We've got spirit!

Between maize and blue day, popcorn, and the pep assembly this morning, I am sure you can imagine the excitement and energy that is in 1st grade today!

Thank you to everyone for sending in your $3 donation to our class parties for the year. If you have not sent your money in yet, please next week.

We have had several water bottles coming in that are not spill proof. If your child has to unscrew a lid to drink it, or if water can spill when the lid is off, please leave the bottle at home. Thank you for your understanding with this!

Coming up:

• Star Student: Mitch Behler
• Friday, October 14: Early Release Day
• Monday, October 31: Halloween Part 9:00am

Here's a quick update on what we have been up to in 1st grade:

• Reading Workshop: We have been using our Reader's Notebooks to record sound that begin with the /w/ sound, spelling /w/ and /wh/. We also practiced using and sliding our reading finger when reading. Ask your child to show you their reading finger and ask why we use it. Then have them use it while reading their WEB books! I hope the first week os WEB books has gone well for all of you. We have been reading James and the Giant Peach as a class. They are loving this book so far. Ask your child to retell what we have read so far. 

• Writing Workshop: We wrote a class story this week about the Walk-a-thon. We will select our own topics to write about next week. 

• Vocabulary: Our word of the week was IDENTIFY. Ask your child what this word means. Try to use it in conversation at home!

• Math: We had our first full week of math workshop this week. We learned the strategy of "counting on" to solve addition equations. Thank you to all of the parents that have volunteered to help during math workshop. So far it has been incredibly beneficial! 

• Science: Coming up next week we will begin studying matter with our first science unit. 

• Whiteboard Practice Idea: We have been focusing on the two ways to spell the sound /w/. On our whiteboards, we have identified those two ways as "w" and "wh." Set up the whiteboard with both of these spellings. (*see picture) With your child, go on a word hunt through their WEB books or books from home to find words that will fit under each heading. Be sure your child is saying the sounds as they write each word! Discuss the patterns they notice (a big one is that "wh" is most commonly found at the beginning of a word). 

• Reminder: Don't forget to encourage appropriate handwriting! They should be starting their letters from the TOP and moving down. If they make a mistake, they need to correct it right away. Any time a reversal is done, please erase and have them write it again. You can model the appropriate letter formation for them first and then have them try it! 

Have a wonderful weekend!