Language Arts/Reading:

We are learning more new words with Words Their Way.  Beginning next week, I will post your child's words on this blog.  I will send a group email once I have this completed.

In Writer’s Workshop we are continuing to work on being authors. We are learning to stretch our stories over a few pages with illustrations on each page that match the words of the story.

In Reader's Workshop, we will continue learning about characteristics of fiction stories. We will be responding to fictional stories in our Reader's Response Journals.

Math:

Place value can be a difficult concept to master, so we will be spending time this week doing more activities with place value.  We are currently making bean sticks to represent the 10's place. Please ask your child what we are learning about the 100's chart, as well. We will also continue problem solving in our math journals.

Science:

This week begins our unit on Matter and Energy.  We will learn how to categorize objects based on their physical properties.  We will do a fun lab called Magnificent Magnifiers where the kids will determine if different objects are magnifiers and discuss why or why not.  We will also find out why our 5 senses are so important to us.    

Reminders:   

*PLEASE make sure you sign up for a conference time. 

                 Password:  christoffesonfall 

*No school on Oct 10.

*Principal's Pride Show and Tell on Fridays

Thank You!!

*Cheryl Borden - Classroom Chores

*Kari Means - Parent "Teacher"

*Phillip South - Computer Lab Helper

*Jodi Shores - Volunteer Coordinater

PTA Announcement - Our PTA is aiming for at least 80% participation from each classroom.

The classroom from each grade level that reaches that percentage will be eligible for a ball prize that the teacher will own for his/her classroom. THE prize is a glow in the dark basketball.

One more reminder ... Our Box Top contest is in full swing!! The number of Box Tops per class is posted in the 1st grade hallway. Our class has collected 151 Box Tops to date! Keep 'em comin'!

               

Ms. Christofferson's Corner

 

Language Arts/Reading:

We are continuing with Words Their Way.  The kids are doing great sorting their words and sounds.  They have enjoyed doing a specific activity with their word cards each day.  In Writer’s Workshop we will continue learning how to edit our stories.  This week, we will focus on capital letters at the beginning of a sentence as well as punctuation at the end of a sentence.  We will also touch on how to publish a story.  During Writer’s Workshop, the children work at their own pace.  Some have several stories that are finished, while others are still working on one.  That is OK!  When they publish a story, they will learn how to re-write it to make it “fancy” by using their neatest handwriting, colorful illustrations, and no mistakes.  We will continue with Reading Workshop and “Read to Self” time.

Math:

This week we will finish our unit of place value.  The focus will be on creating sets of tens and ones, reading and writing numbers to 99, matching written numbers with a set constructed, and expressing numbers in terms of tens and ones through 99. Place value is ongoing throughout the year and we pick it back up again when we start addition and subtraction.  We will continue problem solving in our math journals, too.

Science:

This week begins our first Science Unit.  We will begin by brainstorming “What is a Scientist.”  The kids will write in their Science Journals about what they think a scientist is and draw a picture of what they think a scientist looks like.  We will then spend the rest of the week getting our Science Journals set up and discussing safety protocols during Science.  Each child will sign a safety contract to be pasted in their Science Journal.

Homework:
This week we will begin our homework assignments!  Your child will receive a book bag with homework assignments.  Work is assigned Tuesday through Friday.  I realize you have busy schedules so you are welcome to combine days if that is easier for you. 

Reminders:   

*Tuesday Folders (September)- Isabella Shvets

*Classroom Helper: Cheryl Boyle
*Education Go Get It Week Sept. 26th - 30th
*Monday - Students wear Kathy Caraway t-shirts.

*Give A HOOT Picnic- September 30^th at 5:45  

The students need to submit their Box Tops in baggies with their names so we can make sure they receive their coupon(s). Once their box tops are received, we will write the name of the student on the back of the coupon and place it in the teachers’ boxes to give to the kids.

Students who submit 10 or more Box Tops at one time will get a coupon to Learning Express that will be $2.00 off a purchase of at that costs $5.00 or more.

Thank You!!

*Cheryl Boyle - Classroom Chores

*All of you who donated things for the classroom

*All of you who donated snacks for the people affected by the wildfires!!!

Ms. Christofferson’s Corner

Language Arts/Reading:

We are continuing with Words Their Way.  The kids are doing great sorting their words and sounds.  They have enjoyed doing a specific activity with their word cards each day.  In Writer’s Workshop we will focus on two concepts:  making booklets with 3 pages that show the beginning, middle, and end of a story.  This should help to organize their stories.  We will also explore revising and editing their stories using the words wall to correct misspelled words.  This will be ongoing throughout Writer’s Workshop.  We will continue with Reading Workshop and “Read to Self” time as well as “Read to Someone.” 

Math:

The students have been working with telling time.  It can be a hard concept to grasp, but most got it.  We will re-visit telling time throughout the year.  We are now moving on to place value.  We will use whole numbers to describe and compare quantities.  We will learn how to tell numbers that are less than, greater than, and equal to each other.  We will also create sets of tens and ones to compare and order whole numbers.  We will continue problem solving in our math journals, too.

Social Studies:

“Freedom Week” was a lot of fun!  Please feel free to come in and check out the banner the kids made…so cute!  We are finishing the Social Studies unit by learning about America’s important symbols such as:  the Liberty Bell, the American Flag, the Statue of Liberty, the Bald Eagle, and the Great Seal.  The kids will learn different facts of each and then complete their own book.

Reminders:   

*Caraway Cares Food Drive ends September 23rd

*Give A HOOT Picnic- September 30^th at 5:45.   

Thank You!!

*Cheryl Boyle and Kari Means - Classroom Chores

*Jodi Shores - Classroom Volunteer Coordinator

*All of you who donated so many snacks for the families that were affected by the wildfires!!!

Current Events

September 12th – 16th

Language Arts/Reading:

In Word Study this week we will continue Words Their Way. This is a spelling, phonics, and word study program designed to meet the needs of individual learners.  In Writer’s Workshop we will focus on two concepts:  Drawing Hard-To-Make Ideas, and Stretching and Writing Words.  I will emphasize drawing the best you can when planning writing and to keep going no matter how good or not so good your drawings are. I will also teach the kids how to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out the sounds of words when writing.  Writing stories takes practice and patience!  We will continue with Reading Workshop and “Read to Self” time.  This week, the kids will get to experience “Reading to Someone” which is always a treat! 

Math:

This week we will continue working on telling time, focusing on half past the hour, and begin learning about place value. This  unit will last two weeks.  We will continue to solve problems that incorporate the processes of understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and evaluating the solution for reasonableness.

Social Studies:

This week is Celebrate Freedom Week.  We will learn all about freedom and what freedom means to us.  We will also learn about the Constitution.  We will explore the Constitution and discuss why it is so important to the United States.  At the end of the week, the class will make a banner depicting what freedom means to us!

Reminders:   

*Early Release Day on September 14^th Dismissal will be at 12:45

*Please send a healthy snack with your child EACH day to eat during recess.

 *Tuesday Folders (September)- Hannah Schiesz

*First Grade will be collecting non-perishable individually wrapped snacks for the Fire Relief Effort.  Please help!!  There is a box outside of my room for donations. 

*Continue to bring in your Box Tops!

PTA Schedule Changes:

The HOOT Picnic on 9/30 is now at 5:45-7:30 PM instead of 7-9 PM since we won’t be having a movie night.

The date of the Fall Festival has changed to Saturday, Nov 5^th instead of Sunday, Nov 6.

The February Skate Night is now on Wednesday, Feb 15^th instead of Thursday 2/16.

Thank You!!

*Those of you who were able to come for Parent Night!!!

*Thank you to Cheryl Borden for helping with classroom jobs.

Wishing you all a pleasant weekend!

Current Events

Language Arts/Reading:

In Word Study this week we will begin Words Their Way. This is a spelling, phonics and word study program designed to meet the needs of individual learners. We completed the assessment last week. We will begin learning the routines of our word study time and will complete a whole class sort. I will be sharing more about this program with you during Open House. 

In Writer’s Workshop we will focus on how to use our supplies independently and telling stories in our illustrations.  Last week in Reading Workshop we talked about what kinds of books we enjoy reading and identified our favorite book.  This week we will take those memories and learn how to sketch them and create new reading memories in our classroom. We will also create personal reading goals for first grade!

Math:

Last week we learned about graphs and began problem solving.

This week we will learn to use duration of time to order events and read both digital and analog clocks to the hour and half-hour.  We will continue to be problem solvers with focusing this week on time concepts.  With guidance we will solve problems that incorporate the processes of understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and evaluating the solution for reasonableness.

Social Studies:

We were very involved last week with learning about citizenship, and this week we will go more in depth about leaders.  We will discuss our community leaders as well as our state and national leaders.  The kids will make a mobile depicting these leaders and their names. 

Reminders:   

*School Holiday on September 5^th

*Please send a healthy snack with your child EACH day to eat during recess.

*Parent Orientation Sept. 6^th 

TAG Meeting from 6:00-6:30,

K-2 6:30-7:00 and a PTA meeting from 7:00-7:30. 

First grade will be splitting all the classes into two groups. 

Room 308 - Mrs. Presswood, Mrs. Hadden and Ms. Christofferson’s.

*Early Release Day Sept. 14

*Tuesday Folders (September)-

Hannah Schiesz

Thank You!!

Thank you to all of the parents who have signed up to be parent helpers, and to Mr. Lopato for looking into our “cubby situation”.