November 10-14

On Monday we read the book America is... and talked about Veteran's Day. There was some confusion over veterans and veterinarians! Many students mentioned having a puzzle of the 50 states at home. Please let me know if you'd consider sharing one with the class for a few weeks so those who don't have one at home can get more familiar with the various shapes of each state. 

We also had a student teacher from Cortland teach a health lesson about strangers to the class. We discussed having a "code word" in your family and role played what to do if offered a ride home by a stranger who didn't know the right code word (get away and tell a "helper adult" like a relative, teacher, police officer, etc.). Everyone also seemed to understand how to call 9-1-1 to get help in an emergency. I encourage you to help your child learn your home phone number and address if they don't already know it, and to keep that information posted both by your household phone and in your child's backpack.

The class has had many opportunities to explore the calculators on their own. This week we introduced using calculators to skip count by 2s by pressing [+] [2] [=/R] and then repeatedly pressing the [=/R] button. To clear we pressed [ON/C]. We also skip counted by 5s, 10s, and 3s in this way. Some of the students spent their choice time experimenting and recording the large numbers they calculated on scrap paper.

We started studying the "ing" spelling pattern and made a class book with many examples of words that use "ing" like playing, rowing, etc. Please encourage your child to use this spelling pattern in his/her writing.

While we are still using invented spelling, I expect students to use the word wall words and to include the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words, or at least one sound per syllable in multi-syllabic words. Short vowel sounds (as in alligator, elephant, inchworm, octopus, and umbrella) in the middle of words are typically the hardest for first graders to hear and write accurately.

I hope the cumulative word wall list uploaded to this blog and enclosed with your weekly blog print-out will be helpful as you support your child's developing writing skills.

Since this is such a short week,

next week we will continue to study:

again, out, rain, up, when.

Report cards went home on Thursday. Let me know if you did not receive your child's or if you need another copy. Please sign and return the empty report card envelope; the enclosed copies of the report card are yours to keep. I do not go over these with the students at school and I leave it to the disgression of each family how much to review it with your child at home. I can address any of your questions or concerns about the report card at your child's conference and I'd be happy to meet with you any other time if need be.    I look forward to seeing you at your child's conference!