Science and the Exploration of Seasons

First graders have been exploring Next Generation Science Standards this Month!

We are looking at 

Earth and the Solar System: Seasonal patterns of sunrise and sunset can be observed, described, and predicted.

AND

Making observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.

Check out some of the progress we have been making in this area. 

We've been making literacy connections too!

Try to borrow some of these from the Westwood Public Library to continue these conversations!

Love,

Mrs. L

Raz Kids!

Raz Kids

Individual passwords and login information is going home again in student G.O. Books today. Please look for this information so that you and your child have access to their individual accounts.

Remember, this is a homework choice for reading! Access to "just right" books is so much fun!

Love,

Mrs. L

Fall Conference Schedule

Fall Conference Schedule 2016-2017

Wednesday November 2
8:15am	Fritz
12:20-12:40	Shea
12:40-1:00	Colleran
1:00-1:20	Rull
1:20-1:40	Benger
1:40-2:00	Korchin
2:00-2:20	Hung
2:20-2:40	Shea
2:40-3:00	Russo
5:00-5:20	O'leary
5:20-5:40	Granata
5:40-6:00	Elliot-Lewis
6:20-6:40	Kagan
6:40-7:00	Averill
7:00-7:20	Rocha
Wednesday November 9
8:15	Cancelleri
Wednesday November 16
1:00-1:20	Mukherjee
1:30-1:50	Gannon
1:50-2:10	Krupinsky

Apples, Apples, Apples!

1st grade scientists put their powers of observation to the test this week in order to collect data about the attributes of various types of apples. We used our 5 senses to observe the characteristics of the apples, discussed our thoughts about these observations and some of us even revised our data after a more detailed analysis with our peers. 

 

Thank you to our amazing parent volunteers who made this Science Lab a success!

We also began our first biography study on John Chapman, commonly known as "Johnny Appleseed."

Please visit BrainPop Jr, this week and search "Johnny Appleseed" for a great video. Students may use this activity as a homework choice!

Login information is on my class page titled, "Homework." Scroll down to view login and other homework information.

Love,

Mrs. L


clipart: http://thekindercupboard.blogspot.com/2013/09/johnny-appleseed-day-donation-note.html

Math about me!

Great job remembering your homework this week 1L!

Nice job remembering your homework logs and Math About Me Posters. 

 Check out how beautiful they look in our hallway! 

Enjoy the cool first weekend of Fall!

Love, 

Mrs. L

Classroom donations!

Thanks a million! 

Thank you to everyone who donated books and items to our class already! We have read two new books and put everything to good use! We really appreciate your kindness. If you are wondering how you can continue to help out regarding donations, we are all out of hand sanitizer! We could definitely use some large containers to refill our small one as the flu season approaches. 

LET'S STAY HEALTHY!

Please donate hand sanitizer! 

Thanks so much!

Mrs. L

How will you fill someone's bucket today?

How will you fill someone's bucket today?

Students read an amazing book called, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud and David Messing.

We have been discussing how a simple act of kindness not only fills the person's bucket for whom you are sharing the kindness, it also fills your bucket! The kindness even splashes out and fills those buckets of the people around that person too! When we share kindness, we get kindness in return. When we observe kindness, we feel it too! 

Every afternoon this week I am finishing up our day by asking our students, 

"How did you fill someone's bucket today?"

Try starting their days off the same way! 

Ask them, "How do you plan to fill someone's bucket at school today?"

Love,

Mrs. L

"I-PICK Rap"

"I-PICK Rap"

Students in 1L are beginning to take more ownership over their independent reading time. We are trying to build "good habits for reading" every day. In order to do this successfully, we learned a snappy beat to remind ourselves what to look for when we are choosing "just right" books. Remind students when choosing books at home about the words of our rap!

I - I choose, not you! 

P - Purpose, Why am I reading this?

I - Interest, Do I like it? 

C - Comprehend, Do I understand it?

K - Know, Do I know most of the words?

Let's remember that reading is a personal thing too! Everyone's "just right" is going to look a little different.

Homework Logs Begin!

Homework Logs Begin!

Set aside 20 minutes to do a literacy and a math activity each day (excluding holidays). Have students choose their own path along the homework log. Set a timer if that helps.

This week, a math activity is in their mailboxes and extra handwriting practice will go home as well. Other games will go home as we learn them. Reading is always encouraged! 

Suggestion: Set aside a folder for homework at home. Fill the folder with choices (one side math and the other literacy) as they come home in GO Books and have children choose on a nightly bases. 

Reminder: Some of the choices have not been taught yet (ex: IXL, Razkids), so those won't be choices this week. More information about these will come home soon!

1L Families,

Don't forget...

PICTURE DAY IS TOMORROW!

Ask your child about this book we read today!

Love,

Mrs. L

I wish my teacher knew...

The Sheehan staff came across an article this month highlighting an activity that a teacher across the United States did in order to encourage and grow honest and successful relationships with his students. After reading the article and recognizing how important it is to create meaningful relationships with our students and families, we decided to try this idea ourselves! 

Each child completed the sentence, "I wish my teacher knew..." and shared something about themselves that he or she really wanted to tell me. The insight that I received from this activity was incredibly powerful. I have loved getting to know our students this Fall. They are absolutely amazing and bring joy to my heart daily. Yet, this task gave students the opportunity to share something entirely new! 

Love,

Mrs. L

  

"Math Talk"

Accountable talk is a HUGE part of our math curriculum. We use math talk "speech bubbles" to enforce this vocabulary and language use during partner games and IPAD times. 

When you are working with your children at home, give them the language we expect by providing a sentence frame. 

For example: There are _______ disks altogether. 

Then ask them, "How many disks do you have?" 

Then the children will be able to answer using the targeted vocabulary.

Look for updated vocabulary lists for each math unit in your student's G.O. book. 

When I say to student's, "explain your thinking," this is one aspect of that.

Parents, change it up and encourage sophisticated "Math Talk" with our kiddos!

Love,

Mrs. Lazazzero

September means getting back into the swing of things!

Check out a few of the fun things we have been doing here in 1L.

We've been doing some amazing read alouds too! 

We like to focus on books with messages and morals our first grade family can relate to. Kevin Henkes writes some great ones that we have explored.

Ask your child: "What is your favorite book by Kevin Henkes?" 

(possible answers: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Wemberly Worried, Chester's Way, A Weekend with Wendall)

We are 1L

We are 1L!

This fall, we have worked hard to come together and think about kindness in our classroom. We have read books and have had conversations about our similarities and our differences in Open Circle. We have seen how we can work together, bringing our unique qualities to a task and make something truly wonderful.

“We are 1L” means that we promise to look out for each other, build each other up, take pride in ourselves and our class, and every day try to be better than the day before! 

Reading makes me feel good because...

Students in 1L have been launching Reader's Workshop by thinking about their favorite books and how those books make them feel good. Check us out as we pose with our favorite books.