FIRST GRADE JANUARY MCMONTHLY NEWS

THEME

Happy New Year!  It's so nice to be back with the children again!  It's hard to believe 2010 is here!  This month we learn how to stay safe and healthy when we study germs (we've already been doing a pretty good job of that this school year!)  We study science principles of Animals in Motion while learning how some animals adapt in winter.  We also continue concentrating on the on-going STAR traits by appreciating one another through Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Our Spelling program becomes trickier as we continue to focus on more long vowel sounds.  We are blending these new sounds with all the consonants to increase our vocabularies and help us to spell.  We are also comparing short and long vowels and know this will be especially helpful as we apply these tricky spellings to our writing.  This month, we begin some non-fiction writing with our enjoyable "How-To" unit!

MATH

We have been focusing on the parts that are taken away in subtraction and putting those parts back together in addition, using literature, manipulatives, and real-life situations.

BIRTHDAYS

No January birthdays

REMINDERS

Fri., Jan. 8:  Scholastic orders due

Mon., Jan. 18:  Martin Luther King Day/No School

SPECIAL NOTES

• 
  
  Due to the power outage on our field trip last month, the first grade team is still working on the best way to make up the $$ and the experience with the children.  It was certainly an adventurous day!  The students (and chaperones) were such good sports.  Will keep you posted.
• 
  
  Thank you all for sending in the amazing supply of paper goods and healthy cleaning supplies.  You are all very generous.  The children and I thank you immensely!
• 
  
  Since the cold weather has returned, please label any extra gear, such as boots, snowpants, mittens, and hats.
• 
  
  We are enjoying our Superstar of the Week sharing and writing opportunities; regular sharing will still continue on Mondays, time permitting
• 
  
  "Box Tops for Education" are being collected by the Student Council.  You will see the red and white rectangular shapes on certain types of packaged food boxes.  Please check the expiration date, cut them out, and send them in with your children so they can help earn extra equipment for our school or again help someone in need (for example, if the school collects enough box tops, Ox Ridge can send a child to a summer camp!)
• 
  
  Thank you, Volunteers, especially during our busy month of December!  Thank you in advance for the second part of the year!
• 
  
  When we reach this time of year, it is always such a great milestone.  Although January is a relatively quiet month, it is amazing how fast this second half of first grade goes.  I feel very proud of your children!
• 
  
  Please check out our simple class blog:

http://www.mrsmcgettigan.blogspot.com/

Our class blog will contain some basic information similar to the monthly news, spelling and sight words, and some student reflection.

DECEMBER WORDS

all

are

be

eat

four

he

like

please

ride

saw

see

she

three

was

want

COMING SOON!

The 100th Day is just around the corner, on Thursday, February 4th!  The first grade team has been asked to participate with the kindergarten team in helping to support the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County and our local Person-to-Person organization.  Each classroom has been assigned a food item to donate, in hopes that each student will bring enough to equal 100 of that item!  We would love everyone in our class to bring in six cookie bags or boxes (any size) by Monday, February 1, 2010.  This will be a marvelous math and super citizenship activity.  Thank you for your support if you're able to partcipate!

NEWS FLASH!

Kindness Abounds in first grade!

We hope our first graders will participate in an Ox Ridge school-wide fundraising effort in coming up with an act of kindness in honor of the people of Haiti.  By "earning" a dollar for their kind ideas, their efforts will directly benefit a beloved member of our staff, Miss Natasha, in our cafeteria, whose family was deeply affected by the recent earthquake.

Thank you, Families, for your generous support!

RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

TB - I will be nicer to my brother.
AP - I want to try to be on time for ballet.
GS - I will try to go to Hibachi where they cook in front of us and start a new family tradition.
AC - I want to read more.
CW - I am going to get better at hockey.
KC - I will be better at reading.
JBr - I will write books better and find more golf balls.
HP - I want to learn to write books.
JBa - I will try to learn more Czech words from a different language.
JW - I will read at night and in the morning.  I want to be a library teacher.
JM - I will try to learn my signature.
SH - I will try to be better at sports.
GM - I will do better in karate.
OS - I will be a great listener!
JL - I want to try everything that my teachers says, and I want to be better friend.
JK - I will turn off my DSI and my Wii when I am told.
RH - I will try to write better.
BL - I want to learn to write songs!
MD - I want to read  more non fiction books.
Mrs. M. - I would like to not eat too many sweets.

JANUARY SPELLING WORDS

#11  LONG I

tie

kind

high

night

icy

#12  LONG O

hope

wrote

those

note

joke

#13  LONG O

going

only

own

boat

know

#14  LONG U

rule

use

cute

flute

cube

JANUARY SIGHT WORDS

did

do

going

into

know

must

new

no

now

old

open

over

so

some

soon

those

too

use

will

with