Family Newsletter

Dear Families,

We had another terrific week at school.  I hope your children are still coming home happy, but tired, from school.  They are working so well together and getting experts at our school routines and rules.  I am so lucky to be their teacher!

Read Aloud Guest:
Our new school principal, Angela Filion, visited our class for a special read aloud.  She is spending time with all the classes and teams in an effort to get to know all the kids.  One student pointed out that "that is a lot of names to learn"!!!

Reading:
We started guided reading groups this week.  During reader's workshop the students receive guided reading instruction to meet their own specific reading needs.  When the students are not in groups with the teacher, they are expected to continue independent reading, or participate in some type of reading response task.  They are doing great!
We have completed our classroom contract for what reading looks like and sounds like.  All the students are now practicing these expectations daily as they are building stamina in reading.  This week, we also started conversations around self-monitoring strategies and ways in which readers can be actively engaged in their own reading.  We began by creating an awareness around our own needs.  The students listened to a book that a former class of mine made called "I am a good reader".  The students received self-monitoring bookmarks to use when they read at school.  The students are learning to identify what specific reading needs they have.  This awareness helps them narrow the focus as they all read increasingly complex texts.  We will continue this work next week.

Author Unit: Todd Parr:
We finished our mini unit studying the author Todd Parr.  Throughout this unit, the students participated in various activities showing the importance of accepting each other's differences, how to show kindness and empathy to all.  As a culminating activity, the students drew their own self-portraits, inspired by the art of Todd Parr, using seesaw.  We will give aprents access sometime next week, we hope.

Writing:
We continued learning about the different kind of writing this week.  We read the book "Library Mouse" by Daniel Kirk and practiced writing mini-books just like the main character in the book.  We even used mini pencils!!

Science:
This week was filled with science.  To begin with, the students continued some work around the scientific inquiry skills.  They had the opportunity to revise their earlier predictions related to the number of possible seeds inside 2 of our classroom pumpkins.  We discussed why scientists might change their predictions.

The students also participated in their first engineering challenge.  The students worked in small groups.  The students received a list of possible materials to use (such as legos, popsicle sticks, binder clips, yarn, masking tape, to name a few).  First, they created a design for a bridge that had to be 12 inches long and 6 inches high.  Next, they gathered their materials and set to work building their bridge.  Next week, we will test the strength of our bridges and see what we can learn from each other's designs.  The students will use that knowledge to improve upon their first design in an attempt to improve the bridge.  The ultimate test is for the bridge to hold a book!

School-wide celebration:
We had a great morning running around the school!!

Have a great weekend,

Maria

Family Newsletter

Dear Families,
Our ABS Curriculum Night was a huge success!  Thank you those parents who could attend.  For those of you who were unable to attend, please do not worry.  I will share all the relevant information in our newsletters.  We understand it is tricky to make evening arrangements due to work schedules etc. Below is a summary of the information in yesterday's meeting with links to online resources:

Reading:
Your child brought home his/her first reading log in today's Friday folder.  Your child is encouraged to read for at least 10-20 minutes every night.  It is okay for you to read to your child as well.  Reading should be a special time together to enjoy literature; not a power-struggle or stressful time to do homework.  We encourage families to read at least 5 times a week; more would be great, but it is not required.  The homework log comes back next Friday, along with the Friday folder and your child's books/book bag. 
Your child packs his/her own books inside the book bag.  He/she will not take home our guided reading books used in instructional reading settings here at school.  If you notice that your child prefers to read other books at home, or library books you got earlier in the week, that is great too.  Your child does not have to read the books packed from the classroom.  Instead, we hope families will have a conversation about the choices your child made and think about how the child can make better choices in the future so reading becomes more enjoyable.  In other words, if your child already reads books from home, he/she does not have to pack books from school.  Please let me know, and your child will not be asked to pack books in the morning on Fridays.

Math:
We do not send home math homework at ABS.  Instead, we encourage families to stay on top of newsletters to see what skills and concepts are being covered in class.  We also encourage families to play board-games at home.  We encourage families to bring math into their everyday lives to discuss patterns and groupings of objects in everyday life. 
For additional materials and supports, I have created a math link on the school web-site for kids to use.  It is linked directly on my site on the Harmony web-site but can also be accessed here.  These games are internet based and sometimes links are cancelled or moved.  I do my best to keep all links current but I also ask parents to carefully supervise their children as they are online playing and learning.  Thank you.
In first grade math we will also send home hard-copies of games to reinforce skills and concepts around holiday time.  These games are for your child to keep at home.  We hope your child will play these games many times.

Writing:
Your child is currently participating in a launching unit in writing class.  The students are learning about what tools we use, what writing looks like and sounds like.  Your child is also exploring different kinds of writing.  So far, we have explored letter writing, recipes, stories and next week, we will learn about how to make and write small books.  This year, your child will also learn about personal narratives, small moment writing, report writing opinion writing and some poetry.
Embedded in all these units are expectations around grammar. English language conventions and the mechanics of the language.

Science:
Your child is currently exploring the scientific method and the habits of mind involved in science.  Your child is practicing using his/her senses, making careful observation, collecting data, making predictions and asking thoughtful and relevant questions.  We started exploring some of these concepts using pumpkins.  We will continue next week.  The students will also participate in their first engineering challenge involving building a small bridge that can hold a book as weight!

Global Goals: Ending Hunger and the Can Drive:
The students of ABS voted and they would like to build a SCHOOL BUS out of cans.  We are asking parents to kindly bring in cans with yellow and black on their labels to our classroom so we can start contributing to this worthy cause.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Widget on Blog:
If you would like to get email reminders every time I post on the blog, please enter your email address inside the widget on the right sidebar of the blog page.  That way, you will get automatic updates when the blog is updated. Thank you.

I hope you have a great weekend,
Maria

Family Newsletter

Dear Families,
Another week has passed.  We had some extra outside time this week due to this warm and sunny weather.  It is supposed to last over the weekend.  I hope everyone gets a chance to go outside.  It will get colder before we know it....









ABS Picture Day:
Don't forget we have our annual ABS School Picture Day on Tuesday next week.  Our class will be photographed early in the morning.  Please return the photo order packets if you and your family is interested in having additional pictures taken for home.  Thank you.

ABS Curriculum Night:
We have our annual ABS Curriculum Night next week on Thursday, starting in Harmony House at 6:30.  The teachers on house will share various aspects of our curriculum and answer any questions you might have regarding school, homework and your child's day here at ABS.  Please join us.  As stated before, we understand if you cannot make it.  I will share all information in the weekly newsletters as we cover the curriculum in class and send home any pamphlets handed out.

Science:
We started science in our class this week.  We learned about the scientific method and what it means to be objective in science.  We also talked about how scientists use their senses when making observations.  Lastly, the students learned about the importance of asking questions, making sense and drawing conclusions from data collected.  Next week, the students will practice these inquiry skills in different stations.

Math:
First grade mathematicians are settling in nicely to their new math class and routines.  They just finished their first full week of school with a full hour and 5 minutes of math every day!!!
In addition to building a community of learners together and learning new routines, first graders are also exploring parts of numbers and how we can use different strategies to solve simple equations.  Next week, students will continue to explore the partners to 10, 10 and some more and how the decade sequence 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 can help us solve more complex math problems.

Writing:
The students continued to explore different types of writing in our writer's workshop classes.  This week, we learned about letter writing.  Ms. Jess, my intern last year, sent the class an autographed copy of a books about the Iditarod.  We started a collaborative letter to her.  Some students got to try writing their own letters too.  They should be in your child's Friday folder.  Some students chose to continue their other stories this week.

Reading:
Ms. Kendal subbed for me one day this week when I started reading assessments with the students.  At our school we use the Fountas & Pinnell assessment system and get a reading level for the students based upon their reading accuracy, reading fluency and comprehension.  I will continue next week.  These results will be shared with you at conference times in October when we are scheduled to meet.  In the meantime, please make sure you and your family find time every night to read together.  Sharing a book any time of the day helps build solid relationships, literacy skills and a love of learning.  Thank you.
We will start reading homework next week, ie reading logs will come home for the first time in next week's Friday folder.

Technology:
The students learned to log into their chromebooks and how to take care of them here at school.  Our new Digital Learning Leader, Mrs Pius, joined our class.  We signed a pledge and came up with rules and expectations around using them.  Ms Wilson, our Technology Integration Specialist, also joined the class to discuss digital safety.  The students learned to only use school computers for school related tings, such as sharing what has been learned, or visiting web-sites or platforms that your teacher approves of.  School computers are not used for games or private emailing.





Ms Kendal and Permission slip:
Ms. Kendal is asking for your written permission for the work she is doing with your child here at school and the pictures/photos she might be using as part of her portfolio for UVM.  There is a form in your child's Friday folder this week.  Please read it over and sign it if you feel comfortable with this.  Return as soon as possible.  Thank you.

ABS Buzzy Celebration:
The students at ABS filled the buzzy jar.  We celebrated with a dance party in the court yard.









I hope you have a great weekend.

Maria

Family Newsletter

Dear Families,

It is Friday again.  Time flies.  Your children continue to do an amazing job at school.  They are kind and thoughtful.  They are respectful and eager to learn. I am very lucky to be their teacher and spend every day with them.  Next week is our first "full week".  Not only do we have school every day, Monday through Friday; we also have our first week of classes.  That means that math will be a little over an hour, and we will have reader's and writer's workshop.  Please remember that snack is very late in the day, so if your child does not eat a breakfast at home, please send it in so he/she can eat it during our explore time in the morning.  Thank you.

Reading Buddies:
We visited our Kindergarten reading buddies on Wednesday in Ms. Davison's room.  Every week, we get together to enjoy literature together.  We encouraged the children to get to know each other through creative play.  They did great together.  Next week, our class will bring a book down to Ms. Davison's students to share.  Then, the students will be partnered up for reading.  Here are some pictures:

Building Classroom Community:
As part of our Responsive Classroom approach to education, the students participated in several cooperative activities to help create our "classroom contract", a set of rules centered around our school motto "Be Safe, Be Kind, and Be Responsible."  The students brainstormed ideas and worked with partners to create these rules in words and pictures.  Please visit our classroom to see our special creation.  The students all agreed to our classroom rules.  They are very proud.

We also shared our "All About Me" bags this week.  Thank you for helping your child fill his/her bag with items to share at school.  We had some great surprises and loved getting to know each other better.

Math:

We started math on Harmony this week!  I teach first grade math and keep all home room first graders with me.  To fill the class, I receive first grade mathematicians from Ms. Crowley and Mrs Benoit's classrooms as well.  The other first grade teacher on our team is Ms. Fisher.  Second grade mathematicians go to Ms. Crowley's or Mrs Benoit's classrooms for math.  Ask your child who their math teacher is.

In first grade math this week, students learned to work together and share materials.  We also started working on our classroom expectations and had a scavenger hunt so the children can find all the materials needed in math!  We even had time to explore math through work-stations.

Kiva Share:
We started kiva share on Harmony.  Every week, two students from each class has the opportunity to share something about his/her learning at school with the rest of the house.  The students usually look forward to this opportunity, but if your child wishes to pass, that is okay too.  This week, we heard about self-portraits, special author studies, projects and writing pieces. 

News and Upcoming Events:

• ABS Photo Day is scheduled for September 18th.  Your child should have brought his/her photo order form home today in his/her Friday folder.  Please fill these out and return as quickly as possible if you wish to have school pictures taken.  Thank you.
• ABS Curriculum Night is scheduled for September 20th at 6:30pm.  Stay tuned for more information.  Please plan to attend if you wish to learn more about our curriculum here at ABS.  If you cannot make it, I will share all necessary information in these newsletters.

Have a great weekend!

Best,

Maria

Some pictures from last week

We read the book "First day Jitters" by Julie Danneberg.  This book is about a teacher who is very nervous on her first day of school.  The students also shared their own feelings about coming to school on the first day of school. They drew some pictures and wrote about it.  This project became the first piece inside our scrapbooks; a collection of writing throughout the year.

We started a new greeting in morning meeting called "The Warm Fuzzy Greeting".

The students worked on coloring for their scrapbooks.

We had our first reader's workshop.  The students learned new routines and practiced taking care of their book boxes and books.

We had our first Friday Workshops on Team Harmony with extra recess in the afternoon.