August/September


High Frequency/Spelling Pattern Words

August

(Smart Start weeks 1-3)

Week 1:

I, like, do, to, you,

he, can, go, a, has

Week 2:

this, is, my, look, little,

where, here, play, the, we

Week 3:

are, me, she, with, for,

and, have, see, said, was

September

(Wonders Unit 1 Weeks 1-4)

Week 1:

High Frequency Words: does, not, school, what

Spelling Pattern: Short a

man, can, nap, tap, cat, hat

Week 2:

High Frequency Words:

down, out, up, very

Spelling Pattern: Short i

pin, win, hit, sit, miss, kiss

Week 3:

High Frequency Words:

be, come, good, pull

Spelling Pattern: L-blends

clip, flip, slip, flag, black, plan

Week 4:

High Frequency Words:

fun, make, they, too

Spelling Pattern: Short o

hop, top, log, hog, hot, lot


Newsletter

September

* Welcome to First Grade in Mrs. Mac’s class. I am very excited for this school year.Throughout this year if you have any questions please feel free to write a note and send it back to school in the homework folder. You can also contact me by calling me at school and leaving a message or e-mailing me. (E mail is checked daily. Phone messages, not so often, sorry!) Mrs. Mac(BetteJo McLelland) School phone: 801-610-8109 ex. 105 E-mail: bmclelland@alpinedistrict.org Web Page: Important things to remember: 1. The homework folder needs to go home and back to school each day. Inside, you will find your student’s reading log to record their nightly reading homework. It is a good practice to read nightly for at least 15-20 minutes. If your child is already reading, they can read aloud to you, or you can read aloud to your child. Both count as long as the student is looking at the text with you. When reading time is accomplished, please indicate on the reading log in the folder by writing the amount of minutes read. This log will also serve as our class calendar and I will note your child’s Show & Tell day, birthdays and other important events. This calendar will also list our weekly spelling words. Please keep the calendar in the folder so that it can be marked daily. 2. I believe 6 and 7 year olds need play time more than homework. Reading is the ONLY homework. 15-20 minutes and you're done! IF I feel the need to send additional homework home with your student, i will let you know by e mail or REMIND text. In most cases, I will give a week to complete the homework. No Stress! 3. I will order monthly book orders. Scholastic Book Clubs are an excellent source for reading material and they are discounted to give you the best price. Also, book orders benefit our classroom because with each order, bonus points are awarded and these points can be exchanged for books for our classroom. Most of the books on our shelves in room 105 have been obtained by this method. Ordering is quick and easy when done online (instructions on this website). 4. Class donations for the Class T-Shirt, additional field trips and other projects is VERY much appreciated. I'm asking for a voluntary contribution of $20 per student. 5. PTA EMERGENCY KITS Please send in a granola bar in a plastic sandwich baggie labeled with your student's name for the emergency kit. If there is EVER an emergency, I'll have a snack to stave off hunger. (We usually eat these at the end of the school year at our last day party.) 6. The First Grade traditionally goes on a Fall Field Trip in September. We take the bus to Granite Flats campground in American Fork Canyon where we hear from a forest ranger and have a visit with Smokey the Bear. After gathering leaves and taking an autumn hike, we have lunch and then play games on the baseball field. If you would like to volunteer to be a chaperone responsible for a small group of four or five first graders, please contact me by email as soon as possible. Look for an announcement coming home soon informing you of the date of this adventure. 7. SHOW & TELL Be sure to check the calendar for your child's Show & Tell day for the month. This is very important for First Graders. They can bring anything they are excited about. (Please limit to one item) Thanks!
*Thank you to all those who have signed up to be volunteers for our class. If you are interested in volunteering please contact me to make arrangements.
*THANK YOU so much for the overwhelming support and donations of school supplies. They are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for such a great start to a wonderful year!


Curriculum

Topics we will be studying in class during August/September

Reading, Writing and Language

Word Work: Alphabet Review: consonants and vowels, rhyming, blending phonemes to make words, ABC order, word families,Beginning and ending sounds, phonemes and syllables (by studying our names) For some fun practice at home, you might try these websites:

Beginning sounds website Short vowel website

Changing the onset (the consonants before the first vowel) to make new words (ie: cat, sat, pat...).

Starfall.

Language:

Complete sentences: subject and predicate Declarative sentences (telling sentence) Interrogative sentences (Asking sentence)Sentence rules: capitol letter, spacing between words and punctuationListening for rhymesSaying a poem togetherHaving a discussionReading Strategies: Previewing, or Picture Walking, a book before reading to form an overview and using pictures to help you figure out words. Predicting. How to choose a “just right” book. Asking questions (does it look right, sound right and make sense?)

Writing

Journal Writing, sentence rules, capital letters, spacing and periods

Math

Recognizing, creating and extending patterns.Number Sense; Number values Number Words Ordering Numbers 1-20 Counting by tens.The value of pennies and dimes. Adding those two coins. Adding math facts +1 and +0 (ie; 3+1=4 or 6+0= 6) quickly.

Character Development/Social Skills

School and Classroom rulesGetting to know you, one of a kind, celebrating selfFollowing instructions, listening and joining in

Art

Cutting, coloring and spatial relationships, air painting

Other topics of interest

Apples, Johnny AppleseedSeasonsManners and courtesy, treating others with kindness, safety, good nutrition, patriotic symbolsStar Spangled Banner