FIRST GRADE FOOTNOTES



Dear First Grade Families: 1/15/10

Here’s an overview of what we’ve been doing in First Grade this week:

MATH: Our daily word problems this week have been about dolphins. The students have really “warmed” up to the daily word problems and are being challenged to read the problem, circle important information, and create number sentences to solve the problems.

Math Unit 4 deals with all types of measurement. We learned to measure temperature, how to read a thermometer, and compared our temperature to other U.S. cities and to Moscow, Russia where one of our classmates is visiting. You think it’s been cold here! To measure distance we used our own body parts – digits, forearms, and wingspans. The students especially enjoyed measuring with their own “feet” and a standard foot-long foot. It did get pretty stinky when all the students took off their shoes to make and measure their feet. Oh, the things we do in the name of education!!! Thanks for being good sports and letting them measure your feet too. We ended the week measuring objects with a ruler and learning what an inch looks like.

LANGUAGE ARTS: Our fiction story this week was “Try Your Best.” From our reading, we learned how to always try our best no matter what task is in front of us. As a daily reminder to all of us, the class will be making a “Try Your Best” sign to post in the front of our classroom.

To allow for more individualized instruction, the class was split in three reading groups. This gives me the chance to work with each group on their own level and gives the students some independence in completing workbook pages and a writing assignment to summarize the story.

Next week’s story is called, “Fun with Fish.” Feel free to have your child bring home their reading book every night to practice the current story and future stories (just return it to school each day). Given the short week next week, we will stretch our story and its activities out and test on Tuesday, 1/26 instead of Friday, 1/22. Since this story completes the second reading book, we will also take the posttest for this book. I look forward to seeing how much the students have learned.

**Several of you have asked about improving your child’s comprehension strategies. Check the blue folder for information sent home to help you help them in this critical area. **

SPELLING – The electronic whiteboard continues to capture our attention. The students are enjoying learning how to use the whiteboard and how to spell at the same time. This week we practiced spelling our words many different ways, looking for patterns, and phonetically spelling words we didn’t know, which will enhance their reading skills as well.

Next week’s spelling words are /sh/ words:
ship, shop, shot, wish, dish, dash, for, more, be, try

Bonus Words: away, food, funny, hide, how, many, some, their

**Due to the short week next week our Spelling test will be on Tuesday, 1/26 instead of Friday, 1/22.

BOOK BAGS: Each Friday your child will bring home a bag of books geared toward their reading level. They are to read and reread these books to you over the weekend and return the bag on Monday/Tuesday. Remember: Read/Reread/Return/Repeat!

A new set of books will be sent home each Friday. Please note that each book has a sticker with a letter on it. The goal is for first graders to read independently at Level I by the end of first grade. Let me know how your child makes out with their books – too easy, too hard, too long, too short, or just right.

ART AND/OR GUEST READERS: HELP!! We have decided to open our “Art” time slot to allow for guest readers. If you have a favorite book you’d like to read to our class, please let me know. We can try to find a coloring page or drawing the students can do after the story is read to them.

Our art schedule is completely open for February – June 2010 and is scheduled on Wednesdays from 2-3 pm. If you’re interested please see me, email me, stop me in the hall, etc. The students sure do enjoy the break from my teaching and love to have guests in the room.

This week the students cut out and glittered some beautiful snowflakes thanks to Mrs. Holtz and Miss Brianna (Madison’s cousin who is studying to be a teacher). We are grateful to them for their time and patience and we were glad to show Brianna what it’s really like to be a first grade teacher!

UPCOMING DATES:
1/18 – NO SCHOOL – MLK Holiday
1/25 – PTA Skating Party
2/8 – PTA Gym Night
2/11 – Jump Rope for Heart (parent volunteers will be needed; details to follow)
2/24 – Appel Farm Assembly for students

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions/concerns. Feel free to catch me before/after school, send a note in the homework folder, or email me at dmahoney@elmerschool.com.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Mrs. Mahoney/Mrs. Johnson