Hello everybody,
First off, we've started out on a good foot. The students are learning a whole new system, environment, routine and expectations. They are not in Kansas, er Kindergarten anymore. Please help them be responsible and independent with any items related to school (this will transfer into the classroom). Next, please come to Curriculum Night next Monday. I will share a ton of information with you, and I will answer any questions you have about what is happening and being taught in your child's first grade classroom. I will usually send out a blogpost or newsletter on Friday afternoon, over the weekend, or latest on Monday for the week ahead. I will give you details about math, science, language, word work (including the weekly spelling words) and writer's workshop. I will also give you miscellaneous information including upcoming PTA meetings, important Middleton events, upcoming birthdays and shoutouts too. Please read the information carefully and do so every week. If you ever have a question, most likely it will be answered in the post. A couple big thank you's... -Thanks for sending healthy snack to class. It's great to see a room of 6-7 year olds eating yummy food that will help their brain grow. -Thanks for looking in the blue homework folders nightly, taking out any completed work and sending any pertinent info back. Props to you on getting me your parent surveys and hand book signatures back. -Thanks for getting your kids to school on time, well rested and well fed. I'll be back soon. Until then. ~Mr. Layes
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We're close. I can't really believe it. This will be the final blog post of the year. Here's the latest...
*Please note that Round up is Thursday night from 7-8. Please try your best to come and see our beautiful room and all the hard work your children have put in to the school year. I hope to see you all then. Math We will be wrapping up our unit on double digit addition this week. We will have our final assessment on Friday. The last week of school will be dedicated to learning more about coins and money. Science/Social Studies Students will be wrapping up their unit on plant and animal adaptations this week. Our room is sprouting and smells a bit like dirt! Language We will review many of the tools and strategies that we have learned over the course of the year in whole group and in guided reading groups. Word work It has come. The big finale. The word wall end of year assessment. I will send home a master list of all the word walls on Tuesday so kids can study at home. There will be at least 25 words on the exam (maybe more, not sure at the moment). Writer's Workshop Our animal research books are almost finished. Students have been working very hard to get them done before Round Up. I'm very proud of their work. We will have a publishing party on Thursday. The final week will be dedicated to a Father's Day project. Miscellaneous -Aiza Khan, Benji Pearl, and Audrey Storck will all celebrate their summer birthday's during the final week of school. It's been a fabulous year. Thank you so very much for all your support you have given to your child this year. They have all made such growth both academically and personally (they got big!) My room is always open if they ever want to pop in and say 'hi'. That is all. ~Mr. Layes Hello everybody,
Only 14 days of school left. Time flies when you're having fun. FYI, I won't be sending home any more reading letters for the year. Here's the latest... Math Next week will be dedicated to learning and solidifying strategies to use when adding bigger two-digit numbers (e.g. 27+66, or 74+19). These strategies include using a number bond and either making a ten or adding a ten, the arrow way, or using ten sticks/one cubes. Science Our trip to the Shedd was a huge success. We learned all about animal habitats, food chains/webs and ecosystems last week in class too. This week we will shift our focus on plants and how they adapt to stay alive. We will also do some planting around the room and outside too. Language This week we will continue to read both fiction and non-fiction stories about animals. Students will have to infer about the animals based on clues from the text. Word work One last week of words before we do a big review. Spelling words: first, purple, furry, germ, birthday, person Word wall words: write, always, drink, funny, find, happy Writer's Workshop Our animal books are coming together nicely. This week we will introduce the glossary, index and about the author papers. By the end of the week, each student should have at least 6-12 finished chapters in their book. We will edit and revise our work to be ready to have a publishing party the following week. Miscellaneous -My birthday is coming up on the 25th. Happy b-day to me! Carson Peng will be coming up the following week on the 29th. *Summer birthday's will be celebrated during the final week of school. I will send out an email with details if your child has a summer birthday. -Round up is coming up on Thursday night, June 1. Please be on the lookout for details about this special, open-house night. -We will have our final Pride Paw assembly on Friday! -Thanks to all those who volunteered to help out with our field trip to the Shedd last week. The kids had an absolute blast! That is all for now. ~Mr. Layes I swear that I saved you. I did. I even copied you first just to make sure. All that work during my Thursday prep, gone. Forgotten. Well, next week's post, now you get the short shrift. Here's the truncated version...
*Awesome 1st grade concert! Thanks everybody! *Shedd aquarium visit on Thursday. Please pack a lunch! No hot lunch will be provided (we will eat there). And I'm still looking for two more parent helpers. Reach out if you'd like to come. Math More comparing number, story problems, and we'll use dimes as well. Don't show your kids the borrowing algorithm please (we will begin adding double digits to double digits, ie 34+54). Science Habitats are the name of the game. The design experiment was a huge success too! Language We will work on sequencing and retelling by learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. Word work Spelling words: party, stars, shark, fork, storm, forget Word wall words: black, white, has, goes, soon, better Writer's workshop Students will continue to write about their animals. The first three chapters will focus on habitat, adaptations, and babies. Then they can form their own. Next week we will work on building a glossary, index, about the author and cover. Perhaps have a publishing party the following week too. Miscellaneous -Arianna Magsino is turning 7 on Monday! Happy Birthday. -Enrichment ends this Thursday Happy Mother's Day everybody. I hope you enjoy the lovely weekend. ~Mr. Layes I talked to my mom last week. She mentioned that in Seattle, where she lives, they had a record amount of rainfall this winter, eclipsing last years' record levels. I grew up in a drizzly, grey environment and moved away for a reason. Thanks sun, I need you (and some vitamin D)! Here' s the latest...
Math The class dove into our final module last week. We will continue to look at place value in terms of double digit numbers up to 99. We will compare numbers up to 120 in terms of actual value and Ten/One value (ie. 4 tens, 14 ones or 11 tens, 3 ones). Sequencing numbers up to 120 will be covered as well (which students have a jump start from doing their math scrolls). Science Last week science groups did a great job making observations about materials that would help them build a shoe that would not slip on an incline. This week they will build and test out their prototype and try to get their shoe not to slip on their ramp. I'm seeing great teamwork, and I hope that continues this week. Language We'll be taking a break from our regularly scheduled program to spend some quality time doing some fun Mother's Day activities and crafts. Word Work More -oo, -ew, and -ue words. Spelling words: blue, true, blew, chew, zoo, broom Word wall words: give, work, first, bring, does, once Writer's Workshop Wow, I never imagined such exuberance around writing research papers (I did not have the same attitude towards the few I had to complete in grad school). The kids have really taken to learning all about their special animal and last week compiled at least ten facts in three different categories: habitat, adaptations, and babies (for lack of a better term). Their research this week will be organized into a table of contents and then rewritten on special paper to begin compiled their information into a book. Good times! Miscellaneous -Thank you for all the lovely cards and gifts I received for Teacher Appreciation week. I do feel appreciated and totally love my job! -Sorry I was out on Friday, I had a sick kiddo. Also, I'll be testing students' reading levels on Friday across the hall. There will be a sub in the room for the day. -Coming up soon, May 11th is the 1st grade music concert, from 6:30-7:30 in the gym. Don't forget to keep practicing and memorizing the words at home! -Can I say it? 24 days of school left and counting. Woo! That is all for now. Until next time. ~Mr. Layes |
AuthorMr. Layes hails from the Pacific NW, cut his teeth on the streets of NYC, and now calls the Midwest... home. Archives
September 2017
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