Highlights of the Week September 30th

• CC has a birthday today!  (Miss D.)
• CC's mom is bringing in a treat this afternoon.  (AP)
• Today is the last Friday of the month so we will have free choice in the computer lab this afternoon.  (Miss D.)
• We went to gym and played soccer. (RH)
• We had music and we played instruments.  (AP)
• We did our math with Miss Dineen.  We learned about "part-part-total".  (KD)
• In Writing Workshop we wrote stories about our neighborhoods.  (SS)
• We are having our first spelling test!  (AP)
• In Reading Workshop we learned about previewing books.  (CH)
• One way to preview is to do a bookwalk.  A bookwalk is when you look at the pictures and your brain gets you ready to read.  (LC)
• We had a day off yesterday for a Jewish holiday.  (KN)
• We played games in computer lab.  (MF)

Peek at the Week of September 26-30

It's the last week of September-wow!

It was great meeting so many of you at last week's Open House. 

Thank you to all who helped make last Friday's Apple Day a fun event.

There is no school this Thursday in honor of Rosh Hashanah.

Field Trip money ($16) is due this Wednesday, September 28th.  Please send in as soon as possible so that the checks can be deposited and the trip paid for.

Written homework begins this week.  In general, written homework assingments will be given Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  Thursday is a good day to remind your child to review his/her spelling words for the week.  This blog-newsletter will have the homework assignments for each week.

Reading homework:  It is important to help your child get into a good routine for reading every day.  Practicing sight words should also be done on a regular basis.  The sight words were given out at Open House.  Throughout the year I will send home additional words.  Homework

Homework
Monday 9/26
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Fall Word Work (This sheet has 5 choices...your child only needs to pick 1 of the assignments to do.  There will be a list of words attached to the homework sheet.  The list is for you to keep at home for study/practice)

Tuesday 9/27
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Math:  Numbers All Around Us
3.  Send in $16 for the November trip

Wednesday 9/28
1.   Read for at least 15 minutes
2.   Grammar:  Apple Treats (ending punctuation)

Thursday 9/30
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Review your words for tomorrow's spelling test

Have a great week!

Highlights of the Week September 23rd

• We made caramel apples.  (RH)
• We played soccer in gym.  (BS)
• We made blankets in art.  (KD)
• We got ready for our parents to visit for Open House.  (KN)
• We wrote Small Moment family stories in Writing Workshop.  (AM)
• We played nice music when we write. (RM)
• In Reading Workshop we learned the "Goldilocks Rule".  This is when you look for a book that is not too hard, not too easy, but one that is Just Right.  (MK)
• We learned the 5-finger rule.  This rule helps you to choose a book that is not too hard.  (ES)
• We played a new instrument called the egg shakers in music class.  (BS)
•  We started our Rainbow Word Work groups.  (SS)
• Today we are taking a practice spelling test.  This is so that we are ready for next Friday's real test.  (Miss D.)

Computer Zone

Today in the lab we will try some math games on this fun website.  It is called ABCYA.  You can pick any grade level and it finds games that are "just right" for you. 

Apple Day Reminder

Try to remember to bring in an apple to school tomorrow (9/23). 

We are going to make a speical treat for our families.

This will be a super-duper Fun Friday!

Peek at the Week of September 19-23

This Thursday, September 22 is Open House for parents.  I hope that my presentation will give you insight into your child's day as a first grader!

We are working away in our classroom and are feeling more comfortable...the confidence level is growing too!

During the next few weeks I will be reading with each child 1 on 1 to get a sense of where he/she is with their reading.  Students will start 'book shopping' for their "just right" books to read. 

This Friday, September 23rd will be "Apple Day" in our classroom.  I would like each child to bring in 1 apple from home.  We will be using the apples for a special project to be shared with our families.  We will also be reading and writing about the apple theme.  It should be a lot of fun.

Homework
Monday 9/19
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes

Tuesday  9/20
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes

Wednesday 9/21
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes

Thursday 9/22
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes

Have a great weekend!

Computer Zone

Today in the lab we will explore the  Starfall website. 

Highlights of the Week September 16

• We played Capture the Flag in gym.  (AP)
• In gym we played Sit.  (MF)
• We played with the blocks and the triangles at music.(BS)
• At library we checked out new books.  (MK)
• In art we made patterns. (AM)
• We learned about patterns in math.  (RH)
• We played a new game with our decks of cards.  You find the biggest number.  (KD)
• We learned how to write tally marks.  (SS)
• Some kids went book shopping.  (BS)
• Every kid got a list of sight words. We are keeping them in our binders.  (KN)
• Miss Dineen put us into groups for centers.  (ES)
• Miss Dineen put us in groups for Rainbow Word Work. (KB)
• We had our class picture taken for Picture Day.  (BB)
• We had a birthday party this week.  It was ED's 7th birthday.  (CC)
• A Mystery Reader is going to come into our room today.  It is our first reader of the year.  (MF)
• We finished reading "Chocolate Fever" and now we are reading "Clementine".  (TP)
• Clementine is a chapter book about a girl who gets into trouble.  She lives in a basement apartment in a tall building in the city.  (CH & Miss D.)
• Yesterday was the Kindergarteners first day riding the bus home.  (BS)

A Peek at the Week

This weeks is our first FULL week of school.  We have gotten to know a bit more about each other and some new friendships have begun.

The First Grade Class Coffee is this Tuesday, September 13th at 9:30.  I met with our classroom moms, Kerry Bock and Sarah Demark, last week.  They have lots of sign-ups sheets for this year's activities.

Class Picture Day is this Thursday, September 15th.

Academic Update
Math:  Last week we got our math books and are getting the hang of how to rip out pages carefully.  We have been working with partners on some new math games.  Ask your child how to play "Poison Apple".

Reading Workshop:  Thank you for sending in your child's favorite book to keep at school.  This week each child will get the chance to show and share about their favorite book.  It's a good way for us to learn about each other.  We will also be learning some of the routines to Reading Workshop.

Word Work:  In our classroom we are calling the Words Their Way program "Rainbow Groups" because each child will be a part of a group named after the rainbow colors.  Last week I gave an assessment which will help me in forming the groups.  This week we will all be working with the same words while learning some of the games and activities. 

Writing Workshop:  This week we will be setting up our writing folders and notebooks.  This will help us to feel like "real" writers.  Our first writing unit will be on 'Small Moment' stories. 

I will give you more information about all of our programs at next week's Open House.

Highlights of the Week September 9th

• We got new math books this week.  (KD)
• In gym we had lots of fun. We played "Sit" and I was a survivor.  (CH)
• In music we sang a poem called "I Went Up the Apple Tree". (RH)
• In gym we skipped.  (CC)
• In art we drew circles all around the page.  We drew 2 double-circles all over the page.  There were circles in teh middle too.  It made a picture.  (MF)
• We went to gym and played Sit. It was fun.  We also played a tag game.  (AP)
• In gym we skipped around the gym.  (AM)
• We learned a poem called "Good Morning".  (RM)
• We started putting pages in our Reading Workshop binders.  (KN)
• Mr. Rechi says that we are going to have our first fire drill today at 11:00am.  (LC)
• BB was the first captain of the year and he did a great job!!!!  KB will be the captain next week.  (Miss D.)

Computer Zone

Let's try some math games!

http://www.primarygames.com/math.htm

Welcome Back!

What a crazy week it was!  We had a great 2 days together...more to come.