There are still a few spots to fill for volunteers. I am looking for help with two PTA sponsored programs, Great Music and Art Attack, as well as help with a monthly hallway bulletin board. If you are interested in offering your time to either of these please click on the link below. Thanks in advance for all your help!
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Happy Monday! We got right into our groove today with subtraction using pictures. This week the first graders are comparing as they subtract, using new vocabulary words like "more" and "fewer" with the familiar "equals". The class worked hard to earn a few rounds of their favorite game, Mingle, which is practice with a concept disguised as a game. We will continue to work with subtracting to compare through the week, eventually tying it back to what I'm sure is your favorite by now: the bar model.
We are wrapping up loose ends with our Back to School unit this week. The first graders will vote on their favorite reading selection so we can practice the "Reread" strategy yet again. The class has been working hard at building up their stamina for independent reading and writing. They are currently working for 7 and a half minutes! It may not seem like a long stretch of time, but they started the year at 1 minute. I am thrilled to see them working for an extended amount of time like they have! Next month we will talk about apples, their life cycles, and animals and their needs. This week is a short week with an early dismissal on Thursday. As sad as I am to miss out on a whole day with the first graders, I hope they all have something fun planned for Friday! It has been great to meet with families so far tonight. I look forward to meeting with more first grade families tomorrow night! As always, thank you for all your support. I feel very lucky to be a part of Upland Terrace. This week is a fun one! Pete the Cat and Curious George have been helping us understand different ways to think about subtraction. We are working on subtracting still and using the bar model to show our thinking. We will also use objects and comparisons to subtract.
This will be the last week of our "Back to School" unit. We have read about students in going to schools that are the same and different from Upland Terrace. This week we are reading Chrysanthemum and discussing how the main character finds reasons she loves her name and herself. We will also be writing our own reasons for loving our names and selves. We have spent the past month getting to know each other and what makes us unique, including our traditions. Last week the homework packet included a purple half sheet asking about family traditions. I did not give very clear directions about how we are using these in class, so I apologize. I will be sending those sheets home again. The back of the purple sheet has questions and space for your child to describe a tradition of their choice. We will share our traditions throughout the week during sharing time. Again, I apologize for any confusion! Friday is the Jog-a-thon! Students were given envelopes to collect donations to support the school and classrooms. This year the money our class raises will go towards field trips and science materials. Both expenses are often the reason we do not participate in as many as I would like to over the school year. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. The first graders will be running their laps on Friday morning. You are welcome to come cheer your child on between 9:15-9:45. Next week we have SEP conferences. I am looking forward to meeting with you and sharing what I know about your first grader. Appointments can be made online. Click on the link and reserve your time for either September 28 or September 29. The school password is UPLAND. If you have any problems or questions about the website, please contact the office. We have been busy with subtraction and social studies this week! In math we are working on the concept of subtraction. Today we used pictures to show how we break apart a whole into groups. Tomorrow we are going to meet one of my favorite book characters, Pete the Cat, and use buttons to model "taking away" from the whole.
We have been working hard to build up our independent time during reading. This month we discussed why it is important we learn to read and what we can do to get better at it. Part of that practice is building up stamina for reading and writing independently. The first graders have practiced reading and writing for as long as they can without feeling tired or wanting to give up. So far, we have a record of 6 minutes. They love to see if they beat their longest time each time we practice. We have also been reading the story, Wolf!, and exploring reasons why we think school is important. Part of the Social Studies curriculum is for students to articulate and find examples of the importance of self and school. This week's story is a great way to connect the main character's struggle to learn to read to the work we do every day at school. This week we started writing in school planners. The first graders are in charge of writing a sentence about their day and sharing that sentence with a family member at home. I will be checking for parent signatures each day. One thing students may write about tomorrow is earning coins and the website Class Dojo. I am using the website to communicate with you about behavior in school. I will send out a link inviting you to join Class Dojo. You are welcome to check your child's progress throughout the day, and even send me a message. The points you see will be tied to the class economy we started today. Students will earn coins to spend on some fun things and some needed materials, like a replacement pencil or extra eraser. Tomorrow night is the Fall Social! Come enjoy a 1950's themed evening with activities and treats from Hires. Activities go from 6:30-8:00 PM. We hope to see you there! I hope everyone had a restful and fun Labor Day weekend! I'm sad to say goodbye to summer, but excited for all the learning ahead this month.
This week we will be wrapping up chapter one in math. We are working on the bar model and all the ways to make a number, as well as starting fluency with adding. The next chapter is all about the concept of subtraction. We are exploring the first story element of the year this week: characters. last week we read the story Suki's Kimono. This week we are looking at clues the author gave us about what the main character, Suki, is thinking and feeling. The first graders will be examining their own characteristics as well as other book characters for more practice. The Upland Terrace Fall Social is next Thursday, September 17. Wear your best 50's attire and join the school in a sock hop and ice cream treats provided by Hires Big H! Hires order forms are due this Friday. Hope to see you there! |
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