Hello-

 

What a wonderful 10 days of school we have had.  The students have been working hard to learn classroom routines, learn about their special friends in 1G and learn many new things in first grade.  We are off to a great start and it is going to be a great year.

I will update my blog every two weeks or so with information about what we have been learning, important dates and other information about our classroom.  Please check back every week or two for updates.

 

 

Curriculum Update:

 

Reading: We have enjoyed stories about friendship, good citizenship, rain and colors.  We have worked on the reading strategies of using picture clues and getting your mouth ready.  We have also worked on retelling a story.  First graders should be spending at least 10 minutes a day reading.

 

Word Wall Words: I, for, do, was, you, by, are, have, here, with

 

Word wall words are expected to be read and written correctly in written work once they have been put up on the word wall.

 

 

Writing: Our focus has been on writing sentences that start with a capital letter and end with a period.  We also have to remember to leave spaces between the words.

 

Math: We are working on establishing routines, counting, number order and solving story problems.  The students have also enjoyed learning some new games.

 

Social Studies: We are working hard to be a good friend to others while we learn about rules and good citizenship. We also learned about our school's behavior system.  We are learning the rules for the lunchroom, playground, LMC, hallway and bathroom.  We were reminded about voice levels and that there is a 0 voice level in the hallway. We learned about earning blue paw print tickets when we are caught being respectful, responsible or safe.  Our class can earn marbles for a class reward when our whole class is respectful, responsible or safe.  Once we fill our marble jar we earn a special celebration.  We are doing such a great job that our marble jar is almost full.

 

 

 

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday, September 11: Curriculum Night (see note that was sent home for more details or the note is posted on Edline)

 

ELL Parent Night will be Wednesday, September 11.  It is before Curriculum Night from 6-6:30.  It will be in the LMC by the Smartboard.

 

 

 

While you are here on Curriculum Night, stop by the LMC to visit our “Mini-Book Fair” featuring reference and non-fiction books from Usborne Books.

 

Reminders:

 

The daily healthy snack break should be peanut and tree nut free.  Also, snacks should not include dips, forks and spoons.  The students work while they eat.  Thanks for your help with this.

 

You will be receiving new login information for Edline.  Look for this important note to come home today or early next week with your child.

Please check your child’s green home folder each night.  Completed papers can stay home.

I hope you have a lovely weekend and I look forward to seeing you Wednesday at Curriculum Night.

Mrs. Giarrante

Hello-

What a wonderful 10 days of school we have had.  The students have been working hard to learn classroom routines, learn about their special friends in 1G and learn many new things in first grade.  We are off to a great start and it is going to be a great year.

I will update my blog every two weeks or so with information about what we have been learning, important dates and other information about our classroom.  Please check back every week or two for updates.

 

Curriculum Update:

Reading: We have enjoyed stories about friendship, good citizenship, rain and colors.  We have worked on the reading strategies of using picture clues and getting your mouth ready.  We have also worked on retelling a story.  First graders should be spending at least 10 minutes a day reading.

Word Wall Words: I, for, do, was, you, by, are, have, here, with

Word wall words are expected to be read and written correctly in written work once they have been put up on the word wall.

 

Writing: Our focus has been on writing sentences that start with a capital letter and end with a period.  We also have to remember to leave spaces between the words.

Math: We are working on establishing routines, counting, number order and solving story problems.  The students have also enjoyed learning some new games.

Social Studies: We are working hard to be a good friend to others while we learn about rules and good citizenship. We also learned about our school's behavior system.  We are learning the rules for the lunchroom, playground, LMC, hallway and bathroom.  We were reminded about voice levels and that there is a 0 voice level in the hallway. We learned about earning blue paw print tickets when we are caught being respectful, responsible or safe.  Our class can earn marbles for a class reward when our whole class is respectful, responsible or safe.  Once we fill our marble jar we earn a special celebration.  We are doing such a great job that our marble jar is almost full.

 

Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday, September 11: Curriculum Night (see note that was sent home for more details or the note is posted on Edline)

ELL Parent Night will be Wednesday, September 11.  It is before Curriculum Night from 6-6:30.  It will be in the LMC by the Smartboard.

Reminders:

The daily healthy snack break should be peanut and tree nut free.  Also, snacks should not include dips, forks and spoons.  The students work while they eat.  Thanks for your help with this.

You will be receiving new login information for Edline.  Look for this important note to come home today or early next week with your child.

Please check your child’s green home folder each night.  Completed papers can stay home.

I hope you have a lovely weekend and I look forward to seeing you Wednesday at Curriculum Night.

Mrs. Giarrante

Happy Summer!

 

What a great year we’ve had in 1G.  Thanks for sharing your child with me.  I appreciate all the support you have given this year.  Thanks also to everyone for the many ways you helped in the classroom or from home.  The students have learned so much, made new friends and worked together to be respectful citizens.  Along with your child’s report card you will be receiving a math packet and a packet of other summer ideas.  Do your best to work on some of these activities and spend time reading and writing together this summer.  I hope you and your family have a wonderful summer together making lots of special memories.  Be sure to stop in and say “hi” next year.

 

Don’t forget to bring your yearbook so your friends can sign it.  If you didn’t order one, I will have autograph paper for you!

 

If your child won’t be here for the last day of school and you are having a friend/relative/neighbor pick up your child’s report card from the main office, please email me or the office the name of the person who will be picking it up.  Report cards won’t be given out without you contacting me or the office.  Thanks for your help with this.

                                                               

Dear Parent,

       

        Can you believe this school year is over?? We have some special activities planned for the end of the year.

 

·        Our First Graders are READERS!!  To celebrate READING one last time we will be having a Read-in on Monday, June 3.  Students need to bring 8-12 books, and extra healthy snack, and a beach towel to read on (in case we can read outside~~ weather permitting).

·        We will be having a FIRST GRADE PICNIC on Monday, June 3.  We will be eating outside together.  Please pack your lunch and drink with your beach towel. (Milk and Hot lunch will be available if necessary)

·        Tuesday, June 4 is Field Day.  Please wear PE shoes as we will be outside all morning enjoying outdoor activities.

You will also need to bring a LARGE bag to clean out your desks and bring home all your school supplies.

·        Wednesday, June 5 is the last day of school.  The students will be signing yearbooks.  Please have your child bring his/her yearbook to school.  If your child didn’t order one or forgets to bring it, I will provide them autograph paper.  There is NO

early start that day. Hours are 9:05 to 10:25. Report cards go home with the students.

 

        It has been a great year! It has been wonderful to see the academic, social, and physical growth of the children.  We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support throughout the year. You’ve been TERRIFIC!!

               

                                                The First Grade Teachers

Language Arts:  We read “Poppleton” with the focus on plot (main idea) and other pig stories.  We compared versions of the three little pigs and discussed the stories from different points of view.  We even read a story called “The Fourth Little Pig”.  Ask your child about who the fourth little pig was! This week we are reading non-fiction stories “Busy Buzzing Bees” and “Fishing Bears” as we begin our unit on Non-Fiction Text and Research.  We look in the stories to determine the important details and learn facts about the topic.

Phonics: We reviewed all the long and short vowels and took our final assessment on them.

Writing:  We are beginning our unit on informational writing/research.  We are learning all the features of non-fiction text and how to research a topic using text and computer sites.  We will learn how to take notes of important facts and how to assemble them into our own non-fiction book.

Math:  We continue to review prior math concepts, focusing on addition and subtraction strategies, hundreds, tens and ones and using the hundreds chart.

Science:  We are finishing up on our unit of the Solar System and beginning our unit on insects.  We have new visitors in our classrooms.  Our caterpillars arrived and are now in their chrysalises.  We have been observing their progress and will continue to watch them go through their life cycle.

Dates to Remember:

 All library books are due on Friday, May 24

No School on Monday, May 27- Memorial Day

May Reading Calendars due Friday, May 31

Last day of school is Wednesday, June 5 at 10:25

 

I hope you enjoyed reading your child’s First Edition story.  Your child can finish illustrating it at home.  Then, if your child would like, he or she can bring it back to school to read to the class.

 

I sent an email last week to the parents of those who earned the Great America ticket.  You should have received the ticket.  If not, please let me know.

 

Just a reminder…if your child is absent on the last day of school, you will have to contact the main office to arrange a time to come in for your child’s report card.

 

If your child will be leaving early for summer vacation, please let me know ahead of time.  This way I can make sure all end of the year assessments are completed prior to your child’s absence.  Thanks for your help with this.

 

I hope you have a great week!

Curriculum Update:

Reading: This week we read the stories “My Robot” and “Tell me a Story.” We talked about traits of science fiction text and the past and present. Please enjoy these stories with your child over the weekend. Be sure to send the blue book back on Monday.

Phonics: We are reviewing the short and long vowels and practicing the th digraph.

Math: We are working on our last unit which is a review of skills from the year. We worked on adding three numbers and adding with parenthesis.

Science: We have learned about the sun, stars, Mercury and Venus.

Writing: The students wrote wonderful stories for the First Edition project. They are now waiting to illustrate their stories. They also wrote a shape poem and a paragraph with reasons and details about their favorite body part.

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, May 6: Planetarium Field Trip, Volunteer Tea

Thursday, May 9: Jump Rope for Heart (wear gym shoes)

Monday, May 13: No School

Tuesday, May 14: Blackberry Farm Field Trip (dress for the weather as we will be outside)

End of the Year: The last day of school is Wednesday, June 5. Dismissal will be at 10:25. If your child is not here the last day, you will need to come to the school office over the summer to pick up your child’s report card and anything else that was left at school. Be sure to call ahead as the office will be open Monday-Thursday.

LMC Books: As the end of the year is quickly approaching…please check for any LMC books and make sure to have your child return them to school.

Enjoy your weekend!

Curriculum Update:

 

Language Arts: In reading we have been working on narrative elements and making inferences. We read the story Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble. The students worked on a different skill for every chapter. In writing the students wrote their first edition stories. They did a nice job with coming up with ideas. Also, they revised the stories and will include a dedication page and an all about me page. Parent volunteers will make them into books over the next few weeks.  Thanks to all who are helping with the special project.

 

Phonics: In phonics this week we started working on long u and the digraphs (two letters that make one sound) sh and th.

 

Math: We are finishing up the fraction unit. The students did a great job understanding halves, fourths and quarters. They enjoyed making different designs with fractions and dividing up shapes. The rest of the year will be review over the skills previously taught.

 

Science: We have finished up the human body unit. The students enjoyed learning about the different organs of the body. We have begun our unit on the solar system.

 

Permission slips are DUE for Blackberry Farm.  If you haven’t sent your child’s in yet, you will receive a new one today.

 

Don’t forget to turn in your April reading calendar tomorrow.  Please add up the total minutes.

Thanks for participating the LMC Book Exhange.  Over 1600 books found a new home.  I hope your child is enjoying their new books.

 

Important Dates

Wednesday, May 1: Read-In, April reading calendars due

Friday, May 3: LMC Book Check Out

Monday, May 6: Planetarium Field Trip
Monday, May 6: Volunteer Tea 2:00-3:30: All parent volunteers are welcome to attend

Friday, May 10: First Edition editing in the classroom

Monday, May 13: No School, SIP Day for teachers

Tuesday, May 14^: Blackberry Farm Field Trip (Parent Volunteers, please send in $13 to cover the cost of the trip for yourself.  Thank you!)

Enjoy the warm sunny weather! 

Important Reminders and Information

We will be making our body vests this week.  If you haven’t yet, your child needs to bring in a vest made out of a grocery bag.  Let me know if you need more information.

 

Today, your child is bringing home their EveryDay Mathematics Journal 1.  You may notice that some or many pages have not been completed.  This is okay.  We have only worked on certain pages together as a class or students have worked on some pages independently.  Your child can work to finish this book at home.  Having said that, some of the skills in it we no longer work on in first grade.  This is because we are now following the Common Core State Standards in Math.  (some examples: time to the quarter hour, money, measuring in inches…)

 

A new, fourth quarter list of sight words was sent home.  Please make sure your child is practicing these words.  They will be assessed on them later in the month along with any previous words not yet mastered.

 

Please sign and return your child’s report card envelope.  You can keep the papers inside.

 

Due to the snow day, the last day of school is Monday, June 3.  Dismissal is at 10:25.  If your child isn’t here on the last day (sick, left early for a trip…) his/her report card WILL NOT be mailed home.  You will have to arrange a time to pick up the report card over the summer from the main office.  Also, any supplies/items your child leaves at school will not be mailed.  You will have to pick them up from the main office.

 

Ms. Andrews is looking for parent helpers in p.e.  In case you are wondering when we have p.e., it is Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9:55-10:20.  Please contact her if you are interested in helping out in the gym.

 

Our First Edition project is coming up quickly.  Please see the details below from the parent coordinators.

Hi there first grade friends!

 

It's that time again....First Edition is here....can you believe it? Similar to KinderPress, this program reinforces literacy concepts for our first graders and the finished book is theirs to take home and keep, to share with pride, and to enjoy for years to come...

 

We have a large class this year and we need at least 30 parents to help out! Editing in the LMC will take place Monday, April 29th, illustrations in their classrooms will take place Friday, May 10th.

 

Please feel free to sign up using the link below....the first graders will appreciate your assistance in helping them be published authors!

 

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4DAEA622A57-first

 

Thank you very much in advance and please do not hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions.

 

Beth and Jamie,

First Edition Co-Chairs

 

 

Beth Claudon

beth@claudonzoo.com

(home) 630.637.1233

(cell) 630-664-3321

 

Jamie Klimes

klimes99@sbcglobal.net

(home) 630.717.0890

(cell) 630.886.4934

 

Curriculum Update

Reading: This week we worked on the reading strategy of questioning.  When reading a book, you have to ask yourself questions before, during and after reading.  Asking questions helps you understand the story better.  As you are reading at home, please have your child ask questions.  You can even ask the questions!

Phonics: We are reviewing long/short a, e, i and o.  Later in the week we will begin long u.

Writing: The students are enjoying hearing and writing poetry.  Some of the poems they have written are seasonal observational poems and list poems.

Math: We have finished up our geometry unit.  Your student should be able to tell you what a polygon is and what shapes can be used to make other shapes.  Our next unit is on fractions.

Science: Our study of the human body continues.  They have been learning about the heart, lungs and liver.  Next up…the intestines and kidneys.

Social Studies: The school is focusing on hallway behavior.  The students are expected to walk quietly with their hand and feet to themselves.

 

Important Dates:

Thursday April 18: Volunteer Tea 2:00-3:30

Tuesday, April 30: Read In

Monday May 6: Planetarium Field Trip: Please return the permission slip and $3 by the end of the week.

Monday May 13: No School, School Improvement Planning for Teachers

Monday June 3 10:25: School Dismissal for Summer

                             Have a great week!

I hope you all had an enjoyable spring vacation.  I enjoyed spending the week with my husband and children.  It is hard to believe but we have begun the fourth quarter of school.  Hold on…this quarter is going to fly by.

Curriculum Update:

Language Arts: We read stories about pets and a veterinarian that works at an animal shelter. We are working on our poetry unit.  The students wrote an acrostic poem about spring. In phonics we are finishing up long e and then we will review long a, e, i and o.  A new list of sight words was sent home on Friday.  Please practice these words with your child.  The students will be assessed on these words later in April.

 

Math: We are working on our geometry unit. The students have learned about plane and 3-D shapes.  This week we will finish up this unit.

Science: We are studying the human body.  So far the students have learned about their bones, heart and brain.  Have them tell you a few facts they have learned.  Just a reminder…please send in your child’s brown paper bag vest by the end of the week.  If you lost the instructions, please let me know and I will get you another copy.  Your child should have brought home a brand new bicycle helmet.  The first graders were lucky to receive this special item.  Hopefully your child told you some important things they learned during the assembly.

 

Please sign and return your child’s report card envelope by the end of the week.  You can keep all the papers inside.

 

Upcoming Dates:

Tuesday, April 9: No School for Students, SIP Day for Teachers

Thursday, April 18: PTA Volunteer Tea