Oct. 30!

 Hello wonderful parents!

We are having so much fun today! 

Computers and chargers are coming home today! your student will be carrying their Chromebook to and from school each day. The school has decided this would be best to start as an additional precaution just in case we go virtual. I will be sending home your student's charger as well. The charger will stay home.  Your student's responsibility is to charge the Chromebook at home each night and bring the fully charged Chromebook back each school day. It is imperative that it comes back charged each school day as we use it throughout the day. If you would like to add a protective case, you may but is not required. If you do provide a case for your student's computer, make sure your student can operate it independently.

It would also be helpful to review proper computer handling procedures with your student at home (in addition to us reviewing this at school) since students will now be transporting them within their backpacks each morning and afternoon.  

Next week: 

Phonics: Next week we will be reviewing out trigraphs -tch and -dge, along with chunks -al and -all. Students have been progressing nicely. Please make sure your student is reading at home still!

New heart words: an, come, which, she , do

Comprehension: We will be focusing on identifying the narrator within our texts. A narrator can be a character within the story or  can be an outsider. We will mostly focus on identifying which character is telling the story and will focus on outside narrators later. To support at home, start asking your student, "who is telling this story." Look for clues in the dialogue.

Math: This week in math we will be working on adding and subtraction strategies with an unknown addend. So an example of this would be 4 +___=6. Some students will be able to quickly solve this while other will need more support. Students can count on from 4 to 6 with their fingers, or draw dots. Some students will be comfortable flipping the problem to 6-4 to solve. We will explore which strategy works best for your student.

Social Studies: We will be continuing our families near and far unit!

10/22

 I will be out for part of tomorrow so I wanted to send the blog today so I wouldn't forget!

Important Upcoming Dates/Info: 

Oct. 29: Picture Day (Appropriate Free Dress) You can purchase pictures online, check out the Landmark Lead for more info.

Oct 30: Dress up like your Favorite Book Character Day! SEE PIC BELOW!  I attached a form to the email, please email me if your student is NOT participating. Please fill this out and return by Oct 23rd. **Need something to engage your student at home? Have them write their own story with their own characters!

To help make this date special we will be doing some fun activities. Please click the link to help support our class on this day. Oct 30 Sign up

Supplies: We are in need of some more disinfecting wipes for the classroom. If you are able please donate some! 

Weather: Cold weather has arrived! Please be mindful of what your students is wearing and bringing for coats, scarfs, mittens, etc. Please label and please teach your student how to put these things on and where to store them once inside. Always assume we will have outdoor recess so your student isn't caught out in the cold without a coat.

Next week:

Phonics: Our class has done awesome with our digraphs (sh, th, ch, ck, wh)! We will be moving to trigraphs which are three letters that make one sound. This is -tch and -dge. These trigraphs follow a short vowel sound in words, like batch, or judge.

New Heart words: your, can, said, there, down

Comprehension: We will be identifying character's problems and trying to find the solution to those problems as we read. Not every character is successful at solving their own problem but may need help from supporting characters. To support your student at home you can ask your student about the character. Ask about what they want or need throughout the story and then see if they can identify the solution.

Writing: We are continuing with narratives! I am hoping to send the class one home tomorrow!

Math: Students have a good basic understanding of place value so now we will move into comparing and adding numbers. Our next unit uses a lot of dominoes as manipulatives. If you have dominoes at home you can add each side of the dominoes together, flip two over and compare, or just play regular dominoes. All are great ways to get your student familiar with dealing with numbers.

Social Studies: We are continuing with our families and diversity unit. We will be looking at more in depth into our community around us.

10/15

 Upcoming dates and reminders:

Oct 16th and 19th there is NO SCHOOL

Oct 29: Picture Day! Appropriate Free Dess. Check out The Lead for online purchasing information.

Oct 30: Dress up like your Favorite Book Character Day! SEE PIC BELOW! I have a form for you to fill out, I am sending it home in your student's purple folder last week and I also attached it to the email. Please fill this out and return by Oct 23rd. **Need something to engage your student at home? Have them write their own story with their own characters!

Square 1 Art Fundraiser: 

The Square 1 Art Fundraiser is off to a great start!  Thanks to the support of our students and families, we are at $700 in sales so far!  Our goal is to sell $2,000 in personalized items.  If you haven't ordered your items yet, don't delay!  All orders are due by Monday, October 19th.

Student artwork, stickers, and catalogs for the 2019-2020 school year were sent home last week.  All in-person students who attended Landmark during the 2019-2020 school year have received theirs. Virtual students may pick theirs up from the front office.  

Now it's time to order items personalized with your child's masterpiece.  Personalized items make great gifts, and the school earns profit from every order.  You can order online or send in your paper order form.  Thank you for supporting the Landmark Art Department!

 

*NO PURPLE FOLDERS THIS WEEK. With it being a super short week I did not have time to grade and review your student work so I will send it home next week along with the updates Rapid Word Chart.

Next week in First Grade:

Phonics: We will be continuing to explore digraphs (two letters that make one sound) while reviewing the digraphs we already know like sh, th, wh, and ch.

New Heart words: what, all, were, we, when

Comprehension: This week we identified the problem in our stories, next week we are going to the conversation and talk about the attempts to solve that problem. At home you can support your student by asking your student to identify the character, setting, and problem.

Writing: Our class has been writing a short story together this week and will finish it up next week. I am hopeful to have it in our purple folders by next Friday!

Math: We will be working on place value and understanding the value of numbers. We have been working on 'drawing out' our numbers with tens sticks and one cubes. Ask your student to show you, the class has really been engaged with these lessons.

Social studies: Students have explored and discussed how to help others in different parts of their community this week and we will build on that understanding next week as well. 

10/9 updates!

 Wow, today was packed with fun!

Upcoming dates and reminders:

Oct 15 is a half day! Pick up will be at 11:30 am. We will NOT be serving lunch. Please still provide a water bottle and snack that day.

Oct 16th and 19th there is NO SCHOOL

Oct 29: Picture Day!

Oct 30: Dress up like your Favorite Book Character Day! SEE PIC BELOW! I have a form for you to fill out, I am sending it home in your student's purple folder and I also attached it to the email. Please fill this out and return by Oct 23rd. **Need something to engage your student at home? Have them write their own story with their own characters!

Purple folders: Be sure to empty your student's folder each time it comes home. It comes home mostly on Fridays. Check for notes and feedback from me! I will also include a rapid word chart to help support students at home with heart words. 

Reading Street Book: A Reading Street text book is coming home in your student's backpack. We are in the process of phasing this curriculum out as a school. Instead of trashing these awesome books I thought  you could keep them for a reading resource at home. If you choose not to keep it that is up to you but please do not send it back. It has a collection of stories and activities that the students have been reading in their free time since our classroom library is closed. At school, students will move to the next text book in the collection for next quarter. I am hoping to send a book home at the end of every quarter.

Next week:

Phonics: Next week we are going to continue to explore our vowels and we will be introducing digraphs ch and wh. Remember that a digraph are two letters that make one sound.

New Heart words: one, had, by, but, not

Comprehension: We are going to look at problems and conflicts in our text. Problem or conflict is going to be what the character wants or needs but cannot have or cannot get. Students should look for clues in the text and pictures to help identify what the character's needs are.

Writing: We are creating a class narrative currently and after the completion of a few whole group stories students will create their own stories. This is an exciting writing unit for students. I love how each student's personality gets to shine.

Math: Since it is a short week, we will be reviewing heavily on what we have already learned this year. This will provide student time to gather some confidence in their math ability as well.

Social studies: We will continue to deepen our understanding of our community and the roles in which different citizens play.

 

10/2

 Hello families!

Conferences: Most have already signed up but here is the link again. I will send a calendar invite soon with your personal link to our conference.  Fall Conferences

Thank you: The start of this week was not ideal but I appreciate your swift response to changing to remote learning. There are so many factors at work this year. Thank you for your understanding and patience. Your child's safety will always be mine and Landmark's number one priority. 

Apex: We earned 55 dollars per lap as a class so as a reward we will have Crazy Hair day on Oct. 9th! 

Absences: Remember to email me and call the office if your student will be gone for any reason!!

Next week in First Grade: 

Moral Focus: We are moving to talking about Respect. The First Grade definition is 'Treat people and the things around you with care.' We will be brainstorming what that looks and feels like.

Phonics: Students will review the vowel sounds we have already covered so far this year. As we move into Unit 7 we will spend some time exploring words with short and long e sounds. Students will often get short i and short e sounds mixed up, so be on the look out for that at home. At school we associate the word itch for the short i sound and the word edge for the short e sound.

New Heart words: at, be, or, have, from

    *Be reviewing old Rapid Word charts to keep up with our older heart words!

Comprehension: We will be starting a fairy tale unit! So much fun! We will be looking at the difference between a main character and a supporting one. We will also discuss the main character's actions and why they do the things they do. 

Writing: The comprehension unit is a really engaging unit that develops lots of creativity! Students will also start look at different parts of text and beginning writing their own tales. We will start by creating a class fairy tale and then move to independent stories later on.

Math: Students will continue to work on developing strategies to solve a variety of word problems. These strategies can include pictures, fingers, manipulatives, setting up an equation, mental math, etc.

Social studies: We are going to explore different families and their different types of traditions and customs. This is a fun unit for kids to see that every family is different and unique.