A few FYI's -

Reading - This week we have been continuing to build our stamina.  We have been working on all the daily 5 rotations.  I have been pulling students to do running records during daily 5.  Hopefully I will be done with all the testing by the end of this week.  Once all the testing is done we will be able to split into groups and start having reading groups in addition to the daily 5 centers.

Writing - This week we wrote stories about our favorite animals.  We continue to focus on starting with a capital letter, using good spacing, and ending with punctuation.  We are also working on getting the letters in the correct places and forming them correctly.  In handwriting we had a review of Ll, Ii, and Tt.  We also worked on the letter Oo.

Phonics - This week we had the unit 2 test.  Our test was on CVC words, sounds, and writing sentences using trick words and vocabulary words.  We have now started unit 3.  We are learning about digraphs - ch, sh, wh, th, and ck.  We also learned how to mark and tap digraphs.

Math - Group 1 is continuing to work on partners and switch partners.  Group 2 is working on equations, circle drawings, making circle drawings to story problems, and equations. 

Science - We are learning about thermometers.  We practiced with real thermometers - when we held on to them, the temperature went up.  When we let it go, the temperature went down.  We learned how to write degrees Fahrenheit.  We learned how to read a thermometer - and what all the little lines mean.  We practiced writing the temperature by reading thermometers on a sheet. 

Religion - Last Friday we worked on our first Promise Paper and we'll continue to do that every Friday.  This week we continued out chapter about God's goodness.  We read the parable of the mustard seed and made a book about the parable.  We even planted our very own mustard seeds.  We watched a video about the story of creation.  Now we are working on our creation books.  It will take us a few days to finish this book.

Volunteers - I would love to have some volunteers help us during our math block.  We have divided into two math groups.  While one group is having a lesson, the other group is working in centers.  We have math each day from 1:15 - 2:15.  Please let me know if you'd be interested in helping us out.

A few pictures from the last week -

Math Centers

Math Centers

Word Work

Work on Writing - A squiggle

 

Morning Tubs 

A few FYI's -

Morning Tubs - We have started working on morning tubs.  In the morning the students bring their folders in and put them in their mailboxes, they record their lunch on the Smart Board, and then they get to their table spot to work on their morning tub.  The tubs include various manipulatives such as geoboards, pattern blocks, dominoes, wikki sticks, letter cubes, base ten blocks, etc.  They have ten minutes to explore with their table's tub for the day.  After the ten minute timer goes off they clean up.  A two minute timer is set.  After two minutes they need to be sitting at their carpet spot ready to quietly start they day.  This has been such a great way to start our days.  Here are a few pictures of us working on morning tubs.

Writing - This week in writer's workshop we worked on writing and illustrating stories about our favorite bugs.  :)  We are working on starting with a capital letter - and only using a capital letter when needed, using good spacing, and using punctuation at the end of a sentence.  In handwriting we focused on the letter Ii.

Math - We have split our math class into two groups.  One group is working on number partners and switch partners.  The other group is working on addition stories using pictures, break-aparts, and math mountains.

Religion - This week we have been practicing for our mass.  We also spent some time working out of our text book.  We have just started talking about the story of creation in Genesis.  We read a beautifully illustrated story out of the Children's Bible.  

Science - In our weather unit this week we had discussions about wind.  We created a weather calendar for the month of September and we have a wind graph for this week.  Our next topic is going to be thermometers.

Phonics - This week we started getting word of the day cards and trick word cards.  The trick words are sight words - words we can't tap out.  Word of the day cards are words that we can tap out or figure out with a phonics skill.  We learned about our student notebooks and how to record our words into our notebooks.  We used the magnetic strips for the first time this week to write sentences.  Every day we go over letters, keywords, and sounds.  We are working on c-v-c words.

Reading - We learned about word work this week - and we have now learned about all five daily five centers.  Word work is center that has games, puzzles, activities, etc. that has something to do with words.  Our first word work center of the year is the ABC center.  This week we started practicing how to rotate through the centers and how to record the centers.  We are practicing all our daily 5 behaviors.  We practice, practice, practice to build our stamina!  Here are a few pictures of daily 5 this week.

Our students sitting at their table spots at open house were a hit!  Some parents took selfies with their children.  What a great idea!  In the morning, the students were greeted with their self portrait sitting at their seats.  They loved it!  Here are a few pictures of us with our self portraits - 

The students are at their tables waiting to greet you!  :)

A few FYI's -

Math - We are working on partners and switch partners.  (Ex. Partners of 5 are 4+1, 1+4, 2+3, 3+2) So far we have gotten up to partners of 8.

Religion - We have been working out of our Religion text and we will have chapter one finished soon.  Our first chapter focuses on Jesus as our friend, the sign of the cross, and Jesus' love for us.
We will also be practicing for our mass.  Please remember to practice your child's reading at home.

Phonics - We have been reviewing all the letters, key words, and sounds.   We are tapping out c-v-c words.  (consonant-vowel-consonant)

Science - We have started our Einstein kit on weather.  So far we have talked about using our senses with weather and we made a weather calendar to track the cloud cover, precipitation, and wind.

Writing - We are working on starting sentences with a capital letter, using finger spaces, using punctuation, and drawing pictures that go along with our stories.  We wrote stories about our weekend activities and we're now working on stories about our favorite food.

Handwriting - We did a brief talk about all of the letters of the alphabet.  We talked about forming the letters the correct way and putting the letters in the correct spaces.  We working specifically on the letters Ll and Tt.

We are still spending a lot of time talking about rules and expectations.  Every day we go over good listener rules, rug rules, walking in the hall expectations, being kind, how to be a great classmate, etc. Every morning on announcement we say, "We are wolves - Welcoming Others, Loving Vibrantly, Encouraging Service as disciples of God."  We took that saying and really talked about what it meant. Then we made a chart called "A Great Classmate"  We brainstormed what a great classmate is, what a great classmate does, what a great classmate says, and what a great classmate isn't.  After that we each decorated our own "We are Wolves" sheet.  They will be laminated for each child.

Reading - We are working on the daily 5!  In first grade we work on reading by using the daily 5 method.  What this means is the children are taught reading in small leveled groups.  But, before we can do that, we have to practice the centers.  We practice, and practice, and practice, and practice.  We call that building our stamina!  We have to keep practicing to get it just right!
The five daily five centers are read to self, read to someone, listening, work on writing, and word work.  So far we have worked on read to self, read to someone, and listening.
Read to self means the students find a good spot to read, by themselves, and read books from their book box.
Read to someone means the students find a good spot to read, with one other person, and read a book together.
Listening mean listening to stories.  The students may do this on the computer.  They use the computer to go on the Brown County Library website.  They use a website called Tumblebooks.
The students may also use ipads for the listening center.  The apps we use are Storia, Raz Kids, Epic, and Scholastic News.
The listening center takes a lot of practice for first graders.  There's putting the headphones in the correct place, finding the volume, using a mouse, finding the app, putting in a password, navigating through the app, untangling headphone cords, etc.
When the students are working in these centers, they need to have either a voice volume 0 or 1.  This takes a lot of practice.  Here are a few pictures of our class building our stamina.

First grade has mass on September 21st.  Readings will be going home today.  Please practice with your child at home.  We will also practice at school.  However, they need a lot of practice this early in the school year with the readings.  :)  Thank you for your help!

First grade will not be singing in the choir for probably our first two masses.  We will sing in the choir after that.

The parts for this mass are-

Greeters - Joah, Emma, Alex, Aiden, and Gabriella
Carrying the Bible in the procession - Guadalupe
Introduction - Aaron, Dylan
First Reading - Jake, Will, and Samuel
Petitions - Lizzie, Johanna, Lucy, Brady, Canon, Mason, Madison, and Valeria
Bread - Elliot
Wine - Lillian
Leader of the Pack Cards - Suzi
Thanksgiving Prayer - David, Lucy

This week we are starting to get into our routine.  The first few days have been fantastic!!!


Specials Schedule -

Monday - Music - 9:15-9:45
                Gym - 12:10-12:40

Tuesday - Music - 8:15-8:45
                Spanish 9:15-9:45
                Gym - 12:10 - 12:40

Wednesday - Spanish 9:15 - 9:45

Thursday - Library - 12:15 - 12:45

Friday - Art - 12:15 - 1:15


First Grade Mass Dates-

September 21
October 19
December 8
February 22
April 19

First Grade Osprey Point Dates -
October 25
November 29
January 17
February 28
April 25

***Library volunteers - Mrs. Donarski is looking for parent volunteers for our library time.  We have library on Thursdays from 12:15-12:45.  She is hoping to have a few parents volunteer and then they can rotate their schedule.  Please let me know if you would be interested in volunteering in the library.  Thank you!

A few pictures -

The project was to reflect on your summer vacation and draw a reflection of something you did!

These rainbows turned out beautiful!  The students wrote their names on the cloud.  They wrote something about themselves or something that they like on each color of the rainbow.

Our door decoration turned out absolutely amazing!  The students traced, cut out, and decorated their hand prints.  The hand prints were glued together to form this awesome flower!

Tomorrow is a Football Friday!  

When there is a home Packer game, students are allowed to wear their favorite team apparel.  This is considered a dress down day so jeans, athletic pants, and shorts are allowed.  (No sweatpants)