October 13-16, 2015

I am so proud of my class this week!  We finally filled up our compliment jar!  Tomorrow we will have a crazy sock/stinky feet party.  This means that the kiddos can wear crazy/mismatched socks and we will be able to  take our shoes off in the classroom.  Please remind the kiddos of keeping up with their hard work in following the rules, showing respect, and being a great citizen! 

GROWTH MINDSET
Albert Einstein said, "I am not a genius, I only stay on a problem longer".  Perseverance is the key to success. Our children will learn in time that is not a matter of luck, or being smart that makes us successful.  It is our hard work, consistency, and perseverance that make us successful.  We will read some wonderful children's stories such as "Whistle for Willie", "Ruby's Wish", and " A chair for My Mother" and see how the characters in these stories all wanted to achieve something.  It took a long time for each to get their wishes but eventually they all got what they wished for with their hard work.  

This week:

READING

We will continue reading some of our favorite children's stories and practice thinking while reading.  Strong readers constantly think about what they read, they put the clues in the story together and make thoughtful predictions.  They think about the characters and not only try to remember the characters' names, but also think about their personalities.  What kind of a character is my main character? Is this character, funny? Generous? Friendly? Scared? Thinking about the characters, setting and plot of the story will help us to have a better understanding of the story. 

WRITING

We have been writing great stories/small moments about our lives.  This week, we will learn how to reread and revisit our stories and make any changes that would make our stories much better before publishing it.  We will learn to read our stories carefully to make sure our stories make sense.  In the process, sometimes we need to add to our stories and sometimes we need to take off from our stories.  We will learn to fancy up our stories, by adding to our pictures, coloring neatly and writing neatly and then publishing our stories!

MATH

This week, we will be learning about length and measurement.  We will talk about longest and shortest and longer and shorter.  In First Grade we will not use rulers to measure but instead use non-standard units of measurement such as pencils, cubes, paper clips, and etc.to measure.  We will even have a small history lesson to learn what a cubit is.  You can help your child with this skill at home by letting them measure different objects around the house.  How many steps is it from the front door to the couch?  How many pennies long is a fork?  Have fun!

SOCIAL STUDIES
This week in social studies, we will learn about life in the past and present.  We will learn how technology has changed our lives comparing to the past.  People communicate differently, have different ways of transportation, entertainment, and hold different jobs comparing to the past due to technology. 

THANK YOU!

Thank you for stuffing the folders, and being willing to help in the classroom or outside the classroom. Your helping hands and hearts are greatly appreciated!

More than anything, thank you for supporting your child's learning at home.  Your child's success and education is a result of, us working together! So thank you for being a partner in your child's learning!

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
*Tuesday folders come home.  Please sign and return the folders the next day.

*Agendas:  Please initial the behavior calendar and send it back every day.

*Snack:  Please send a healthy snack with your child every day.

*PE:  Group A will have PE on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

       Group B will have PE on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

          *Please make sure your child wears Tennis shoes on those days*

        *You can see what group your child is in on the right side of this blog*

*Library is on Tuesday.

*Homework bags come back to school every day.  Please leave the books and response notebook in the bag.  We will use them during the day at school!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Oct 15:  Science Night

Oct 24:  Harvest Festival

Oct 27:  Library Day

Oct 28:  Early Release @ 12:45

           Skate Night

Nov. 3:  Flu Shots @ Caraway

Nov. 23-27:  Fall Break/No School

Dec. 2:  Early Release @ 12:45

           Skate Night

Dec. 7-11:  Book Fair

Dec 10:  International Festival

Dec. 17:  Class Holiday Party

Dec 18-Jan 5:  Winter Break/No School