Week of October 15th

Dear Parents,                                                                                   October 14, 2012

Please make sure that your fabulous first grader goes over these areas of study with you this week.

Virtue of the Month: *Self-control and Self-discipline

Saxon Math: Lessons 22- 24: Write the numbers 20 through 24; Addition/sums and subtraction/difference and taking away, Number sentences; Graphing and Math centers in the classroom

History/Geography: * Early people and civilizations- the earliest people:  Hunters and Nomads

                                   

Religion: Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, St. Joseph, The Holy Family and Being Like Jesus; Wednesday-Class Mass @ 8:00

Science: *Ocean habitats – complete booklets; * Review of habitats; Shoebox Diorama of a Habitat - due on Friday, October 26 (Refer to News to know for more information); The Skeletal System, cont.

Literature: *Teacher “October-themed” selections;  *October poetry for October Writing Journal

Reading: Reading Centers: Individual and Group Reading with the teacher, SSR – Student Silent Reading, Buddy Reading (with other 1^st graders and with our 4^th grade Reading Buddies) and Listening Center as a class

Saxon Phonics: Worksheet 23- Spelling with k and c; Worksheet 24- Trace/Write Bb- balloon; Worksheet 25-Assessment #4; Identify letter sounds and code vowels and consonants; Identify and/or match pictures with corresponding sound of each letter and/or matching letter. 

Spelling:  Spelling List 2; Rainbow words and sentences; Spelling Pre-test on Thursday; Spelling test on Friday (if not 100% on Thursday;) Around the World (sight word and spelling words) in class and/or Sight word /Spelling word Bingo

Language Arts: Capitals, periods, question marks and exclamation marks, Spelling word sentences

Art: * October themes art and crafts

News to Know:

Our last day for ITBS testing is this Monday.  The children said they are sad to see it end.  “Filling in the bubbles was fun!” said one test taker J

Thank you for your support in having your child be the best prepared for testing.

Shoebox Diorama Habitat project- the children have nearly finished with our study of habitats.  They have been shown some samples of a box style home made habitat. 

Please help your child decide upon an ocean/water, desert, meadow/prairie, rainforest/forest or underground habitat.

They may use a shoebox (or similar small box) to decorate their habitat by coloring, gluing, painting items found in this habitat.  The children saw a lot of great ideas on last week’s field trip!

Shoebox Dioramas are due on Friday, October 26^th.

Weekly Reading logs (due every Friday) will start next week for homework.  You or your child may write out book titles read.  It is the greatest gift you can give your first grader – reading aloud to them or them to you!