Mrs. Bellecourt's First Grade- Room 23

• Reading: We have begun a new study on Mental Images. We read Courduroy Bakes a Cake and had to create mental images of the story. Then we each drew our mental image of a cake.  It is amazing that they all turned out different eventhough we all heard the same story.
•  Word Wall Words: play, talk, this, us, your
• Writing:  We have begun a new study on Story Elements.  Story Elements include characters, setting, plot/problems, and solutions.  So far we have focused on Character-who are the characters, who is the main character, and describing/comparing the characters.  We will continue this week to discuss the setting- when and where the story takes place.  We are using a variety of Robert Munsch stories to work on Story Elements.  We will really focusing on finger spaces, word wall words to be spelled correctly, capitals, and ending marks.  We continue to work on our handwriting too!
• Math:  We will be finishing Unit 4: Basic Ten-Structured Concepts this week! We are working on adding into new decade numbers through Counting on and justifying our answers.  We will also review the unit in preparation for students to “show what you know” at the end of the week through the curriculum and state tests (Lessons 14, Review, Tests). 
• Social Studies:  Students have begun a new unit Families in their Neighborhoods. We have created our 3-D neighborhood in our class room, and will begin to create the characters (family members) that live in our homes this week!
• Computer Lab:   

Homework Packet: We handed out a homework packet to get those brains back on track. It is very short- one small writing prompt, a math page and 2 fun pages.  It is due Friday.

Reminders for this week:

Monday is Day 1: Music

Tuesday- Day 2: PE

Wednesday- Day 3: Computer Lab?

Thursday- Day 4: Music

Friday- Day 5: PE,  Crazy Hat and Hair Day, Early Release @ 12:30

Emjoy your week!

Mrs. B

What a snow day!  School will be ending today at 2:30 p.m. (thank goodness)! 

We had a bit o’ Daily 5, learned some new Math games with Miss Mickelson’s class, checked out books in the library and watched Magic John perform a few tricks.  

Stay warm and have a great time in the snow! DON”T FORGET TO READ:)

-Mrs. B 

• Reading: .We are reviewing our Daily 5 to get back in to the swing of things .
• Word Wall Words: &do, eat, have, new, of
• Writing:  Students wrote about their winter breaks, and are finishing up those stories.  First, they brainstormed a variety of things that happened.  Then they chose one to write about in detail.  We are using the writing process to pre-write, draft, edit, and publish our great writing! This helped get back into the swing of writing our small moments!  We will write about things that have happened in our lives.  We will really focusing on finger spaces, word wall words to be spelled correctly, capitals, and ending marks.  We continue to work on our handwriting too!
• Math:  We will be finishing Unit 4: Basic Ten-Structured Concepts this week! We are working on adding into new decade numbers through Counting on and justifying our answers.  We will also review the unit in preparation for students to “show what you know” at the end of the week through the curriculum and state tests (Lessons 10-15)
•  Social Studies:  Students have begun a new unit Families in their Neighborhoods. We have created  neighborhood in our class room, and will begin to create the characters (family members) that live in our homes this week!
• Computer Lab:  This week in the lab students will create winter scenes and write about their scenes!

Wish list items: We are in need of AA batteries and cleaning wipes. If you have any extra lying around, we would love to take them!

Reminder:

Early Release 12:30 Friday, January 13th 

Have a great week!

Mrs. B

• Reading:  We are reading many winter and seasonal stories as well as continue to ask questions before, during and after reading.
•  Word Wall Words: all, day, has, that, they,
• Writing:  Students continue to write Small Moments, focusing on writing words in a snap, focusing on the most important part, and writing close-in story endings. We also wrote our New Year’s Resolutions!
• Math:  We continue Unit 4: Basic Ten-Structured Concepts! We are working on teen addition strategies, such as Make-a-Ten.  We are also really focusing on the idea of Tens and Ones. (Lessons 6-9)
• Social Studies: We begin our new unit “Families in their Neighborhoods”. We have separated into families, discussed different types of homes, and have “built” our own neighborhood in our classroom.
• Computer Lab:  This week students will do write and draw about winter break.

Note from Mrs. Trautman: (We have PE Day 2 an 5)

Students are expected to be wearing on the days they come to the gym. Shoes that cover their entire foot, stay on their foot, no heel and absolutely NO BOOTS! No rain boots, no snow boots, no hiking boots, no fashion boots (which are quite popular now!). This is a safety issue with basketball being the activity and hockey being next.

Have a relaxing weekend!

Mrs. B

Friday is Pajama Day Spirit Day.  Please no slippers, robes, or blankets.

Your child may bring one small  stuffed animal to sit with.  It must come to school in their backpack and will go back in at the end of school.

We will also enjoy some holiday cheer and treats! 

If your child will be absent on Friday, please let me know in advance. We have some projects and things to tidy up before they leave on Thursday.

• Reading:  We are reading many seasonal stories, such as The Gingerbread Boy, The Gingerbread Man and The Gingerbread Friends to practice Text-to-Self and Text connections.  We continue to work hard during Daily 5 too!
• Word Wall Words: REVIEW
• Writing:  Students continue to write Small Moments- taking one small moment and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g it out to be a detailed story.
• Math:  We continue Unit 4: Basic Ten-Structured Concepts! We are working on teen addition strategies, such as Make-a-Ten.  We are also really focusing on the idea of Tens and Ones. (Lessons 5-8)
• Science: Students will finish our unit of study about Water!  We will study temperature changes water, How to identify “pure” water, and how objects react when placed in water (dissolve, sink, float, etc.)!
• Computer Lab: None this week

Reminders:

Friday, December 16th- Pajama Day and Early Release

Winter Break- December 19th- January 2nd.  School Resumes Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 

This Friday is our winter craft day.  The December parent volunteers will be providing a hot chocolate/ cider bar for us during our classroom craft time.  Wouldn’t it be fun if your first grader drank from a special mug from home? Please send in carefully wrapped mugs by Friday morning.

• Reading: We start asking questions when reading this week. We ask questions before, during and after reading.  Asking questions makes us better readers, helps us understand the text.  We are also going to be reading many different versions,  later this week and next week, of the story The Gingerbread Man to practice Text-to-Text connections.  We are working on our phonics skills with making words and learning O family words
• Word Wall Words: review all
• Writing:  Students continue to write Small Moments.  Students are zooming in to just one small part to write about across several pages and working to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the sounds out in words they write.
• Math:  We are finishing Unit 3: Story Problem Strategies.  Students continue to find unknowns in addition and subtraction! (Lessons 13-15).  We will take our unit tests at the end of the week!
• Science: Students comtinue the unit of study about Water!  We will study how water moves, the “shape” of water, and how water can change objects (or not)!
• Computer Lab:  This week students publish a project about how water moves and what they can do with water!

We are in need of red buttons for our holiday project.  Any size, any shape, any texture- just as long as they are red.  Please send any you have to us so we can start stock piling for December!

Thank you!!

Our classroom feast was fantastic! We enjoyed our soup, rolls, fruit, dessert and sparkling cider.  Thanks to our parent volunteers, Mrs. Baumann- our cook, and our 4th grade buddies!