The first three days back at school went by quickly, don't you think? We spent the week getting to know each other and building our new community of learners. We will continue these activities in the weeks to come as we follow the Responsive Classroom approach to learning.
Reading:
The students had their first reader's workshop this week. They learned how to respectfully browse the books in our classroom and find books that interest them. We practiced choosing just a few books to start with. They also learned how to take care of their book boxes; our browsing bins in the classroom. Next week, we will continue our conversations about choosing "just right books" and how to exchange books, if needed.
Writing:
We have not yet started writer's workshop, but the students engaged in several writing activities related to how they felt coming back to school again. They did an amazing job. Please see previous posts for more information and pictures.
Math:
We will start math classes on Tuesday, September 3rd. I teach first grade math and will keep all first graders with me. We will be joined by some first grade students from Ms. Crowley and Mrs. Benoit's classrooms. Ms. Fisher also teaches first grade. If your child is a second grader, he/she will be with Ms. Crowley or Mrs. Benoit. Your child will learn about that when we return to school on Tuesday. We do not assign math homework at ABS, but there are lots of mathematically productive and engaging activities already linked on my wiki. I also encourage families to keep up to date on these blog posts for at home ideas, conversations and games to play to strengthen math skills. Lastly, don't forget to check your child's Friday folder for math sheets/work that come home. These sheets reflect the learning at school and provide terrific starting points for how to effectively support your child in all learning at home. It will take a couple of weeks, however, before you start seeing math sheets at home. More information will be shared at our Curriculum Night, scheduled for September 12th.
Buddy Games:
We continued different activities to get to know each other. We had lots of extra outside time and we played "Roll a Topic"; a game in which you roll a six-sided die and share something about yourself. We also drew pictures of our buddies. That was so fun! We practiced watching/observing carefully and being kind to each other as we tried our best.
Growth Mindset:
As we build our new community of learners and friends, we discussed the importance of being mindful of each others' differences as well as similarities. We started talking about the importance of trying and always doing your best. Having a growth mindset means not giving up and being hard on yourself. Instead, you keep trying and know that just because you cannot do something, it simply means that you cannot do it yet! We call that the power of yet. These themes will be discussed throughout the school year and they are a big part of my classroom. To start us off, we sang along to this song (also linked on my wiki). Perhaps you want to sing it with your child at home too?
Friday Folders:
Your child brought home his/her Friday folder this week. This folder can stay home until next Friday when it is returned and handed in.
Inside this folder is a permission slip for our upcoming field-trip to Shelburne Farms. We are going with Ms. Fisher's class on September 18th. This is a whole day trip. The bus will leave ABS in the morning, around 8:30-9 and we will return to ABS around 2pm, in time for regular dismissal. We will be outside the whole day, so please make sure your child is dressed for the weather conditions on that day. More information will follow, but please take the time to fill out the permission slip and return it as soon as possible. Please do not forget to indicate if you want your child to have a school-provided packed lunch for this trip. We need to order these ahead of time and the kitchen staff needs to know how many lunches to pack. There is a place on the permission slip to notify us of your choice. Thank you. Lastly, I am looking for parent chaperones for this trip. Please let me know if you would like to join us. If so, you will also need to fill out the permission slip/background check if you have never joined us on a school trip before. I sent an email, forwarded from Ally Roberts, last week. Thank you.
Your child's Friday folder also contained a "homework assignment". Ms. Fisher and I hope you will interview your child at home and complete "The Time Capsule" questions. We will turn your responses into a game and play at school. Please return as soon as possible. Thank you.
Your child also brought home a calendar for the 2019-2020 school year. This calendar is your child's to keep at home. Your child has been assigned a share day each month. I hope your child will share something special or interesting about himself/herself with the rest of the class. I hope your child will share a favorite book, a picture/craft he/she did, sports, activities with family, etc rather than toys, trading cards and electronics. In the past, some families have emailed me pictures of something special from home, vacation pictures, etc. I can easily project these on our smartboard. Please note that our share days are very simple. They should be fun-not stressful. Please let me know if your child feels nervous. If your child forgets about his/her share day, we help them share something from school, such as a song, a read aloud or a special game from our classroom. The idea is that we want to get to know each other better and build stronger relationships.
I hope you and your family will have a great weekend. There is no school on Monday, so I will see everyone again on Tuesday!
Best,
Maria
