Week of October 10th- October 14th

Dear Parents,

            We had a lovely first week of October!  Students have been working very hard on their important poems during writing and they are now in the process of typing their pieces on the computer to publish.  Students have also been enjoying experimenting with shadows during science!  Here is a look at the week ahead…..

Reading:  We will continue working in our reading groups.  Students are doing very well with center routines and independent reading!  Thank you very much for reading with your child at home!  We have been hearing lots of great connections to their reading because of it!  We will continue practicing our reading strategies and discuss how we can use more than one strategy while we read.  We will also be talking about different ways to select a book that is interesting to read.  We will discuss our favorite books, favorite authors, and any interests we have that may help the book selection process.

Word Work:  We will be practicing forming our letters to go along with our handwriting.  Students will be able to trace and draw letters to reinforce letter formation.  We will use things like dry erase boards, chalk boards, and other hands-on materials to practice.

Writing:  Students were able to share their “Important Poems” with other students as they finished the written process.  They have worked so hard on editing and revising their poems and they were so proud to share their piece with the other first grade class!  We are continuing to work on typing our poems onto the computer.  This will help students learn to find their way around a keyboard for future projects and it is a great way to publish their work!

Math:  We will continue in our second unit of math; geometry! Students will review the characteristics of different 2-dimensional shapes.  We will also be able to experiment with pattern blocks and practice filling in different regions and pictures with the blocks.  We will continue encouraging students to explain or show their thinking as they problem solve.  Students have done a great job working with solution strategies that work for them as they problem solve!  We encourage drawing pictures, using manipulatives, number sentences, number lines and any other strategies that help them double check their work.

Science:  Students have been very engaged during our Shadows unit!  We will continue experimenting with shadows and making observations and connections.  We will be using flashlights to trace shadows of different objects from around the room.  These flashlights will act as our sun and we will discuss the relationship between shadows and the position of the sun. 

Just a reminder that there is no school on Monday!  Have a wonderful long weekend!

~ First Grade Teachers: Rosanne Field & Catherine McIntire