October 20, 2024

Hi 1A families,

Just a quick update on what's been happening in 1A. Here's what we did in class during our short week.

• Building on the parts of speech that we have discussed so far this year (nouns and verbs), the kids learned about adjectives (describing words). They practiced differentiating the types of words in a small-group sorting activity during our literacy centers time.
• In math, the first graders learned about double facts (when both addends are the same: 2+2, 5+5, etc.). They also learned about doubles facts plus one (2+3, 5+6, etc.) Knowing both of these common facts helps the students when they work with larger values. At the end of the week, I introduced the concept of subtraction.
• I also discussed the spelling rule of the final -ck, which comes at the end of one-syllable, short vowel words such as "sick" and "pack". 
• In conjunction with that concept, I taught the first graders when to use C and when to use K in words. They learned the Cat/Kite rule. When a word begins with the c/k sound, look to the vowel that follows it to determine whether it is spelled with a C or a K. "C takes a, o, and u, K takes the other two." Examples include: cap, cod, cup, kit, kelp

• The trick words (sight words) that I introduced this week are: he, she, we, be, me
• We have also been discussing voting and elections. The vocabulary words we discussed are: vote, election, ballot, leader, president, and Democracy. We read two stories: Splat the Cat for President and Duck for President. Then we held a mock election where the students could vote for Spat the Cat or Duck. We then tallied the votes. Ask your kiddo which fictional candidate won our election!
• In the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, we focused on a book titled That Book Woman, which is a fictional story about a library who delivers books to a family in the mountains of Kentucky during the Great Depression. Her determination to bring stories to the kids inspires Cal, one of the boys, to learn how to read.
• I finished our chapter book read-aloud Ramona The Pest - and the kids loved it. Ask them to tell you all about it. :)

Homework

We've finally reached the time in the year when we begin homework in first grade! I want to stress, however, that homework is completely optional. I like students to have the chance to practice the skills that they are learning in class, but I also recognize that they work very hard during the school day, so you might feel like it's more beneficial for them to spend their time on other endeavors at home. It's your choice.

The packet will go home on Mondays and can be sent back to school on Fridays. On the front cover of the packet, there are five spelling words that match the phonics skill we are working on in class as well as a sentence to practice. I will give an informal spelling check in on Fridays. We will also practice these words and the sentence in class during the week.

This week's spelling words and sentence are:

thin
then
math
with
she (trick word)
She can go with them.

Book Bags

I will also send home a "book bag" with classroom books in it each week. The kids choose the books themselves at school. They can borrow them for the week and read them, then return them to school with the homework packet at the end of the week. I encourage the kids to find a cozy spot at home and enjoy the books each week. They can read them independently or with someone else. Hint: If the kids keep the book bag in their backpack, they will always have it to return to school on Friday. 

Accessing ST Math and Boost From Home

I sent home a printout of how to access these two valuable resources from home. The kids have used both programs in school and are familiar with how they work. Any time that they spend working on their math and reading skills outside of school is fantastic! If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. :)

Upcoming Dates

• Wednesday, October 23: Early release at 1:45 (teacher professional development)
• Friday, October 25: Picture day
• Wednesday, October 30: Pumpkin Day in 1A (Kids can wear orange if they would like)
• Friday, November 1: Fall Extravaganza (Mr. Cushing will send out more information on this event)
• Tuesday, November 5: No school for students - Election Day/Caregiver-Teacher Conferences
• Monday, November 11: No school - Veterans Day
• Wednesday, November 20: Early release at 1:45 (teacher professional development)
• Wednesday, November 27: First Grade Thankful Show at 9:00 am (families invited - details coming soon); half day (11:50am release)
• Thursday and Friday, November 27/28: No school - Thanksgiving break

As always, please let me know if you have any questions. The kids are doing an amazing job as students. I am so proud of all they have accomplished so far this year. :)

Katie