Family Newsletter

 Dear Families,

It was another great week in first grade! Because it was a short week, we got to have some new experiences in math! See below for more details!

This will be the last Family Newsletter that I write as I end my solo teaching on Wednesday and say goodbye to Allen Brook on Friday. I am so grateful to Mrs. McCormack for being an amazing, kind, and supportive mentor teacher throughout my time in this class. In the short 14 weeks that I have been a part of this classroom, I have shared so many wonderful moments of laughter and joy with Mrs. McCormack and your children. I will miss them so much as I move on to my own classroom and future as an educator. Please accept my most sincere thanks for raising such wonderful human beings. 

Here is our week in review:

Math:

• This week, first-grade mathematicians worked on building some of the things we wrote about in our animal research projects. As part of their projects, they identified one thing that their chosen animal had that they did not. In math this week, the students then identified how they would build it and what materials they would use. On Thursday and Friday, they worked to build those designs using all sorts of materials. Some created wings, others created ears or tails. Some students even created teeth like their animal!

You can:

• You can ask your students what they created. These will be sent home on Monday so they can show you what they made. In the meantime, ask them to share their design process and how their design and what they actually created were different. Did it come out exactly the way they planned? Did they need to use additional materials? 

Social-Emotional Learning:

• This week, first graders worked on doing some self-problem-solving. These are connected to our work on self-control! We worked on these three steps to solve a problem during instructional time:

• Read the room

• Check the board

• Ask a friend

You Can: 

• You can support your child’s self-control at home too.   Think about how you can facilitate your child’s emerging skills as your child encounters a situation or task that feels challenging or unfamiliar.  Having a solid understanding of these strategies and skills can help our young learners develop better stamina,  self-esteem, and a sense of control.  Every day, for example, we review a special breathing activity to find those mindful moments.   We also encourage our young learners to find a quiet spot or use some positive self-talk. In our classroom, we also practice restorative chats and circles as a way to resolve conflicts, repair harm and create positive relationship-building skills. Ask your child for a favorite, “go-to” strategy.  I am confident your child can teach you some of the skills and strategies we’re learning at school.

Reading:

• This week, first-grade readers continued working on fluency and small group work. Miss Addie continued reading the Magic Tree House.  First-grade readers were encouraged to develop independent reading skills during times when they are not with a teacher.  This week, first graders learned to navigate some new stations during these independent times.

• First-grade readers also practiced reading decodable texts and word lists.  They are encouraged to read every day to develop self-esteem and confidence as readers. Decodable texts are great for practicing these skills since the words can be “sounded out” since they reflect the skills we have been working on in class.

You can:

• You can support your child’s reading at home by encouraging your child to read independently every day.  Not only will your child develop reading skills and reading confidence, but your child will also have opportunities to practice self-control and problem-solving skills.

Writing:

• This week, first-grade writers finished up our Animal Research projects. We worked on the drafting process by checking our work for proper punctuation and capitalization. We also wrote our work again on final drafts using Sharpies. The children wrote on large pieces of paper using the draft of their work that they and Miss Addie had both edited and drew their final drawings so that their hard work could be shared with others. 

You Can:

• Ask your child about their animal! What animal did you research? What did you learn about it? How is your animal different from humans? Those questions are ones that they answered in their research project and I’m sure they will be so excited to share! 

• Ask about the drafting process. What did you do to make your writing look neater? How did you change your writing to put it on the larger sheet of paper? 

News and Reminders:

• I will continue my solo weeks until 4/17 and my last day at Allen Brook will be 4/19

• There is no school April 22-26 (Spring break)

Have a great weekend,

Addie