Newsletter the Week of October 31 – November 4th

I’m going to start this newsletter with our learning content for the week, because spelling this week is TRICKY.

ELA

The first-grade team plans lessons with learning goals and rigor each week. It is paced with the Dearborn Education Curriculum. We are off just a bit in our Unit 2 Benchmark. We had lots of festivities and events planned last week. These are the things your child will remember about first grade. Please know that I always catch up with the curriculum though.

  • SPELLING
    • As I wrote at the beginning of the newsletter this week is TRICKY. Please start practicing asap. We learned all of the short vowels. We learned how you can change the beginning letter (onset) and put a new letter on the ending (rhyme) to make new words. This week is completely different. This week the list will be focusing on the beginning (onset) and the kids will learn how to blend 2 letters together.
      • class
      • clip
      • clock
      • flat
      • flag
      • flick
      • block
      • black
      • put
      • what
      • want
      • this
      • saw
  • WRITING
    • We have our: A Time When I was Brave blueprint ready for edits and revisions. Your child will be meeting with me at a writing conference. We will edit any misspelled words, add capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, and add punctuation at the end of a sentence. We will revise the writing by changing some words or sentences to make it better. Then your child will be ready to write their final copy. We will hang the final copies in the hallway for visitors to read. Please remember, Writer’s Workshop is highly guided by me, the teacher. The report card will be mostly marked 3 (progressing) for everyone. We are progressing and learning the process writing.
  • READING
    • We read EVERY day. I am working to get to your child’s small reading group more often. Please make sure to allow your child to read their books to you each night they bring their book bag. Then sign their card.

MATH

Last week, we learned to use a number line. The math series calls it a number path. This was tricky for quite a few kids. They want to start counting the number they are already on. Please practice count on a number line. One of the best games to do this with is Chutes and Ladders. We will continue with subtraction

SCIENCE

We are going to finish up life science. We started it with the Unit 1 Benchmark, in ELA. This week, we will learn about mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. We will specifically look at their body coverings and body parts. What do they all need to survive, will be a driving question.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We took our Civics Social Studies assessment on Thursday. If your child was absent, they will have a blank grade for Social Studies this quarter. They will take the assessment this week, and their grade will show up in the second quarter.

We have a full week of school. Election Day is the following week.

Friday was the official end of our first quarter. I submitted all of the grades. We have lots of progressing grades due to the nature of the lessons being very guided. If your child is missing any grade, it is due to absences. Also, I noted that we do much better on the tasks, quizzes, and formative and summative assessments when we are all in class. Absences are impacting the understanding of the content.

Report cards will be distributed at the parent-teacher conference. Reminders were sent home last week.

Thursday was so much fun! Thank you to Mrs. Faraj, all of the Geer Park staff, and the fantastic Geer Park PTA for the wonderful experience. Here are some photos from the day.

Fall Celebration Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be a busy day celebrating fall and having some Halloween fun.

Your child is welcome to wear their Halloween costume. It will be a bit chilly, so plan accordingly, please.

Fall Photos

Fall photos will be available tomorrow. They are $3 each.

Remember…

  • Friday is a half day of school.
  • The pumpkin drawing will be at 11:45.
  • Dismissal is at 12:05.

I will be posting grades to the report card on Friday afternoon. We have had some formative and summative assessments this week. If your child has been absent, there might be a blank grade in some areas. I will still administer the assessment to your child, but the grade might be on the next report card. All final grades are due, by the teachers, Friday afternoon.

Newsletter for the Week of October 24 – 28th

Wow! We had snow during the week and then summer temperatures on Saturday. Crazy Michigan weather. Hopefully, you had a chance to get out and enjoy Saturday with your first grader. I went to two soccer games. We intended to go get our pumpkins, but we all fell asleep in the car while Mr. Korte drove home. Oops.

Even though the weather was warm this weekend, it will not last. This is Michigan and even though it is fall… we must remember that winter is coming. Please check the temperatures before leaving. If it is cold, dress your first grader in a warm coat. I will always monitor the temperature before all recesses. If it is warm, we can leave the coat inside.

This is going to be a busy week. Please watch for notification from the school.

  • Wednesday, October 26 – 9:30 Parent Education Meeting – Screen Time and the Brain – Please mark your calender and please consider attending.
  • Wednesday, October 26 – 10:30 PTA meeting – Again, please consider attending.
  • Thursday, October 27 – 10:00am – 1st Grade Pumpkin Patch
  • Thursday, October 27 – 2:15pm – 1st Grade Parade
  • Friday, October 28 – Half Day of school Dismissal at 12:05

Thank you for your support at home

I want to thank all of the families who are reading, completing the math homework, and completing the spelling homework. I CAN see a difference in the overall understanding and application in the content we must learn. It will make a huge difference in the overall growth for the year too.

A side note, if your first grader is sick, yes please keep them home. Other than that, please send your kiddo to school. Their attendance directly correlates to their academic success. Your child will come home completely exhausted, because we exercise our brain all day long. FYI, some of them tell me, “I’m tired” at 3:00. Yes, they all are tired by the end of the day. We really do work hard in the classroom. You should be so proud of your first grader.

Again, thank you for your help and support.

ELA

We are using our second Benchmark unit booklet. We are learning about characters in stories. The kids are having a great time hearing many variations of Little Red Riding Hood. Some are really funny. We are also learning that the author tends to have a purpose in these stories. They are trying to teach the reader a lesson.

Please let your first grader read their book bag books to you and sign their literacy log. It is your way to monitor when I meet with your child, their new books, their old books to read for fluency, and it is my way to monitor if they are reading at home.

Spelling

This week is the short u sound

  1. rug
  2. bug
  3. hug
  4. fun
  5. run
  6. sun
  7. up
  8. cup
  9. come
  10. here
  11. of

Math

We are going to start subtraction as a known addend. Their understanding of a number bond is really important to fully understand this concept.

Science

We took a small break from science. We will resume next week.

Social Studies

We are almost finished with our Civics unit. I will be assessing this week.

Have a great week! Mrs. Korte

Classroom News for the Week of October 17 – 21, 2022

What a beautiful weekend! Mine was super busy because my youngest, a freshman, had homecoming, a cross-country race, more homecoming, and a soccer game. At least most of it was outside, where we could enjoy the lovely changing of the leaves.

The temperatures have really dropped this weekend. The forecast for the coming week is cold temperatures. Please SEND YOUR FIRST GRADER WITH A HEAVY COAT. I promise to check the temperature before all recesses. If it is in the 60-70s we will leave them in the room. I cannot risk your first graders getting sick.

Please send your child’s library book back to school. I sent home reminders for families on Friday.

  • Monday, October 17 – Library Day, and we will participate in Math-a-thon in the afternoon for fun. Fast math facts! We’ve got this.
  • Tuesday, October 18 – We have P.E. Wear your gym shoes, please.

Pumpkin Raffle

The pumpkins are starting to fill up the display case by the cafeteria. They will be raffled off. Tickets will be sold outside before school starts. They are 50 cents a piece.

Thank you to all of the parents who have been working diligently with your first grader. With me teaching and practicing in the classroom and with you working on the math homework, spelling homework, and reading/signing the literacy log, I have seen a huge improvement in understanding of academic learning goals.

Thank you so much for your help.

ELA

Reading Instruction and Reading Groups

We have a workbook that we read, annotate, and write in every day. It is at grade level. I will be sending Unit 1 home so that you can see all of the work we do together.

I am also meeting with your child in a reading group. The instruction at your child’s reading level. It is crucial that your child read their book to you to build their independent reading capabilities.

Spelling

List 4 has the short e sound like at the beginning of elephant and entrance.

  • ten
  • men
  • pen
  • let
  • met
  • wet
  • fed
  • bed
  • look
  • are
  • to
  • my
  • said

Writer’s Workshop

During direct writing instruction, called writer’s workshop, we are writing a narrative (story) about a time when we were brave. This process takes about two weeks.

Math

We are finishing up looking at mathematical patterns. We will have a topic quiz and a mid-module assessment this week. By the end of the week, we will start subtraction. It will look different from how we learned. Our math series relates it to addition.

Social Studies

We are almost finished with our Civics unit in Social Studies. Last week, we voted on an activity for the next indoor lunch recess. Some of the kids were disappointed that their activities did not get picked, but we learned that “majority rules”. We also learned that if you vote for both, your ballot is null and void.

We will learn about being a good citizen at school and some symbols that are linked to the United States of America, like the American flag, the Statue of Liberty, the White House, a bald eagle, and several more.

Science

We will learn that animals’ body coverings help distinguish them from other animals. The can be groups accordingly too.

Again, thank you so much for your support. Have a great week and bundle your little one up this week.

Mrs. Korte

Weekly Newsletter for the Week of October 10 – 14, 2022

I hope you are having a great weekend. I try to make Fridays a bit more relaxed and fun like I did this past Friday. I loved pajama day. We were so relaxed and comfortable. We had snacks on the carpet, enjoyed the story Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies, and then we enjoyed the quick links on my Schoology page.

We enjoyed ice cream on count day. We had 100% in attendance. Yay! Thank you.

We also earned all of our Mrs. Potato Head body parts, so we earned popsicles on Thursday. Yay! It was the perfect day to have a popsicle too. It was very warm outside.

  • Wednesday, October 12 – LATE START – School starts at 9:55
  • Friday, October 14 at 9:45 am – PICTURE DAY! Wear your smile!
  • Bring back your Geer Park library book. We go to the library next on Monday, October 17th.

Reading

Mrs. Garcia and I just started reading groups. When your child brings their book bag home, please take a few minutes and allow them to read to you. They will improve with all of us working together. I hope to get everyone their book bags this week.

Spelling

List 3 Short o sound, like octopus.

  • mop
  • top
  • hop
  • lock
  • rock
  • sock
  • hot
  • not
  • have
  • one
  • jump
  • for
  • no

Please, please have your child do their spelling homework on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You can keep it at home in a safe place and send it in on Friday. I must have it on Friday.

Also, I will send home your child’s Spelling Test booklet. Please take a peek. It has a grade for spelling and a grade for printing. The rubric is at the front of the book for printing. Sign and return the booklet the next day.

Writing

We are going to start Writer’s Workshop this week. We will be writing a narrative story about a time when we were brave.

Math

We are finishing up balancing an algebraic equation with the equal sign on Monday. We will take a formative quiz on Tuesday. Then we will start learning about doubles and doubles plus 1.

Science

We learned that animals need to move, they need food, they sometimes have camouflage to keep them safe, they have to care for their young, and they need shelter too.

We will learn how plants grow from seeds. They need good soil, water, and sunlight to grow.

Social Studies

We learned that mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and older aunts and uncles can make rules in their homes. They have power with authority. At school, the principal, teachers, substitutes, lunch ladies, and bus drivers can make the rules. They have power with authority. These people keep us safe and help us to make respectful and responsible choices.

This week we will learn about people who try to have power but they do not have the authority to do so. (strangers, siblings, bullies) We will also learn about fairness.

Thank you for your support. Have a great week.

Mrs. Korte

Newsletter for the Week of October 3-7, 2002

I want to thank any and all parents who attended the Parent Meeting last Wednesday. It was a huge success. There will be a meeting each month. These meets will be very beneficial to you as a parent so that you know what is going on in the building with the students, the staff, and the curriculum. If you were in the groups who were able to visit my room, I hope you were pleasantly surprise by our amazing first graders. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or ask me at student pick up. I am here for you.

To be completely transparent, I am not in the building on Monday, October 3. I needed to help my oldest child with something in Colorado Springs. She is a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy. She doesn’t ask much of use as parents, but needed us this Monday. I will be back on Tuesday, October 4th and quickly bring myself up to speed on anything that occurred in my absence.

  • Monday, October 3 – Thursday, October 6 – Spelling Homework – Last week we practiced each day and expectation together. This is the first week for your child to complete the activities at home. Please use both the front and back of each page. This will conserve paper and make the booklet last longer. Please monitor spelling and printing. Return to school on Friday morning.
  • Friday, October 6 – This is a half day of school with the release at 12:05. It is also a Pajama Day for a fundraiser. Donate $1 and wear pajamas all day.

English Language Art (ELA)

Spelling

We took our first spelling test last week. Your child will have 2 grades. The first grade will be for the spelling itself. It will be written as the total correct over the total amount of words. Remember, there will always be 3 words that match the spelling pattern that we did not learn. Those are called cold words. They show whether or not your child understands the spelling patterns learned and can apply them to make new words. There is also a printing grade. On the report card it falls under L1.1 This is graded as a 1, 2, 3, or 4. It is similar to the report card. 1 exceeding expectations of a first grader, 2 meeting expectations, 3 progressing, and 4 concern. Our goal it to show change over time and improvement in the area. Remember, printing is our way to publish for others to read. It is important that your child becomes fast and flexible with printing the correct way.

Reading

We have started Unit 1 Benchmark. We are annotating text together. We are doing shared reading and writing in our Unit 1 Benchmark booklet. Unit 1 is about how living things grow and change.

Starting this week I will start meeting with small groups for guided reading instruction. This instruction will be at your child’s reading level as indicated on the Developmental Reading Assessment. Your child will have a book bag and a book inside. Please sit with your child and allow them to read to you. Then sign their Literacy Log card and send both the book and card back to school the next day. By working together, your child will make the most progress.

Writer’s Workshop

We had a 5 day write last week to get an initial writing score. We will start Writer’s Workshop instruction this week. We will be taking a topic from ideas, on a Circle Map, to a published piece. This takes time. I will keep you posted on the progress.

Math

This week we are working with the equal sign. REALLY, it is a symbol used for algebraic express of an equation to show that both sides are balanced or they are the same. Kind of crazy to think that your first grader is doing basic algebra.

Social Studies

My goal last week was to discuss power with authority and power without authority. Things always take a bit long and sometimes our plans get pushed back a bit. We will be discussing this concept in Social Studies this week.

Science

Science is actually meshing with our Unit 1 benchmark. Last week, we learned that living things have a life cycle. We learned about a frog and the life cycle of a frog. This week we will learn that plants, specifically an oak tree, has a life cycle too.

Thank you for your constant support. I appreciate you.

Mrs. Korte