Dear Families,
Here is our week in review:
Social/Emotional Learning:
We continued building our learning communities around respect, empathy, risk-taking and kindness. The students deepened their understanding of each other as we explored our similarities and differences. The students started creating their own self-portraits, adding details about the things they like to do in the background. We look forward to finishing these next week and hanging them up in our classroom.
In literacy students:
took the iReady reading assessment. Most students are finished. The students also started practicing reading stamina during our reader’s workshop classes; reading independently for longer periods of time.
did independent reading razkids. We strongly encourage the students to read on razkids at home as well.
Also started reading one-on-one with the teachers for their formal Benchmark Reading Assessments, Fountas and Pinnell. This reading assessment addresses fluency, decoding and comprehension. We will continue doing this with individual students for the next couple of weeks and share the results with you when we meet online for a mid-semester check-in.
1st Grade Math:
First grade mathematicians continued exploring number sense in our Number Corner Journals. We practiced writing the date, and showing numbers in different equations and in our 100 grid.
First grade mathematicians also practiced “counting on” as a strategy when solving math problems. They primarily focused upon finding 5 or 10 first; then, counting on from that number.
First grade mathematicians continued showing a growth mindset when using different strategies to understand 10 and some more.
Science:
The students learned about animal camouflage and butterflies this week. We learned that animals have different colorful patterns for many different reasons. Ask your child to explain. The students went outside for a treasure hunt, searching for different snack items to assemble their own colorful butterflies. It was a beautiful fall day to be outside together and learn about nature and animals.
Essential Arts:
We have a new EA class rotation starting on Monday, October 19th:
McCormack First Grade:
Mondays/Tuesdays PE. Wear sneakers on PE days. Please make sure your child has a second set of socks and shoes in case the class is outside and the grass is wet.
Thursdays/Fridays: Enrichment with Ms. Rogers.
Technology and Remote Learning on Wednesdays for the next few weeks:
Since we’re back at school for in-person learning 4 days a week starting on Monday, October 19th, we will no longer post remote learning slides for literacy and math on Wednesdays. Instead, your child will take home a game or learning activity on Tuesdays to be completed at home on Wednesdays. We ask that your child returns these on Thursdays in the Home Folder. (We will also send home a spelling activity for your child). The homework check-list will still come home and reflect what will need to come back to school.
We will continue to post a morning read aloud or learning activity on SeeSaw to be completed anytime at home on Wednesdays.
We will still meet as a class for our morning google meets between 8:20-8:45 on Wednesdays.
We will keep the chromebooks at school on Mondays and Tuesdays. We will send them home on Tuesday afternoons to be charged and used for remote learning on Wednesdays. Please keep the charging cord at home.
Please return the charged chromebook to school on Thursday for our in-person days. We will send the chromebooks home again on Fridays to be charged and used for school activities and reading over the weekend. Please return charged chromebooks again on Mondays.
Please do not forget to pack your child’s head-phones. We use the chromebooks every day for reading and it is helpful if your child has his/her own set. Thank you.
News and Reminders:
We are excited to welcome all students to school four days a week starting on Monday. We understand all families are receiving lots of emails and links relating to our new in-person school model, but we strongly encourage you to take the time to fully understand the social distancing guidelines as well as guidelines around snack/lunch and recess now when we go back to a whole-class, in-person classroom. We will continue to do our best every day to encourage the students to wear their face masks, wash their hands and stay socially distant; even when we are outside. We will minimize contact with other cohorts and continue to build our learning community together in outdoor activities and workshops. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
In preparation for our new school routines, please talk to your child about the importance of being patient with our classmates and having calm bodies as we are now sharing one classroom together. It will be hard for some students to wear masks for four days a week as well. Please talk to your child about this too and validate their worries and concerns about this. Thank you.
Please see this linked letter regarding new drop-off and dismissal procedures for Allen Brook and this map.
Here's a link to this week's School Bell.
Lastly, I would like to welcome our new student William to our class! We are so excited to have you join us on Monday! We cannot wait to meet you.
Have a great weekend.
Warmly,
Maria, Justine and Carah
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