November 21, 2008

This past week, our little ladies created Theodora the Thankful Turkey. She is across the hallway displaying all of the things we are thankful for.  

Math: A new concept, frames and arrows, was introduced last week. It involves following a rule to create a sequence of numbers (and sometimes discovering the rule used when the number sequence is provided). Please read the Family letter in the Homelinks after break for more information. We are using the number line and the number grid to help solve these problems.

Spelling/Word study: We have now studied the short vowel sounds of the letters a, o and i. Literacy centers have provided word family and rhyming practice. There is no spelling work Thanksgiving week :-)

Social Studies: We have begun discussions about professions in our community. We are reading a picture book about a different profession every day. We will be welcoming more parents who will come speak about their work. If you are interested, please email me and we can set up a time.

Social Development: The animals are almost back to their safe home in The Happy Forest. Everyone has been working hard to “stay on the path.” If you would like more information about the Interplay program we are using, I encourage you to read the book Ready to Learn by Dr. Jeanne Shub. Another good book for understanding your daughter’s social interactions is Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children by Michael Thompson, Ph.D. and others.

First graders are becoming a community of learners who have opportunities to take on leadership roles as well as strong collaborative support roles--in the same way any good team experiences success.

December’s character trait is Compassion. The Lower School will be participating in The Adopt A Family Program. More information to come....

I wish all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Ms. Buchanan