Week of August 20th

We have had a MAGNIFICENT first week of school!  They have been very well behaved and anxious to learn.  I believe many of them would rather learn from the I pad all day, however, I want to reassure you that I require them to show me how they master the skills on paper before they are allowed to do extra skill building on their I pad.

Here are a few reminders for the week:

-  Monday is our P.E. day.  On this day every week, the students may wear a BDS t-shirt / jersey and matching shorts.  Please make sure they wear tennis shoes.
-  If you ordered lunch from the school, it begins this week!  If you cannot find your calendar, please let  me know and I will send a copy home for you.
-  Please download the Toontastic app.
-  Every child needs to have a pair of labeled headphones in class by Monday.

 Here is what we will be doing this week:

Language Arts:  We will be discovering common and proper nouns using children's literature and learning how they are used in sentences.  We will also incorporate writing skills using the "Handwriting without Tears" booklet.  Last week, we read many different versions of "The Three Little Pigs" and we brainstormed ideas for our own version.    This week, the students will be going through the writing process to write their own version of this fun story.  If time allows, we will turn their stories into a short video on Toontastic.  Toontastic is a great app that takes the students through the parts of a story.  It allows them to create their own music, characters, settings, and plots.  They will also be able to use their own illustrations and voice in their story.  I am super excited about seeing their stories come to life.

Spelling Words:  Monday, August, true, story, back, sack, black, snack, are, and

Sentence Dictation:  The snack is in the sack.

-  Sentence Dictation will be a way the students will show me that they understand how to use their spelling words in a sentence.  The sentence above is the sentence they will be required to write on the Friday Spelling Assessment.  I will read the sentence and then they will write the sentence.  They will be required to start their sentence with a capital letter, end with a punctuation mark, and spell each word correctly.

Reading:  Last week, I assessed the students for reading fluency (which is how many words they can read fluently in one minute).  I was blown away with how far along they each were.  This week, they will be reading and listening to stories on or above their reading level and answering comprehension questions.  I know they can all read, now I need to see how well they comprehend.

Math:  We will continue discussing and practicing how to use addition and subtraction in different types of story problems.  The students will not only be required to show me how to solve problems on paper but with manipulatives as well.  I will also be asking them to create their own story problems for a peer to solve.

Social Studies:  This week in Social Studies we will be learning the major continents, oceans, and mountain ranges.  We will also look closely at North America and discuss the Great Lakes and mountain ranges.  Each student will be required to identify and label the major continents and oceans by this Friday.  I will have many hands-on activities to help the students learn these areas.  We will also be discussing map elements and how to use them.


Box Top Challenge!  We are very competitive in First grade.  Please continue to collect box tops so that we can win a cupcake party!