Hello Families!
Happy New Year and welcome back to school! We are looking forward to a great second trimester! Literacy This month our Fundations phonics program will continue focusing on glued letter sounds (word families: -ing, -ong, -ang, -ung, -ank, -ink, -onk, and -unk) as well as suffixes. In reading groups we will be focusing on non-fiction and continuing to build on decoding, reading for fluency, and comprehension. Just as a reminder, the expectation is that your child reads 10-15 minutes per night. Homework is sent home Monday-Thursday and the expectation is that it comes back each day. This is really helpful with the school home connection so that you can see how your child is progressing with reading. The goal for students by the end of the year is to be reading at an independent level I. The homework books are labeled with levels that we are using in reading groups based on the midyear BAS and iReady reading assessments. Thank you for your support with this! Our whole class reading focus will be point of view and the writing focus this month is narrative writing. We’ll include some poetry in this as well. Math We’ll continue working on two digit number sense with groups of tens and ones. Students should be working on automaticity of math facts 0-10. Please help them practice by making flashcards, or you can print some from this website: https://www.k5learning.com/free-flashcards/math Students can also access math optional math practice on Dreambox which can be found in the BVSD student portal online. Science/Social Studies This month we’ll be focusing on weather and working in the community. Miscellaneous Clothing For snowy days, please have your child bring/wear snow boots, coats, hats, gloves/mittens, and snow pants if they would like. We plan to be outside for our recesses if the temps are high enough. Water Bottles Please remember to bring water bottles. With all of the germs and precautions, it is best to take those home daily to clean and bring in a new one each day. Masks Please ensure your child has a comfortable, well fitting mask and remind them about the importance of keeping it over their noses. We have some child sized masks, but it is super helpful if you put one or two extra ones in your child's backpack. Upcoming Dates 1/17- Martin Luther King Jr. Day- no school 2/2-Term 2 Report Cards viewable in IC (postponed) Thank you! The First Grade Team Literacy
We are excited to see our students’ growth in reading as they have all been working so hard in and out of the classroom on their literacy skills. In Writer’s Workshop we are paying closer attention to the correct spelling of high frequency words and learning how to edit our writing for spelling errors. We’ve talked about adding details to our writing as well as using juicy words or words that describe. We will work on Opinion Writing in December. During this month, we will do some fun winter activities and incorporate those into our literacy and math blocks. Math In math we will read the book The Napping House and complete math related story problems. We are continuing to work on writing and solving story problems as well as finding the missing addend to solve addition and subtraction equations. Unit 4 will focus on place value to 100, tens and teens, and addition strategies. Students should be working on automaticity of math facts 0-10. Please help them practice by making flashcards, or you can print some from this website: https://www.k5learning.com/free-flashcards/math Science/Social Studies We will be busy finishing up our Families unit this month. We have been enjoying learning about how families are alike and different in many ways. We’re looking forward to the students’ creativity with family videos. Here’s the information about family videos which we sent out just before Thanksgiving break: Families Video Thank you! The First Grade Team Hello Families!
Please read for lots of updates from First Grade! Health Please make sure students bring two masks, which fit over mouths and noses, each day! Literacy Our writing focus this month is opinion writing, which will tie into our social studies unit. The reading comprehension focus will be determining the author’s message in a text, and our Fundations phonics work will entail glued letters (word families), blends, and long vowel sounds. Thank you for continuing to ensure that your children are doing their reading homework and returning their reading logs to school each day! Math We just wrapped up Unit 2 and have started Unit 3 in Math Expressions. This unit focuses on using math mountains to help solve addition and subtraction problems and we start to look at story problems and figuring out the unknown partner number. Students should be working on automaticity of math facts 0-10. Please help them practice by making flashcards, or you can print some from this website: https://www.k5learning.com/free-flashcards/math For more at home math practice, students can access Dreambox on their BVSD student portals. Science/Social Studies We will be busy learning about families this month. We will enjoy sharing our family homework and looking on the map to see where our ancestors came from. We will learn that families can be different and alike in many ways. We’ll read several books about families and write our own family poems, riddles and stories. We’ll also graph our daily chores, our pets and our family members. We’ll make a family banner and draw beautiful family portraits. We will also be doing a fun family project at home! Look for a packet in this week’s Friday Folder that will help your child learn all about your family and where you are from. Each student will have the chance to create a video sharing a family tradition. Stay tuned for more information! Other Please remember to label jackets, boots, gloves and hats. It really helps us get the belongings to the right person. Thank you! The First Grade Team Literacy This month we will be learning bat and Halloween poems, adding details to our narrative writing, and creating class books. We’ll transition from narrative writing to informative writing as we learn Bat Facts and Opinions. We will continue focusing on choosing “just right” or “good fit” leveled books. We’ll also practice decoding strategies, fluency and phrasing when reading aloud. Math We are continuing in our Math Expressions workbook, Unit 2. We have been adding and subtracting numbers up to 10. We are working on automaticity and practicing facts. Unit 2 includes “counting on”, circle drawings, and writing equations. We’ll continue playing games to reinforce these important math concepts. Science This month we will explore all kinds of cool bat facts. We’ll learn about bat wings, and how they are similar to a human hand. Social Studies We are continuing our study of Japan! The students are having fun learning about different aspects of Japanese culture, and making comparisons between the United States and Japan. The culminating activity for this unit will be a Japanese lunch for the grade level. Please stay tuned for more details! Lessons with Ms. B, our school counselor (every 3rd week) The Zones of Regulation is a framework that provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, manage their sensory needs, and improve their ability to problem solve conflicts. This month students will practice identifying the four different zones: Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red Zone and what feeling words go in each zone. Students will be able to start to practice identifying when they are feeling out of balance and what tools and/or coping skills they need to bring them back to Green Zone where they are feeling good to go, focused, calm and ready to learn! Please use the definitions below to understand each of the zones: The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A person may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone. The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone. The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs. The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored. Other Stay tuned for Halloween information this month... Thank you! The First Grade Team Hello Families, It was nice to see so many of you at Back to School Night! If you were unable to attend, we have emailed you the slide deck from the presentation. Please check the calendars and schedules tab on this website for important dates and upcoming events. We will update our site about once a month and will send email reminders to check it out! Literacy Fundations (phonics)- The beginning of the year is a review of letters and sounds. Writing In first grade we do not worry about perfect spelling! The focus is on getting ideas onto paper and paying attention to handwriting, spacing, capitals, and punctuation. When your child is writing at home, encourage kid spelling and have them sound the word out for themselves. Our writing focus this month is on narrative writing. Reading We are focusing on how to choose a good fit book and decoding strategies. We are also practicing building stamina. We are just about done assessing students' reading level, comprehension and phonics skills in order to plan instruction at the appropriate level for each child. We will begin weekly reading homework the week of September 20. Stay tuned for more info about reading logs and the books we'll be sending home. Math Unit 1 focuses on partners and number patterns through ten, and math mountains. A fun math game to reinforce these skills at home is Snap It! Science/Social Studies We have been working on school rules, classroom routines, and reminders about how to be a good friend. We are starting our first social studies unit, We Belong in the World. We’re learning map skills and the names of the continents and oceans. We’re also learning our address, city, state, country and continent. Soon, we will begin to compare our daily lives to those of children in Japan! Thanks, The First Grade Team Dear First Grade Families,
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to first grade. We are looking forward to sharing this year with you. First grade is an exciting year! This is the first of many newsletters you will receive. We will do our best to keep you informed about our days. Please take some time to look over the information. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] First Day Information We would like to ask for your cooperation in making our first day of school comfortable and assisting your child to ensure a smooth transition.
Thank you for your time, we look forward to a great year! The First Grade Team Hello Families!
Thank you for returning the Sushi Zanmai field trip slips this week! We are really looking forward to it. If you haven’t sent it back yet, please sign somewhere on the form. Thanks! Literacy Updates:
Math: In Unit 6, we are working on collecting and analyzing data, as well as graphing. Social Studies: We are continuing our study of Japan and comparing cultures. This also includes using globes and maps. Please ask your child what they have learned so far! Social/Emotional: This month, our focus is “Bounce vs. Splat”. When you encounter a problem, do you bounce or do you splat? Ask your child to explain. Other reminders: A note from PTO: Save the Date! We hope you will join the Foothill community for the PTO's annual community party and fundraiser, Give to Grow. This year's event, taking place at the Rayback Collective, April 2, 2020, at 6 p.m., will raise money to purchase new, innovative furniture for Foothill following the exciting bond renovation work over the summer. We would love to see you there to mingle with other Foothill parents and staff to socialize and support the auction. Also, please consider donating auction items or your TIME with a "class" or "event." These experiences are a fun opportunity to meet other Foothill parents/kids, give to the event, and maybe promote a business. (Ideas: bracelet beading workshop, progressive dinner in your neighborhood, music lessons, etc.). We are also looking for business sponsorships. Contact Angie Cook and Cheryl Meyers @ [email protected] for questions or details, and we'll look forward to seeing you in April! CLICK HERE TO RSVP TO THE EVENT! Thanks so much, The First Grade Team Hello Families!
We’re looking forward to seeing you at conferences during the next two weeks. If you haven’t signed up yet, please check your email for the link. Literacy Updates: This month during our Fundations phonics lessons, we are working on closed syllables, blends, and vowel teams. We’ve been working on opinion and procedural writing as well. In Reading Groups, we are working on comprehension strategies such as predicting, summarizing, finding key details, and retelling stories or facts in books. Math: In Unit 5 we are working on adding and subtracting from a friendly ten. We’re also practicing unknown partners with teen totals and using addition and subtraction in story problems. Science: We are continuing our science unit on Air and Weather. Social/Emotional: This month, our focus is being a kind friend and practicing self control. Other reminders: Valentine’s Day Celebration: We will not be having classroom parties but we will be having a card exchange on Thursday February 13th (no school February 14). A note and class list was sent home in Friday folders. Thanks so much, The First Grade Team Hello Families!
Happy New Year and welcome back to school! We are looking forward to a great second semester! Literacy Updates: This month our Fundations phonics program will focus on blends, and the differences between blends and digraphs. We will also learn about r-controlled vowels. In reading groups we are focusing on non-fiction and continuing to build on decoding, reading for fluency, and comprehension. Just as a reminder, the expectation is that your child reads 10-15 minutes per night and fills out the reading log. Thank you for your support with this! Math: Unit 5 will focus on double digit addition and making friendly 10’s to make addition easier. Science: This month we’ll be studying Air and Weather. As part of this unit, we will be taking a field trip to NCAR. Ms. Sullivan’s class will go on Tuesday, January 14th and Ms. Naber’s and Ms. DiCorleto and Ms. Weisman’s class will go on Thursday, January 16th. The buses will be leaving Foothill by 9:15 and returning around 1. Each class would like for 3-4 parent volunteers to join us. Volunteers are welcome to join us on the bus or meet us at NCAR. Please indicate on the permission slip if you would like to come. On the day of the field trip, your child will need a packed lunch. Please remember to help them dress for the weather with comfortable shoes for walking. This is a fun, hands-on field trip! Since it is our first field trip of the year, please talk with your child about expected field trip behavior. Thank you for returning these permission slips as soon as possible! Without a permission slip, your child will not be able to join us on the trip. Social/Emotional: Ms. B will continue her classroom lessons to help students strengthen their social emotional skills, and help advocate for themselves. Other news: Please welcome Ms. Naber’s student teacher, Chelsea Smith, from CU Boulder. We look forward to having her on our team! Thanks so much, The First Grade Team Hello Families!
We hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving week! Literacy Updates: This month our Fundations phonics program will focus on word families (glued letters): -ang, -ing, -ong, -ung, -ank, -ink, -unk, and -onk. In reading groups we are focusing on having students retell stories with Who, What, Where, When, and Why questions, in order to recall characters, setting, and events. We are also focusing on fiction versus nonfiction books, determining the author’s message, as well as determining the author’s purpose for writing. Math: Unit 4 will focus on place value, counting by 10’s, adding double-digit and single-digit numbers, and greater than and less than values. Social Studies: This month we’ll be talking about families and how they are alike and different. We look forward to having your children share your family traditions and cultures! Social/Emotional: Ms. B will continue her classroom lessons to help students practice ways to problem solve and make good choices. Other reminders: After the First Grade Art/Music/PE Showcase December 17th from 12:30-1:15, families are invited back to the classrooms for some snacks and socializing. Please browse our rooms to enjoy your child’s projects from our Family Unit this month! Thanks so much, The First Grade Team |
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