Curriculum Update

 Necessary adjustments in instruction have had to be made above and beyond typical adjustments for testing and parent conferences due to so many students being absent lately, but we are now finally into our next Writing unit. Our current genre is fictional narrative. We have combined art instruction in tandem with the unit. We began exploring and practicing with some of the elements of art, namely: line, shape, and texture, to create our main and supporting characters for our narrative.

To preface the unit in reading, speaking, and content lessons, we are currently engaged in a comparative literature unit analyzing folk tales from all around the world. Students are using 2 and 3 circle Venn diagrams to compare and contrast. We are also examining the structue of the fantasy/fiction narrative itself. We have reviewed the following key elements:

• Character: including main, supporting, antagonist, and protagonist
• Setting: the when and where of the story
• Plot: 
• The beginning (setting and character description)
• The middle (the body of plot leading to the climax) (First grade requires a minimum of 2 logically ordered events with appropriate transistions.)
• The end (resolution including closure)

Parents may recall our Writing Workshop procedures. Here's what we have completed so far following a lengthy immersive dive into the genre. We have designed/created our story's main and supporting characters. We have written "want, but, so, then" statements for our protagonist. An example of this might sound like: 'Cinderella wanted to go to the ball, but she had nothing to wear, so her faerie godmother intervened. Then, she was able to attend the ball.' Next, we touched and talked the setting of our story which will be drafted on the first page.

We recently took the district midyear math assessment. It was not an easy test and all of the students in room 11 persevered while trying their best. In the end, we collectively achieved a 75% success rate overall with 17 passing scores including 2 perfect scores of 22 students taking the test. This is compared to only 4 passing scores at the beginning of the year. The students were promised a treat if everyone tried their best and that is indeed what happened, so we will get treats this coming week.

Ninety-Fourth Day of School

 Today in Writing, we added transitions to each reason supporting our opinion.

Math application problem:

    Corey measures his pencil at 15 cm long. He then sharpens his pencil and measures it again as 4 cm less than before. How long is Corey's pencil now?

Grades for this assignmemnt have been posted to Schoology.

For our unit of content, we added a few facts:

• The brain has 3 main parts:
• the cerebrum, the largest part which process thoughts and memory,
• the cerebelum helps us with balance and movement,
• and the brain stem which controls breathing and heartbeat.
• The teeth are the only part of the skeletal system that we can readily see.

Grades for our most resent reading assessments have also been posted to Schoology.

Eighty-Seventh Day of School

 Math application problem:

    Micah had 16 toy trucks. He lost 9 of them. Charles had 1 truck. He received 6 more from        his mom. Who now has more trucks, Micah or Charles?

Grades for this assignment have been posted to Schoology. If you notice your child has not scored at least a 3 on any of these spplication problems, it might be a good use of time to review them at home. Your child will be taking a number of types of math exams before the next progress report, an exam which looks very much like the application problem found here in the daily messages, fluency exams, a district online exam (similar to IXL), and an exam with math equations like those seen on the homework assignments.

We have nearly finished administering the middle of the year reading exams.

Winter Note

 FYI: A book was read about Santa Mouse (a treasury from childhood) to the children. A child asked (as is always the case) after the second story was finished, 'Are you sure that's true?' Hmm....So the legend goes, that if you should happen to find a small (tiny) gift tucked somewhere in your tree, perhaps tied with a yellow bow, then you will know that Santa Mouse has been to your house. *Shrugs* I don't know, it's just what I've heard. Who knows how these stories get started? But maybe all first graders should check the branches of their trees on Christmas morning just to make sure.

Upon our return in 2022, the midyear reading battery of skills will be administered to all 1st graders. We will also begin our Writing unit on opinions and persuasion.

A peaceful, healthy, and happy winter break to everyone.

Fiftieth Day of School

 In Writing, we finished our drafting with closures. Papers were collected for grading.

Math Workshop application problem: 

    There are 12 beads on the floor. There is the same numer of white and red beads. A student     picks up the white beads. How many beads are still on the floor?

This marks the end of the first Math unit. A unit assessment will be administered soon.

Thirty-Seventh day of School

 In Writing today, we learned how to use a checklist to make sure we have all of the required elements to achieve a score of 3 on a narrative writing assessment.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will take our narrative writing assessment. Some students will find it a good idea to run their writing plan by an adult before the test tomorrow. Adults might listen to see if their student can state the setting and characters, the plot, an opening, and a closing.

Today's Math Workshop application problem:

    There were 5 students in the cafeteria. Some more students came late. Now there were 7         students in the cafeteria. How many students came late.

Life Science focus question:

    What are some things plants do to protect themselves?