Announcements for January, 29th 2021

We would like to recognize the following scholars this month for showing the virtue courage.

1C Aubree Thomspson

1D Lorena Rabago

Poetry

Students recently recited There Once Was A Puffin. We will be taking a short break from poetry but will resume soon!

Literature

We are reading Sam the Minuteman. All scholars need their OWN copy of the book as this is a classic to keep. Plesae label your scholar's book with their name in sharpie marker. https://www.amazon.com/Sam-Minuteman-Can-Read-Level/dp/0064441075

Spalding

Spalding homework has seemed to taken a nosedive. We would like to remind everyone of the Spalding expectations.

1. Weekly spelling tests will be graded for accuracy. If a word is called out and the scholar writes a different word, it will be marked wrong. We want to encourage students to listen and write the correct words as they are called out.  Spelling tests will be graded out of 30 points with an opportunity to earn 5 extra points for forming Spalding letter correctly (sitting on the base line, short letters reaching the mid-point but not above, tall letters nearly reaching the top line, letters formed the Spalding way as demonstrated at the beginning of the year via Google Classroom).
   
2. WPR (written Phonogram Response) will be done as practice Monday thru Wednesday. Thursday's scholars will be given a phonogram quiz. 
3. Spalding Homework is not an option. It is a grade. Your scholar will receive a list of 10 words Monday thru Wednesday. They will need help with their homework. An adult needs call out the first word, the scholar will write the word. The adult will check the word. If it is not correct, it will be corrected immediately. If it is correct, the adult will call out the second word. You will repeat this process until you have completed the list, then you will repeat this process TWO more times for a total of 3 times. Students will receive a grade for their homework PLUS they may earn additional points for correct Spalding handwriting.

Thank you for your supporting and encouraging your scholar on their learning journey! Together, we will make a difference!

Science

We just finished our unit The Sun, Moon, and Stars. It was so much fun exploring the world and how it relates to the universe around us. Starting next week we will be learning about plants and animals!

History

We will be exploring Early Civilization of the America’s.

Our first chapter will be Hunters and Gatherers.

Math

Next week our math scholars will be introduced to the concept of place value. They will be doing simple activities, like grouping straws in groups of tens and ones and will learn to interpret a two-digit number in terms of tens and ones. They will also learn what happens when 1 or 10 is added or subtracted from a given two-digit number. The next concepts they will be taught during next week will be adding and subtracting without renaming. We have been stressing to the students about memorizing their fact up to 20, please keep working with your scholar so that they become automatic when adding and subtracting numbers through 20.

Other Announcements

Please send coats/jackets/cardigans with your scholar. We often have PE in the morning and it is still cold outside. The rooms often are chilly as well, so please make sure you send your scholar to school with a coat labeled with their name.

Please bring labeled water bottles to school daily.

 

Please remind your scholar to put their completed homework in their take-home folder and in their backpack right after they finish their homework. A good number of students are forgetting to bring homework back to school when it is due.

Announcements for January, 15th 2021

Science

When we come back from independent project week we will be wrapping up our Sun, Moon, and Stars unit. After that we will dive into the lives of some very important scientists.

History

In History, we will have a test over the three Religions we have been discussing.

We will also be discussing Hunters and Gatherers in our new unit.

Math

Our math scholars will learn to count beyond 20 to 40 beginning the week of January 25. They will first learn to read and write the number-symbols and number-words for numbers up to 40. Picture cutouts will be used to display the quantity while the number-symbols and number words will be taught alongside the quantity. As before, students will learn the number sequence and the concept of more than and less than through activities involving finding a number 1, 2, or 3 more or less than a given number. After understanding these concepts, students will be able to compare numbers and arrange a given set of numbers in increasing or decreasing order with more ease.

Poetry

Our scholars presented There Once was a Puffin! They did an awesome job! Their vocal expressions were priceless! We will take a short break from poetry and then resume again in a few weeks time.

Literature

We have wrapped up Owl At Home and will be moving on to Sam the Minuteman. https://www.amazon.com/Sam-Minuteman-Can-Read-Level/dp/0064441075 Please send your scholar with their own copy and be sure to write their name in permanent ink on the inside cover!

Other Announcements

Independent Study Project for First-Grade involves the student using their imagination to construct a 3-dimensional creation. They are required to complete a 3D sculpture using at least 5 out of the 8 shapes listed: circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, cubes, cylinders, prisms, and spheres. The sculpture will be made out of clay or playdough. Scholars will complete their own project, with verbal guidance only from parents. Please see the packet that was distributed to each first-grader prior to the winter break.

First-Grade would like to welcome Ms. Cavazos 1A AT and Mrs. Olivas 1C AT to our First-Grade Team!

1A Lead: Pamela Kramer, pamela.kramer@greatheartswesternhills.org

1A AT: Alexandra Cavazos, alexandra.cavazos@greatheartswesternhills.org

1C Lead: Wendy Epp, wendy.epp@greatheartswesternhills.org

1C AT: Carmen Olivas, carmen.olivas@greatheartswesternhills.org

1D Lead: Kristi Zimmerman, kristi.zimmerman@greatheartswesternhills.org

1D AT: Genevieve Chisholm, genevieve.chisholm@greatheartswesternhills.org

Announcements for January, 8th 2021

Happy New Year!

Poetry

We are getting excited at the nearing opportunity to hear your scholar recite There Once was a Puffin! Recitations will be January 14th. 

History

We are ending the unit on Three World Religions.  Students will have 1 more chapter then a review for their test the following week.

 

Science

Star bright! Students will continue their study on stars and focus more on the Big Dipper.

Literature

We are getting excited to be almost done with Owl at Home.

We will be reading Owl and the Moon.

Don't forget to purchase Sam the Minute Man.

Math

The first-grade math scholars will study Unit 12 – Graphs, this week. They will first learn to classify objects in sets according to common features. Then they will learn that objects can be represented one-to-one by using another object. For example, one counter can be used to represent one ball. Using this form of representation, students will create their own picture and bar graphs. After understanding the concept of representation of objects, students will learn to read and interpret the data presented by graphs. Some of the skills that the first-graders will be learning include finding out which item has the most and which have the least number of objects, as well as the difference between two different items. Finally, the scholars will learn to make a tally chart as an alternative method of keeping count of objects or items. This experience will make it easier to keep count when it comes to large numbers. They will also learn to present data recorded as tally marks in a graph.

 

Other Announcements

• Parents, please sign up for a parent-teacher conference. You should have received an email from your child's teacher with a link to sign up for an appointment. If you did not receive it please email your student's teacher as soon as possible asking for the link to sign up.

• Scholars must bring a labeled water bottle to school every day. Outerwear, water bottles, lunch boxes and other personal items should be labeled to expedite returning “lost” items to their owners. Thank you for your support in labeling personal items belonging to your scholars.

• First-graders begin to write both their first and last names on all their papers during the second semester, please help them learn to spell their last name. Also, we appreciate your help in teaching them how to tie their shoes.