21-27 February 2011
Thank you for sending in the permission slips and 8 Euro for our walking study trip to San Giorgio's next Wednesday, 23 February. We'll depart from the school NLT 10:30, so if you're a chaperone don't be late. Parking is such a problem here at the complex. Those chaperones coming (thank you very much!) are Eaves, Hall, Jackson, Lovelace, Weymer, Brown-Williams, & Young. We're sure to have a great time and students will be attending a mini-chef school of sorts! Yummy--
Welcome to a new 4-day week! This is getting to be a habit! :-) After celebrating our 100th Day of First Grade this past week, we're all aware that the year is passing quickly. The spring weather beckons us to come outside and soak up the sunlight. We're earning extra recess by two measures: how much work we get accomplished and our citizenship in and out of the classroom. It's a great motivator and with sidewalk chalk, bubbles and other outside learning tools available, we'll be learning outdoors, as well.
We will begin rotating each student through the Unit 3 benchmark test. This test evaluates target skills taught and hopefully mastered from the past six selections. There are 40 questions and it's a long test. Students are allowed to stop the test (at which time it saves their answers that have been completed) and return to more work on the following day(s). To assist your child, have them re-read the story selections in their Fluency Folder, where they can practice the High Frequency Words, and other thinking along comprehension skills that we've worked on during the last weeks.
New Beginnings:
We will also simultaneously begin work on Unit 4: TREASURES: What do we treasure? A summary of the skills includes:
Phonics: Long a: ai, ay, possessives, long e: ea, Long o: oa, ow, Longi: ie, igh, Kn/n/, and wr/r/, compound words, Vowells: we, eu, ui; Suffixes: -ly--ful
Many new practice words including high frequency words, story words and amazing words, & words with decodable (phonics) rules for spelling and fluent reading practice. They are getting more diverse and difficult, so attention to the fluency folder will assist in performance this next 6 weeks.
Comprehension Skills: Drawing Conclusions, and Theme (with a review of Compare/Contrast, Plot, Sequence, Main Idea, Author's Purpose, Cause & Effect, Character and Realism and Fantasy.
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: (impacts writing composition and spoken language) Adjectives (with a review of Verbs, Nouns, and composing/writing of super sentences!
Writing: Persuasive Letter (with a review of Description, How-to Report, and personal Narrative)
Specifically this week, we'll begin our new Story Selection with Mama's Birthday Present
Skills Covered are:
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Comprehension Skill: Draw conclusions
Comprehension Strategy: Monitor/Fix-Up
Study Skill: Calendar
Spelling/Phonics: Long a: -ai, -ay, possessives
Language/Vocabulary: foreign words--they should do quite well on this!
Grammar: Adjectives
Writing: Book Review
Of course, at the end of each story, there is a 13 item test to show skill possession and work toward mastery. Please continue to have them read and participate on RAZ-kids a minumum of 2 times a week, with a journal response, either with their reading bag books, or the on-line selections.
During math for the week, we'll continue with our fractions and measurement skills, possibly take a few chapter tests, and attend math lab with Ms. Breault, where center-based activities help them toward mastery, as well.
For the following parents: We'll see you on Wednesday morning NLT 10:25 for our walking Study Trip to San Giorgio's Pizzeria. We're hoping for sun and warmth for this excursion. Please dress your child appropriately and check the weather predictions for Wednesday, 23 February. Even though we're learning about all kinds of Weather in an EARTH Science unit, we'd like to experience sunlight on this day! :-)
Thank you for all your support. We're working on the most important thing about learning in our class throughout the rest of the year: What is it? .....what you can do on your own!
Have a wonderful week,
Mrs. Petty
1st grade
