First Grade
Ms. Ross & Ms. T
Mrs. Ali & Ms. Lopez
Ms. Thompson & Mr. A
Embedded Files
🍂November 2025🍂
Unit of Inquiry:
How We Organize Ourselves - Humankind and the Environment
Central Idea:
Humankind and the environment influence our way of life.
Transdisciplinary Theme Focus:
Economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment
The interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities
Learner Profile Attributes:
Thinkers, Communicators,
& Balanced
Pillar of the Month: Courage
Pillar of the Month: Courage
Learner Profile Attribute: Risk-Taker
Our Language Policy
In first grade, language is at the heart of everything we do! This month, we are exploring how to communicate with each other and learn more about our community. Students are discovering what makes a community, meeting community helpers, and reflecting on their field trip experiences. They are also practicing sharing their ideas, opinions, and thoughts with classmates, building stronger connections, and seeing how we all work together to make our community special.
Our first graders went on a community walk to explore the neighborhood around our school. As we walked, students were thinkers, noticing the different places that are part of our community, stores, flower shops, parks, delis, schools, and more. They talked about what each place is for and why people need it.
Students also communicated with their classmates and teachers, sharing what they saw and how these places help our community work every day. They noticed that parks give us space to play, stores provide things we need, and schools help us learn.
Through this walk, students learned that all of these places and the people who use them, help make our community what it is. We also talked about how we are part of the community too, and that the way we work together and take care of our neighborhood helps keep our community strong.
On our community walk, students were asked to be “community helper detectives” and look around to see if they could spot anyone helping our neighborhood. And they did! Our first graders found some amazing community helpers, police officers who were helping us cross the streets safely, guiding traffic, and watching over the park to help keep everyone in our community safe.
We even got to talk to them, and the officers explained the different ways they help people every day. First Graders were so excited to meet them and learn more about their jobs!
Farm Field Trip
During our field trip to Queens Farm, where students became part of a much larger community. Other schools from across Queens were visiting too, and students saw how different groups can share the same spaces and experiences. They showed courage during the hayride, even when it got super bumpy! Throughout the trip, students met new community helpers who work at the farm. These helpers guided the classes, took them on rides, showed them around, and made sure everyone had fun while staying safe.
Together, both experiences helped students understand that communities are made up of people and places that work together and that we are an important part of those communities too.
During our field trip to Queens Farm, students got to experience pumpkin picking and even fed the animals. They learned that farmers grow the pumpkins we see in stores, and that the animals need to be fed and cared for every day by the workers so they can stay healthy and live safely. Students also discovered that farmers and farm workers are important community helpers—they help provide the food, milk, and other products we use every day.
We talked about how pumpkins have seeds, how they grow, and how many of our pumpkin-flavored foods start right on farms like this. Students had an amazing time exploring the farm and learning about all the things that are part of our community. They also noticed that other schools were visiting too, which helped them see how different groups share the same learning spaces.
Even though it was cold, our first graders were risk-takers. They bundled up, stayed brave, and enjoyed every part of the trip. It was a great way for them to learn how farms, farmers, animals, and even other schools all connect to the bigger communities we’re a part of.
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