1A Classroom Update 1
Smile! Picture Day is right around the corner!
Picture Day is on Tuesday, October 6th. Uniforms are not required, but we'll be sure to put on our fancy pants and dressy shoes! All students will have their photos taken, photo packages can be purchased once proofs become available.
Our September!
These past couple of weeks have truly been wonderful at BPCS and many great things are yet to come! We are so pleased with your continued support and interest in being involved with our first grade learning community. These past couple of weeks we have continued to create a warm and caring community where our scholars feel comfortable learning as well as taking risks. We are also getting to know each other by playing games and reading books. We have also begun the first units of all academic subjects.
Writing:
In writing our students learned the habits of good writers and the routines of their classroom writing community. We have been learning how to move around the classroom quietly, retrieve supplies independently, and use classroom resources to assist in spelling and writing conventions. We have also been practicing selecting relevant topics, planning sentences before writing, giving and receiving feedback on their work through partnerships, and viewing themselves as writers. In order to reinforce these skills at home, have our friends share what they wrote on their heart maps and share a story using three fingers to represent beginning, middle, and end.
Phonics
In this first month, we have been assessing student's knowledge of letters and sounds. We have built a repertoire of stories, songs, rhymes, and chants that our friends have enjoyed and at the same time heightened their awareness of language sounds and written symbols. Throughout these weeks, students have been working on recognizing beginning, ending, and short vowel sounds. Slowly we have been introducing Phonics centers where students work with teachers to build on these skills and also work independently to practice building words, matching and sorting to pictures to word combinations. To practice these skills at home, have your child identify sounds of items around the house and use their fingers to tap out each sound they hear.
Social Emotional
At BPCS we always want to make sure we are creating a community where students come together and work with others to strengthen their academic as well as social emotional skills. In order for us to start getting to know one another along with the classroom expectations, we created a classroom contract that described how they wanted their classroom to be. Students distilled their ideas down to showing active listening, being kind, being responsible and being careful. Each member of 1A signed the contract and have been trying their best to fulfill those qualities. This week particularly, our friends received their classroom jobs and have been working together to show how they can be responsible within the classroom.
Our classroom culture is becoming cohesive as we work to establish friendships and express how we feel in a positive way. One way this occurs is through giving someone a "shoutout" for demonstrating that they were caring for their community. We reinforce the message that we are a team and we are here to work together to make our community strong and successful. In the next couple of weeks, we will be showing our friends how to problem solve with read aloud, power talks, and letting others know how they feel in a positive manner.
Reader's Workshop
We are kicking off reading by exploring what it means to be a reader in First Grade! So far, we have agreed upon what our reading environment will look and sound like and how to care for the books in our classroom. We are just starting off our exploration of how to select a book that is just right for us. Here are the terms and guidelines we use in class that may be useful when reading with your child at home.
Just-Right: As a reader, I miss 5 words or less per page. It makes sense. It is interesting!
Downhill: As a reader, I find every word easy! I can reread many times to practice my storyteller voice.
Uphill: As a reader, this book challenges me! I miss more than 6 words per page. I read this book because I am interested in the topic and challenged to use my reading strategies, but I am not frustrated.
These phrases along with a discussion that everyone grows in their learning at a rate meant for them is how we help to frame the different reading levels we see in our class. First grade is a big year where reading progress looks very different among students so we emphasize with them that the most important part is that they develop a love for reading and are progressing.
Math
Our mathematicians started off the school year with an exploration of our math tools in the classroom and how to use them when creating patterns and playing games. Recently we have been busy finding numbers hiding inside other numbers by looking to see how many ways we can put two numbers together to make the same total. We have also been busy discussing what it means to add two numbers together and what symbols are used in a number sentence.
Here are some fun games you can play at home:
Dice Addition
- Roll two dice, write a number sentence, and then solve. For example, 3+6 = 9
Compare
- Use a deck of cards (without the face cards) to compare numbers. Each player takes a card from the deck and flips it over. The person who has more says: "I have more because 8 is more than 7." Then the player returns the card to a discard pile and the players begin again. If there is a tie, players each flip over another card until their is a tie breaker.
Inquiry
Our inquiry unit is exploring the idea that homes reflect the culture and environment that they exist in. To begin our investigation, we shared our prior knowledge about what we think a home is and began to apply it through our play during our inquiry centers time. We have been busy building homes out of blocks, Legos, and Magna Tiles. We are creating spaces through toy furniture and create imaginary play with diverse family figurines. We are also drawing our homes. To help us draw, we would greatly appreciate a picture of your child's home from the outside perspective and their favorite spot inside their home.
In November, we will be looking to collect shoe boxes for a project so please start saving them now!
Introducing Learner Profiles!
As an IB World School, BPCS strives to foster the growth of students both academically as well as internationally minded citizens who are aware of the world outside of their local environment. To do this, the school incorporates the IB Learner Profiles into the classroom. The IB Learner Profiles describe a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities and, in turn, embody traits of a well-rounded individual. The Learner Profiles are: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk-Takers, Balanced, and Reflective.
Throughout the year, we will be discussing the Learner Profiles in the classroom as a way to bring to life the traits. Starting in October, our school will focus on how a person demonstrates they are Caring. One who is kind and respectful and considers others' feelings when making choices. A person who takes care of their classmates, classroom, and school. An individual who notices how others feel and strives to have a positive impact on their day.
Readers Workshop
Building Homes
Books about Homes
Back To School Night
We Hope to see you there!!
Thursday, Oct 8, 2015, 06:00 PM
The Gymnasium, 80 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, NY, United States
Physical Education with Coach M
Check out some funny videos below of the kids showing off their skills and muscles!!
Any questions! please do not hesitate to contact
A Science Update
Tech Note: Ms. Rosabal is on Instagram! The feed is private, locked, invite-only, just for family members. For a peek inside the Art / Science Studio Lab, feel free to request to follow @rosabal_the_science_pal.
1A Artists Kick the Year Off with International Dot Day!
CONGRATULATIONS to 1A Artists who kicked this year off strong. Together, we created our first BPCS ART installation of the year—inspired by the work of Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama! Since then we’ve been visiting Australia to learn about the unique artists and animals that live there. We’re using simple shapes to develop our animal drawings and will then use Aboriginal painting techniques to make our own dot paintings. What a year we are going to have!
FYI : Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in joining us for ART. Extra hands are welcome (but I do want to plan for your visit). If you have creative expertise to share, we could design a project together! Additionally, we are stocking up on recycled materials for art making, please: colorful plastic caps, corks, tubes, buttons and game pieces in bulk, and dryer lint! Many thanks!!