Please remind your child to return his/her "All About Me" posters to school.
Tuesday is Picture Day. I was able to get a morning slot which is great!
The first grade class coffee is Wednesday, September 11th at 9:30. Our class moms are Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Kahn. I appreciate all of your help.
Open House is going to be on Thursday, September 24th. I know that questions may come up before then, but I am hopeful that I can do my best to explain things here for now.
Homework is starting this week. We have had 1 full week and then a short week and we are back at a full week. I didn't want too much time to go by before starting some routines. Homework will be given Monday through Thursday evenings. Reading at home is an important thing to do every night. In addition to reading at home I will usually assign 1 written piece of homework. Homework assignments will be explained below at the very end of this newsletter.
Academic Update
Word Work
This week your child will be working in a small group which I call their "Rainbow Groups". Each week your child will receive a new set of words. This word list will be sent home on Mondays for you to keep at home. You may choose to have your child cut up the words into little cards to sort or they can leave it as 1 whole sheet without cutting. The top of the paper will have the sort. For example, it may be -at -an -ad words.
Reading Workshop
Our first unit is called "Readers Build Good Habits". This unit of study is what I call the "set up" unit. We have had some lessons on the following topics:
-What is Reading Workshop?
-Independent Reading: what to do during this block, using a reading log
-Introduction to Partnerships: how to talk to a partner about what you have read, good questions to ask
-How to pick a Just Right book and where to find books in our classroom library
Writing Workshop
Our first unit is called "Small Moments". Small moment stories are stories that are true things that have happened to your child. We have had some discussion about BIG moment vs. small moments. An example of BIG vs. small is Your entire summer vacation in Cape Cod vs. the day of boogie boarding at the beach. The purpose of this unit is for your child to select an idea, plan out a beginning, middle and end and then put it down on paper. Writing in complete sentences will be an important series of lessons.
Math Workshop
We have a new math program we are using called "Investigations". Your child may have referred to it as the 'fat book'. We are right in the middle of the first unit in this math program.
Listed below are the specials & homework for the upcoming week.
Monday 9/2
C Day- gym
1. Read for at least 10 minutes
2. Fall Word Work (Directions are on the sheet. Your child should choose 1 of the listed activities.) Your child's word list is attached to the homework page. The list is to be kept at home, just the top sheet needs to be returned to school.
Tuesday 9/3
D Day-library
1. Read for at least 10 minutes
2. Math: Numbers All Around Us
Wednesday 9/4
E Day-Spanish
1. Read for at least 10 minutes
2. Journal Writing: Your child will bring home a blue composition notebook. There will be a label on the front cover. The first entry in the notebook is written by me. You can read my entry to your child. Then your child is going to write his/her own journal entry.
Thursday 9/5
F Day-music
1. Read for at least 10 minutes
2. Review your words for tomorrow's spelling test
Friday 9/6
A Day- gym
1. Read over the weekend
2. Have fun!
Have a great week!
