First Grade News August 11, 2014

Curriculum Highlights
Classroom jobs and routines supporting independence
Math counting, recognizing numbers and patterns
Word Study review - vowels and consonants short a
Social Studies The Melawati Way (school conduct code)

Reminders
Every Monday a newsletter with suggestions for follow up activities at
home will be posted on our blog in the Newsletters Page.
Today, if you have not yet labeled your childs hat, backpack, lunchbox,
uniform and drink bottle please do so with name and class 1MT.
Tuesday, August 26th, 6:30pm Open House. Curriculum evening for
parents.


News from Ms. Tindalls class
We have had a wonderful start to the school year. All the children
are excited and making friends. We have been adjusting to the new
routines of First Grade life and exploring our daily jobs such as the
calendar, attendance monitor and days of the week. Many children in
the class have been trying out the school lunch menu. Please remember
to have a conversation with your child before school every morning so
that he/she knows if s/he has lunch and or snack from home or
school. It would be also helpful if you discussed with your child what
they like from the buffet menu (available on Panther Apps) so that when
it is time to make selections from the buffet they actually choose
something other than white rice !
Each week well send some suggested activities for home. They are
optional and not graded, marked or collected. Theyre activities that
follow up on learning in the classroom. These activities reflect the
baseline of whats going on in class and you can use them to see how your
child is managing and hence provide extra support or extension as needed.
These are just suggestions however. Play, conversations, games and
involvement in your daily activities are just as, if not more, valuable so we
highly encourage you to have a game of Uno, cook together, talk about the
day, or visit the park with your child. These types of engagements are
authentic, meaningful ways for your child to learn about the world and
apply new skills.

In partnership,
Ms. Tindall


Parent Information - Spel l ing

Writing and recognizing the vowel
l etters



Every syllable of a word must have at least one vowel letter.



Many vowels may be short, such as !a" in apple, or long, such
as !i" in ice. However some may represent a different sound,
work in a team or even be silent!


The vowels are:
a e i o u
And sometimes y

















A vowel is long when it represents the sound
of its own name

The sign to show that a vowel is !long" is a horizontal line
placed over the vowel. This is called a macron.

a e i o u
y




A vowel is short when it represents the following sounds:

a as in pat
e as in pet
i as in pit
o as in pot
u as in cut

The sign for a short vowel is an inverted arc placed over the
vowel letter. This is called a breve.

# ! " # $
y











Suggested Home Acti vi ti es

Monday:
Talk with an adult about one thing you like about school.
Why do you like it? (Take turns: Ask that adult whats one
thing they appreciated about their day. Ask him/her to
explain why.)

Tuesday:
Tell an adult what your job is this week. How do you do it?
Why might it be important? What daily jobs do you already
do in your home? What are some responsibilities at home
you might be ready for this year as a first grader?
Wednesday:
Talk with an adult about the many ways you can Take Care
of Yourself. Find examples and note them at home. EG Im
brushing my teeth. Thats taking care of myself because Im
preventing tooth decay.

Thursday:
Talk with an adult about the many ways you can Take Care
of Others. Find examples and note them at home. Im
playing quietly while my sister does her homework. This is
taking care of her by giving her quiet time to learn.

Fri day:
Poem Collection. Put your finger on each word and
recite/sing the songs/poems we have been learning in class.
Put your Poem Collection back inside your backpack so that
you remember to return i t to school on Monday.
Talk with an adult about the many ways you can Take Care
of this Place. Find examples and note them at home. Im
taking care of this place by not using plastic bags. By
bringing a reusable bag from home, Im reducing the amount
of waste we produce.