FIRST GRADE SEPTEMBER NEWS 03

     Welcome to a new school year!  We are delighted to have your children with us!

     In language arts class the girls are writing in their blue and white speckled journals.  Realizing it’s the beginning of first grade, the girls are encouraged to use “best guess” spelling as they write sentences to go with the picture they have drawn.  This enables the children to recall what they have learned about letter sounds as they start to spell words.  A child may write “spgetee” for the word “spaghetti”.  This shows that the child has begun to use her knowledge of letter sounds as she attempts the “beginning steps” of spelling and writing.

     The girls work on spelling in their blue and white speckled Word Study notebooks and the workbook is called Explode the Code.  They have begun to review the initial sounds and “short a” word patterns such as: ___at, ___ag, ___ash, etc.  We read everyday and continue studying the author Kevin Henkes.  The girls have really enjoyed his stories.  They also seem to be enjoying their new handwriting books and the books that we make in class.  We will type up stories on the computer and then have the girls illustrate and learn to read them.

     Our focus in math this month is understanding numbers.  This includes: number order, what number comes before, after, in between, and greater than and less than.  The girls will use their math journals to write about numbers.  For example, on the 2nd day of September the girls will write everything they know about the number two.  We will also introduce addition with addends of 0 (1+0, 2+0, 3+0 etc.) and 1 (1+1, 2+1, 3+1 etc.)  We will send home the above flashcards to practice at home.  Please return these flashcards daily for further practice at school.  The girls love having math homework and are excited about all our math projects!

 

      In science class the girls are learning about seeds and plants.  For their first science experiment, we will plant parsley seeds in soil.  Each week, the girls will record their observations of the seeds.  As our discussions continue about how plants grow, they will do a variety of experiments and learn about making predictions and observations.  Watching colored water travel up a carnation and growing mold are just a couple of examples.

DATES TO REMEMBER

 Fri., Aug. 29…Handbook signature cards due

Mon., Sept.1………Labor Day – No school

Tues., Sept. 2…After school programs start     

Mon., Sept.8…………Mass of the Holy Spirit

Tues., Sept. 9…………..  School Pictures

Wed., Sept. 10……Wrapping paper orders due

Fri., Sept. 12…7:30a.m. Father/Daughter Mass

Thurs., Sept. 18…Lower School Parents’ Night

Mon., Sept. 29…..Meet Dr. Burns at Mater   

                             Campus (6:30)

Looking Ahead:

Thurs., Oct. 2......1st Grade goes to the Book

                            Fair at 11:15.