FIRST GRADE FLASH
Happy St. Patrick's Day...March 17th
LOOK WHAT'S SPRINGING UP NEXT IN FIRST GRADE!
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
March 17th St. Patrick's Day
MARCH 18TH MUSTANG MEETING MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS 9:10
March 18th sign up for Spring conferences
MARCH 18TH 1:00 DISMISSAL
March 21st Giana reads
March 22nd Alana reads
March 23rd Kamryn reads
MARCH 25TH AND 28TH SPRING BREAK
MARCH 24TH ANIMAL CENTER DAY
APRIL 20TH TRASH FREE LUNCH
APRIL 22ND REPORT CARDS ON HAC
APRIL 22ND EARTH DAY CENTERS
APRIL 25TH -29TH 1:00 DISMISSAL CONFERENCE WEEK
APRIL 29TH FIRST GRADE ROCKS KINDNESS DAY
MAY 4TH 5TH GRADE SPRING CONCERT
MAY 11TH OPEN HOUSE 6:00-7:30
MAY 13TH DINOSAUR/ROCK CENTERS
MAY 24TH LEHIGH VALLEY ZOO
MAY 27TH BEACH DAY
MAY 30TH NO SCHOOL MEMORIAL DAY
JUNE 9TH FIRST GRADE MUSICAL
JUNE 9TH MRS. ARNOLD'S BOOK BRUNCH
JUNE 10TH SCHOOL TALENT SHOW
JUNE 13TH LAST DAY MUSTANG MEETING
ANIMAL CENTERS ARE ON THURSDAY...my tortoise and turtles will join us for the day!
See Saw Learning Journal
Download “Seesaw Parent Access” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store -OR- Go to https://app.seesaw.me using Firefox or Chrome and choose "I'm a Parent".
Flower Of the Day starts on Monday...Our first 3 readers are...Giana, Alana and Kamryn
DIGGING IN...
Read Little Rabbit's Tale and Chicken Little.
We learned about animals that live in the forest.
We compared the rain forest and forest.
We finished up some work on frogs, elephants, and the rainforest.
We learned about long e words.
We learned about homophones and possessives.
We learned how to count money.
We celebrated St. Patrick's Day! Lummy Leprechaun stopped by for a visit!
Check out these great RESOURCES ON BIRDS
DIGGING DEEPER...
Read We're Going on A Picnic and Beaks Eat.
Learn about Birds and Rainbows.
Learn about long i words.
Practice Counting money and solving money problems.
Have animal Centers.
WORD STUDY...spelling pattern...Test on March 21st
WORD STUDY...spelling pattern...Test on March 29th
Plant Seeds of Kindness... LEMONADE STAND
We will use our learning to reinforce money, reading , writing and higher level thinking skills and then show kindness by donating the money raised.
We are looking for student and parent volunteers to help monitor the stand during conference week. We will set up a sign up sheet on sign-up genius. We will also be asking for donations for cups, Countrytime Lemonade, lemons and anything else we might need. More news coming soon!
Thank you for your donations!!
Community Service Club will be collecting Pennies for Patients for the Leukemia Society We collected over $115.00 in our class...thank you for planting seeds of kindness.
March is Music in Our Schools Month. Each grade will perform a song at the March Mustang Meeting!
DON'T FORGET...FLOWER OF THE DAY starts next week with Giana, Alana and Kamryn
Starting March 21st a student will be named Flower Of the Day. We will write a special book about each child. The students will have the opportunity to read to the class on their designated day and be the Blooming Reader for that day... Please help your child practice a short book to read to the class on that day. We want to help build confidence and fluency. If they wish, students may also bring a snack to share on that day just like story and snack…Snack is Optional: ( pretzels, fun fruits, grapes, gold fish, 100 cal snack bags. No peanuts! ) Please mark your calendar and send in your book and snack, if you wish, on your schedule day. (Look for the schedule.) 24 students
Top Turtle is BRETT!
Genius Hour
Videos
Motivation: Pep Talk by Kid President
What Is Genius Hour?
Change the World kid president
Welcome to our Student Teacher.
KEEP PRACTICING ... We are busy learning how to count money in money centers! Practice at home too!
HELP! WE STILL NEED COINS FOR COUNTING
MONEY TIME
In addition to practicing facts we are learning key skills in math . These skills tend to get more difficult. I will be sending home EXIT tickets that show these key skills and how your child did with them. Please review use these exit tickets to reinforce key skills.
We will begin an important unit on MONEY, NEXT WEEK. We are asking you begin practicing at home to give students a head start. Look for the coin counting helpers. Also...Although we have plastic coins to use with the children, there is no substitute for the REAL thing when it comes to this concept. By using real coins, the children are better able to learn their value, to distinguish between them, and to count. We are asking that you please send in $3.00 in change from home. Place the coins in a Ziplock baggie clearly marked with your child’s name on it. Please try to send in, if possible:
5 quarters 10 dimes 10 nickels 25 pennies
Your child will take the coins back home when we are done with our money unit. THANK YOU in advance for your help! Please send the money in by ASAP!
Thanks a bunch!
Mrs. Arnold
Money can be a challenge for first graders. Here is a little trick that helps first graders count coins. Hairs on the Head
Each hair equals 5 cents. A quarter has 5 hairs, a dime two, a nickel has 1 and a penny has none. Students count by 5’s and then 1’s for the pennies.
Timelines...
In the beginning of the year we read stories that were “All About Me”. We have grown so much since the beginning of the year. As part of our language arts curriculum we are writing poems and stories about ourselves and families. As part of our social studies curriculum, the students will also be making timelines about themselves. We would like to create our own timelines using pictures. Please help your child select three pictures of themselves throughout various stages in their lives. We would like each child to have a baby picture, a current picture and one that falls sometime in between. (toddler) Please keep pictures wallet size, 4 X 6 or smaller. Please put your child’s name on the back of each picture to ensure we return the right photos to you. Please send the pictures to school by April 1st . Please fill out the ALL ABOUT ME form so we have info for our books.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR 2 IMPORTANT DATES
OPEN HOUSE
On Wednesday, May 11th 6:00-7:30 the first graders will share all the have done throughout the year at our SHOEMAKER OPEN HOUSE.
FIRST GRADE MUSICAL
On Thursday, June 9th the first graders will perform a First Grade Musical for parents and school friends.
BOOK BRUNCH
On THURSDAY, June 9th Mrs. Arnold's Class will also have a Book Brunch where students will share books they have made and we will watch our end of the year school video.
Look for invites in the future.
REPORT CARDS
Dear Parents,
It’s hard to believe that we are in the third marking period. Throughout the year we have seen our first graders develop sight vocabularies, fluency, writing skills, math skills, and social skills. It is great to see how they have grown in many areas.
On April 22nd , the report cards will be available to view on HAC. Report cards show a snapshot of the progress your child has made. For the first time, you will see a letter grade in language arts and math, along with the checklist. Students often do not understand the letter grade which they receive, therefore we try not to put the emphasis on the grades but rather on the learning and the strengths and areas how the student can improve. Grades are a combination of chapter, unit, and theme test scores, daily work, vocabulary and spelling progress, writing activities, and reading and math progress made. The checklist and comments provide the areas where students show strengths and weaknesses. Please keep in mind that a C is considered satisfactory work, a B is good work, and an A is excellent work. The Achievement code is listed on the back of the report card.
We will be busy assessing students over the next months.
I am so proud of the progress our first graders have made and I look forward to meeting with you to celebrate their growth! I will go over their portfolio and grades with you during conferences week, during the week of April 25th . Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call me.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Arnold
STEM
STEM ACTIVITIES
Spring is in the air! As we prepare for spring we are not only planting seeds of kindness but planting seeds of learning. We will be busy doing many hands on STEM related projects including planting and observing seeds, planting our school yard garden, learning about animals, especially backyard animals, rainforest animals, going to the zoo, learning about rocks, fossils and dinosaurs and learning about Earth Day.
Plant Seeds of Learning
RAISE BUTTERFLIES and PLANT TREES
In April, we will be raising caterpillars and watching how they transform into butterflies. We will be bringing home trees to plant in honor of Arbor and Earth Day. Please plant them and water them often until they take root.
ANIMALS ANIMALS ANIMALS
Amazing Animals
Learning about animals is a big part of the first grade curriculum. In addition to all the year-long activities we have done and our trip we are planning to the L.V. zoo, we are also planning an animal center day geared to hands on STEM activities. Students will get to explore “Amazing Animals” by rotating through different centers and they will even get to touch some real animals. Animal Center Day is March 24th .
We are looking for small animals that students can observe(lizards, frogs, snakes, birds) Please let me know if you have a unique pet we could borrow for the day.
We will also be creating several projects on these days. If you are willing to help donate materials, please complete the form sent home and return ASAP. Thank you!
Earth Day Centers
First Grades Rock Kindness
DINOSAUR DAYS
The Zoo
Lehigh Valley Zoo
The first graders will be visiting the Lehigh Valley Zoo on May 24th .
Please look for permission slips when our trip gets closer. We will need two parents with clearances to help chaperone the trip.
STUDENT TREASURES PUBLISHED BOOK
Our class will be creating a Student Treasured Published Book....WINGS. Each child will have a written page and illustration in our class book. Order forms will be sent home later this spring. Please do not feel you need to purchase a copy of the book. All we need is the signed form back so our class can get a free copy of the book. If you wish to purchase a book please follow the directions on the form. Thank you!!! My class made the books last year for the first time and they got wonderful. We will share our books at our Book Brunch in June.
More info to follow!
Talent Show
The Shoemaker talent scouts are searching for talented students to perform in our annual talent show! The talent show is open to students in all grades. Later in the spring, each grade level will produce its own talent show for the students in that particular grade. From these grade level talent shows, select acts will be chosen to perform at an all-school assembly at the end of the year. Sign up sheets will be sent home later in the spring.
Guidelines for the talent shows are: acts must be no more than 2 minutes in length. Please keep in mind that all songs must be appropriate for a K-5 audience, so please monitor lyrics. Ideas for acceptable acts include: singing, dancing, playing an instrument, performing a skit, telling jokes, and performing magic tricks. Martial arts acts are not permitted. Acts may have more than one student, but all students in the act must be in the same grade. Students may only audition for one act. Acts must be well rehearsed, and students must be prepared with sheet music, CDs/iPods, and props on audition day. If your child wishes to perform an act, please fill out the form (emailed) (please attach lyrics to songs!) and have your child return it to school by the deadline.
First Grade Talent Show is June 3rd
School Talent Show June 10th
SPELLING STARS!
Click on link below to access SPELL CITY:
Reinforce and practice spelling words by weekly lists on Spell City. Start with the bottom list of words and work up.
KICKING IT MATH
Xtra Math
How to Practice with your child...
Practice Sheets-When your child comes home with a practice sheet, have him/her erase any work from earlier that day. Then have him/her read each fact (not just the answer) aloud along with the answer. If you hear either the slightest hesitation or you child makes an error, give them extra practice by immediately giving your child the answer and asking him/her to repeat the problem and the answer again. Your child should then back up three problems and begin again. If there is no hesitation or mistake, be sure to praise your child. If you would like to have them practice writing the answers, wait at least an hour or try again in the morning. When working on memorizing facts, two short sessions with time in between is much more helpful than one very long session.
Flash Cards–When using flash cards with your child, use only 12 flash cards at a time (9 cards should be cards with facts that your child has already mastered. Brain research states that it is better to learn a small amount of new material mixed with a larger amount of mastered material. Cards are numbered at the bottom to let you know what order to switch new cards in. Start with the original 12. When your child is able to answer all 12 correctly in a cold read (the first time you practice), switch out #s 1-3 for #s 13-15. You will repeat this process each time switching out the oldest cards for newer ones as your child masters new facts. Do not rush to swap out cards, make sure your child has really mastered the facts. The old cards will go into a review deck which should be used every 4thtime you practice.
Spend about 2 to 3 minutes running through the cards. Your child should read each fact (not just the answer) aloud along with the answer. If you hear either the slightest hesitation or your child makes an error, give them extra practice by immediately giving your child the answer and asking him/her to repeat the problem and the answer again. Have your child repeat the fact and answer three more times. Put the card back three cards from the front so that your child has an opportunity to practice it again.
Math Fact Automaticity
What is Automaticity With Math Facts?
When students first begin learning math facts, they learn them to the level of accuracy –they are able to solve the problems correctly, if they take their time and concentrate. As they continue practicing, they develop fluency –the ability to solve problems quickly without making mistakes. The final stage is automaticity –students are able to solve problems quickly without errors and without much conscious attention. A student who has automaticity with math facts is able to perform other tasks at the same time (problem solving, multi-step problems, etc.). Students who have automaticity in decoding are able to read flashcards of the word without even thinking about it. Likewise, a student who has automaticity with math facts can’t help but to say the answer when they see the math fact.
Students who lack automaticity with math facts often complete higher leveled math problems riddled with tiny computation errors. These errors stem from not knowing their math facts to the level of automaticity. The student can either focus on the steps of the math problem, or focus on solving the math fact correctly, but they can’t do both. Helping students learn math facts to automaticity will improve their ability to learn and retain higher order math skills because they won’t be distracted with remembering their math facts.
How this program works: Rather than the usual sequence of learning math facts by factor (all the ones, fives, nines, etc.), this program introduces 2 new facts (and their reverses) per sheet so that students do not have too many to learn at a time. Students often fail to learn their facts because they are asked to learn too much at one time. When facts are introduced too quickly, students begin to confuse what they have already learned with newly introduced facts.
In addition, some of the more difficult facts are introduced midway through the sequence rather than at the end so that students have more time to work with them. Research seems to indicate that students often have more difficulty with these facts because they don’t have as much time to work with them, and they are learned late in the sequence when students have more facts they are trying to keep track of.