"The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson

 The Swing

By Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

Over the countryside-

Till I look down on the garden green,

Down on the roof so brown-

Up in the air I go flying again,

Up in the air and down!

Q3 Week 2 January 25-29

 First Grade News

Dear parents,

            A big hurrah to all our scholars on their phenomenal habitat dioramas and oral presentations!  Last week our classrooms truly became the setting of the seven habitats of the world.  Scholars especially enjoyed the opportunity to do a gallery walk, roving from one diorama to another, to appreciate the hard work of each of their peers.  And THANK YOU for all your support of your scholars during Independent Project Week!

Remember scholars should be prepared to recite “The Swing” February 4th.  A copy of the poem can be found in the following blog post. Next week we will also celebrate the 100^th day of school! Scholars will have many opportunities to reflect on and celebrate the ways they are 100 days wiser! 

Please send in a copy of our next classic A Bargain for Frances.  We will begin reading it next week.

            Together for our children,

            First Grade Team

A Peek at the Week

Language Arts

Spalding phonograms

Spelling words

Aesop’s Fables

Personal Narrative

Math

One more, one less

Greater than, less than

Graphs

History

Mexico Today

Friendly Reminders

As we enter the third quarter let us take a moment to review reading logs, because they are of the greatest importance! In first grade scholars are required to read 20 minutes nightly! These logs need to be completely filled out. With a value of 25 points these logs make up 1/3^rd of your scholar’s homework grade. We will also be adjusting the Spalding homework point value in the next few days. This change is to hold our scholars to a higher standard for their handwriting and overall neatness. Please remind your scholar to do their best.

We are still looking over uniforms daily.  The following items are common uniform concerns:

Nail polish

Missing Belt

Dangle or hoop earrings

Bracelets/rings

Non-school sweaters in class

No-Show socks

Non-school or house colored bows

Smart watches

Shoes SHOULD be ALL BLACK or ALL WHITE (unless they are the saddle shoes)

Upcoming Events

January 29 - Early Release

February 4 - 100th Day of School

February 5 - Early Release

February 10 - Class Picture Day

February 12 - Early Release

February 15 - School Holiday - President's Day

February 26 - Early Release

March 5 - Early Release

March 8-12 - Spring Break

March 18 - Early Release

March 26 - Early Release, End of Q3

Q2 Week 7 Dec. 14-18

A Peek at This Week

Language Arts

Spalding phonograms & Spelling Words

Reading Mental Actions:  Making Predictions, Making Connections, Monitoring Comprehension

Fairy Tales:  The Frog Prince 

Retell Strategy:  Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then (SWBST)

Poem - "Hearts Are Like Doors"

Math

Measurement:  Length, Height, Non-standard Units

Addition to 20

Place value

Fact fluency

History

World Religions:  Judaism & Christianity

Upcoming Events

December 16 - Independent Study Projects sent home

December 18 - Early Release

December 21 - January 1 - Winter Break

January 4 - Back to school

January 8 - Early Release

January 14 - Fairy Tales Celebration

January 14 - School-wide Spelling Bee 6:00-8:00

January 15 - Early Release

January 18 - MLK Holiday

January 19-21 - Independent Study Days, Parent Teacher Conferences

January 22 - Presentation of Independent Study Projects

January 29 - Early Release

Q2 Week 6 Dec. 8-11

 A Peek at This Week

Language Arts

Spalding phonograms & Spelling Words

Reading Mental Actions:  Making Predictions, Making Connections, Monitoring Comprehension

Fairy Tales:  Rumpelstiltskin & Rapunzel

Retell Strategy:  Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then (SWBST)

Poem - "Hearts Are Like Doors"

Key Word Outline

Math

Tangrams

Composing Images Using Shapes

Addition to 20

Place value

Fact fluency

Science

Electricity:  Thomas Edison, Current Electricity, Circuits

Q2 Week 5 Nov. 30 - Dec. 4

 A Peek at This Week

Language Arts

Spalding phonograms & Spelling Words

Reading Mental Actions:  Making Predictions, Making Connections, Monitoring Comprehension

Frog and Toad All Year

Fairy Tales:  Sleeping Beauty

Poem - "The Little Turtle"

Identifying verbs

Math

2D & 3D Shapes

Shapes:  Attributes & Patterning

Addition to 20

Place value

Fact fluency

History

Early Civilizations of the Americas - Aztecs & Incas

Q2 W3 & W4 November 9-20

Greetings First Grade Families,

It's been a great week in first grade!  In ELA your children have enjoyed learning about how good readers think about what they are reading to deepen their understanding of a text.  We have had fun identifying pronouns standing in the place of nouns, and the teachers look forward to listening to the students deliver their poem next week.  In Math we began the heavy lifting of using place value to add and subtract numbers to 20, with a focus on bundling and breaking tens to regroup.  We are exploring the early inhabitants of our continent in History, and we look forward to beginning our exploration of energy and electricity in Science next week.  

Next week also begins our season of 1000 gifts, and students will attend an assembly during which Headmaster Keffer will exhort students to be mindful of all we have to thankful for.  We look forward to watching our students actively pursue the virtue of gratefulness as we enter the busy holiday season.

The "Upcoming Events" section below has been updated through the end of January, so please be sure to take a look at this useful information.

We remain ever grateful for the gift of our students and families!

The First Grade Team

A Peek at This Week & Next Week

Language Arts

Spalding phonograms & Spelling Words

Reading Mental Actions:  Making Predictions, Making Connections, Monitoring Comprehension

Frog and Toad All Year

Poem - "The Little Turtle"

Identifying pronouns

Math

Addition to 20

Place value

Fact fluency

Thanksgiving Math

Science

Sources of Energy - Heat, Light, & Sound

Electricity

History

Early Civilizations of the Americas - First Natives & the Maya Civilization

Upcoming Events

November 13 - Early Release

November 18 - Picture Retakes (Q2 B&M Students)

November 20 - Early Release

November 23-27 - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL

December 4 - Early Release

December 4 - DL Picture Day

December 4 - Q2 Progress Reports sent home

December 7 - No School (teacher professional development)

December 10 - Classroom Spelling Bee 8:15-10:15

December 16 - Independent Study Projects sent home

December 18 - Early Release

December 21 - January 1 - Winter Break

January 4 - Back to school

January 8 - Early Release

January 14 - Fairy Tales Celebration

January 14 - School-wide Spelling Bee 6:00-8:00

January 15 - Early Release

January 18 - MLK Holiday

January 19-21 - Independent Study Days, Parent Teacher Conferences

January 22 - Presentation of Independent Study Projects

January 29 - Early Release

Q2 W2 November 2-6, 2020

        Last week was such an exciting one! A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who donated their time and talents to help us celebrate the end of our Ancient Egypt Unit. Our scholars had a wonderful time remembering all the unique and beautiful things we discovered together about Egypt.  Ending the week with our annual day of reading and Character Dress-Up Day was the cherry on top!

Science is busy this week as we examine forces and friction, learning how both play a role in the movement we see around us in the world.  We will end the week with an exciting exploration of magnetic force. 

In Math we will begin exploring numbers to twenty, with a concentrated focus on place value and "10 + ?" facts.  

In Literature we will begin reading stories from our next beloved Classic to Keep, Frog and Toad All Year.  Please send a copy to school with your scholar at your earliest convenience.   

A Peek at the Week

Language Arts

Spalding phonograms

Spelling words

Making Predictions

Frog and Toad Together

Cinderella Stories (Korean & Chinese)

New Poem!  "The Little Turtle"

Math

Numbers to 20

Fact fluency

Science

Motion, Force, and Friction

Friendly Reminders

*Please remember to submit your background check if you desire to volunteer for any school event, including celebrations.  The background check must be received at least TWO weeks prior to the event.

*Mark every outerwear item (gloves, scarves, hat, jacket, etc.) with your child’s name.  Thank you!

Upcoming Events

November 6 - Early Release

November 13 - Early Release

November 18 - Picture Retakes (Q2 B&M Students)

November 20 - Early Release

November 23-27 - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL