April News
In Fundations this month, we have begun our focus on multi-syllabic words. We mastered the art of tapping words with 5 sounds, learned about closed syllables and have now started building words with two closed syllables! At this point in the school year, students should be able to "clap" each syllable in the word and spell them correctly when dictated. For most students, it is no longer necessary to "tap-out" each individual sound. Next, we will turn our attention to suffix-es, and the -ed ending.
In Readers' Workshop we have been busy solving riddles and making Inferences in our books! Students practiced this skill by inferring meaning of words, predicting upcoming events, and inferring the author's message. Our next focus will be an author study of Leo Lionni. We will spend weeks reading through his amazing books, discovering his unique characters and comparing/contrasting his themes. If you have a Leo Lionni book in your library at home, please feel free to send it in for us to share during the month of May!
In Math, we have been busy collecting and interpreting data through all different types of graphs. We have also stayed with our focus of addition facts. Most of my students have written their numbers from 1-1000 on their number scrolls! This is a big accomplishment for your first grader! Make sure to be on the lookout for their completed scrolls!
We have some very EGG-citing news in science! Beginning on Tuesday, May 7th, we will begin the incubation process of 15 Barred Plymouth Rock eggs! It has been nearly 10 years since the last time we hatched ducklings in my classroom. The children and I are super excited about our endeavor! We have begun the discussions of the Life Cycle of a bird, and will be studying about the entire process. This year our chicks should be ready to hatch on Tuesday, May 28th! We are keeping fingers crossed that all will go well and we will have a few baby chicks with us for a few days before they go to a farm in Rutland.
Following on the heels of the (hopeful) birth of our chicks is our field trip to Southwick's Zoo on May 31st. Thank you for the amazing response for volunteers! More news about the details of our trip will come as it gets closer!
As the weather gets warmer please remember to dress your child in layers! Also, mayflies, ticks and mosquitoes are always big pests at this time of the year. It may be helpful to spray your child before they come to school each day to prevent bites.
Your children are astounding me with their academic and personal growth and independence. It is hard to believe in less than 8 weeks I will have to send them off! Keep up the super work you have been doing at home to help foster this growth!
Shelley Brennan