Dear First Grade Families,                                                                     9-25-17

Spelling booklets will be sent home today.  Please sign and return the booklet.

I will continue to give students new books at their reading level each week.  The books will be sent home daily in the book bag to read for homework.  Please make sure your child reads for homework.  I am also sending home a sight word book to practice at their own pace for extra homework.  I will test students soon to see if they know all of the words in the sight word book.

Picture Day is on Friday, September 29, 2017.

Reminders:  Wear gym shoes on Wednesday.  Return library books on Monday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                             9-18-17

Spelling booklets will be sent home today.  Please sign your child’s test and return the booklet.

Our Gym time for this week is on Wednesday.  Please have your child wear gym shoes on Wednesday.

Students will have time to read on the computer during class.  If possible, please send a pair of headphones to school for your child to use during this time.  Many students have already brought their own headphones.

I have tested students to determine their reading level.  Students will receive books in their book bag at their level to read at home.  Please have your child read for 20 minutes or more each day for homework.  Students can reread books a few times to build fluency.

Reading lessons include learning about reading strategies and our focus is the narrative.  Writing lessons also focus on the narrative.  Students are learning about how to write a personal narrative or story about an experience they have had.  Last week, students wrote about summer vacation and their favorite part about recess.

Math lessons include counting using a number grid and number line; counting using tally marks; addition; and learning how to read charts and graphs.

Our focus for Social Studies is learning about how to get along with others.  Students are learning about how rules provide order in the classroom and in the world.

Science lessons will include study of light and sound waves.

In addition to reading for homework, I am giving each student a sight word book.  Please review the sight word book with your child.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                              9-11-17

First grade students had a great first week of school working hard as they learned our classroom routines.  Thank you for all of the classroom supplies.

Open House is on Thursday, September 14, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.   I look forward to meeting everyone.  Students are excited to show you our classroom.

We are starting our Spelling weekly word lists this week.  Each week on Monday, your child will get a new list of spelling words to study for the week.  They will also have spelling homework.  On Friday, each week we will have a spelling test.  The test is given in a spelling booklet.  I will send the spelling booklet home after the test is graded so you can see how your child did on the test and sign the booklet.  Please help your child study the words.  Making flash cards really helps students learn the words.

Our Special Class schedule may change.  Special classes include gym, art music, media and technology.  I will send the Special Class schedule home when it is finalized.  This week, students have Gym on Wednesday.  Please have your child wear gym shoes on Wednesday.

Homework each day will include 15 minutes or more of reading.  Each student has a book bag.  The book bag is sent home each day and students read their good fit books for homework.  Each book can be read a few times to build fluency.  Please have your child return the book bag each day because we use them during reading groups.  I am currently testing each student to determine reading levels.

Homework also will include a math page.  Please make sure your child completes the homework and returns it to school in the Haigh folder.

If you have questions or concerns, you can email me at dobrong@dearbornschools.org or you can call the school.

I look forward to a great year!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                             5-8-17

The Greenfield Village field trip permission slips and payment  are due on  Friday. If you would like to chaperone, please do the background check with the office as soon as possible.

Students will be taking the Unit 8 Math Test on Thursday.  I will send home the study guide today.  Please review the study guide with your child.

Spelling booklets will be sent home today.  Please sign and return your child’s booklet.

Reminders:  Read 20 minutes or more daily for homework.  Wear gym shoes and return library books on Monday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                    5-1-17

Spelling booklets will be sent home today.  Please sign and return your child’s booklet.

On Thursday and Friday, students will be taking the NWEA Reading Test.  Please encourage your child to take their time and try their best.  Also, please make sure they get a lot of rest and eat a healthy breakfast.

Reading homework continues to include 20 minutes of reading each day.

Reminders:  Wear gym shoes and return library books on Monday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                4-24-17

Students will be taking the NWEA Math test on the computer this Thursday.  Please make sure your child gets a lot of rest and eats a healthy breakfast.

Unit 8 Math lessons will focus on counting money; place value; fractions; addition; and subtraction

Reading and writing lessons will focus on informational text.

Social Studies lessons continue to include Geography and ways we learn about places.

Science lessons involve learning about the life cycle of various animals.

Many students need new crayons, pencils and glue sticks.  If possible, please send some school supplies with your child.

Reminders:  Wear gym shoes and return library books on Monday.  Read 20 minutes or more daily for homework.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                                                 4-10-17

Spelling booklets will be sent home today.  Please sign and return your child’s booklet.

Also, please sign and return your child’s reading log for March.

The shape robot project can be brought to school when your child has completed the project.

There is a late start on Wednesday.  Students do not have school on Friday, April 14.

Reminders:  Read 20 minutes or more daily for homework.  Wear gym shoes and return library books on Monday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                                3-20-17

Students will be taking the Unit 6 Math Test on Wednesday.  I am sending home a study guide today.  Please help your child review for the test.

The third report card marking ends on Friday.  Students will receive their third report card soon after that day.

I will be having Spring Parent Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, March 29.  I do not need to meet with all parents at this time.  I will let you know if a conference is necessary at this time.

Market Day was a great success.  We sold almost all of the products produced by the students.  It was a great hands-on learning experience in which students could actually be a part of the process involving producers and consumers of goods.  The money earned by the First Grade will be applied toward the cost of our spring field trip.

Reminders:  Read 20 minutes or more daily for homework and record minutes read on the reading log.  Wear gym shoes and return library books on Monday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                                          3-6-17

Market Day is this Friday from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.  Students are really looking forward to selling the products they have made.  Please join us, if you have time.

We are celebrating March Is Reading Month each day.  If  you would like to read a book to our class, please write me a note to let me know which day you would like to read.  The time for reading to our class is 3:00 p.m.

Please make sure your child is reading 20 minutes or more daily for homework and recording the time on the reading log.

Reminders:  Wear gym shoes and return library books on Monday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski

Dear First Grade Families,                                                                                    2-27-17

March is reading month.  Students will be engaged in many reading activities throughout the month as we celebrate reading.  All parents are invited to read to our classroom any day at 3:00 p.m. during the month of March.  I can supply a book to read or you may bring one of your favorite books to read to our class.  Please write me a note and include the date if you would like to read to our class.

Unit 6 math lessons will include learning about fact families; story problems; addition; subtraction; measurement; counting money and telling time.

Reading and writing lessons focus on the narrative.  Students will continue to learn how to write a narrative and read a variety of stories.

Social Studies lessons focus on geography and how we learn about places.  Students will study maps and learn how to use a map key.

Science lessons include the study of animals.  Students will be learning about the life cycle of animals.

Please turn in the February reading log by Wednesday.

Reminders:  Read 15 minutes or more daily.  Wear gym shoes and return library books on Monday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Dobronski