Students are adjusting so well to the pace of first grade! I am amazed with what these kiddos are doing and the growth I have seen in just over one month! It is incredible! I am proud of them and admire their willingness to take risks and make mistakes as well as how their rise to a challenge. I love that I am getting to know students better and that we are working hard but can also have some fun too.
Before I mention what we have been working on this past week, there are a few upcoming things on our calendar and some reminders I want to mention.
Weekly Reading Logs:
Please help your child get into the routine of turning in their rain logs every Monday, demonstrating that they have read with you or independently each night. We check folders for these logs each Monday and students earn a star for each one that is turned in. Once they have 25 stars, the students earns a book as a prize. I would love for every student to earn at east one book over the course of the year!
Mark your calendars:
October 5th-Open house. Hope you can all make it with your child for visit to Crocker Farm, including a welcome greet with Derek and Sharri in the cafeteria, followed by a half hour exploration focused on curriculum in room 4 and then time to visit your child's Specials Teachers. Higher grades will welcoe their families in the later portion of the evening.I will have out a class its to share your contact info with other families in the classroom, free give-aways, and also have sign up sheets for conferences that night (see below).
October 6th-Field Trip to Spare Time Bowling in Northampton. Please return permission slips by October 4th. We still are in need of chaperons, so please if you or another family member are interested, contact me! We would love to have you join us!
October 19th, 21st and 24th- Sign up at back to school night to secure a date and time that works best with your schedule. These dates are October 19th (1:20 dismissal), October 21st and 24th (Noon dismissal).
Room 4 Wish List- color or white card stock paper, multi-cutural crayons, multi-cultural markers, binder clips and rings, white-out tape. We have had such generous families this year and appreciate your kindness and the support of all of the students in our classroom.
Okay, now on with the latest learning and classroom discoveries...
Literacy:
We have completed the first part of the Superkids program (The Welcome Back Review Units). Students completed a 2-day assessment. This combined with a BAS assessment (reading level), aimsweb data, letter name and ID assessment and classroom observation will help me and the support staff provide differentiated instruction and work that is ore specified to your chid's needs. Next week, we will start the new curriculum, with The Adventures of the Superkids. This will focus on word blends, syllable patterns, and new memory words. As we get moving I plan on keeping close watch over your child's reading progress to ensure that they are reading books that challenge them and are appropriate for their comprehension. Please let me know if the books they are bringing home are or are not a good match. Enhancement pull-out groups will start shortly for those students whom teachers feel could use an extra boost in reading Any concerns, please email me: prattle@arps.org.
Writing & Handwriting:
We have continued to read small moment stories and share our personal small moment stories in groups and partners. Students are now in the early stages of writing their own small moment narrative stories. Students are learning about adding details to their stories and stretching their stories out, making a small moment seem like a big moment. Even though it may be just a small breath, it can hold great importance. In handwriting students continue to practice reviewing their capital and lowercase letters and writing sentences. They are doing great. I am watching for letter and number reversals and consulting with OT for more strategies to support those students.
Mathematics:
Tomorrow (9/30) and Monday (10/3), Ms. Bartolini and I will be attending a AVMR math training, which is an awesome math recovery program, focused on numeracy and supporting students' early numeracy skills. I have heard wonderful things about this curricuculm and we are already starting to use some of the activities in small group during our math centers. Students are becoming experts in using their rekenreks and number revers-
Second Step:
We are working through our second step social/emotional curriculum during unit study right now. I have enjoyed our circle time and sharing about our CARE values and building the foundation of a strong community and/or family.
I hope to see you all in the next few weeks but should you have any questions or concerns, pleas email me: prattle@arps.org. I appreciate your support and make sure you congratulate your child on their work ethic and all the progress they have made thus far!
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