Newsletter

August/September 2019

The first month of school was great! We have been adjusting to a full day of school, routines, and procedures. The first month is all about learning new routines and procedures, such as P.E., lunch, the big playground, bathrooms, etc. So much change for them, but they are handling it all wonderfully! Your child is most likely coming home from school tired….cranky maybe?! Please remember how full their day now is and how many changes they have had this month. Be proud of all that they are doing as a big 1^st grader!

This month in math we have been reviewing addition. If you look at the math papers that have been coming home in the Friday Folders, you will see that they are working on what we call “part part whole”. What two parts make a whole? For example: ____ + ____= 5, 3 and 2 or 4 and 1 make 5, etc. We have also practiced how to solve addition problems if we know only one part and the whole. For example: 6 + ___= 8 Along with talking about part, part, whole, we have also been talking about the math terms for these words. Part is an addend and whole is the sum. We learned that we can “flip flop” addends and still have the same sum! 4+3=7 and 3+4=7

In first grade we do conclude math units with a test. You will see the test for unit 1 come home in a couple of weeks. I am not emphasizing “scores” with the students. Simply that they do their best. Please know that if I have concerns about their progress in math or other academics, I will call a conference or be in communication with you. One test, one time does not define a child’s academics. I look at the whole child! Also, the first test is often hard as they are still learning the procedures of test taking and working on problems with little guidance from me!

We have started SIPPS reading groups. I can tell the students who have been practicing at home. It makes such a HUGE difference! Thank you for having them practice at home reading the stories in the binders!

The September reading log went home in the binder. As long as you are doing some sort of reading: you read bedtime stories, they read the SIPPS stories or another story to you (whatever works best for your family!) then they can color the apple. Once all are colored at the end of the month you can sign and turn it in through the Friday Folders on a Monday or in the binder on a Friday.

Most of our writing this year will be kept at school. We are working on going back to previous writing and editing it and adding more detail to our writing or drawing. If you see journal writings that has gone home, this was most likely done as a choice during Daily 5 time. So excited to see the amazing writers they are becoming!

Our first field trip is to Fog Willow. This will take place on October 11^th. More details about the field trip will be coming home in the Friday Folders as it gets closer. This field trip is unique in that they do not limit parent chaperones unlike other field trips we will have. If you would like to attend, you will be able to. Again more info will be going home soon and you can let me know if you are attending then.