5 Weeks

As we come to the end of our 5th week of school I am amazed by how much our Thunderbolts have grown already.  Routines are setting in and we're ready to have some fun learning. In reading we've been working on short vowels and have covered a, i, and o so far.  We've also discussed literary elements like fantasy vs. reality, character and setting.  Our first read aloud, Junie B. Jones Boss of Lunch was a huge hit and we've started Junie B. Jones Boo and I Mean It just this week. 

Math concepts so far have been mainly focused on number recognition, base 10, and recently comparing numbers.  We love playing games during math like Domino War, Race to the Top, and Popcorn Math.  I've been really impressed by how well we are all learning and playing together in small groups. 

Science started this week with a discussion on Living and Nonliving things.  It was very interesting to see how many students perceived nonliving to be the same as fantasy.  More than a few felt that surely monsters, ghosts, and witches must be nonliving.  Interesting class discussions followed. 

Speaking of Halloween type things the First Grade Team has begun to plan a pumpkin unit for the last week of the month.  We're very excited to see how much we can learn and do with them. 

Things to remember: 

• Homework will be turned in on Fridays with the first packet due tomorrow. Please let me know if your child struggled and we can discuss solutions. 
• Please pack one snack or two small snacks. No candy please, they have enough energy as it is. 
• PE is on Wednesday and Thursday and requires sneakers.