Sept. 3rd-7th, 2012

Week of: Sept. 3^rd-7^th

WOW, we already survived the first week in first grade! Each student has worked hard learning the “first grade” expectations for our classroom and getting to know all our new friends in our classroom.  This week the focus will be to follow our schedule and start our normal routines for the year.  I fully believe that children function better when they know the routines and understand the expectations during that given time.  Our biggest challenge in first grade is learning how to work quietly without disturbing the learning of others around us, and managing our time to get our work completed.  If your child loses a popsicle stick this week, more than likely it will be for the reasons stated above.  Remember this is a transition time for your child into first grade.  If your child loses one popsicle stick, it is a warning in my classroom.  I would appreciate if you discuss why they lost the warning stick and strategies to help your child make better decisions in our classroom.  If the first popsicle stick is lost, then your child will not receive his/her sticker on the calendar page and your child will write down which number (for the rule listed at the top of the calendar page) was broken.  I have been giving several verbal reminders since it is the beginning of the year! 

READING:
We are launching our reading workshop.  We will learn how to read independently to ourselves for a few minutes at a time. Each day we read for a little longer period to build up our stamina. We will learn that strong readers read every day. We will also learn how to choose a good fit book.  Starting this week, we will begin our DRA (District Reading Assessment).  This is a one-on-one reading assessment to determine your child's reading level for the beginning of first grade.  The results will be shared with you during our fall conference time.

WRITING:
We will begin our first lesson: Introducing the writing tools (papers, pencils, markers and crayons, tape, glue, scissors), and resources such as the classroom word wall, the alphabet charts and the prints around the classroom. . I will first model how to brainstorm, sketch, and write about my own story. The students will then begin writing a true story about themselves, something that they have experienced or has happened to them.

Word Work:
Last week we began assessing students’ spelling. This assessment is a way for us to group the children based on their spelling abilities and strengths. I will share the result with you during our fall conference time.

MATH:
Our focus in math is “Place Value”. We will talk about the vocabulary “tens” and “ones” and make our own 10 sticks with beans to be used for problem solving. We will have lots of hands on activities building numbers using manipulatives. We will work with partners this week with our problem solving centered on place value and learn how to explain what strategy we used and how we solved our problems in front of the class.

SCIENCE:
Our theme this week is “What is a Scientist?” The students will be introduced to science journals as each child sets up his/her own journal. Students will learn science safety; how to ask questions about science; make predictions; record observations and data about investigations; and explain their thinking about what they have learned.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
*Monday Sept. 3rd: School Holiday
*Parent Orientation is on Monday, September 10th at 6:30 followed by PTA meeting at 7:00. 
*If you have not returned the forms from the Tuesday Folder, please return ASAP.
*Please return signed Tuesday folders every Wednesday morning.

*Please make sure you check your child’s Take Home Folder each night and initial the box to show me you saw the information.

 Thank you!