Week of September 11, 2013

REMINDERS:

• Spelling Test on Friday
• Early Dismissal next Wednesday, September 18 at 1:40.  If you have not returned your Early Dismissal/Half Day Dismissal schedule form (half sheet of purple paper) yet, please do ASAP.
• Show and Tell next Wednesday too.  Please refer to the salmon colored Welcome Letter in your Curriculum Night folder for details about this fun learning activity we have on Early Dismissal days.
• Moms and Muffins next Wednesday, September 18 @ 8:00 a.m.

A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF YOUR FIRST GRADER:

• Shared Reading-This week we read My Five Senses and discussed our five senses and why they are important.  We also talked about the body parts we use for our senses.  We will be partner reading the story this week also.  In our Book Critic journal we are going to write and illustrate a sentences using the 5 sense words.
• Writer's Workshop-We continue to work on our writing stamina.  We are able to write for 25 minutes now-Woo-Hoo!  We are working on making lists of things we can write about (family, things we like to do, favorite places and happy days).  We're making connections to writing for real world purposes-like making a grocery list, writing a letter, writing a card etc...  We continue to work on and review procedures and expectations for Writer's Workshop.
• Daily 4 Centers- Daily 4 Centers include:  Read to Self, Work on Writing, Listen to Reading, and Word Work.  Our focus this week has been learning about and practicing Read to Self, Work on Writing and Listen to Writing.  I am introducing the centers to them, explaining their purpose and my expectations.  I have also set aside time for them to practice the centers so when we begin our guided reading groups and center time in a couple weeks, we know exactly what we should be doing.
• Math-Today we took the Chapter 2 test over addition.  Tomorrow we are beginning Chapter 5 which covers addition strategies.  A green math letter will come home in your first grader's folder tomorrow explaining the concepts we will be focusing on the rest of this week and next week.
• Science-Our focus in this subject is the weather, seasons, and ways to measure the weather.  

THIS AND THAT:

• Please send in any Box Tops for Education that you have on products you buy.  Every classroom is collecting them for our school.

HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE WEEK!