First Grade News

This week in first grade we have been sharing and exploring, whether through learning how to play math games with partners, sharing personalized writing folders, or showing friends a structure we have built.

In Reading we began looking at word families and patterns in spelling. We also were introduced to finding a “just right book”. Students book shopped in the classroom, making sure to find a book that was not too challenging, not too easy, but “just right”. In read aloud books this week we explored the theme of apples. We really enjoyed Apples by Gail Gibbons, which is a non-fiction text that explains how apples were brought to America, how they grow, and some of the different varieties. Students loved asking questions about the text, colorful illustrations and diagrams.

In Writing, we worked on sharing skills by turning and talking to partners to share our folder creations and also shared with the class. We talked about how to listen to friends, what to notice and observe.

In Science, we continued our conversation about the five senses and how they relate to science in general and the weather in particular. A goal of science for the year will be for each student to see himself or herself as a scientist. Each person made a cover for his/her science folders: a picture of two scientists with a diagram where they had to match the sense to the corresponding body part and label. They learned that scientists also have tools in their lab coat which they use in order to investigate the world. Next week we will use our senses to explore the weather with a walk outside!

In Math, we focused on one more. For example one more than 7 is 8. We also were introduced to number sense games and talked about how to play with a partner. Lastly, we explored a 100 chart and discussed why 12 would not be the same as 21 and patterns that we found in the number chart. Students are making a lot of notices about numbers!

In honor of our field trip, we explored apples that we picked. We made a stamping project and learned we could create a stamp out of nature with paint. We also created structures out of cut apples and toothpicks. We reviewed the different parts of an apple from the book we had read (skin, flesh, seeds, and stem) and matched the part to an apple diagram.

We had such a wonderful day on our apple picking field trip. The first graders picked more than enough apples for the whole school for Rosh Hashanah! We all celebrated Rosh Hashana eating apples and honey with our fifth-grade buddies.

In Hebrew, we learned the letters bet and vet and what sound they make when we add the vowels, kamatz and patach. Then we practiced reading with all the letters that we have learned so far. The first graders were so excited to read so many words like; bar (wild), tam (over), ram (high) and tamar (date).

In Judaic studies, we spoke about Tashlich and we reflected on the things we wish to keep from last year, as well as what we would like to throw away. Next week we will have our own Tashlich ceremony. We also learned about the V’ahavta prayer. We worked on learning the words of the prayer and what they mean, and that the prayer can be found inside of the mezuzah and inside of tefilin. We had the opportunity to see the inside of a mezuzah which was very exciting.

Lastly, our 5th grades buddies came to deliver us the basil they harvested from the garden. This was extremely special because it was the basil that the first graders planted in kindergarten!