Dear Parents, January 4, 2016
Happy New Year! I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. This week in first grade, we are learning…
Language Arts: We will be jumping right in with Theme 5 (Home Sweet Home)! Our reading strategy is questioning and the comprehension skill that will help us with that strategy is compare and contrast. We will practice this skill using a Venn diagram. Our phonics focus is on the consonant digraphs, th, wh, sh, ch, and tch. We will also review triple clusters and the short sound of /u/. Our grammar focus is on exclamatory sentences – sentences that express strong emotion and end with an exclamation point.
At this point in the year, I am requesting that the students begin to record their own reading on the reading log. I would like for them to write all that is needed, excluding your signature of course! This will help us greatly with our writing skills.
Spelling: Our spelling words are from unit 19 and concentrate on the digraphs th (that, then) and wh (whip, when). This is the first week with the jump to ten basic words and two challenge words. This means a couple of things! 1) Spelling tests will be graded on correct formation of letters. For example the reversals of letters b/d, p/q will be marked wrong and letters that are capitalized when not needed, will be marked wrong. 2) We will begin “7 sentences” for homework on Wednesdays. This homework is to be completed in the students spelling journal (as Rainbow Write 2x is completed). Students are to select 5 basic words and both challenge words for a total of 7 words. They are then to create a sentence with each of the selected words they chose and write it neatly in their Spelling Journal.
Math: We are beginning Unit 5. This week we will be learning about place value and relation symbols (greater than, less than, equal to).
Religion: We will be reading from our textbook this week. We will begin Chapter 12: Families Share Life and Love. We will also be discussing the Three Wise Men!
Science: We will be moving on with Chapter 3, Lesson 3: Where Do Animals Find Shelter?
Social Studies: We will continue on with Unit 3: Living in a Community. This week, we will focus on community leaders and how to find directions on a map.
Homework for the Week:
- Monday: Rainbow Write 2X and Math Worksheet
- Tuesday: Spelling p. 143-144 and Math Worksheet
- Wednesday: 7 Sentences and Math Worksheet
- Thursday: Spelling p. 146 and Math Worksheet
- Friday: Read 2 times!
Reminders for the Week:
- PE Uniforms on Tuesday and Thursday!
- Please remind your child to bring their library book on Tuesday so that they may check out a new one.
- Friday is a full day!
Upcoming:
- January 16th is Primary Centers! If you are interested in singing up to volunteer in the classroom, please email me at firstgrade@sacredheartschoolventura.org. All volunteers must email me to ensure that a spot is available for you! Thank you.
- January 18th – No School in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Have a fantastic week back at school!
Ms. Manning
