March 26-30, 2018

We had a great week back at school! I loved hearing about everyone's Spring Break fun. Remember, we have a four day week this week. There is no school on Friday. Enjoy your 3 day weekend! :) 

Monday 3/26- HW bags come home.

Tuesday 3/27- Tuesday folders go home. Please empty and return the next day!

Wednesday 3/28- Library checkout! All books are due by 8:00 AM.

                              Chick eggs arrive!

Thursday 3/29- HW bags due.

Friday 3/30- No School

The reading calendar is due on April 2. Please keep it at home and track reading minutes until then.

This week in Writing Workshop...

We are wrapping up our poetry unit! This is one of my favorite units to teach because I love reading the students' unique vocabulary, thoughts and ideas written into a poem format. We have been publishing our poems into our Poetry Pockets which will probably come home next week! I can't wait for you to read them!

This week in Reading Workshop...

We will continue to read poems written by a variety of authors. We will learn that readers think about the poems they read, have opinions about the poems they read and how to justify opinions. We will also talk about visualizing books or poems we are reading!

This week in Social Studies...

We will talk about culture! I love working at Caraway because of the diversity of our school. We will talk and answer questions such as why family and community beliefs, customs, languages and traditions are so important to our community. We will also talk about understanding and respecting different cultures.

This week in Math...

We will wrap up our relating addition and subtraction unit. IXL has great practice on these concepts. We will use problem solving to show our addition and subtraction skills, and how we can relate one another to solve a problem and still get the same correct answer. We will ask ourselves these questions while problem solving this week: 

How do I decide which strategy to use when adding or subtracting numbers?

How can I use numbers and symbols to represent real-life situations?

How can I use number sentences to solve problems?

This week in Science...

We will get our chick eggs on Wednesday!!! We will review what we learned about birds last week and talk more about what our classroom chick project will look like. We will start our Project Based Learning unit on Chickens when we come back from our three day weekend! The chicks take 21 days to hatch! This is one of my favorite times in first grade!

This week’s life skill is EFFORT: to do your best.  We will talk about what it means to do our best, why doing our best is important, and how everyone’s best can look different.

Have a great week! :)

Important Dates:

Mar. 26:  Screenagers Viewing, 7:00-8:30 @ LME

Mar. 28: Spirit Night @ Newk’s

            Chick eggs arrive!

Mar. 29:  Box Tops due

Mar. 30:  No School

Apr. 2:  March Reading Calendars due

Apr. 6:  Family Fit & Fun Night

Apr. 18:  Chicks Hatch!

Apr. 27: Field Day

              Skate Night

May 8: Spirit Night

May 28: Memorial Day Holiday

May 29: Last Day of School (Bad Weather Make-up Day)

          End of the Year Party!

March 19-23, 2018

We are in the home stretch of First grade! This week we will send home a reading calendar.  In second grade the students will be asked to track their reading minutes.  We want to help you and your children make this a habit!

This Thursday, we will be going on our final field trip to ZACH Scott Theater.  We will be watching Goodnight Moon.  There are a few things I need you to do.

1.     Your child needs to wear their 1^st Grade shirt or a Caraway shirt.

2.  Your child will need to bring a lunch from home.  We will eat in the classroom before we leave.

3.   We will leave by 11:00 & return by 2:00.

4.  We will eat a snack when we return.

We will be able to accommodate 1 parent from our class.  Any of you are welcome to come, but you will be required to provide your own transportation and purchase your own ticket, which will be $16.

Reminders:
Monday (3/19): Welcome back!
Tuesday (3/20): Tuesday folders will come home. 

                             Homework bags come home.
Wednesday (3/21):  Library- No check out
Thursday (3/22): Field Trip to Zach Scott Theatre. 

Friday (3/23): 

This week in Reading and Writing workshop...
We will continue our exploration of Poetry as readers and writers! We will begin to look for sensory language in Poetry.  We will listen for details make us think of something we see, hear, smell, touch or taste.  We will think about how this type of language engages us as readers.

As writers we will also think about the "ingredients" that poems need. When writing poetry we write about things we care a lot about! It helps us, as writers, think about the meaning of our poetry.  We will focus on "showing, not telling" to help the readers of our poetry feel our poems in their souls!

This week in Social Studies...
We will be wrapping up our unit on economics.  We will read about different ways citizens make choices to meet their needs in our community.

This week in Science...
We will be learning about Birds! This will help us prepare for our Project Based Learning activity! We will learn about the external characteristics of birds, movement, food and habitat as well as their life cycle! 

In First grade we hatch chicks!! Our eggs will arrive next week!! It will be a very exciting 21 days as we wait for our babies to join us! Our estimated hatch date is April 18th!

This week in Math...
We will continue relating Addition and Subtraction.  We will use objects and picture models to solve word problems that involve joining , separating and comparing sets of numbers.  

This week’s life skill is Common Sense: to use good judgement.  We will discuss different ways we can use common sense at school, at home and in our community.

Have a great week!

Important Dates:

Mar. 22: Field Trip to ZACH Scott Theater (wear 1^st Grade shirt!)

Mar. 28: Spirit Night

            Chick eggs arrive!

Mar. 30:  No School

Apr. 6:  Family Fit & Fun Night

Apr. 18:  Chicks Hatch!

Apr. 27: Field Day

              Skate Night

May 8: Spirit Night

May 28: Memorial Day Holiday

May 29: Last Day of School (Bad Weather Make-up Day)

          End of the Year Party!

March 19-23, 2018

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you so very much to all of you for the wonderful and thoughtful gifts I received this past week.  All of you are so generous, and I am grateful for every single one of you!

Thursday, March 22, we will be traveling to ZACH Scott Theater.  We will eat lunch in the classroom before we leave.  We will leave around 11:00 and return around 1:00.  We will have a snack after we return to school.  If you have not sent the field trip permission slip back, please remember to do so when we come back from Spring Break.

This next week is Spring Break!  I hope everyone finds time to relax and rejuvenate.  Stay safe, but have fun!

Reminders:

Monday (3/19):  Homework bags come home

Tuesday (3/20): Tuesday folders will come home.  

Wednesday (3/21): Library Check-out. Return books!

Thursday (3/22):  Field Trip to ZACH Scott Theater.  Wear 1st Grade shirt!

Friday (3/23):

In Reading Workshop…

This week we will continue to learn about the different elements of poetry, and we will discuss the different strategies we can use while we are reading poems.

In Writer's Workshop…

This week we will begin learning to write different types of poems..  We will write a sensory poem where we will use sensory details.  We will write a poem in the shape of what our poem is about.  We will write emotion poems too.

In Math…

We will continue learning how addition and subtraction relate.  We have learned about Fact Families, and now, we will use that knowledge to solve problems using both addition and subtraction.  The idea of this unit is to get the students to think about addition to do subtraction or vise versa.  For example, if I need to find the answer to 7-4=___, I can find the answer if I know that 4+3=7.

In Social Studies…

We will be discussing different jobs in our community.  We will talk about work, income, and how the people that do these different jobs help our community.  We will be asking parents to come into the classroom to talk about their job for the next 2 weeks.  If you would like to come talk with the kiddos about your job and how you help our community, please consider signing up on this Parent Job Presentation Sign Up Sheet.

In Science…

We will being exploring Birds.  We will learn about the body parts, life cycle, characteristics of Birds.  I am always so excited about this portion of our Animals unit, because it means that the Chicks are not far away!  We will get the eggs on Wednesday, March 28!

This week’s life skill is Effort: to do your best.  We will discuss different ways we can put forth our best effort at school, at home and in our community.

Have a great week!

Important Dates:

Mar. 12-16: Spring Break

Mar. 22: Field Trip to ZACH Scott Theater (wear 1^st Grade shirt!)

Mar. 28: Spirit Night

            Chick eggs arrive!

Mar. 30:  No School

Apr. 6:  Family Fit & Fun Night

Apr. 18:  Chicks Hatch!

Apr. 27: Skate Night

May 8: Spirit Night

May 28: Memorial Day Holiday

May 29: Last Day of School (Bad Weather Make-up Day)

          End of the Year Party!