IMPORTANT: Sign Ups!

Important! 

This year I used Sign Up Genius to allow you to pick just the right time for your conference, Mystery Reader slots, and Star of the Week slots. Fingers crossed that it makes scheduling easier and more accessible! Please contact me with any questions.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Please click the link below to sign up for a parent-teacher conference. The meetings are 15 minutes in length. November 5th is the "official" day for conferences, but I know that your schedules can be busy, so I have listed some additional times before and after school on the days leading up to the 5th. I am very flexible with time; if you are unable to make it to the times listed, please let me know and we can schedule something at another time.

Parent-Teacher Conference


Mystery Reader

We love to have parents, grandparents, even aunts and uncles read to the kids in 1A. Please consider signing up to be a Mystery Reader! You can bring your child's favorite book or choose one from the classroom when you arrive. The weekly Mystery Reader slots are from 9:00-9:20am on Wednesdays. If you need an alternate time, please email me and we can work something out.

Mystery Reader Sign Up


Star of the Week

Every student will have an opportunity to be Star of the Week. They will complete a poster about themselves (which I will send home the week before they are the "star"). They can also bring in 3 books to share with the class. On Friday (10:30-11:00am) of your child's week, you are invited to do a craft or activity of your choosing with the whole class. Alternately, you can read a favorite book to the class.

Star of the Week Sign Up

September 26, 2019

Hi 1A families,
It's been another busy week in first grade. Here's a look at what we covered.

• In Reading Workshop, the kids continue to enjoy some great books and practice their reading strategies. This week, they learned how to set reading goals each day so that they can make the most of their time. They also practiced rereading sentences to "make their voice smoother". Since they are just learning how to decode unfamiliar words, the reading can be a little choppy. If the kids do the "hard work" of figuring out all of the words, and then they go back to reread it smoothly, it will help them to better understand what they read. Tomorrow, the kids will learn about scooping up words into phrases as they read.

• We also continued to review the letters and letter-sounds. We covered the letters c, g, d, s, r, p, j, l, h, k, v, and w this week. Each day, we talk about the sound the letter makes and practice letter formation with handwriting. We brainstorm words that contain the letters that we are focusing on. We've also used magnetic letter boards to build and change short vowel words. The kids really enjoy using personal white boards to practice writing words.

• Math has been a lot of fun this week. The kids practiced solving simple addition word problems with pictures and addition sentences. They also learned to find a missing addend. Today, we focused on the "counting on" strategy when adding. I'm very impressed with their number sense and the way that they dive right into new math concepts! Pretty awesome! Ask them to show you the Counting On Cheer that we did today. :)

• On Monday, Ms. Dulin and Ms. Rodgers, our guidance staff, came into class to do a lesson on whole body listening. I don't mean to brag, but the kids did such a great job that I think they could have been right up there teaching it! They are so attentive and respectful as an audience. I love it!

• They are practicing writing in a number of ways. They wrote stories about their weekends in their journals on Monday, they continued working on their "small moment" stories, they wrote notes to me in their conversation journals, and I gave them a short writing prompt about penguins on Wednesday. My goal is to keep them writing as much as I can all year. I'll talk more about it at open house next week, but writing can be the most challenging piece of the first grade curriculum.

• In preparation for the field trip to Spring Hill Farm next week, the kids have been learning a lot about pumpkins. They created a pumpkin lifecycle craft that will be hanging in the classroom for open house. We've read several books about pumpkins and watched a couple of short videos. Ask your first grader how they can tell how many seeds are in a pumpkin. Hint: It has to do with the lines on the outside of the pumpkin.

• On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to do a curriculum-based learning project with Ms. Flaherty, the art teacher. The kids created apple pinch pots out of clay. It's a perfect way to illustrate the parts of an apple that we've been learning about in class. Next time, the kids will be able to put glaze on their clay creations. Once they have been fired in the kiln, the kids can take them home. I made one, too. So much fun!

Upcoming Dates

• Wednesday, 10/2: Field trip to Spring Hill Farm in Haverhill (I'll send a reminder next week) 

• Thursday, 10/3: Kittredge School Open House (6:30-7:30pm)

• Wednesday, 10/9: Picture day, in-school visit to the Scholastic Book Fair, and 1:45 early release

• Monday, October 14: Schools are closed

Requests

• The kids love being creative with the materials in the Maker Bin. If you have any craft materials or clean recyclables that you would like to contribute, please send them in. We'd love to have them!
• Ms. Flaherty is also looking for empty egg cartons for a project. If you have any please send them to school and I will make sure she gets them.

Have a fantastic weekend! Thanks for sharing your great kiddos with us. As always, please get in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns.

Katie Barnett

September 19, 2019

Hi 1A families,

Wow! Busy week! But the kids learned so much - I'm surprised by what we can accomplish in a week. Here's a quick run-down of what we did.

• In Reading Workshop, the kids continued to learn about the habits of good readers. On Monday, they learned how to "do something" when they finish reading a book. It could be going back to find a favorite page, rereading part of the book, or chatting about it with their reading partner. On Tuesday, the kids learned about rereading to help them remember what happened and be able to retell the story. Later in the week, I discussed how readers get stronger by reading more and more. Thankfully, we have a ton of great books to choose from in our classroom! Each day, the kids practice their reading skills during independent reading time and partner reading time.
• We also continued to review the vowel sounds, focusing on one vowel each day. Ask the kids about the 2 puppets that the kids met this week: Mr. Ed and Mrs. Odd. (They reinforce the vowel sounds of short E and short O.) They also made a short U octopus craft. On Friday, we will be practicing all of the vowel sounds with a game.
• Math has been a lot of fun this week. The kids are practicing number sense through games and lessons. Every day, we practice counting aloud. (Today we counted to 110!) I have been working with small groups to complete the workbook pages in Eureka math. I love seeing all that they know about number bonds and story problems. Each day, the kids are also spending a little bit of time on the ST Math program. I'm sure they would love to tell you about the mascot penguin, Jiji!
• Writing has been fantastic this week. The kids learned about "small moment" stories as they write personal narratives. We worked on a class story together and then I set the kids off and running! They will continue to edit and perfect their stories in the coming days.
• Each day, we take a little time to sing and dance to the sight word songs. It's a great way for the first graders to learn how to read and spell some of the most common words they encounter.
• The kids have been learning about how apples grow through stories, videos, and activities. On Wednesday, I read a story called The Apple Orchard Riddle. I told the kids that they could see if you can solve the riddle: What is red and a house with no door or windows, and has a star inside?
• We also started writing in conversation journals. Each week, the kids can write a note to me or ask me a question in their book and I will respond be writing back to them. It's a really fun, authentic way for the kids to practice their writing skills. You wouldn't believe some of the things that they ask me! Hysterical.
• On Fridays, we meet with our third grade Reading Buddies. Each first grade student is paired up with a third grader to enjoy a book. I love seeing the friendships grow as the year goes on. Some weeks (like last week) the kids get together to do a STEM challenge. Last Friday, they explored different building materials such as blocks, Magna-Tiles, plastic cups, counting cubes, and Legos.

Upcoming Dates

• 9/24 (Wednesday), 9:00am:  PTO Coffee Talk. Mrs. Murphy and I will be there if you would like to chat about Kittredge School. Notices went home in folders on Tuesday. 
• Wednesday, 9/25: Early Release at 1:45
• Wednesday, 10/2: Field trip to Spring Hill Farm in Haverhill
• Thursday, 10/3: Kittredge School Open House
• Wednesday, 10/9: Picture day (more info will be sent out later) and 1:45 early release
• Monday, October 14: Schools are closed

Other Notes

• Thank you to everyone who has submitted the permission slip and the $19 for the field trip! I sent home another form to anyone who hasn't sent it in yet. It should have been in your child's backpack yesterday.
• Thanks to everyone who read last week's poem with your child over the weekend! Poetry notebooks will go home every weekend. :)
• As you may have seen, we are reminding kids that they may not share snacks or food of any kind in school. There are quite a few kiddos with food allergies and sensitivities - and we want to be sure that they are safe.
• Be sure to follow out Kindness Team on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KindKangaroos

Materials Request
Every morning, the kids have about 10 minutes to work with "Morning Tubs". It's a time to build creativity, practice building things and sharing with friends. One of the tubs is called the "Maker Bin"; it is filled with craft materials and clean, recycled materials. If you have anything at home that you think would be useful (think egg cartons, pom-poms, etc.), we'd love to have them at school!

Thanks so much for all that you do to support your child's learning at home! Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

Katie Barnett

September 12, 2019

Hi 1A families,

It's hard to believe that it's only the second week of a new school for these kids! They have adjusted so nicely, and we were able to start digging in to the curriculum topics this week. I'm very impressed with this great group! Here's a quick look at what we covered in class this week.

• On Monday, we reviewed the Reading Super Powers that the kids learned about in kindergarten. Ask them to show you or explain "pointer power", "picture power", or "sound power". These are all strategies to help them become more independent readers. They all keep these invisible powers in their pocket in case they are stuck on a word as they read; it gives them a strategy to use instead of just giving up or asking someone else.
• I rolled out the Reading Workshop program throughout the rest of the week. After I teach a short lesson, the students have an opportunity every day to do some independent reading and practice what they learned. They also have some time to read with a partner and chat about the books. They really put a lot of effort into this part of the day - and they seem to love the books that we have in the classroom! This week, we talked about "taking a sneak peek" at a book before we start to read. Tomorrow, the kids will learn how to check the predictions that they make about the book.
• In our phonics program (Fundations), the kids learned that there are 5 vowels and that they are the hardest working letters in the alphabet because every word has a vowel. We are also reviewing the letter sounds, as they are a building block of reading skills. Each day, we focus on a couple of letters. The kids also practice handwriting and how to form those letters. So far, we've covered t, b, f, m, and n. Tomorrow we will begin reviewing the vowels with Short A. We also watched a fun video called Vowel Bat that reviews the vowel sounds.
• In math, the students are learning about how numbers relate to one another. You may be familiar with "number bonds" from kindergarten. (If not, ask your first grader to draw one for you.) The Eureka Math program contains lots of fun games and hands-on activities to teach math concepts. This week, the kids used egg cartons (shortened to have only 10 spots) to practice "making 10". They put counting cubes in each of the cups of the egg carton. They also played a game called Happy Counting. 
• We logged into the ST Math Program. As you may already know, we have Chrome Books for every first grade student. It's fantastic! All year, we will be using the ST Math program for the kids to master the math concepts. It is directly aligned with the Eureka Math program so that they kids have fun games to play that reinforce what they learn in other areas of math. I'll talk more about this great program at Open House. 
• We are easing into the Writing Workshop curriculum as well. They will be writing personal narrative stories (or Small Moment) stories in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out in their folders for a packet about writing topics. If you could help your first grader fill it out and send it back to school sometime next week, that would be really helpful as they begin to write in class.
• I started to read a classic chapter book to the kids: Ramona, The Pest by Beverley Cleary.  If you've never read it, Ramona is a well-intention, but impulsive, kindergartener who doesn't always make the right choice. The kids love her! :)

Field Trip!
The first grade is planning to go on a field trip on Wednesday, October 2nd, to Spring Hill Farm in Haverhill! It's always lots of fun! Please check your child's folder tonight for the permission slip. 

Poetry Notebooks
Starting tomorrow, the students will bring home a poetry notebook every Friday. Over the weekend, they should read the newest poem to you and then you can sign the paper in the front cover of the book. We read these poems as a group every morning during our Morning Meeting. Poetry is a fantastic way to increase reading fluency. Plus, the kids will have a great book of poems to keep at the end of the year. Send the book back to school on the following Monday. Thanks!

Upcoming Dates

• Friday, 9/13: First library class
• Wednesday, 9/18: Library class
• Wednesday, 9/25: Early release at 1:45
• Thursday, 10/3: Open House - 6:30-7:30pm
• Wednesday, 10/2: Spring Hill Farm field trip
• Wednesday, 10/9: Picture day (more info will be sent out later) and 1:45 early release

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thanks so much!
Katie Barnett

September 6, 2019

Hi 1A families,

What a great first week of school! The kiddos jumped right into being Kittredge Kangaroos! I can already tell that this is going to be a fantastic year! 

Each week, I try to write a quick blog post to let you know what we worked on in class that week. Here's a look at what we did in the first 4 days of school.

• Tuesday was all about getting to know each other. We played a few name games and read some stories about how we can all feel a little anxious or excited about the start of a new school year. After reading The Kissing Hand, a story about a raccoon who is nervous about his first day, the kids all told me how they felt before coming to school. I hope that you liked the little card that they came home with that day. Even though many of the kids admitted to being nervous, there were a ton of smiles by the end of they day.
• Another big focus for the first week is learning the classroom routines. Where is the bathroom? What do I do with a note that my parents send in? How can I get a sharpened pencil? How do I pack up and go home at the end of the day? These are all the little details that make our days go smoothly. The first graders are doing a wonderful job of learning and following all of our classroom routines!
• Books, books, books! I've already told the kids that I LOVE reading and love all kinds of books. As of Friday morning, I have read 12 books aloud in class. The topics are varied, but most of what I choose for the first week has to do with starting school, being kind, and that it's okay to make mistakes. Maybe your first grader can tell you about a book that we read together!
• We practiced the procedure for fire drills and had our first official fire drill with the North Andover Fire Department on Thursday. I'm happy to report that it went very smoothly! Thanks, NAFD!
• Throughout the week, the kids have been bringing in their "Me Bags". I love this activity, because it gives the kids a chance to share some important details about themselves with the rest of the class. We've seen lots of sports items, Lego people, stuffed animals, and pictures of families. :)
• We played a game called "I Have, Who Has" with 2 digit numbers. Tons of fun! Ask your first grader how it works. The kids also created paper number lines to help them refresh their memories!
• Today, we are going to attempt to log in to the Chromebooks for the first time. Wish us luck! This is always a challenge for the kiddos at the beginning of the year, but they will become experts in no time. 
• On Wednesday, Ms. Dulin and Ms. Rogers visited the classroom and talked to the kids about the role of the School Counselor. 
• On Thursday, the kids learned about the new composting program at Kittredge. They will be sorting their trash at the end of lunch each day. It's a great way to teach the kids about reducing waste.
• I love to use the Smartboard in the classroom to get the kids up and moving! We watched a few quick video songs about numbers and letters. Take a peek here: Counting to 100 Song and Letter/Sound Song
  I also used the Go Noodle web site for some fun movement breaks.

Upcoming Dates
Next week, the kids will begin Snack Time Share (think Show & Tell). Each day, the kids from a table can share an item from home, a story, or a joke, if they like. (Please keep expensive items and electronics at home.) Here's the schedule. Your child will know their table letter.

Table A: Mondays
Table E: Tuesdays
Table I: Wednesdays
Table O: Thursdays
Table U: Fridays

• Wednesday, 9/11: 1:45 early dismissal (Teacher Professional Development)
• Wednesday, 9/18: First library class
• Thursday, 10/3: Open House - 6:30-7:30pm
• Wednesday, 10/9: Picture day (more info will be sent out later) and 1:45 early release

FYI: I'm hoping to get the sign up list for Mystery Reader slots out to you soon!

Thank You!

• I really appreciate all of the supplies that you sent in. They should keep us well stocked for the year. I shop for supplies for my own kids and I know that it can be an expensive trip to Staples. I just wanted you to know that we will put everything to good use this year. Thank you so much.
• I also really appreciate your communication about dismissal information. I work hard all week to make sure that everyone gets to where they need to be. Now that the year is underway and I know the kids a little better, it should go smoothly. As a reminder, if there are any changes to your child's dismissal, a note in their folder is the best way to communicate that to me. If it's a last minute change, please call Mrs. McCarthy in the front office.
• Which brings me to my next point...thanks for the prompt return of all the back to school paperwork! 
• One more thank you: Thanks for checking the kids' take home folders each night and returning empty folders each day!

As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Have a wonderful and restful weekend!
Katie Barnett