Jan. 27-31

Hello All!

 I hope you have had a wonderful weekend! Last week was an exciting week for us as we kicked off the Read-a-Thon! The children have been very motivated to read as many minutes as possible at school and I hope that they are sharing their enthusiasm with you at home as well! As the Read-a-Thon will be lasting until Feb. 6th, it is very important for your child to keep up with their yellow booklet and ensure that they bring it to school each day to log their reading.

There are many prizes that can be obtained through the Read-a-Thon itself, however, I have created a few classroom incentives as well. If your child already has a Buckhead Public Library card, please have them present it to me for an opportunity to "treasure shop" in the class' treasure box. If you and your child have not visited our local public library yet, I highly recommend it! You can also access several educational websites through their website by just entering in your library card number. Other incentives include a "no homework pass", lunch in the classroom, etc. for logging a certain number of minutes.

Please also allow your child to visit Tumblebooks to follow along stories online. The username for this site is: atlantaps. The password is: books

HAPPY READING!

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

Reading: Exploring and discussing our new JGB story, Eeyore Has a Birthday. 

Comparing and Contrasting two texts. 

Phonics: /er/ ex: her, perk, sister, winter

Red Words: some, would, into

Grammar: Using the verbs "go" and "do" correctly.

Writing: Brainstorm and create a creative birthday party invitation.

Science: Creating presentations for Polar Animals.

Math: Understanding and practicing Fact Families. 

Ex: fact family 5,6,11  ( 5+6=11, 6+5=11, 11-5=6, 11-6=5)

We are also looking forward to celebrating the Chinese New Year this week and its importance to the Chinese culture. We are thankful to have Kyle Fu's mom, Anne, come and share with us what makes this celebration so special! 

Important Updates and Reminders:

CONGRATULATIONS to our newest Star Student, Will Klein! Will is caring towards his friends when he listens to their ideas. He is also enthusiastic about learning new things at school each day. We are thankful that Will is a part of our classroom community and look forward to learning about him this upcoming week. 

Jan. 13-17

Dear First Grade Family,

   HAPPY NEW YEAR! Each child began their week by reflecting upon the things they feel the most proud of for accomplishing in 2013. After reflecting, they also constructed their new year’s resolutions. Team Peake has a lot to be proud of in 2013 and we are determined to make 2014 even better!

   We also began our new unit of inquiry this week. We traveled to the north and south poles, where some of the most fascinating and unique animals live. Our central idea for this unit is “living things need to adapt in order to survive.” By studying the animals that survive in these harsh Polar Regions, children will be exploring concepts such as camouflage, insulation, hibernation, and migration.  

      

Here’s a look into the curriculum this week:

Reading:

Making inferences throughout reading.

Phonics:

/oe/ ex: toe, foe, goes, doe, etc.

Red Words:

many, these, so

Grammar:

Using the verbs, “were” and “was” correctly.

Social Studies/Science:

Students will research and identify facts about a specific Polar Animal of their choice.

Students will also compare and contrast the Arctic region to the Antarctic region.

Math:

Review for Unit 5 test on place value and comparing quantities for their test on Wednesday. Unit 6 will begin on Thursday.

Writing:

Students will continue to record facts about their polar animal.

Important Announcements and Reminders:

·      Please note that Sarah Smith has changed their policy for tardies. Parents must accompany their child to the front office if they arrive at school past 8:00. I have asked that children arrive at 7:50 to ensure that they can complete their morning routines. Every minute of the school day counts!

·      CONGRATULATIONS to our newest Star Student, Nina Addaquay! Nina shows a commitment to learning and to building caring friendships in our classroom community. We are proud of her and look forward to learning more about what makes her so special this week!

·      THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for making the holidays such a special time for our class! It is always such a special time when we can all be together to celebrate! I cannot thank you enough for your amazing support and thoughtfulness you have shown me as well this year!

Thanks for your continued support!

Mrs. Peake