Picture Day!

 

Extra Recess Fun!

Word Play: Phonemic Awareness

As part of our district transition to structured literacy instruction, a "word play" block is woven into our daily schedule focused on phonemic awareness.  Phonemic awareness is the understanding that spoken words are made up of individual sounds, which are called phonemes. A child who is phonemically aware is able to isolate sounds, manipulate sounds, and blend and segment the sounds into spoken and written words. "Word Play" is quickly becoming a favorite part of our learning day. Ask your child to show you how to change the first sound in a word to another sound to create a whole new word! For example, change the /b/ sound in back to an /r/ sound and create the new word rack. 

Math: The Double Decker Bus

                                      

Students have been spending time during our math block exploring a unit called The Double Decker Bus. Within the context of a story about a little girl who watches passengers get on and off the top and bottom levels of a bus from her bedroom window, this unit introduces the math rack as a model and tool for addition.  It focuses on building student understanding of five as a unit for counting accurately and efficiently.  In large and small group activities, students manipulate the beads on the math rack to represent passengers going from one deck on the bus to the other and sitting in various combinations of red and white seats.  Discussions revolve around the big ideas of unitizing, compensation and equivalence, and strategies for counting. Moving forward, young mathematicians will use the math rack as a tool to solve add to and take from story problems with a result unknown and to examine the relationship between addition and subtraction.

Second Step: Listening to Learn

As you may know, part of the Windsor Central Supervisory Union strategic plan includes developing  social emotional competence and wellness in district students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Studies show that to be successful in school, students must be able to regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behavior. This ability to regulate allows for more productive participation in learning activities and successful relations with peers and adults. This year, first graders are participating in the social emotional learning program, Second Step, to provide students with opportunities to learn, practice, and apply skills for learning, focusing attention, empathy, and problem-solving. On Wednesday, your child was introduced to the concept of Listening to Learn. Listening is a fundamental skill for learning that helps children focus and pay attention.  Learning and following the "listening rules" helps children comprehend directions and improves their ability to engage with content instruction and class discussions. They also learned "My Turn, Your Turn" a brain builder game that supports the development of attention, working memory, and inhibitory control.

PomPom Celebration Popsicle Party

To celebrate a jarful of pompoms that represent student acts of safe, respectful, and ready to learn behavior in our classroom and around the school since the first day of school, first graders had a popsicle party Friday afternoon. It was a great way to end a hot, busy week of learning and fun together. 

 

Getting to Know You

 First graders spent time getting to know their teachers, classrooms, routines, and each other this week by talking and writing about first grade hopes and dreams, writing an All About Me page, creating a self-portrait, and participating in a "Find a Friend Who..." interview activity.

First Grade Math

First graders spent the first week of first grade math exploring math tools and dusting off foundational counting skills through an activity called Mystery Boxes. Young mathematicians were encouraged to organize, count, and record a collection of up to 30 objects. 

                                                                   Exploring Inch Tile

                                                                   Exploring Unifix Cubes

Counting Items in a Mystery Box

Thursday Folders

Plastic orange folders went home in student backpacks yesterday, Thursday, and will continue to come home most Thursdays of the school year.  These "Thursday Folders" include individual finished work and/or other important school paperwork.  The intent of sending student work home is to provide families with a snapshot of skills and activities first graders are working on and perhaps to be used as a conversation starter about your child's day or week.  There is no  need to "correct" or send the finished work back to school, just enjoy a glimpse into your child's development as a reader, writer, speller, mathematician, or scientist.  Sometimes "grown up" paperwork will require a signature or return, so please make it a habit to check this folder closely when it comes home each week.  The orange folder itself should be returned to school the next day, Friday.  Thank you!

Literacy: Word Study and Connected Texts

First graders are gaining confidence as new routines are introduced during word study.  During the beginning of the year we spend time reinforcing proper letter formation and reviewing letter names and sounds.  Additionally kindergarten “heart words” (words that are not phonemically spelled) are reviewed.  During our reading fluency block, students are working in partnerships to reread familiar texts that are connected to the learning that is happening during word study. 

A Little Housekeeping....

 Thank you for sending your child with a healthy, hearty snack each day! Please also remember:

• The school day begins promptly at 7:55. Please help your student get in the important habit of arriving at school on time! First graders are dismissed at 2:44 and pick up students meet in front of the school on the bricked area in front of Ms. Mills' office. 
• Our classroom is seeking donations of large-sized hand sanitizer with pump dispensers to share.
• All students need a pair of headphones that will be returned at the end of the school year.
• Please make sure your child's daily dismissal plans are entered into PickUp Patrol. Contact Mrs. Hecker in the office (thecker@mtnviews.org) if you need help setting up a PickUp Patrol account.                                                               THANK YOU!

P.E.: Team Work Skills