Happy weekend, everyone!

While the pull of the blue skies and the warm sun is pretty strong these days through our classroom windows, we have been hard at work over here!

Here are just some of the things your first and second graders have been working on this week…

First Grade:

READING AND PHONICS UPDATE FROM KRISTINA:

Your first grade readers have been rereading their books in order to gather even more information about main and supporting characters. By looking at a familiar page or chapter with “new eyes”, readers are finding new details that they’ve never noticed before. These details help to shape their opinions of the characters in their books.
In phonics this week, first graders and Rasheed were able to play around a little bit more with those three different sounds of the -ed ending, and they worked with a partner to sort words like played, added, kicked, planted, and smelled.

WRITING UPDATE FROM SUSAN:

This week, first grade writers began five-star book reviews. The Pigeon Needs A Bath!, Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, Trucks!, Snowmobiles!, a collection of Calvin and Hobbes, and most books by Mo Willems and Dr. Seuss rate five stars. How to support assertions–This is the best book in the first grade library!!!!! This is the funniest book ever!!!–with enough details to make the reader curious but not give the story away was the conundrum of the week. Many exclamation marks were used by all!!!!

MATH UPDATE FROM BO:

Big work being done in the 1st grade math classes. We were working on new equations with missing addends (4+ ___=9). These problems are a new way of thinking about our math sentences and the first graders are taking them in stride. We also added new addition and subtraction games that the kiddos are also working hard with. Homework this weekend will include more of the missing addend equations, and some number sense games.

Second Grade:

READING AND PHONICS UPDATE FROM KRISTINA:

Your second grade readers are doing a phenomenal job of putting together all of the character work they’ve been studying for the past two weeks with closer inspection of the problems and solutions in their books. These readers have a full and complex understanding of the books they’ve been reading in class!
In phonics this week, second graders and Gus have been on the lookout for babysitter vowels. You’ll have to ask your second grader to describe these sneaky guys to you, but they’re essentially the difference between “dinner” and “diner”, “hoping” and “hopping”, and “taping” and “tapping”.

WRITING UPDATE FROM KRISTINA:

Your second grade writers are blending their reading class experiences with their writing class experience! By closely rereading the book they’re writing about, they are able to add even more details to their opinion letters. These letters are quickly becoming longer, stronger, and even more convincing!

MATH UPDATE FROM BO:

Math in the gym madness!! This Friday we took some time during our math class to go down to the gym do complete a rotating math station challenge. The second graders did fantastic working in new groups to complete this challenge all on their own. Specifically, we are working with dollars and cents as a way to build two digit numbers. Very impressed with the class taking on this gym challenge!

OTHER CLASSROOM NEWS:

First and second grade writers got to spend time with the fourth grade writers this morning! They listened to the fourth graders’ published nonfiction books, and had the opportunity to share their own opinion writing progress.

Be sure to give Cindy a call to set up a time for your child to lead his or her Spring Conference! Time slots are filling up, so call when you can in order to snag a time that works for your family. As a school, we do not typically offer make-up conference times.
Our ACS ice rink is soft and smooshy these days, so it is closed for the foreseeable future.
In order to clear up some confusion and to bring a little more simplicity into our lives on Fridays, we reset our Toy Day expectations this week. Students may bring one toy to school on Fridays. Just one. Just one that could fit in a shoebox. It is so frustrating when your toy’s accessories get scattered or go missing at school or your LEGO creation ends up in multiple pieces. We’re returning to the “Just One” rule as a less-stress reset.

UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS:

Sunday, March 8th: Daylight Savings Time! Spring forward one hour.
Wednesday, March 11th: El Tioga, hosted by the Ks. To participate, your child can bring in $5 and a snack.
Monday, March 16th: We will be going to CCS to be an audience for their dress rehearsal of The Big Event, which is their annual musical production. We’ll send out more information next week, so stay tuned!
Thursday, March 19th: No school. Student-led conferences.
Friday, March 20th: No school. Student-led conferences.
Monday, March 23rd – Friday, March 27th: No school. Spring Break.
Monday, March 30th: No school. Teacher workday.

MOMENTS OF GRATITUDE:

Thanks, Sara, for being our Celebrity Guest Reader (and egg deliver-er!) this week!
Thanks to everyone who participated in Empty Bowls on Wednesday!
Thanks to everyone for remembering to provide both boots and inside shoes for their kiddos at school. Yes, it’s warmer outside, which might lead you to believe boots are no longer necessary. BUT, up here on this Woody Creek mesa, we are still surrounded by snow and mud, so boots are still an important part of every student’s recess getup.

That’s our news from the classroom this week. Enjoy your weekend!

Love,