Weekly Study Skills - Unit 3.1

Welcome back to school! We hope you all had a fun, relaxing break. We have a lot of work to get started on in this new year!  In addition to our weekly story, "A Place to Play," this week we will be starting Topic 7 in math - extending the counting sequence.  We will be working with a 120 chart as we look at counting by 1's and 10's.  Friday, January 12th will be our class Penguin Day!  In social studies we will be learning about Martin Luther King, Jr.  In science we will talk about some plant and animal life cycles.  There will be no school for students on Monday the 15th and Friday the 19th.  District proctors will be at Peruvian Park on the 25th to administer the winter benchmark testing in reading and math.  You will receive your child's scores at parent teacher conferences in February.

December Information

Hello parents!  Please accept our apologies for not updating our website the past few weeks.    Hopefully you saw the ELA weekly study skills that were posted.  This week the students are studying different spelling patterns for the long 'e' sound.  In math we just began Topic 6 - Represent and Interpret Data.  Students will be working on organizing, graphing, and interpreting data in up to 3 categories.  This is a short chapter and we will take the test next week before the break.  We are now moving on from addition/subtraction strategies.  However, it is still very important for the students to continue practicing their addition and subtraction facts in order to improve their fluency!  In science this week we are briefly studying bees to tie in with the Reading Street story of the week, Honey Bees.  For those of you with children in the choir - the winter concert is on Monday, December 18 at 6pm.  They have been working hard and it is sure to be a great evening!  Also don't forget about our annual Holiday sing along on Tuesday, December 19.  First grade will perform at approximately 8:45am.  Feel free to leave when your child is finished, or to stay for the whole performance.  We will also be doing a mini holiday party on the afternoon of the 19th.  Thanks to everyone who has signed up to donate something.  Wee appreciate your generosity! Winter break begins on Wednesday, December 20 and resumes on January 2.  Looking ahead - there will be no school on January 15 or January 19.  Please contact us if you have any questions about upcoming events or any other concerns!

ELA Weekly Study Skills - Unit 2.6

ELA Weekly Study Skills: Unit 2.5

ELA Weekly Study Skills - Unit 2.4

Game Party and Feast

Don't forget that tomorrow is our Panther Pride game party!  Students may bring one card or board game to play with their friends.  It's a good idea to write your child's name on the game box.  Please do not send electronic games, or games with a lot of tiny pieces.  Also thanks to everyone who signed up for our Thanksgiving feast!  Feel free to send the snacks with your child in the morning and we will get them into the fridge if necessary.  We will be enjoying those snacks in the afternoon while we do a Thanksgiving sequencing activity.  Thank you! 

Weekly Update

If you have not turned in your spelling bee fundraiser money, please send it in as soon as possible!  On Tuesday afternoon we will be having a schoolwide game party to celebrate earning 3000 Panther Pride tickets!  We are proud of our students for remembering to be safe, show respect, and be responsible.  We will also be enjoying a "Thanksgiving Feast" in our class that afternoon.  Because of the short week we will not be having library or PE on Tuesday.  Our first trimester ends on Monday, November 20th.  Please look for your child's report card to come home on the 30th.  We hope you all enjoy a nice, relaxing holiday!  Thanksgiving Break is the 22nd-26th.  

Weekly Update & ELA Study Skills: Unit 2.3

Wednesday is a team planning day for the first grade teachers.  We will be in the building working while a substitute spends the day with our class.  On Friday students will be taking the first district-wide standards based math assessment.  This covers what we have learned in topics 1-4.  Looking ahead, we will be having a small Thanksgiving feast on Tuesday the 21st.  Be watching for the link to a sign-up genius for snack contributions.  Thanksgiving break is the 22nd-26th.

Weekly Update: ELA Unit 2.2

Weekly Update: ELA Unit 2.1

There will be NO SCHOOL for students on Monday (Oct. 30th). Our school parade will be held on Tuesday morning at 8:45. Parents may sit in the auditorium to watch as the students walk by in their costumes. Just a reminder - masks and toy weapons are not allowed. Please keep those accessories at home. (Face paint is ok .) Make sure your child has an extra set of clothes to change into or worn underneath their costume. They will most likely not be comfortable wearing their costume all day (especially during lunch and recess) and they should be able to change in and out of their costume with minimal assistance. Our class party will be held at the end of the day. For those parents who have signed up to volunteer, make sure you have already completed the volunteer background check before you arrive to help!

We will be starting a new unit in Reading. The big idea for this unit is 'Communities' and our spelling patterns will move beyond CVC words with short vowel patterns. This week, our spelling pattern will be the digraphs 'sh' and 'th' and despite the short week, we will still be having the spelling test on Friday.

{ Weekly Update 10/23 }

We hope you all had a nice, relaxing fall break!  In reading this week we will be finishing up Unit 1.6, and doing a review of Unit 1.  In math we are continuing to work on addition strategies for sums up to 20.  In science this week we will be learning about the moon.  Don't forget that Wednesday night is Family Literacy & The Arts Night!  It is from 6:30-8:00 pm.  There are fun games, crafts, and activities for children of all ages.  Each child who attends will receive a free book!  Don't miss this fun family event.  Looking ahead, there will be no school for students on Monday, October 30.  Our Halloween parade and party will be on Tuesday, October 31.  The parade is at 8:45am and our party is from 1:45-2:45.  Please contact Mrs. Chang if you are able to volunteer at the party or send in any needed supplies.  Thank you!  

Weekly Update: ELA Unit 1.6

Picture retakes will be on Monday for anyone who needs it.  Monday is also the deadline to turn in your child's emergency snack!  We still have a few students who have not brought one.  Please send a non-perishable snack and small drink in a ziploc bag marked with their name.  We will keep these in our classroom in case of an emergency.  We are having a lockdown drill on Wednesday afternoon.  We will talk with the students ahead of time so they will be prepared and know what to expect. Our spelling test will be postponed until next Friday. Your child will have an extra week to study the spelling words from their spelling pretest list.

Remember there is no school on Thursday or Friday - we hope you have a wonderful fall break!  Looking ahead to next week, don't forget that Family Arts & Literacy Night is on October 25 from 6:30-8:00.  This is one of our biggest school events and it is always a lot of fun!  We hope to see you there!

Weekly Update: ELA Unit 1.5

We will be finishing up Topic 2 in math this week!  We will review on Tuesday and have our test on Wednesday.  Then we will be starting Topic 3 - Using Strategies to Solve Addition Facts to 20. It can be a little chilly for morning recess, so don't forget to send your child with a jacket! Please remember to contact Mrs. Chang if you would like to help with or contribute items for our Halloween party on the 31st.  Looking ahead - Fall Break will be the 19th and 20th this month, along with a teacher workday on the 30th.

Weekly Update: ELA Unit 1.4

Weekly Update: ELA Unit 1.3 and Math Topic 1

We have a busy week ahead of us! The PTA is hosting Goodies and Grown-Ups on Wednesday at 7:30 am.  Come enjoy a light breakfast as we kick off the book fair. Parent-teacher conferences will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.  Because of this we have an early dismissal at 1:15 on Thursday, and no school on Friday. We are also looking forward this week to our first grade assembly on fire safety. For those of you interested in SALTA testing, the application window closes at 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October 4.  Please contact Mrs. Wahlquist or Mrs. Chang if you have any questions about that.

Weekly Update: ELA Unit 1.2

We are almost finished with Topic 2 of our math program.  We have been talking about strategies to help increase fluency of addition and subtraction facts.  This week we will wrap up Topic 2 and take our first test.  We will begin Topic 1 (addition and subtraction word problems) next week.  Just a reminder that we will have parent teacher conferences next week on the 27th and 28th.  Don't forget to schedule your conference!  We are looking forward to meeting with each of you.  Because of conferences, there will not be any school for students on Friday the 22nd and Friday the 29th.  

Sight Words

Sight Words

Once or twice a week, a parent volunteer will quiz your child at school. Please keep their sight words in their red folder so we have access to it. In order to pass off a list, your child needs to read ALL the words with automaticity. That means, if they read it incorrectly or 'sound it out' they will be asked to go home and practice some more. Please make this a part of your daily homework routine!

Weekly Update: ELA Unit 1.1 and Math Topic 2

We are going to start Unit 1 of Reading Street on Monday. This is the first week your child will be given a spelling list to study. Please work on the words below (spelling + high frequency) as they will be tested on Friday, Sept 15th.

Just a quick reminder - tomorrow is Picture Day! Even if you do not order prints, your child's picture will be taken for our class picture. If you wish to order prints, please send the order form along with a check. There is also the option to pay ahead of time online (please refer to order form).

Scholastic Book Orders

Each month, you will receive a scholastic book order form with your newsletter. If you would like to order some books for your child please fill in the titles you and your child want and return these book orders by the following Friday.  Make all checks payable to Scholastic Reading Club.  Please do NOT send cash. You can also place your Scholastic Book Club orders online! It’s easy and convenient. Just browse all the monthly selections and order online, right up until the due date. Here's how it works:

1.    Use the following information to access the Scholastic Website  

Go to: scholastic.com/readingclub OR orders.scholastic.com/GV4DW

Class Activation Code: GV4DW

2.    Register and browse titles with your child, & place your order with your credit card.

3.    I will be notified of your book order via email, and your credit card payment will go directly to Scholastic's secure server. There's no need to send money to school.

4.    After I submit the entire class's order to Scholastic, your order will be delivered to our classroom for your child to take home.

Placing your online credit card order is completely safe and secure. You may of course, still turn in your book orders to me directly.

When you order books with our class code, our class earns FREE BOOKS for our class library!

{ Weekly Update 9/1}

We had a busy first full week at school!  We did some fun projects and activities to go along with our color days.  The students have been working on "building stamina" by reading to themselves in the morning as part of Daily 5.  We will be starting our Envision math program on Tuesday.  We are beginning with Topic 2, then we will go back to Topic 1.  We will be sending the packet of homework pages to go along with Topic 2 - these are optional but they are a great way to reinforce the skills your child is learning at school!  We will also be finishing up our color days with brown, black, white, and rainbow day. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have, so please feel free to call, email, or send us a note if there is anything we can help you with.  Remember there's no school on Monday.  Enjoy the long weekend!

Back to School Night Information

Thank you to all the parents who attended our Back to School Night event. If you were not able to make it or you missed some of the information that was covered that evening, you can review the powerpoint or feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

(This information will be available all year for your reference, simply go the bottom of our website and click on the 'Back to School Night' link.)

{ Weekly Update: 8/28 }

Hello first grade families!  We hope your children enjoyed the first few days of school.  We spent a lot of time focusing on school and classroom routines.  We also talked about many different ways to be safe, show respect, and be responsible.  We are looking forward to a great school year!  We also had fun on red and blue day.  This week we will continue our color days:  yellow, green, orange, purple, and pink.  Remember we have early dismissal at 1:15pm on Fridays, and there is no school next Monday, September 4.  Have a good week!

WELCOME!

Welcome to our class website! This site was created so parents and students can stay connected and view the happenings of our classroom from home. We hope you find the updates to be helpful & informative. Please feel free to leave your thoughts by clicking the 'comment' button that appears at the bottom post. We'd love to hear any suggestions or feedback you may have!

We believe that open communication is a very important element in providing the best education for your child. Our door is always open, so do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your child. We fully respect your position as a parent, and look forward to working with you in the coming year to help ensure that your child has the best possible learning experience. 

Thanks for stopping by!

- Mrs. Chang & Mrs. Wahlquist