First Grade News

Happy Friday everyone! Here is a quick update:

Coming Up:

Friday, February 2: Early Release Day

Monday - Tuesday, February 5-6: No School, Mid-Winter Break 

Friday, February 9: Valentines Due

Wednesday, February 14: Valentine's Day Party at 9:00am

Valentine's Day: 
The class list went home in folders yesterday. It is a pink piece of paper. Please check your child's bag for this note. Please bring valentines to school no later than Friday, February 9. 

Reading:

This week we focused on different text features in a non-fiction text. We learned about features that include: table of contents, index, glossary, diagram, label, map, and keywords. We also learned that there are many new words in nonfiction books, and that when we don't know what the word means, we can look in the glossary, or use other words in the text to determine the meaning. We finished the week practicing reading our nonfiction books in a teacher voice. When we read nonfiction books to others we are like teachers teaching facts. 

I have been thrilled with the number of students taking advantage of kidsa-z at home. Students are sharing their excitement over the books the are reading and the robots they are building as their incentives. Thank you for encouraging this at home. 

Writing:

We have focused this week on facts vs. opinions. Have you had a chance to ask some "would you rather" questions? If not, your child would LOVE to try some of these with you!

Math:

This week we started adding a 2-digit number to a 1-digit number. We practiced different strategies for solving these equations. We continue to work toward being efficient in our work.

Social Studies:

This week we have been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and the impact he made in our country. It is such a gift to be able to share the story of MLK with your children. I have loved hearing students that have shared the conversations they have had at home with your about this amazing man. 

Whiteboard Tip:

The novelty of having their own whiteboard at home may have worn off, but the value is still just as great. Students could use some accountability with making sure they are saying their sounds as they write - breaking up every single sound! Because I am not able to sit next to every child every time they write, some may be getting a bit lazy with saying their sounds. The difference in their writing when they "say as they write" is dramatic. Ask your child a simple question, such as: What is your favorite holiday and why? Or Where would you like to go on vacation and why? As they answer on their whiteboard (or a piece of paper if you have misplaced yours), sit next to them and hold them accountable to say every sound as they write it (the, for example, has two sounds, /th/ /e/). If there are any errors, stop them the instant the error is made, erase, and tell the correct spelling for the sound. Correct letter formation and handwriting as well. Thank you for your help! These kiddos are doing amazing things in reading and writing. It has been so much fun to watch their progress!

First Grade News

We are back in full swing! In some ways it is hard to believe we have only been back for a week. Here is what we are up to in first grade:

Coming Up:

Tuesday, January 16: Jet's Pizza Night

Friday, January 19: PJ day

Friday, February 2: Early Release Day

Monday - Tuesday, February 5-6: No School, Mid-Winter Break 

Friday, February 9: Valentines Due

Wednesday, February 14: Valentine's Day Party at 9:00am

Valentine's Day: 
I will be including a class list of names for valentines in your child's take home folder tomorrow or Tuesday. Please watch for this. If your child wishes to give valentines to the class, please include one for everyone. Please bring valentines to school by Friday, February 9. If they are done earlier, send them in as soon as they are done.

Reading:
We have started a new reading unit exploring nonfiction text. This unit is always exciting for students. Be sure to point out any nonfiction reading you are doing at home to your child (cook books, how to directions for a game, etc). 

Writing:

We finished up our how to unit last week. I hope you enjoyed the story your child brought home. This week we will begin our opinion writing unit. 

Here is a game you can play at home to go along with our unit: Would you rather:

This is a great activity when traveling in the car or over dinner. Ask your child(ren) Would you rather ___ or ____? For example, Would you rather have summer year round or winter year round? When they reply, make sure they use a complete sentence, restating the question and giving good reasons (if they don't really explain why, probe them to explain a little more. 

For example, I would rather have summer year round because it is fun, is not descriptive enough. 

I would rather have summer year round because I enjoy summer outdoor activities like swimming and golf better than winter activities, is much more descriptive. 

Math:
We are exploring tens and ones as we move into numbers through 100. We have been learning how to represent tens and ones with tens sticks and circles.

Social Studies:
We have begun a history unit, starting with learning about time lines. We will be learning about some influential figures in American history in the coming weeks. Our Martin Luther King Jr.lesson happens to line up perfectly with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Whiteboard Tip:
Time to dust off those whiteboards and put them to use again!
Before break dove into three super tricky homophones: there, their and they're. These are tricky for many adults, but teaching them now, we hope this isn't an issue for these kiddos.
Have your child draw each of these out for you:
there (draw an arrow to point over "there")
their (draw a house with two people inside to show it is "their" house, it belongs to them)
they're (draw 2 stick figures to show "they're" (they are) walking together)

Then read the following sentence and have your child write it while really thinking of which form of the word to write. Remember to correct an errors!
"Their dog ran over there and they're watching her run."

Here's to a great week ahead!

Happy Friday and Happy Winter Break!

Our first grade class wishes you a very Merry Christmas!

 Thank you for supporting Bauer Elementary and earning us a Marco's Pizza Party! Yum!

Have a wonderful break!

Merry Christmas!

Dear Families,
What a wonderful party we had this morning! So smooth, low key, and fun for our first graders! Thank you for the many hands that made the party run so smoothly. Thank you to the volunteers in the classroom, as well as those that supplied the game, craft, snacks, and ornaments. You are all appreciated! Many thanks to for the class gift of my favorite things! What a treat! Thank you!

We are in the home stretch now. A reminder that your child does not need to pack a lunch tomorrow unless they do not want to have pizza for lunch. It is also pajama day. So fun!

Please check your child's folder for some important information regarding kidsa-z.com. They are super excited to try this at home, and you will need the info on their paper in order to do so. I will post the instructions on here later on as well in case the paper gets misplaced.

If you have not had a chance lately with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, please take some time over break to really look at what your child is doing as a reader and writer. They are blowing me away! First grade is so much fun right now as students are truly taking off! Enjoy!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday together and are able to enjoy this family time. Thank you for the gift of trusting me with your children. It is truly a joy to be their teacher.

Merry Christmas!

First Grade News

There truly is no greater excitement than an elementary classroom the week before Christmas! There is so much energy and joy!

Many students enjoyed being consumers this week at Santa's Secret Shop. I wish you could see their excitement as they pick out the perfect gift for a family member. They are so proud of their purchases! Many thanks to our volunteers for helping to make this a such a successful experience for our students. 

Pizza!

Our exciting news of the week is that we were the class with the most Marco's Pizza orders on Tuesday, and we won the Marco's Pizza Party! Thank you for supporting Bauer and mentioning our class name. Our pizza party will be on Friday, December 22 - perfect timing! Your child will not need to bring in a lunch or order a lunch that day unless they do not wish to eat pizza (they can still eat in the classroom with us). I will provide juice boxes. If there is a parent that would like to donate a bag of carrot sticks and another to donate fruit (maybe grapes or something easy to serve), please let me know. It will be nice to balance their meal a little! Again, thank you for your support!

Christmas Party:

Katelyn Gates and many other parents have been busy planning our Christmas party - thank you! It will be THURSDAY at 9am. Adults are welcomed to attend the party. If you do not have a background check on file yet, please email Mrs. Opple for a link to the form kopple@hpseagles.net. It is a simple form that is very easy to complete. Thanks!

Coming Up:

We have a busy week ahead! Check out the spirit week info that is below as well. Students will still be going outside each day, so on pajama day especially, make sure your child has snow gear to bundle up! (And no slippers please - school bathrooms, the lunchroom...I will leave it at that!)

• Thursday, December 21: Christmas Party - 9am 
• Friday, December 22: Marco's Pizza Party and Last Day of School Before Break
• December 23 - January 8: Winter Break
• Friday, January 12: Early Release Day

First Grade News

What a wonderful celebration we had today for Ms Moore! We were able to celebrate her time with us, enjoy a tasty treat, and shower her with goodies to get her ready for her new classroom (thank you, families!). This is my first time taking a student teacher in my 18 years of teaching. I could not have asked for a better future teacher to work with. We have been so fortunate to have Ms Moore teach these first graders, all while they were teaching her. Scroll to the bottom for pictures from today!

This morning we had our first opportunity to use laptops. Mrs. Chatfield's 4th grade class buddied up with our first graders to teach students how to remove laptops from the cart, how to log in, how to use a reading website, and how to log out and return laptops to the cart. We appreciated their help!

Coming Up:

• December 12: Marco's Pizza Night (be sure to mention my name - we'd love to earn a free pizza party!)
• December 14: Santa's Secret Shop - we will shop at 9:30am
• Thursday, December 21: Christmas Party - 9am (wear red and green!)
• Friday, December 22: Last Day of School Before Break
• December 23 - January 8: Winter Break
• Friday, January 12: Early Release Day

• Reading: This week we continued our character unit. We studied what our characters like and dislike. We also thought about what our characters might be thinking. We have to use the words on the page and the picture to figure out a character's thoughts. Finally, we practiced reading in a storyteller voice to better represent our characters. 
• Math: We completed our unit 3 test this week - it was so fun to see students show all they have learned about story problems. Their work as readers and mathematicians paid off! Unit 4 will begin next week. We will be studying place value and learning about tens and ones. So far we have been working with numbers 1-10. We will move on to 2-digit numbers. 
• Whiteboard Practice: This week we learned about 5 different ways that the /a/ sound (like in day) is made - ai, a, ay, eigh, ey. Have your child write these headings on the top of their board. Then have them read a page from their WEB book (or any book). If they notice a word with the /a/ sound, have them record it in the correct column. If it does not fit in any of the columns, like in the word break, write it on the bottom. This is the /a/ sound, not the letter a. The word have, for example, should not be recording because it does not make that sound. Your child practiced this in reading workshop this week, so it should be familiar to them. They could follow up by writing a sentence with one of the words, remembering to say as they write!

Enjoy these pictures of our celebration with  Ms Moore!

We love you, Ms Moore!

We made an ornament for Ms Moore with our fingerprints. 

Our gift basket for Ms Moore filled with supplies for her future classroom. 

Our yummy treat!

First Grade News

Wow! What a way to return from Thanksgiving break with an amazing holiday program. I was so proud of each student on Tuesday night. They sang their hearts out and truly shined on stage! What a wonderful way to get into the spirit of the holidays. Enjoy these pictures!

Coming Up:

• Friday, December 8: Ms. Moore's last day student teaching with us
• December 12: Marco's Pizza Night (be sure to mention my name - we'd love to earn a free pizza party!)
• December 14-15: Santa's Secret Shop
• Thursday, December 21: Christmas Party - 9am (wear red and green!)
• Friday, December 22: Last Day of School Before Break
• December 23 - January 8: Winter Break
• Friday, January 12: Early Release Day

Next Friday, December 8, will be Ms. Hillary Moore's last day student teaching with us. It has truly been a pleasure to watch Ms. Moore learn and grow with your children. She has done a fantastic job partnering with me to teach your children. She will be a wonderful addition to the profession of education. Our class will enjoy a little celebration next Friday with Ms. Moore. The good news is that she will be staying with us here at Bauer as a long term sub in 3rd grade with Mrs. Scholma's maternity leave January-spring break. Our first graders are happy to know they'll get to see her around our school!

Reading: We continued spying on our characters this week by learning what our characters like and dislike, and looking at the pictures and listening to the words to determine how a character is feeling.

Writing: We have begun a new informational writing unit focused on how to stories. Students explored how to stories and learned text features and brainstormed how to topics to write about. 

Math: We are wrapping up our math unit focusing on story problems. We will take our test next week.

Social Studies: We are learning about economics right now. So far we have learned about needs vs. wants (a great topic this time of year!), goods and services, producers and consumers, and next week we will learn about scarcity. Ask your child to tell you about what we need and how that is different from  what we want. 

Word Work: 

We learned three different sounds for the letters "ea" - the /ee/ sound like in feet, the /ai/ sound like in steak, and the /e/ sound like in bread. Have your child write three columns with: 

1. ea 2. ea 3. ea at the top. Then have them write feet, steak, and bread under 1, 2, and 3. Then have them search in books for more words with ea. Be careful - some words won't fit. Learn actually does not fit - ear says /r/ in the word learn. You may find other sounds, like ear and heart, that would actually make a 4th column. Have fun exploring in books for more words! And as always, be sure to have your child say as they write!

Have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the sunshine! (And take some time this weekend to get snow pants, boots, etc. ready for next week. Just in case. If we are all prepare, maybe it will hold off just a bit longer....!:)