Thursday, May 29, 2008

End of the Year Stuff...

The final days of school are approaching and it is time to celebrate the end of first grade! There are a number of first grade activities your child will be involved in and this letter is a guide to help the final days of school run smoothly.

Friday, May 30 – First Grade Read-In
Each child needs to bring 4 books, a water bottle, snack and drink, towel or blanket, board game or card game.

Monday, June 2 - Jungle Book
In the afternoon students will be watching Disney's "Jungle Book" while we take apart our classroom jungle. It will be a sad occasion but it is necessary so we can recycle all the jungle's pieces.

Tuesday, June 3 – Classroom Party - Reynolds 2:10-2:55pm
** Each child needs a large bag to bring all supplies and work home. Lockers, desks, and classroom will be cleaned thoroughly.

Wednesday, June 4 – Olympic Day
Each child needs athletic (gym) shoes, Olympic Day classroom
t-shirt, water bottle

Thursday, June 5 – Last Day of School
One hour of school – 8:00-9:00am

Thank you for your cooperation in making this year a fantastic one! I look forward to finishing the year with lots of celebration and fun!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

www.coolmath4kids.com

Here is the link to the infamous game "Bloxorz" your child may have asked about. Click on "Math Games" and then click "Bloxorz." It really is extremely addicting and a great mental challenge. Enjoy!
ps. Ask you child what they know about Snafooz block puzzles...

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Unit 10 Means Close to the End

The latter half of May is descending our way and recess time is in its prime. All the hard work in Room 108 is consistently rewarded with outdoor recess. I must say, the students in this classroom behave appropriately, maintain focus, and work hard with very few reminders these days. All the effort we have given throughout the school year has really been paying off. Hopefully these great habits can be maintained through the summer and brought back to the second grade staff, where ever your child may be. Having said that, learning is still ongoing...

Open-Court Reading wraps up Unit 9 "Being Afraid" with the story of Three Billy Goats Gruff. Unit 10 is themed "Homes" and begins and exploration into the many different kinds of homes all over the world. And we are not discovering and discussing just people homes, we are investigating homes for insects and animals as well. Phonics and Language Arts continue to be a review of the wide array of skills introduced throughout the year.

Everyday Math has walloped its final unit of introductory material as Unit 9 closed and promises to be a bit less threatening with Unit 10. Unit 10 is one big review of everything in the previous nine units and really nails down on the skills necessary for the start of second grade. At this point the most important "mathematical" practice for your child is addition and subtraction facts. Having quick knowledge of addition and subtraction will make the future of mathematics bright for your child. If you feel your child is already solid in their addition/subtraction facts then please challenge them with multiplication and division. The two go hand in hand and will boost your child's readiness for the next level.

Unit 3 of Social Studies has been elongated with our need to catch up on Time for Kids but will be closing out "The World of Work" with a final lesson devoted to factory work. As the unit finishes, students will be asked to discuss many of the aspects (such as vocabulary, job descriptions, work connections, and personal connections) of the working world as they see and understand it.

The study of insects is finally evolving... (In the form of darkling beetles of course!) Students have enjoyed the vast collection of insect life cycles shown in about as many different forms as we could find. (Books, movies, diagrams, worksheets, mobiles, collages, packets, slides, cut and paste activities, expository writing, and of course LIVE mealworms!) Thank you for all the great help you provided at home. Room 108 wouldn't look the same without it!

** ¡SUMMER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION! **
This Friday, May 16 Room 108 will be celebrating the summer birthdays at 2:30pm. Mrs. Anderson has offered to bring in a birthday treat. If you would like to offer something in addition for the classroom, in honor of your child's birthday, please feel free to donate a book to the classroom library, bring enough pencils for everyone in the class, or e-mail me if you have another idea.

*** Spring Sing - Wednesday, May 21 - 8:20am - Refreshments in Room 108 to follow

Monday, May 5, 2008

The Merry Merry Month of May

Ola Padres! Room 108 is in high gear at the end of the school year nears. It is the time of the year where first grade students really begin to blossom by displaying many of the great new skills they have worked so hard to gain and hone throughout the academic year. All children have grown in so many ways. It truly is a pleasure to witness and be a part of!

Open-Court Reading is now into Unit 9 and it is a review of the many phonics skills covered over the course of the year along with the introduction of more powerful vocabulary words. Students are starting to display concrete awareness of nouns, verbs, and adjectives while also grasping punctuation concepts like commas, contractions, and possessives. As we read as a class, in small reading groups, leveled readers, and whole class readers, children are encourage to ask questions, make predictions and inferences, summarize, and practice a number of other comprehension strategies.

Everyday Math is really dividing up into fractions! We have recently been analyzing fractions through manipulatives such as pattern blocks, base-10 blocks, paper folding and shading, and paper strips. Fridays in Math have become first grade game time in Miss V's room. This is a chance for the first grade students to get together in one classroom and play math games. Some of the games are review from earlier in the year while others are some of Miss V's specialties. Either way it is an excellent opportunity for children to interact with future classmates and practice many of the skills we have learned over the course of the year.

Upcoming Events
Friday, May 9 - "Hi-Touch, Hi-Tech" - Room 108 - 9:30-10:30am
*Please submit payment and permission slip if you have not already done so.
Wednesday, May 21 - "Spring Sing" - First Grade @ 8:20am in the Auditorium
*"Munchies" in Room 108 to follow