Mrs. Friedman's Flyer
October 2016
News and Announcements
Dates and Reminders
This week we will celebrate the week of respect.
October 4th: Day 2: please wear sneakers!
October 5th: Day 3: Library-please bring library books!
October 7th: Pajama Day! Let's put bullying to rest! Please wear sneakers
October 13th: Scholastic book orders due
October 18th 9:00-11:30 am Parent Visitation
October 19th: 1:00-2:30 pm Parent Visitation
October 31st: Halloween parade and class party
Announcements
- Thank you to all of the parents who placed orders in our September Scholastic book order. Because of you, our class received 15 free books! The students are so excited to have Mo Willems and Pete the Cat books added to our class library!
- Have your students told you about GoNoodle? It's a super fun way for us to take brain breaks throughout the day! You might like using this at home during a rainy day!
- Please see below for a window into our classroom. If you have already looked at or signed up for these, thank you!
- 1. Remind app: I will send infrequent text messages to tell you important things, such as that field trip money is due. I will also send weekly "table topics" to help you discuss positive things that are happening at school.
- 2. Homeroom: It's similar to Instagram! I'll be posting photos of our class, videos, and more. This will be private and only available to be viewed by any parent in this class who joins. You will see so many photos already!
- 3. [http:// https://app.seesaw.me/s/992-720-985]Seesaw: This is a digital online portfolio for your student. It's completely private--only you can see your child's work outside of class. You can access it from an app or the internet. If you have more than one child using Seesaw, or want to add a new class/school year for your child, follow the link, then click the 'Sign in' tab at the top. You do not need to create a new account.
- 4. My eBoard
Curriculum
Fundations
We have completed Unit 1 of Fundations, or Word Study as we call it in class. We reviewed all the uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet, practiced writing them, and made the sounds that go along with them. We are now beginning Unit 2. Here students will learn phonemic awareness skills. We will also blend, read, and spell short vowel words with three sounds. We will begin using trick words, which you may know as sight words. These words are called trick words because they cannot be sounded out. We will practice capitalization, punctuation, and word spacing for sentence dictation. Students are enjoying the coloring, white board activities, magnet board activities, and workbooks that go along with this program. We also have two cute owls who go along with this program named Echo and baby Echo!
Reader's Workshop
First graders have been becoming growing readers by thinking about who they like to read with, where they like to read, and what their favorite book is! Students have also become stronger readers by making text to self and text to text connections, and they have been developing reading stamina during read to self. Students can now read for 15 minutes independently and silently! They read the books 3 ways: by reading the words, reading the pictures, and retelling the story. Soon students will independently go through all of the Daily 5 stations/centers: read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, word work, and work on writing.
Math Workshop
The mathematicians in our class are learning how math workshop operates in first grade. We have begun going from a mini lesson to our different centers: Math Facts (on the iPad or computer), At your seat, Teachers Choice, and Hands on (games!). This is the most fun way to practice all of our math skills and accomplish our goals. We are finishing up Unit 1. In Unit 1, students have built upon what they learned in kindergarten by reviewing different types of counting. We have counted by 1s, 5s, and 10s, as well as counted sets of objects. The students are so proud of their newfound understanding of tallies! We used these while collecting information in graphs. We will continue to work on number stories and introduce the different types of tools we will use throughout the year. At first, students always get to explore the tools on their own. To them, this is like playing! After they have this less structured time with the tools, we talk about how mathematicians use the tools. Students are much more focused on how we use the tools in school once they have had a chance to use their imagination first! There are math games you can play to practice at home that only require cards, dominoes, or a computer/iPad! You can play top-it (which is like War) with cards or dominoes, and your child can use the computer/iPad to practice math facts using these websites and apps on my eBoard!
Writer's Workshop
Writers are working on small moment stories from their own lives. They now have writing partners to help them make their writing ready for readers to read. I love getting to know about these important memories in their lives! Thank you for helping them create collages to have reminders of small moments they can write about!
Social Studies and Science
First graders are learning how we can get along in school. We discuss rules, respect, cooperation, and good sportsmanship. In the science lab, we have begun our unit on comparing and measuring. Please see our Homeroom page to look at pictures of students working together to measure each other!
Mrs. Friedman
Email: mfriedman@haddonfield.k12.nj.us
Website: mfriedman.haddonfield.site.eboard.com
Location: 1 Glover Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ, United States
Phone: (856) 429- 0902
Twitter: @Tatem_friedman