Newsletter for the Month of December 2012

Dear Family,

Due to our very busy December schedule, we are sending home one newsletter with important information and dates so you can mark your calendars.

Important Dates:

December 10^th- Secret Santa’s workshop and the Salvation Army food drive begins. We will send home reminders when your child’s classroom is scheduled for Santa’s workshop.

December 14^th- Foothill students will travel by bus to Sierra High School to watch the S.H.S.  Winter Program. Students will load the bus at 8:45 and will arrive at 9:15. A slip will be sent home for you to sign if you don’t want your child to go on this trip.

December 19^th- The K-1 Winter Program was changed to this Wednesday. The program will begin at 7:00. Our classroom doors will open at 6:30. Please bring your child to his/her classroom at 6:30. You will be required to pick your child up in our classrooms after he/she performs. Please do not pick them up in the cafeteria after they sing. It gets very busy and we want to make sure your child is safely returned to you and checked out with us.

December 20^th- This Thursday will be our last day of school before vacation.  It is a late start day. First Grade will wear pajamas to school and have breakfast in our classrooms for our party. We will be reading the book Polar Express. More information will be coming home regarding our parties.

January 7^th- Back to school!                             

Math: This month we will be learning and practicing even and odd numbers.  Students will be practicing time to the hour. We will be introducing adding and subtracting 2. Students will also be learning about pairs. Ask your child to help you with sorting socks at home to reinforce pairs. Students will be using the word symmetry and symmetrical in math lessons to describe objects that are the same size and shape.

Science/Social Studies: Due to our busy schedule this month with learning our Christmas songs and working on gifts and art projects we will continue science in January. We will be talking about different Christmas traditions which are part of our Social Studies curriculum.

Some parents have showed interest in IPAD and IPHONE apps. Here are some suggestions we have for you: Splash Math, Mathmateer, Hangman Math, Pocket Zoo (This supports our science standards), and Storybuilder.

A fun website on the computer is Starfall.com. This is a great website for reading at different levels.

Our First Grade Team, mrs. Badella, mrs. Cunningham, and Mrs. Dunn, would like to wish all of you a wonderful and loving Christmas filled with happiness and blessings.  Thank you for the joy your children bring to us every day.  Merry Chrismas.

 

Newsletter for November 26,2012

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:  This week in phonics we will introduce the sounds: i_e and o_e. In spelling our focus will be the cedilla c-( ce and ci make the /s/ sound.) Our red words for the week are:  once, come, here, Mr., your

Math:  Students will continue to tell time by the hour this week.  We will be working on using manipulatives to help for concrete understanding of addition and subtraction math facts.

Science: We will start our study on raccoons. Students will learn what raccoons eat, where they live, and what they look like. The science objective is to learn the needs of raccoons and their habitat. Look up some fascinating facts about raccoons on the computer with your child.

Important Dates:

December 14- Students will travel to S.H.S. to attend the High School Music program.

December 20- K-1  Christmas Program: 7:00

December 21- Vacation starts

Important Reminders: Don’t forget to send a white t-shirt with your child for our Christmas program. J



Newsletter for the Week of November 13, 2012

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week in phonics we will introduce the sounds: a_e,s, ce,and ci,.

In spelling our focus will be sk, qu, y, _ing, _ang, _ink, and _ank. Our red words for the week are:  some,come, were, Mr., here

Math:

Students will learn to tell time by the hour this week. We will finish our math lessons to 50. We took our math benchmark test for the first trimester last week and will now resume regular lessons.

Science:

We will continue our study on owls. Students are finishing their owl reports after our wonderful visit with our guest speaker Steve Byrd.

Gobble- gobble- gobble, I heard the turkey say-When Thanksgiving comes around-I think I’ll run away!!!!

Important Reminders:

Thanksgiving vacation Nov. 19- 23.

Late Start Day Nov. 30.

 

Newsletter for October 25, 2012

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week we will be reviewing red words that were introduced this first trimester.

Math:

We will be working on math facts and subtracting this week. We will practice a lot using manipulatives and fact families:

4+1=5, 1+4=5, 5-1=4, 5-4=1

Homework will be math facts and fact family worksheets.

Science:

We will introduce owls this week. We will cover science standards of what animals need to live and what they need in their habitat.  Students will learn what owls eat, where they live, and what they look like. This month we will have a guest speaker coming to teach us about owls.

First Grade will have their Halloween parties on Wed. at 1:30.

We will be testing this week and report cards go home Nov. 9^th.

Important Reminders: Late start Friday- Nov. 2^nd

Time changes over the weekend

Thanksgiving Vacation is Nov. 19^th-23^rd.

 

Newsletter for October 22, 2012

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week in phonics we will introduce the sounds: wh, er, ir, and,  ur .

In spelling our focus will be ch, _tch, and ar. Our red words for the week are:

one, two, four, said, were

Math:

 Students will learn their take away   one math facts and adding 0 this week. Practicing math facts at home with manipulatives such as pennies or beans, helps children to see how they can add 1 more with better understanding.

Science: 

We will continue our study on bats. We will cover science standards of what animals need to live and what they need in their habitat.  Students will learn what bats eat, where they live, what they look like, and other fascinating facts. We will also compare bats and birds.

Halloween Parties:

Your child’s teacher will be sending a note home about classroom Halloween parties. The Halloween parade for K-2 will begin at 8:45 in the quad.

Newsletter for the Week of October 15, 2012

Dear Family, 

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week in phonics we will introduce the H brothers; th, sh, ch, and ar like in armadillo.  In spelling students will learn the ZLFS rule: When a one-syllable word has a short vowel sound followed by the sound /z/, /l/, /f/ or /s/, it is usually spelled zz, ll, ff, or ss. Our red words for the week are:  one, two, four, they, do.

Math:

Students will learn their plus one math facts this week. We will be measuring the weight of pennies and other objects with a scale. We will also be reviewing the concept of shortest to tallest.

Science:

We will begin our study on bats. We will cover science standards of what animals need to live and what they need in their habitat.  Students will learn what bats eat, where they live, what they look like, and other fascinating facts.

Art connecting to Literature:

We will be reading the book Stellaluna and doing a directive drawing as our art project.

Home Support:

Thank you for listening to your child read each night! They are so excited to bring new books home each week. 

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week in phonics we will introduce x and z.  In spelling we will review j, f, short vowel e, long vowel e, and x.

Our red words for the week are:

one, they, he, what, do

Math:

Due to minimum days we will only have math facts for homework this week. Please have your child practice the doubles rap and complete both sides of the math fact sheet for homework each night.

Science:

Students planted seeds last Friday. This week we will watch them grow in our windows and write about the process.

Important Reminders:

School will be released Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday two hours early.  There will be school next Monday on October 15.

Thank you for reading with your child at home. It is the key to their success!  

Newsletter for the Week of October 1, 2012

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week in phonics we will introduce f, e, and, j spelled j and dge.  In spelling we will review that short vowel sounds are followed by ck. We will focus on the blends: tr, cr, gr, pr, br, and dr.

Our red words for the week are:

put, you, are, what, do   Thank you for working with your child to practice their red word rings.  Please keep those rings in their homework folder!

 Math:

This week we will start our fact homework. Students should complete side b just like they do on their Guided Practice. Please practice the doubles rap that we sent home last week. It is a great way for students to learn their double facts and they love singing it!

Science/ Social Studies:

Last week students learned the parts of a plant and their function to help the plant grow. They completed an art project of a flower and labeled it.

This week students will learn that plants need water, soil, and sun to grow.  We will do three science experiments to discover those basic needs of plants.

Reminders:

There is no school for students Next Monday, October 8^th. The First Grade Team will be meeting with parents that day for conferences.

Newsletter for the Week of September 24, 2012

Dear Family,     Happy Fall!

Phonics/ Spelling:

Review of the c, k rule and final digraph –ck (after a short vowel).

After we administered our prespelling test last Thursday, we met and decided the students do not have full understanding of this phonic's rule and need more practice.  We felt the students were memorizing the spelling words vs. applying the rule for when to use a 'c' and when to use a 'k.'  Therefore, we are going to have the same spelling lesson again this week, and spend more time practicing this rule. 

Math:

We began our first set of math facts last week, “the doubles.”  This week we will focus on completing this set of facts, “doubles to 18.”  Your child will bring home a set of flash cards to keep and use at home.  With each new set of facts introduce, we will  continue to send home a set of fact cards with which to practice at home.  

Science/ Social Studies:

We will take our knowledge of what we learned is required of living things from our last unit, and apply it to our new unit on plants this week. 

Red Word Ring:

We are starting something new this week…The Red Word Ring! It is a quick practice for your child to perform each night, but a practice that will pay off in big ways!  Please read the note about the Red Word Ring that was sent home in your child's homework folder! Thank you!

Reading Log:

Thank you for signing your child’s reading log.  Please keep this log in your child’s homework folder so that we are able to check your child’s weekly reading for the homework grade.  If your child is absent, simple write absent so we do not count that day. 

We are trying to help the children build personal responsibility.  The students understand the routine and are aware of their homework responsibilities.  We encourage you to help your child to ultimately develop his/her responsibility to be sure all the homework is in the folder, and the folder makes it into the backpack.  These are big steps, we know!

Newsletter for the Week of September 17, 2012

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week in phonics we will introduce r, short vowel u, and g.

 In spelling we will learn that c is followed by a, o, or u – k is followed by i, e, or y.  Short vowel sounds are followed by ck..

Our red words for the week are: what do    

Math:

This week we will be writing addition number sentences. Students will identify ordinal positions to the 6^th. This is a great thing to practice at home! We will start our addition facts this week. We will start with doubles; 1+1, 2+2, etc. Students will also identify angles and sides of triangles.

Thank you to the parents who are reviewing side B of your child’s math homework and signing at the top each night.

Science/ Social Studies:

We will continue our science unit of living and non-living. Students will work on a book identifying living/non-living items. Students will learn what living things need to grow and change.

Keep sending snacks for your hungry little critters.

 

Newsletter for the Week of September 10, 2012

Dear Family,

Remembering September 11th

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week we will introduce the /k/ sound spelled with a c, k, and ck. Our red words for the week are:  put, are.  

Math:

This week we will be counting pennies. We will be identifying numbers between numbers. Students will also divide solids into halves. A vocabulary word from last week to use with your child is fewer.

Please go over side B of your child’s math homework and sign at the top each night. Circle any errors made. Please have your child correct the error, but leave the mark so we know on what your child needs extra practice.

Science/ Social Studies:

For Social Studies, we will be reading a book about The Golden Rule. In Science students will learn the different characteristics of living and non-living.

School is going very well. Students are learning classroom routines and expectations. Reading workshop is flowing nicely and we will be in full swing soon!  We will have P.E. this week Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Don’t forget to bring library books to school on Wednesday.

 

Newsletter for the Week of September 4, 2012

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:

This week we will introduce the letters b, d,  short vowel o, long vowel o, and review letters taught the last two weeks. Our red words for the week are: you,was.    We will have a pre-test every Thursday so you will know what words your child still needs extra practice on. Spelling homework is due every Friday.

Math:

Your child took their first math test last week. The math vocabulary they will use in word problems are “we have some; we got some more; or we have some and some went away”.

Thank you for helping your child study their math and spelling tests. Pleasego over their math homework and sign at the top each night.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students will continue working on the theme “All About Me” this week. 

Art/Special Activities:

We will be discussing how many letters and vowels are in our names. Students will then graph the letters in their name.           

Classroom Needs:  

We are in need of bandaids in our classrooms. Any donations would be greatly appreciated. We hope you had a wonderful three day weekend with your families!

Thank you,

Your First Grade Team

Newsletter for the Week of August 27, 2012

Dear Family,

Phonics/ Spelling:

We are beginning our phonics program this week. This week we will introduce the letters p, short vowel i, long vowel i, n, and l.

Our red words for the week are: have, of.      

Spelling homework starts this week and will be due Friday.

Math:

Your child will begin our Saxon Math homework this week. He/she should complete side b of their math paper at home and turn it in the next day. Our focus this week is counting, reading, and writing numbers. We will also review shapes and introduce the concept of more and less in graphs.

Art and Special Activities:

We will be reading the book Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes. Students will create their own Chrysanthemum character as well as a flower in art. Students will also graph how many letters are in their name.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students will be working on an “All About Me” book this week. 

Miscellaneous:

Thank you for all of the families who came to Back-to-School night. Mrs. Cunningham and Mrs. Badella both need room moms to help plan class parties this year. If you are able to help them, please call the school or send a note. 

The first grade team is meeting daily to make sure we are all focused on the same learning objectives.  We are all still in the process of assessing and setting classroom routines. We will contact you when we are ready for parent helpers.

Don’t forget we have a late start day this Friday the 31^st and no school on Labor Day Sept. 3^rd. Please remember we have P.E. on Tues. and Thurs. and to wear comfortable shoes.

 

Newsletter August 20, 2012

Dear Family,

We hope you child had a wonderful first few days of school as met our new classmates and learned our classroom routines. With this heat, it is hot and tiring!  We bet your first grader slept well each night!

Here's a look at our week:

                                               Phonics
We are beginning our phonics program this week.  We will introduce the letters s, m, short vowel a, t, and h.
Our red words for the week are: the, is, to. 

Math

Students will begin our Saxon math program this week. Our focus this week is counting, reading, and writing numbers. Your child will bring home math homework to be completed and turned in the next day. He/she will complete side A in class and do side B at home. We will discuss homework at Back-to-School night.

Science/ Social Studies

Students will be learning about the five senses in science this week.  In social studies we will focus on the theme, “Me and My Family”.

Thank you for all of the donations to our classroom.  You are wonderful!

Reminders:  

Back-to-School night is this Tuesday, August 21^st. The First Grade presentation is from 6:00-6:20. Dinner will be served at 5:30.

Meet and Greet!

First Grade Meet and Greet

We would like to have the opportunity to meet you  and your child before the first day of school.  This will provide time for you to view the classroom and for your child to meet his or her teacher. We know students can be a little nervous about the first day of school, and this opportunity may help with some of those nerves.

When: August 13^th    

 Time: 6:00 – 6:30

First Newsletter sent this Summer

First Newsletter sent this Summer

July 23, 2012 

Hello! I am your first grade teacher. I hope you are having a wonderful summer. I am very excited about having you in my class! I know we will have a terrific year together. I’ve been very busy getting our classroom ready. 

I am looking forward to starting our school year together. The first day of school is Wednesday, August 15th. I hope you are excited about the year ahead. We have a lot of learning and fun before us. I would like suggest that you bring a large backpack to school each day to carry your things safely to and from school. When you are purchasing your backpack make sure you can easily open and close it all by yourself. You may also want to purchase a water bottle. You will need to label your bottle with your name and please bring only water due to ant problems. 


We have two snack recesses, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Students tend to get hungry in the midmorning and late afternoon. Please be sure your child has a snack for both recesses to ensure his/her brain and body is well fueled all day long! Your child will not need to purchase his/her own personal school supplies, however this year teachers will receive less money to order classroom school supplies. If you are able to donate supplies, we have included a list of supplies our classrooms are always in need of on a daily basis. Thank you.


Supplies: Glue sticks Elmer’s Glue No. 2 Pencils Wood only Crayola Crayons (24 count) Clorox-type wipes Kleenex Pink Erasers I hope you enjoy your last week of vacation. 


I am looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday, August 15th. I will meet you at the playground next to the office just before the bell rings at 8:20. We will then line up, wave goodbye to our parents and walk to our classroom together. Don’t forget to wear shoes that are comfortable and appropriate for school. See you then! 

Your First Grade Team, 

Mrs. Badella, Mrs. Cunningham, and Mrs. Dunn