A friendly spy has arrived in Room 111. The Elf on A Shelf (or wherever else it decides to sit) has come to help keep an eye on the class throughout the holiday season. His name is Jingles and he has all the secrets! He reports on all of the great behavior of the students throughout this highly charged time of the year. So far he tells me that the boys and girls are behaving and making wonderful choices. Who knows maybe he'll swing by your house some time to tell you what goes on in the classroom!
Shedding Lights on the Holidays
Our next unit of study in the classroom will focus on holiday celebrations around the world. Since many holidays this year are celebrated through the use of light, the children will learn about the significance of light in these various celebrations. Students will be introduced to the light celebrations of Divali, Los Posados, St. Lucia, Hanukkah and Christmas. They will also learn about the winter solstice -- the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year due to its lack of sunlight.
Fairy tales, folk tales and fables from around the world will be another area of study. Many versions of some familiar tales will also be introduced. If anybody celebrates a unique holiday, you are more than welcome to come in and discuss it with the class. Just jot me a note or quick e-mail to set up a time.
Solving Story Problems in Math
Our class is starting a new unit in mathematics called Solving Story Problems. We will be working on mathematical ideas such as adding and subtracting whole numbers, counting to higher numbers, counting sets of objects, and finding multiple combinations of a number. Throughout this unit, students will be working toward the following goals:
• Finding at least 5 combinations of 2 addends for a number up to
15.
• Combining two small quantities
• Interpreting and solving addition and
subtraction story problems.
• Subtracting one small quantity from another.
• Representing numbers by using equivalent expressions.
At home, please encourage your child to explain his/her math thinking to you. More information will be sent to you as the unit progresses.
Want to Order Scholastic Books For your Child?
Next Deadline Ordering Date: December 15th
Online Ordering Information
Website Address: scholastic.com/books
Class Activation Code: HBMDK
Find the perfect books for your child through Scholastic's NEW online Book Club Web site. Choose from much wider selection of books than in the printed flyer. Plus, you can send your orders directly to me online and use your credit/debit card to pay.
Best of all, we earn a FREE book for the classroom library every time a parent places an order online.
Its so simple! Here's how it works:
SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/booksclubs. On the parent page, register by clicking the "Don't have a user name or password?" link. 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.
See for yourself how convenient it is to order online.
100 Sight Words to Practice at Home
At the right, you will find a link to the 100 sight words all first graders must know. Please click on this link entitled 100 Sight Words for the list of these 100 sight words. Print out this page and practice 5-10 words a night.
The more sight words children know, the better readers they become. Sight words are words that frequently appear in print. The same words are among those used most frequently by children in their writing. When children build their sight word vocabulary, they become both better readers and spellers.
