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Literacy 

Treasures:

This week, the children worked with long i (i, igh, y). The children read many different genres this week: Tall Tales, Fantasy, Fiction, and Non-Fiction. They worked with identifying problem and solution. They learned, that a problem is something the characters want to change, fix, or figure out. The solution, is the way the characters fix the problem. 

Grammar Packets:

This week, the children learned when to add -er and -est to adjectives. When comparing two people, places, or things you add -er to an adjective. Add -est to an adjective to compare three or more people, places, or things.

Writing: 

This week, we started our new writing unit on Persuasive Writing. The children worked with stating their opinion on some given topics. After, they stated their opinion they gave reasons to support their opinion. The children wrote a short persuasive piece on whether or not first graders should go to bed at 6pm. They shared their writing with a partner. 

On Thursday, we talked about the different reasons we write persuasively. To improve our lives or the lives of others or to promote something. The children then brainstormed a list of problems that need solving or things that can be improved around the school. Together as a class, we wrote a persuasive letter about why the outside basketball hoops should be lowered. The children came up with an opinion and three reasons to support their opinion. Next week, the children will choose a topic and begin to write their own persuasive piece.  

On A Rainy Day...

On Friday, the children wrote a piece about their favorite thing to do on a rainy day. After, they decorated an umbrella and glued their writing to it, complete with a pair of yellow rain boots. We hung their rainy day writing from the ceiling in our room. They turned out very cute!

Math 

In Math, we started unit 8. The children continue working with counting combinations of coins and showing amounts of money with the fewest number of coins. 

On Wednesday, the children were introduced to the dollar. They talked about the value of a dollar and what you can purchase with a dollar. The children played One-Dollar Exchange, they practiced exchanging different coins for one of an equivalent value, until they reached a dollar. 

On Thursday, the children worked with place value: hundreds, ten, and ones. They used base-10 blocks to show whole numbers. They also, read and wrote whole numbers shown with base-10 blocks. 

Science

This week, we started our new science unit on Weather. The scientists were very excited to begin this unit. They brainstormed a large list of weather words. Every day this week, the scientists came in and added new words to our list. They have been listening to weather reports and reporting back to us on what they have learned. The scientists defined weather as, how the sky and air look and feel. They learned that the main parts of weather are: temperate, sunlight, wind, clouds, and moisture.

On Wednesday, the scientists learned about meteorologist. A meteorologist is a person who studies weather. The scientists researched about meteorologists using pebblego.com and by watching a weather report. The scientists became meteorologist themselves and recorded a weather report in their science journal. They used weather words and symbols to describe the weather they saw outside. 

On Friday, the scientists worked with thermometers to measure temperature. They measured the temperature of their hands, the air, and 3 water samples (cold, room temperature, and hot). They discussed what they noticed about the thermometers and the different temperature readings. They recorded the temperatures using the thermometer color scale. 

Notes:

-On Monday, your child will bring home a permission slip for an in school field trip on May 2nd. To conclude our weather unit, High Tech High Touch will return to our school to present their program, Weather or Not. Please sign and return as soon as you can. Thank you!

-Tuesday, April 9th is an Institute Day, there is no school for the students.

-Online registration opens May 1st. You will soon receive a letter in the mail that will provide you with your child's individual student passcode for access to online registration.

Have a great rest of the weekend!