Dance-a-Thon

Our biggest school fundraiser is upon us!  If you have not had a chance to show your support, here is the link to the fundraiser.  It is very easy  to access and use.  

https://app.99pledges.com/fund/2019DAT. 

Each grade level has a theme song for the Dance-a-Thon.  Our theme song is Old Town Road.  You can see a glimpse of the kids when the first grade theme song came on the announcements this morning!

Thank you for your continued support! 

Number Bonds in Mathematics

Students are learning about number bonds in mathematics.  A number bond symbolizes the part-part-whole for both addition and subtraction.  The concept of number bonds helps children see the relationship between addition and subtraction and promotes number sense and mathematical fluency.

Concrete: 
Students start out by using familiar objects they can interact with.  By putting counters into two groups, students learn different ways a number can be made. 

Pictorial: Once students understand the concept with objects, students progress to writing on whiteboards or in workbooks with pictures.  

Abstract: After the concrete and pictorial steps are comfortable for students, the next step is to represent these number bonds using mathematical number sentences like: 3 + 2 = 5.

Building Good Reading Habits

During Reader's Workshop, students are learning to build good reading habits.  Some of the good reading habits we have learned are: take a sneak peek before reading, checking our sneak peeks when reading, set reading goals, re-read to smooth out our voices, and scoop up words like peanut butter and jelly.  Students are also learning to do something at the end of the book like retell the story in their mind, think about their favorite part, or predict what might happen next.  All of these habits are going to help us become the strongest readers we can be! 

Class-building and Team-building

We spent a good amount of time class building and team building during the first few weeks of school.

Why do we spend time team-building in the classroom? It increases our motivation and collaboration in the classroom.  It encourages students to think strategically and creatively.  It promotes improved communication and positive reinforcement. 

.... and it's just plain fun!  

The students also got to know each other through some fun activities.  

The students are still getting to know each other through partner work and group activities.  We will still try to incorporate some team-building and class-building during our class meeting times.  It is important for relationship-building and optimizing our learning.

So excited for our new kiddos in 1S!  We are going to have a great year together.