Week 16!

Good Evening,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break filled with much gratitude and relaxation. 

Here is what you can expect this week: 

Math:

This week in math we are moving into our measurement unit! We will be comparing the weights of different objects both in solid and liquid form. We will estimate weights based on the feel and look of an object and we will also use a balance to find exact measurements. We will continue to review our addition, subtraction, and 2D shape concepts throughout the week. 

Science:

This week we will be wrapping up our unit about matter by learning about changes in states of matter. We will complete some experiments to observe melting, freezing, evaporation, and condensation. On Wednesday, we will review for an assessment about the states of matter. Then, students will take review sheets home to study for a quiz on Friday. We will end the week with a fun experiment with Oobleck and discuss whether it is a solid or a liquid!

 

History:

In the the World History and Geography section of our Core knowledge Curriculum, we introduce children to not only ancient civilizations but also to topics in the history of world religions.  Many people who contributed to the Core Knowledge curriculum agreed that religion is a shaping force in the history of civilization and thus should be a part of what our children know about.  In introducing children to the history of world religions, we focus on major symbols, figures, and stories. Our goal is to be descriptive, not prescriptive, and to maintain a sense of respect and balance.  As we share about the symbols, figures, and stories I mention to our scholars that these are practices and beliefs of the people of that religion. If you practice one of our studied religions please feel free to send in any symbols to sharing.

 

This week we will begin our study of the three major monotheistic religions which worship One God.  They are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  Our journey begins with Abraham and Moses this week.  We will learn about their faith in God and the promises God made to the Hebrew people.  We will look at maps which show the travels of Abraham as he moved into “The Promised Land”, and retell the story of Moses dealing with Pharaoh in Egypt and the plagues God sent to cause Pharaoh to let the people leave Egypt and return to “The Promised Land.

Literature:

We will continue in  Frog and Toad Together, reading stories about being brave and courageous, and listening to dreams.  There will be a short comprehension check for this book on Friday.

 

Idiom:

Never leave till tomorrow what you can do today.

 

Poem:

Table Manners by Burgess

 

Spelling:

 

Monday: gold, read, read, red, fine, can not, May, may, line, left

Tuesday: ship, train, saw, pay, large, near, down, why bill, want

Wednesday: girls, girl, part, still, place, re port, nev er, found, side, kind

 

Phonograms:

g  l  r  w  ai  aw  ir  ou  sh  wh

 

Writing:

Our focus passages this week will be excerpts from Master of All Masters, and The Dog and His Reflection.

 

Grammar:

Students will unscramble sentences and then classify them.  We will ask questions while assisting them in labeling the parts of the sentence. On Friday there will be an assessment to check the student’s understanding of concepts presented thus far.

 

 

 

Week 15!

Good Afternoon,

I hope everyone is excited for this brief two day week! We are going to have so much fun this week with our ancient Egypt party on Monday and fall themed activities on Tuesday.

Here is what to expect:

Literature: This week, we will read chapter 3, “Cookies” from Frog and Toad Together. We will discuss the importance of having will power and determination, and we will also put our own will power to the test!

 

Spalding: There will not be a spelling test this week, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Instead, please practice your phonograms. We will take a graded WPR (written phonogram review) on Tuesday in class.

 

Writing: copy work and narration exercises from The Railway Children

 

Grammar: We will use our question and answer flow to classify and build sentences

History: This week will be a lot of fun with our Egyptian Party, which is the culminating event for our Egyptian Unit.  Tuesday we will have a variety of Thanksgiving learning activities and read a book about the history of the Pilgrims and some of their adventures in the New World.

Math: This week we will finish up our shapes unit by reviewing how to identify and categorize 2D shapes as well as put them into a pattern. We will take our Unit 7 test on Monday. On Tuesday, we will take our units 1-6 cumulative test only after reviewing how to add and subtract within 20 and how to count up and down within 20. We will show courage and rise to the challenge of having two tests! 

Have a very happy thanksgiving! There will be an optional thanksgiving work packet sent home on Tuesday but besides that there is no homework, please enjoy some rest and relaxation.

 

Welcome Mrs. Novak!

Please help me welcome 1A's newest member :) 

"Hello!  My name is Jackie Novak, and I am honored and excited to help with this amazing first-grade classroom within the Great Hearts community. I have worked in higher education for twenty years administratively, teaching undergraduate courses and tutoring/proctoring college admission test prep.  I earned a Bachelor of Science in business management and a Master of Business Administration specializing in human resources management from the University of Phoenix.  I have also completed a mediation certificate.  I am married and have two children in elementary school.  I will positively encourage growth and take excellent care of your little scholar.  I will help them do their best in class every day.  If you have any questions, please let me know at jaflahar@email.phoenix.edu.  I will be helping in the classroom on 11/18, 11/29, 11/30, 12/1, 12/6, and 12/7.  Happy holidays!"

We can't wait to work with her!

Week 14

Good evening,

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend! We have some fun stuff coming up this week:

Literature: This week we will be starting Frog and Toad Together. Please bring in your books on Monday! We will read chapters 1 and 2 this week and discuss different virtues found in each chapter.

Spalding: We have 30 words this week and will test on Friday! Please remember to copy and classify the sentences on the spelling homework! Students must identify the “heart of the sentence”: the subject noun and verb. We have also added in adverbs, so please label these with “adv”.

Monday: noon, think, sister, cast, card, south, deep, inside, blue, post
Tuesday: town, stay, grand, outside, dark, band, game, boat, rest, east
Wednesday: son, sun, help, hard, race, cover, fire, wire, tire, age
Phonograms to study: d, g, n, r, s, ar, ay, ea, ee, oa

Writing: copy work and narration exercises from different poems!

Grammar: We are reviewing nouns, verbs, and adverbs this week. We will also practice classifying sentences using our Shurley English question and answer flow.

Idiom: “Never leave till tomorrow what you can do today.”

Poem: “Thanksgiving Day” – We will recite one stanza (of each student’s choice) on Friday!

Math: This will be a very exciting week as we begin working with 2D and 3D shapes! We will learn how to classify shapes based on different attributes. We will also learn how to create and recognize different patterns using shapes. As always, we will continue to review the foundations such as counting, addition, and subtraction. On Wednesday, we will have our third week of math centers, and we will be getting some hands on practice with our shapes, as well as reviewing our addition and subtraction concepts.

History: This week is our final week studying Ancient Egypt. We will review for our assessment on Wednesday, and the students can take those home to study for the test on Thursday. We will finally examine our mummified apples and determine if our hypotheses were correct or not. This should be really fun and amazing for them!

Science: This week we will learn about measurement, finding the length and weight of solids and the volume of liquids. We will use rulers, scales, and measuring cups to compare items around the classroom. First, we will learn about inches, feet, yards, and miles. Then, we will weigh items in ounces and pounds. Finally, we will learn about volume by measuring water in cups, pints, quarts, and gallons.

Our Class Fuzzy Friend

Today we were observing our basil plant from our Ancient Egypt unit, when we noticed we have a new friend! We had noticed several bite marks in different leaves, and we now know why... we have a little green caterpillar who made our plant his home!

If you look closely at the second picture, you will see him hiding underneath the top leaf! How fun!

Spelling Bee Written Winners

Good afternoon!

Everyone did so well on the written portion of our spelling bee today! We were so proud of everyone in 1A! The following people will get to compete in the next round, the oral classroom bee, next week:

1. Nick
2. Brinn
3. Alice
4. Liam
5. Jaimelee
6. Michael
7. Josiah

Congratulations!!

Winter Concert

It is time for our Winter Concert! On November 16th our students will be performing at Higley Center for the Performing Arts located at 4132 E. Pecos Road, Gilbert, AZ 85257. The Kindergarten through 2nd grade concert will begin at 5:30pm with 1st grade students arriving promptly at 5:00pm.

Attire for this concert will be as follows:

Boys: Black pants, white dress shirt, black dress shoes and black socks. Hair should be combed neatly.

Girls: Black skirt, white top, black tights, black closed-toed dress shoes. Hair should be pulled away from the face with no distracting adornment, Please follow the Archway Arete dress code for guidelines on jewelry.

If you have any questions please reach out to Miss. Weddle at jweddle@archwayarete.org

Week 13!

Good Morning! I hope everyone is ready for the fun four day week ahead, here is what we can expect:

Literature: In Literature, we will be finishing up Frog and Toad Are Friends. We will reread chapter 4, “A Swim,” and read and discuss chapter 5, “The Letter”. On Thursday, we will take our first comprehension check over this book. Please bring in Frog and Toad Together by the end of the week to begin reading when we get back from the 3-day weekend!

Spalding: There are only 20 words this week due to the shortened week. We will test on Thursday!

Monday: far, gave, alike, add, brave, corn, dance, dinner, doll, egg

Tuesday: fruit, looks, pick, rich, zoo, zip, zero, seven, forget, happy

Phonograms to practice: c, d, p, v, z, ar, ear, er, or, ui

Writing: Our copy work and narration exercises this week come from The Saturdays.

Grammar: We will be working with adverbs this week! We will review the adverb jingle and discuss its function in sentences. We will also learn how to identify adverbs in sentences, using the question and answer flow.

Idiom: “Never leave till tomorrow what you can do today.”

Poem: Thanksgiving Day – We will recite one stanza (of their choosing) the following week!

Math: In math this week we will review how to add and subtract numbers within 20 using our "count back", "count on", and "making 10" strategies. On Wednesday we will have our second round of math centers and we will get up close and personal and use our hands to grow our math skills. At the end of the week we will have our Unit 6 Chapter 2 test and introduce geometrical shapes!

History: Students will learn about how the farmers of the Nile River valley transported their crops to communities along the Nile River.  They will learn how reed boats were made and watch an educational video on the life of the Nile River then, and now. We will also learn how the papyrus tree was used to make paper.

Science: This week in science we will be discovering more about the different states of matter. We will find solids, liquids, and gas in the classroom and discuss the differences between them. We will also make observations about balloons that are filled with air, water, and ice. The class will practice the steps of the scientific method by conducting an experiment using a bottle, baking soda, vinegar, and a balloon. We can’t wait to see what happens when we put those together!

Pictures from our buddy reading with 4th grade during the read-a-thon: