Dear Families,
Here is our week in review:
Social-Emotional Learning:
We started using a program called “Close Gap” at ABS this week. This is a child-centered program that attempts to create opportunities to effectively capture and respond to children’s emotional well-being. It is concrete and easily accessible to children because it provides visual examples of one’s emotions. Close Gap allows children to learn how to identify emotions and validates the various ranges of feelings that we all go through as humans every day. We discovered, among other things, that we have many similarities and that we experience many conflicting emotions at the same time. This approach will align nicely with the previous work we have done this year around mindfulness and the strategies we can do to help ourselves be attentive learners.
Reading:
This week, the students accessed the personalized learning programs on iReady. We will continue next week, and I highly recommend this as another option for at-home reading. Each reading lesson on iReady is carefully catered towards your child’s reading profile as assessed recently. Please see separate email for usernames and passwords.
This week the students also accessed an online reading platform called Pebblego Pebblego has numerous books in different genres online. Students can listen to the books, or choose to read them. Pebblego also has quizzes and activities to go along with the books. This week, we listened to, and read, biographies. We learned about interesting people in history and in current events to better understand our world while also practicing reading skills and perseverance. Please see previous email about usernames and passwords to access this from home. Thank you.
Our guided reading groups shifted this week. Periodically, our groups change to optimize learning outcomes and allow for new friendships and connections. We are excited to read and learn with new peers from our class!
For the month of February, your child is encouraged to choose between three reading responses for his/her weekly reading. Your child can choose to write about different story elements, sequence the events in a favorite book, or share interesting facts learned. I look forward to reading these responses on Thursdays. Thank you for sending them in!
Writing:
We are still in the midst of our opinion writing unit. This week, we continued practicing using transition words. We also practiced writing a catchy conclusion to wrap up our entire writing piece.
First Grade Math:
In math, we are learning about equality. This week, the students began working on equations focusing on the meaning of the equal sign. We learned that the equal sign means “the same amount as”. Equality in first grade can be explained as looking at two different mathematical expressions and deciding if they are equal in terms of quantity. In other words, the equation 8=6+2 is equal, but the equation 5+2=9-4 is not. We use unifix cubes and rekenreks to visualize these concepts. We also rely on sense-making, asking ourselves “Does this make sense?” Mathematicians are always curious and ask themselves if a particular concept/idea makes sense. In the next few weeks, the students will learn how to determine if an equation is true or false. We will also explore how we can make it true, if it is false and use our mathematical reasoning to explain why.
We also learned about decuples this week. Decuples are ten times the number of something. We played a game called Ski Race practicing this using a decuple spinner; then, we had to find the number just before to move along the ski race. This will be our next week’s math game for Wednesday’s remote learning day.
First grade mathematicians also started working on building their conceptual understanding of counting by 10s off decade. We started asking questions such as “What is 10 more than 24?” or “What is 10 less than 89?” We will use a 100 rekenrek to do this work as well as popsicle sticks to show the groups of 10s and 1s.
Technology:
Please remember that our google meet links have changed. This a school-wide change request to ensure the online safety of all students. Please access our online morning meetings from the remote learning schedules. This remote learning schedule is updated and shared weekly. Since we now use a Google Meet Nickname Code, your child needs to type in absmccormack
It is a good idea to write this down on a piece of paper and tape it on to your child’s chromebook to help with the spelling. Otherwise, it is also entered in the weekly remote learning schedule.
News and Reminders:
Our Essential Arts changed again. For the next few weeks, we will have PE on Mondays and Tuesdays and Enrichment on Thursdays and Fridays. Please make sure your child comes to school with weather-appropriate gear as Ms. Porter sometimes will take the children outside for PE. Thank you!
Please make sure your child’s chromebook is fully charged for our weekly in-person school days. For the month of February, we will use it almost daily while at school. Thank you for supporting your child’s learning at school.
Here is the link to this week's School Bell.
Have a great weekend,
Maria
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