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Whats Fun In Grade One!

Week of October 31-November 4th
From Room 104

Letter from the Teacher

Hello all! What beautiful weather we

have had to welcome us into the fall
season. With only a few weeks left
before Thanksgiving and Holiday break,
I wanted to thank you all in your
involvement in the classroom. From
volunteering time, donating supplies,
and being engaged in your childs
learning makes all the difference!

Life starts over again when it gets crisp in
the fall
F.Scott Fitzgerald
Hello! This is room 104s newsletter for the week of October
31st - November 4th. I hope all of you had a lovely weekend and
feel refreshed as we enter a new month! Inside of this newsletter
you will find our objectives for the week, assignments,
upcoming happenings within our classroom and the school,
some recipes and interesting articles!
A reminder that our field trip money is
due by this Friday. Next Monday we
will be going to the zoo to see some
exciting wildlife! Remember to dress
warm, bring a disposable packed lunch
(if you are buying please let me know by
Friday as well). Wear comfortable
shoes because there will be lots of
walking! I am looking for two more
parent chaperones, if you are interested
please feel free to contact me at any
point in time this week.
Thanks! ~ Miss Tessa~

Save the Date!

Book Fair! Happy Birthday! Field Trip
October 31-Nov 3 Nov 1 Money
Scholastic Book Happy Birthday to Nov 4
Fair will be held in our very own Please turn in
slips/money by Friday!
our library every student Carly!
day from 9-3.
 WHATS FUN IN GRADE ONE FALL 2016

Agenda for the Week!

These are our goals and objectives for the week
as we dive into a new month. Our theme for
November is ANIMALS

Math
For our math classes this week, we will continue on in
learning addition and subtraction up to 20. We will
review our progress from last week, review with
practice problems, work with partners on the iPad, and
then try a pre-test with addition and subtraction mixed
together. Below is a link to a game on AbcYa to do
more practice at home :
http://www.abcya.com/first_grade_word_problems_a
dd_subtract.htm
Science
104 will be going on a chilly adventure through the
tundra to learn about animals that live in the cold weather.
We will read through our science article that lists the
animals, as well as how they survive the temperature!

English
Each day, we will be reading a new book together as a
class (animal themed, of course!). The class will discuss
elements of the text (characters and setting), looking for
facts, and comparing stories from one to another. The
books are:
Put Me In The Zoo-Robert Lopshire
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Laura Numeroff

Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? Eric Carle

Dolphin Tale 2 Gabrielle Reyes

Social Skills
Fishy Friends- Our class will evaluate what
makes someone a good friend, and how we
ourselves can be a better friend. We will do a fish
craft in the style of Eric Carle to create a mural
for our wall!

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WHATS FUN IN GRADE ONE FALL 2016

How to Motivate Your Reader at Home

Sometimes our children arent excited about one for you!

reading, because it is simply a skill they have
not mastered yet. However, by bringing reading
experiences into the home, it can become a fun
enjoyable experience. Even if it is just a before
bed time bonding activity. Here are some tips
on how we can encourage our young readers to
become more comfortable with text:
1. Create or looking for games to go along with
a specific book to do at home. This could be a
game, craft, or movie/video to go along.
2. Chart it! Use a sticker chart to celebrate
progress as a student reads more and more
independently. If you need a chart, I can create
3. Supply a variety of books and reading
materials for the child to explore. The local
library is a great resource to utilize! Students are
always welcome to borrow from our library in
the classroom, as long as it is returned! Local
libraries also offer free classes and events for
students of all ages. Check on their website for
sign ups and event details.
4. Discuss the book with your child. Whether it
is a book you read to them or vice versa,
discussing it will help a child process what they
liked, what was important, and if there are any
stories that are similar to their favorite.

A Sweet Tweet Bird Feeders

Here is a fun craft to do at home, that also helps us
feed our wild life friends!
2 Packets of Knox Gelatin In a small pan, add gelatin to water.
2/3 cups of water Stir until Dissolved. Turn burner on to
2 cups of birdseed medium heat. After removing from
Cooking Spray heat, add in birdseed. Spray wax paper
Cookie Cutter and cookie cutters with spray. Carefully
Parchment Paper
fill each cookie cutter. Insert a straw in
Straws
the birdseed to create a hole to tie twine
Twine
around later. Place birdseed in fridge
for one hour.

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 WHATS FUN IN GRADE ONE FALL 2016

NOVEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

1 2 3 4
Happy Birthday Field trip money due
Carly!

7 8 9 10 11
Field trip to PPG No school-
Zoo Inservice Day

14 15 16 17 18
Picture Day Make
up

21 22 23 24 25
Half day of school- Happy No School
Dismissal at 11:30 Thanksgiving!

28 29 30
No School Students return Happy Birthday
Alex!

This month is also International Drum Month-We will be incorporating drumming and
instruments from around the world!

November is also National Diabetes Awareness Month, Child Safety Protection Month,
and National Adoption Awareness Month

Happy Birthday to both Carly and Alex this month! We will make sure to celebrate! If
you would like to bring in a treat for the class, please contact me before hand so I can
make arrangements for our friends with certain allergies.

Nov. 8th is our field trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo! Please dress appropriate for the weather.
If it is raining, then we will visit the following Tuesday.
Nov. 14th is Picture make up day! Please bring all forms necessary for picture re-take.

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WHATS FUN IN GRADE ONE FALL 2016

Introducing our new classroom technology:

OSMO
This fall we were incredibly lucky to be
able to purchase and invest in OSMO, an award
winning educational games for the iPad. This
app is incredibly hands on and interactive for
students of all functioning levels. With their
interactive camera, students can use
manipulatives (provided), their hands, and
worksheets to create. With games, coding,
numbers, tangram, and many other activities,
students are able to explore with technology.
Each app is free on our iPads. With the
whole kit, there is a dock, camera cover,
manipulatives, and extra content included, this
is a classrooms best friend! There are three
different kits: the Starter, Wonder, and
Explorer. There are also supplemental sets that
can be purchased such as the Creative Set,
Coding, Pizza Co., and Numbers. Osmo works
with the iPad 2, 3, 4, Mini, Air, Air 2 and iPad
Pro. In our classroom, there has been improved
willingness to engage in math and harder core
subjects that sometimes our students will shy
away from. Because it is set up in a game
format, students appear to be more engaged and
excited about the information they are learning
and reinforcing. Our classroom utilizes the
Explorer kit, with all of the supplemental sets.
During our group rotations, students have the
chance each week to participate in Osmo
activities. I have even had them ask to use the
apps durin our indoor recess time! Below is a
link for parents to access Osmo website to
explore the product, as well as possibly invest in
the home as well.
https://www.playosmo.com/en/

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THE LOREM IPSUMS FALL 2016

Featured Resources
Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/
The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for
Exceptional Children is more of a resource for educators
and professionals, however, parents can read and keep up
to date on news going on the country. Under the news tab,
articles about how education is expanding and growing will
keep you informed on research based practices that are
being done in the classroom.
Parents can also keep up with
any legal or policy changes
that may affect the family and child. Through the Young
Exceptional Child page, parents and professionals can
access resource guides pertaining to music, communication,
assistive technologies, and many more.

National Association for the Education of Young Children- NAEYC

www.naeyc.org
NAEYC is the leading association in the education of young children. with
NAEYC for families, parents can research accredited programs for child care,
"Families Today" articles, articles on various topics that pertain to family and
little ones. There is also a link to provide families with song downloads, as well
as information about the artist. There are guides on activities to do at home.
Also under the area of looking for a childcare program are articles on what to
look for in an infant program, early childhood program, and toddler program.

Autism Society of America

http://www.autism-society.org/
The Autism Society of America works to provide resources and supports for anyone on the
spectrum. Their board involves members who are on the spectrum, had has a hand in state
and local legislation. There are many chapters. Currently, the Westmoreland County chapter
holds events monthly that involve bowling, swimming parties, paint nights, fundraisers, and a
summer camp at Antiochian Village. The website has links for family resources, individual
resources, future planning, blogs, publications, advocacy services, and many other supports.

Miss Tessa Swiger

t.swiger@setonhill.edu
724.420.7702.