MARCH MCMONTHLY NEWS

IN LIKE A LION, OUT LIKE A LAMB?

March is coming in like a lamb this year.  Let's hope the lamb weather gets a little warmer!  You will be amazed at how fast time will fly in first grade this spring!

We kick off the month with Dr. Seuss' birthday!  We will participate in "Read Across America" in honor of Dr. Seuss this Wednesday.  A few ways the children can show their spirit for Read Across America and our "Green Eggs and Ham" Activity Afternoon is to wear red, white, and black clothing as "Cats in the Hat."  Or, if your child has a favorite hat or some crazy or mismatched socks, he or she could wear them on Wednesday as well.  In addition, if your child has any favorite Dr. Seuss books, he or she should feel free to bring them in to enjoy with their classmates throughout this week.

LANGUAGE ARTS

We continue to review short vowels, long vowels, and we are learning tricky sounds that look a little different and "don't follow the rules."   Paying close attention to the longer stories we are now reading helps us to rigure out what to do when words are tricky, and it also helps us to "jump" right into books with characters!  We are increasing our writing skills and focusing on compete sentences, proper punctuation, and story details.  We have been enjoying non-fiction writing and we officially move into writing our own "All About" stories.

MATH

We now begin to enjoy a new understanding of geometric shapes and have fun with different units of measurement (perhaps we can help cook more now!)  By the middle of the month, we will return to focus on the parts and total in addition and subtraction stories by using strategies such as doubling, counting on, counting back, and more.

BIRTHDAYS

Wednesday, March 2:          Simone Yang

REMINDERS

Wed, Mar. 2:  Wear red, white & black clothing, crazy socks, or hats

(Class Spirit Day in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday and Read Across America Day)

Fri., Mar. 4:  Scholastic orders due

Mar. 7 - 31:  Pennies for Patients School-wide Fundraiser

Mon., Mar. 11:  Progress Reports home

Mon-Wed., March 14-16:  Conferences, 1:30 dismissal

SPECIAL NOTES

• Thanks for the continued box tops. The collection continues through May.
• Thanks for your generous support in the Daffodil Drive.
• Continued thanks to our Room Moms, Marijke Hart and Nancy Lombra, and all families for all the work you do with your children supporting our first grade learning

FEBRUARY WORDS



any

ate

blue

by

fly

from

funny

give

live

many

may

our

out

of

pretty



STUDENT REPORTING

Wow!  It has been busy in first grade.

We worked really hard on HOW TO stories.  We are experts at lots of stuff.  Now we're starting a new unit on ALL ABOUTs.

In Math, we have been adding Tens and Ones with really big numbers.

We enjoy our Superstars of the week and whoever the Class Pets visit.

In January, most of us had fun playing on the snow days at home.  But some of us wanted the groundhog to predict an early spring!  On the playground, the first graders made some cool creations and enjoyed playing on the big hills.  Some days were so cold that we couldn't even go outside!  It has been quite a winter!

It was cool when High Touch High Tech visited first grade! We studied shadows. We learned that you need three things to make a shadow: some light, an object, and a spot for the shadow to go (a surface).


On the 100th day of school (which turned out to be Wednesday, Feb. 9th) we made marshmallow creations!  We were able to touch some animals from the Darien Nature Center.  We learned a lot about the way animals move.  We had lots of fun on Valentines Day.  We shared valentines and celebrated friendships.

Mrs. Mc wants to remind parents that conference week was changed due to the 5 snow days and will be held one week later.

FEBRUARY MCMONTHLY NEWS

Will the groundhog see his shadow?



Will the groundhog not see his shadow?



Our favorite photo spot is now too deep for us!

     

It's coming......

THEME

Incredibly, as of Feb. 1, the 100th day of school should arrive on Tuesday, February 8th!  This month is filled with holiday celebrations and theme awareness such as Chinese New Year, Groundhog Day, Force and Motion/Shadows, the 100th Day, Valentine's Day, and Presidents' Day.  We don't know how we're going to squish in vacation!

LANGUAGE ARTS

We continue to learn long vowel sounds that are spelled in many different ways and review short vowel sounds.  We continue to increase our sight vocabulary!  Our confidence in spelling new words will help us as we continue to do more non-fiction story writing!  We are excited to have our "How-To" Writers' Celebration very soon.  We realized that we are experts at many activities!  Next focus:  "All-About" stories.  (We know a lot about many things, so that should be exciting!)

*Special Note:  If your child wishes to do a very brief "how-to" video, feel free to film them and send their creation to me via email, camera, flash drive, etc.  We have learned that "acting out" helps us put more details in our writing, so this is a terrific form of encouragement.  (No pressure though!)

MATH

We have been working hard to investigate how numbers go together in fact families.  We will soon return to place value to help us make sense of some big numbers!  We will also study 3-D objects to understand geometry and measurement.

BIRTHDAYS

No February birthdays

REMINDERS

Jan. 31 - March 4:  Daffodil Drive (Delivery March 14th)

Wed., Feb. 2:         Enrichment Program,
                              Shadows With High Touch/High Tech

Thurs., Feb. 3:        Chinese New Year

Fri., Feb. 4:            Superbowl Spirit Day;

Wear your favorite team/sport jersey or Ox Ridge colors/gear

Fri., Feb. 4:           Scholastic Orders Due

Tues., Feb. 8:        100th Day of School

Fri., Feb. 11:         2nd marking period ends

Mon., Feb. 14:      Valentine celebration

Feb. 21 - 25:         Presidents Week/Vacation



SPECIAL NOTES

• I can't thank you enough for sending in the mid-year supplies.  It has been so nice to restock some items that we have used up quite quickly, and it's neat to have some new goodies too (ex: soft tissues!)  Thank you for your generosity!
• Please remember to include all your classmates when you make/write your Valentines!

• We will be making 100th Day creations in class; no need to send in any goodies.

• With the chilly/snowy weather, please label all cold weather gear and send to school with your child in some kind of "snow gear bag."  Thank you for helping the children stay organized with their belongings!
• We currently have 2 bags with unclaimed snowpants (one Trader Joe bag and one big brown bag).
• Thank you for your support in sending in the "Box Tops for Education."  Please keep them coming!
• Thank you for your support in the Daffodil Drive!
• We were lucky to have Jeanne Yurman and Joanne Frawley present a terrific environmental/recycle program sponsored by the DAEG in January.  Thanks!  The students are excited to care for their environment way before the arrival of Earth Day.
• Continued thanks to our Room Moms, Marijke Hart and Nancy Lombra, and for all Volunteers!

JANUARY SIGHT WORDS

did

do

going

into

know

must

new

no

now

old

open

over

so

some

soon

those

too

use

will

with

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

OUR CLASS RESOLUTIONS

I will try to eat more fruit and veggies. - Mrs. Mc.

I want to go to Okemo and try to swim for the first time in a hot tub. - VC

I am going to try to go skiing for the second time and be a better sister. - OP

I would like to get into the 2nd level of horseback riding.  - MC

I will try to be a better friend.  - BB

I want to try to be a better friend too.  - JS
I want to try to play basketball.  - APo

I would like to try a double diamond ski trail. - APe

If one of my friends is being mean to someone else, I will not follow along,

and I will show them how to be kinder. - CL

I will try not to interrupt. - JY

I will try to do a black diamond slope when I ski in Vermont. - JoW

I will try to be a better sister. - JJ

I will try to ski a double diamond in Vermont. - ML



JANUARY MCMONTHLY NEWS

THEME

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's so nice to be back with the children again!  It's hard to believe 2011 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 Word Study group words are getting trickier, and as a class, we continue to focus on 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

Tues., Jan. 11:  Ben Bryan

Sat., Jan. 29:  Jeremiah Stafford

HALF-BIRTHDAYS TO CELEBRATE THIS MONTH

Charly Covello (July 18)

Josephine Williams (July 19)

Austin Peck (July 22)

Matthew Lia (July 28)

James Durkin (July 31)

REMINDERS

Fri., Jan. 7:  Scholastic Orders due

Jan. 12 & 13:  Darien Nature Center visits Ox Ridge 1st Grades

Mon., Jan. 17:  Martin Luther King Day/No School

Wed., Jan. 19:  Recycle Programs

SPECIAL NOTES

• Since the cold weather has returned, please label any extra gear, such as boots, snowpants, mittens, and hats.
• Uggs and Merrells have been getting quite soggy on the playground.  If the children wish to play in the snow, kindly send in waterproof snow boots.
• 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, have your child cut them out, and send them in with your child so they can help earn $$ (This year, the Box Top proceeds will be helping a family connected with our Darien school district.)
• 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 the first grade goes.  I feel very proud of your children!

DECEMBER SIGHT WORDS

all

are

be

eat

four

he

like

please

ride

saw

see

she

three

was

want

DECEMBER MCMONTHLY NEWS

THEME
Our thoughts anxiously turn to this exciting time of year.  Our passports are ready as we begin traveling to see how some holidays are celebrated around the world.  We have recently enjoyed searching our world map as we investigated the students' ancestors' homelands.  We found that there are many modern-day pilgrims in our class!

HOLIDAY HELPERS
As the holiday season arrives, please help your child know that, while they can feel excited, they need to act like responsible first graders.  They still need to be respectful listeners, try their best, and always be kind to one another.

LANGUAGE ARTS
The students continue their progress and success in reading.  We are comparing short vowels and long vowels and are constantly reviewing our high frequency words.  Starfall.com has been one of the many ways we've been able to practice these sounds in the Computer Lab, along with some cool Smartnotebook activities.  We've also been concentrating on the beginning, middle, and ending of literature we read and of our own stories that we are writing.

MATH
We have been focusing on patterns that repeat, patterns that grow, and with place value.  These skills will help us understand the differences among the ones, tens, and hundreds place.

BIRTHDAYS
Mon., Dec. 20:          Mia Cappelli
Tues., Dec. 21:          Jack Yurman
Thurs., Dec. 23:        Jacqueline Jaskiewicz
Tues., Dec. 28:          Katelyn Frawley
Fri., Dec. 31:             Samantha Hunt

REMINDERS
Fri., Dec. 3:               Scholastic Orders due
Tues.-Fri., 11/30-12/3:  Conferences, Early Dismissal
Mon., Dec. 6:            Family Traditions due
Tues., Dec. 7:            Field Trip, Maritime Aquarium
Wed., Dec. 8:             Cookie Exchange
Thurs., Dec. 9:           Darren Farrell Author Visit
Thurs., Dec. 16:         Grab Bag gifts due
Fri., Dec. 17:             Holiday Party, Polar Express Theme
Fri., Dec. 17:             Toy Drive ends
Tues., Dec. 21:          Holiday Grab Bag
Thurs., Dec. 23:         Short day, vacation begins
Dec. 24 - Jan 2:         December vacation
Mon., Jan. 3, 2011:    Return to school

SPECIAL NOTES

* I would like to thank all of you for your generosity with the school-wide Toys-for-Tots Drive taking place during the next three weeks.  You are making others very happy this season!

* Superstar News:  Every Friday, a new "Superstar of the Week" is picked at random.  If there is a week that is not good for your child to be superstar, please jot me a note or email, so we won't pick your child's name during that week.  Once a superstar is picked, they can share treasures throughout the week.  A note will go home explaining the details once he or she is picked.

NOVEMBER WORDS
I
black
brown
come
down
find
go
have
here
say
they
we
what
where
who

* Keep practicing old Spelling words and spelling patterns

NOVEMBER MCMONTHLY NEWS



THEME

We turn our focus from tasty treats and fun costumes to crisp weather and the thrill of Thanksgiving time.

LANGUAGE ARTS
Our reading program continues to take us on a decoding journey, blending all the consonants with different vowel sounds and learning tricks to figure out larger words.  Books are becoming more challenging, and we continue to write in our journals and work on some of our own story creations.  We are constantly practicing our speaking skills as well as good listening, especially when our Mystery Guests visit!

We've noticed that the Monday Words Their Way homework can be tricky at times.  If the homework takes up a lot of time, simply choose a handful of words (perhaps 10) to try certain homework choices (such as the Letter Change choice).  The idea is to get used to the spelling patterns and sounds, but not worry so much about memorizing the words.  Take an extra day to finish if your child needs it.  Likewise, if your child would like a challenge, doing more than the sorts each night is fine too, as long as it doesn't feel overwhelming to your child.

MATH
We have been concentrating on the "measurement" of time, money, and length.  Please ask your child how much time has passed between one activity and another to reinforce the duration concept of time.  We continue to use literature and manipulatives to reinforce addition, subtraction, and problem solving.

BIRTHDAYS
Tuesday, Nov. 16:                          Chase Lombra
Friday, Nov. 19:                             Paige Zamsky

REMINDERS
Mon., Nov. 1:                                 Nature Walk (at school)
Mon., Nov. 1-3:                              Book Fair (even Election Day!)
Tues., Nov. 2:                                  Election Day/Staff Dev/No School
Mon., Nov. 8:                                  Family Turkeys Due
Week of Nov. 8:                              Ancestor Info Due
Thurs., Nov. 11:                              Veterans Day
(wear red, white, and/or blue)
Fri., Nov. 12:                                   Veterans visit
(wear red, white, and/or blue)
Fri., Nov. 12:                                   Scholastic Orders due
(just in case you don't find what you wish from the Book Fair!)
Mon., Nov. 15:                                Field Trip
(Fairfield Univ. Quick Center Theater)
Wed., Nov. 24:                                Thanksgiving coming,
early dismissal
Nov. 25 - 26:                                   Thanksgiving, no school
Nov. 30 - Dec. 3:                            Conferences, shortened days

SPECIAL NOTES
* This Fall's Book Fair comes at the same time the monthly Scholastic orders are available.  Due to popular demand, I will still be sending the order forms home (next week) in case you'd like to "elect" another option for some great books!

* Thank you for the Halloween Boo-Grams.  They were most appreciated and were a fun way to start our exciting Halloween day!

* With the weather getting chillier, please label any extra clothing your child brings in.

* Thank you all for helping us get off to a great start with our Volunteer schedule!  The school year gets so busy and I often don't get the chance to say thank you.  The children and I appreciate all your help in the classroom, behind the scenes at home, and with your daily support for homework and encouragement for being grown-up first graders!