Dear Families,
Here is our week in review:
Social-Emotional Learning:
We filled our classroom buzzy jar again in class. This time we celebrated together while playing different new games together. We played a game called “Pebble” and another game called “Keep it up”. The students really enjoyed these games. In “Keep it up”, they used balloons and worked in small groups trying to pass it between them as long as possible.
This week, the students at ABS earned booster buzzies for being safe. Being safe at ABS means having a calm body and hands to yourself inside and outside the classroom, in the hallways and in all the spaces we use at school. Please talk to your child at home about the importance of having a safe and calm body. This is particularly important during Covid times as we try to keep the students apart for extra safety and health. Thank you.
The students created their “attentoscopes” this week. We practiced how we can learn to zoom in on our learning to help us focus. We even took the “attentoscopes” outside to see what we could discover in nature when we slow down to carefully observe the world around us. I hope your child shared his/her creation with you at home.
Reading:
We started Global Read Aloud this week during our library exchange times with Mrs. Clopton. This week,she read the book “Dear Primo” by Duncan Tonatiah.
Daily reading at home with your child is important. I hope you and your child read a wide variety of texts together. In class, the students have learned that readers read all kinds of different texts. They read books and magazines, of course, but readers read letters, postcards, signs and notes/lists too. Please help your child return his/her library books on Tuesdays when we exchange our books. We try to encourage your child to take out at least 2 books for home. Students can take out as many as five books. We hope you read these books at home together. Since some of these books are not “just right” books for your child (ie your child might not yet be able to independently read these books), please take the time to enjoy them together. Ask your child why these books interested him/her? Look at the pictures and talk about how the pictures connect to the wider context/theme? Perhaps your child wants to read part of the book out loud to you? If so, ask your child to “popcorn read”. When we “popcorn read”, we take turns. One reader reads one page(one sentence/paragraph), then the other reader reads. In other words, we “popcorn” back and forth.
In partner reading this week, the students practiced reading their books out loud with three different friends. We call this being a “Super Reader”. Your child keeps track of who they have read to by writing their names on our “Super Reader” charts. They did a great job sharing their library books with many friends in class.
If your child wishes to read online at home, raz kids provides a great reading platform. The students have used it multiple times in class on their chromebooks. If your child wants to access “just right” books online from home, please do so. I will send a separate email detailing access and usernames when a non-school chromebook is used. Thank you.
Writing:
First grade authors worked on a class book this week. We will publish our first book together as a class. The book is entitled “Who am I?” Each student has a page representing interesting and important information about his/her own likes and dislikes. This page is followed by a photograph of the student. We will read this book as a guessing game as we learn more about each other.
First grade authors continued practicing their writing skills and penmanship in Fundations this week. They are learning the connections between letters and sounds quickly. We are so proud of them. We see more independence and stamina in writing every day. The students are currently working on “tapping out” sounds when they write words. They are encouraged to slow down and listen carefully to the sounds they hear in the words they are spelling and “tap” the sound before writing the corresponding letter.
First Grade Math:
First grade mathematicians continued to improve their subitizing skills and strategies this week. They learned to recognize smaller patterns within larger ones. They learned different ways to add these smaller groups together. These are the strategies we are using currently in first grade:
Count on
We start counting on from the larger number (For example, 3+6=9 can be solved by starting at 6 and then counting on three more times: 7,8,9)
Find familiar facts we already know
We look for facts we already know (For example, if we know that 5+3=8, I can solve 5+4 because 4 is one more than 3)
Use double facts to help solve our math problems
If we know that 4+4 is 8, then I can solve 3+4 because 3 is one less than 4
First grade mathematicians also practiced the importance of using math tools to solve problems. Guessing is not an efficient strategy in math. Rather, mathematicians use math tools to help solve problems because we must be precise. We used rekenreks, drawings and ten frames this week.
Science:
We had a busy week of science learning! First, the students participated in a Scientists’ Meeting. In these meetings, we share our scientific questions and wonderings about specific scenarios or objects. The students learn to listen attentively to their friends’ observations and questions. They learn to take turns.
The students also participated in another experiment relating to our unit on properties of matter. This week, they investigated whether styrofoam, aluminum or cloth makes a better insulator. Ask your child to explain.
New Learning opportunities for quarantining students:
We are pleased to announce that starting the week of 10/4, the Williston Schools will offer optional daily learning opportunities for students who are quarantining without their class and teacher. On each school day there will be two types of learning opportunities that can be accessed by students: “Meets” with teachers and learning menus. The activities completed during the “Meets” and through the learning menus will not directly connect to the lessons happening at school, but they will allow students to access productive and engaging grade appropriate learning opportunities.
This slide deck contains more information about these opportunities including the “Meet” schedule and links to math, science, and literacy activities:
Learning Opportunities for Quarantining Kids
News and Reminders:
There will be no school on Friday, 10/8 and Monday, 10/11. We return on Tuesday, 10/21. Please remind your child to pack his/her library books and Home Folder.
Parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled the first week of November. I will send a separate email today. Thank you.
It has been reported to administration from some parents that they are concerned about our arrival and dismissal procedures. As a reminder it is very important to stay in your vehicles during arrival and dismissal. It appears that many parents stop, get out of their car, talk to teachers or other parents, and stand around to visit. Some vehicles are being left unattended so parents can walk their child into school. This creates a line of cars backing up as other parents wait for a spot to pull up to. We have also seen some families not using the designated lane for your child's house as a means to get through the line faster. Please adhere to the procedures we have created and do your best to pick up and drop your child off in a timely and efficient manner. Thank you!
Here is this week’s School Bell.
Have a great weekend,
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