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
- 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.
- 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.
