Mrs. Whitlock's Weekly Updates
January 19-22
Important Dates
Wednesday, January 20: Field trip forms are DUE
Friday, January 22: Spelling and Weekly Quiz
Monday, January 25: Soccer Tournament begins
Wednesday, January 27: 100th Day of School!
Monday, February 1: January Motivation Challenge DUE
Monday, February 15: Presidents' Day (NO SCHOOL!)
Thursday, February 25: Field Trip to the Alliance Theater
Spanish students have homework in their folders from Mr. Chiappetta this week! They have completed some of it in class already. Due 1/22!
100th Day Fun on January 27!
First Grade Survival Guide
As we are halfway through our school year together and our first graders have grown so much, I wanted to make you aware that you will notice some increases in the rigor of our classroom. I want to take a moment to put you at ease and give you some practical ways to help your child succeed this semester. I will start by saying the biggest change is I am holding them more accountable for things we've been talking about all year, so it's a matter of our students putting into practice through positive habit reinforcements.
1. Behavior: My expectations for the behavior and participation of our class have always been high, but of course there is always room for growth. I've told my class that it may be a bit more difficult than last semester to get up to pink on our behavior chart. Our green portion of our behavior part where students start each day is called "ready to learn." Students are expected to exhibit these kind of behaviors, and behaviors that are above and beyond are rewarded with move-ups on our chart.
2. Names on papers: This is a great habit to get in now to make sure your child is getting the grade he or she deserves. I have explained to students that I will be deducting a few points from papers with no name, as it is a routine that is highly important to practice in all subjects!
3. Writing in complete sentences: This is the number one thing I have my eye on this semester, and it occurs in every subject. We've discussed how a sentence is a group of words that form a complete idea. Every sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark. We are working on answering all questions with complete sentences. this can be a great thing to keep your eye out for when they are doing their homework packets at home.
4. Using the correct spelling for words from prior spelling tests: Because reading and language arts are aspects of education that continually need to be built upon and strengthened each year, it's important that our first graders retain the spelling words we have covered this year. If you notice your child is struggling with words we've covered in the past, I would recommend taking some time to practice them together at home. This can be done with flash cards as well as more experiential practice, like writing them in a sentence. To look at words covered previously, you can always check the "language arts" portion of FSAConnect. I have the spelling words posted for each week in the description section of each spelling quiz.
With these components having reinforcement at home and school, students will be much more able to articulate ideas and understanding across the curriculum in first grade. Our first graders are very bright and quick to grasp new concepts, and mastering these concepts will only further benefit their work here at FSA!
Alliance Field Trip on February 25!
FSAPS elementary students (Pre K - 5th grade) will be heading on a field trip on February 25th to see the The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe at the Alliance Theatre! These forms and payment are due by Wednesday, January 20th.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is based on the beloved novel by C.S. Lewis. This magical production portrays the adventures of four siblings through the wardrobe and into the land of Narnia. Here they are caught up in a struggle between the mysterious, magical lion Aslan and the White Witch, who wants this astonishing country, its talking animals, and amazing creatures frozen in perpetual winter. C.S. Lewis’s classic of love, faith, courage, and giving, with its triumph of good over evil, is one of the most-enjoyed stories of our time.
A Peek at Next Week...
Spelling Words: her, first, bird, girl, burn, were, shirt, fur, hurt, sir, done, know, push, visit, wait
Social Studies: We will be discussing Martin Luther King, Jr. and the difference he made in our country!
Science: We will be using what we know about different kinds of energy to do an in-class project. Students will design a robot that runs on various types of energy to get jobs done!
Character Education: We will tie in motivation to our discussions about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mrs. Melissa Whitlock
Fulton Science Academy Private School
Serving Advanced and Gifted Students
Email: mwhitlock@fultonscienceacademy.org
Website: fultonscienceacademy.org
Location: 3035 Fanfare Way, Alpharetta, GA, United States
Phone: 678-366-2555
Facebook: facebook.com/FultonScienceAcademyPrivateSchool
Twitter: @MWhitlock_FSA