Curriculum Update and Upcoming Events

Hello First Grade Falcon Families,

Summer break is just around the corner!  We’ve been keeping very busy in first grade.  Please read the following curriculum updates and information about upcoming events.

Language Arts

Riggs - Along with continually learning new words, we’re learning the last few phonograms!  Please review the phonogram cards with your student as needed to remember the sounds and sayings of each phonogram.  Be sure that your student is SAYING AND WRITING the phonograms as they practice.

IEW - After we finished our class book and sent it off to be published (woohoo!), we began researching about habitats.  We’ve researched and written Key Word Outlines (KWO) about these habitats: forest, underground, desert, ocean, and rainforest.  Next, the students will begin writing a short (one paragraph) report about their favorite habitat and their favorite living thing from that habitat.  They will then present their report in front of the class dressed as the living thing they chose followed by a “Living Things Parade” (see below for details about this event).

Reading - All of the first graders are reading!  It has been amazing to watch their growth.  Next week Mrs. Adams and I will begin assessing the students during Guided Reading Groups to find their reading level.  

During read aloud we’ve been reviewing all of the things we’ve learned about analyzing different texts.  At this point, the students should know how to:   sequence stories, identify the main idea, retell, identify the genre (informational vs. story), identify the main characters, identify who’s talking at various points, identify the author’s purpose (inform vs. entertain), use pics to gather information, make predictions, make inferences, and compare and contrast different stories.

Support Idea(s):

• Practice writing sentences that ask a question.  If your student has a question to ask you, ask them to write it down, in a complete sentence with correct punctuation, before you give them the answer.
• Specials will be over on May 23rd.  Have your student write a thank you note to their specials teachers to show how much they appreciate them!
• Don’t forget about www.Raz-kids.com!  Reminder: my teacher username is “varis”, your student’s password is the initials of their first and last name and student number (i.e. jf11).

Math

The current math concepts we have been and will be focusing on include:

• *Multiplying by 5 is the same as counting by 5
• Centimeters are metric units of measure used to measure length
• There are special measuring tools for measuring length
• Geometric solids can be described and classified by the number and shapes of the faces
• Different activities are measured using different units of time

Support Idea(s):

• Online math practice links:
• Time -  “Stop the Clock” http://cascadeheights.grade.pinnaclesuite.com/
• Money
• “Spending Spree” http://www.primarygames.com/Spending%20Spree/start.htm
• Counting money http://www.hbschool.com/activity/counting_money/

• Ask your student these questions:

• When you multiply by 5, what pattern do you see in the answers?
• What measuring tool will I use to measure the length of a pencil?
• How are a cube and rectangular prism alike?  Different?
• What are some things I can do in one second? One minute? One hour

*taken directly from Saxon Math 2

Science

We have concluded our final history unit and we’re on to our last unit: Living Things and Their Environments.  Below are the concepts we will be focusing on.

*HABITATS

• Living things live in environments to which they are particularly suited.
• Specific habitats and what lives there, for example: Forest, Underground, Desert, Water
• The food chain: a way of picturing the relationships between living things
• Animals: big animals eat little ones, big animals die and are eaten by little ones.
• Plants: nutrients, water, soil, air, sunlight

*OCEANS AND UNDERSEA LIFE

• Most of the earth is covered with water.
• Oceans are salt water (unlike fresh water rivers and lakes).
• Ocean water is constantly moving
• Landscape of the ocean floor: mountain peaks and deep valleys (trenches)
• Diversity of ocean life: from organisms too small for the eye to see (plankton), to giant whales

*ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND HABITAT DESTRUCTION

• Effects of population and development
• Rainforest clearing, pollution, litter

*SPECIAL CLASSIFICATIONS OF ANIMALS

• Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, extinct animals

**Content taken or paraphrased from the Core Knowledge Sequence

Support Idea(s):

• Talk with your student about what they have learned during our science and history lessons at school. Ask questions and see if they are able to answer them. If they are unable to answer your questions, provide extra support for them by reading books (from the library), or finding appropriate websites on the topics we're studying. Ask questions during and after the reading to encourage involvement and comprehension.

Bonus Field Trip to the Portland Aquarium, Wednesday, May 29th

Who: CHPCS First Grade

What: Field trip to the Portland Aquarium

When: Wednesday, May 29th, 2013

Where: 16323 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Milwaukie, Oregon 97267

Why: As a part of the Core Knowledge Sequence, we will study about living things and the ocean as a habitat for those living things.

How: Bus

Itinerary:

8:00 - 11:45 - School as normal

11:50 - Load up vehicle(s) and head to the Portland Aquarium

12:15 - Aquarium tour/explore

2:00 - Bathroom/snack break

2:30 - Load up vehicle(s) and head to CHPCS

2:30 - Reflections

3:25 - Dismissal

Habitat Presentations and Living Things Parade - Thursday, May 30th

As a part of our science unit on living things each student will write a short report in class on their favorite habitat.  For their presentation of the report (12:00pm) and our “Living Things Parade”(3:00pm) on Thursday, May 30th, the students will then select their favorite living thing from that habitat to dress up as.  Your student will need your help to create a costume of the living thing they chose.  PLEASE DO NOT BUY OR RENT A COSTUME.  As much as you can, please reuse materials that you already have around the house!

You are invited to come and watch the presentations and the parade.   Each student will be assigned a time to present and for the “Living Things Parade” the students will parade around the school in their homemade costume for all to “ooh” and “ahhh”.  Come join us if you can!  The presentation schedule will be available on the right sidebar of this blog.  

MAP Testing

The students did a great job overall of going slowly and doing their best on the reading and math MAP assessments.  We are going to go back to the lab in a few weeks to do any make-up testing and/or finishing of incomplete tests.  

2012-2013 CHPCS Perception Survey

Both parents and students should take the annual CHPCS perception survey.  Links to the student and parent perception surveys are below.  Parents:  Please read the survey aloud to your student(s).  It is recommended that students take the survey first, followed by their parent.

Student perception survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/OR_EFF_STU16_NCSD_CascadeHghts

Parent perception survey:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/OR_EFF_PAR_NCSD_CascadeHghts

Calendar At a Glance

Friday, May 10th	Field Trip Friday - Audubon Society of Portland
Thursday, May 16th	*5th - 8th grade music recital and art show, 6:30 - 8:00PM *PTA Meeting, 5:30PM
Thursday, May 23rd	Last day for specialists
Monday, May 27th	NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
Wednesday, May 29th	Bonus Field Trip - Portland Aquarium
Thursday, May 30th	*All School Assembly hosted by kindergarten, 8:00AM *Habitat presentations, 12:00 - 3:00PM *Living Things Parade, 3:00PM
Tuesday, June 4th	Field Day
Wednesday, June 5th	*USO Show, 9:30 - 11:30AM *Last day of school, dismissal at 11:30AM *Year End BBQ, 11:30 - 12:30AM

Thank you for reading this lengthy update.  Please write “Living Things” into your student’s planner so that I can see it and I will give your student two tickets for your diligence.

THANK YOU!

-Mrs. Varis