Dear Families,
Here is our week in review:
Social-Emotional Learning:
In mindfulness this week, the students learned about various breathing techniques. They learned how deep breathing can help calm us down, feel happy and relaxed, while also helping us get back on track. They learned that we can use visual images to help us stay focused on deep breathing. The students have previously learned about “the square breathing” and “the flower breathing”. This week, they learned about “the bee breathing” and “the hot chocolate breathing.” Ask your child to show you at home. You might want to try some of these breathing methods as well?
The students filled the classroom buzzy jar again for being safe, kind, and responsible. This time, we celebrated with a disco party, complete with disco balls and glitter clothes! We had so much fun dancing together!
You Can:
You can support your child’s new mindfulness/breathing strategies at home too. Learning to self-regulate and choosing a strategy that works best is empowering for young learners and builds resilience, confidence and independence.
Reading:
This week in reading, the students rotated through several different reading stations. They practiced reading skills reflecting their own individual needs and they were encouraged to reread the texts and books independently after meeting with the teacher.
The students also practiced their sight words this week. Sight words are words that cannot be “sounded out” in English and, thus, need to be memorized. (Sight words are also words that reflect spelling rules not yet instructed). This week, our first grade readers and writers practiced finding these words in texts, using highlighters as a scaffold. They also practiced spelling these words with our magic gel boards, whiteboards and magnetic boards.
You can:
You can support your child’s reading at home by practicing daily reading together. In addition to reading to your child, please consider reading the weekly texts/decodable stories/word lists that your child is bringing home. Also consider reading the high frequency words that we shared with you at conference times.
Writing:
First grade authors learned to identify subjects and predicates in their sentences this week. We read the book “Soccer Game” as a mentor text and created complete and grammatically correct sentences based upon the plot of the book. The students were then challenged to write shorter sentences using a rubric as a guiding tool. Please see your child’s Home Folder to get an idea of what your child learned this week.
You Can:
You can support your child’s enthusiasm and joy of writing at home by checking out the Fundations unit letters I include periodically in your child’s Home Folder. These newsletters include many valuable resources, games and activities for families to have at home. We spent a few weeks learning about glued sounds and will start digraphs next week.
Math:
This week, first grade mathematicians continued to explore groups of numbers using our Number Bond models. This week, the students were encouraged to create multiple groups of the same quantity while exploring our counting objects. They worked with plastic animals, buttons and counting sticks. The students played games with math partners and explored our other workplace options too.
This week, first grade mathematicians also practiced how to work collaboratively and get their work done efficiently. Every math class starts with a math goal as well as an emotions/executive functioning goal. For a few weeks now, first grade mathematicians have learned how to show a growth mindset and responsible decision-making in our math class. They are doing a terrific job!
You can:
You can encourage your child to develop a positive mindset about math by engaging in conversations about numbers and math around us. Ask your child “keep thinking” questions rather than “stop thinking/find the answer” questions. In other words, emphasize the process and the strategy your child used to solve a particular problem. Ask your child to explain his/her thinking another way, or tell you why something is true or not true. Have fun talking about numbers and math!
News and Reminders:
ABS will provide a community garden soup for the students and the staff on October 30th. The meal will be served at regular lunch times with milk, and apples. If your child would like to, please consider bringing one cup of washed, peeled, chopped vegetables/legumes or gluten free grains to the school to be part of this soup. These items can be brought to the main office each morning from Wednesday October 23rd-Tuesday October 29th.
ABS Photo Retakes are scheduled for November 15th. Please inform the front office if your child will need to retake the school pictures. Thank you.
Here is the link to the November Lunch Menu at ABS. Please preview the options with your child to reduce confusions among the choices. Thank you.
Have a great weekend,
Maria
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