Depth & Complexity:
During our April staff development, we had a full day of Depth and Complexity training. We spent time learning about the components of the Depth and Complexity icons. These icons serve as visual prompts to encourage students to explore topics from multiple perspectives, fostering critical thinking and engagement. You’ll likely start hearing some of this language in the classroom as we incorporate the icons into daily instruction. Thank you to the PTO for paying for our training and supplying us with the materials needed to implement this in our classrooms.
Reading: Benchmark Advance
Unit 9: We Use Goods and Services
In this unit, students read and compare selections about making and selling goods and the service industry to understand how we use goods and services. They will develop the following Enduring Understandings:
- The exchange of goods and services is an essential part of living in a community.
- There are many different ways to create goods and provide services.
Foundations: Phonics and spelling is embedded into Benchmark. We have a daily focus on Phonics Word Study and Spelling instruction. Unit 9 is a focus on diphthongs /ou/ and /oi/ and /oo/.
High frequency words for Unit 9:
Week 1: before, done, about, even
Week 2: walk, buy, only, through
Week 3: does, another, wash, some
Writing: We are excited to start our Shared Research Reports in unit 9. Students will have the opportunity to research, plan, draft, and revise a text based on the unit topic.
Math:
Everyday Math Unit 9 is our last unit in our Everyday Math program! We will continue to explore the connections between concrete and abstract models for mathematics through the lens of using appropriate tools and making sense of problems and perseverance. Students will engage in understanding place value, and adding and subtracting two-digit numbers within 100. This unit will also serve as an end-of-year review and revisit concepts such as measurement and dividing shapes into equal parts. Thank you for all your support with your child’s math home links this year!
Science:
We are continuing our unit on Organisms, Offspring, and Survival. Students are developing an understanding of how offspring, both plants and animals, are like, but not entirely like, their parents, and how their external parts help them survive. We started our unit focusing on animals, and now we will move into plant studies. Topics of study will include: differences between living and nonliving things, the needs of living organisms, physical characteristics of living things, similarities of parents and offspring, and physical characteristics that help living organisms meet their needs.
STEM Days: As the school year is coming to an end, the 1st grade will be doing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) activities with our kiddos to wrap up our year in 1st grade. Your child’s teacher will be sending an email with more information and a sign up for supply donation.
Thank you for helping your child have an amazing year in 1st grade! We hope that your family enjoys a wonderful summer and best wishes in 2nd grade!
Important Dates:
5/5 - Staff Development Day (no school)
5/13 - Parent Principal Connect @ 8:00 am
5/14 - Rugged Research In Building Field Trip
5/16 - Spring Carnival 6:00-8:00
5/26 - Memorial Day (no school)
5/28 - Field Day
5/29 - Last Day of School & School Wide Picnic (more information coming soon)
