Weekly Updates December 21-23

Hello,

We have a short, but activity filled week! Enjoy the break and take time to relax!

Upcoming Events:

Thursday, December 24-Sunday January 3rd-Winter Break

Curriculum Updates:

Readers' Workshop: We shared our topic research today with first graders in Ms. Schmalzer's class. We learned so many things about the topics we researched!

Writers' Workshop: We are finishing up our Informational Writing Unit. We will be working on opinion writing when we return from break. This unit will focus on making judgments, writing reviews and giving reasons for our opinions.

Math Workshop: This week we are continuing our work with 10s and 1s. We will be representing 2 digit numbers with drawings (tens sticks and ones circles) and number cards, and read and write numerals and number words for numbers through 20 and the decade numbers (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90)

Science/Social Studies:  We will be finishing up our weather unit this week, researching a little bit about reindeer. After break we will be starting a new social studies unit, Families: Now and Long Ago.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Kathy Zobel

First Grade

New Directions Learning Community

Research Posters

Preparing to teach others what we've learned about our topics during Readers' Workshop!

Weekly Updates 14-18

Hello,

This is our last full week of December before Winter Break. It's hard to believe how quickly time is flying. We will be having yoga again this week Friday (thank you Mrs. McEneany), so remember to have your child wear comfy clothing.

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, December 15th-11:30 Dismissal

Thursday, December 24-Sunday January 3rd-Winter Break

  

Curriculum Updates:

Readers' Workshop: We've started to read about topics we are interested in. After spending some time reading about our topic, we meet with our clubmates to discuss and grow our ideas. This week we will be learning how we can use our hands and fingers to stay organized when telling the main idea and details of our book, comparing books about our topic to grow ideas and make our learning more interesting, coming up with our own ideas about what we are learning, and thinking about why what we are learning is so important.

Writers' Workshop: We will be finishing up our Informational Writing Unit before break. We all received lots of positive comments from our readers who came to Family Night. We taught our readers lots of new things!
This week we will be learning how we can teach readers what new words mean with words and pictures, how to edit step by step, and then fancy our books up for our celebration. 

Math Workshop: This week we are working seeing 10s and extra ones. We solved some story problems using this concept today. This was a little tricky at first!

For example: Sam had 16 pencils. A pencil box holds 10. How many boxes can he fill? How many pencils will be left over? 

We will also be using the Make a Ten strategy to solve story problems. Example: 7 tigers play games. Then 5 more tigers join them. How many tigers are playing games now? Here's one way to solve this using Make a Ten strategy:

We will also spend some time practicing doubles of numbers 1-10 (eg. 1+1=2, 2+2=4, 4+4=8).

Science/Social Studies:  We shared our weather research with the class on Friday. We learned so many new things! This week we will learn how umbrellas were invented, create our own umbrella, and complete a quick assessment to show everything we've learned about weather. 

  

Word Study: We introduced 5 new word wall words today. The words are: did, was, tell, said, ride. We will be assessing these words on Friday. These are words we want students to be able to read and write automatically without having to think to sound them out. Students also continue to work on phonics skills and word sorts at their developmental level.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Kathy Zobel

First Grade

New Directions Learning Community

Nonfiction Experts

We are reading aloud our nonfiction books to buddies in Ms. Schmalzer's class to grow our thinking!

Weekly Updates December 7-11

Hello,

The Parade was a huge success and New Directions won first place for our float. Thanks for everyone who was able to help out with this! 

Upcoming Events:

Thursday, December 10th-PJs, Pizza and Publishing Family Night, 5:30-7:00-Students are excited to share their Information books.

Tuesday, December 15th-11:30 Dismissal

Thursday, December 24-Sunday January 3rd-Winter Break

  

Curriculum Updates:

Readers' Workshop: We are continuing our reading nonfiction unit and are spending some more time focusing on reading aloud like experts. We will be planning to think and talk by using key words we are learning in our books and using drama to bring our read alouds to life.At the end of the week we will choose a topic we want to learn more about and read several books about that topic to grow our thinking.

Writers' Workshop: This week in our information books we will review our writing checklist and set new goals, use photographs or pictures about our topic to help us teach our readers even more, edit "as we go" to remember to add punctuation as we write, and prepare our books for our publishing night on Thursday.

Math Workshop: This week we are starting a new unit-Place Value Concepts. Our big goals of the unit are: read, write and represent 2-digit numbers as tens and ones, compare two 2-digit numbers, add tens and one, use strategies to add within 20, and use addition within 20 to solve story problems. A note is coming home today explaining the big ideas of this unit. 

Science/Social Studies:  We are finished our weather centers and have learned so much! This week we will be thinking about what we still want to learn about weather and researching using the ipads and books.  

Word Study: We introduced 5 new word wall words today. The words are: them, here, boy, girl, little. We will be assessing these words on Friday. These are words we want students to be able to read and write automatically without having to think to sound them out. Students also continue to work on phonics skills and word sorts at their developmental level.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Kathy Zobel

First Grade

New Directions Learning Community

Weekly Updates November 30th -December 4th

Hello,

I hope everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing break. It's hard to believe tomorrow is December already! The excitement of the season is in the air.

Upcoming Events:

Monday, December 1st-Kaukauna Christmas Parade

We will plan to have families meet at our line up spot around 5:45/5:50.  The parade starts at 6:00, but it can be a bit of a wait to get going, so this should be plenty of time. Just a reminder: kids riding or walking in the parade MUST be accompanied by an adult.

Entry Name:  New Directions Learning Community Charter School
Parade Position: 27 *Look for a numbered stake on the side of the road 
Staging Street: 809 Wisconsin

Thursday, December 10th-PJs, Pizza and Publishing Family Night, 5:30-7:00-A note came home last week. Students are invited to bring a friend to celebrate their hard work as writers. Let me know if you have any questions.

Tuesday, December 15th-11:30 Dismissal

Thursday, December 24-Sunday January 3rd-Winter Break

Six Flag Read to Succeed Book Logs are coming home today. If your child would like to participate, he or she needs to read a total of 6 hours by February 16. 

Curriculum Updates:

Readers' Workshop: We are continuing our reading nonfiction unit. We've been on the look out for key words that are specific to the topics we are reading about to share with our partners. This week we'll be working on rereading using a teaching voice, finding interesting things to share with our partners, reading with feeling and reading like a writer (what can we notice authors doing that we can use in our own All About Information books).

Writers' Workshop: As we continue writing our All About Information books, we will continue to use different kinds of writing in our teaching books such as: how-to writing, persuasive writing and stories, we will also be writing introductions and conclusions to our books, and fixing up our writing using all the strategies we have learned so far (end punctuation, capitals at beginning of sentences, using word wall words and word parts we know to spell the best we can).

Math Workshop: This week we will be focusing on solving mixed story problems. These problems will include both addition and subtraction stories. We've been working on using equations to set the situation up and help us solve the stories. 

Science/Social Studies:  We are continuing to learn about weather through our centers. We keep waiting for snow, but it's been very elusive so far. (Sad for kids, but ok for those of us who have to shovel!)

Word Study: We introduced 5 new word wall words today. The words are: his, her, has, you, see. We will be assessing these words on Friday. These are words we want students to be able to read and write automatically without having to think to sound them out. Students also continue to work on phonics skills and word sorts at their developmental level.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Kathy Zobel

First Grade

New Directions Learning Community

Weekly Updates November 23-27

Hello,

With this short week we will have a short update. I hope everyone has a chance to relax over this long Thanksgiving weekend. I am very thankful for all the unique first grade personalities I get to work with everyday!

December Homework Calendars are coming home today. 

Updates:

Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27-No School-Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, December 1st-Kaukauna Christmas Parade

Thursday, December 10th-PJs, Pizza and Publishing Family Night, 5:30-7:00-Look for more information to come home soon.

Tuesday, December 15th-11:30 Dismissal

We will be sharing our turkeys in disguise this week and writing about our disguise. We have lots of creatively disguised turkeys in first grade!

Weather Centers

First graders are busy learning about weather!

Weekly Updates November 16-20

Hello,

I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend. It looks like this week will not be as nice! We are digging deep into nonfiction in both reading and writing and students are noticing connections between what they are doing as readers and writers. What an exciting time to be a first grader!

Upcoming Events:

Monday, November 16th-Half Day-11: 30 Dismissal

Tuesday, November 17th-Yoga Family Night sponsored by the PSC 6:00-7:00

Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27-No School-Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, December 1st-Kaukauna Christmas Parade- Look for more information soon on how you can help with the New Directions Float!

Curriculum Updates:

Readers' Workshop: Students are becoming experts on so many topics as they continue to read nonfiction. Today we will celebrate all we've learned so far by having a grown-up party to talk about what we've been reading the new things we've learned. Maybe you can have a talking party at your house to learn all about what your child has been learning! The rest of the week we will be learning how to tackle super hard words in order to keep learning. Some strategies we will practice are: readers can be persistent when reading hard words, they can  "crash" word parts together by reading the beginning, middle and end and putting the parts together, readers slow down to check that words look right and then reread to check that it makes sense, and readers learn new words as they read.  

Writers' Workshop: We are starting the second part of our All About Information books-Nonfiction Writers Can Write Chapter Books! This week we will write table of contents, plan and write chapters, write with details by using comparisons, and use different kids of writing in our teaching books such as: how-to writing, persuasive writing and stories.

Math Workshop: This week we will dig deep into story problems with  a change unknown or a start unknown. We will be pushing our mathematical brains to solve these problems. Students will  work to visualize the story and use  math mountains and equations to help them with their problem solving.  Here is an example of each type of problem:

Change Unknown: Sam had 4 cookies. Kim gave her some more. Then Sam had 7 cookies. How many cookies did Kim give Sam? (4 + ___=7)

Start Unknown: Sam had some cookies. Kim gave her 3 more. Then she had 7. How many cookies did Sam start with? (__ + 3 =7) 

Science/Social Studies:  We are continuing to learn about weather through our centers. Students are becoming weather experts!  Last week we watched a weather forecast and students were super excited about the slight possibility of snow! Oh boy, won't be long.

Word Study: We introduced 5 new word wall words today. The words are: on, had, may big, from. We will be assessing these words on Friday. These are words we want students to be able to read and write automatically without having to think to sound them out. Students also continue to work on phonics skills and word sorts at their developmental level.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Kathy Zobel

First Grade

New Directions Learning Community

First Grade Meteorologists Test the Wind

Weekly Updates November 9-13

I am looking forward to meeting with students and their families during our portfolio conferences this week. Students have been working hard in first grade, and this is a great opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments so far and set goals for new learning! Let me know if you need a reminder of your scheduled conference day and time.

Upcoming Events:

Tues. November 10th and Thurs. November 12th-Portfolio Conferences

Monday, November 16th-Half Day-11: 30 Dismissal

Tuesday, November 17th-Yoga Family Night sponsored by the PSC

Monday, December 1st-Kaukauna Christmas Parade- Look for more information soon on how you can help with the New Directions Float!

Curriculum Updates:

Readers' Workshop: This week we are starting our new unit, Learning About the World. This unit builds on students natural curiosity. During the first part of the unit we'll focus on how nonfiction readers become super smart about topics. In the second part of the unit in addition to comprehension, we'll be spotlighting vocabulary. In the last part of the unit we'll be working on building fluency and studying the craft of authors that we can use in our own writing. This week we will focus on previewing our books to get our minds ready, using the details on each page to learn even more, talking with our partners to grow our thinking, and rereading to make sure we understand our books.

Writers' Workshop: We started our All About Information books last week, and students are experts on so many topics! This week we will focus on assessing our writing and setting goals, teaching with pictures and words, focusing on using our spelling strategies to spell tricky words, and using readers to help us add more and take out details. 

Math Workshop: . This week we will continue to focus on solving problems with unknown addition partners and writing our own story problems with missing partners. We will also be relating subtraction problems to unknown partners and solving subtraction story problems.

Science/Social Studies:  We had a great time at the Building for Kids. The weather class provided us with many hands on centers to learn more about air, temperature, fog and clouds. We also enjoyed learning and creating with classmates throughout the museum. See below for photos of our day. Thanks to our great parent volunteers for helping out on our trip!

This week we will continue studying weather by learning more about the wind and then beginning some weather centers at the end of the week focused on temperature, seasons, and clouds. We will be using pebblego, books, thermometers and other materials to help us with our new learning!

Word Study: We introduced 5 new word wall words today. The words are: day, get, of, like, good. We will be assessing these words on Friday. These are words we want students to be able to read and write automatically without having to think to sound them out. Students also continue to work on phonics skills and word sorts at their developmental level.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Kathy Zobel

First Grade

New Directions Learning Community