Dec. 16-20

Greetings All!

    I hope you have had an enjoyable weekend with your little ones! We had a very successful week in first grade, full of learning and helping others through our Candy Cane Grams sale. We continued the ACTION component of our service project to benefit the RMHC by taping grams to candy canes this past Friday. The children made a great deal of progress on the HUGE pile of grams that were purchased and are looking forward to finishing those Monday. They were so happy to know that so many children bought grams because that meant more money for the children and families at the Ronald McDonald House.

   All Grams will be delivered on Wednesday, December 18th. The following day, a representative from the RMHC will visit our campus and we will present them with a check for the mystery amount our first graders raised.

   Our second fundraiser will be our Teacher Outing Raffle. For $1, your child may purchase a raffle ticket to stay after school with one of the ten first grade teachers or a select group of specialists. There will be fun and games in the gym as well as a trip to Menchies for a cool treat! Just like the candy grams, the children may purchase their raffle tickets before school. The dates for the Raffle sales are  Dec. 18th and Dec. 19th. 

   Here's a look into what we will be reviewing this week:

Science/Social Studies:

This week we will explore the many different holidays that are celebrated during the month of December, review goods and services, and write letters of encouragement to the children at the Ronald McDonald House.

Spelling:

  We will also be reviewing our spelling rules with /a_e/,  /ai/ and  /ay/. As we discuss this spellings, students will be introduced to the ideas of Homonyms- words that sound the same but have different meanings. For example: pale and pail, tale, and tail, etc. We will review ALL previously taught red words with a focus on said, they, and there.

Reading: 

We will be exploring our last JGB story of the year, RUMPLESTILTSKIN! Your child is sure to LOVE this story, I know I do! Please make sure your child completes his or her homework on Monday and Wednesday of this week and does not skip ahead to any of the activities. Thank you for your support at home!

Math: 

Children will be analyzing different ways to solve and create number stories that compare, add, and subtract different quantities. 

Important Announcements and Reminders: 

• CONGRATULATIONS to our newest STAR STUDENT, ELIZABETH "LOVIE" WELCHER! Lovie has shown a great amount of compassion and empathy during our Holiday Outreach Project. We are thankful for our special friend and look forward to learning more about what makes her so wonderful this week!
• Our Holiday Party is scheduled for Dec. 20th from 8:30-9:15. Your child may wear his or her pajamas as we will be boarding the POLAR EXPRESS! Thank you to our fabulous parents who have worked so hard to plan our party. 
• Please continue to collect POP TOPS and have your child bring them to school before the Holiday Break. We would love to present these to the RMH representative when they come on Thursday. We will collect these throughout the year as well.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions! Thank you for your amazing support!

All the best, 

    Mrs. Peake 

 

Dec. 9-13

Dear Firsties and Families,
     Last week was a successful week of learning in first grade! The children have shown a great deal of enthusiasm and compassion towards our Holiday Outreach Project to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. We have discussed the differences between needs and wants and how needs differ among people. The children grasped this concept quickly and we were able to move onto the economic principles of saving, goods and services. I was very impressed by their willingness to offer services to collect quarters so that they may buy Candy Cane Grams for their friends.
     Our two days for the Candy Cane Grams Sale are Dec. 10th and 11th and your child must arrive at school on time in order to buy grams in the auditorium.

Here's a look into the curriculum for this week: 

Spelling:

 /ay/ ex: hay, play, gray, may, lay etc. 

Red Words: other, about, out

Grammar: 

Identifying contractions

Reading:

 Identifying changes in Setting and Characters throughout texts.

Writing: 

Using adjectives to make our writing more descriptive and interesting.

Science: 

Comparing and Contrasting the ways in which other countries celebrate winter Holidays.

Math:

Comparing weights, numbers and measurments using number stories.

Important Updates and Reminders:

Congratulations to our newest STAR STUDENT, Mario Arredondo! Mario is an inquirer each day when he asks questions about the world around him. His curiosity is contagious and his dedication to learning inspires us all! We are looking forward to learning more about what makes Mario so special this week! Way to go Mario!

You may want to check out the Ronald McDonald House Website with your child to further discuss the importance of helping others.
click here

Please collect POP TABS from your recycled cans of soda if you have those at home. These tabs can be brought to school and sent to the Ronald McDonald House. Learn more about how POP TABS help the RMH here.

December 1-5

Greetings All!

 I hope that each of you had a wonderful time celebrating Thanksgiving with your loved ones! Last week's "Thanksgiving Feast" in the classroom was incredible and I want to thank you all for preparing such delicious food to share with us. Team Peake has much to be thankful for this holiday season. With that in mind, we will begin our new Unit of Inquiry titled "Helping Others". Our central idea is as follows: Helping those in need is one of our responsibilities as a member of a community. Some of the questions we will be answering during the next three weeks are...

What is a volunteer?

How does volunteerism help a community?

What are wants and needs?

How do our actions affect others? 

What is the Ronald McDonald House?

What a wonderful time of year to focus on the needs of others! Your child will be taking a very active role in a school-wide Candy Cane Gram Sale to raise money for the local Ronald McDonald House. First graders will be advertising, counting money, sorting, labeling and delivery grams to classrooms.

All we are asking of parents is to bring in 5 boxes of candy canes (which many of you have done already-thank you!) and to take a look at some volunteer opportunities to collect and organize gram sales at the Intermediate Campus. Please be in contact with Ashley Welcher if you are interested in volunteering for this special project.

Here's a look into the curriculum this week:

Phonics/Spelling:

Long A sound with spelling /ai/ ex: pail, aim, maid, nail etc.

Red Words: how their will

Reading:

Identifying the main idea, characters, setting, problem, and solution in texts.

Grammar: 

Using the verbs: is and are correctly. 

For example:

She is running. 

They are running.

Writing:

Brainstorming, Editing, Revising and Rewriting "My Gift to the World."

Students will choose a gift that they would give to the world.

Math:

Identifying place value with Tens and Ones, comparing numbers using "greater than", "less than" or "equal to", and estimating surface area and weight.

Science:

Introduction of our new Unit of Inquiry: "Helping Others."

Important Updates and Reminders:

• Tutoring will be changed from Monday to Tuesday this week. You will receive a letter in your child's Red Folder if your child has been invited to tutoring. 
• Please make sure your child reads 20 minutes each night. 
• If you would like to check out the Ronald McDonald House website it is: www.RonaldMcDonaldHouse.org
  

CONGRATULATIONS to our newest Star Student, Derin Manay! Derin is caring to his friends and shows enthusiasm towards learning each day. We are looking forward to learning about what makes Derin so special this week! Great Job, Derin!

Thank you for your continued support at home! Your children are truly a gift and so are you!

Sincerely, 

  Mrs. Peake 

Nov. 11-15

Dear Firsties and families,

   It has been an awesome week for Team Peake! Last Friday, the class finally filled up the BIG BUCKET OF FUZZIES! I am so proud of them for reaching their goal and for working as a team. The children decided that they wanted to have a pajama party to start off our week so they presented their weather safety projects in their PJ’s! J They are currently trying to fill up the BIG bucket for the second time by following our Essential Agreements. 1.)Try your best every day. 2.)Be helpful 3.) Be respectful 4.) Be safe.

We are looking forward to another exciting week of learning in first grade!

 Here’s a look into the week ahead:

Reading:

Comparing and Contrasting Fiction and Non-Fiction Texts

Comparing the First Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving now.

Grammar:

Using past and present tense verbs correctly.

Most past tense verbs end in –ed For example,

 “Mrs. Peake jumped for joy when Auburn scored a touchdown!”

We will also focus on present tense verbs that end in –ing. For example,

 “Mrs. Peake is jumping for joy because her first graders are so smart!”

Phonics:

/ee/ as in week, feel, keep

Red Words: said, there, use

Math:

Measuring using non-standard (cubes, hands, arm spans, pencils, feet etc.) and standard (inches, feet, centimeters) units of measurement.

Science:

Continuing our inquiry of weather patterns.

Important Updates and Reminders:

·      Please be reminded that our Thanksgiving Feast is scheduled for Thursday November 21^st! We hope you can join us at 10:40 in the classroom for some yummy food to celebrate our thankfulness.

·          Please try and plan for your child to be in the classroom by 7:50 each morning. Ten minutes can make a big difference in allowing your child’s morning routine to run smoothly.

·     Don't forget to read 20 minutes every night! 

Thank you for your continued support at home and for sharing your child with me! It is a joy watching them grow each and every day!

All the best!

    Mrs. Peake 

Nov. 4-9

Hello Everyone!
    Time sure does fly when you're having fun in first grade! Can you believe it is already November? October was a very successful and fun-filled month. Thank you for volunteering so much of your time in the classroom to make it a special month for your child! A special thanks to  Elizabeth Newton for making Halloween so special for our little trick or treaters! She made "Boonanas" and "Monster Teeth" with the children out of different fruits!

 Last week we pretended to be meteorologists by creating and using weather instruments. This week your child will present his or her weather safety plan, which will lead us into our study of storms and the different ways that we can stay safe during inclement weather.

Here's a look into what else we will be exploring:

Reading: Making predictions before, during and after reading. 

Grammar: Identifying and using action verbs correctly.

Phonics: Introducing the use of 'qu' with review sounds. Ex: quit, quack, quick

Red words: your, when, we

Writing: Working with a partner to describe a weather scenario to present to the class.

Science: Studying storms and weather safety.

Math: Finding the missing addend in numeral equations, Comparing lengths, and solving number stories.

Important Announcements and Reminders:

*Please save the date to attend our THANKSGIVING FEAST that is scheduled for Nov. 21st at 10:40.  The children will decide which food items they would like to have at our feast this week. An invitation will go home in Wednesday Folders this week with your child's requested food item or paper product. 

CONGRATULATIONS to our risk-taking Star Student, Siena Moore! Siena is dedicated to learning each day and is a caring friend to others! Great job, Siena!

Oct. 28- Nov. 1

Greetings Everyone!
 

I hope everyone had a great weekend and an even better start to your week. We have been busy learning and having fun in first grade.  I so enjoyed meeting your child’s Grandparents and Special Friends last Friday! It’s always special to meet family members and celebrate together in the classroom.

October has been an eventful month of learning! We began our new unit of inquiry “Weather All Around.” Please remember that your child’s Weather Safety Plan is due next Monday, Nov. 4^th.  The students will present their plan to the class so please help your child rehearse.

The children are VERY close to filling up their BIG BUCKET OF FUZZIES. Please encourage your child to help the class earn our first big prize by making good choices. TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK!

I hope you are enjoying the JGB story this week! It is one of my favorites! I understand that the homework is lengthy, however, it is essential that your child complete all assignments so that they can have the full experience as well as contribute to discussions and activities in the classroom. Our discussion day is this Thursday. I am looking forward to hearing the children’s responses.

Here’s what to look forward to this week:

Reading: Analyzing and Interpreting our JGB story The Mouse and the Wizard.

Phonics: Spelling /ea/ in words such as: team, teal, each, etc. Red Words: all, were, what

Grammar: Possessive nouns. Examples: Mrs. Peake’s scarf, the student’s paper

Science: Studying and creating tools that measure weather.

Math:  Counting and making exchanges for nickels, pennies, dimes. Measuring and comparing lengths of two objects, and finding missing addends.

Announcements:

·      Please be on the lookout for an invitation to our upcoming Thanksgiving Feast on Nov. 21^st.

·      On Thursday, your child may choose to celebrate Halloween by wearing his or her costume. They may not wear masks that cover their face or bring weapons.

·      

·      I have launched a new Twitter account for our classroom in an effort to provide reminders, helpful educational articles/resources and to give you an even closer look into the classroom. Our twitter is available by invitation only. Please request to follow peakefirstgrade if you are on twitter. This is not a requirement only an additional resource. I hope that you choose to use it!

Our new, curious Star Student is Corey Holt! He is enthusiastic about learning and we are thankful that he is a part of our community. Great job, Corey!

Oct. 21-25

Hello Everyone!
    I hope you all are having a fantastic start to your week! Team Peake had a very successful day today in first grade! It's hard to believe we have already shared 51 days together...we decided that since we celebrate the 100th day of school, why not celebrate the 50th day? Therefore, we decided to have a short dance party during Calendar to celebrate being "half way to our 100th day."
   I want to thank you ALL once again for making my birthday the best yet! I'm not sure if the children told you, but they sang to me 6 times...once in French! One of our sweet friends wanted to coordinate a birthday "get together" and I told them that they would have to wait just one more week because on October 22nd we are planning to meet up with Mrs. O'Meara's class for a spirit night at Boneheads! If you are able to make it, we will be dining out at this fine establishment beginning at 5:30. A portion of their proceeds will go directly to the Sarah Smith Education Foundation. What a great way to hang out and earn some money for our school!

    I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting with you all for Fall Parent Teacher Conferences! As those come to an end, the children and I will be setting individual goals for the next nine weeks. Please continue to read with your child for 20 minutes each night and to read aloud to your child to build vocabulary comprehension.  This will be very important in developing their fluency! They know that great readers reread texts over and over again to read quickly, smoothly and with expression. Click here for a list of highly recommended classics to read to your child.
   Also please continue to practice basic addition and subtraction facts to 20 and skip counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's with your child. When that becomes too easy, challenge them by skip counting by 3's, 4's, 6's, etc.

Here's a look into the curriculum for this week:

Reading: Identifying the main idea and details in a story.

Grammar:  Identifying Proper Nouns and contractions 

Spelling:  Magic "e". When vowel and a consonant are following by an 'e', the vowel says it's name. For example: cut=cute, tap=tape, kit=kite

Red Words: one, by, word

Writing: Writing a story from the perspective of a raindrop going through the steps of the Water Cycle.

Sciences: Identifying the different types of clouds and how clouds affect and help us to predict different types of weather. 

Math: Continuing using frames and arrows to apply different rules in skip counting.

Important Reminders and Announcements:

*Please take a look at the updated "Wish List" tab to the right of our newsletter. 

*Please join us at Boneheads this Tuesday, Oct. 22nd @5:30 for a Spirit Night to raise money for our school and socialize with one another all at the same time. Mrs. O'Meara's friends will also be there to join us! See you there!

* Please be reminded that our Grandparents/Special Friends Day is coming up THIS FRIDAY, OCT. 25TH. First grade is scheduled from 9:00-9:45. A shuttle will be provided at the parking lot at Peachtree Presbyterian Church to bring our special guests to both campuses. Please meet in the auditorium for a special presentation by our students. It is going to be the best Grandparents/Special Friends Day, yet! Thank you to our own Karen Moore for all of her hard work towards this day! 

* CONGRATULATIONS to our newest and bright, star student, ARI BURTON! Ari is dedicated to learning each and every day and always has a smile on her face. She enjoys helping her friends and challenging herself in the classroom. We are thankful for our special friend!

Thank you for your continued support! As always please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Yours truly, 

Mrs. Peake 

Oct. 15th-18th

Hello All!
   I hope everyone enjoyed their Fall Break! I am very excited seeing the children again as we embark on yet another adventurous week in First Grade. We have began a new unit of study on Weather and our central idea is that human safety is connected to understanding weather patterns. Last week we met a real meteorologist and visited his weather van. We created our own "Weather Dictionaries" and used our Science books to understand the basic concepts of weather. This week we will be exploring how to use a thermometer to measure temperature as well as inquire about how and why temperature affects our daily lives. We will also be studying the Water Cycle.

Here's what we will be reviewing this week:

Reading: Identifying the main idea and details of a story, Identifying how characters can change throughout texts.

Spelling/Phonics: Reviewing words with the consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th) and the short vowel sounds. 

Red Words: have, or, from

Grammar: Reviewing plural nouns that follow the following rules: add 's' and add 'es'. Introducing the rule that if a noun ends in a 'y'. ex: 'baby' Then we drop the 'y' and add 'ies' to make 'babies'

Writing: Brainstorming, editing, and publishing a personal narrative.

Science: Exploring the steps of the Water Cycle and understanding how to use thermometers properly when studying weather.

Math: Reviewing basic addition and subtraction facts, telling time, and using the number line and hundred's grid to solve problems relating to addition and subtraction.

  

Important Announcements and Reminders

• This Friday our class will be traveling to the Chattahoochie Nature Center. Please make sure that your child wears his or her blue Sarah Smith Field Trip shirt on this day and brings his or her lunch in a brown paper sack so that it can be easily disposed.

Congratulations to our newest Star Student, Will Samady! We think that Will is principled when he listens to his teacher and his friends and follows directions the first time. Will shows curiosity when he asks questions and explores facts about different animals. We are proud of our new knowledgeable Star Student! Keep up the great work Will!

Our class is getting VERY close to their first big prize of filling up our big bucket of FUZZIES! Please encourage your child to help us reach our goal by following our Essential Agreements each day and coming to school ready to learn! We have to work as a team to fill up the bucket!

Thank you for your continued support at home!!

Gratefully yours, 

  

Jean Peake 

jpeake@atlanta.k12.ga.us

STAR STUDENT: PRESTON VASSAR

Congratulations to our newest Star Student, Preston Vassar! Preston is always showing his creativity and enthusiasm towards learning. Preston is a great example to others when he shows respect to his friends and teachers. Great job, Preston! We look forward to celebrating you this week!

Busy Week Ahead! Sept. 30-Oct. 4

Hello Firsties and Families!

    I hope everyone has had a relaxing and enjoyable weekend! This is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year. The leaves are changing color and our class family has had enough time to adjust to the classroom routines and understand their unique and important role in the classroom. "Team Peake" is ready to look back on the past nine weeks and reflect on what went well, as well as, create new goals for the next grading quarter.

   The month of October is full of exciting events that will surely be memorable for the children! Please ensure that you are checking your child's Wednesday Folder for communication as well as their Red Folder for any additional information. Please also make sure that you are always checking this blog as it is the BEST way to fully understand what your child is experiencing in the classroom and how you can help them from home or at school.

Here's what your child will be focusing on in the classroom next week:

Reading:

Summarizing and retelling the key details in a text.

Spelling: 

Introduce the /sh/ consonant digraph. Review all short vowels. (a,e,i,o,u)

Example of words that could possibly be on the test: shut, shop, bush, mesh

Red Words: his, they, be

Grammar:

Identifying plural nouns in a sentence. Using plural nouns properly in sentences. 

Writing:

Responding to Lois Ehlhert's children's book "Leaf Man" by creating our own Leaf Men and writing about their travels.

Science/Social Studies

Completing final touches of Non-Fiction Book and Comparing and Contrasting the different types of deserts across the world.

Math:

Identifying different types of patterns involving numbers, colors, shapes, etc. 

Important Announcements and Reminders:

• Monday, Sept. 30 from 12:45-1:15 in the Media Center- Our class will be purchasing books from the Book Fair. You are welcome to join your child at the book fair or send money in an enclosed envelope for your child to purchase books.
• Wednesday, Oct. 2nd is WALK TO SCHOOL DAY! 
• Thursday, Oct. 3rd Will be a 1/2 day training for the 1st grade team in the Everyday Mathematics Curriculum. We will be training from 11:30-3:00, therefore, our classes will each have a Kindergarten paraprofessional caring for our students. If your child's transportation changes that day, please send a note with your child that morning. I will not be available that afternoon.
• Friday, Oct. 4th- Please remember this is the due date for your child to bring in his or her Landforms' project. Your child will be asked to present their research to the class so please rehearse and practice before Friday! I can't wait to see all of their hard work! 
• Please be on the lookout for a SignUp Genius invitation to Parent Teacher Conferences. They will be taking place starting Oct. 7th through Oct. 25th. These conferences will be a focus on what's going well in the classroom as well as setting individual goals for your child. 
•  On Oct. 22nd our class will be joining Mrs. O'Meara's class at Boneheads for a Spirit Night. A portion of the money that is spent at Boneheads will go to Sarah Smith. Please join us at 5:30 to celebrate our great school and spend some quality time together outside of the classroom. 
• Grandparents and Special Friends day will take place on October 25th this year! Please mark your calendars. Invitations will come home in your child's Yellow Wednesday Folder.

Thanks for all your support at home! 

Gratefully, 

    Jean Peake