FIRST GRADE FOOTNOTES


2/5/10
Dear First Grade Families:

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

STAR STUDENTS: Yet another way to incentivize the first graders to “do the right thing”, the Star Student award recognizes the student who is a role model in our class. This week’s Star Students are: Hailey Nelson, Jordan Hoffman, and Jenna Killeen. Ask your student about this and what he or she can do to become the next Star Student!

MATH: This week we practiced our skills for our Unit 4 Assessment. These skills included telling time to the quarter hour, using a ruler to measure/draw inches, completing number grids, frames and arrows, 1more/1 less than, counting money and making amounts of money with less coins, and addition facts. The students are enjoying working on their number scrolls—some are in the 300s already!!

READING: Our non-fiction story this week was “I Am a Butterfly”. We completed our Reading Test and the students created a chart on the life cycle of a butterfly.

Since the next two weeks are short weeks due to the President’s Day holiday and our busy February 11th (Jump Rope for Heart and Valentine’s Day party), our next Reading test on “Did You See Chip?” will be on Friday, February 19th.

BOOK BAGS: These bags will be come home again on Friday and should be returned on Monday. These books are individualized to your child’s reading level. Please take the time to have them read and REREAD these books to you. They should read each book at least 2 times over the weekend and work up to reading them 4 times each.

SPELLING – Next week’s spelling words are /ar/ words:

far, farm, arm, art, cart, card
chin, inch, live, soon

Bonus (High Frequency Words): city, house, sometimes, take, there

FYI: If for some reason your child doesn’t have the list of Spelling words, feel free to check the school website--First Grade class page which lists the weekly spelling words in the copy of this letter.

ART: Chi Chi returns! This week the students enjoyed making special Valentine’s Day cards under the direction of Chi Chi Carman (Jenna and Ava’s grandmom) and Mrs. Killeen. This was part 1 of 2 great art lessons with Chi Chi. The students also got to decorate their own Valentine’s Day cupcake. Thanks again Chi Chi for all your devotion to 1st grade. Thanks, also, to our parent helpers Mrs. Hoppe and Mrs. Holtz!

UPCOMING DATES:
2/8 – Schalick Basketball Assembly (1:00 – 1:45)
2/8 – PTA Gym Night
2/11 – Jump Rope for Heart – 9:30-10:30
2/11 – 1st Grade Valentine’s Day Party – 2:00
2/12 – School Closed – President’s Weekend
2/15 – School Closed – President’s Weekend
2/22 – 100th Day of School
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 possibly snowy weekend!

Mrs. Mahoney/Mrs. Johnson