Week of December 14th

Dear Parents,
I hope you are enjoying hearing all about our adventures with Globe Trot Scott! He has taught us so many great things about how other people around the world celebrate holidays. We are also learning more about our own family traditions as well. This week we plan to travel to Africa, Russia and Sweden. We hope you can  join us for our December celebration which will be held on December 22nd at 2:15. We plan on sharing all of our souvenirs in our suitcases, singing some holiday songs and eating some yummy treats. Thank you to all those who have volunteered to bring in items for our celebration!

Here's a sneak peek into the week ahead:

Spelling:  This week (and next week) we will review long vowels with the silent e pattern. The students have done very well learning this pattern and it is evident by the scores on their spelling tests! Thank you again for working with them each night for spelling homework! This week you will notice only 8 words on their lists. We won't have a spelling test next week because it's a short week, so you will not see new word lists coming home on Monday.

Writing:  We are in the final bend of our Informational Writing unit. This week the students will spend their focus on writing introductions and conclusions. I can't tell you how impressed I am with all of their great ideas. Many of my authors have become so invested in their writing that their folders are blossoming with great texts, while others have become so invested in a single piece that they have added numerous chapters that can teach their readers! This has been such a great experience for me to see their writing really take off!

Readers workshop:  Our work as readers will continue with nonfiction texts.

Math: Our chapter 4 tests went home on Friday. Please be sure to sign the tests and return them in your child's folder as soon as possible. We will start Chapter 5 (Addition facts to 20) on Monday. In this chapter we will continue the basic fact strategies that we started in chapter 4. In first grade, there is a great emphasis on mastering the basic addition facts. For students who cannot quickly memorize these facts, we will review and practice addition strategies to use as an aid. We will review terms such as addition, addend, sum, part, and whole. We will focus on doubles, near doubles and making 10 to help us add.

I hope you all had a chance to get outside to enjoy the "spring" weather. This was certainly a nice treat!! Although we only have 8 days before winter break, we will be busy learning, having fun and growing together! First grade is full of excitement (more than usual) this time of year!! Have a great week!
Kerry