Mrs. V's All Star Learners Classroom: 9/21/13 Newsletter

Dear Parents of First Grade All Stars,
     I must start off this week's newsletter with a great, big THANK YOU for your attendance, polite attention, participation, and kind words at our Open House session Thursday night. It was truly a pleasure to talk with old friends and make new ones. Although exhausted Friday morning, I had such fun Thursday night! As I said at Open House, after speaking with all of you, I can SEE why your children are so polite. Please let's keep the lines of communication open as we work together to help our kiddos develop socially, grow academically, enjoy their learning adventures, and feel great about themselves!
     This week we continued to develop and practice the "foundation" to our literacy work. We continued to explore what reading means, things good readers do, ways to read books, what "just-right" books are, and how to find just-right books. The children "shopped" for just-right books to add to their own book holders, and they practiced reading-to-self to begin to develop focus and build stamina. As they read, I continued my one-on-one screening of the children on the priority/sight words.
     Mrs. Bonacquist came in to read A Fine, Fine School to the class and discuss her many jobs as principal. She also talked with the students about their jobs to help keep our school safe and running smoothly. After the reading and discussion, the class decided we do indeed have "a fine, fine school"!
The kiddos love when Mrs. Bonacquist comes in...and so do I, as I have a chance to brag about them and their achievements!
     We read and discussed our September poems on the charts. One of the favorites seemed to be "September Cheer". When the children practiced reading it with cheerleaders' voices, they did so with gusto and even movements! You might want to ask your child if they remember any lines from this poem such as: "S - E- P,   T - E - M, B - E - R,   I like September!" As we read the September poem from Chicken Soup With Rice I asked the children if anyone knew what "the Nile" was. When one boy raised his hand and said, "The Nile is a river", I said, "Wowie-Zowie! How did you know that?" He said, "I just looked at the picture."   I told the kiddos that was a "duh-Mrs. V." moment, but students using picture clues without my direction is a definite "hooray" moment! Then the children put September poems in their poetry binders and began first attempts on those poems.
     During our word work we used the poster/chart to review the upper-case and lower-case formations and sounds of A through I. The children loved finding pictures on the poster/chart that begin with those letters! Then they practiced the letters with handwriting work. Students are also making word cards with pictures for our word wall to go along with the letters we're practicing. They were frustrated with me when I said we didn't have time to identify ALL the pictures for each letter! However, I told the students they could continue to use the poster/chart during snack time, and happily a couple students did just that!
     One of our popular read-aloud books was The New Bear At School. This reading led to a great discussion of being new to a school, being new to anything, kindness, and accepting differences.
     Our initial writers' workshops included work on why we are all authors, brainstorming things in our lives we can write about (personal narrative), using their personal dictionaries, things good writers do, and what writers' workshops look like and sound like. The students then made entries in their writers' journals. Their beginning efforts and focus actually amazed me! I complimented them and told them our writers' workshop sounded like a "college study hall." We then had a chance for a couple sessions of "Authors'-Chair Share". If I pick their class number, and if they wish to share, the students sit in my chair and share their journal entries with their classmates. Then they may pick three classmates to tell something they liked about the writing or ask them some question about the writing. (This is the prelude to upcoming writing peer conferences.) "Authors'-Chair Share" was EXTREMELY popular and it seemed all wanted to share. I told the students there are MANY more "Authors'-Chair Shares" coming.
   We have not yet started our formal spelling program since the pretesting must be done first. This coming week I will be pretesting the students on the first-grade priority words.
     Math work this week focused on making math "dominoes" to show part + part = whole, addend + addend = sum, ways to make 6, 7, 8, 9, making pictures to tackle word problems, and even the challenge of finding missing addends (eg. 6 + ? = 9). We always start with our lessons on the rug using concrete things, pictures, and individual white boards to explore and practice. They kiddos LOVE going to the board to solve the problem and to "prove it." When they are able to "prove it" I congratulate them because they did not need the teacher or any adult to show they were correct! You should see all the hands raised to go to the board to solve and prove! How to make this teacher happy! Then the students go back to their desks to do the "try it" worksheet as I roam to see who understands and to help as needed.
   Friday morning Mr. V., (my own "personal techie"), came in to set up the slide show that ran during Open House so the children could see this. The students enjoyed seeing themselves and their classmates "in pictures" and in action. Thanks, Mr. V.!
   You will have to check with your child, but I believe one of the highlights, if not THE highlight, of the week was our first "Buddy Work" session with Mrs. Kourt's fourth graders. Smiles were everywhere! The buddies first got to meet each other and share some things about their families and things they like to do. Then the fourth graders helped the first graders with a start to our science seed work. They worked on matching seed vocabulary to the definitions as they completed "Apple Facts." Then because they ALL worked together so well, they played with their buddies on the playground for the last few minutes together. When it was time to part ways, there were ALREADY some "buddy hugs" and comments like, "Oh, I don't want them to go" heard! It was definitely a successful first "Buddy Work" session.
   We ran out of hours and did not have time to read and discuss the "Scholastic News" science issue about apples. I asked the children to take this home to read with Mom and/or Dad. (Please let me know if this issue did not make it home on Friday.)
   During the week Thomas and Riley celebrated their birthdays with their classmates. Happy birthday, Thomas and Riley!
   The Scholastic Book Club September order forms were among the handouts at Open House. If you wish to order, you may do so online or send the order and check in to me to place with class orders. The deadline for this September book order is this coming Friday, September 27th. Thanks.
     Thank you so much for your support!
      Respectfully,
    Mrs. V.