Welcome to 

Mrs. Martino's 1st Grade Class! 



This Week in First Grade...


Week of May 22, 2023

Welcome to the last week of first grade!  I can't believe it!

Please read below for some important information. 


Last Week Fun:

Monday, May 22:  Beach Day!  Dress in your summer clothes and bring a beach blanket for a read in!  You can also bring a favorite book or two. 

**No swimsuits please, and flip flops don't do very well on the playground... you might wear tennis shoes.

Tuesday, May 23:  Be a Super First Grader... Dress as your favorite superhero!  No masks or weapons.  T-shirts are great too!

Wednesday, May 24:  Movie Day!  We will watch a short movie in the afternoon.  Feel free to bring your favorite movie treat!

Thursday, May 25:  LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Game Day!  Bring a favorite game to play!  Make sure your child can explain how to play their game.  They are responsible for carrying their game and keeping track of the pieces.  No electronics, please.  If you do not have a game, or prefer to leave games at home, I understand!  We will have plenty of games to play!

Important End of the year Information:

Yearbooks: Yearbooks will be distributed on Tuesday, May 23 at the end of the day. The kids may bring them for friends and teachers to sign on Wednesday. Please be sure they bring a good pen or sharpie with them, regular markers tend to smear! 

If you would like to purchase one, there will be a limited amount for sale  in the  front office on the morning of Wednesday, May 24th at 7:45 AM. $20.00 per yearbook, payment will need to be cash or check. When they're gone, they're gone!

I have made a memory book that kids are working on. There is a place for friends and teachers to sign this as well!

Backpacks: We will be cleaning out our desks and classroom this week. Be sure to check your child’s backpack.  Please send your child to school with an empty backpack every day. 

EPRs: Information From Our Principal, Dr. Brown:

Teachers are celebrating students’ growth as they complete spring Elementary School Progress Reports (EPRs). EPRs will be released to parents on Saturday, May 27th, through EngagEd Parent Portal. You will be able to access your child's EPR on this date by following the directions below.

* Click here to access your child's EPR in EngagED Parent Portal (5/27)

* Use your credentials to log in

* Click "View Elementary Progress Report" under your child's picture

As you may recall, you are able to view your child’s information in two ways. The highlights page includes a snapshot of how your child performed on content standards (reading, writing and math) and how your child met our school expectations of Going for the G.O.L.D. Also included in the highlights page are general classroom comments and individual student comments. 



The comprehensive view allows you to see how your child did on all subject areas and specials. You are able to view any additional comments for the specific content areas under the comprehensive view. You are able to access both formats by clicking on the links at the top of the EPR. 

**I will have included your child’s reading level. This is a great way to find books at their level this summer. 


It has been a pleasure spending my days with your child this year. My favorite part of teaching first grade is watching how much they grow!  It is amazing to look back at where they started and where they are now. 


On Thursday please look for a folder with a letter from me and some writing I've saved from your child. This includes a copy of a letter they wrote to me in kindergarten, as well as one they wrote last week to their 2nd grade teacher.  It is fun to see the difference and how much your child has grown! 


Each one of your sweet children will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for all of the support you have given me this year, it is truly a team effort. I wish you all a wonderful summer! 



Week of May 15, 2023

As we move close to the last day of school, I am hearing about some kids whose last day is earlier than May 25th.  If your child will not be here on our last day, please let me know when their last day will be!!  I need to send home their supplies and a special folder with some writing I've been saving for them!  


ANIMAL PROJECTS DUE TOMORROW!

Thank you so much for your support with this project!  We hope to see you on Thursday for Zootopia!  The kids are excited to teach you all they've learned about their animal!  They are amazing Zoologists!  


Zootopia and Field Day THIS THURSDAY, MAY 18TH!  

(See Below)


THIS IS THE LAST WEEK THAT HOMEWORK WILL BE SENT HOME. 

Even though we won't be asking the kids to turn in a Book Log, it is essential for them to continue to read every day throughout our summer break!  We find that kids who do not read over the summer regress in their reading level.  

**I've attached a sheet with some great websites to practice reading and math skills.  

**Also, please see the information sent home in your child's homework folder, including a Summer Reading Challenge!  


Here's What Happening This Week in First Grade:  


Reading: This week we will reflect back on all of the important thinking we've done this year!  We talk almost every day about how Reading is Thinking!  Some of the important thinking we've done this year includes:

* Asking questions

* Making inferences

* Making Connections

* Predicting

* Recognizing the Central or Main Idea and Supporting Evidence

* Using Text Features and Graphics

* Comparing & Contrasting Texts

* Learning about Story Elements - Characters, Setting, and Events

* Describing Characters and their traits

* Creating Mental Images

* Using context clues to figure out word meanings

* Retelling Important Details

* Determining Importance in both fiction & nonfiction

* Summarizing & Synthesizing

* Identifying the genre of a book


Math:  We will be working on measurement as well as playing many of our math games to help us learn and remember our math facts!  


Writing / Science:  We will be finishing up our animal research and the brochures we've created to help us teach all about our animals.  The kids are super excited to share their expertise on Thursday!  


Save the Date!!!!

May 18: Zootopia 9:00 - 10:00

May 18: Field Day 10:15 - 11:45

May 25: Last Day of school


Last Week Fun:

Monday, May 22: Beach Day! Dress in your summer clothes and bring a beach blanket for a read in!  You can also bring a favorite book or two.  No swimsuits please and bring tennis shoes for PE! 

Tuesday, May 23: Be a super First Grader, dress as your favorite superhero. No masks or weapons. T-shirts are great too!

Wednesday, May 24: Movie Day! We will watch a short movie in the afternoon so bring your favorite movie treat!

Thursday, May 25: Game Day: Bring a Favorite Game to play! Make sure your child can explain how to play their game. They are responsible for carrying their game and keeping track of the pieces.  No electronics please.  If you do not have a game, or prefer to have games left at home, I understand!  We will have plenty of games to play! 


Important Reminders: 

-If you are interested in volunteering for Field Day, please click here. You will still be able to visit our Zootopia, it is a drop in event.


-Please pack 2 or more healthy snacks everyday!


-Library: All books were due last week.  The library is now closed.  If you have any books you still need to return, please send those back to school... as well as any classroom books.  Thank you for looking for any school books at home!  

 If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact: Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org. 


Week of May 8, 2023

Hello First Grade Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! 

OUR LAST LIBRARY DAY IS TOMORROW...

PLEASE RETURN ALL LIBRARY BOOKS BY TOMORROW.

The kids will not be checking out books.  The Library will be closed for the rest of the year. 

Here is what is happening this week in First Grade!


Reading:  This week students will look at illustrations in the story and discuss how illustrations are used to provide additional details. Just like with informational text, it’s important to look closely at the pictures when you read a fiction story. In a fiction text, the pictures often show readers more about the characters or events that we might not understand from reading the text alone.

However, sometimes it’s useful to NOT look at the illustrations. Students will also listen carefully to the details of a story and use them to create mental images, or pictures in their minds, of the characters, settings, and events. Creating mental images is a strategy that helps readers pay close attention to the characters, settings, and events. When we create mental images it also helps us remember what we read. 

Finally, students will learn that authors write texts for different reasons. Fiction is often written to entertain readers. Informational texts help readers learn more about a topic. Recognizing the differences between stories and informational texts helps us make choices about and understand what we read.


Math:   This week students will explore making equal shares and how to make halves and fourths with rectangles and circles. . 

Please continue to practice math facts. It is important for them to learn their addition facts to ten in order to be most successful in second grade. They will be tested on this before the end of the year.  


Writing & Science - Zootopia: I am sure you are busy with your animal models at home! I am looking forward to seeing the students' amazing animal creations. Animals are due on Monday, May 15.  I've attached the directions that came home in last week's homework folder. This will give us a chance to practice our presentations for Zootopia. 


Zootopia will be on Wednesday, May 18 from 9-10. This is a drop in event, meaning you do not need to stay the whole time and can come in anytime between 9-10! We encourage you to visit other students and classrooms as well!


In class we are busy transferring our learning into an informative brochure for display at the event!


Specials: Art



Save the Date!!!!

May 12:  Festival on the Field!  5:00 - 8:00 


May 18: Zootopia 9:00 - 10:00

May 18: Field Day 10:15 - 11:45

May 25: Last Day of school


Last Week Fun:

Monday, May 22: Beach Day! Dress in your summer clothes and bring a beach blanket for a read in!  You can also bring a favorite book or two.  No swimsuits please and bring tennis shoes for PE! 

Tuesday, May 23: Be a super First Grader, dress as your favorite superhero. No masks or weapons. T-shirts are great too!

Wednesday, May 24: Movie Day! We will watch a short movie in the afternoon so bring your favorite movie treat!

Thursday, May 25: Game Day: Bring a Favorite Game to play! Make sure your child can explain how to play their game. They are responsible for carrying their game and keeping track of the pieces.  No electronics please.  If you do not have a game, or prefer to have games left at home, I understand!  We will have plenty of games to play! 


Important Reminders: 

-If you are interested in volunteering for Field Day, please click here. You will still be able to visit our Zootopia, it is a drop in event.


-Please pack 2 or more healthy snacks everyday!


-Library: All books will be due back on Monday, May 8. 

 If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact: Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org

It is  going to be a GREAT week!



Week of April 3, 2023

Reading: We are continuing Unit 6, Stories Teach Many Lessons.  This week students see how  author’s share their opinions on books we have read. This connects nicely with what we are working on in writing. Students will Recognize the characteristics of a persuasive text, state what the author is trying to persuade the reader to think, and identify the reasons an author gives to support points in the text.

  As you read with your child this week, stop and discuss what their opinion is of the book they read - did they like it or not like it?AND ask them to give several reasons WHY they feel this way to support their opinion.


Math: We will be wrapping up Topic 11 this week and begin to review for an assessment on  Topics 9,10 & 11.  Students will be asked to compare numbers and use their addition and subtraction strategies to solve problems.

Please continue to practice math facts. It is important for them to learn their addition facts to ten in order to be most successful in second grade. They will be tested on this before the end of the year.  


Writing:  Students will continue to work on Opinion Writing. Last week we finished our first piece.  This week we will go through the writing process again, choosing a new topic, making a plan, writing our opinion and including many reasons that support our point, revise/add more details, and edit by looking for correct punctuation, capitals and spelling. 


Science: Our next unit is observing seasonal patterns. Students will investigate how the length of daylight and the seasons are related. Students will inquire, what types of activities take place during the day and night?  How does the number of daylight hours change during the year?  How does the amount of daylight affect our daily activities?


Specials: P.E. / Music


Upcoming Dates:  

April 21 - No School 

April 24 - No School - Professional Development Day

Important Reminders: 

- Please remember, weather permitting, we go to recess everyday. So students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside. 

-Please pack 2 or more healthy snacks everyday!

-Library Books are due on Mondays.  If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact: Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org

It is  going to be a GREAT week!



Week of March 27, 2023

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  

Here is what is happening this week in First Grade!


Reading: We are continuing Unit 6, Stories Teach Many Lessons.  This week students will learn about and discuss story elements - the setting, characters, plot, and theme or lesson in a story.  Students will look for important details about the setting and characters in the illustrations..  Thinking about the setting can help readers imagine the action of the story taking place.  Focusing on the characters and what they are thinking and feeling helps us understand why characters behave the way they do in the story, and that helps us understand the message the author wants us to know.  As you read with your child this week, stop and discuss the setting - notice if the setting changes; discuss the characters and what they are thinking and feeling; and talk about the lesson and how it might relate to our own lives.  



Math: Last week we finished Topic 10 and began Topic 11: Use Models and Strategies to Subtract Tens.  As with our last addition unit, in Topic 11 students will learn and practice using various math tools and strategies to subtract tens.  These include using a 120 chart, models (lines for tens, dots for ones), an open number line, and using what we know about addition to help us subtract (Fact Families) - When solving 70-50, I can start at 50 and count on by tens to 70… 50 - 60, 70.  That is 2 tens.  So, if 50+20=70, then 70-50=20.  Finally, students will learn to use mental math to subtract ten from a two digit number.  Our “Essential Understanding” is to learn - When subtracting 10 from a two-digit number, the tens digit changes.  The ones digit remains unchanged. 

This week’s math homework asks students to continue to practice and learn their math facts!  It is important for them to learn their addition facts to ten in order to be most successful in second grade. They will be tested on this before the end of the year.  


Writing:  Last week we began our Opinion or Review writing unit.  Writers can learn a lot from mentor authors, therefore we are studying a well written review and noticing what the author did to convince others to agree with them, then trying this on our own. Whenever we write we go through the writing process - Think of an idea, Plan, Write, Revise, Edit, then Publish.  Last week we listed a variety of things we could review, then we chose one idea and began planning. We thought of at least 3 reasons why we would or would not recommend our topic to others, then drew sketches depicting our reasons.  This week we will add words to our pages and write an ending that tells our readers to do something.  We will revise and edit our first review before beginning a second review.  Students are expected to write more and more each day.  I hope you saw the letter in last week’s Homework Folder with recommendations for how you can help support your child with writing about their opinions!  


Science: We are having fun observing the sun and moon each day.  Each day last week we went outside 3 times a day.  We stood in the same spot in front of school and noticed where we saw the sun in the sky, then recorded our observations on a recording sheet.  We are noticing a pattern and will discuss how we can use this pattern to help us predict what will happen in the future.  This week we will continue to discuss day and night patterns, learn and utilize special vocabulary words about the sun, moon, and stars; and discuss how the sun, moon, and stars move across the sky.

**Continue to have fun observing and discussing the movement of the sun and moon at home!  



Specials:  P.E. / Music


Upcoming Dates:  

April 21 - No School 

April 24 - No School - Professional Development Day


Important Reminders: 

- Please remember, weather permitting, we go to recess everyday. So students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside. 


-Please pack 2 or more healthy snacks everyday!


-Library Books are due on Mondays.  If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact: Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


It is  going to be a GREAT week!



Week of March 20, 2023

Hello First Grade Families,

Welcome Back!  I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break!  

Here is what is happening this week in First Grade!


New Optional Homework this week:  In your child’s homework folder this week you will find a sheet titled SUNSHINE MATH.  This math program is designed to enhance your child’s journey through mathematics.  It offers an opportunity for students to practice mathematics skills appropriate for their grade level and, at the same time, participate in a variety of problem solving experiences.  This is optional as our homework priorities remain to read every day, learn sight words, and practice math facts.  However, we find that most kids love the Sunshine Math challenge and we encourage everyone to try it!  

**Please read, sign, and return the Sunshine Math letter that explains this program.


Reading: This week we will begin unit 6:  Stories Teach Many Lessons.  The essential question we will explore as we work through the unit is What can I learn from a mistake? – A great question to ponder!  This week we will make connections between the text and our experiences.  Some of those connections will help us recognize lessons in the story. When we make connections between a story and the world, it helps us see why the ideas in the story are important in real life.

Students will also examine the events in a book and identify the problem and the resolution.  We will discuss how when an author includes a problem it makes the story more interesting.  Next, we will make real-life connections to a word in the text to help us understand its meaning more deeply.  We will end the week by looking for the theme, or central message, of the story. The theme is the lesson that the author wants the reader to learn and remember after reading. Understanding the theme of a story can help us think about our own lives and how we should act and treat others.



Math: We will continue with Topic 10, Use Models and Strategies to Add Tens and Ones.  Students have learned to add tens and ones using various tools, such as a 120 Chart and an open number line.  This week we will learn to use place value blocks to add tens and ones to a number.  Students will draw a model of the place value blocks, then use that model to add.



Writing:  We are excited to begin a new writing unit on writing reviews, or our opinions.  First grade is a fantastic age to begin to show writers how to use their writing to convince others. First graders certainly have their likes and dislikes, their strong favorites and their least favorites. They love to share these with their friends and loved ones.  When you think about it, many of us turn to reviews to help us make decisions about books, restaurants, trips, movies, etc. These can be the topics that first graders write their reviews about as well.

We want to keep the volume that the students’ writing up so we will use multiple page booklets.  As in previous units, we will stay close to our primary writing process. First, we sketch across pages, starting with our opinion, followed by different reasons on each page, and a final statement to drive our point home. These booklets may be 4–6 pages long, with extra pages and even extra lines that can be added. 

This is a type of writing that requires the writer to think very carefully about how to convince their reader to agree and take action.  Our goals for this unit are…

This is always a fun unit and I look forward to hearing the kids’ opinions!  


Science: We are beginning a new unit, Patterns in Space and Seasonal Patterns.  Our learning outcome is:  Patterns of movement of the sun, moon and stars as seen from Earth can be observed, described and predicted.

Our learning targets are:


We will begin by observing the placement of the sun during various times during the day, then recording our observations.  Students will be asked to look in the sky and observe what they see each evening, at home, and we will discuss their observations the next day.  


**Have fun observing and discussing the movement of the sun and moon at home!  



Specials: Technology


Upcoming Dates:  

April 21 - No School 

April 24 - No School - Professional Development Day


Important Reminders: 

- Please remember, weather permitting, we go to recess everyday. So students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside. 


-Please pack 2 or more healthy snacks everyday!


-Library Books are due on Mondays.  If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact: Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


It is  going to be a GREAT week!



Week of March 6, 2023

It was wonderful seeing all of you at conferences last week.  Here is what is happening this week in First Grade!


Reading: We will spend this week reviewing important reading concepts such as, summarizing important information in our own words, describing the characters and setting and determining the problem and resolution in our texts. 


Math:  This week we will start Topic 10, Use Models and Strategies to Add 10. Students will use a variety of strategies, models, mental math and a hundreds chart to add 10 to a number. 


Writing: We will be wrapping up our unit on writing teaching books by finishing our Chapter Books.  We will be revising, editing, and "publishing" them.  Students will use a checklist to make sure they have used the following strategies for adding details on every page:

*Think about the questions your readers have

*Write in "twin sentences" - (two sentences that go together and say more about a point you are trying to teach)

*Include pictures that teach - add words like labels or a caption.


Students will also make sure they've tried the following "craft moves" somewhere in their chapter book:

*Add information about size, shape, color, or size

*Make a comparison (as big as.... as strong as.... )

*Add examples (Dogs like toys.  For example, your dog might like to play with a ball, a squeaky toy, or even a rag.)


Students will use an editing checklist to look at their spelling and punctuation.


Social Studies:  The kids will be completing their projects on Famous American Heroes and Symbols tomorrow, then sharing them with the class to teach everyone about their topic. If we have time they will have an opportunity to research a new famous person or symbol and summarize what they have learned.


Specials: Art


Upcoming Dates:

Spring Break: March 13-17, No school


Important Reminders: 

-The book fair is back! Students will get a chance to preview the fair tomorrow and make their wish list! Students may bring money starting on Tuesday. Please go over what your child may purchase. The toys and goodies are very appealing so make sure your child knows how much they have to spend and what they can or cannot get.  The Book Fair will be open before and after school as well. 


-GRE is having a canned food drive! 


-Please remember, weather permitting, we go to recess everyday. So students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside. 


-Please pack 2 healthy snacks everyday!


-Due to the Book Fair, students will not be checking out books this week.  Please return library books after spring break.  If you have questions, please contact Mrs. G:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


It is  going to be a GREAT week!

I hope everyone enjoys their Spring Break! 



Week of February 13, 2023

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Here is what is happening this week in First Grade!


Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up! I will be holding conferences the week of February 27.  If you haven't done so yet, please use this sign up to select a date and time. 


Kindness Week This Week!

With Valentine's Day on Tuesday, it is the perfect week to focus on Kindness!  I loved the blurb from Dr. Brown's blog explaining why this is so important:

Gold Rush students and staff are committed to kindness. Students are learning that they are strengthening their neural pathways by being kind. You might be surprised to learn that neural pathways are strengthened when individuals demonstrate compassion.  Doctors have discovered that when people perform acts of kindness they are happier.  Students are learning that when we help others through  our words and actions we can significantly improve our own mood.

So let's celebrate kindness this week!  See below for our Spirit Days.


Reading: This week  we are going to locate features that make a text  a how-to book and use them to find information. Knowing how to identify and use the features of a how-to text is important because it helps readers understand how to follow the directions in the text to complete the project or task successfully.  We are going to continue using a picture dictionary. After all, we need to know what the words mean or we won’t understand what we’re reading about.


Math: Students have been reviewing concepts taught in Topics 1-8. This week we will take a cumulative assessment on topics 1-8. We will be sharing this at parent teacher conferences. 


Writing: We are continuing with our nonfiction writing unit, teaching our readers about a topic we are an expert on.  Last week we chose a new topic and are creating a chapter book!  Students have learned to think about the different things their readers will need to know about their topic and decide on the chapters for their book.  They are challenged to add details and write 5 or 6 sentences for each chapter.  I also challenged them to finish one chapter each day!  We continue to learn ways to add details to our writing.  This week we will learn to add a comparison.  Adding comparisons helps our readers understand and imagine what we are trying to teach them.  For example, you might say A shark's teeth are as sharp as a knife.  We will also learn to add examples, such as When you go hiking it is important to pack a healthy snack.  For example, you could pack an apple, trail mix, or a Power Bar. 

The kids are having fun with this unit!

 Social Studies:  We are continuing to work on our research Famous Americans and Symbols. This week we will collaborate with our groups to create a poster or book about our topic. We will use these to teach our peers about our topic. Look for these on display when you come for conferences.


Specials: Technology


Upcoming Dates and Spirit Days:

Monday: Wear your favorite team jersey or colors

     **If you signed up to bring in items for our Valentine's Day

         party, please send them into school on Monday.  Click HERE

         to see our sign up. 

Tuesday: Wear something colorful

Tuesday, February 14 : Valentines Celebration, The party will be from 8:45-10:00. 

Wednesday: Wear your favorite Disney shirt

Thursday: Wear something from your heritage, or something your family is passionate about.


No School: Friday, February 17 & Monday, February 20.


Parent Teacher Conferences: I will be holding conferences the week of February 27. Please use this sign up to select a date and time. 


Important Reminders: 

- Please remember, weather permitting, we go to recess everyday. So students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside.


-Please pack 2 healthy snacks everyday!


-Library Books are due on Monday. Students will not be able to check out new books unless they return their previous books. If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


It is  going to be a GREAT week!



Week of February 6, 2023

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  It was finally nice enough to get outside!  


Here is what is happening this week in first grade: 


WISH WEEK THIS WEEK!

Gold Rush is excited to participate in Legend High School’s Wish Week! During Wish Week the feeder raises money to make one deserving student's wish come true. We are proud that this year's Wish Week recipient is a student in our feeder! 

Click here to learn more about Andrew.


Please see all of the ways that you can participate below.

     * Purchase a Wish Week shirt Monday (3:30PM) or Thursday (8:10)!

     * Make a direct donation!


     * Have your child bring change each day to participate in school spirit days: 

Monday: PJ Day

Tuesday: Superhero Day (no masks or weapons)

Wednesday: Disney

Thursday: Rockstars

Friday: Spirit Wear


Parent-Teacher Conferences:

Gold Rush's Spring Conferences will take place the week of February 27th.  I am excited to meet with each of you and share your child's growth!  All conferences will be in person.  Please click HERE to sign up.  

Looking forward to seeing you soon!  



Reading:

As we begin Unit 5 in reading this week we will switch our focus back to nonfiction texts.  Our new unit is called Technology at Work, and the essential question we will be thinking about as we read some books together is How can technology make a difference in our lives?


As we read our nonfiction books we will be learning to summarize and synthesize.  Summarizing means telling what a text is about in a few words.  When we summarize we don't use the exact words from the text.  We use our own words to tell the important information quickly.  Summarizing helps readers focus on the most important ideas in the text.  We will also practice synthesizing information.  When you synthesize information, you combine your own ideas with information that you read.  Then you come up with new ideas that deepen your understanding even more. We will also look closely at nonfiction text features.  This week we will learn to use a picture dictionary to learn and clarify the meanings of words.



As you read with your child this week, ask them to summarize what they read.  In longer books you can stop after each chapter or section.  We will practice putting a heading into a question, then read to find the answer.  This technique helps us find the important information and summarize what we learned.


Math:

This week we will finish up Topic 8 on place value. We will count tens and ones to find a two-digit number and learn to represent tens and ones with drawings.  These drawings will help us solve problems with tens and ones.  We will be reviewing concepts learned to get ready for a math assessment.


Writing:

This week we will continue with writing our information nonfiction "teaching books."  The kids are teaching their readers all about a topic they are "experts" on.  We are learning techniques authors use to add details to their writing.  We've already learned to think about questions our readers have; to write in twin sentences; and to make sure our pictures teach by using labels and words, such as captions.  This week we will learn to begin our pieces with an introduction, and to end with a conclusion.  


Social Studies:

We are continuing our study of Famous American Heros and American Symbols.  Students began researching an American Hero or Symbol last week.  They will continue taking notes this week as they gather information from various sources, such as a website called Pebble Go and books from the library and on Epic Books.  As they research students are practicing some concepts learned during reading this year, such as determining important information from interesting information and paraphrasing what they read, writing it down in their own words.  After they gather all of their information, students will work collaboratively with a small group to organize their facts, write them into sentences, and create a project (a poster or a book) that they will use to teach their peers about their topic.  This is a fun project and they are excited to share everything they are learning!  


Specials:  Art


Upcoming Dates: 

Wish Week Spirit Days:

Monday: PJ Day

Tuesday: Superhero Day -no masks or weapons

Wednesday: Disney

Thursday: Rockstars

Friday: Spirit Wear


Tuesday, February 14 : Valentine's Day Celebration .  The party will be from 8:45-10:00.  Please click HERE to sign up to help.


No School: Friday, February 17 & Monday, February 20.


Spring Conferences:  February 27th, February 28, and March 2nd.  Please click HERE to sign up. 


Important Reminders: 

- Please remember, weather permitting, we go to recess everyday. So students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside. 


-Please pack 2 healthy snacks everyday!


-Library Books are due on Monday. Students will not be able to check out new books unless  they return their previous books. If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org



As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

It is  going to be a GREAT week!



Week of January 9, 2023

Happy New Year First Grade Families!

I hope everyone enjoyed a restful break.  Happy 2023!!


Here is what is happening this week in First Grade:


Reading:  Please return the Winter Reading Challenge tomorrow, if your child completed it! 


We are starting a new reading unit, Stories have a Narrator! In this unit, we will meet and talk about the narrators of different stories. A narrator is the person or animal who tells what’s happening in a story. A narrator can be a character in the story, or someone outside of the story.  We will learn to look for key words that are a clue as to who is telling the story. The essential question students will be answering is, How do people create stories?

Some concepts & skills we will work on this week include...

* Retelling the story by identifying important details the author included in the text, such as who is in the story and what happens in the story.  Picking out the information that is most important also helps us understand the characters and the message of a story.

* Sorting words into categories - One category we will focus on this week is location.  When we identify words that name locations in a story, the words can help us understand the settings and places we are reading about.

* Describing Characters - We will look at clues in the text and illustrations to help us describe the character’s feelings. Understanding characters’ feelings can help readers relate to the ways other people feel and understand the lesson the author wants us to know.


Math: We are beginning a new math topic which focuses on extending the counting sequence. Students will use what they know about counting to count past 100.  We will discuss patterns we notice when we count.


Writing: We are starting a new writing adventure! Students will become “experts” and create their own non-fiction chapter books. Students will use what they already know about a topic to teach others. We will continue to work through the writing process: Think of an idea, Plan, Write, Revise, and Edit.  The kids love this unit!  It is fun to see what they are experts on as they share all they know about a topic!  


Social Studies:  We are beginning a new Social Studies unit on Important American Figures and Symbols. This week we will be looking at the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students will learn about the impact Dr. King had and the importance of his message. 


Specials: Art


Upcoming Dates:

-No School: Monday, January 16


Important Reminders: 

-Please be sure your child has cleaned out their backpack and red folder before returning to school.


- Please remember, weather permitting, we go to recess everyday. So students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside.  It would be helpful if students brought an extra bag for all of the winter items, especially the boots! 


-Please pack 2 healthy snacks everyday!


-Library Books are due on Mondays. We will not have Library when there is no school on a Monday, but if your child would like to return their books, they can drop them off in the library.  If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


It is  going to be a GREAT week!


Week of December 19, 2022

We are excited to celebrate winter with school spirit days next week!


Monday - Ugly Sweaters

Tuesday - Red, Green or Blue & Holiday Accessories

Wednesday - Sparkle, Shimmer & Shine



Our class party will be on Wednesday, December 21 from 8:45-9:45.

Thank you Rachel Hermens and Brandi Howard for planning and organizing our party! 

Thanks, too, for all who signed up to help.  Please click HERE if you need to see our sign-up. 

PLEASE SEND IN ALL ITEMS ON TUESDAY. 


THANK YOU SO MUCH!  The kids will have a wonderful time!



It has been a wonderful first semester!  We will be finishing up some content in each subject. 

Below are some highlights from our semester, and what we will be doing this week:



Reading:

We are finishing up our third Benchmark Workshop unit, Being a Good Community Member, where we were primarily reading nonfiction.  Some of the skills we practiced were determining text importance; recognizing the central idea & supporting evidence; finding context clues to determine the meaning of new vocabulary; learning about the genre Biography; and identifying the similarities & differences between two texts on the same topic.


In January we will begin unit 4, Stories Have a Narrator.  Skills we will practice include how to listen & retell important details; identify who is telling the story; describe characters, draw inferences, compare & contrast the experiences of characters in two stories; determine the theme; and sort words into categories. 


It is very important for everyone to keep reading over our long winter break! We've found that students can regress in their reading level if they don't continue to read over breaks - even for a week!  In Monday's Homework Folder a Winter Reading Challenge will come home.  You can use this as an incentive for your child to keep reading!  I will tell the kids that anyone who returns the Reading Challenge will get to pick a prize out of my Treasure Box!  (Yes, I am bribing them!). You can also read to your child... so important!  Thank you for supporting your child and their reading development! 


Writing:

A couple of weeks ago everyone made a reindeer.  You might have seen them flying through the first grade halls!  They will come home this week - so cute!  The kids have been having fun writing a story about their reindeer.  This week they will finish it up and "publish" it.  Their goal was to write a story with a problem and solution.  As we do with all writing, we went through the entire writing process.


Math:

We are finishing up Topic 6: Represent & Interpret Data.  We are learning how to collect data, organize it into a chart using tally marks, represent data by making a graph, and how to interpret the data on the graph. 


Science:

We are finishing up our Science unit on Light. Our essential question is:

    - Why can’t we see in the dark?

Students have been asking and investigating the following questions:

How does light affect what we see?
How does light behave when it interacts with a mirror?
How does light behave when it interacts with different materials?
How can you change the direction of light?


Specials: Music / P.E.


We are excited to celebrate winter with school spirit days next week!


Monday - Ugly Sweaters

Tuesday - Red, Green or Blue & Holiday Accessories

Wednesday - Sparkle, Shimmer & Shine


Upcoming Dates


-Winter Party: Our class party will be on Wednesday, December 21 from 8:45-9:45.

Thank you Rachel Hermens and Brandi Howard for planning and organizing our party! 

Thanks, too, for all who signed up to help.  Please click HERE if you need to see our sign-up. 

PLEASE SEND IN ALL ITEMS ON TUESDAY. 


THANK YOU SO MUCH!  The kids will have a wonderful time!



- Last week in P.E. the kids were introduced to Speed Stacking.  I've attached a letter if you are interested in having Speed Stack Cups at home. My own kids loved doing this! 


- Progress Reports: Teachers are celebrating students’ growth as they complete fall Elementary School Progress Reports (EPRs).  EPRs will be released to parents on Friday, December 23rd, through Parent Portal.  See directions for accessing Parent Portal below.


* Click here for parent portal

* Use your Parent Portal credentials to log in

* Click "View Elementary Progress Report" under your child's picture


- No School! Thursday, December 22-Monday, January 9. School will resume on Tuesday, January 10.


I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Have a wonderful winter break!




Week of December 12, 2022

Our Winter Party will be on Wednesday, December 21 from 8:45-9:45. Please click HERE to sign up to send in a needed item, or to help run a station.  Thank you in advance for your help! 


Here is what we are up to this week:

Reading: Students will recognize and distinguish between information in text and graphics by using simple graphics (photos) to locate or gain information. Knowing how to use pictures and other illustrations can help us understand difficult ideas in a text. Students will also clarify the meaning of multiple meaning words by using sentence context as a clue to the meaning of a word . A word that has more than one meaning is called a multiple-meaning word. These words are spelled the same but have different meanings. Sometimes a familiar meaning of a word doesn’t make sense in the text you are reading. That’s when you can use context clues to identify a new meaning for the word that makes sense. This strategy is important because readers need to figure out which meaning the author meant in order to understand a text.


Math: We will begin Topic 6, how to represent and interpret data. Students will first learn how to use Tally Marks correctly so they can use and count them in their data.  Look for a math game to come home in tomorrow's Homework Folder that will help the kids practice using tally marks, as well as identifying odd and even numbers. 


Writing:  Last week we wrapped up our small moments, or personal narrative, stories.  Please look for some of your child's writing to come home this week and take a moment to celebrate all of their hard work with them! 

We will use the time before break to focus on our grammar and punctuation skills. Students will be writing creative stories this week about various topics. The focus will be on correctly using sight words, spelling words phonetically, and using capitals and punctuation correctly. 


Science: This week we are starting our new unit on Light! Students will answer the following questions:

     - Why can’t we see in the dark?


A Note from Mrs. Fitch:  I have LOVED sharing my Tuesdays with your kids and talking about all different emotions and strategies that help us find our Peaceful Spot.  I am amazed by how much the kids have learned about feelings, identifying emotions, helping themselves and others!  This week we will be finishing our time with the Little Spot series. We will be creating and making our own "Little Spot." I can't wait to see what new little spots the students will come up with! 



Specials: Music / P.E.


Will your child be returning to Gold Rush next year?

In order to assist us in planning for the 2023-2024 school year, please complete this form. This will help ensure your child's classroom placement for the upcoming school year.


Upcoming Dates

- Winter Party: Our class party will be on Wednesday, December 21 from 8:45-9:45. Please click HERE to sign up to send in a needed item, or to help run a station.  Thank you in advance for your help! 


-No School! Thursday, December 22 through Monday, January 9. School will resume on Tuesday, January 10th. Happy Holidays! 


Week of December 4, 2022

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

Our day to shop at the Holiday Market is this Tuesday,  December 6 from 10:00-10:40 . This is the only time our class will be able to participate in the Holiday Shoppe.

***Please see the information below.


Reading: We will be taking the iReady Reading Diagnostic this week. This is one tool we use to assess students' reading performance. It is important to remind your kiddo to take their time and there will be a variety of questions, so always try their best. We take the assessment in the morning so be sure your child has a good breakfast and comes ready to learn! 


Math: This week will be reviewing topics 3-5 to prepare for our upcoming assessment. Students will review the strategies they can use to add and subtract, find a missing addend in an equation, solve equivalent expressions and decide if it is true or false (6+2 = 9-1), and practice solving word problems. Be sure to continue to practice math facts and play math games at home.


Writing: Students will be finishing up the Small Moment narrative story they are writing all by themselves to show me what they can do on their own.  I will be looking to see if they can implement the things we've learned that authors do to write a good story and add details.  These include:


I also want to see if they incorporate many of the "craft moves" we noticed "mentor authors" using. We've noticed authors using....


We've learned to go through the writing process, thinking of an idea, planning, writing, revising, and editing.  We are especially new at editing, but I will be looking to see if they attempt to fix spelling and punctuation.  As you can see, we've learned a lot during our writing workshop! 


Science: We are continuing with our unit on Sound. Students will plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate. As we investigate, students will conduct experiments using various instruments to discover how sound is made.


A Note from Mrs. Fitch:  I have LOVED sharing my Tuesdays with your kids and talking about all different emotions and strategies that help us find our Peaceful Spot.  I am amazed by how much the kids have learned about feelings, identifying emotions, helping themselves and others!  This week we will be finishing our time with the Little Spot series. We will be creating and making our own "Little Spot." I can't wait to see what new little spots the students will come up with! 


Specials: Technology in the S.T.E.A.M. Lab.


Upcoming Dates:

Holiday Market: Our class will be visiting the Candy Cane Holiday Shoppe this Tuesday,  December 6 from 10:00-10:40 . If your child would like to participate, please help them think about their budget and what gifts they would like to purchase in advance using the attached Gift Giving Guide and remind them to bring cash. This is the only time they will be able to participate in the Holiday Shoppe. Here is the flyer and FAQs document for more information. This information also went home in their Homework Folders last week, along with a hard copy of the gift giving guide and envelope for their guide and cash. Please don’t forget to label your student’s envelope with their name and teacher!


Winter Party: Our class party will be on Wednesday, December 21 from 8:45-9:45.

More information to come!


No School! Thursday, December 22 through Monday, January 9. School will resume on Tuesday, January 10. Happy Holidays! 


Important Reminders: 

-It is getting cold out there! Please remember, weather permitting, we go to recess everyday. So students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, and gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside.  It would be helpful if students brought an extra bag for all of the winter items, especially the boots! 


-Library Books are due on Monday. Students will not be able to check out new books unless  they return their previous books. If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org



It’s going to be a great week!  As always, please reach out with any questions. 


Week of November 14, 2022

Hello First Grade Families! 

Here is what we are up to this week.  Please see the information about two special school events below!  


Reading: We are our Starting our new Benchmark Unit, Being a Good Community Member. In this unit, we will talk about how and why people get involved in their communities. We will practice figuring out which details are the most important. The most important details can help us discover the central idea (main topic) of a text. To be able to understand what we are reading, we need to identify and understand the most important details. Students will ask, what clues can I find in the text to help me identify the central idea? What details are important? What details are just extra information?


Math:  We will continue our work in Topic 5, Working with addition and subtraction equations. Students will use different strategies to add three numbers and solve word problems with 3 addends.


Writing:  We've been working on learning the parts of a sentence and that for a sentence to be complete, it needs both a subject and predicate.  We will begin to practice applying this knowledge as we edit a piece of writing this week, trying to add capitals and periods where they belong so our sentences in our writing are complete.  This is a challenging concept for many first graders and they will get better at this throughout the year.  Students will also check to make sure they are applying all of the skills we've learned for writing good Small Moment Narrative stories. They will then "publish" this piece of writing, creating a cover and adding details to pictures.  The kids love to "publish" and share their stories!  Look for them to come home in December. 


Social Studies:  We've been learning some very interesting facts about the first Thanksgiving - the Pilgrims' treacherous voyage on the Mayflower; the struggles they faced once they arrived in the New World; the Native Americans, including Squanto, who helped them learn how to survive in an unknown land; and the harvest celebration which was the first Thanksgiving.  The kids are so interested and engaged, learning what life was like 400 years ago!  They are especially surprised to learn what life was like for the children!  This week we will compare and contrast the first Thanksgiving with Thanksgiving today on a Venn Diagram, and compare the life of Pilgrim children vs. children today.  The students will create a special folder with this information.  



Specials: P.E. / Music


Upcoming Dates

BOOK FAIR THIS WEEK! Students will get to preview the Book Fair on Monday, November 14 from 1:20-1:40. They will create a wish list and bring it home tomorrow.  I have attached the hours and other information for the Book Fair below. I highly recommend using the Scholastic Wallet. If you do send cash, be sure they have a bag to put change in. Please also discuss with your child what they may or may not purchase. The volunteers cannot keep track of who is allowed to buy what.  :)

If you don't want $$ going to posters and pencils, be sure your child knows!



Upcoming Holiday Market: Please see the attached flyer for more information. Each class is assigned one time to shop.  Our class will get to shop on Tuesday, December 6th, from 10:00-10:40.  More information will come home soon! 


No School!  Happy Thanksgiving! 

November 21-25.


Important Reminders: 

-It is getting cold out there! Please remember we go to recess everyday, so students need to come prepared with jackets, hats, and gloves. Snow boots are recommended for days when there is snow or it is snowing. I always let students change their shoes when they come inside.  


- If you are a current GRE family, please assist us in planning for the 2023-2024 school year by indicating your child(ren)'s intent to return to GRE using this form. Please complete the Intent to Return survey by Wednesday, November 30th. This will help ensure your child's classroom placement for the upcoming school year.


-Library Books are due each Monday.

NO LIBRARY THIS WEEK DUE TO THE BOOK FAIR... Library time will resume on the Monday after our Thanksgiving Break!


It’s going to be a great week. As always, reach out with any questions. 


Week of October 31, 2022:

Hello First Grade Families!!!

I hope everyone had a fun night of tricks and  treats!


We had a wonderful Halloween Party on Friday!  THANK YOU Leila Sueper for planning everything, gathering supplies, running a station, decorating our classroom, making our "pumpkin patch" and providing goodie bags! 

Thanks, too, to Megan Fleet, Rachel Hermens, Megan Coe, and Michele Harrington for running stations! 

And thanks to Erica Lawlor, Michele Harrington, Jun Liu, Megan Fleet, and Rachel Hermens for providing yummy treats! 

I could not have done the party without your help!  The kids had a wonderful time!


Here is what we will be up to this week in First Grade!


Reading: This week Students will be looking more closely at the characters in their books. They will choose two characters to compare and contract. We will also practice retelling our stories including information about the characters, setting, and important events.


Math: Students will be looking at subtraction strategies and using those strategies to solve word problems. 


Writing: Over the next couple of weeks we will be refining our small moment stories, making sure we are including everything we've learned about how to write a good personal narrative story!  We will also focus again on revising and editing, as well as writing a good beginning and ending. 


Social Studies: We will begin our unit on Thanksgiving, learning about the first Thanksgiving and the Pilgrim's long journey to America.  Students will share what they know and ask questions that they have. As we learn about this holiday, students will record their new learning. 


A Note From Mrs. Fitch: This week with Mrs. Fitch we will be talking about Happiness.  We will be reading the book A Little Spot of Happiness. Students will learn about spreading kindness and having a positive attitude.  Will will also connect Happiness spot back to many spots we've already learned!


-Specials: Technology


Reminders:

-We have 2 snack breaks each day. Please do not send in Halloween candy as a snack. Candy makes a great dessert for after lunch:)


-Please help your child dress for the weather and be prepared to go outside for recess everyday! 


As always, please reach out with any questions! 



Week of October 10, 2022

Hello First Grade Families! 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Here is what you can expect this week in First Grade!


I am looking forward to meeting with each of you this week for conferences!  You can find your conference time HERE .


Reading: We will begin our new Benchmark unit, Many Kinds of Characters. The essential question students will be thinking about during this unit is, How do we learn about characters?

This week, using Fiction books, students will learn to create mental images that will help readers see the characters, settings, and events in a story, like a movie in their mind. Readers will pay attention to characters, settings, and events and learn how these are the most important parts of the story. This will help students retell the important events in the story.  **As you read with your child this week, stop and talk about the mental images you are creating in your mind!  It is important for the kids to have this modeled for them. 


Math: Students will continue to work on learning and applying various addition strategies. Our goal in first grade is to have  many strategies that mathematicians can use to solve facts quickly and correctly!  We will be focusing on ways to make ten that will help us solve equations such as 9+4. Adding with 10 is so easy, so we are learning to make a 10 to add.  We can take 1 from the 4 and add it to 9 to make a 10.  Then, there are 3 left, to make the addition equation 10+3,  which is easy to add... 13!  The visual of using ten frames allows students to see this quickly. Students will also review using double facts to help solve near doubles facts, 3+3 = 6 so 3+4= 7!  All of these strategies depend on students having their addition facts memorized, so be sure to continue working on math fact practice at home. 


Writing:  We will be studying some of our favorite authors and looking at the craft moves they use to grab the reader’s attention. Some examples are: POP OUT words, Ellipses……. And an Onomatopoeia, words that when used correctly help the reader almost hear what they describe!



Special: P.E. / Music


Important Reminders:

-Library Books are due on Monday. Students will not be able to check out new books unless  they return their previous books. If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


-We eat 2 snacks everyday. Please be sure your child has a morning snack and an afternoon snack.


-Please come prepared to go outside for recess everyday!  This time of year it is important to have a jacket/sweatshirt in backpacks!


Upcoming Dates:

-October 17th- Friday, October 21st Fall Break 


-Friday, October 28th Halloween Party/Parade- more information to come, but it will be in the morning.


-No School Monday, October 31


As always, please reach out with any questions!


WEEK OF OCTOBER 3, 2022

Reading:  Before starting our new Benchmark Unit,  Meeting Different Kinds of Characters, Readers will take time to discuss important strategies to use when they get stuck on a tricky word!  We will review using the picture and thinking about what is happening;  stretching out sounds we see (sounding out); looking at the parts of the word and finding chunks we know; skipping the word then going back and re-reading it; and looking at the beginning sound and thinking of a word that would fit and make sense.  And we always want to ask ourselves, Does it look right?  Does it sound right?  Does it make sense?  These strategies will allow readers to understand their books and not get frustrated if there is a word they do not know right away. 



Math:  We are starting Topic 3, Addition Facts to 20. This unit teaches the kids different strategies they can use to add.  This is important work and will be practiced throughout the year, as well as into 2nd grade.


This week we will look at strategies to help us solve  facts to 20. Students will use a number line to count on, doubles facts, and near doubles facts. Students will also learn about "Ten Friendly Facts." These are facts we can easily add by recognizing the pattern we see when we add a single digit number to 10...

10 + 2 = 12

10 + 4 = 14

10 + 7 = 17

10 + 9 = 19


We will then use this pattern to learn an addition strategy called "Make 10."  Students will learn that 8+6 is the same as 10+4. Using ten frames to solve these equations will allow students to see how this is true. 

HERE is a great explanation about this strategy that you can watch. 



Writing:  My writers are excited to show you what they can do! Students will be going through the writing process and using everything they have learned about being good writers to write a small moment for me to share with you at conferences!  



A Note from Mrs. Fitch:

This week with Mrs. Fitch we will be talking about Sadness.  We will be reading the book A Little Spot of Sadness.  Students will learn how to recognize sadness in themselves and others.  We will be talking about ways to help our feelings when we are sad and learn about things we can do to provide comfort to other people too.

 

 

Special: P.E./Music


Important Reminders:

-Library Books are due on Monday. Students will not be able to check out new books unless  they return their previous books. If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


-We eat 2 snacks everyday. Please be sure your child has a morning snack and an afternoon snack.


-We go outside for recess everyday so please come prepared for the weather! 



Upcoming Dates:

-Monday, October 3rd @ 1:30 Schoolwide lockdown drill.


- Spirit Night this Tuesday, October 4th at Chick Fil-A, from 4:00pm - 8:00pm.  Mention Gold Rush, enjoy dinner and help raise money for our school!  Please see the flyer below. 

 Chick -fil-A Flyer- October 4 Final.pptx


-Week of October 11 are Parent Teacher Conferences- Please  Click Here for the link to view your time or schedule a time. 


- Monday, October 17th- Friday, October 21st Fall Break


-Friday, October 28th Halloween Party/Parade - more information to come, but it will be in the morning.


As always, please reach out with any questions!



WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

Hello First Grade Families! 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Here is what you can expect this week in First Grade!


Reading:  This will be our final week looking at Informational Books.  Students will Recognize chronological order in a text and describe and retell events in order. Students will use words such as first, then, and finally to understand the sequence. We will sort words into categories based on actions. Finally, students will state and clarify an idea while participating in a constructive conversation about their topic.


Math:  This week we will be reviewing topics 1 & 2 before taking our first math assessment. I will be  reminding students to show their work and use the strategy that helps them the most!


Writing:  At this point everyone has composed many stories.  Last week I asked the class to choose what they thought was their best piece.  We focused on making sure we have done the various "craft moves" to bring our story to life on every page - did we add details by adding "juicy words" or adding talking, moving, thinking, or feeling?  We also practiced editing an example piece, then tried it in our story.  This is all new to the first graders, so at this point I am just exposing them to editing and asking them to try and notice places they can fix something - capitals, periods, or spelling.  I do not expect everything to be perfect at all!  They will refine this skill throughout the year! 


This week I am giving the kids feedback on the story they chose as their best with individual conferences.  They will, hopefully, listen to my feedback and make their stories even better.  Then, I promised them we will move on to the final stage of the writing process and "publish" their story.  They will make a cover and color the pages.  They are super excited to become published authors!! 


Science:  We are  continuing to understand how plants can inherit different traits from "parent" plants. Students work in pairs and look at pictures of 4 parent plants.  They look at 6 offspring cards and decide who the parents are. They will be asked to explain how they came to that conclusion. 


A Note from Mrs. Fitch:

This week with Mrs. Fitch we will be talking about Anger.  We will be reading the book A Little Spot of Anger.  Students will learn how to identify frustrations related to situations/events (triggers), how people react differently to the same situation and how to express anger without harm.  

 

Special: Technology


Important Reminders:

-Library Books are due on Monday. Students will not be able to check out new books unless  they return their previous books. If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


-We eat 2 snacks everyday. Please be sure your child has a morning snack and an afternoon snack.

-Bring a labeled water bottle daily

- The weather has been so hot, but it can change from day to day!  Please come prepared for our unpredictable weather and be ready to go outside daily for recess! 


Upcoming Dates:

-Digger Dash: Come cheer on Mrs. Martino's Brilliant Broncos on Friday, September 30. We will be running from 9:15-9:35

-Parent Teacher Conferences: I will be sending out a sign up sheet soon. I will be holding conferences on  Monday, October 10, Tuesday October, 11 & Thursday, October 13.


WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

Hello First Grade Families! 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Here is what you can expect this week in First Grade!


Legend Homecoming Spirit Week!  Show your school spirit and support by wearing the following:

Monday: Beachwear..dress like you are headed to the beach, hats & sunglasses work great!

Tuesday: Hard Rock…dress like you’re in a rock band or wear dark colors.

Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday…dress mismatched or wear your clothes inside out. Crazy hair is encouraged too!

Thursday: Wear your Gold Rush t-shirts OR Gold Rush colors ( red, gold, black).



Reading: This week we will compare two informational books. We will look for what is  similar and what is different. We will review text features and how they help us understand the text. The students will be introduced to Personal Narratives and start to understand that a personal narrative is a nonfiction text told about a real person’s experiences, and written by that person.


Math: This week will focus on Fact Families and how understanding the relationship between three numbers can help us with addition and subtraction facts. I will also ask students to think about what tools and strategies help them most when solving addition and subtraction problems.  


Writing:  Now that we have learned how to unfreeze our characters by making them move, talk, think & feel, we will focus on the editing process. We will go back and check our work to see if we did all the steps a good writer does. Do we have a small moment topic? Did we organize our story in itsy bitsy steps? Did we bring our characters to life on each page? Did we use capitals and punctuation correctly? Most importantly, can we read back what we wrote? 


Science:  We will begin our first Science topic on Plants and their traits. Our main question we will be investigating is: How are plants like, but not exactly like, their parents?  Students will look at different plants and notice what traits they have:  the shapes of their leaves, stem size and the colors of their petals.  They will also look at "parent plants" and form new plants based on the parents' traits.  We will discover that plants inherit traits from the parent plants.  



A Note from Mrs. Fitch:

This week with Mrs. Fitch we will be talking all about finding Calm!  We will be reading the book A Little Peaceful Spot.  Students will learn about strategies to stay calm, self management and the ability to manage BIG EMOTIONS, and to identify when it's time to calm down.  They will be creating their own Little Spot Breathing pattern as a strategy to manage those big feelings


Specials: Art


Important Reminders:

-Library Books are due tomorrow - Monday. Students will not be able to check out new books unless  they return their previous books. If you have questions, or need to replace a book, please contact:

Gail.Golish@dcsdk12.org


-We eat 2 snacks everyday. Please be sure your child has a morning snack and an afternoon snack.


-Don't forget your water bottle!  It is going to be hot the beginning of the week!


Upcoming Dates:

-No School: Friday, September 23

-Digger Dash: Come cheer on Mrs. Martino's Brilliant Broncos on Friday, September 30. We will be running from 9:15-9:35




WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6TH
Dear First Grade Families

I hope you have had a nice, long relaxing weekend. Here is what is happening this week in First Grade!


Sight Word Homework: Coming home in tomorrow's homework folder you will find a copy of your child’s most recent sight word assessment. Sight words are common words that we want kids to recognize instantly without sounding them out. Recognizing words by sight helps kids become more fluent readers and can really boost their reading level.  


I need your support at home to help your child learn their sight words!  A word with a checkmark next to it on your child's assessment indicates that your child knows the word automatically, they did not sound it out or decode it in any way, but have it memorized.  I've circled the first 5 words your child missed.  Begin by focusing on those 5 words this week. In the homework folder you will find suggestions on how to practice sight words.  Make it fun and easy to do! This is meant to be a short, 5-10 minute practice daily. Once your child has mastered the 5 words they are working on, move on to the next 5 that do not have a check next to them on their list.


If your child has mastered the first 4 lists of sight words, I will test their spelling of these words and they can practice learning to spell them. I will send home a letter explaining how to study them.


Your child will be assessed on their sight words every 3 to 4 weeks and the new assessment will come home with an "Update on Sight Words" letter.  Please look for those.  If you feel you need the next list before I send one home, please email me. 


Reading:  We are starting our first Benchmark Reading Unit. This week we will  focus on using Informational texts to ask questions, look at text features, read to find the main idea and supporting evidence, and use the text to determine the meaning of words.  What an adventure we will have!


Phonics: We will be reviewing the short a sound . We will also take a look at how to apply phonics skills to decode and encode as well as blending and spelling short a words.


Math: We will continue to work with ways to solve our addition facts to 10. This week we will look at counting on, doubles facts and doubles plus one facts!


Here are some fun songs to help with these strategies:

Doubles Rap

Double Plus 1

Jack Hartman One More



Writing:  We will continue to work on our small moments stories. Now that students know how to zoom in and focus on a small moment, we will work on bringing our stories to life and unfreezing our characters. We will show our characters feelings, show their thinking and make them move.


Something New:

Our school counselor, Mrs Fitch, will be with our class for the next 12 weeks on Tuesdays.  She will be leading lessons each week using the book series A Little Spot by Diane Alber.  This Tuesday she will begin with A Little Scribble Spot as our introduction to the series.  Each week we will learn about a new emotion!


Specials: P.E. / Music - (P.E. on Tuesday) - please wear those tennis shoes! 

Library: No Library this week since we did not have school on Monday.


Reminders and Upcoming Events:

-Please send your child with two snacks and a water bottle each day.  Please put your child's name on their water bottle.

-PTO Fundraiser Night is this Thursday at Papa John’s Pizza! Just mention our school when you order. 

-Friday,  September 17: Western NIght at GRE!


WEEK OF AUGUST 29, 2022

Hello First Grade Families!!!

I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing weekend. Here is what we will be up to this week in First Grade!


Reading: This week we will be taking the i-Ready Reading Assessment.  As with math, one purpose of the assessment is to determine the best lessons for students to work on independently on their pathway. The reading assessment often takes longer than math. I try to have students work for 20 minute blocks each day to prevent fatigue. It is also very important that students do not rush through this assessment. Please talk with your child about taking their time and trying their best.


Phonics & Handwriting: We will continue reviewing letter formation  & sounds. This week I am also starting to incorporate Sight Word Practice, we will read it, spell it and use it in a sentence. 


Math:  Please look for the math facts coming home in your child’s homework folder, as well as some games to practice subtraction.  As discussed at Back to School night, learning addition and subtraction facts is an important part of our math curriculum. 

We will wrap up Topic 1 in Math and get ready to start our new Topic that will focus on fluently adding and subtracting to 10.


Writing:  We are writing personal narratives, or "Small Moment" stories.  A small moment is one moment from a day in our life.  We are trying to get the kids to focus on just one part of a larger day or story and tell it with lots of details.  We teach the kids that a small moment is like a seed in a watermelon.  An example of a watermelon story is a day at Disney Land.  One seed, or small moment, would be riding on Splash Mountain.  We teach the kids to go through the whole writing process.  First we think of an idea, then plan by telling our story and sketching the pictures or parts.  Next we write, adding lots of details.  This week we will learn about the next step, revision.  I tell the kids, When You're Done, You've Just Begun!  We will learn to use "spider legs" and add more details to our stories.  


Social Studies: We are learning what it should look like and feel like to be part of our class community! We are discussing ways to be a good citizen in our community and how we should treat each other as well as how we can respect our school.  We have also been looking at what it really means to go for the G.O.L.D.  Last week we spent a few days on what it really means to Own Your Actions.  We learned that just saying sorry is not enough, we also need to think 'how can I fix anything I might have hurt?' (feelings, property...).  We want to think, 'How can I fill the person's bucket back up?'  We also learned a problem solving strategy called A Bug and a Wish.  We practiced telling others, in a nice voice, It bugs me when you ________.  I wish you would _______ .  And we talked about how when someone asks us to stop, we stop! 

We also talked about what it really means to be a listener and learner. 

This week we will talk more in depth about Doing Our Best, and think about the right way and wrong way to Go for the G.O.L.D. in different areas around our school.


Reminders:

-Specials: Technology in our STEAM Lab

-Book Bag: Please be sure your child brings back their book everyday. I am working with them on picking a Good Fit Book, so if they bring one that is too hard/too easy, talk with them about selecting a different color next time. 

-Library : Tomorrow - Monday... Please bring back all library books.

-Snacks:  We have 2 snack breaks each day, be sure your child has 2 or more options for snacks.

-Water Bottles:  It is HOT, be sure your child has a labeled water bottle each day. I give them opportunities to refill their water bottles.


Upcoming Dates:

No School: Monday, September 5


It is going to be a great week!  As always, please reach out with any questions!



WEEK OF AUGUST 22, 2022

Hello First Grade Families!!!

I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, August 24, at Back To School Night. The sessions are as follows:

4:45-5:00 Principal Welcome @ Gym

5:00-5:30 Session 1 @ Classrooms 

5:35-6:05 Session 2 @ Classrooms

 

This event is for parents only. We hope you will join us for these informative sessions. 

 

If you are unable to attend, I will be sharing my slideshow and sending home the information the following day.


Class Directory:

Each year I like to create our own Class Directory. Parents have really appreciated having each other’s contact information to plan play dates or to send birthday invitations, thank you notes, or other messages.  (The kids love to get mail!). If you would like to be included in our Class Directory, please click HERE to complete the survey.  By completing the survey you are giving me permission to share this information with others in our class.  I will not share this with anyone outside of our class. 


Here is what we will be up to this week in First Grade...

Reading: We will be looking for connections in books we read this week. A connection to a book can be a powerful tool in helping a reader understand and think deeply about what they are reading. When a reader has a connection, the text reminds them of something… they might hear their “inner voice” say, “This reminds me of….” A reader could have a connection to how a character feels, a place in the story or even a problem that is happening. 


Phonics & Handwriting: We will be reviewing and practicing letter formation for the following letters: d,s,e,r,p,j, l,h,k, We will also review the sounds these letters make and write words with these letters.


Math:  This week students will be taking the i-Ready Math Assessment. This beginning of the year assessment will help create an individual learning pathway that will allow your child to work on concepts at an instructional level when using the i-Ready program.

The assessment will have a variety of questions, some may be easy or really hard. I spread the assessment over 2-3 days to allow for breaks and to make sure students do not rush. Students who were with us last year will be familiar with this format. However, it is good to remind your child that all we ask is that they give it their best effort.


Social Studies: We are learning what it should look like and feel like to be part of our class community! We are discussing ways to be a good citizen in our community and how we should treat each other as well as how we can respect our school.  We will also be looking at what it really means to go for the G.O.L.D. - Give Respect, Own Your Actions, Listen to Learn, and Do Your Best!


Reminders:

-Specials: Art

-Library : Tomorrow... Monday - Please bring back all library books.

-Snacks:  We have 2 snack breaks each day, be sure your child has 2 or more healthy options for snacks.

-Water Bottles:  It is HOT, be sure your child has a water bottle each day, labeled with their name.  I give them opportunities to refill their water bottles.


Upcoming Dates:

No School: Monday, September 5


It is going to be a great week! As always, please reach out with any questions!