Announcements for October, 16th 2020

Our first grade scholars have been working diligently to complete assignments, study, and strive for excellence these past few weeks of the end of Quarter 1. Our first-grade team is hoping our students and their families enjoy their Fall Break. We look forward to seeing everyone October 26th rested and ready to learn.

 

Literature

We will be finishing The Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing. When we return from Fall Break, we will be reading, “A Dog and a Manger.”
I am excited to explore these fables with your scholars. 

The Dog in the Manger, illustrated by Milo Winter

Poetry

Students have been practicing up a storm and it shows! Many students already know the complete poem, The Swing, by Robert Louis Stevenson! They flew through the first stanza, breezed through the second stanza, and sailed through the third stanza! For those still learning stanza three, we know you will have it down lickity-split! The poem recitation will be October 28th, 2020.

Math

Beginning the week our first grade scholars return to DL and school on October 26, they will begin to learn the various words to describe positions of people and objects in their surroundings. The scholars will learn new vocabulary words such as position, direction, near, far, under, above, in front of, next to, to the left of, and to the right of. They will also learn to name the position of things using ordinal numbers first- 1^st to tenth-10^th.  Parents, be sure to incorporate these vocabulary words when giving directions or when having them do chores around the house, e.g., “first, pick up your toys and put them away, second, do your homework, third, have a snack.”

Science

We have begun our new unit on Sun, Moon and Stars!  The students have been thrilled to talk about their different observations. Please make sure to reiterate to your scholar that it is harmful to look directly at the sun. Parents, if you have any constellation/solar activities or objects that you wouldn't mind letting the 1st grade borrow, please contact Ms. Luevano.

The Earth and Moon, taken during the 1990s Galileo mission by NASA/JPL/USGS.

History

In history, we ended our unit on Mesopotamia.  When we return, we will begin our unit on Ancient Egypt.  If any families have visited or have any ties to Egypt, please contact Ms. Luevano.

Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, c.1275 BCE, Mary Evans Picture Library/ age Fototstock

Other Announcements

Striving for excellence is what we try to do every day at Great Hearts Western Hills School and its Distance Learning Program. We ask that our scholars always use their best Spalding printing skills on all their school work so it is legible and neat. Again, we thank you, parents, for reminding your scholar to use their best printing on all their assignments.

Please remember to send your scholar to school with labeled water bottles and uniform sweaters once they return to school. The weather will hopefully be cooler, but often times the classrooms are cool and some of the students feel more comfortable with a sweater on in the classroom.

One thing the first-grade team asks from families is that they teach their first-graders to tie their own shoes. It takes patience and practice but it is something that we don’t have enough time for in our busy schedule to teach. If all our students begin to learn now over the Fall Break, they will be tying their own shoes by Thanksgiving…a very admiral goal and it will boost their self-confidence! Thanks for your support.

Enjoy your Fall Break! 🍂

Sources

Milo Winter, 1919, The Dog in the Manger, image, The Project Gutenburg, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19994/19994-h/19994-h.htm#Page_59, accessed Oct. 15 2020.

Elizabeth Landau, Last Updated Oct. 14 2020, The Sun and Moon, image, taken during the 1990s Galileo mission, NASA, Oct. 15 2020, https://www.nasa.gov/feature/earth-and-moon-once-shared-a-magnetic-shield-protecting-their-atmospheres

Thomas Garnet Henry James and Peter F. Dorman, Jan. 29 2019, Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, image, from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, c.1275 BCE, Encyclopedia Britannica, Oct. 15 2020, https://www.britannica.com/art/Egyptian-art