Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and enjoyed some good quality time with their family and friends! I know as for me, I was ready to get back into the swing of things and get back on schedule! We have had a wonderful week and we've jumped right back into our routine here in the classroom. Our motto for our class for this second half of the year is "We don't have a minute to waste!" The curriculum really picks up the pace in reading, math and writing, so your help at home is more crucial than ever. Please continue to stay on top of how your child is progressing.
Check out the Classroom News and Reminders section for an extra credit opportunity! The reward will be revealed after the due date!
Phonics/Grammar: This week, we reviewed our short and simple long vowel spelling patterns in preparation for jumping into more complex long vowel patterns next week. We also reviewed the function of nouns and verbs in sentences and how to identify them, as well as working on taking phrases and turning them into complete sentences by either adding the subject or adding the predicate. Proper capitaliation and punctuation was also emphasized.
Writing: This week, we began our new genre of informational writing. We went over the steps that will help us become better writers. We also began discussing the importance of topic and closing sentences. This is now expected when the first graders write. Also, this third weeks, correct noun/verb agreement is expected. We wrote our first informational paragraph on wolves, which is hanging in our hallway. Come check out our wonderful writing if you are in the school.
Reading: This week, we learned about additional story elements such as main characters and minor characters as well as primary and secondary settings. We also read several nonfiction books and looked at the features we can find in these books that identify them as nonfiction. We compared facts vs. opinions to help us with our informational writing.
Math: We took our 2nd nine weeks post assessment. Those students ready for a challenge were taught how to solve double digit addition problems. We also reviewed fact families.
Classroom News and Announcements:
Report cards are in your child's folder today! Please return the white signature card in the manilla envelope, but PLEASE do not seal the envelope. This will be used for the remainder of the school year. If you have questions or concerns regarding your child's progress, I would be more than happy to meet with you during my planning time or after school. Just drop me an email and let me know.
Encourage your child to practice on IXL! The contest begins Monday!
Thank you to Mrs. Henry, Mr. Garcia, and Mrs. Greene for their help with AR this week! We appreciate your time in our classroom!
Math Facts Information: We've got more than half the class who has mastered their addition facts and moved on to subtraction! Way to go! When your child masters the -6 group of facts, we will combine -7, -8, and -9. Once this is completed, which I expect many of you to do next week, you will be getting a mixed review test every Friday for several weeks.
Extra Credit Project: Due January 24th.
Next week, we will begin learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to our country and the citizens who live here. Your job is to think of another famous american who made significant contributions to our country. Read a book or look online to find out your information. Brainstorm your list of facts. Organize your facts into categories. Write an informational paragraph containing those facts. Your paper must include the following and can be hand written or typed...
1. Title (underlined and centered)
2. Your name (centered under title)
3. Skip a line, then indent first sentence.
4. Begin with a general topic sentence.
5. Write at least 10 detail sentences about your famous american. (Include details from childhood, early life and later life)
6. End your paper with an appropriate closing sentence.
7. Attach some sort of visual graphic to your paper.
Be prepared to orally present your paper to the class by January 24th! Your efforts will be greatly rewarded!
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