Red Yarn Performance
The first grade has been working with our artist in residency, Red Yarn. Each class has learned a different folk song and created puppets to go along with their song. We would love to share our new talents with you. Each class will perform their song at a performance on Tuesday, January 28th from 1:45 – 2:05 in the cafeteria. We’d love to see you there! I have been updating assessments and just love seeing the growth. One of my favorite things about teaching first grade is watching the dramatic gains in learning throughout the year. They all are working so hard and yet still having fun learning! We read The Story of Snow this week and we're using this text to practice our reading and writing of informational texts skills. We used our schema (prior knowledge) to list facts we already know about snow. After reading through the book one time we recorded some of our new learning. We also moved some of our prior knowledge to the misconception column if we needed to adjust our thinking. We also started to use a graphic organizer to help us plan our writing. Students identified a topic and at least four facts they could write about. They then started to write more about each fact. This is really going to help us organize our thinking! Our phonics skill this week was learning about the "Tricky Y" and consonant blends at the end of words. Ask your child to give you some examples of both kinds of words. Upcoming Dates Monday, January 27 No School - Teacher Planning Day Tuesday, January 28, 8:15 am Principal's Coffee Tuesday, January 28, 1:45 pm 1st grade Red Yarn Performance Tuesday, February 4 Fieldtrip to the Newmark Theater Friday, February 7, 1:00 pm Art Infusion
0 Comments
Well this week certainly ended on an exciting note! The late opening did not put a damper on our super hero enthusiasm! We took time to talk about what traits a hero today might have. We read and learned about Ruby Bridges who as a first grader became a hero to many. Students felt that being brave and having perseverance were her "superpowers". We continued to talk about our newest tool - using the right words, in the right ways, at the right time for the right reasons. We worked on a project inspired by the book, Martin's Big Words to make collages of our own "big" words. These will be up on our classroom bulletin board to remind us of how Martin Luther King, Jr. used this tool in a powerful way.
In reading and writing we are learning about using text features to read and write nonfiction texts. We added two features to our list - photographs & illustrations and captions. We talked about how these can help us learn more about a topic and not to skip over them as we read. In math we continued to work with the number line as a tool, using it solve story problems. We are also working on place value - identifying the tens and ones in 2-digit numbers. Red Yarn came back to work with us on Tuesday. He also was kind enough to add a little science to his visit, demonstrating how the strings on his guitar make sound and how that sound can be changed by the tightness of the string. We experimented with this concept before his visit by making head harps - taking a piece of string and pulling it across our ears and making the string vibrate. Here is a link to that lesson: https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/head-harp Students started to create their puppets and will add details next week. Mark your calendars for our quick performance on Tuesday, January 28th at 1:45 in the cafeteria. Upcoming Dates Tuesday, January 21, 9:05 am Artist in Residency - Red Yarn Tuesday, January 21, 6:30 pm Art Infusion Training Monday, January 27 No School - Teacher Planning Day Tuesday, January 28, 8:15 am Principal's Coffee Tuesday, January 28, 1:45 pm 1st grade Red Yarn Performance Tuesday, February 4 Fieldtrip to the Newmark Theater We are back into our routines in first grade! This week brought a new year and new units in reading, writing, phonics, science and math. We will be spending the next few weeks on reading and writing nonfiction texts. Students traded in the books in their book boxes for a set of just right nonfiction books. They are reading about animals, people, places and more. In writers workshop students are choosing a topic that they know a lot about, that they can teach to others. We reviewed the steps to write a teaching book 1. Think of a topic 2. Plan - Say it on your fingers and sketch across pages 3. Write the words. Some of our topics include pet cats, walruses, Helen Keller and fruits. In math we are adding and subtracting with unknowns in all positions. We can solve equations 9 - ? = 5; ? + 3 = 7; 8 = 2 + ?. We are also creating story problems to match the equations. We are beginning to use a new math tool - the number line - to solve these problems. Light & Sound is our current science unit. We began learning about sound by using our bodies to create the sounds of a rain storm. We also began exploring vibration using rulers. The arts are alive in Room 108. We had a latest Art Infusion lesson. Be sure to stop by and see the Oaxacan woodcarving illustrations outside the classroom. Students explored techniques such as stipling, hatching, cross hatching, back and forth stroke and a new to me vocabulary word, scumbling. We also started our artist residency with Red Yarn. We started learning our song and created a plan for our puppet. We will start making our puppets next week. We are having so much fun! Get your capes ready because Super Hero Day is Friday the 17th! Upcoming Dates Tuesday, January 14, 8:15 am PTA Meeting in the cafeteria Tuesday, January 14, 9:05 am Artist in Residency - Red Yarn Tuesday, January 14 Hot Cocoa Day Thursday, January 16, 10:20 - 10:45 am Hearing and Vision Screening Friday, January 24 Super Hero Day Tuesday, January 21, 8:15 am Principal's Coffee Tuesday, January 21, 9:05 am Artist in Residency - Red Yarn Tuesday, January 21, 6:30 pm Art Infusion Training Monday, January 27 No School - Teacher Planning Day Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed a restful break.
We ended 2019 with such a fun day. Pajama is always a favorite and it was so great to see the whole school out in the hallways and common areas snuggling up with a book. I've posted some photos of our readers on the Photos page. Our first Artist in Residency session starts this week. We are working with Andy from Red Yarn. This is the 4th year the first graders are working with Andy and it is a great experience. You may have seen his performances around town too! He will be teaching each class a folk song and leading them in creating sock puppets to accompany their song. This week we will begin learning our song and students will create a plan for making their puppet. When we make the puppets and we could use some help from parents. I will send out a request through Konstella. The first date is Tuesday the 14th at 9:05 and the next is Friday the 21st again at 9:05. We will be performing our songs for parents on Tuesday the 28th at 1:45 in the cafeteria. Upcoming Dates Wednesday, January 9, 8:20 am Wednesday Morning Meeting Friday, January 10, 12:45 pm Art Infusion Tuesday, January 14, 8:15 am PTA Meeting in the cafeteria Tuesday, January 14, 9:05 am Artist in Residency - Red Yarn Thursday, January 16 Hearing and Vision Screening Tuesday, January 21, 8:15 am Principal's Coffee Tuesday, January 21, 9:05 am Artist in Residency - Red Yarn Tuesday, January 21, 6:30 pm Art Infusion Training Friday, January 24 Super Hero Day Monday, January 27 No School - Teacher Planning Day |
MS. SCHIADAI teach first grade in southeast Portland where every day brings a new adventure!
|