Monday

November 9

Flounders: Music

Komodo Dragons: OLARC-

Library books due!!!

Tuesday

November 10

Flounders: Technology

Komodo Dragons: PE

Wear red, white and blue today!

Wednesday

November 11

No School in honor of Veteran’s Day

Thursday

November 12

Flounders: P.E.

Komodo Dragons:Technology

Homework due today!

      Friday

November 13

Black and white Orca spirit day!

Team Time: 1:00

MATH HOMEWORK

1.      More Story Problems-Please show your thinking by drawing a picture and writing an equation to match the problem.  Also, label your answer.

2.      Heads and Tails

3.       Xtra Math Practice at least 3 times.

Penmanship Homework

Practice your first and last name at least 5 times.

Today at 11:00 am, take a moment to think about all of the veterans and current servicemen and servicewomen who have bravely served our country.

READING HOMEWORK-Thank you so much for

having your child  read 3 “just right” books to you each week and filling out the reading log.  Reading to an adult is a wonderful way for your child to practice all of the decoding, comprehension and fluency skills learned at school.  Learning to read takes time and practice so the more time you spend with your child, the better reader he/she will become.

*Please read the attached letter which explains why reading 20 minutes a day is vitally important.

1^st Grade Update:

Hands On Art-Thanks so much to Katrina Craycroft, lead docent, and all parents who helped with our first Hands On Art project of the year, Building a Foundation.  Students learned about the basic elements of architecture and then drew a building using the elements they learned about.

Halloween/Fall Celebration: All of the MAP students had a wonderful morning of crafts and games last Thursday.  Thanks so much to all parents who contributed time, talent and decorations to put this together.  MAP students and teachers really appreciate all you do! A special thank you goes to Leslie Holley for coordinating this celebration.

Reading:  The reading strategy practiced this week is:  Readers are brave when they get to hard words.  Sometimes it isn’t easy to figure out a word but readers always are brave and try multiple strategies on words they can’t figure out right away.  Readers never give up and always ask, “Does this make sense?”

Math:  Students are identifying common attributes of a group of shapes and describing, comparing and naming 2-D shapes.  Please read the attached letter which describes related geometry activities to try at home.

Science: Last Friday we partnered with the 5^th graders from Mr. McClelland’s class to learn about variables.  Students did experiments with catapults and various size cups in water to find out how changing one thing will change the outcome of the experiment.  1^st graders explained what they have learned about milkweed bugs and butterflies.

CONFERENCE INFORMATION

My conference schedule is on the back of this homework sheet.  If you haven’t signed up for a conference or need to change your conference time please call (530-1843) or e-mail (mancusom@peninsula.wednet.edu) me. Don’t forget-this is a parent/student/ teacher conference.  Your child will have a key role in the conference so plan on bringing him/her along.

Monday

November 2

Flounders: Music

Komodo Dragons: OLARC-

Library books due!!!

Tuesday

November 3

Flounders: Technology

Komodo Dragons: PE

Wednesday

November 4

Flounders: OLARC-Library books due!

Komodo Dragons: Music

**Late start today**

Thursday

November 6

Flounders: P.E.

Komodo Dragons:Technology

BOOK ORDERS DUE!

Homework due today!

      Friday

November 6

Black and white Orca spirit day!

MATH HOMEWORK

1.  Looking for Rectangles

With this assignment, students will identify, draw and label rectangles that they find around their home.

2.  Go on the XTRA Math website at least 3 times this week to practice math facts.

READING HOMEWORK

Continue reading “just right” books.  Please read to your parents every day and fill out the attached reading log for 3 of the books you read.  This reading log will be returned to school Thursday.

Penmanship Homework

Complete the “diving” letters-r,m,n,p,h and b. Always use a pencil on penmanship papers and take the time to do your best first grade work.

With your parents, read and discuss Time for Kids-A New Look at Space. What did you learn about the Hubble telescope from reading this article? 

Complete the back page-Eight Planets. (No need to return this magazine to me).

Have a wonderful weekend.

*November 10^th will be Veteran’s Day assembly.  Plan what you will wear that is red, white and blue.

1^st Grade Curriculum Update:

Reading:  Students are reading “just right” books every day during Readers Workshop.  We continue to work on the comprehension strategy of making connections between text and our own lives with the help of Ira Sleeps Over written by Bernard Waber. When a story reminds you of something that happens in your own life, it helps you understand the story and characters. Have your child tell you the problem Ira had and if he/she has ever had the same problem - being worried about doing something for the very first time.

Math:  Students have discovered it is possible to make a shape in different ways and have examined how shapes can be combined to make other shapes. Ask your child to show you the different ways a hexagon can be made, for example, 6 triangles or 2 trapezoids.

Writing: The children used words to describe the interesting details of their personal pumpkin in a “Who Am I?” riddle. This activity helped the children focus on how words can paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. Be on the lookout for these poems in our hall very soon!

Students have started DOL (Daily Oral Language) activities to help them understand and practice the conventions of writing.

Penmanship: I am thrilled with the pride and care students are taking in their penmanship.  Way to go, First Graders!

**October 31^st-Teach your family Looking for Dracula.  The words are on the back of this homework sheet.

Monday

October 26

Flounders: Music

Komodo Dragons: OLARC-

Library books due!!!

Tuesday

October 27

Flounders: Technology

Komodo Dragons: PE

Wednesday

October 28

Flounders: OLARC-Library books due!

Komodo Dragons: Music

**Late start today**

Thursday

October 29

Flounders: P.E.

Komodo Dragons:Technology

Homework Due Today!

Wear black and orange today!

      Friday

October 30

Show your ORCA spirit today by wearing black and white!

MATH HOMEWORK

1. Play Heads and Tails at Home

Directions:  Decide how many pennies to play with (6-10).  Record this number on the recording sheet.  Drop the pennies. Count how many pennies are heads and how many pennies are tails.  Record the 2 numbers on the recording sheet.  Keep dropping the pennies and recording how they land.  The game is over when the grid is full.

2.      Play Fill UP 10 and Then Again to 30 (or 50 or 80).

3.     Math Extension B-Mealworms

READING HOMEWORK

Reading “just right” books every day helps you become a stronger reader.  Please read to your parents every day and fill out the attached reading log for 3 of the books you read. This reading log will be returned to school Thursday. 

PENMANSHIP

Practice all of the “magic c” letters-a,c,d,g,o and q.  Using a pencil, please practice each letter 10 times.  Remember-each of these letters begin at the BELT LINE.

**Our Fall Celebration will be today from 10:30-11:30.

Enjoy a safe and fun Halloween.  Bring the glasses you collect for SIGHT NIGHT to school Monday.

1^st Grade Update:

Readers Workshop:  Our learning target this week is:  Readers try many different strategies when they get to a tricky word that they can’t figure out right away.  We don’t ever want to rely only on one strategy.  We always want to make sure that one of the strategies used is meaning based so students always ask themselves, “Does that make sense?”  When your child is reading to you, please encourage him/her to decode the word by using all of the strategies learned.

Thanks so much, parents, for reading with your child every day.  Your child knows that strong readers read at school and at home every day.

Math Workshop:  We have begun our new math Investigation-Making Shapes.  This week we have been describing, identifying and comparing 2-D shapes.  We have noticed shapes in our environment and have been finding different combinations of shapes that fill the same area.  Have your child describe a circle, square, triangle, rectangle and hexagon and look for things at your home in those shapes.

**We have started XTRA MATH which is a computer program designed to teach math facts.  Please read the attached letter so your child can access the program from home!

Writers Workshop:This week we have begun to learn how to write with detail which we refer to as “focusing on a small moment.”  Children are learning how words can paint a picture in the reader’s mind.  We are also working on letter size and formation, word spacing, neatness, spelling common sight words, punctuation and capitalization.

Your child will participate in the November conference so please sign up for a time when your child can attend.  The sign up sheet is in the hall across from the music room.

Monday

October 19

Flounders: Music

Komodo Dragons: OLARC-

Library books due!!!

Tuesday

October 20

Flounders: Technology

Komodo Dragons: PE

Wednesday

October 21

Flounders: OLARC-Library books due!

Komodo Dragons: Music

**Late start today**

Thursday

October 22

Flounders: P.E.

Komodo Dragons:Technology

Homework and your small pumpkin are due today!

      Friday

October 23

Show your ORCA spirit today by wearing black and white!

MATH HOMEWORK

1.        Play Fill up Ten and Then Again to 30

2.        Play Fill up Ten and Then Again to 50

For a super challenge, combine the game boards and play Fill Up Ten and Then Again to 80!

Remember to accurately count your beans and tell your partner how many you have.  If you forget to state the amount you have, you will lose your next turn!

   3.  Some Fish-page 49- Please show your thinking by drawing a picture and using equations.

READING HOMEWORK

Reading “just right” books every day helps you become a stronger reader.  Please read to your parents every day and fill out the attached reading log for 3 of the books you read. This reading log will be returned to school Thursday. 

*Please return your Primary Number Cards today.  I use these year after year so I really appreciate getting them back.

Parents-If your child is reversing letters or numerals on his/her homework, please be sure it is corrected before being turned in to me.

* Please read with your child for 20 minutes or more each night.  It is important for your child to hear the language of reading and gain knowledge about inflection, punctuation, rhyming and phonemic awareness.

1^st Grade Update:

Math Workshop:  Students are solving How Many of Each? problems which give students 2 types of objects (such as peas and carrots) and a total number (such as 9).  Students have to determine how many of each object they could have to make up the total. These problems are challenging because there is more than one answer.  You will see an example of your child’s work on the attached sheet-Nine Peas and Carrots.

** Last week the children made 2 math games which reinforce counting with one-to-one correspondence, recognizing instantly small sets of 1-6, and grouping and counting objects by 5’s and 10’s. These games are in your child’s Thursday Folder. Enjoy playing them this week as part of math homework.

Readers Workshop: During our Making Meaning reading comprehension lessons students have been learning about making connections.  One of the ways young readers naturally make sense of text is by making personal, or text-to-self connections, to the plot or character s in the story.  Good readers think about how the story they are reading reminds them of their own lives – of experiences they have had or people they know.  Making connections increases both enjoyment and understanding of stories and language.  Have your child tell you about McDuff and the Baby and the connections made to this story.

Writers Workshop: Students learned about lists.  Please tell your child about the lists you make throughout your day and the reasons you would make a list.  Show your child one of your lists.

Please bring a small pumpkin to school Thursday, October 22^nd.  You will be decorating this pumpkin at our FALL CELBRATION next week.  Please put your name on the bottom of your pumpkin.

**Be looking for the MAP Address Book to be delivered to you via e-mail.  Thanks to Katrina Craycroft for typing it.