gallon sized Ziploc bags.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• Describe the our mealworms.
• What is one thing Firefighter Patty told us about Fire Safety?
• What is one way that you can help take care of the earth?
• Thursday, May 3rd: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
WORD WALL WORDS
say day play sister brother
This week we are focusing on the combinations of letters that make the long a sound. AY and AI make a long A sound.
ABSENCES
Please be sure to confirm all absences (planned for travel and unplanned due to sickness) with the office, as well as with me. An email or a note will be fine for the classroom. Please also send a note or an email, or call the main office to let them know of an absence. If they do not hear from you, you will receive a call inquiring about the absence.
END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR/ NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
If you know that you will be moving or leaving Devotion School (either before the last day of school on June 18th, or before the start of next school year), please let the office and the classroom teacher know. This can be done verbally or through writing with me. The office will need more information including your ending date and forwarding address. Please stop into the office to complete this paperwork.
MATH
We are continuing playing games and working in small groups to really strengthen our understanding and automaticity with facts through 12. We are also beginning to work in Chapter 9,which further focuses on modeling addition and subtraction concepts.
SCIENCE
This week we welcomed mealworms and caterpillars into our classroom. We received mealworms in different stages of their life cycle, so we are able to observe larvae, pupae, and darkling beetles. We will observe them move through these stages and even lay eggs to being the life cycle. Our caterpillars arrived all in the caterpillar stage, so we will observe as they grow, move into a chrysalis, and emerge as Painted Lady butterflies. We will also read and discuss many other insects and characteristics of insects.
COMMUNITY
We began this week learning about Earth Day. We read and discussed ways in which we can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to help make less waste and take care of our planet.
We also began our unit on Mexico. We’ve started by identifying Mexico on the map. We will learn much more about the geography and culture of Mexico.
FIRE SAFETY DAY
Today, Fire Fighter Patty from the Brookline Fire Department came to talk with the first grade classes. She showed us her fire suit so we would know what a fire fighter looks like during a fire. She shared with us things to do if we hear the smoke alarm: crawl on hands a knees, touch a closed door with the back of our hand to see if its hot, and going to a window and shouting for help if you cannot leave through the door. And we talked about what to do if our clothing caught on fire: Stop, Drop and Roll to put out the fire and cover your face. She stressed the importance of an outdoor meeting spot for the family in the case of a fire way. That, fire fighters can easily check in and make sure everyone is safe.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Please sign-up for Spring parent-teacher conferences outside the classroom. This will be an opportunity to share the spring conference report and discuss your child’s progress. Please let me know if the times do not work for you and we can find another time to meet.
*If you need to change your conference day or time, please try to do it at least 48 hours in advance. I prepare conference reports and will need enough time to have your child’s report ready for our meeting.
1MC WISH LIST…
We would greatly appreciate the following donations”
Glue Sticks
Gallon sized Ziploc bags.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• Describe the our mealworms.
• What is one thing Firefighter Patty told us about Fire Safety?
• What is one way that you can help take care of the earth?
Monday, April 9, 2012
Weekly news, and homework oops...
IMPORTANT DATES
• Wednesday, April 12th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• Wednesday, April 12th 6:00-7:30pm: Family Math Nigh, see fliers throughout school and pto messages for more details
• April 16-April 20: April Vacation week. School resumes Monday, April 23rd.
HOMEWORK OOPS
I incorrectly copied the homework sent home on Thursday. It was missing a few pages. I have re-printed the homework and passed it out again today There is no need to re-do pages that we’re already completed, but if your child would like to try a page that was left out, please feel free and hand them in together. I[‘m so sorry for the confusion.
WORD WALL WORDS
coat know grow night right
This week we are focusing on the combinations of letters that make the long vowel sound. We’ve already learned about Sneaky E, like in the word like. IGHT make a long I sound (the I says its name). OA and OW make a long O sound.
ABSENCES
Please be sure to confirm all absences (planned for travel and unplanned due to sickness) with the office, as well as with me. An email or a note will be fine for the classroom. Please also send a note or an email, or call the main office to let them know of an absence. If they do not hear from you, you will receive a call inquiring about the absence.
END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR/ NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
If you know that you will be moving or leaving Devotion School (either before the last day of school on June 18th, or before the start of next school year), please let the office and the classroom teacher know. This can be done verbally or through writing with me. The office will need more information including your ending date and forwarding address. Please stop into the office to complete this paperwork.
MATH
We are continuing playing games and working in small groups to really strengthen our understanding and automaticity with facts through 12. Children have strategies and tools to solve addition and subtraction problems, both simple facts and bigger numbers. These next few weeks, we will take a deeper look at facts through 12, doubles, doubles plus 1 (if I know 3+3=6, then 3+4=7), and coins (both identifying and counting). We want children to have a really solid understanding of these foundational math facts before we move on to more complicated concepts. Thank you for you support and help reinforcing these skills!
SCIENCE
We are beginning our Insect and Life Cycle Unit. This week, we are making observations and reading non fiction books about insects. Following break, we will welcome mealworms and caterpillars into our classroom. We will carefully follow their life cycles as they change into beetles and butterflies, respectively. Stay tuned for updates!
COMMUNITY
We are spending the week looking for acts of kindness and listening for kind words in our community. Following April Vacation, we will begin our study of Mexico and Mexican American culture and traditions.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Please sign-up for Spring parent-teacher conferences outside the classroom. This will be an opportunity to share the spring conference report and discuss your child’s progress. Please let me know if the times do not work for you and we can find another time to meet.
*If you need to change your conference day or time, please try to do it at least 48 hours in advance. I prepare conference reports and will need enough time to have your child’s report ready for our meeting.
1MC WISH LIST…
We would greatly appreciate the following donations”
Glue Sticks
Gallon sized Ziploc bags.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• Describe one of the insects you observed during projects
• What book are you reading with you reading group.?
• What recess centers do you enjoy?
• Wednesday, April 12th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• Wednesday, April 12th 6:00-7:30pm: Family Math Nigh, see fliers throughout school and pto messages for more details
• April 16-April 20: April Vacation week. School resumes Monday, April 23rd.
HOMEWORK OOPS
I incorrectly copied the homework sent home on Thursday. It was missing a few pages. I have re-printed the homework and passed it out again today There is no need to re-do pages that we’re already completed, but if your child would like to try a page that was left out, please feel free and hand them in together. I[‘m so sorry for the confusion.
WORD WALL WORDS
coat know grow night right
This week we are focusing on the combinations of letters that make the long vowel sound. We’ve already learned about Sneaky E, like in the word like. IGHT make a long I sound (the I says its name). OA and OW make a long O sound.
ABSENCES
Please be sure to confirm all absences (planned for travel and unplanned due to sickness) with the office, as well as with me. An email or a note will be fine for the classroom. Please also send a note or an email, or call the main office to let them know of an absence. If they do not hear from you, you will receive a call inquiring about the absence.
END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR/ NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
If you know that you will be moving or leaving Devotion School (either before the last day of school on June 18th, or before the start of next school year), please let the office and the classroom teacher know. This can be done verbally or through writing with me. The office will need more information including your ending date and forwarding address. Please stop into the office to complete this paperwork.
MATH
We are continuing playing games and working in small groups to really strengthen our understanding and automaticity with facts through 12. Children have strategies and tools to solve addition and subtraction problems, both simple facts and bigger numbers. These next few weeks, we will take a deeper look at facts through 12, doubles, doubles plus 1 (if I know 3+3=6, then 3+4=7), and coins (both identifying and counting). We want children to have a really solid understanding of these foundational math facts before we move on to more complicated concepts. Thank you for you support and help reinforcing these skills!
SCIENCE
We are beginning our Insect and Life Cycle Unit. This week, we are making observations and reading non fiction books about insects. Following break, we will welcome mealworms and caterpillars into our classroom. We will carefully follow their life cycles as they change into beetles and butterflies, respectively. Stay tuned for updates!
COMMUNITY
We are spending the week looking for acts of kindness and listening for kind words in our community. Following April Vacation, we will begin our study of Mexico and Mexican American culture and traditions.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Please sign-up for Spring parent-teacher conferences outside the classroom. This will be an opportunity to share the spring conference report and discuss your child’s progress. Please let me know if the times do not work for you and we can find another time to meet.
*If you need to change your conference day or time, please try to do it at least 48 hours in advance. I prepare conference reports and will need enough time to have your child’s report ready for our meeting.
1MC WISH LIST…
We would greatly appreciate the following donations”
Glue Sticks
Gallon sized Ziploc bags.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• Describe one of the insects you observed during projects
• What book are you reading with you reading group.?
• What recess centers do you enjoy?
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Weekly News
IMPORTANT DATES
• Friday, March 30th: Last day to order from Book Orders
• Wednesday, April 4th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• Wednesday, April 4th, 5:30-7:30 pm: International Night at Devotion, see fliers throughout school and pto messages for more details.
• Friday, April 6th: No School, Good Friday
• Wednesday, April 12th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• Wednesday, April 12th 6:00-7:30pm: Family Math Nigh, see fliers throughout school and pto messages for more details
• April 16-April 20: April Vacation week. School resumes Monday, April 23rd.
WORD WALL WORDS
car start or people
This week, we learned about Bossy R. When an R follows a vowel, the R bosses the vowel and changes the sound. (Examples: cat – car, sit – sir, spot – sport)
ABSENCES
Please be sure to confirm all absences (planned for travel and unplanned due to sickness) with the office, as well as with me. An email or a note will be fine for the classroom. Please also send a note or an email, or call the main office to let them know of an absence. If they do not hear from you, you will receive a call inquiring about the absence.
END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR/ NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
If you know that you will be moving or leaving Devotion School (either before the last day of school on June 18th, or before the start of next school year), please let the office and the classroom teacher know. This can be done verbally or through writing with me. The office will need more information including your ending date and forwarding address. Please stop into the office to complete this paperwork.
MATH
We are continuing playing games and working in small groups to really strengthen our understanding and automaticity with facts through 12. Children have strategies and tools to solve addition and subtraction problems, both simple facts and bigger numbers. These next few weeks, we will take a deeper look at facts through 12, doubles, doubles plus 1 (if I know 3+3=6, then 3+4=7), and coins (both identifying and counting). We want children to have a really solid understanding of these foundational math facts before we move on to more complicated concepts. Thank you for you support and help reinforcing these skills!
SCIENCE
This week, we are wrapping up our Teeth Unit. In one short month we have learned:
• the names and jobs of the different types of teeth in our mouths
• the importance of primary (baby) teeth and permanent teeth
• the names and purposes of the different parts of a tooth (enamel, dentin, pulp, crown, root)
• how different liquids and foods can affect the tooth enamel, and why brushing and flossing teeth is important
• how a cavity is formed, and filled
• tooth traditions around the world
We are recapping the information we have learned this week and reading and discussing the book, Open Wide, by Laurie Keller. This books has been a huge hit; we’ve already read it twice and loved it!
COMMUNITY
We continued discussing multiple intellegences and our strengths this week. IWith a connection to writing, we were able to use describing words (adjectives) to describe our positive qualities and those of others.
BOOK ORDERS
Book Orders are due this Friday, March 30th, and usually take 1-2 weeks to arrive. This is a great way to purchase books at a discounted price.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Please sign-up for Spring parent-teacher conferences outside the classroom. This will be an opportunity to share the spring conference report and discuss your child’s progress. Please let me know if the times do not work for you and we can find another time to meet.
*If you need to change your conference day or time, please try to do it at least 48 hours in advance. I prepare conference reports and will need enough time to have your child’s report ready for our meeting.
1MC WISH LIST…
We would greatly appreciate any donations of Glue Sticks.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• What does Bossy R do?
• What was your favorite part of the book Open Wide?
• What are some of your favorite math games that we play?
• Friday, March 30th: Last day to order from Book Orders
• Wednesday, April 4th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• Wednesday, April 4th, 5:30-7:30 pm: International Night at Devotion, see fliers throughout school and pto messages for more details.
• Friday, April 6th: No School, Good Friday
• Wednesday, April 12th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• Wednesday, April 12th 6:00-7:30pm: Family Math Nigh, see fliers throughout school and pto messages for more details
• April 16-April 20: April Vacation week. School resumes Monday, April 23rd.
WORD WALL WORDS
car start or people
This week, we learned about Bossy R. When an R follows a vowel, the R bosses the vowel and changes the sound. (Examples: cat – car, sit – sir, spot – sport)
ABSENCES
Please be sure to confirm all absences (planned for travel and unplanned due to sickness) with the office, as well as with me. An email or a note will be fine for the classroom. Please also send a note or an email, or call the main office to let them know of an absence. If they do not hear from you, you will receive a call inquiring about the absence.
END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR/ NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
If you know that you will be moving or leaving Devotion School (either before the last day of school on June 18th, or before the start of next school year), please let the office and the classroom teacher know. This can be done verbally or through writing with me. The office will need more information including your ending date and forwarding address. Please stop into the office to complete this paperwork.
MATH
We are continuing playing games and working in small groups to really strengthen our understanding and automaticity with facts through 12. Children have strategies and tools to solve addition and subtraction problems, both simple facts and bigger numbers. These next few weeks, we will take a deeper look at facts through 12, doubles, doubles plus 1 (if I know 3+3=6, then 3+4=7), and coins (both identifying and counting). We want children to have a really solid understanding of these foundational math facts before we move on to more complicated concepts. Thank you for you support and help reinforcing these skills!
SCIENCE
This week, we are wrapping up our Teeth Unit. In one short month we have learned:
• the names and jobs of the different types of teeth in our mouths
• the importance of primary (baby) teeth and permanent teeth
• the names and purposes of the different parts of a tooth (enamel, dentin, pulp, crown, root)
• how different liquids and foods can affect the tooth enamel, and why brushing and flossing teeth is important
• how a cavity is formed, and filled
• tooth traditions around the world
We are recapping the information we have learned this week and reading and discussing the book, Open Wide, by Laurie Keller. This books has been a huge hit; we’ve already read it twice and loved it!
COMMUNITY
We continued discussing multiple intellegences and our strengths this week. IWith a connection to writing, we were able to use describing words (adjectives) to describe our positive qualities and those of others.
BOOK ORDERS
Book Orders are due this Friday, March 30th, and usually take 1-2 weeks to arrive. This is a great way to purchase books at a discounted price.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Please sign-up for Spring parent-teacher conferences outside the classroom. This will be an opportunity to share the spring conference report and discuss your child’s progress. Please let me know if the times do not work for you and we can find another time to meet.
*If you need to change your conference day or time, please try to do it at least 48 hours in advance. I prepare conference reports and will need enough time to have your child’s report ready for our meeting.
1MC WISH LIST…
We would greatly appreciate any donations of Glue Sticks.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• What does Bossy R do?
• What was your favorite part of the book Open Wide?
• What are some of your favorite math games that we play?
Monday, March 19, 2012
Weekly News
IMPORTANT DATES
• Friday, March 30th: Last day to order from Book Orders
• Wednesday, April 4th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• Friday, April 6th: No School, Good Friday
• Wednesday, April 12th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• April 16-April 20: April Vacation week. School resumes Monday, April 23rd.
WORD WALL WORDS
age big because old little
MATH
We are wrapping up chapter 8, which focused on fractions, doubles, and the quarter. We are continuing to reinforce these concepts and practice counting with quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies often. Chapter 9 brings us back to addition and subtraction. We are planning to take this time to really strengthen our understanding and automaticity with facts through 12. At this point, the children have strategies and tools to solve addition and subtraction problems, both simple facts and bigger numbers. These next few weeks, we will take a deeper look at facts through 12, doubles, doubles plus 1 (if I know 3+3=6, then 3+4=7), and coins (both identifying and counting). We want children to have a really solid understanding of these foundational math facts before we move on to more complicated concepts. Thank you for you support and help reinforcing these skills!
SCIENCE
Last week, we conducted two experiments using eggs and apples to represent teeth. In one experiment, we put eggs in 3 different liquids (water, milk and Coca Cola) to study the effects of these liquids on the enamel of teeth. We then brushed the eggs with a toothbrush and toothpaste to observe how brushing can clean teeth. We made conclusions about different liquids’ effects on teeth and the importance of brushing teeth.
Our second experiment involved poking into an apple. We poked through the apple skin into the fruit. We observed the effects of the air on the hole in the apple. Cutting the apple in half on day 2, we observed that the apple turned brown around the poked hole. We can compare the apple to our teeth. Poking through the skin is similar to bacteria eating through the enamel, creating a cavity. We discussed that very small shallow cavities can be treated by the dentist and can be very painless. By looking at a cross section of a tooth, we noticed that the closer the cavity gets to the center of the tooth and nerves, the more of a chance that a person might feel a tingly feeling or tooth ache.
This week, we are focusing on ways to take care of our teeth. We will also learn about tooth traditions in other countries by reading and discussing the book, Throw Your Tooth on the Roof.
COMMUNITY
We started exploring the concepts of multiple intelligences this week. We talked about ourselves as learners; we all have different combinations of strengths and areas we can work on. The 8 areas are:
- Linguistic (Word Smart)
- Visual (Picture Smart)
- Interpersonal (People Smart)
- Intrapersonal (Self Smart)
- Bodily-Kinesthetic (Body Smart)
- Musical (Music Smart)
- Naturalist (Nature Smart)
- Mathematical-Logical (Logic Smart)
The children really started this conversation off quite insightfully, describing their areas of strength, areas they’d like to improve, and naming areas of strength of their peers.
BOOK ORDERS
Book Orders will be placed in mailboxes this week. Orders can be placed online or by form. Orders are due March 30th, and usually take 1-2 weeks to arrive. This is a great way to purchase books at a discounted price.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Sign-up for Spring parent-teacher conferences has been posted outside the classroom. Please sign-up for a time slot that works for you. This will be an opportunity to share the spring conference report and discuss your child’s progress. Please let me know if the times do not work for you and we can find another time to meet.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• What is one of your kinds of smart?
• What can we learn about our teeth from our egg and apple experiments?
• What are some words that have a soft G sound? (giraffe, giant…) A hard G sound? (green, get…)
• Friday, March 30th: Last day to order from Book Orders
• Wednesday, April 4th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• Friday, April 6th: No School, Good Friday
• Wednesday, April 12th: Early Release, School ends at 12:30pm, Lunch will be served.
• April 16-April 20: April Vacation week. School resumes Monday, April 23rd.
WORD WALL WORDS
age big because old little
MATH
We are wrapping up chapter 8, which focused on fractions, doubles, and the quarter. We are continuing to reinforce these concepts and practice counting with quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies often. Chapter 9 brings us back to addition and subtraction. We are planning to take this time to really strengthen our understanding and automaticity with facts through 12. At this point, the children have strategies and tools to solve addition and subtraction problems, both simple facts and bigger numbers. These next few weeks, we will take a deeper look at facts through 12, doubles, doubles plus 1 (if I know 3+3=6, then 3+4=7), and coins (both identifying and counting). We want children to have a really solid understanding of these foundational math facts before we move on to more complicated concepts. Thank you for you support and help reinforcing these skills!
SCIENCE
Last week, we conducted two experiments using eggs and apples to represent teeth. In one experiment, we put eggs in 3 different liquids (water, milk and Coca Cola) to study the effects of these liquids on the enamel of teeth. We then brushed the eggs with a toothbrush and toothpaste to observe how brushing can clean teeth. We made conclusions about different liquids’ effects on teeth and the importance of brushing teeth.
Our second experiment involved poking into an apple. We poked through the apple skin into the fruit. We observed the effects of the air on the hole in the apple. Cutting the apple in half on day 2, we observed that the apple turned brown around the poked hole. We can compare the apple to our teeth. Poking through the skin is similar to bacteria eating through the enamel, creating a cavity. We discussed that very small shallow cavities can be treated by the dentist and can be very painless. By looking at a cross section of a tooth, we noticed that the closer the cavity gets to the center of the tooth and nerves, the more of a chance that a person might feel a tingly feeling or tooth ache.
This week, we are focusing on ways to take care of our teeth. We will also learn about tooth traditions in other countries by reading and discussing the book, Throw Your Tooth on the Roof.
COMMUNITY
We started exploring the concepts of multiple intelligences this week. We talked about ourselves as learners; we all have different combinations of strengths and areas we can work on. The 8 areas are:
- Linguistic (Word Smart)
- Visual (Picture Smart)
- Interpersonal (People Smart)
- Intrapersonal (Self Smart)
- Bodily-Kinesthetic (Body Smart)
- Musical (Music Smart)
- Naturalist (Nature Smart)
- Mathematical-Logical (Logic Smart)
The children really started this conversation off quite insightfully, describing their areas of strength, areas they’d like to improve, and naming areas of strength of their peers.
BOOK ORDERS
Book Orders will be placed in mailboxes this week. Orders can be placed online or by form. Orders are due March 30th, and usually take 1-2 weeks to arrive. This is a great way to purchase books at a discounted price.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Sign-up for Spring parent-teacher conferences has been posted outside the classroom. Please sign-up for a time slot that works for you. This will be an opportunity to share the spring conference report and discuss your child’s progress. Please let me know if the times do not work for you and we can find another time to meet.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• What is one of your kinds of smart?
• What can we learn about our teeth from our egg and apple experiments?
• What are some words that have a soft G sound? (giraffe, giant…) A hard G sound? (green, get…)
Friday, March 9, 2012
1MC WEEKLY NEWS ~ March 9th, 2012
WORD WALL WORDS
new good your her him
READING HOMEWORK
In an effort to acknowledge the many activities you already do at home and the rich discussions you are already having, and to change things up a bit, there will be a new format for reading homework, called READ-O, similar to BINGO. You and your child may choose 5 activities in a row to complete throughout the week. Of course you may do more than 5!
*If you and your child are in a great routine of reading 15 minutes a day and would like to stick with that, feel free to record your reading on a piece of paper and turn it in with your homework.
COMMUNITY
We are really practicing how to wait our turn to speak and to avoid interrupting other people. We read a book called My Mouth is a Volcano. The main character in this books really has a hard time keeping his ideas in his head. He gets so excited about his ideas that they bubble up and escape out of his mouth. Through much practice, he discovers a strategy to take a beep breath, let is ideas escape so he can let them wait in the air the until a good time, and then breath them back into to say at the right time. We practiced this strategy as a class and observed our interruptions for a few days. We noticed some days had more interruptions that others, but we will keep practicing. Next week, we will also practice some explicit discussion strategies, including waiting your turn to speak, figuring out a good time to share your idea, making sure your idea is on topic, and figuring out how to talk the right amount of time (not too much, not too little) so everyone gets to share their ideas.
We also discussed the Devotion School Motto this week.
The Devotion School motto is: Work Hard, Be Kind, Help Others.
We talked about what it looks like to follow this motto in school, on the playground and at home.
SCIENCE
We learned more about the parts of teeth this week, and we learned the names and jobs of the different types of teeth. Next week, we will do some experiments to simulate the affects of different liquids on our teeth and to observe what happens when we get a cavitiy.
MATH
Continuing in Chapter 8, we practiced ½ of a number, and doubling numbers. We also learned how to write 1/2 , emphasizing that the bottom number is how may parts it is divided into and the top number shows how many parts are shaded or how many parts you get. We also explored numbers that you can’t cut in half equally (3, 5, etc.) In those cases there are options to have and extra one left over, or to split the extra in half. For example, if we want to split 5 cookies between 2 people, each person could get 2 with one cookie left, or each person could have 2 ½ . In writing these numbers, the big number in front shows how many whole items there are, and the fraction ½ is written to the right of the whole number. It’s a bit confusing to write, but the concept is one that many first graders can relate to and figure out independently.
GREEN, YELLOW, RED
For the past few weeks, we have been using a Green, Yellow, Red system to help the children monitor themselves throughout the day. Everyone starts on Green which means “Ready to Learn.” The children understand the expected behaviors one would demonstrate when they are ready to learn: following directions, listening respectfully, staying on task, helping peers do the right thing, etc. If at any point through out the day, students are not ready to learn, a teacher might move their name to Yellow on the chart. Yellow means “Think About It.” This is in no way a punishment, and its not necessarily a bad thing. Yellow is a chance and a visual reminder (without verbally pointing out a behavior) to think about actions and expected behaviors. Many times, this reminder is all a student needs to get back on track, and within minutes, a teacher might move his or her name back to “Ready to Learn.” If a child remains on yellow for a while, her or she might miss 1-2 minutes of Choice Time or Recess to regroup; but again, many children quickly shift back to expected behavior.
However, if the behavior continues or another incident occurs, a teacher might then move a name from yellow to Red, which means “Teacher’s Choice”. We rarely move names to Red, and in the situations where a name is moved to Red, we will talk about it right away and decide with the child what will help to make the situation better or what a logical consequence might be. We will always let you know of any major incidents in school involving your child.
Please feel free to ask us any questions regarding this system or your child.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• What was a funny part of the show we saw on Friday Morning?
• How do you write one -half?
• What did you notice when you observed your mouth and your teeth?
new good your her him
READING HOMEWORK
In an effort to acknowledge the many activities you already do at home and the rich discussions you are already having, and to change things up a bit, there will be a new format for reading homework, called READ-O, similar to BINGO. You and your child may choose 5 activities in a row to complete throughout the week. Of course you may do more than 5!
*If you and your child are in a great routine of reading 15 minutes a day and would like to stick with that, feel free to record your reading on a piece of paper and turn it in with your homework.
COMMUNITY
We are really practicing how to wait our turn to speak and to avoid interrupting other people. We read a book called My Mouth is a Volcano. The main character in this books really has a hard time keeping his ideas in his head. He gets so excited about his ideas that they bubble up and escape out of his mouth. Through much practice, he discovers a strategy to take a beep breath, let is ideas escape so he can let them wait in the air the until a good time, and then breath them back into to say at the right time. We practiced this strategy as a class and observed our interruptions for a few days. We noticed some days had more interruptions that others, but we will keep practicing. Next week, we will also practice some explicit discussion strategies, including waiting your turn to speak, figuring out a good time to share your idea, making sure your idea is on topic, and figuring out how to talk the right amount of time (not too much, not too little) so everyone gets to share their ideas.
We also discussed the Devotion School Motto this week.
The Devotion School motto is: Work Hard, Be Kind, Help Others.
We talked about what it looks like to follow this motto in school, on the playground and at home.
SCIENCE
We learned more about the parts of teeth this week, and we learned the names and jobs of the different types of teeth. Next week, we will do some experiments to simulate the affects of different liquids on our teeth and to observe what happens when we get a cavitiy.
MATH
Continuing in Chapter 8, we practiced ½ of a number, and doubling numbers. We also learned how to write 1/2 , emphasizing that the bottom number is how may parts it is divided into and the top number shows how many parts are shaded or how many parts you get. We also explored numbers that you can’t cut in half equally (3, 5, etc.) In those cases there are options to have and extra one left over, or to split the extra in half. For example, if we want to split 5 cookies between 2 people, each person could get 2 with one cookie left, or each person could have 2 ½ . In writing these numbers, the big number in front shows how many whole items there are, and the fraction ½ is written to the right of the whole number. It’s a bit confusing to write, but the concept is one that many first graders can relate to and figure out independently.
GREEN, YELLOW, RED
For the past few weeks, we have been using a Green, Yellow, Red system to help the children monitor themselves throughout the day. Everyone starts on Green which means “Ready to Learn.” The children understand the expected behaviors one would demonstrate when they are ready to learn: following directions, listening respectfully, staying on task, helping peers do the right thing, etc. If at any point through out the day, students are not ready to learn, a teacher might move their name to Yellow on the chart. Yellow means “Think About It.” This is in no way a punishment, and its not necessarily a bad thing. Yellow is a chance and a visual reminder (without verbally pointing out a behavior) to think about actions and expected behaviors. Many times, this reminder is all a student needs to get back on track, and within minutes, a teacher might move his or her name back to “Ready to Learn.” If a child remains on yellow for a while, her or she might miss 1-2 minutes of Choice Time or Recess to regroup; but again, many children quickly shift back to expected behavior.
However, if the behavior continues or another incident occurs, a teacher might then move a name from yellow to Red, which means “Teacher’s Choice”. We rarely move names to Red, and in the situations where a name is moved to Red, we will talk about it right away and decide with the child what will help to make the situation better or what a logical consequence might be. We will always let you know of any major incidents in school involving your child.
Please feel free to ask us any questions regarding this system or your child.
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• What was a funny part of the show we saw on Friday Morning?
• How do you write one -half?
• What did you notice when you observed your mouth and your teeth?
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Weekly News
WEATHER
We will go outside for recess every afternoon unless it is raining, extremely icy, or below 18 degrees F. Please send your child to school with adequate winter gear. Extra layers, boots, snow pants, mittens, hats, scarves, and gloves make a world of difference on these chilly days. 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.
MORNINGS
School starts promptly at 8am. The classroom doors open at 7:55 to ensure that students are ready to begin work and learning at 8 am. Students arriving after 8:05 will be marked tardy and should report to the main office to sign in
WORD WALL WORDS
be go so from they
READING HOMEWORK
In an effort to acknowledge the many activities you already do at home and the rich discussions you are already having, and to change things up a bit, there will be a new format for reading homework, called READ-O, similar to BINGO. On this week’s homework, you will see a 5x5 grid in the place of the reading record sheet. You and your child may choose 5 activities in a row to complete throughout the week. Of course you may do more than 5! You might choose different activities each week or stick to some favorites. I’ve attached a copy of the read-o for you to keep at home as a reference.
*If you and your child are in a great routine of reading 15 minutes a day and would like to stick with that, feel free to record your reading on a piece of paper and turn it in with your homework.
COMMUNITY
We are continuing to focus on friendship and strengthening our community. We have talked about it throughout the year, but these past few weeks we have especially focused on the many meanings of fair. Fair can mean everyone gets the same thing or the same amount of time. Some examples of this definition include: same size piece of birthday cake at a party, rotating through the Leader of the Day job so everyone gets a turn, and everyone getting to learn at school. The more confusing definition of fair is the one where fair means that each person gets what he or she needs, even if it is not the same. Some examples of this definition include: giving extra snack to someone who did not eat breakfast, getting time with a special teacher to learn English, taking a movement break to move your body so that you can do your best listening, using a guide dog to walk if you are cannot see. We were very impressed by the children’s ability to think about and discuss this challenging topic. Like many things, this is easier to talk about, and tougher to understand in the moment. Having these discussions have laid the groundwork for understanding when issues arise and the question of fair comes up. We will continue to discuss this topic and examples of these different type of fair.
SCIENCE
You may have noticed the many facts we already know about teeth posted on our door. We will continue to dive deeper into the topic of teeth. In the coming weeks we will learn about the importance of teeth, the different types of teeth and their jobs, we will do experiments to learn about the enamel of teeth and cavities, and we will learn about how to take care of teeth.
MATH
We began chapter 8 in our math curriculum. This chapter focuses on Symmetry, Doubling, the Quarter and the fractions ½, 1/3, and ¼. We will work to get the doubles addition facts stuck in our brains (1+1. 2+2,… 10+10), so that this will help us in the future to add doubles plus 1 and doubles plus 2 facts. (For example, when you see 6+7, think “I know 6+6=12 so 6+7= 13). We will practice doubling with coins and objects.
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:
• Glue Sticks
• Thick and thin markers
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• Ms. McDonnell read 3 Helen Lester books in Library on Wednesday, which book did you like best?
• What are we reading lots of Dr. Seuss books this week?
• What sport are we learning to play in PE?
We will go outside for recess every afternoon unless it is raining, extremely icy, or below 18 degrees F. Please send your child to school with adequate winter gear. Extra layers, boots, snow pants, mittens, hats, scarves, and gloves make a world of difference on these chilly days. 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.
MORNINGS
School starts promptly at 8am. The classroom doors open at 7:55 to ensure that students are ready to begin work and learning at 8 am. Students arriving after 8:05 will be marked tardy and should report to the main office to sign in
WORD WALL WORDS
be go so from they
READING HOMEWORK
In an effort to acknowledge the many activities you already do at home and the rich discussions you are already having, and to change things up a bit, there will be a new format for reading homework, called READ-O, similar to BINGO. On this week’s homework, you will see a 5x5 grid in the place of the reading record sheet. You and your child may choose 5 activities in a row to complete throughout the week. Of course you may do more than 5! You might choose different activities each week or stick to some favorites. I’ve attached a copy of the read-o for you to keep at home as a reference.
*If you and your child are in a great routine of reading 15 minutes a day and would like to stick with that, feel free to record your reading on a piece of paper and turn it in with your homework.
COMMUNITY
We are continuing to focus on friendship and strengthening our community. We have talked about it throughout the year, but these past few weeks we have especially focused on the many meanings of fair. Fair can mean everyone gets the same thing or the same amount of time. Some examples of this definition include: same size piece of birthday cake at a party, rotating through the Leader of the Day job so everyone gets a turn, and everyone getting to learn at school. The more confusing definition of fair is the one where fair means that each person gets what he or she needs, even if it is not the same. Some examples of this definition include: giving extra snack to someone who did not eat breakfast, getting time with a special teacher to learn English, taking a movement break to move your body so that you can do your best listening, using a guide dog to walk if you are cannot see. We were very impressed by the children’s ability to think about and discuss this challenging topic. Like many things, this is easier to talk about, and tougher to understand in the moment. Having these discussions have laid the groundwork for understanding when issues arise and the question of fair comes up. We will continue to discuss this topic and examples of these different type of fair.
SCIENCE
You may have noticed the many facts we already know about teeth posted on our door. We will continue to dive deeper into the topic of teeth. In the coming weeks we will learn about the importance of teeth, the different types of teeth and their jobs, we will do experiments to learn about the enamel of teeth and cavities, and we will learn about how to take care of teeth.
MATH
We began chapter 8 in our math curriculum. This chapter focuses on Symmetry, Doubling, the Quarter and the fractions ½, 1/3, and ¼. We will work to get the doubles addition facts stuck in our brains (1+1. 2+2,… 10+10), so that this will help us in the future to add doubles plus 1 and doubles plus 2 facts. (For example, when you see 6+7, think “I know 6+6=12 so 6+7= 13). We will practice doubling with coins and objects.
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:
• Glue Sticks
• Thick and thin markers
ASK YOUR CHILD…
These questions can be conversation starters to discuss the week in school.
• Ms. McDonnell read 3 Helen Lester books in Library on Wednesday, which book did you like best?
• What are we reading lots of Dr. Seuss books this week?
• What sport are we learning to play in PE?
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