Humanities

September 27

Another great week under our belt!  Our Literacy Workshop is up and running! This workshop is used for differentiating instruction so each student can learn at their just-right level. For example, some kiddos are working on letter/sound identification, while others are working with putting letters together to make words.  Another example is some students are emerging readers while others are working on their reading fluency.  Besides the different groupings of students, independent activities are also a part of the workshop.  Independence will be a big learning curve for first graders.  Ways you can support your child is providing opportunities for a bit of struggle before stepping.  Learning can't take place without some struggle and perseverance.  Shoe tying is a BIG one in first grade! All first graders should be working on this at home if they wear laced shoes.  Of course I will support them at school as well as their classmates.  Thank you for supporting your child with their independence.  Lastly, a reminder, if your child is sick with a fever please keep them home.  They should be fever free for 24 hours without medicine.  This common courtesy is greatly appreciated by the other families and school staff.

Have a nice weekend.

October 4th

It was like a CIRCUS in our classroom this week.  WAIT, that's right Troy Wunderly was here!  So the whole school was a circus!  All the first graders had an amazing and fun time.  I loved seeing the joy in all their faces.

All our Humanities Workshops are up and running.  These workshops include a whole group mini lesson around a concept.  Then, the students break out into differentiated groups.  This is where the just-right instruction happens and I can work with smaller groups of students.  This way I can take students from where they are and hopefully bring them further.  Another important part of these workshops is independent activities.  As I mentioned before, first grade is the year students gain a lot more of it.  So, opportunities for them to do this are important.  

Skill and concepts that we worked on this week:

• Printing letters using the correct letter formation.

• Identifying that a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a stop sign and must have a subject (person, place, thing object or thing animal.)

• Putting together and taking apart cvc words.

• Learning about the gear that firefighters use to stay safe and keep us safe.

• Noticing how readers ask questions to help them better understand what they are reading.

• Listening to me read Where's Spot? and No, David! and asking questions and discovering the answers to those as I read.  Sometimes we were unable to find the answer. 

• Reading independently.

• Collaborating, working together to achieve a goal.

Have an awesome weekend

October 11th

The first graders had a wonderful week.  

Some of the learning, practicing and reinforcing has been:

• Composing and decomposing cvc words.

• Adding to their sight word vocabulary.

• Reading fiction and non fiction books independently.

• Asking and answering questions when reading to better understand.

• Collaborating with each other as well as with the second graders.

• Writing barebone sentences.

• Building a deeper understanding of sentence structure including beginning with a capital and ending with a stop sign.

• Naming subjects (nouns) and action words (predicates.)

Some reminders:

• Next week is a two day week.

• Conferences are coming up in November.  I am sending home a sign up form next week for my homeroom class.  Please sign up for one of the times.

Have a super weekend!

October 27th

WHOOPS, I forgot!

November 1st

Is it REALLY November 1st?  I'm not complaining, but this is CRAZY!  It has been a perfect week for the first graders to enjoy our new playground. Students were able to explore it for the first time on Tuesday.  Some of the first graders share with me their favorite parts; the spider web, bumpy slide, zip line and twisty slide.  My favorite was the music makers.

Some of the learning, practicing and reinforcing has been:

• Continued practice reading and writing CVC words.

• Finishing up Barebone Halloween writing.

• Practicing, practicing

• Applying conventions to their writing including capital at the beginning, ending punctuation, space between words.

• Reading with Mrs. PJ one-to-one for an assessment.

• Learning and/or reviewing first grade Trick Words: a, and, the, is, his and of.

•  Focusing their understanding of reading on the who and what. 

Some reminders:

• Next week are conferences on Thursday and Friday.  These are also half days for students.

• Next week WINGS begin.  

• Veteran's Day is November 11th and no school.

• Don't forget to VOTE!

Have a wonderful weekend!

November 4th-15th

Thank you to ALL families who came to conferences.  The 1st grade class had 100% attendance.

Also, thank you for all the food brought in for the food drive.  The 1st grade class is in second place to the 5th grade class.  Keep sending cans and boxed none perishable item in.  I REALLY want the first graders to win the class party!

Some of the learning, practice and reinforcing past two weeks has been:

• Wrote barebone sentences to celebrate World Kindness Day.  These are hung up in our hallway for all to see.

• Read fiction and non fiction books.

• Compared and contrasted different aspects of a variety of texts.

• Identifying the sequences within a text.

• Practiced handwriting.

• Wrapped up our word work latest unit with an end of unit assessment.

• Identified the five haves when writing sentences.

• Read with Mrs. PJ.

Some reminders:

• Wednesday, November 20th is a half day for students.

• November 25th-27th no school for students.

• November 28th-29th is Thanksgiving break for all.

I wish you all an amazing weekend.  I hear it is going to be around 60 on Sunday.

January 3, 2025

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Some of the first graders learning, practice and reinforcing throughout December has been:

• Reading and writing words including consonant digraphs like wh, ch, sh, th & ck.

• Reading and listening to fiction and nonfiction books.

• Demonstrating understanding of what they have read through drawing, writing and discussions.

• Identifying, reading and writing trick words; words that we read and write a lot, but are not decodable.  

• Editing sentences for ending punctuation.

• Writing barebone sentences using singular and plural subjects.

Some REMINDERS:

• If your first grader comes home with some books and their names are on it they may keep it at home.

• Wednesday is winter activities. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing and ski passes.

• Friday is our next Spirit Day.  The theme is either retro or future dress up.

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend.  

 January 10, 2025

Some of the first graders learning, practice and reinforcing this week.

• Adding new trick words to Student Notebooks:  for, of, they, you & your.

• Identifying the main idea within fiction and nonfiction texts.

• Adding to the ends of one syllable words a bonus f, l, s or z to words with one vowel making its short sound like puff, fill, miss or buzz.

• Using proper names as the subject within a three sentence story.

• Adding the proper conventions to their writing. A sentence begins with a capital, ends with a stop sign, includes a subject and action predicate.  OH, and putting SPACES BETWEEN WORDS.

• Applying what they know and persevering during our mid year assessments.

Some REMINDERS:

• Students should have a pair of shoes to change into during the winter season.  The snow boots have proven to be uncomfortable while in the classroom.  

• Sneakers are a necessity to participate in P.E.

• Breakfast ends at 8:15. Students need to be arriving by 8:10 if they would like a breakfast.

• There is a half day for students on Wednesday.   There are no winter sports that day.

• Please leave the reading log in the home/school folder.

Have an enjoyable weekend.

February 7, 2025

Some of the first graders learning, practice and reinforcing for the last few week.

• Persevering through mid-year assessments.

• Reading and writing about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• Learning about the traditions that go with Groundhog Day.

• Adding new trick words to their student notebooks.

• Adding new vocabulary to their student notebooks.

• Identifying proper end of sentence punctuation including telling, asking and yelling sentences.

• Reading words and syllables with the glued sounds; all, am and an.

• Writing connective sentences using subjects, action preticates and connector words.

• Reading informational texts and noticing the different text features.

REMINDERS:

• Send a snack and water bottle daily.

• Check Home/School Folders nightly, clean out and return daily with any completed homework or notes.

• Read and fill out the reading log nightly.

• Winter activities should happen this coming Wednesday.

• Send outdoor winter clothes daily.

• Week after next is February Vacation.