1A Classroom Update 15
May 26, 2017
Dear 1A Families,
Can you believe that we are already entering the last month of the school year? Although the year is ending, growing and learning has not stopped in 1A! Please read below for some updates and pictures on what we have been up to.
Literacy
Reading and writing continue to be intertwined with each other as our poets began to write and read various poems. We practiced inferring the poem's meaning to understand the author's message by making connections to the text and visualizing the events of the poem. To jumpstart writing poems, we started with writing rhyming poems. First, we brainstormed 4 words related to our self-chosen topic, then we thought of words that rhymed with it in order to write our poem. We also started writing acrostic poems using our names and we can't wait to share them with you! We encourage you to read some silly poems with your child at home!
Math
Our 1A mathematicians are here to impress! These past couple of weeks our friends learned how to solve problems by the use of decomposition. Students added a pair of two digit numbers when the ones digits have a sum greater than 50! For example students received the number sentence 34+55 and decomposed each number by breaking them into tens and ones (30+4 and 50+5). Once this was decomposed they went on to add the tens and ones (30+50 =80) and (4+5=9). They added to get their end result of (80+9 = 89). We also ended our unit by learning about the steps to take to figure out Word Problems. Our mathematicians were taught to make a movie in their minds, figure out what the problem is asking us, figure out which strategies work best, and how to write our answers in units (e.g 46 books, 67 pencils, 88 cupcakes). It is great to witness all the progress and hard work 1A has put in. We cant wait to see how they end the school year!
Inquiry
1A has traveled all around the world to learn about various celebrations in the past two weeks! Our 1A friends created lanterns for Chinese New Year, festive masks for Carnival and Mardi Gras, colored some beautiful rangolis for Diwali, and more. In the upcoming weeks, we will begin to go into more research about a celebration we are interested in as we prepare to begin our end of the year projects to share with you!
Important Dates
- Monday, May 29 |Memorial Day: No School
- Thursday, June 08 | Faculty Development Day: No School
- Tuesday, June 20 | Field Day
- Thursday, June 22 | Curriculum Share; Last Day of ASP
- Friday, June 23 | Last Day of School; 12:00 pm Dismissal
SHOEBOXES NEEDED!
Author Visit
Before the year is out, we have one more author visit! Annie Silvestro will be visiting on Tuesday, June 13th to share her book Bunny's Book Club where Bunny, a book-loving rabbit, goes to great lengths to make sure she can read books. A pre-order form will be sent home at the end of next week and due back to us by Monday, June 12th.
Brooklyn Grange Field Trip
Can you believe it? Our trip to Mexico City is in just one week! We need some help with installation on Thursday night as well as photographers and tour guides throughout the day on Friday. Please check out the sign up below to volunteer. We look forward to working with you - we can not do it without you!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f44afa72ba0f85-volunteer3
On Friday, June 2nd students may wear brightly colored clothes inspired by traditional Mexican fabrics, flora, fruits, etc. — along with a school shirt! Please be sensitive to not stereotype the Mexican culture. No sombreros.
K and Third Grade parents are welcome to visit Mexico on June 2nd. First and Second Grade parents are invited to visit the following week. We return to the present June 9th at 4PM. Thank you for making this trip Magical!
2017 - 2018 Academic Calendar
The academic calendar for the 2017-2018 school year can be found on on our website by clicking on the link below.
Specials Update
México + Chocolate = ESPAÑOL con Maestra Rosado
We are getting ready for our last Anytime Anywhere trip: Mexico City. In Spanish Class, First Grade is studying the History of Chocolate in Mesoamérica with the Olmec, Aztec and Maya civilizations. We are becoming Chocolate Experts. Choco-choco, la-la, choco,choco, te-te. Choco-la , choco-te, chocolate. 1A researched various aspects of chocolate: Where it comes from? How do you make chocolate? Where the cacao comes from? Please continue to support your student by practicing our Spanish games and songs at home.
Ps, Enjoy this flashback of our trip to Kyoto and see you at our next destination — el viernes, 2 de junio de 2017. ¡México Lindo! ANYTIME ANYWHERE!