December News

Hello 1C Families,
We are having a wonderful time in school since Thanksgiving. The Advent season is very special here at our school. The children are enjoying their daily countdowns as we color in our Advent calendars each morning. We are learning all about the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you all for helping us to complete the Advent Angels project. The children are very proud of their angels, all of which reflect the good deeds that they did recently. I am also very happy to say that we have collected enough money to purchase 2 grocery store gift cards for the Giving Tree at the Church. Thanks for your generosity. Every little bit helps!

In SUPERKIDS we are starting unit 6. In unit 6 we learning about long vowel sounds, adding consonants before adding ed, and ing endings, and comparing long/ short vowels. We are also working on comprehension skills, oral reading skills, sequencing events, and reviewing Memory Words on a daily basis. In class we are working on copying from the board, enjoying lots of seasonal stories, and writing about our own gingerbread friend.

In Math we are reviewing addition facts. We will be starting subtraction facts this weeks as well. We will also focus on measurement, ordinal numbers, problem solving, and lots of seasonal math games.

In Science we are almost finished with our extensive Trees unit. The class loves this! We are comparing coniferous, deciduous, and evergreen trees We are comparing trees and shrubs trees in the 4 seasons, and lots of reading and notes in our learning. After Christmas vacation we will begin the next unit which is about Habitats.

In Social Studies we are gong to be spending time learning about holiday traditions in other parts of the world. We will be jumping from continent through stories and making some fun projects.

In Religion our focus is on the Holy Family, Advent, Christmas and all of the joys of the season.

OTHER NEWS:

1. Thank you to the families who placed Scholastic book orders online. I hope it was as simple as it was for me! The final order for the holidays is on its way to us.

2. Our annual Christmas Show for grades 1-4 students will be on December 16th at 7:00. The children are wearing their "holiday best'. Please do not plan on wearing jeans or sneakers. Ladies may wear shoes other than school shoes, but please keep in mind that the children will be going up and down the risers on stage. Thank you.

3. Please be sure that you have labeled/ relabeled your child's sweatshirts, sweaters, hats, mittens, and all other outerwear.

Send "Cheer" to Military Families

Cheerios® and the USO are proud to team up to support military families

When duty calls, our nation's military families rise to the challenge to help support our country.  Military families, whether on bases or in their communities, often face separation, relocations, single parenting duties and economic stress.  There are more than 1.4 million active duty military members supported by more than 3.6 million family members, and 70 percent of married active duty military members have children.

So this fall, Cheerios® and the USO are partnering to send "Cheer" to military families to thank and encourage them for their commitment to our country.  Specially marked boxes of Cheerios cereal will feature "Cheer" postcards, which can be cut out and mailed to military families through a partnership with the USO.  Even more, for each postcard received, Cheerios will donate $1 to the USO to help support programs for military families.  Cheerios has already donated $150,000 and will donate up to an additional $100,000 based upon the number of postcards received by November 30, 2012.

Cheerios invites you to show your appreciation by sending a simple "thank you" using the "Cheer" postcard found on the front of specially marked boxes of Cheerios in stores through mid-November.

How Does the Program Work?
Locate a specially marked Cheerios cereal box in your grocery store.  After purchasing the box, there are just 3 easy steps!

Cut out the postcard found on the front of the box.  You will see cut out lines around the "Cheer" in the Cheerios logo.
On the back-side of the postcard, write a message of encouragement or a simple "thank you."
Add postage, and drop the pre-addressed post card in the mail.
Once the postcards are received, the USO will distribute them to military families on bases and in USO centers.  Sending your 'thanks' is a simple, personal gesture of appreciation that will mean so much for the recipient.

About the USO
The USO is a nonprofit organization that helps lift the spirits of America's troops and their families.  For over 70 years, the USO has provided a touch of home to our troops and their families through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services.  When a loved one is away serving, the USO steps in to be a second family for our military families, providing support and tools.  The donation from the "Cheer" program will help fund services and programs like the following:

USO Centers
Supporting and comforting military families throughout the world

Military families —whether on bases or in their communities—face isolation, relocations, single parenting duties and often, economic stress. At more than 160 locations, the USO steps in by offering social activities for families, navigation tools for moving to new communities, and support during difficult times such as deployment and loss of a loved one.  USO Centers adapt to the changing needs of families — in these difficult economic times, they've begun offering "no dough dinners," where military personnel and their families can get a free dinner when the paycheck runs low, no questions asked.

With You All the Way
Helping kids cope when Mom or Dad is deployed or comes home different

Imagine what it is like to be a child knowing that your parent is in harm's way, and yet trying to be a typical kid like all your friends. "With You All the Way" is one of the USO's signature family programs developed in partnership with the Trevor Romain Foundation to help children and their families prepare for deployment, stay connected during the separation, plan for reintegration and at times, cope with the wounding or loss of a military parent. "With You All the Way" reaches kids through performances at schools, DVDs and kits – all to provide them with the tools they need to live a normal life while Mom or Dad is away serving.

  United Through Reading's Military Program
Keeping families connected through the power of a simple story.

The USO joined United Through Reading® in 2006 to host the Military Program.  Using all the emotion and inflection as if they were in the same room with their children, troops visiting a host USO Center, or even stationed at a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan, read one of many available storybooks into a video camera.  The USO mails the DVD recording and book home.  Children then watch Mom or Dad and listen to their loving voice at bedtime, naptime, or anytime.  Families back home complete the circle by sending back a touch of home – a photo of the child watching the deployed Mom or Dad reading the book.  In 2010, the USO shipped more than 70,000 books and DVDs to military families, bringing the total recordings for the past three years to more than 184,000.  

OPERATION PHONE HOME®
Connecting families with their loved ones abroad

With OPERATION PHONE HOME®, the USO provides that very important personal connection that helps deployed troops reach out to their families and stay in touch. Since the program's inception, the USO has distributed more than 2.8 million prepaid international calling cards, each featuring 300 units of talk time.  In 2009, the USO launched a satellite-based connectivity network, providing a private phone network, high-speed Internet bandwidth and WIFI access points for deployed troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. In 2010, troops made nearly 2.5 million free phone calls home using this network – an average of 200,000 free calls per month. Also thanks to this network, a number of deployed fathers in forward operating bases have gotten the chance to see the birth of their children via Skype. 

For more information on the USO, visit www.USO.org.

Cheerios will have many exciting events this fall in support of "Cheer." Check back soon for more information!


Related Products:


Cheerios®

Just A Few Things from 1C!

Hello 1C Families!
Thank you all for the wonderful response to our Thanksgiving Food Collection. We have the turkey box in our room and it is ready to be filled. Please send in your items as directed.

Class Picture Day is tomorrow, 11/10. Please be sure your cherubs are dressed in their uniforms including a school sweater or knit vest. Also, if you have not passed in your picture order form please do so.

Our annual Veterans Day Program is tomorrow at 1:30. All are invited to attend this tribute. The children have been making sweet veterans to pass out to our honored guests.

Tomorrow will will celebrate working together and good listening. Our class has earned a reward! We will be having a Popsicle treat at lunch time! Good Job, 1C!

Thank you to all of the families who have purchased Scholastic Book online! We have earned 7 free books for our classroom! There are many levels of books available on the website. The next deadline for ordering books online is December 6th so you can have your books for Christmas giving.

Thanks so much for the hand sanitizer donations for our classroom. It is so appreciated!

We have really enjoyed having Guest Readers come in in recent weeks! Mrs. Sangappa is coordinating our schedule so please contact her to sign up! You can BYOB or borrow one of mine if need be. Don't be shy! The kids LOVE this!

Our turkey projects are due on Tuesday, 11/15! I cannot wait to see how handsome and lovely they will be dressed! This is a favorite project for sure!!
Until next time! Mrs. Dufault

Hello 1C Families!

I hope that all is well with you and your families. What a crazy long weekend it was. I was happy to return to school today. It was great to see the kids come through the door and for some of them to warm up! Just a couple of quick things...

1. Are having a spelling quiz on Friday, 11/4. The words are easy and these smarties can definitely handle this list!: look, are,for, was, your, the.

2. I am asking for all families to please send in a pump top hand sanitizer. I am in need of some and really want to keep the kids healthy! Thank you in advance for your help with this!

Saint Information Page Due: Thursday, 10/27

This is a reminder that the children need to bring their completed saint page to school this Thursday! Please be sure that your child has a printed picture of his or her saint. We will be starting our in class project on Thursday aftermoon. Thanks in advance!

Scholastic Books Online Ordering

Online Ordering Information
Web address: scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: JNMQR

Dear Parent,

Now it's easier than ever to find the perfect books for your child -- shop our NEW online Book Clubs Web site. Choose from a much-wider selection of books than in the printed flyer. Plus, you can send your orders directly to me online and use your credit card to pay.

Best of all, we earn a FREE book for the classroom library every time a parent places an order online.*

It's so simple! Here's how it works:
SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Register" button in the "First Time Here?" section. Register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code shown above. This unique code ensures that your order is sent to me. 

SELECT the books you'd like to order -- choose from thousands of titles -- many more than in our monthly flyers. 

SEND your order to me online by the due date and your child's books will be delivered directly to my classroom.
Ordering online is fast, easy, and secure.

Of course, you can still order using the form from the printed flyer. But why not see for yourself how convenient it is to order online?


Thank you,

Mrs Dufault
*Excludes eBooks.

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Units 1 and 2 Wrap Up

A Message from the SUPERKIDS Publishing Company

Your child has just completed Units 1 and 2 of Adventures of the Superkids reading
program. In our first Student Book, we learned the sounds for the letters sh, ch, tch, th, and
wh and practiced reading and spelling words such as shop, chin, catch, think, and whip. Ask
your child how we revealed hidden pictures to go with the words in the Student Book.
We also read stories about the Superkids in our Adventures of the Superkids Reader.
Ask your child about Sal’s embarrassing problem in “A Patch in a Pinch” and Oswald’s
unusual pet in “What a Pet!” Ask how Frits used a nickel to solve his problem.
As you look through the Student Book for Units 1–2, try some of these activities with
your child:
• Have your child read aloud the words on pages 2, 4, 5 and 18. Together, see if you
can think of other words that begin or end with sh, ch, tch, or th.
• Turn to page 13 and ask your child about the different meanings we learned for the
word patch. Have your child tell how patch was used in three of the Reader stories
we read.
• Ask your child to read aloud the jump rope jingle on page 16. If your child stumbles
on a word, pause before you give help so that your child can try to figure out the
word on her own.
• Talk about the sentence your child wrote at the bottom of page 16. Talk about other
wishes you or your child might have and together write a family wish list.
Learning to read is tough, but support and practice at home can make a big difference
in helping your child develop as a reader!
Reproducible Page © 2009 by Rowland Reading Foundation
3 English

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The Latest News from 1C- October

Hello 1C Families! We sure have been busy in our class. In the past few weeks we've earned our second class reward! Three extra punches on our weekly punch cards. When we complete our punch cards we all get to earn a prize.

We had a wonderful time on our field trip to Honey Pot Hill. Thank you to all of the parents who offered to volunteer. I assure you that there were be lot of opportunities for helping out in school this year.

Many thanks to our class homeroom parents: Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Byron, and Mrs. Sangappa. These ladies will be contacting you regarding special activities, volunteer opportunities, and class projects. They will also be coordinating Guest Readers to come into our classroom. The schedule will be sent out in the next week or so. The first special event is our annual Pumpkin Day, 10/28. On this day we will have fun using pumpkins for math and science activities. Parent volunteers and pumpkin donations will be needed. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!

Please note that information about our first grade All Saints' Day project was sent home today. Please be sure that your child has their completed assignment on the due date, 10/27 . The children will also need to have a picture of their saint printed from the Internet. We will be using the information and picture for a special project in class.

Thanks to the families who recently donated items from our class wish list. We are in need of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, packages of mini Play Do, and cotton swabs. If you wish to send something in feel free!

Curriculum News:
In SUPERKIDS we are presently working on unit 3. In units 3 and 4 we will be working on the following concepts: sequence words, rhyming words, categorizing words, sequencing events, recognizing plots, problems/ solutions, finding patterns in text, and distinguishing between fantasy and reality in stoires. We will be working with the sounds of /ng/ and /le/ as well as /er/, the three different sounds of -ed /ehd/, /t/, and /d/. Memory words in the units are: do, have, show, how, me, a, look, your, the, was, are, and for.

In reading groups we are reading in small groups. We have been learning and identifying parts of speech, reading with expression, and reviewing our current SUPERKIDS program skills. We also have been enjoying centers that incorporate ordering words in sentences, rhymes, and lots of other skills. We also have been learning new poems, chants, and songs.

Our whole class has also been loving a new book series about Pete the Cat! We have written our class about Pete the Cat and love the catchy rhythms of the words. Click the links below to experience Pete at home.


Pete the Cat I Love My White Shows

http://harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/audio/pete-the-cat.mp3


Pete the Cat Rocking In My School Shoes
http://harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/audio/Pete-the-Cat-Rocking-in-My-School-Shoes.mp3



In Math we are working on the following skills:reviewing forming numbers correctly, ordinal position, shapes/sides/angles, story problems with addition and subtraction concepts. We will also be starting fact assessment, beginning with the "doubles" coming soon. We will also be using a balance scale, pattern blocks, and measuring length and width with standard and non standard units.

In Science we have completed our first unit about Life Stages of People. In our latest unit we will be Botanists. We will be learning all about plants, shrubs, and trees. We will be learning about identifying and classifying leaves and needles, deciduous and evergreens, as well as life stages of plants, trees, and shrubs. We will be observing seeds in conifers as well as learning to count the rings of a tree trunk to determine the age of trees.

In Social Studies we have spent time learning all about Christopher Columbus' life and travels. We are wrapping up our study about basic needs. We will now be heading into our map skills work. We will be learning all about types of maps, parts of maps, and different views such as an aerial view and map view.

In Religion we are presently working on Chapter 4 in our book. The chapter theme is "We Give Praise to God". We will be talking about giving praise to others, prayers of praise that celebrate God's goodness, and saying and singing songs of praise. We will also discuss ways that Catholics praise God at Mass.

Class Wish List

Hello 1C Families! Here are a few items that are on our class wish list. If you'd like to donate an item please feel free to! Thank you for your support! brown lunch bags, white lunch bags, white paper plates (thin ones), packages of mini Play Dough, Cotton Swabs, Shaving cream (foam type), Mr Clean Magic Erasers

A Few Reminders

Bishop McManus will be coming to say a special Mass on Tuesday, October 4. Please be sure that your child is in full dress uniform. Boys will be in dress shirts and ties. Girls will be in their jumpers and tops. Please be sure that your child is wearing their school sweater. Check to be sure that all sweaters are labeled! I know first hand how much these sweaters cost!

On Wednesday we will be going on our field trip to the apple orchard! The chaperones will be Mrs. Byron, Mrs. Sangappa, and Mrs. Vincent.
Thank you to the parents who volunteered to help out. The children may wear their gym uniforms in Wednesday. Also, please be sure to send your child with a drink and snack IN ITS OWN BAG LABELED WITH YOUR CHILDS NAME. We will be returning to school in time for lunch.

News from 1C

Curriculum News:

In reading, we are working on the sounds of ch, sh, tch, wh, and th. We are really enjoying our Superkids stories on the SmartBoard! In class we are also able to work on our workbook pages on it as well. We are also working on learning sight words, oral comprehension, ordering events, as well as cause and effect. In addition to Superkids, we are also working with poetry and adding poems to our poetry journals. We have been learning about writing journal entries each Monday that report about the weekend. In addition we are enjoying lots of great stories about friends and lots more. Our spelling words are important as well. Each day we day we complete "word work" to help with our mastery. The kids enjoy this very much. We are also very excited to have met our new grade three Reading Buddies in Mrs. Rodriques' class!

In math, we are working on skip counting by 2, 5, 10 and even hundreds! We are reviewing the value of coins, calendar skills, and graphing during morning meeting time. We are also comparing numbers, following directions, and skills which will prepare us for computation. We have been enjoying hands on games with dominoes, creating geometric shapes, dice games, as well as reading number words.

In science, our first unit is all about the study of how people grow. The children have enjoyed being "Developmental Scientists" when they are highlighting key words, reading text, and learning about the stages of growth. We are learning about characteristics of infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. When we complete the unit in the coming weeks the children will be bringing home their very awesome science journals!

In social studies we are beginning to learn about needs vs. wants. We are learning about classifying basic needs: food, clothing, and shelter. In the coming weeks we will be learning all about maps and communities. We will be learning about how communities grow and change over time. On Sept. 26 we will be celebrating a famous Massachusetts native, Johnny Appleseed! We will be visiting Mrs. Gough's and Ms. Gorczynski's classes for projects and fun. As mentioned in my last posting we will also be sampling 3 colors of apples and graphing our results.

In religion we have enjoyed learning and reading our big religion books. We are learning about being followers of Jesus, the Church is a community, sign of the cross, as well as ways to pray. We are learning that prayer is listening and talking to God. We can pray when we are thankful, sad, scared, or even excited. We can pray when we need God's help and His blessing. We can also give Praise to God in our prayers.
Our class will be attending morning Mass on Friday mornings at 8:30. Feel free to join us if you wish!

Have a wonderful week! Until next time...Mrs. Dufault

Help Wanted!

Hello 1C Families!

On Monday, 9/26 we will be celebrating
Johnny Appleseed's birthday. A part of our fun will
be sampling green, yellow, and red apples. I'd love
to have 3 parents help slice our apples that morning.
If you are available from about 8-8:20 that morning
please email me asap!

Please be sure to send in one green apple for this Friday, 9/23!

The first and second grades will be going on an apple picking
field trip to Honey Pot Hill Orchard in Stow on Wednesday, October 5th!
We are in need of 3 parent chaperons. We will be
leaving first thing in the morning.

If you would like to chaperon please email me
asap. Please keep in mind that all volunteers
must have completed a Cori check as well as the
Safe Environment Training through our school.

Awesome iphone/ipad/ipod touch app!

Check out this application on the App Store:


My Spelling Test - Create Your Own Test Now!
Funflip Studios
Category: Education
Updated: Apr 28, 2011
56 Ratings

Back to School Night 2011-2012

Hello 1C Families,

Welcome to our class blog. I hope that you visit often and will bookmark this site. It is my primary means of conveying class information.

It is important that you are informed of upcoming events and news from our class. Please bookmark and visit our class blog on a weekly basis. The web address is http://1cbusybees.blogspot.com
The blog will have spelling words, schedules, news, and information pertinent to the coming weeks.

Homework:
Your first grader will have math homework almost every day. These assignments are on the reverse of our daily lesson page. It is important that these pages are returned to school via your child's Homework Folder. The Homework Folders must be returned to school each day. Corrected work and notices will be sent home in this one folder. Please be sure to empty your child's folder each evening.

Please feel free to place notes to me in this folder as well as papers for the school office.

Spelling words are given to the class on the first school day each week. We will be practicing these words in class during the week. Please be sure to practice them at home with your child. This will help your child to feel more confident for our weekly spelling quizzes on Fridays.

Children are expected to read for 10 to 15 minutes daily independently and with a grownup. Children at this age still benefit from being read to. This models fluency, pacing, expression, and exposes your child to vocabulary that they may miss out on if they only read independently.

Classroom Expectations:
As learners we all need to be able to work together this school year. We all learn from one another, both teachers and students. We have established class rules to help us be the best students that we can be. They are as follows:
In 1C We Are
1. Kind
2. Helpful
3. Honest
4. Great Listeners
5. Safe
6. Responsible
7. Trying Our BEST!

We will be using the "traffic light" color system to encourage good choices. Each child will have a chance to earn praise and small awards based on their effort and choices. We also work together as a class to earn special class rewards such as game breaks, and extra recess, special crafts, Popsicle parties, and lots more!

Communication:
Education is a partnership between the home and school. I value parent involvement and encourage you to partner with me. In order for this partnership to be effective, we need to be able to communicate. I am available to schedule conferences to discuss your child's growth or concern that you may have with your child.

Please feel free to email me, send a note, or leave a message for me at the school office during school hours. I have a flexible schedule and can be available to meet with you with notice. Please note that phone calls are generally returned after school hours.

I understand that nothing is more important to parents than our children. I am here to help your child succeed and be happy in first grade.

Contact information:

email: g1c@stb-school.org (There is also a link to email me on the class blog.)
telephone: 508- 351- 9905

Great Books to Read This Summer

Hello 1C Families
Here is a list of books that have been recommended by Mrs. Cunningham!

Henry and Mudge and Mr. Putter and Tabby
by Cynthia Rylant

Danny and the Dinosaur
by Syd Hoff

Dragon Gets By
by Dav Pilkey

Pets to the Rescue
by Andrew Clements

Reading Rod Readers- Level 1 and 2 (available at Ocean State Job Lot)

Level 1 and 2 Readers: "I Can Read", "Step Into Reading" , "Eyewitness Readers"

BRUINS DAY at SBS 6/14

Please note that tomorrow, 6/14 is a “Bruins” colors day. Student may wear Bruins colors/jerseys in support of our hometown hockey team– let’s remember the efforts they are making and show our support win or lose. Children who participate are asked to bring in a $1.00 donation to benefit the St. Michael’s Academy in Springfield that was destroyed in the recent tornado.

Field Day Fun!

Field Day was a blast for all of us! Many thanks to the parent volunteers who joined us, as well as the parents who donated water and popsicles for the children. We had a nice time with 7th graders who did an amazing job running many of the games.

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Tomorrow (6/13) is SUPERKIDS Day!

The children are invited to dress as their favorite Superkids. We've talked all about the Superkids interests and special talents! It sure will be fun to see the "kids" come alive in 1C!

Field Day is this Thursday!

Hello!

I just wanted to remind everyone that our Field Day is scheduled for Thursday, 6/9. Please be certain that your child is wearing the following:
- Sunscreen (applied at home)
- Gym shorts
- Purple t shirt
- A hat or visor
- Socks and sneakers
Hot weather is predicted for Thursday. It is important that the children bring a water bottle labeled with their name.

Our Field Trip

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Field Day Update

Hello 1C Families,

Field Day is June 9th! Coach D is working hard to make this a fun and safe day for all of the children. We are working to create a team approach throughout the grades at our school. Keeping that in mind and we are assigning classes with secondary colors. Our class will be wearing purple tshirts on field day. Tshirts are readily available for under 4.00 at either A.C.MOORE or Michaels. If you are not able to locate a purple tshirt for your child for June 9th , please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you for honoring this request. It is sure to be a memorable day for all of us.

**Please note that any shade of purple is fine. Also, the children can wear their gym shorts on Field Day. We have had 3 parents volunteer to help on Field Day. Please let Coach D know if you would like to help, even for a short time. He can be reached at PE@ stb-school.org .

Field Study- Thursday, May 26th

Permission slips will be sent home today, 5/24. Please be that your child returns the slip and the payment tomorrow. Thank you for your cooperation!

The Latest News from 1C

In MATH we are working on the following skills: counting sets of objects, developing understanding of place value, ordinal numbers, commonly used fractions such as one half, one third, and one fourth. We are also working with time, area, weight, length, and volume. We are measuring in both standard and nonstandard units as well as estimating. We are continuing to gather and graph data. The children are also continuing to master addition and subtraction facts. Continued practice will help to make these facts be part of our memory.

In SUPERKIDS we are working on unit 5 of the More Adventures of the Superkids. Skills covered are r- controlled vowels which include ar, er, ir, or, ur. We are learning about synonyms, and homonyms. Memory words for units 5 and 6 are: cold, know, does, laugh, both, again, kind, buy, find, right, wash, light. We are reading and spelling words which end in the suffixes -ful as well as -ly. We are continuing to work on fluency, expression, and reading at the appropriate rate. These skills come in time for all students at their own pace. They are also developing well into grade three as students are reading for information as opposed to developing reading/ phonics skills. Even though your children are "big" now, it is still a great idea to read to your child. Your read aloud skills help to model fluency and allow the children to be exposed to more vocabulary than they may be exposed to in their own independent reading.

In RELIGION we are currently learning about and honoring our Blessed Mother. We are quickly approaching Ascension Thursday which will be celebrated at Mass in early June.

In SCIENCE we are continuing to learn about the life cycles of insects. Our ladybugs larvae are in the pupa stage! We are all very excited to see our pink ladybugs hatch within the week. The class continues to enjoy working in their science journals where we are making observations as well as highlighting important content. This week will be writing about our own creative insect models, complete with 3 main body section, 6 legs, 2 antenna, 2 pairs of wings and an exoskeleton!

In SOCIAL STUDIES we are continuing to work on map skills including map keys, symbols, continents. and even the 50 states. Have you heard that we are learning a great song that names all 50 states in ABC order? It's true!

First Grade End of the Year Activities

I can hardly believe that we are approaching Memorial Day weekend! Even though the end of the year is in sight, we still have lots to do and learning ahead of us!

The following is a list of upcoming special activities. Further information will be provided as these dates approach

- Thursday, May 26th Field Study to Worcester Art Museum. We will return to school for lunch. Please be sure to send your child to school with a snack and drink in a brown lunch bag, clearly labeled with your child's name.
The children may wear their gym uniform.

- Friday, May 27th Half Day of school- noon dismissal for students.

- Monday, May 30th Memorial Day- no school

-Monday, June 6th is Social Studies Day. We will be participating in fun patriotic activities.

** We are in need of red white and blue popsicles (bomb pops) for a special treat. Please email me if you are able to send them in for us.

- Tuesday, June 7th is Math Day. You can count on having fun! hahaha!

- Wednesday, June 8th is Science Day.

- Thursday, June 9th is Field Day! Please be sure that your child wears their gym uniform and sneakers. Please apply sunscreen at home before school. Each child should also have a water bottle with their name clearly marked on it.
**Coach D is planning many fun activities for the children. We would appreciate 5 parent volunteers to help out on field day. Volunteers will most likely be needed for the morning until 11:30 as well as 12:30 until 2:00. Please email me if you are interested in helping out for the day or for a portion of the day.

- Friday, June 10th is Reading Day also known as SUPERKIDS Day! The children are invited to dress as their favorite SUPERKID today. We will talk more about this in class as it approaches.

- Thursday, June 16th is our End of the Year Party. Our homeroom parents will be contacting families to coordinate snacks and other fun surprises.

A Few Things..

Hello 1C families! Just a reminder that the Insect Reports are due this Friday, May 13th.

Thank you to the parents who have offered to join us on our field trip to the Worcester Art Museum on May 26th.

I have 3 parents who will come along. Permission slips will be sent home by the end of this week.

Field Trip to Worcester Art Museum

Hello 1C Parents! We will be going on a field trip to visit the Worcester Art Museum on Thursday, May 26th. We will have a tour of the museum and be participating in an art project. The art project will tie in with our science curriculum, focusing on habitats and landscapes.

We are in need of 2 chaperons for the trip. Please let me know if you are interested in coming. Please, if you have chaperoned for our class this year I would ask that we try to give others a chance. Please email by Friday, May 6th if you are interested and I will pick two names out of the hat!

Opening Day at Fenway...and at SBS, too!

http://stb-school.org/documents/OpeningDay.pdf

Please click on the link for the announcement about Friday's Red Sox Day. This is a great opportunity for the kids to support an important cause.

Math Centers

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More Adventures of THE SUPERKIDS! Here we come!

Dear Family,
Your child’s reading and writing adventures continue as we begin the next level of
The Rowland Reading Program, More Adventures of the Superkids. The goal is to build uponthe skills children have already learned, so reading comes more naturally and independently.Then they will be able to spend more energy on understanding what they are reading and expressing their ideas in writing.

In the previous level, Adventures of the Superkids, your child learned that the same
sound can be spelled in different ways, such as the long o sound in no, note, and boat, and how to use patterns and rules to read and spell words with endings and other difficult words.

In this level, your child will learn that the same letters can stand for more than one sound, such as oo in moon and book, and other words that are tricky to read and spell. Children willuse new patterns and rules as well as memorization to read and spell tricky words. Your child will continue to bring home a spelling list of Memory Words, Pattern Words, and trickers every week to prepare for the spelling tests.
Help your child memorize the spelling of the Memory Words and practice using patterns and rules to spell the Pattern Words and trickers.

As children’s understanding of words grows, they will be able to read the longer, more challenging stories about the Superkids in the More Adventures of the Superkids Reader. The journey to being a “real reader” isn’t easy, but you and your child will be amazed how far your child will have come by the end of the year.

Sincerely,
Pleasant Rowland, Author of The Rowland Reading Program
Founder of Rowland Reading Foundation

SUPERKIDS Update

Dear Family,
At the end of Adventures of the Superkids, we read a story that took place in an attic. You could fill a huge attic with the reading skills your child has learned so far!

In Units 9 and 10, your child learned to read and spell words that have two vowels
together, as in train and boat. In words with this pattern, the first vowel is usually long and the second vowel is silent. We also learned to read and form contractions such as didn’t,can’t, and won’t and compound words such as cupcake and mailbox.

The Reader stories for these units were filled with drama. Ask your child about the
show the Superkids put on in “The Spingle Spangle Talent Show.” Then have your child tell you what happened in “The Contest”—a play we read that’s based on an Aesop’s fable.

As you look through the Student Book for Units 9–10, try some of these activities
with your child:
• Ask your child to read aloud the sentences with long-vowel words on page 2 and
rhyming words on page 3. Then have your child read aloud the list of words on
page 4 several times. Encourage him to read the words faster and more smoothly
each time.
• Have your child look at pages 6–7 and tell you what happened in the story,
“The Straw Horse.”
• Have your child read aloud the compound words on page 22 and identify the
smaller words in each one. Together, think of other compound words that are
made up of some of the same smaller words, such as backpack and sunset.
• If your child enjoyed the fable told in “The Contest,” read and discuss other fables together. Look for books of fables at your local library.

While we have finished Adventures of the Superkids, your child’s adventures in
reading will continue as we begin the next level of the Superkids program, More Adventures of the Superkids.

Walk A Thon

We had an absolute ball at our annual Walk A Thon yesterday! The children were very excited about making 20 laps around the course. Many thanks to the parent volunteers who came to support this effort: Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Conners, Dr. DeFazio, Mrs. Mowry, and Mrs. Shupp! Thanks to all of the amazing parents who coordinated the event. We all were entertained by a "green headed Martian",. We soon discovered that it was Mr. DiMauro, our great new PE teacher. His enthusiasm kept the kids going for sure!

A Peek at 1C

In SUPERKIDS we are finishing our final pages of Adventures of the SUPERKIDS! We are on our way to starting More Adventures of the SUPERKIDS! We have been working on the following skills: reading and spelling cvvc words such as "bean" and "peak" adjectives with -er and -est endings, nouns with -er endings, as well as compound words and contractions! The children are working hard to incorporate these skills in their everyday work. We are also continuing to work in reading groups with various chapter books. We have been reading independently and along with Ms. French and myself. It sure is a JOY to hear how the reading skills have developed! Even thought the reading skills are blooming at this time of year, it is still crucial that the children are read to on a regular basis. This helps the children to hear fluent reading, as well as reading with expression. Not to mention the quality time together! That is priceless!

In Math we are working on tally marks, skip counting, place value, counting change, identifying coins, fractional parts, adding two digit numbers and lots of mixed addition and subtraction fact practice. We are also continuing to review place value, odd and even numbers, number writing, story problems, and identifying/ counting pairs.

In Science we are finishing up our recent Habitats unit. The children have been learning about animal groups, camouflage, characteristic of habitats, and the food chain. Our upcoming science unit is about the body.

In Social Studies we have spent a great deal of time reading and learning about important National holidays. We will continue our studies learning about map skills which focus on bird's eye view, eye level view, and map view on neighborhood maps. We will also learn about map keys and measuring distances through March and April.

In Religion we are learning about the season of Lent. We are counting the 40 days on our own Lenten Journey maps and with a neat paper chain. We will continue to learn about this season through stories, projects, and learning about the Stations of the Cross. We are looking forward to our annual school wide retreat day on April 14th.

A HUGE thank you to the kids of 1C and you! We raised over 200.00 for our Pennies for Patients program at school! Our school has raised just under 5,000.00 towards cancer research! I am so proud of our effort!


We are in need of the following donations for projects and activities: inexpensive (cheap) white paper plates, brown lunch bags, sidewalk chalk, jumpropes, and extra boxes of crayons for sharing. Thank you all in advance!

Walk A Thon Wednesday, March 23rd!

The students are getting excited for the big event tomorrow. Please note the following:
1. Students will wear gym uniforms.
2. Students will bring a water bottle to school with their name on it.
3. Students will bring their pledge sheets tomorrow. Money is not collected at this time!
4. Students will obey all rules set for the Walk A Thon and have a great time!

Please feel free to donate a gallon of water, cups, and/or freeze pops as mentioned in the paperwork sent home last week.

We are looking forward to raising money towards technology and having a great time! Thank you for your support!

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NEA - Teacher's Top 100 Books for Children

NEA - Teacher's Top 100 Books for Children

National Education Association Book List

NEA - Celebrity Book Picks

make change, beat cancer! updated 3/10/11

As of March 10th our class total is $177.77! Way to go, 1C! We will be collecting change until March 21st!!!



Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Pennies for Patients Program

Over the next few weeks, your child will have the opportunity to learn first-hand, the powerful feeling that comes from helping others. Pennies for Patients and Olive Garden's Pasta for Pennies are service learning programs in which kids collect spare change to help people with blood cancer.

Funds are collected from friends and family in honor of local student survivors and current patients. In addition, many schools implement learning activities, kickoff assemblies or classroom competitions. Depending on your school's preference, there are also prizes and awards for classrooms and schools.

Please check our school news for more information about our SBS campaign. You may also wish to visit schoolandyouth.org

LET'S GO, 1C!!!!!

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Shoe Box Reminder & Red, White & Blue Day and 100th Day

The children will be needing an empty shoe box to make our Valentine's Day mailboxes. Please send in just the box. If the cover is attached please cut it off of the box. Please send in your child's shoe box by Thursday, 2/10/11

Red, White, and Blue Day is rescheduled for this Friday, 2/11. Please read the school news for a refresher regarding appropriate dress. Thank you!

The 100th Day of School is planned for Friday, 2/18!!! Please refer to the note sent home this afternoon for information regarding the First Grade Hundreds Museum!

SUPERKIDS Update- Units 7 and 8 Review

Dear Family,
Like Hot Rod, who said “Oh! What a good day to race,” your child has been racing
along on the road of reading! In Units 7 and 8 of Adventures of the Superkids, your child learned a powerful skill—how to read and spell words ending in a silent e, such as bake and smile,and how to read those words with added endings, such as baking and smiled.

The stories we read in the Reader had the common theme of helping others.
Ask your child how the Superkids helped Hot Rod win the race in “Kites” and whether Golly was actually helpful in “Golly Helps.”

As you look through the Student Book for Units 7–8, try some of these activities
with your child:

• Play a Super e game. Ask your child to read aloud the first word on page 1. Use a
black pen to add a silent e to the end of the word and have your child read the new
word aloud. Repeat with all the words on pages 1 and 2.

• Have your child read aloud the list of words on page 16 or 18 several times.
Encourage her to read the words faster and more smoothly each time.

• Turn to page 4 and ask your child to sing Hot Rod’s song. Together, make up a song
about a good day your child has had.

• Have your child read aloud the poem on page 12. Then discuss gifts that you each
think would be great, awful, or funny.

• The Superkids wrote an important message on several kites. Help your child write
messages or reminders on sticky notes to post around the house. For example, write
and post the message, “Brush your teeth.”

Can this be true?? Phil, I like your thinking!

Phil at home in his burrow at Gobbler's Knob.

This morning, people all over the U.S. waited to see if a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow when he emerged from his burrow, or underground home.

Why? Legend has it that if Phil wakes up on a cloudy day, he'll stay outside his burrow for a while. That means winter will soon be over. But if the sun is shining brightly, Phil will scamper back inside, frightened by his shadow. Then he will go back to sleep for six more weeks of winter.

This February 2, winter storms clouded Pennsylvania's skies and blanketed the state in snow and ice, so Phil did not see his shadow. Does this mean there will be an early spring?

Many other groundhogs are used to predict winter's end all across the U.S. and Canada. But Phil is from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home to the world's largest Groundhog Day celebration.

People in Punxsutawney wear their top hats and best suits each year for a special ceremony on February 2. They knock on Phil's door, and the excitement builds: Will Phil see his shadow outside his burrow at Gobbler's Knob, where he hibernates (sleeps all winter)?

FACT VS. LEGEND

Groundhog Day began in Pennsylvania during the 1700s. Older traditions in Europe use bears or badgers to predict the weather instead.

Some historians think German immigrants brought the tradition from their homeland, where they celebrated a Christian feast called Candlemas Day on February 2. One legend says, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May."

To this day, many groundhog celebrations held in Pennsylvania forbid any other language from being spoken except Pennsylvania Dutch—a form of German spoken by early settlers in America. People must pay a nickel or dime for every word spoken in English.

Punxsutawney Phil has predicted long winters since 2008. Even though the National Climatic Data Center says that only 39 percent of Phil's predictions have turned out to be correct, people still check to see whether Phil will stay outside for spring or fall back into his winter sleep. This year, Phil looks ready for an early spring! Will his prediction turn out to be true?

Article from ScholasticNews.com

***SHOEBOXES!***

Hello 1C Families,

The children will be needing an empty shoe box to make our Valentine's Day mailboxes. Please send in just the box. If the cover is attached please cut it off of the box. Please send in your child's shoe box by Monday, Feb 7th or any time before!

Our class Valentine Party will be on Monday, 2/14! I sent home class lists for the children to use when writing out their valentines. Please be sure to double check that your child has a a valentine for all of the children in our class to help avoid disappointments. Mrs. Conners and Mrs. Martin will be coordinating our snack for the party.

Many thanks to the parents who have volunteered to donate wooden spoons for our special project this Thursday! I would appreciate it if they came to school on Wednesday!

The Latest in 1C

Happy New Year! We have been very busy in our classroom. It sure is nice to be back to business after the holidays. In addition to our studies we have been enjoying winter themed projects and stories. Be sure to check out this great link to Scholastic's Interactive Weather tool. The class loved seeing it on the SmartBoard.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/investigate/weather_maker.htm


In SUPERKIDS we are working on units 7 and 8. Our big focus has been reading and spelling long vowel words with a silent e "magic e" ending. We will be learning about adding and -ed or -ing ending to words with a silent e. We are writing singular and plurals with long vowel sounds, and singular possessives. We are working on reading with rhythm and expression, focusing on stopping at the ends of sentences. Memory Words for these units are: oh, good, day, any, want, very, boy, two, about, girl, over, before.

In addition to these skills we are enjoying reading group times on Tuesdays and Thursday. We love having the chance to read and work in the smaller groups. Recent stories have included What Do You Know? SNOW!, Tackylocks and the Three Bears, and Curious George Visits the Library. We have been working on vocabulary, story retelling, sequencing, oral reading skills, long vowel words, and oral comprehension skills.

In Math we are continuing to work on fact practice for addition and subtraction. We are also learning about odd and even numbers using skip counting, hundreds charts, and identifying digits in the ones place (in a two digit number) to determine odd or evens. We are continuing to count change, number a clock face, symmetry, and lastly comparing and ordering two digit numbers.

In Science we have been really enjoying our science journals about Trees. We have been highlighting facts, adding sketches and labeling parts in our journals. We are learning about the parts of a tree, studying seasonal changes in types of trees, and their life cycles. We are studying tree rings and are reading about how trees help our economy and our environment. Our next unit of study is about Animal Habitats.

In Social Studies we are starting to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. The kids are very interested in his life and accomplishements. We will be learning about Presdients Lincoln and Washington with the upcoming President's Day holiday approaching.

In Religion we are in the season of Ordinary Time. We are now working in our books on a Baptism Unit. We are learning that Baptism is the start of a new life with Jesus. Our class will now be attending Mass on Fridays except for weeks when a whole school Mass is celebrated.

Please be sure to send your child to school with warm winter gear. We like to be able to take the children outside for even for 5 minutes to get fresh air. I also ask that the children come to school each day with a school sweater or vest so that they are comfortable in the classroom. The temperature can fluctuate in various parts of the school. Please be sure that all of the sweaters are labeled. I have noticed that the names written in marker are fading, including my own son's! Thank you for your cooperation with this!

The first graders will be attending a field trip to Hanover Theater in Worcester to see a production of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie on February 3rd. Permission slips and checks are due on 1/24 and are being sent home on 1/13! The parent chaperone that will be coming is Mrs. San Clemente. Thank you to all of you who volunteered to chaperone!