Week 4   August 29-Sept.2

I wanted to bring your attention to Grandparents Day on Friday, September 9th from 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Grandparents will be given the special treat of visiting their grandchild's classroom and seeing the wonderful things they do.  Invitations are in your child's folder so they may hand deliver them, or mail them in the envelope provided.

Parents, you are doing a great job with homework.  This was the first week we had 30 spelling words to learn, so there were quite a few new details too.  Basically, only have your child write the words for the day, NOT all the words in the packet.  They are given 10 words Monday-Wednesday.  On Thursday night they write (with markings) all 30 words. This page is in the back of the packet.  Fridays we take our
spelling test.

Hopefully you have been able to have your child read the phonetic readers and the content readers to you!  This is absolutely necessary to build fluency.  They may get tired of it, but the constant repetition of the built-in sight words will help them to read faster.  The books are to be returned to me on Monday, when I will place new readers in their new book bags.  I will also have them read to me to make sure they are fluent.  If they are not, I will keep them in the same level.  You may use these books to add to their daily reading logs.

This week in 1B:

Literature:

This week we are continuing our Tom Thumb stories from around the world! We will read “Little Finger of the Watermelon Patch,” a story from Vietnam. Then we will compare and contrast the characters of Tom Thumb, Issun Boshi, Thumbelina, and Little Finger. There will be a small assessment on Thursday.

Spalding: There are 29 spelling words this week! Some of these words have silent e’s! Here’s how we remember them:

Job 1 – “vowel, consonant, e” (ex: time – e helps the i say i)

Job 2 – “v, u – job 2!” (ex: have, blue)

Job 3 – “c, g – job 3!” (ex: chance, charge – notice how the e helps the c/g say its second sound)

Job 4 – Every syllable must have a vowel. (ex: little)

Job 5 – no job e! (ex: are)

Please practice the following phonograms at home: b, d, g, r, t, ar, ay, ch, oo, ou. Spelling Test and McCall-Harby Reading Comprehension Test on Friday!

Words this week:

Monday: my, up, last, not, us, am, good, time, have, blue

Tuesday: chance, charge, little, are, ago, old, bad, red, of, be

Wednesday: but, this, all, your, you, out, may, into, him (Note: 9 words today!)

 

Grammar: We are learning about pronouns in grammar this week! We have a fun, interactive PowerPoint that will help us identify and come up with pronouns to make our sentences a little more interesting!

Writing: copy work and narration exercises from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Poem: “Caterpillar” by Christina Rossetti – We will recite in partners on Friday!

Idiom: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (Golden Rule) J

 Math:

This week we will have our second math test! I was blown away by our first math test scores and I am excited to see how we do on Tuesday after our unit 2 review on Monday. The rest of the week will be very fun as we work together to dig deeper into what it means to "add". This will include writing number sentences, making our own unique number stories, and learning about the addition and equals signs. Homework .ill be as follows: Monday- review test B, Tuesday- addition worksheet, Wednesday- WB 25-26, Thursday- WB 27-28, and Friday- WB 29-30.

 

Science:

 

This week we will continue our study of habitats.  We will look at forests and the animal adaptations there.  We will study the underground habitats of small animals, and the habits of animals in the meadows and prairies of the world.

Geography:

This week in Geography we will be learning about the continents and oceans of the world.  Students will be able to locate the 7 continents ( Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South American, Australia and Antarctica), and the 4 oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic)  on a map,  and will be creating a booklet with facts about each continent.

 

Ask me about:

 

Ask be about the Oceans song I learned (tune of BINGO).

Ask be about the Continent song I learned (French tune)

Ask me about Part-Part-Whole.

Ask me about Tom Thumb, Issun Boshi, and Thumbelina and what they had in common.  (Small people stories from around the world).

 

Virtue of the Month:   Responsibility

 

The price of greatness is responsibility.  ~Winston Churchill

 

We will select one student to receive the Responsibility Award for August. Your children are learning each day to take care of their personal items, remember their homework, and play and walk like Great Heart scholars each day!

Have a wonderful week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3 August 22-26, 2016

Thank you parents for taking the time to come and visit the classroom on curriculum night.  I hope the information I gave every parent is helpful. It is always nice to connect the faces of families with their children.  Please let me know if I can help out in specific ways with the homework or curriculum!

Students did exceptionally well turning in their first reading log assignments.  Stars galore were on the chart and they were very happy about their own accomplishments.

Extracurricular Clubs

Last week we were happy to introduce the fall 2016 schedule for clubs. This week we would like to introduce the new portal for club registration and payment. This is a significant change from last year, as we are transitioning away from Wufoo to a Great Hearts wide platform, Configio.

To view available clubs, go to ArchwayArete.Configio.com. This will also be linked on the ArchwayArete.org site under "Announcements" in the left-hand column.  When you arrive at Archway Arete's Configio page, you will find the eleven clubs being offered by Archway Arete staff. At the present, the clubs are available to be seen, but you cannot currently register or make payment. Clubs will open for registration and payment on Saturday, August 20th at 8:00 a.m. Every club has a maximum number of spots and spots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To register and make payment for clubs, you will have to create a Configio account. If you select the "Notify Me" on a club of interest, you will be directed to a screen asking you to set up an account. Click on "Register for an Account" and provide the necessary information. This will be the only way to register a student and make payment for clubs and future field trips, as cash and check will no longer be accepted at the front desk.

It's not too late to register for Chess Emporium and Play-Well TEKnologies (Lego club).  Please click here to sign your child up to learn how to play or master the game of chess. Or you can click here for your child to join Lego club. 

If you have any questions regarding club registration, please email Michael Naaktgeboren, Extracurricular Coordinator, at mnaaktgeboren@archwayarete.org

This week in 1B:

Literature

In Literature this week, we will be starting Tom Thumb stories from around the world! We will read and compare these similar stories from England, Japan, and Denmark. We will also start sending home leveled readers this week! Please have your child read through the story one time each night to increase fluency. We will check fluency on Friday, and new books will go home every Monday. Homework is to read for 15 minutes every night; the reader probably will not take this entire time, so please have your child complete their reading with a fun book of their choice!

 

Spalding

We are excited to begin spelling words this week! Please listen to your child sound out the words and check to make sure markings are correct. Our first spelling test will be on Friday. It will contain all 30 words, as well as the ten phonograms of the week. We will also take the McCall-Harby reading comprehension test every week after the spelling test. This consists of a short reading passage that we will read to the class. There are ten “yes”/“no” questions that the students will answer following the listening of the story. (Please note that this reading test is not weighted as heavily as the spelling tests!)

 

Homework:

 

Monday: Me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, she

Tuesday: can, see, run, the, in, so, no, man, ten

Wednesday: tan, tin, ton, bed, top, he, you, will, we,an

Thursday: Write each word once in preparation for the test tomorrow (Friday).

Phonograms to practice:  a, I, y, c, s, sh, th, ee, ed, ow

 

Writing

In Writing, we are doing copy work and narration exercises from Rumpelstiltzkin.

Grammar

We are continuing to study nouns and discussing the differences between common and proper nouns. There will be a small noun quiz on Friday!

 
Idiom

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (the Golden Rule)

Poem

“The Caterpillar” continued! Work on stanza 2 – we will be reciting soon! J

Science:

This week we will be begin a unit about habitats. During this unit, we will explore plants, animals, and environments around the world. The students will describe, compare, and contrast habitats. The first habitat that students will study is a familiar one:  the desert. We will learn about how desert animals and plants are able to survive in that environment. We will also begin to explore forest habitats and learn about plants, and animals that live in them.

 

Math:

 

This week we will continue to strengthen our addition skills as we take on some interactive activities with number bonds, number stories, and matching number pairs. We will have a chance to practice combining parts to make a whole number and decipher how we can break down different whole numbers within 10 into two parts. Lastly, your super scholars will also be taking their 1st grade beginning of the year addition and subtraction assessment tests. We will make sure to allow a lot of room to breathe and re-assess as they navigate these assessments :)

 

Homework:

Monday: Workbook pages 19-20

Tuesday: Workbook pages 21-22

Wednesday: Workbook pages 24-25

Thursday:  Math page

Friday:  Math page

 

Geography:

 This week in Geography we will be studying bodies of water, such as oceans, lakes and rivers.  We will discover the major rivers of our own country and discuss why they are so valuable to the communities around them.  We will review landforms and bodies of water in preparation for a simple quiz on Monday using a variety of interactive mediums.   The students should have a delightful time of discovery learning new vocabulary for this unit.

 

Ask Me About:

 

Ask me if air can take up space.

Ask me what my favorite Aesop's Fable was this week.

Ask me about "Bundle, bundle, bundle!".

Ask me who won the estimation jar.

Ask me about our new noun jingle.

 

 

Responsibility:

 

Every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation, every possession, a duty.

John D. Rockefeller

 

So many of the students in 1B are showing amazing responsibility this month.  It will be difficult to select only one to receive this virtue award for August.  Parents, YOU are doing a phenomenal job!

 

Have a great week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2  August 15-19, 2016


It was a fun and exciting first week in 1B!  Students learned quite a lot of procedures, and practiced them daily.  Thank you parents for you patience with so many of the new details!

Curriculum night is this Wednesday and I hope all, if not many, of you can come.  Have questions in hand and I will answer them, or help find the answer for you.

You are cordially invited to our Curriculum Night events, taking place on Wednesday, August 17th 

(grades K-2) and Wednesday, August 24th (grades 3-5). The event starts at 6:00 p.m. in the Arete gymnasium, with opening remarks from Mr. Gillingham, Ms. Pantalena, and Mrs. Mason.

The purpose of this event is to acquaint you with the school's curriculum and individual classroom procedures across all grade levels. Teachers will give parents an opportunity to ask questions. (Please note, this is a parent only event.) We look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

Schedule

 

K-2 Curriculum Night: Wednesday, August 17th

3-5 Curriculum Night: Wednesday, August 24^th

 

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^{It is evident many of the students are very happy with being in first grade.  I thought I would add an "Ask Me" section to my blog to help you find out more details of the week.  This should enable you to have a more articulate conversation with them also.}

 

^{ASK ME:}

^{Ask me about how our class saved Fred using the scientific method.}

^{Ask me about the sentence jingle we learned using our five fingers}

^{Ask me about "Google Guy" (for fun).}

^{Ask me where north, south, east, west, are located in my home.}

^{Ask me about Aesop and the fables he wrote.}

 

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Lessons for this week.

Literature:

In Literature, we will continue to explore the morals in Aesop’s Fables. We will read “The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs,” “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” “The Maid and the Milk Pail,” and “The Fox and the Crane”. We will talk about the human-like characteristics that the animals have and the different virtues that could have been shown in the stories, had the characters made different choices. We will take a mini quiz on Aesop’s Fables on Friday, where students will match up each moral with the corresponding story we covered in class.

 

Spalding:

This week we will be working on forming our capital manuscript letters. We will also be working on two-letter phonograms to prepare us for our upcoming spelling words! At home, please listen to your child say the sounds as they write each phonogram three times. There are also some old (single letter) phonograms to review each night!

 

Writing:

In “Writing with Ease,” we will do copy work and narration exercises from The Adventures of Pinocchio.

 

Grammar:

In Grammar, we will learn a noun jingle! We will discuss how a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. We will also distinguish between common and proper nouns and apply this knowledge on a noun word sort. 

 

Poem:

“The Caterpillar” by Christina G. Rosetti – Continue to work on stanza 1. We will recite the entire poem on September 2^nd in class!

 

Math

This week we will start with ample review of our key concepts from last week so that our students can ace their very first test on Tuesday. Both the review and the test will give students a chance to master counting and comparing numbers within 10. Starting Wednesday, we will begin number stories and number bonds. We will use pictures and items to practice grouping and counting different features within sets. Please note that for homework this week students will receive a practice test for Monday, some important rest time after their first test for Tuesday, workbook pages 15-16 for Wednesday, workbook pages 17-18 for Thursday, and finally a very fun zoo animal themed number bond worksheet for Friday. 

Science:

This week, we will continue to explore the scientific method. We will practice making careful observations and asking questions. We will review the steps of the scientific method by completing a science experiment!

Geography Week 2

This week students will be learning about various landforms in their world.  The vocabulary for the week will include; hills, mountains, islands, volcanoes (gases, eruptions, lava), deserts, plains, canyons and valleys.  We will learn about specific named landforms (Grand Canyon, Mojave Desert, Great Plains, etc.), and actively find their locations on the map.


Thank you parents for your attention to homework this week.  I know it was a little chaotic learning the new procedures, but you all did very well, and so did the children.

It is important that your child reads to you each night.  If they are too tired, you may read to them for about 15 minutes.  I have enclosed a reading log for you to fill out each night and  this is checked by Mrs. Zavala each morning.  At the end of the week, students who have read, or have been read to, receive a star on their reading chart.  At the end of the year this is given in a reward form for their accomplishment.

Students will have math each night and Spalding letters (or spelling words) to write also.

We are working hard to write the homework assignment in the planner each morning, (practice for second grade).  I tell them that you will check the planner to know what the homework is.  It is also on the blog each week.  This encourages responsibility, and that they are accountable for their learning.

As always, if you have questions or comments Mrs. Zavala and I are here for you.

Virtue of the month:

Responsibility

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves.  The process never ends until we die.  And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.

~Eleanor Roosevelt


Have a wonderful week!

Welcome 1B Parents!

It was so nice meeting most of you on Meet the Teacher Night!

I am excited about the first week of school.  There will be a lot of jitters, but it will be fun getting to know your children.

If you have not made you Singapore/Spalding purchases please make sure you do so. We will begin our workbook homework pages this Wednesday.

I will send our blog update once a week, no later than Sunday afternoon!
As always, if you have any questions feel free to email me.  I love hearing from my parents, and care about the special needs of your children.




Here is a glimpse of what we will be covering this week.

Literature:

In Literature, we have some exciting stories this week! On Monday we will read Kevin Henkes’ Chrysanthemum and discuss what can make us “wilt” and “bloom” and tie this in with our virtue of friendship. Tuesday we will begin our first unit, which is Aesop’s Fables! We will be reading “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” “The Fox and the Grapes,” and “The Dog in the Manger”. As we read each fable, we will discuss the moral of the story and identify common fable components. We will also be introduced to our first idiom “Sour Grapes!” This idiom refers to something a person decides is not worth having only after they find out that they cannot have the desired object.

Spalding:

This week we will be focusing on proper posture, pencil grip, and handwriting features. We will be learning how to form all of the manuscript lowercase letters, focusing on a particular handwriting feature each day. We will also be learning the single letter phonograms associated with each letter formation. We want to have a strong handwriting start, so please make sure your child is holding his or her pencil properly and forming letters in the correct way (left to right, top to bottom, etc.) We will be sending home a “Features Formation” packet to assist you in helping your child with homework!

Writing:

We’ll be starting week 1 in Writing with Ease. We will do copy work and narration exercises from Little House in the Big Woods.

Grammar:

In Grammar, we will be learning what makes up a complete sentence! The five components are: subject, verb, makes sense, has a capital letter at the beginning, and a punctuation mark at the end! We will be using both Shurley English and First Language Lessons for grammar this year. We are so excited to be introducing Shurley, as there are catchy jingles and it makes grammar fun for the students! This week we will be learning the Sentence jingle!

Poem:

“The Caterpillar” by Christina G. Rosetti

Math:

In this very first and exciting week of math we will start off our first unit on Monday with some gummy bear fun as we practice sorting by color and counting within the number “10”. Throughout the week we will continue to practice counting and comparing numbers within “10” using different items and fun visuals. On Friday, students will have a chance to get up and be active as they practice putting numbers in order by organizing themselves into lines. Please practice counting and sorting at home too! I recommend having your children help in the kitchen or at the grocery store so we can continue having fun! This week’s homework will be very light; we will only have to finish any workbook pages that are not completed in class. By the end of the week pages 7-14 should be completed in the workbook. Please let me know if you would like a copy of the number cards we use in class to help your students count at home.

Geography:

This week in our Geography unit we will be studying maps and globes, and how they represent places on the earth.  We will discuss ordinal directions through the use of a variety of games and activities.  Students will learn about map keys and decode simple symbols, and find those symbols which are represented on a map.  Students will enjoy creating their own Compass Rose after learning about its usage on maps and globes, and how a compass in general, is beneficial to people in a variety of circumstances


I know your week ahead will be very exciting!  Thank you for allowing me the opportunity of stewarding your child's education.  I love teaching, and I especially love "lively, curious minds".  We are going to have a lot of fun learning together!

Kindly,
Mrs. Sipe and Mrs. Zavala