WEEK OF 09/20/2025
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
I'm looking forward to seeing all of our first grade parents on "Back to School Night"! Parents can come on Thursday, September 4th to visit the classrooms between the hours of 6:30 - 8:00 pm. I will be providing a 1st Grade Information folder for all families to help guide you through the 2025/2026 1st grade school year. You will also receive IXL login information. All of the students have the same password (104). In the folder you will also find a SEPTEMBER Reading Log. At the beginning of each month I will send out a Reading Log. This should be kept at home for the entire month, and sent back on the date suggested at the bottom. This is part of your first grader’s ELA grade. This week the first graders will start learning how to navigate and use their Assignment Notebook. The assignment notebook will not go home until they understand how to use it. Please TRUST my process. Like the tortoise said to the hare, "Slow and steady wins the race". You will be amazed at your first grader's growth at the end of this school year. Please see "Family Learning Time" and Enrichment suggestions for this week. This week the first graders will start Math homework. Start working on your "Family Homework" pattern while the work is easy (where, how long, help them get started, check their work at the end). Check for reversals. Make sure your first grader is writing his/her name. Not the parent. :) I don't consider "Reading" homework. Reading should be a pleasure. Read a book to them that they love to listen to, and have them read a short book at their reading level, or a sight word game, sounding out words, or just a few sentences. If your first grader isn't reading words yet, have them read the pictures. That's still comprehension. It's not pleasurable if they are struggling through a story. Don't force it. HAVE FUN!
PAW PRIDE BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
Each student has the opportunity to be caught "doing the right thing" to earn paw prides. After a student reaches 5 paw prizes, he/she will get a chance to pick a prize from the "Paw Pride container". I do this every day, so if you have prizes laying around your house, or small toys you wish to toss, send them in to me. The entire class can also earn paw prides by modeling amazing paw pride behavior as a group. We have a separate jar that we fill with paws, and when we fill the jar, the class can choose a FUN FRIDAY activity at the end of the month. It's a pretty large jar.
CURRICULUM
RELIGION: The first graders are enjoying unit 1 in "This is our Faith" (Jesus is our Shepherd). We have also been practicing the sign of the cross (reciting and hand gestures). On Wednesday the first graders will meet their 7th grade buddies, and participate in an activity together that focuses on our school theme (INTEGRITY).
FUNDATIONS: The first graders are enjoying unit 1/week 1 and 2, which reviews Kindergarten skills. Please see the list that follows (recognizing lowercase letters, reviewing key sounds/words, recognizing syllables, and beginning sound identification.
ELA /WONDERS: The first graders will continue their "Wonders" SMART START. We are on week two of this program. It reviews a lot of skills taught in Kindergarten. Please continue to go over the Smart Start sight word list. If your first grader mastered this list, he/she will receive a new sight word list this week. The first graders are truly enjoying literacy stations, and our Michael Haggerty phonemic awareness program. We are learning first sound fluency, letter naming fluency, recognizing rhyming words, and building compound words with a cheer.
MATH: The first graders will begin chapter 1 (Basic Addition): Our Math lessons start slow, then get more rigorous. Each lesson starts with a vocabulary review, a Math lab of teacher modeling, then students work in pairs to participate in a Math lab using manipulatives. Each lesson ends with a closing activity of Mental Math to enrich them. Four days a week the first graders will participate in Math stations where they rotate. The stations consist of Independent work alongside me (if help is needed), two Math game stations, and an IXL lesson reviewing the concept of the day,
WRITING: The first graders have started using the Fundations writing program. They will continue to write their first name with only one capital letter. The first graders are also learning how to use sky writing to help with formation automaticity. We will start using the writing lines this week (top/skyline, middle/jet line, bottom/ grass line, and below the line lives the worm letters (g, j, p, q, & y)). Lastly, we are reviewing the correct formation of numbers 2---.> 9. If you notice your first grader making reversals of letters/numbers, please have them correct it. Thank you.
SOCIAL STUDIES: The first graders are excited to share their posters with you on "Back to School" night. They will be finishing their "All About Me" unit this week, which has fostered self awareness, built confidence, and developed language and communication skills. We have also created a strong classroom community by getting to know each other.
SCIENCE: The first graders will begin their first Unit (Sound). This is a month-long unit which will help the first graders describe sound, make sound, and how we use sound. They will also participate in their first SCI/FRI (Science Friday), where the students have fun doing Science experiments! This week I have all of the supplies I need. There will be some experiments where I ask for supplies on the teacher page on Mondays, and have them due on Thursdays.
FAMILY LEARNING TIME
Enrichment is on my Resource page.
FAMILY READING TIME DAILY
Monday: Labor Day
Tuesday: Math 1.1 (Return tomorrow)
Wednesday: Math 1.2 (use pennies) (Return tomorrow)
Thursday: Math 1.3 (Return tomorrow)
Friday: Enjoy your family!
Stomeczko@stgilesschool.org
Let’s have a wonderful week!
Yours in Partnership,
Ms. Sandra Tomeczko
