Dear Parents,                               March 26, 2012

Our reading strategy this week is “predicting/inferring”.  The comprehension skill that will help us with inferring is drawing conclusions.  Using the text, pictures, and our own prior knowledge will help us draw conclusions when we read a story.  Our phonics focus this week, are the word endings –ed, and –ing and we will practice using the proper tense in our sentences.  Our grammar focus this week is action words (verbs) with the –ing ending and our spelling words this week, are from unit 34.  The words are posted to spellingcity.com.  Don’t forget to play the games and take practice tests!

Math finds us continuing our work on money. This week we will focus on dimes and pennies combined as well as showing equal amounts in different ways.

In religion, our focus will be the study of Jesus’ passion. The children received a little wooden box to accompany our reading of the story, Benjamin’s Box, last Friday.  This is the story of Easter and the Passion of Our Lord as told through a little boy named Benjamin.  Each day we will read a page and the children will find something in their box to help them understand the story.  We should finish just in time for the Easter Triduum. Please ask your child what they found in their “treasure box” and what it represents.

We continue with our study of matter in science – with a special experiment in the lab on Tuesday provided all things go according to plan!  In social studies, our focus is on My World Near and Far and how to use a globe.

The speech contest is approaching!  I would like you to be thinking of a 5 – 10 line poem that your child can memorize.  First graders are allowed one small costume item or prop.  Your child must state their name and grade, the title of the poem, and then recite the poem.  Please turn in a copy of the selected poem for approval.  We will have the classroom presentations the week of April 23^rd.  This is a required assignment, however the choice can be made by your child to not go on to further competition.

Announcements:

• Water Sales Continue on Tuesday and Thursday for $1
• Please remind your student to bring their library book to school on Tuesday.
• This week is All About… Sebastian! Congratulations!
• Stations on Wednesday at 2pm.
• Friday is a full day of school and the children enjoy a school “families” activity in the afternoon.

Have a wonderful week.  If you have any questions or concerns please let me know.

Miss. Manning