Math: This is the last lesson (week) in Unit 1. We have been learning about adding to subtract, counting on, and number partners for 10. So many strategies and tools for students to keep in their math tool belt! Students are now familiar with ten frames, number paths, and number bonds. This week we'll sum it all up (get it?) with a week of solving story problems. We use white boards almost every day for our math talks at the beginning of the lesson to warm up our brains and our voices as we explain our thinking to each other - one of the most important things about being a mathematician. Three rotations for math time include Math With Mrs. J, where we do our small group games and daily workbook page, and iReady MyPath and Learning Games on the computers. 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) We've been adding to our Green Zone Toolbox -- tools that help us get back to the Green Zone (calm and ready to learn). Ask your first grader which one(s) they like to try.

Phonics:  Trick words is, his, of, and, the, a. Tapping out words with a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern. Have your first grader demonstrate how to use their fingers to tap these words: mat, pig, men, box, sun

Questions to Ask Your First Grader

• What is your end of the day job this week? What job are you looking forward to doing that haven't done yet?

• Who is your morning circle partner this week? What did you learn about them this morning?

• What makes you laugh in Room 105?

• Name one tortoise structure and what it helps the tortoise do. (beaky mouth = eat leaves, long neck = reach for leaves, big shell = protection/defense from predators, etc)

Thanks for reading. Until next time! 

Please reach out with any questions or concerns via Jjendrzejek@pps.net or ParentSquare.

Mrs. J

Buddies:  We met our 4th grade buddies this week! For our first meet up, students traded letters about themselves and chatted to get to know each other. Each early release day we'll get together to do various activities and build meaningful cross-grade relationships. It's one of the best things we'll do all year!

Apple Art Project: One student asked me, "Mrs. J, why don't we do any more fun art projects like we did the first week of school?"  So here you go. (How could I say no?) We explored a new art tool: the paint stick. Like an oil pastel but without the mess, they feel like drawing with butter. The colors are so smooth and vibrant! Students were tasked with making four quadrants on their apple, each with a different pattern using 2-3 colors. Love how they turned out!

Questions to Ask Your First Grader

• What is Mix and Munch? Who did you sit by last Friday?

• What did the book Don't Hug Dug teach you?

• What was your end of the day classroom job last week? What job are you looking forward to doing?

• What or who makes you smile in Room 105? 

• Who was your morning circle parter last week? This week? What do they do to show they are listening to you? 

• What is something kind or nice you did recently at school? 

Thank you for supporting your first grader in this first month of school. It's a big transition from summer back into the school routine with a new grade and teacher and class. Whew! We did it!

Thanks for reading. Until next time! Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns via ParentSquare message or email (jjendrzejek@pps.net). 

Mrs. J

Week of September 15th

Thanks so much for coming to Back to School Night. I enjoyed seeing you all and loved to see how much the students have ownership over their classroom already. They were so excited to show you around!  

Here is the information from the back of the scavenger hunt and I've added extra notes in italics. 

Here is some information about the classroom and year ahead, in no particular order.

Homework:

In first grade, the only required homework is to read 20 minutes nightly. This includes reading to self, reading with someone, or listening to a story. The goal is to foster a love of reading! Occasionally, your child may bring home class work to be finished. I will make a note on the paper, or communicate with you directly if that is the case.  Weekly math family letters have some practice problems on the back, and they are optional. 

Field Trips and Residencies:

Ms. Casey and I are in the process of planning our field trips for the year. Tentatively, we will see a play downtown and go to OMSI.  In previous years we have also enjoyed residencies here at school with SCRAP, a theater company, and a glass artist.  If you’d like to chaperone a future field trip or help with a residency, please be sure you have passed the PPS Volunteer Background Check.

Family Reading Mornings:

Once a month, usually the last Friday of the month, you are invited to join your first grader in the classroom for 25 minutes of reading together. Younger siblings are welcome! If you are unable to attend, you can send someone else in your place (friend, family member, neighbor), and I also invite other special guests from our school staff to join. You do not need a background check for this event. Please sign in at the office as a visitor before coming down to the classroom. Come to any or all of the events!

8:00 - 8:25 on the following Fridays: September 26, October 24, November 21, December 19, January 30, February 27, March 20, April 24, May 29. 

Classroom Volunteers:

I am still determining our needs for the year. Stay tuned! If you are interested in volunteering, please be sure your PPS Volunteer Background Check is up to date. 

Ways to Help:

• Please help your child learn to tie shoes.

• Please make sure your child can put on and take off their winter coat independently. 

• Thank you for checking your child’s home-school envelope each day and keeping any papers at home. 

Here's the photos from the "photo booth" on Thursday. I'll also send a copy directly to you this week. 

Week of September 8th

We're happily off and running in Room 105! It's been a wonderful first two weeks of school (minus the heat). Thank you for supporting your student as they enter the world of first grade!

Upcoming Events and Action Items

• Back to School Night is this Thursday, 9/11, from 5:30 - 6:30. Your child will show you around the classroom and you'll get to complete a fun scavenger hunt together. See you then!

Update 

Presenting the 2025 - 2026 class of First Graders in Room 105! Here's their first day of first grade pictures.

We're starting to settle into this year's routine. Here's a quick overview, aka A Day in the Life of a First Grader in Room 105:

8:00 Morning Bins (toys/activities that rotate biweekly or so) are a great soft start to each day and give opportunities for social interaction, creativity, and teamwork with table mates. Last week Jenga was a big hit. 

8:10 Morning Circle - we greet each student, review the schedule, thank yesterday's Helping Hands and choose two new ones, and do a quick activity. It's a great time for learning social skills like taking turns in conversations, how to disagree politely, and getting to know each other.

8:30 "Adventures in Reading and Writing" - This is our language arts time to focus on reading comprehension, grammar, and writing. Our first module is called "A World of Books" and we'll answer the overarching question, how can books change our lives? Tomas and the Library Lady is our first focus book. 

9:15 Recess!

9:30 WIN Time (What I Need) - this is a focused intervention time. Our Reading Interventionist pulls students to give extra reading instruction, and I also work with small groups of students in both reading and math. (This will start in the coming weeks as I get more information from fall benchmark assessments.) Students use the Chromebooks during this time, using a variety of digital tools such as RazKids, Epic, Scholastic News, and the FUNhub (phonics).

10:00 Foundational reading skills - phonemic awareness and phonics. We'll play with words, learn new sound spellings, do dictation on whiteboards, build words with magnet boards, and more. The last few weeks we've been reviewing the alphabet and the correct way to write each letter using the sky line, plane line, grass line, and worm line.

10:40 - 11:20 Recess then lunch

11:25 More foundational reading skills time. Stay tuned for how this time evolves in the coming weeks. Read to Self is off to a good start for now!

11:45 Math mini lesson -- we gather together on the rug and turn on our mathematical brains to do a warm up followed by a mini lesson on the week's focus skill. We often use whiteboards to show our thinking, and sometimes have a "gallery walk" to look at others' thinking. This time is all about sharing our thinking or how we solved a problem. 

12:05 PE, Art, Library, or Music

12:50 A quick snack so we're ready to tackle math. 

1:00 Math rotations - We have three rounds of math rotations that include an activity with Mrs. J, and time on iReady MyPath and iReady Learning Games (both on the chromebook). More on this later, but it's going so smoothly right now! 

1:45 Science or Health (alternating units) or Fun Friday!

2:15 Pack up then Closing Circle - students get to reflect on their day and say goodbye to each other. 

2:30 Dismissal - whew! Another great day!

Questions to Ask Your First Grader

How does the goodbye song go? ("First grade is over, now it's time to go. We'll put on our backpacks and stand in a row. I wave at you, you wave at me. We give a little clap. We'll see you all tomorrow when we all come back!")

Who was your partner for morning circle last week? How do you "turn and talk" to your partner?

What is Fun Friday? Did you have any fun?

What makes you smile in Room 105? 

Thank you for reading. If you missed my introduction page with information about me and the classroom, you can find it here. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out via email or ParentSquare message. Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday evening for Back to School Night! 

Mrs. J

jjendrzejek@pps.net or ParentSquare