Welcome Back!

Dear First Grade Family,

Welcome back to school!  I hope you are as excited as I am to start a brand new school year.  My name is Miss Nikchevich and I will be your child’s teacher this year.  I am very excited to have your child in my class and am looking forward to getting to know your child and your family.  This is an exciting year for your child.  Your child will make so much growth throughout the course of this year in reading, math, and socially.  With both of our support your child will be sure to succeed!

This year we will be learning new sight words, making important meaning out of both fiction and nonfiction text, and working on our reading fluency.  In math we will be little mathematicians as we work on adding and subtracting numbers within 20, learning about geometry, and measuring concepts.  We will learn how to be writers and authors.  Students will be writing stories and using rich language to enhance their writing while focusing on one main idea.  It is going to be a BUSY year!

Your child is allowed to bring a snack for the morning.  We have a long morning so I do recommend sending them with something healthy to eat.  Please stay away from chips and dessert foods.

I am thrilled that the year is beginning and I know we will be off to a great start!  Please let me know if you have any questions or comments along the way.  My email is jnikchevich@norridge80.net.  Follow along as we progress through the year through our classroom webpage.  You will find information from our newsletter, spelling lists, homework information, and specials schedules listed on our class website!

Looking forward to a great year!

Miss Nikchevich

We Can Make a Claim!

Classroom News

Reading: Students continued learning about the author’s purpose and making a claim to support that purpose.  Our week centered around informative books.  We selected and read books which taught facts.  A student favorite of the week was a book entitled Pop!  This book taught students about the history of bubble gum.  Kids were entertained by the book and also learned new information.  Then, we cited evidence from the text supporting our claim of reading an informative book.  The evidence we cited was in written form.  We are doing a great job with making a claim!

Math: Students continued preparing for second grade math by adding double digits and learning about repeated addition.  We also continued to practice counting mixed coins.

Grammar: First grade has mastered using the art of pronouns!

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: We will spend our final week in school making a claim to support the author’s purpose.  This time the selections will be mixed.  Students will read a variety of books on persuasion as well as informative and entertaining books.  Just like last week, students will read a selection, identify the author’s purpose and make a claim using evidence from the text. 

Math: We will continue to spend time on money while also preparing for second grade math.

Grammar: Students will be reviewing topics taught throughout the year.

Phonemic Awareness:

Students will spend time reviewing sounds and vowel combinations taught throughout the year.

Non Fiction Text Features and Life Cycles

Reading: Our knowledge of life cycles certainly has heightened as we spent another week on this topic.  We really enjoyed learning about turtles, apes, and chickens.  We continued to identify text features and visual features.  These informative features really help us learn more about the topic we are reading about.  When reading a nonfiction selection at home or at the library, please have your child point out any text and/or visual features.   

Math: Students began learning about money.  We introduced the penny and nickel.  We spent time identifying these coins, counting these mixed coins, and making change.  This is challenging to many students so please do your best to practice at home.  We also began to prepare for second grade math.  We took first grade topics and really advanced the skill level.  For example, we returned to the topic of place value but increased our numbers to over 100!  Way to go first graders.  We also worked on greater than and less than with numbers over 100.

Grammar: Students did well learning about pronouns for girls (she), boys (he), things (it), and groups (we).

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Next week we learn about making a claim to support the author’s purpose.  Students are already familiar with author’s purpose (persuade, inform, and entertain).  This may sound like a mature goal and subject but keep in mind we will read selections about persuasion and discuss what the author is trying to persuade us to do or to think.  We will practice this with many fiction books.  We will use the text to support our claim and prove it.

Math: Our study of money will continue.  Students will learn about a dime and a quarter.  We will also continue to prepare for second grade by advancing our first grade skills.  We will continue with place value and learn about addition and subtraction function tables.

Grammar: Pronouns will continue for another week.  We will focus on the the pronouns I and me which will take the place of a name.  Use I in the subject of the sentence.  Use me after an action verb.

Ex. I invent things.

      My friend Kim helps me.

                         

Phonemic Awareness:

The letters aw  and au can stand for the vowel sound in ball.

The letters ea can stand for the short e sound or the long e sound.  The context provides the clue to the pronunciation.

Important Dates:

ABC Schedule

5/19 No Homework Day

5/20 Once Upon a Time

5/21 Picnic Day: bring a blanket!

5/22 Fun Day!

5/23 Read Outside Day 

"Whoooooooo is Telling the Story" Point of View in First!

Classroom News

Reading: Students began to learn about point of view.  First person point of view is when the character is telling the story.  Clue words students should look for include I, me, my, and our.  Third person point of view is when the author or narrator is telling the story.  Clue words students can look for include he, she, him, they, and them.  We will continue this topic for another week.

Math: We began working on Chapter 12-Two-Dimensional Geometry.  Students practiced how to sort and describe two-dimensional shapes based on the number of straight sides and vertices.

Grammar: Students practiced giving and acting out commands.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: First grade is going to be very busy next week!  Students will continue to practice point of view.  We will also continue to engage students in a read aloud of a first person or a third person selection.  Then, we will identify the point of view as well as some evidence from the text.  If time permits, we will do a bit of role playing from the perspective of several characters in our selections.  Finally, we will write a letter from the perspective of a character in one of our selections to truly reinforce point of view.

Math: Chapter 12 Two Dimensional Geometry

Students will work on finding shapes in existing shapes, take apart two-dimensional shapes, identify equal and unequal parts, and begin learning about halves and fourths.

Grammar: Exclamations

An exclamation is a sentence that shows strong feeling.

Ex.             School is a blast!

            Pride night was awesome!

Phonemic Awareness:

Diphthong ou /ou/

Sometimes the letters ou stand for the dipthong /ou/.  In a dipthong, each vowel contributes to the sound.

Fables and More!

Classroom News

Reading: Our unit on fables has taken off with much success.  Students have read and discussed a number of Aesop’s Fables including The Tortoise and the Hare, The Lion and the Mouse, The Ant and the Grasshopper, Belling the Cat, and The Sheperd Who Cried Wolf.  After reading each fable, students discussed the central message and our own interpretation of the central message.  We are learning many valuable life lessons such as slow and steady wins the race, even a small creature can be helpful, and our favorite, there is a time for work and a time for play.  Please probe your child about a few other messages we’ve learned.

Math: Three-dimensional geometry has been a fun change of pace for students.  We have used colorful manipulatives to help reinforce our knowledge of shapes.  We anticipate a chapter test on Tuesday.

Grammar: We continued to work on adjectives for how many.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Aesop’s fables will continue for one more week.  We will continue to read a new fable each day, discuss the central message, and our own interpretation.

Math:  Three Dimensional Geometry will continue for a couple more days.  We plan to assess on Tuesday.  Our next unit is Chapter 12 Two-Dimensional Geometry.  Geometry is often described as the study of objects in space.  So, two-dimensional geometry is the study of two-dimensional space.  Children can explore two-dimensional geometry by working with drawings, concrete models, or electronic tools.

Grammar: Adjectives That Compare

Add –er to an adjective to compare two people, places, or things.

Add –est to an adjective to compare three or more people, places, or things.

Ex. The cat is smaller than the dog.

The mouse of the smallest of the three.

Phonemic Awareness:

Suffixes –ly and –ful

Some words consist of a base word and the ending –ly which can tell how or –ful which can mean “full of.”

Vowel sounds in moon

Important Dates:

4/16 Early Dismissal

4/18 No School

4/21 No School

It's As Easy "PIE"

Classroom News

Reading: Students have spent time learning about Natural Disasters and weather patterns.  We have read books about tornados, lightning, floods, and our least favorite, blizzards.  After reading about each of the topics, students were asked about the author’s purpose for writing the book.  We used a great visual to help us. PIE has prompted students to remember that authors write books to Persuade, Inform, and Entertain.

Math: Our chapter on graphing has continued with great success.  Students seem to have really grasped the concept of graphs representing data.  We have learned how to read and also graph picture graphs, bar graphs, and tally charts.

Grammar: We continued to work on adjectives for what kind.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Our focus will be on Aesop’s fables.  Students will have numerous opportunities to read classic fables and identify the central message of each selection.  (The central message is another term for moral).  After students read a fable, we will document the central message as well as any talking animals.  Students will also learn to identify themes written in a fable which include the following: appearances can be deceiving, lying will catch up to you, you are judged by the company you keep, don’t underestimate the ability of others, do the right thing even if it is hard to do, and selfishness will bring you misery.

Math:  Chapter 11 Three Dimensional Geometry

In this chapter, children begin to focus on defining attributes of three-dimensional shapes.  They describe and sort shapes according to their attributes.  The shapes we will learn about include: cone, cube, cylinder, rectangular prism, and sphere.

Grammar: Adjectives for How Many

            Ex. one baby

                   three dogs

Phonemic Awareness:

A compound word is made up of two or more shorter words.

Vowels eu, ue, ui

Ex. grew, clue, suit

Important Information

Room 103 will attend the Book Fair on Tuesday.

4/11 Reports Cards will be sent home

                       

In the Final Stretch...

Hi All,

Hope you all had a great Spring Break!  I can't believe how fast this year has been flying by.  We are in the final stretch of the school year.  Hopefully the weather will start to get a little bit warmer and the students can start to enjoy being outside more.  We need it to feel more like spring! Here is the newsletter.  Have a great week! :)

Classroom News

Reading: Students have spent one final week reading fairy tales.  We have also continued to identify fairy tale elements and work in our Fairy Tale Journal.  Students enjoyed reading Pinocchio and a classic we all know and love, The Three Little Pigs.  At the end of the week students were given a summative assessment.  This assessment was used to determine how well students can compare and contrast the experience of character in differing selections.

Math: The kids are catching on to graphing super fast!  We really enjoyed graphing our favorite time of day.  Room 103 loves the afternoon and Room 104 and Room 105 are partial to the evening.

Grammar: We continued to work on adjectives for size.

The Spring Musical was a sensation.  The first graders looked like movie stars and did a wonderful job performing.  Thank you to all who attended!

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Upon return from the much anticipated Spring Vacation students will learn about natural disasters.  We will spend a day dedicated to each of the following catastrophes: blizzards, floods, lightning, tornados, and hurricanes.  Our goal is for students to identify the author’s purpose.

Math:  Chapter 10 Represent Data continued

Students will continue to learn about bar graphs, tally charts, and representing data.  We anticipate a chapter test at the end of the week we return.

Grammar: Adjectives for What Kind

                        Ex.             bright moon

                   happy children

                   hot chili

Phonemic Awareness:

Long i: ie, igh

Students will be reminded that when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.

When i is followed by gh, the i usually stands for its long sound and the letters gh are silent.