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/KindKangar
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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
