Week 13

Thank you for taking the time to read about all the important things going on in first grade. Last week we had a great week celebrating with our students as we ended our non fiction reading and writing units. The students shared their published teaching book with other first grade students. Classes have also been meeting with their big buddies to share their learning about non fiction texts.

We also had a great house event where students could demonstrate their creativity.

WHAT WE WILL BE LEARNING THIS WEEK:

Readers Workshop

In readers workshop this week we are starting a new unit called Readers meet the Characters
Essential Questions:

• How can I use what I know about the characters to help me read with expression.
• How can I read in a way that helps me know how the characters are feeling.

Our first grade readers will be exploring what characters do in books and what this teaches us about them. We will also be paying close attention to character feelings and if they change in the book.

Teaching Point 1 - Thinking about who the characters are and getting to know the characters by noticing what they are doing.

Teaching Point 2 - Retelling stories to our partners emphasizing what the character does.

Teaching Point 3 - Readers think about what the character is doing and using all the information they have readers make predictions about what the character might do next.

Teaching Point 4 - Readers use post it notes to help us remember interesting or funny parts we might want to share with our partner.

    

Writers Workshop

In Writers workshop we begin a new unit, Realistic Fiction.

Essential Questions:

• What makes a good story?
• How can I use what I know about letters, sounds, and words to write words the best I can?

First graders will be doing lots of pretending, making up characters, thinking about settings and imagining realistic adventures these character can have.

Teaching Point 1: Realistic Fiction writers imagine a pretend character and then make up things about that character like where they are and what they are doing.

Teaching Point 2: What makes Realistic Fiction realistic?

Teaching Point 3: Realistic fiction writers often tell lots of important details about their character so that their reader gets to know the character.

Teaching Point 4: Realistic fiction writers divide their story into parts, a beginning, middle and an end.

Teaching Point 5:Realistic fiction writers have their characters get into pretend trouble.

Math

This week in math we will begin the week by solving problems with addends 7, 8 & 9. We will share and critique different strategies. On Tuesday we will have our mid-module assessment and review this on Wednesday.

On Thursday we will begin Topic B, solving word problems with subtraction.

Parent Tips - Topic A

Parent Tips - Topic B

Social Studies

In Social studies this week we will continue investigating our essential question, How are families similar and different? We will continue comparing roles, rules and responsibilities in families and then we will be discussing languages in our families.

Thank you to those families that are having their "dinner plate conversations". This is a very important part of our social studies unit as it helps students make connections with their own family. The dinner plates come home each Thursday for you to discuss over the weekend. Please note down any discussion points on the back of the dinner plate for your child to share with their classmates.

Upcoming Events:

Special Visitor

Kenn Nesbitt is here in Egypt!!!

Poet Kenn Nesbitt, who will be presenting at CAC next week, is already here in Egypt! He wanted to arrive early so that he could rest up for his visit at CAC.

All ES grade levels and the MS language arts classes will be seeing Mr. Nesbitt from November 7 to 9. He will also present assemblies for the ES and MS, and he’ll be signing books at the front gate from 3:00 to 3:30 each afternoon.

To read his poems before his visit, you can access the library catalog for the ES. Enter his name “Kenn Nesbitt” and click on “Author.” You will get a list of his books. Any book that has an “e” icon next to it is an ebook, and can be read by clicking on the “Open” button next to the title. You will be prompted for your Follett account; that’s just your CAC single sign on, or our Quick Login. If you need help accessing, please come see me in the library.

Kids Day

Kid’s Day Parent Volunteers Needed

This year's Kids' Day will be held on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017 from 8:00am to 11:30am. Students will then be dismissed at 11:30am for a long Thanksgiving weekend. This is a half day for CAC and Pre K-5 will be participating at the same time. For new parents to the school Kids’ Day is a fun-filled day in which they can show off their house spirit, participate in a wide variety of physical activities, and enjoy each other! The Elementary PE Department needs parent volunteers to help with the games and activities. You will be partnered up with an Elementary Teacher and teacher aide to help run an activity.  If you could volunteer on that day, please fill in the (google form) by Thursday November 16th at the latest.  Mr. Greene will contact you via e-mail with your assignment by Monday November 20th. Please mark your calendars with the date and time NOW!

Thank you, Phil Greene pgreene@cacegypt.org & Mark Mayfield mmayfield@cacegypt.org

Interesting Article

Positive Discipline
This is a great article for promoting independence in your child which is one of our first grade goals.

Important Dates to Remember

November 7 - ES Assembly
November 7 - Poet Ken Nesbitt visiting first grade
November 9 - ES Assembly with Ken Nesbitt (7:55-8:25). Parents are welcome!
November 9 - Last day of after school activities for session 1
November 12 - After school activities session 2 sign up begins.
November 16 - ES production performance (5:30pm)
November 17 - ES production performances (1pm and 3:30pm)
November 20 - Math Workshop for parents (2-3pm)
November 22 - Kids Day

If you have any questions or feedback for the first grade team please don't hesitate to contact us.

Your Partners in Learning

Taryn Carr (tcarr@cacegypt.org)

Gaby Morales (gmorales@cacegypt.org)

Charlie Saunders (csaunders@cacegypt.org)