Week 18    December 14-18, 2015
 
Congratulations! Brayden Hayes for advancing to the next level in our spelling bee championships!  1B is behind you all the way!


Just a reminder.  This week we have two half days; Thursday and Friday.  School will be out at 11:45.

On Friday we will have our class holiday party.  It will reflect a culmination of our week's study of Christmas Around the World.  Students will complete a world map locating the places we study.

All of your child's desk materials will be returned to you on Thursday so you may inventory their supplies and purchase new ones if necessary. Please replace the green folder if it has rips or is damaged in any way.  Make sure you put their names on their items.  We want to start the next quarter fresh and clean.  As Mr. Gillingham said, "A spring cleaning in the winter."

Also, please make sure you return all the readers this Thursday so I may inventory them over the holiday.

This will be a short week, but will be a full week for math, reading, and spelling.


ELA

We will be finishing Frog and Toad All Year, and then we will be reading several short stories.  They are ready to recite their poem on Table Manners, so make sure you ask them to recite it to you!

We are practicing writing letters and addressing an envelope.  This is a hard skill, but they are doing their best.

SPELLING

Monday:  every, under, most, made, said, says, say, work, our, more
Tuesday: when, from form, wind, wind (up the toy), print, air, fill, along, lost
Wednesday: name, room, hope, same, glad, with, mine, chair, forgot, guess
Thursday: Practice writing the 30 words once, with markings to prepare for the test on Friday.

MATH

This week we will continue to practice graphing and gathering information from graphs.  We will continue to practice subtraction and addition word problems.

HISTORY

The students will finish their study of Islam and study geographical regions of the earth. We are also learning about the 8 phases of the moon.

SCIENCE

Student's are learning about the layers of the earth and about mineral deposits in the earth layers.

Have a great week

This month's virtue: Humility

These are the few ways we can practice humility:

To speak as little as possible of one's self.

To mind one's own business.

Not to want to manage other people's affairs.

To avoid curiosity.

To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully.

To pass over the mistakes of others.

To accept insults and injuries.

To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked.

To be kind and gentle even under provocation.

Never to stand on one's dignity.

To choose always the hardest.”  

― Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living

Week 17 December 7-11, 2015

Congratulations to our new Spelling stars that will advance to the next level this week!

Please know you child does not have to participate.  Have them just let me know.  :0

Virtue of the Month - Humility

According to The American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster in 1828

Humility, n. [L. humilitas; Fr. humilite
1. In ethics, freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth.  In theology, humility consists in lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one's own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will.

I look forward to seeing how our students exhibit humility with each other this month!

Announcement- There will be no reading groups on Tuesday as I will be away from the classroom. Mrs. Vance will be teaching that day.

ELA (English, Language Arts)

We will continue reading our Frog and Toad All Year book.  We will make special emphasis on recognizing the main idea of the passage, and finding the supporting details.

SPELLING

Monday - fine, cannot, May, may, line, left, ship, train, saw, pay
Tuesday - large, near, down, why, bill, want, girls, girl, part, still
Wednesday - place, report, never, found, side, kind, life, here, car, word
Thursday - Practice writing the 30 words once with markings to prepare for the test on Friday.

GRAMMAR

We will continue to locate nouns, proper noun, verbs, and adjectives in our daily sentence work.  We are also working on the proper way to address an envelope.

Math

This week we will be looking at common phrases such as "more than" and "Less than."  Students will compare two numbers by subtraction and make simple picture graphs using one-to-one representation.

HOMEWORK: Students will be given their new Math books on Monday!

Monday - Pages 7-10
Tuesday - Pages 11-13  Pages 14-18 (Optional)
Wednesday - Pages 19-21
Thursday - Pages 22-25
Friday - Pages 26-29 (optional)

HISTORY

This week students will be learning the basics of Islam. Students will be able to label countries in the Middle East to show where Islam began. They will learn about the 5 Pillars, and also about the prophet Muhammad.  They will be able to describe features of a mosque, the Islamic place of worship, and be able to discuss the holy book that Muslims read, the Qur'an.  Islam will conclude our study of religions for first grade.  Next week we will have a Unit test on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

SCIENCE

Students will identify the earth's layers.  The inner/outer core, mantle, and crust.  Students also will be able to understand that rocks are made of one or more minerals.

Congratulations to Aiden -for winning the Award for Courage!

Have a great week!

Week 16  November 30-December 4, 2015


I hope everyone had a restful and meaningful Thanksgiving break!  It is hard to believe that this week we enter the month of December.  Where has the time gone?


I had many special moments with my family and friends.  The weather was beautiful and the zoo called my name (my favorite place to go).

This is my grandbaby Jesse and my daughter Jessica.  We loved seeing the ducks and the giraffes!

I am excited about the week ahead!  The progress your children are making in reading and math, plus their Core Knowledge subjects is very encouraging.


ELA

We will begin our new Frog and Toad literature book entitled Frog and Toad All Year.  They have enjoyed the exploits of these two creatures all month, and I'm sure they won't be disappointed with this one.

SPELLING

Monday - cast, card, south, deep, inside, blue, post, town, stay, grand

Tuesday - outside, dark, band, game, boat, rest, east, son, sun, help

Wednesday -hard, race, cover, fire, wire, tire, age, gold, read, read (a book), red

Thursday - Practice writing the 30 words once, with markings for the test tomorrow.

Idioms of the Month

"An apple a day, keeps the doctor away."  A healthy diet keeps us from being sick.  This saying is also one of the 101 most popular sayings in the U.S.

"There's no place like home."  Traveling to other places may be fun, but home is the best place of all. This was popularized in a song in 1812 and is listed also as one of the 101 most popular sayings in the U.S.


MATH

This week we will be comparing  the weights of two objects, and the capacity of several containers.

Homework:
Monday - Pgs. 157-158
Tuesday - Pgs. 159-162
Wednesday - Pgs. 163-165
Thursday - Pgs. 166-167

SCIENCE

The first few days we will  review the body systems we have learned so far.  On Thursday we will begin to learn the importance of cleanliness and the importance of germ control, and study the Scientist Louise Pasteur.

HISTORY

This week we will learn what Christians believe about the Holy Week.  The week Jesus Christ was crucified.  We will read stories and learn new vocabulary for this unit.

Congratulations  Aiden Bottolfson for receiving the Virtue award for Courage. 

Have a wonderful week!


 

Week 15, 2015

It is so very hard to believe that we have entered our Thanksgiving week!  We have lots of fun projects lined up for our Turkey Tuesday. Because it is a holiday week, there will be no homework on Tuesday and the remainder of the Holiday.  Monday homework will be to read for 15 minutes and Math homework pages 80-83.

Please be sure to check the planners tomorrow for the results of the Spelling test.  A few of the parents will have to sign and return the test to me.

It was so sad to say goodbye to our friend Scarlet. Students made beautiful cards for her and she received many gifts.  We all wish her well with her new adventures.

It was also a great privilege to be a part of you children's Winter Concert.  I was so proud of them.  They were learning many things that night, and I am sure they are well on their way to continuing their love of Music and Music Performance.

Ben did a great job of introducing the song.  Emily did too, but my camera turned off before I could get her picture...sorry Emily!

These next couple of days will be review days for the students.  We know they will be very excited (as will I), about the Holiday.  Be assured there will be continued learning with fun reading and math projects, and many opportunities to participate in classroom discussions.

Please let me know if your child would like to participate in the Spelling Bee.  The lists are on line and the links are on this page.


In the spirit of the season I would like to say how thankful I am to be your child's teacher.  I am loving them more and more each day.  It's fun to think about them on the weekends, and wonder if they will like something I see in the store, or something I am planning for their units.  You have helped to make this first quarter (and soon to finish second quarter) a fun and pleasant experience!  All of my parents are very honoring, respectful and kind!  Many blessings for a wonderful week!

Week 14       November 16-20, 2015

Reminder:  This Wednesday, November 18 is the Winter Concert.  I look forward to seeing all our 1B students on stage ready to share what they have learned in Music these past weeks! Parents please note the students need to come back to their seats until the program is over.  This is part of the concert etiquette we are trying to instill into them.

We will have reading groups on Tuesday and Thursday this week, but we will NOT have Math groups.


Literature:

We are starting Frog and Toad Together this next week so make sure those books are in their folders.
We continue to study common and proper nouns and we are learning about adjectives.
We will study the difference between fantasy and reality.

Science:

We will continue studying our body systems.  This week the system is the Nervous System and our five main senses.

History:

We will continue our study in religions with Christianity.  Students will learn about the birth of Jesus and the Nativity story.

Math:

Student will continue to review basic shapes and measurement will be introduced.

Homework:
Monday: Worksheet pages 102-103
Tuesday: Worksheet pages 104-105
Wednesday: No Homework due to Winter Concert
Thursday: Worksheet pages 82-83
Friday: No Homework

Spelling:

Monday: thank, dear, west, sold, told, best, form, far, gave, alike
Tuesday: add, brave, corn, dance, dinner, doll, egg, fruit, looks, pick
Wednesday: No Homework due to Winter Concert
Thursday: Practice writing 20 words with markings for spelling test tomorrow.
Friday:  Spelling Test

Have a great week!

Quote of the week:

"There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

Albert Einstein ~

Week 13  November 9-13 2015

Reminders ***************************************

There will be no school on Wednesday.
The students should be wearing their winter uniforms.
Make sure the attire for the Winter Concert is correct. (See email letter to parents  I sent this week).

Special thank you to all the parents who helped make our Egypt party a success!  It would not have happened without all your work and contributions!

 Building our pyramids.  Thank you Mrs. Sutton!

 Our pyramid estimation winner  Aubrey!

 A finished product!

What a way to learn!

Building our alligators!

Visiting the Egypt Museum.

Yummy Egypt Food.

The final product and end to a successful day!

This week in 1B:


Spelling:

Monday: came, Sunday, show, Monday, moon, yet, find, give, new, letter,
Tuesday: take, Mr. = Mister, after, thing, what, than, its, his, her, it's =it (i)s, very, or
Wednesday:  No School
Thursday: Practice writing the words once with markings.
Friday: Spelling Test.


Math:

Students will recognize and name four basic shapes: circle, triangle, rectangle, and square and they will sort objects by shape.
Students will classify two-dimensional shapes according to one of these attributes: shape, color, and size.

Science:

Students will be able to identify components of the circulatory system.  The system that pumps blood through the body.

History:

Students will continue to learn about the customs of Judaism.  This week we will learn about the celebration of Hanukkah and the story behind it, Synagogues, the Star of David and Kosher foods.

In the World History and Geography section, we introduce children to not only ancient civilizations but also to topics in the history of world religions.  Many people who contributed to the Core Knowledge curriculum agreed that religion is a shaping force in the history of civilization and thus should be a part of what our children know about.  In introducing children to the history of world religions, we focus on major symbols, figures, and stories. Our goal is to be descriptive, not prescriptive, and to maintain a sense of respect and balance.  As we share about the symbols, figures, and stories I mention to our scholars that these are practices and beliefs of the people of that religion. If you practice one of our studied religions please feel free to send in any symbols to share!


Virtue of the Month:  Courage

According to the American Dictionary of the English Language - by Noah Webster 1828 courage is defined as:

(French from caeur, Latin cor, THE HEART
BRAVERY; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear; valor; boldness; resolution.  It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.

Quote of the week:

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.  You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

~Eleanor Roosevelt~

Week 12 - November 2-6, 2015

Thank you to all the people who helped make the Read-a-thon a success, and for all the wonderful books purchased for the classroom!

A gentle reminder - Parents please send appropriate protein enriched food for your children in their lunches.  I do believe they will feel better in the afternoons. Also, may I suggest one fruit and one sweet item.  Their morning snacks should not be full of sugar (except for fruit).  A cheese slice, a fruit roll-up, a piece of fruit are fine.  Please do not send cookies or candy items.  I know we spoke about this at the beginning of school, but I want all of us to be careful to keep the guidelines of the school.

Mrs. Sutton has given a website suggestion for parents who want to check safe, peanut-free snacks. 
http://www.firstkidspreschool.org/images/peanut-freesnacls.pdf

SPECIAL ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

Starting tomorrow the new winter dress code will be in place. Pants must be worn (no shorts) and girls have to wear tights with their dresses.

Congratulations to Riley (Citizenship) and Kodie (Honesty) for receiving their virtue awards on Friday.  You are great examples to have in the classroom!

ELA:

Reading :

Students will continue to read Frog and Toad and answer questions in their Literature Journals.
Please make sure you return the books in the bag by Thursday (new day) so that I have time for them to read with me. If I feel they are not fluent I will resend them for another week.

We will continue to study nouns, proper nouns and adjectives in grammar.  Dictation has just recently been introduced so we will continue to practice that skill.

The Read-a-thon was great fun and the students heard many wonderful stories.

 

Spelling:

Monday: foot, feet, blows, blow, block, spring, river, planted, plant cut
Tuesday: song, sing, sang, sung, winter, stone, free, lake, lace, page
Wednesday: nice, end, fall, went, back, away, paper, put each, soon
Thursday: Write the 30 spelling words once with markings.
to prepare for the test tomorrow (Friday).

Phonograms to review: v, ar, oy, ng, a, d, f, s, b, h, k, l, r, ea, ear (Plus the ones your child misses on his daily WPR page that will go home on Wednesday nights in the Planner).

Science:

We are having a lot of fun studying the human body and this week we will study the digestive system, starting with the mouth and moving to the large intestine.  This will be a good opportunity for you to discuss the benefits of a balanced diet.

History:

On Monday the containers with the mummified apples were opened and we were very surprised to see what was inside.  I have a few pictures, but please ask them about it!

 

Students had quite a bit of fun making their mummies out of the toilet paper rolls. A few will be left on display in the hall on our bulletin board.

This week we will begin our study of the Three major religious groups.  Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The focus for the next two weeks will be on Judaism, their customs and beliefs.  We will be reading about Abraham and Sarah and the Pharaoh of Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea.  I am going to really enjoy teaching this!

Math:

This week we will concentrate on adding a two-digit number to a one-digit number.  The students will also be able to recognize and name the four basic shapes: circle, triangle, rectangle, and square.

I hope everyone has a great week!  Don't forget the Egypt party on Friday.  Make sure you check out the sign-up for that event, there are still spaces available. Students may wear a sheet for a toga if they wish.  I will be making bread with them - - from grain to loaf -- this week so they will better
understand the importance of wheat in the life of all cultures.

Your children are amazing hard workers! I am so proud of them!

Quote of the week:

(Hebrew) "If you are not a better person tomorrow than you are today, what need have you for a tomorrow?" - Rabbi Nachman of Breslov


Happy November!