Dear Families,
Here is our week in review:
Social-Emotional Learning:
We continued our work around being accountable and active listeners in class.
We also focused on gratitude and what it means to be thankful. The students completed a wonderful Thanksgiving Tree with Ms. Shelby. The students also created greeting cards to teachers and family members at our school in an effort to spread kindness and gratitude to all.
The students all participated in a Friday Workshop Thanksgiving Day parade. We learned about the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade in NYC through read-alouds and a short video. The students engineered their own balloon creations. We marched around the school. So many classrooms and teachers stopped their activities to cheer us on in our Thanksgiving celebration. We have such a supportive school!
Reading:
The students continued practicing what it looks like and what it sounds like to be fully engaged in our reader’s workshop. They focused on improving their reading stamina vehicle Ms. Shelby and I met with small groups. In small groups, the students are exposed to direct instruction in reading in the areas of phonics, word study, fluency and comprehension.
The students also participated in whole class activities to learn about the differences between fiction and non-fiction books. The students helped Ms. Shelby brainstorm different text features, which they tried to find inside non-fiction magazines in a scavenger hunt.
Writing:
The students started thinking about nonfiction writing as Ms. Shelby read many such books aloud. The students noticed that nonfiction books are very different from the fictional stories we have read lately together, such as Mercy Watson.
The students started planning their new non-fiction writing pieces. This unit will focus on “All About…” writing. All about writing means that the students will write all about something they know, and can do, really well, such as soccer, gardening, making paper airplanes or building a snowman. Throughout this unit, they will integrate nonfiction text elements, such as table of contents, labels, headings and glossaries to make their stories more interesting.
First Grade Math:
The students focused on addition strategies this week. They learned that mathematicians solve problems in many different ways and understanding different strategies for solving addition problems help us be more flexible and efficient as mathematicians.
The students practiced “the counting on” method. They learned that we start with the larger number and count on from that number to help us solve addition problems accurately. Sometimes, we use our math hands to help us count on. Sometimes we rely on pictures, dots and other mathematical tools to count on.
The students also started math problem-solving in class. We start with a little story and use pictures, diagrams and equations to show our thinking and justify our answers. They are doing a fantastic job organizing their thinking in mathematical representations, with proper spacing, labels and a key! WOW! We are so proud of these first grade math students!
News and Reminders:
Please make sure you remove all unfinished worksheets and packets from your child’s Home Folder. They are getting very heavy and full. It is hard to pack all of their books, which started coming home this week. Please keep any unfinished school-work in a safe place at home so your child can finish it at some point and bring it back. The only papers we need back are the reading logs and the assigned books from class. Thank you for helping us.
Books and Home Folders stay home until the following Tuesday when they are returned.
Fully charged chromebooks and head-phones must be returned on Thursdays (and then again on Mondays)
It is getting cold outside. Please make sure your child comes to school in weather-appropriate clothing. Layers are best.
We have no school next week due to the Thanksgiving Day holiday. School resumes again on 11/30.
Here's a link to this week's Bell.
Have a great weekend,
Maria
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