Week of 10/7

Reading
We read two very similar stories this week - We're Going to Grandma's, Hurray! and Over the River and Through the Wood. Both of these are based on the same classic song. Students enjoyed listening to the stories and making text-to-text connections. We also enjoyed listening to the song that inspired both stories!

Writing
I read aloud a story titled When I Was Five by Arthur Howard. We used this story to think about things we enjoy doing with friends. We spent three days working on these stories, starting with brainstorming and followed by independent writing time. Students practiced adding more details to their illustrations and stories.

In handwriting, we reviewed the "magic c" letters - a, d, g, o. All of these letters begin with a "c" and then are turned into their own letter by following specific strokes. Students were careful to make their letters the proper sizes on the provided lines.

Math
We began a new math unit about geometry. In first grade, geometry focuses on two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. This unit focuses on two-dimensional shapes only, while unit 8 at the end of the year will focus on 3D shapes. Students first learned how to name and describe several 2D ("flat") shapes including squares, rectangles, circles and triangles. They used pattern blocks to fill in a variety of outlines. Students are learning that you can put 2D shapes together to make other 2D shapes. They also realized that there are many different ways to fill the same outline!

Guidance
Mrs. Holt visited us on Tuesday to teach another Second Step lesson. Students practiced identifying and describing emotions (such as curious and frustrated) by listening to different scenarios and observing photographs of students showing certain facial expressions and body language. They discussed strategies they could use if they were feeling one of these strong emotions.

Upcoming dates

• There is no school on Friday, October 11th or Monday, October 14th.
• Our first grade field trip to Alewives Brook Farm is on Tuesday, October 15th. Please check the weather forecast and help your child dress appropriately for a day at the farm. Layered clothing and boots or sneakers are a must!

Thank you,
Mrs. Bradstreet