Week of August 31, 2015

Classwork:

ELA (English, Language Arts)
We will continue our Tom Thumb Stories from around the World.  We will read about Thumbelina and Little Finger of the Watermelon Patch.
The vocabulary for this unit is as follows:

reins, harness, stump, "apple of my eye", chopsticks, dodging, cart, energetic, snatched, oaf, extravagance, eddy, gnaw, gossamer, hovered, withered, prodded, despised.
This is not spelling vocabulary.  We introduce an extensive vocabulary in every content area so they may have a better understanding in their independent reading activities

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We have been practicing our Caterpillar Poem for oral recitation on Friday.  Ask them to practice with you.  I am sure you will be amazed!

For Spalding we are beginning our pink notebooks on Monday.  If you have not purchased one for your child, please see Melody in the front office and you may purchase one from her.

Spalding Homework:
MONDAY: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, she
TUESDAY: can, see, run, the, in, so, no, now, man
WEDNESDAY: ten, tan, tin, ton, bed, top, he, ou, will, we,
THURSDAY: Review ALL Phonograms: ee, u, o, ow, ou, e sh, e
FRIDAY: Practice phonograms for 5 minutes

A quick review:  You will get a blank lined page.  You will fold it in half.  Give you child the first word (left side of page), then correct it if need be.  Give the child the SAME Word again (right side of page), then correct if need be. Finally, turn the page over. Give the child the SAME word again (back side of page). Correct if need be.
I know this may seem long, but believe me, if you lay the foundation strong this week, the rest of the year will be painless.  We have actually timed the homework and it should not take longer than 20 minutes.  Try to curb their complaining and distracting questions so they can focus. This week I will be looking for the letters to be placed on the bottom line.  I don't want to overburden them so I will just check for that.  Thanks for all your help

We have finished our Dibels testing and plan to send home leveled readers every Wednesday.  They will be placed in a large ziplock baggie for protection. Your child will read and then re-read that book throughout the week and on Wednesdays we will change them out. There is great value in the repetitive process of reading.  They may complain a bit, but you can change it up.  You read a page then they read a page etc.  Ask questions about the reading.  What happened first? Next? Last?

Our writing this week will include excerpts from Alice's Adventure in Wonderland.  This includes narration and copy work.
In Language Lessons we will continue to identify "What is a noun"..  We know that a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. We have identified the difference between  "common and proper" nouns.  Ask them what the difference is.  You may be pleasantly surprised!

In History we will answer the question "What is History?".  Students will be able to identify the vocabulary for this unit which includes:
History, ancient, civilization, basic needs, past, present, future, yesterday, tomorrow, and timeline.

In Science we will study Living Things and their Environment. Vocabulary for this unit includes:
Habitat, forest, deciduous, evergreen, wet, warmer, food chain, food web, producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, primary, secondary and top consumer.

Announcements

I would like to thank Ms. Guglielmino for bringing in a case of water and a case of pretzels for emergencies.  That has come in handy so much this week.  Many times the students lose their water bottles and sometimes forget snacks.  The snack in the afternoon is optional, although if your child does not have one they can be very sad about that.  I had a box of vanilla wafers I gave out.  They only need about 5 of those each day, so hopefully it will not be a burden to buy a box to keep on hand at home, and then put a few in a baggie.

Mrs. O. has some help with the classroom. Ms. Gwen Antonio will be assisting Mrs. O. in many of the fun upcoming events that PSO has planned for our school year.  Thank you both so much!

We will start Math Centers this week and Reading Centers on Tuesday and Thursday mornings after the Holiday break.  That week (Sept. 7) we will begin reading Centers on Thursday (Sept. 10).  Mrs. O. has sent out a sign-up page if you would like to help with that. I have the Reading Centers in the morning at approximately 8:15 for about 20 minutes.  Then you have your whole day for yourselves.

Thank you so much for the loving, encouraging emails you send.  I count it a joy to be the teacher of great students and great hearted parents.


"Keep calm and carry on." **** Winston Churchill

Week of August 24^th Classroom Work

Spalding: Review Phonograms, Practice writing skills (proper posture, pencil and paper placement)

Literature: Tom Thumb and various tales

Geography: Our lovely state of Arizona

Science: Animal Habitats

Announcements and Reminders:

Please remember to send a water bottle with your student. It is very hot outside still and the children are thirsty throughout the day. Having a water bottle handy helps them to keep hydrated.

We are going to implement an additional snack in the afternoon. We are finding the children are hungry in the afternoon and want to make sure we are not sending them home with hungry tummies.

Archway Arete has decided to implement homework on Fridays starting this week. The first grade team has decided to make weekend homework reading for 15 minutes and phonogram practice for 5 minutes.

Our classroom will have a new face starting next week. Ms. Vance has been hired to assist in our classroom on Tuesday and Wednesday. The rest of the week she will be assisting in 4^th grade. She is an experienced 1^st grade teacher and shares the philosophy of making learning fun with love and logic strategies. Mrs. Powers will be filling in on Friday’s as our classroom assistant. This will be Mrs. Powers second year at Archway Arete. She started last year as a 1^st grade assistant and then became a lead kindergarten teacher. These lovely two ladies will make our classroom complete.

It was so wonderful to see all of you on Thursday night. I hope I gave you the information you need to understand what will be happening in our classroom and what my philosophies on teaching are. If you were unable to attend, I sent home a packet in your child’s folder on Friday.

We Did It!

Good evening wonderful Great Hearts parents,

I am very excited  to send this email with all the information you will need for the coming weeks.  I will try to provide answers to your questions here, and in the blog.  I would like to say, though, that I am very proud of our class this year.  I truly enjoy all children, but this particular class is going to accomplish great things.  I have enjoyed learning about their loves and fears.  We have shared about our pets, favorite foods, family members and vacations.  Every day draws our classroom family together.   We have focused on the virtues this week and speak of them all throughout the day.  Virtues are not taught as a particular lesson  but as a way of life.  We discuss perseverance and honesty when we read Aesop’s fables.  We discuss friendship and humility when we have classroom encounters where students are helping one another.  Don’t be surprised if you start hearing some of that vocabulary at the dinner table.

Homework:

We have practiced sending the green homework folders home this week.  The students know that they are to read with a parent (or to themselves) for 15 minutes each night Monday through Thursday.  Please make sure you initial the space on the reading log letting our assistant teacher know to mark complete.  The reading log is good for two weeks, so please keep them in their folders.  If they have read each night for those two weeks, they will receive a star on the class reading chart.  You will be amazed with the results of this diligent reading schedule.  Starting this week, Monday August 17, the students will bring their planners home.  Each morning when they come into class, they will write their homework for that day in their planners.  The planners will go home for you to check and  send  back with their green folders.  They will also be practicing their phonograms this week.  We have been reviewing  the first 10 phonograms in class,  along with writing them with proper letter formation and pencil grip. I will let you know when the spelling list will appear, but for now we are practicing writing and recognizing our phonograms.  Another book that will go home will be the math workbook.  The homework will be specific pages assigned in their workbook.  I expect that you will check the work and we will mark it as  completed.  If you ever have a question about a particular problem, please send a note attached to the workbook or email me. This also will return to school the next day, along with their green homework folder and planner.

Estimation Jar:

By now, you must have heard about our famous estimation jar.  During calendar each day 6 students estimate how many items are in our estimation jar.  By the end of the week all 30 students have given their estimation.  The calendar leader for the week counts the items on Friday, and the one who estimated closest to the amount that was actually in the jar, gets to take the jar home and refill it with items of their choosing.  It doesn’t have to be candy.  Students can be very creative here (although I do advise against items like rice because we would be counting for hours …lol). This week,  Evan estimated the closest and we are  excited to see what he brings Monday.

Reading books from home:

I have asked students to bring one or two books from home for the week for when they have finished classwork .  In a couple of weeks we will be assessing and giving students leveled readers to take home and read.

Weather alert:

It has been extremely hot this week.  We are only allowing the students to go outside to the playground for the morning recess.  For the other two, they will remain in the classroom playing indoor games.  Please make sure they have water bottles when they come to school.  We can refill them for them.  It is more conducive and efficient for learning when their water bottle is in the classroom.

Class mom:

I would like to introduce our class mom.  Ms. Kendra Olszowka, Riley’s mom.  She has made herself available to answer questions and organize our volunteer list.  Soon we will need volunteers for reading, math, crafts, parties, etc. If you need to contact her : Kenolsz@hotmail.com ; call or text 480-720-2366.

Student release/pick-up times:

Would you please send me a quick email letting me know when you will be picking up your students each day?  If they have siblings in Archway, they will be picked up at 3:05;  If they have prep siblings, they will be picked up at 3:25.  All other students will be picked up at 2:45, at least until the clubs start.

Nut-Free Room:

Thank you parents for being considerate in regards to our student’s allergy.  All snacks have been very healthy and nut-free.

August Classwork –August 17-21

Literature:  We will continue reading Aesop’s fables and discussing the moral for each story.  Be sure and ask them about this.  The ability to retell a story and events helps them to organize information for understanding and retention.

Writing:  We are reading excerpts  from The Little House on the Prairie.  The passage is discussed and students share their favorite parts of the passage. We collect their ideas on the board and they copy the one that is their favorite.

Spalding: Review phonogram cards and practice proper pencil grip and letter formation.  Homework will be assigned each night.

Geography:  We will continue to review the 7 continents and 4 oceans.  We will focus on the 4 regions of the United States and what each region contributes to the nation.

Science:  We will continue to study the oceans and the variety of life teaming in warm and cold regions.

Math:  We will continue to review number bonds and simple math sentences using word problems and manipulatives with white boards.  Homework will be assigned each night in the Singapore workbook (to be returned to school each morning).

Most of the student’s work this week will be placed in their “First Week of First Grade” file.   I will return graded homework beginning this we on Fridays.

Reading Book List: We will begin Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel  in September.  You may have your child bring this book to class and I will keep it for them.  Other books include:  A Bargain for Francis by Hoban; Sam the Minuteman by Benchley; My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett; Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.

Curriculum Night is August 20, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.  Please join us for information about our classroom curriculum.  There will be a time for questions and answers following.  You will also be able to meet the Specials Teachers. This is a parent only event.

Be sure to check out the blog, updated each Sunday night.  If there is an important item I need to address, I will email. Otherwise, all information will be on the blog.  Please join today!  Ms. Olszowka can help if you have difficulty.  aretesipe.blogspot.com

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced”.  Soren Kierkegaard

 

Have a wonderful week!

Welcome to Mrs. Sipe’s First Grade Curriculum Night!

 

Below is a list of topics that we will cover this evening.

 

·        Daily Schedule

o   7:50-2:45

o   Tardy after 7:50

o   Lunch 11:10-11:50

 

·        Curriculum

o   Morning Work 7:20-7:50

o   Math

o    Spalding  

(Singapore Math/Spalding Informational Night will be September 9^th)

o   Writing and Grammar

o   Literature

o   History/Geography

o   Science

o   Specials: Art, Music, French, P.E

 

·        Website

o   AreteSipe.blogspot.com

 

·        Homework

o   Approximately 30-45 minutes

15-30 ELA and Math + 15 Reading = 30-45 minutes

o   Policies (Missing homework / homework left at school)

o   Parents’ role with homework

 

·        Agendas

 

·        Lunch and Snack

o   Healthy snacks; no nuts

o   Morning Snack at  9:30

o   Birthday treats: lunch or end of day (store-bought only; healthy treats encouraged)

 

·        Volunteering

o   Fingerprint Clearance

o   Roles

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much for attending! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact

me at jsipe@archwayarete.org

      Well here we are. The evening of our first day of first grade.  I have been very busy preparing all the fun activities we will be doing this week

Procedures:  On Monday we will spend a majority of the day going over procedures, which include a tour of the campus and meeting Mr. Gillingham and Ms. Pantelina.  We will be going over all the rules of the playground, cafeteria, how to walk from one place to another in the hall, bathroom etiquette etc.  I'm confident after much practice we will have experts.

Language:  We will be getting to know the students through a variety of "Get to Know You" activities.  We will read some stories about virtue and go over each virtue.  We will be practicing good posture and how to hold a pencil properly, which are prerequisites  for perfect handwriting. 

Geography:  This week we will review each students' home address and the address of the school.  We will continue to enlarge to our community, state, nation, and world.

Science:  We will discuss what a scientist is and what they do.  We will have a review of the scientific method and discuss their knowledge of science in their world.  By the end of the week we will move into our Ocean Unit and will be discussing habitats.

Math:  We will review previous knowledge and do assessments.
There will be activities for graphing and estimating along with measurement.

Homework:  There will be homework each night through Thursday. The homework will be a review math page, a practice writing page and a reading assignment of 20 minutes.  You will fill in the reading log showing what the student read with you. We will keep track throughout the weeks ahead. This is a very important component and I cannot stress enough how valuable this reading is for the student to continue to have strong skills in decoding and reading fluency!

As always, you may contact me at JSipe@ArchwayArete.org

Have a great week!

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow.  The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing".
Abraham Lincoln