Reece's Little Pieces of Class Happenings

What's Happening in Our Class

What we are Learning:

March is turning out to be a very busy month for us!  We will end the third nine weeks on Thursday, March 12th.  It is hard to believe that we will be on the last nine weeks of this school year.  This month we will be reviewing a lot of the things we have learned this year and putting everything together to help get the students ready for second grade and for the CRCT test that they will be taking in April.  We will also be focusing on the new standards in each subject area for the last nine weeks of school.

In Language Arts, our focus in phonics will be on blends, digraphs, inflectional endings, compounds, and contractions.  In reading we will identify the main idea and details of a story.  We will also retell narratives with characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end of the story.  In writing, we will complete our unit on Informational writing and we will begin an Author Study unit.

Our Math focus will be on telling time, measurement, counting and representing numbers to 100, money trades/combinations to $1.00, and an introduction to 2-digit addition.

In Science we will be studying the characteristics and basic needs of plants and animals.  Our Social Studies units will be on folktale figures that characterize our nation.

News from School:

In order to help conserve paper and ink toner for the copiers, I will only send home a monthly newsletter for the rest of the school year.  I would like to THANK you for your very positive response to the new homework calendar.  The students have been doing an awesome job with the homework and it really shows how much they have learned this year and how they can apply that knowledge through their homework.

Please remember that Dowell's Fitness Night will be on Friday, March 20th from 6-8 p.m.  We will have special guest from Kennesaw State University, Pro Health and Rehab, Living Waters Martial Arts Studio, American Cancer Society, Cobb Parks and Recreation, Gold's Gym, and ASP Fitness Club.  Free vision and blood pressure screenings will be available.  Please mark your calendar to come and join the many fun activities and learn about how to stay healthy!

Mark your calendar with these events:

March 12 - End of 3rd Nine Weeks

March 19 - Spring Pictures and 3rd Nine Weeks Report Cards sent home

March 20 - Dowell's Fitness Night 6-8 pm

March 24 - Field trip to Chattahoochee Nature Center

March 31 - PTA

April 6 - 10 - Spring Break

 

 

What's Happening in Our Class

What we are Learning:

What an exciting short week of school!  I hope everyone had a great President's Day!  We have been busy this week at school studying inferences in stories, writing a special story for the school and county writing fair contest, and reviewing nouns and compound words in English.  We have also been reviewing long vowels sounds in phonics and studying our spelling words.  We covered all these skills during our language arts block.

In math we are finishing up our money unit but please keep practicing this skill at home.  We will begin our new unit on Time.  Get a clock and start practicing now!!!   The students must be able to tell time to the hour and half hour.  We will also estimate time to the nearest hour and half hour. 

Our new health unit is on Nutrition.  We will be identifying the food groups and why they are important.  We will discuss what makes a healthy meal using the food pyramid.  We will also discuss how exercise is an important part of keeping our bodies healthy.  *Please read the information below on our Dowell Health/Fitness Night.

First Grade also had a very special treat this week when Keep Cobb Beautiful came to our school to do a special program for Georgia's Arbor Day.  We learned many things about how to help our environment and why trees are so important to each of us.  As you know, it was raining on Wednesday and we were not able to plant the trees but they are here at school and we will let you know what day we will get to go outside and plant them.

News from School:

You are invited to attend Dowell's Black History Program as presented by our students on Tuesday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Hillgrove High School.  Please come and support our students that have worked very hard on this program!

Dowell 's Health/Fitness Night will be on Friday, March 20th from 6-8 p.m.  Please plan to come out for a fun night full of health and fitness activities.  More information will be sent home at a later date.

Mark your calendar with these events:

February 24 - Stevi B's Night

February 25 - Mellow Mushroom Night

March 3 - Early Release 12:20

March 5 - CRCT meeting and PTA

March 19 - Spring Pictures and 3rd Nine Week Report Cards sent home

March 20 - Dowell's Health/Fitness Night 6-8 p.m.

March 24 - Field trip to Chattahoochee Nature Center

What's Happening in Our Class

What we are Learning:

In our language arts unit, we have been identifying vocabulary words that will help us make inferences when we are reading.  Some of our clue words are:  infer, guess, probably, clue, feel, think, and believe.  Please use some of the words when you are reading at home with your child and you are asking them comprehension questions.  Our focus in English has been on compound words, so ask your child to name some compound words.  In writing, we have been writing informational facts and stories about Harriet Tubman and George Washington Carver.

In math we are still working on our Money unit.  Please continue to work with your child on counting coins and bills and how to make fair trades with the money.  This unit has been extremely hard for them and all of your help has been greatly appreciated. 

Our new Science unit is on Light and Shadows.  We began by discussing if the groundhog saw his shadow on Groundhog's Day and what that means for our upcoming weather.  The students have also been working on this concept in the science lab.  They have been experimenting with objects to see if they are translucent, transparent, and/or opaque.

News from our Classroom:

Thank you so much for attending your child's conference.  It is fantastic that we had 100% participation!!!  It was great to get to talk with each of you and discuss your child's progress. 

Please note that Cosmic Bowling will be on Thursday, February 5th.  The times are as follows:  Session A 5:30-6:00; Session B 6:00-6:30; Session C 6:30-7:00; PTA Meeting 7:00-7:30; and Session D 7:30-8:00.  Tickets may be purchased at the door for $3.00 per person.  I hope to see you there!

Mark you calendar with these events:

February 5 - Cosmic Bowling

February 12 - Texas Roadhouse Night - Hiram

February 16 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Inservice Day

February 24 - Stevi B's Night

February 25 - Mellow Mushroom Night

March 3 - Early Release 12:20

What's Happening in Our Class

What we are Learning:

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!  has been the theme of our Language Arts unit.  We have been reading and writing stories about snow.  Our strategy must have worked since we did see a few snowflakes this week.  We will complete our reading unit on Cause and Effect and we will begin our new unit on Inferences.  We are still studying antonyms, homophones, and synonyms.  In writing we will be writing How To stories.  The students may come home and ask a lot of questions on how you do things and the correct sequence order for them, for example they may ask you how to bake a cake or wash a car.

In Math our new unit is on Money.  We are learning each coin and its value.  We are practicing counting a collection of coins and learning how to trade coins for a fair trade.  Please practice counting money with your child.  This is a very hard skill for them to learn. You could play a trading game with them and see who has the most money.

It has been a very exciting time in Social Studies.  Our unit has really tied together with the inauguration of our new President.  We have studied Harriet Tubman and her role with slavery and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream for equality.  The students noticed that President Obama referred to these things in his speech. 

News from our Classroom:

Please remember that next week, January 26 - January 30 will be conference week and that all students will be dismissed each day at 12:20.  If your child's afternoon transportation will change, please send me a note in writing with the changes.  I am looking forward to meeting with each of you to discuss your child's progress and let you know the things we will be working on together to help your child be successful the rest of this school year.  Please check your date and time for our scheduled conference and if your are unable to attend, let me know so I can reschedule your conference.

Please remember that PTA will be having the Book Fair in our Media Center during conference week.  Please go by and support this fund raiser for the school and take home some new books to share together.

Mark your calendar with these events:

January 26 - January 30 - Conference Week and Book Fair - Dismissal at 12:20

January 27 - Stevi B's Night

January 28 - Mellow Mushroom Night

February 4 - Early Release at 12:20

February 5 - Cosmic Bowling

February 12 - Texas Roadhouse Night - Hiram

February 16 - No School - Teacher In- service Day

 

What's Happening in Our Class

What we are Learning:

  Welcome Back!  Happy New Year!  We are off to a terrific start in 2009.  The students came back very rested and excited about learning!  I think they really missed each other during our break.  This is a great time to start new units of study and we have!  In reading, our new unit is on Cause and Effect.  We have been reading Snow stories and hoping that we will have some snow this year.  We have been identifying cause and effect in each story.  During our English unit, we are studying antonyms, homophones, and synonyms.  Please play the opposite game with your child to review antonyms.  You can give them a word and see if they can tell you the opposite.   During our writer's workshop, we will be writing informational stories.  We will focus on how we can write to teach.  We are writing some snow stories of our own.  Don't forget to keep reading those library books each night with your child.  Each student should pass at least 18 test this nine weeks.

Our new unit in Math is on Fractions.  We are identifying equal parts of a whole.  We will also be studying halves and fourths.  Please have your child identify things around your house that are equal and/or things that could be divided into fractions.

 In Social Studies we have started a unit on Historical Figures.  We will be discussing Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Theodore Roosevelt, and George Washington Carver. The students are very interested in learning about others.

News from our Classroom:

AR testing on library books has started again to reinforce the reading homework.  Please be sure to read each book with your child and ask them comprehension questions about the story.  Each student should read and pass at least 18 test this nine weeks.

Thank you for returning your Conference request sheets so quickly.  Please remember that conference week is January 26 - January 30 and that students will be dismissed each day at 12:20.  I look forward to sharing your child's progress at this time.  You will also receive the 2nd Nine Weeks Report Card and grade level benchmark testing results during your conference.

Mark your calendar with these events:

January 19 - No School

January 26 - January 30 - Conference Week - Dismissal at 12:20

February 4 - Early Release at 12:20

February 16 - No School

 

 

 

 

What's Happening in Our Class

What we are Learning:

In reading, we have started a new unit on Fact and Opinion.  We have been reading different stories on sound and determining if the information in the story was a fact or an opinion.  As you are reading stories at home with your child, please be sure and ask if the story has facts and/or opinions.   During our writer's workshop, we are still writing narratives that tell the stories of our lives.  We are writing a five sentence paragraph about our Thanksgiving break.  Our study in English this week has been on adjectives and constructing sentences with nouns, verbs, and adjectives.  Have your child describe things around your house using adjectives.  We have started our next unit in spelling and we are working on homophones. 

Our new unit in mathematics is on Geometry.  We have identified solid figures and plane shapes.  We have listed the characteristics of each.  Also, ask your child about making the geometric shapes using play-doh. Be sure to ask your child to name different shapes that they see around your house and as you are driving around.  We will be studying the Geometry unit until our Winter Break.

In science our new unit is on Sound.  Thank you for helping your child with our musical instrument project.  I can hardly wait to see the instruments and hear our class band.

News from our Classroom:

Our classroom Winter Holiday Party will be on Thursday,  December 18 at 12:00 p.m.  I will send home a letter next Thursday and ask for a donation for our party.  Please check your child's Weekly Folder next Thursday for the information.

If anyone could send in liquid hand soap for use at our classroom sink we would really appreciate it.  Now that germ season is here, we really seem to be washing our hands more often.

News from the School:

                                                                Supper with Santa

Please come and have supper with Santa on Friday,  December 5th.  Please join us for a spaghetti dinner from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.  All proceeds benefit the Giving Tree to help Dowell Families.

Mark your calendar with these events:

December 5 - PTA Supper with Santa

December 11 - Texas Roadhouse Night - Hiram

December 17 - Mellow Mushroom Night

December 18 - Classroom Winter Holiday Party 12:00

December 22 - January 5 - No School - Winter Break

 

 

 

What's Happening in our Class

What we are Learning:

In reading we are finishing our unit on comparing and contrasting stories and story elements.  We have read a lot of fiction and non-fiction stories.  Be sure and ask your child the difference between fiction and non-fiction.  We have read stories about baby animals born from eggs, the night sky and what we can see, and an ocean story on how the ocean animals help each other. In writing we are working on a narrative on the things that we are thankful for.  In English, we are identifying nouns and verbs and writing sentences with the given parts of speech.  Our spelling units have been going very well.  Most of the students did an excellent job on their very first spelling test.  Please remember to help your child study the words each night.  It would also be great if they could practice writing a sentence for each word.

Our focus in mathematics has been on numbers.  We have been working on greater than, less than, equal to, one more, one less, ten more, and ten less. Please be sure and review counting to 100 and have your child write the numbers to 100.  We will be skip counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's next week.

In social studies our unit is on American Heroes.  We have been learning about Thomas Jefferson.  We learned some very important facts about his life.  We are also studying Lewis and Clark and how Jefferson had them explore the new land to the west.

News from our Classroom:

Please join our class for the First Grade VIP Luncheon on Wednesday, November 19 at 10:32 in the cafeteria.  Please remember that parents, grandparents, and others are invited to share this special lunch with us.  I know the students want you to see them as they dress as Native Americans for lunch.

Please remember that Thanksgiving Holidays are Monday, November 24 through Friday, November 28 and that the school will be closed. I hope each of you have a wonderful holiday.

Mark your calendar with these events:

November 18 - Academic Alerts go home

November 19 - VIP Lunch 10:32 - Cafeteria

November 19 - Mellow Mushroom Night

November 24 - November 28 No School - Thanksgiving Holiday

December 5 - PTA Supper with Santa

December 11 - Texas Roadhouse Night - Hiram

December 17 - Mellow Mushroom Night

December 18 - Class Winter Holiday Party

December 22 - January 5 - No School - Winter Break

What's Happening in our Class

What we are Learning:

Our focus in reading has been on comparing and contrasting stories and story elements. This week we have been reading stories about Pumpkins. We have read Big Pumpkin, Pumpkin Circle, and The Biggest Pumpkin Ever. Be sure to ask your child how these stories are the same and different and ask them which story was their favorite.  In writing this week, the students are writing a narrative on a favorite thing.  They are writing about a favorite animal, book, game, or toy. Please continue to have your child practice writing sentences and stories at home.

In mathematics, we are still learning different strategies for subtraction.  The students have really become fast at solving subtraction facts using a number line.  We have also discussed that this would be a great strategy for our CRCT test in April.  The students were told that they could draw a number line on their scratch paper and use it to solve addition and subtraction facts.  Please continue to use a number line at home for addition and subtraction problems practice.  A huge Thank You to all of the parents and students that came to our first grade math night.  I hope that you are enjoying all of the math games that you took home!

Our focus in health has been on Red Ribbon Week.  We have discussed the differences in harmful and healthy drugs.  We also focused on the importance of the safe and appropriate use of medicines and how alcohol and tobacco products can harm our bodies.

News from our Classroom:

Reminder - Students should be reading their library book each night with you and discussing it so they can come to class and take a comprehension test on the book. Each student should have read and passed about 6 test by this time for this nine weeks.  If your child has not met this goal, I have written a note in the weekly folder to let you know how many test they have passed.   This activity really does help them become better readers and helps them with comprehension.  Please continue to read with them daily.

Reminder - Please continue to study the First Grade High Frequency Words.  There is a list of ten of those words each week on their homework sheet. The students must know 100 words by the end of this nine weeks.

News from School:

Please join us for Dowell Elementary School's Barnes & Noble Book fair

Date:  Friday, November 7th

Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location:  Barnes & Noble at The Avenues of West Cobb

Activities:  Scavenger Hunt; Pictures taken with The Cat in The Hat; Story time with The Cat in The Hat; and the PTA meeting at 6:45

Mark you calendar with these events:

November 4 - No School

November 7 - Dowell Elementary School's Barnes & Noble Book fair

November 24 - November 28 No School - Thanksgiving Holiday

What's Happening in our Class

What we are Learning:

Our class has been very busy finishing up the first nine weeks of study and moving into our second nine weeks of study.  During our language arts block, we have been identifying the main idea and details of a story.  We have read several stories and the students have done an excellent job of summarizing the main idea and details.  We are still reviewing the sound that each letter of the alphabet makes and we have been blending the letters together to read, write, and spell new words.  In writing, we have been answering the essential question of:  What can I do to help me become a better writer?.  Please have your child practice writing complete sentences and stories at home as part of their daily homework assignment.  The students still need a lot of practice in writing.

In mathematics, we have begun a new unit on subtraction.  We have been using objects and pictures to help us understand subtraction.  We have also used the students in different word problems to act out subtraction problems.  Please practice subtraction facts at home.  Some of the students are still confused on when to add and when to subtract so please be sure to emphasis the + and - signs.

Our science unit has been on the weather.  We have identified the four seasons and how the weather changes in each. We have discussed different kinds of weather and the students had to write about their favorite weather.  We have also learned about different instruments used in measuring the weather.

News from our Classroom:

We had a terrific time on our field trip to Carlton Farms Pumpkin Patch.  I am sure that your child told you all about the corn maze, hay ride,  seeing the animals, feeding the cows, and the pumpkins growing in the field.  Thank you again to each parent that made another donation so we could go on the field trip. 

Red Ribbon Week will be the week of October 27 - October 31.  Please be sure to watch for more information about all the special spirit days we will have that week.  I know that your child will want to participate each day.

Mark your calendar with these events:

October 17 - 1st Nine Week Report Cards are sent home

October 22 - Mellow Mushroom Night

October 23 - 1st Grade Parent/Student Night at Dowell 5:00 - 6:00

November 4 - Student Holiday - No School

What's Happening in our Class

What we are Learning:

Apples, apples, apples!!!  We have being studying fall and apples.  The students have used their senses to tell all about an apple.  They also discovered that an apple is a very special little house with no door and no window but has a very special "star" inside. Be sure to look at their apple in their folder this week.  We also read the books, The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree, and The Giving Tree and we compared and contrasted how the trees were the same and different.  The students have also written a story about The Apple Tree. The students patterned their student after the seasons that an apple tree goes through.  In social studies, we also studied the American folktale character of Johnny Appleseed.  We read several books about him and discussed how he was an important folktale character.  Be sure and ask your child about the hat that he wore!

We also started our AR TEST!  Your child should be reading their pink dot library book each night and then you should read it to them and ask them questions about the book.  Then they come to class and take a comprehension test on the book.  A lot of the students found that the test was very hard and that they need to read the same book for at least two nights.  Be sure and ask your child how they did on their test!

In math our focus has been on identifying tens and ones place value.  The students have done an excellent job learning about place value.  However, please continue to show your child a number, ask them to read the number and tell you which number is in the ones place and which number is in the tens place.  They also practiced making numbers using the base ten blocks.

News from School:

Please join us for Dowell Math Night at Publix on Dallas Highway

Date:  Thursday, October 9th

Time: 6:00-6:45 Family names N-Z

            6:45-7:00 PTA Meeting

            7:00-8:00 Family names A-M

Food:  Hot dogs-drinks-treats  will be available for purchase

Dowell Spirit Wear (Wear a Dowell T-shirt and be eligible to win a prize)

All Students must bring an Adult to participate

Field trip reminder:

First grade will be going to Carlton Farms Pumpkin Patch on Friday, October 10, 2008.

We will be leaving around 9:30 and returning around 1:30.  I will send a reminder home in your child's homework folder next week so please check it for important lunch information.  This is an outdoor field trip so please make sure that they are dressed correctly.

Mark you calendar with these events:

October 9 - Math Night at Publix

October 10 - Field Trip - Pumpkin Patch

October 15 - Early Release 12:20

October 17 - 1st Nine Weeks Report Cards are sent home

October 22 - Mellow Mushroom Night