Celebrating Books & Culture!

This week was so much fun thanks to student and parent enthusiasm for sharing stories and culture! 

Monday we dressed to show off our unique cultures, enjoyed learning about a spring Moldovan tradition of the Mărțișor and the related story, and took some photos for the school Instagram:

Tuesday was Pajama Day and we all curled up to read our favorite books.

Wednesday was Book Character Day:

Ever day we Dropped Everything And Read (D.E.A.R):

For our How We Organize Ourselves Unit, we used our communication skills to build a shelter in PE:

Have wonderful, safe, and healthy Spring Break! We look forward to seeing you again on Monday the 29th!

(Ms. Shirai is almost half Irish!)

Thinking like Scientists

This week in Grade 1 we investigated materials used to build shelters. After reading the The Three Little Pigs we wondered: which material would be better for a shelter that protects you from wind or rain? We decided to think like scientists and investigate different materials like straw/hay, wood, brick, metal and stone.

We focused on our Communication Skills to work in groups as scientists recording information about the different materials. First, we investigated the materials and recorded what we found.

What does it smell like?

What does it feel like?

Then we thought about what questions we might have, made some hypothesis about what might happen in our investigation, and recorded the tools we would use.

Finally we tested the materials with water and wind and recorded our findings.

In literacy we are writing and editing teaching books. In maths we have been exploring story problems and thinking about different subtraction strategies.

Upcoming:

Mondays: 

• Turn in Word Study books (remember to not only sort and paste, but practice writing/using your words!)
• Reading Log check

Tuesdays:

• Library

PE Wednesdays and Fridays

Book & Culture Week!

March 15 (Monday)

• Share you culture through clothing! Dress in your national costume!

March 16 (Tuesday)

• Pajama Party

March 17 (Wednesday)

• Book Character Dress-Up Day

School Calendar Modification

April 10th - NO SCHOOL/Fair due to COVID-19

April 12th - Regular School Day

Book and Culture Week!

 “Weaving Diversity through Reading and a Culturally Responsible Learning for a new future"

The activity for each day is as follows:

Monday, March 15 - 

• Instagram (Photo Booth) - students can pose and have their photos taken in the first-floor sitting area.

• D.E.A.R - From 9:00 - 9:15, the whole school will read a book in their classroom.

• Spirit Week (National Dress) - wear the clothes from your country and bring your favorite book from your country (or a printout of the cover).

• Match the Book Launching! Which teacher likes which book? Take a guess!

Tuesday, March 16 -

• Instagram (Photo Booth) - students can pose and have their photos taken in the first-floor sitting area.

• D.E.A.R - From 9:00 - 9:15, the whole school will read a book in their classroom.

• Spirit Week (Pajama Party) - Bring your favorite book and come to school in your pajamas!

Wednesday, March 17 -

• Instagram (Photo Booth) - students can pose and have their photos taken in the first-floor sitting area.

• D.E.A.R - From 9:00 - 9:15, the whole school will read a book in their classroom. 

• Spirit Week (Character dress-up day) - Come to school dressed as your favorite book character.

• Match the Book Revelation! - The answers to Monday's contest will be revealed!

How We Organize Ourselves: Shelters

In this unit, we will explore and look into human-made systems and communities, societal decision-making and their impact on human kind.

Central Idea: People around the world build shelters for various reasons.

Lines of Inquiry: 

• different types of shelters around the world
• how shelters are designed and built
• why shelters are built the way they are

Concepts: Form, Causation 

Approaches to Learning: Social, Communication

Learner Profile: Inquirer, Thinker

Learning Goals/Success Criteria:   

Learners can give 1-2 examples of shelters and describe its form

Learners can give 1-2 reasons why humans need shelters

Learners explain why certain materials would be more appropriate than others to build a shelter

Learners can design and build a model shelter to meet certain standards/needs

Learners can give factors why shelters might be different (environmental, cultural, economic, geographical)

How to support your child at home
Noticing, talking, and encouraging curiosity and questioning, as always. For Show & Tell from now, a good clue to make sure the student knows is the material it is made of. 

Upcoming:

Mondays: 

• Turn in Word Study books (remember to not only sort and paste, but practice writing/using your words!)
• Reading Log check

Tuesdays:

• Library

PE Wednesdays and Fridays

Book & Culture Week!

March 15 (Monday)

• Share you culture through clothing! Dress in your national costume!

March 16 (Tuesday)

• Pajama Party

March 17 (Wednesday)

• Book Character Dress-Up Day

School Calendar Modification

April 10th - NO SCHOOL/Fair due to COVID-19

April 12th - Regular School Day

Wrapping up Our Inquiry into Where We Are in Place and Time and Tuning-in to How We Organize Ourselves

First Grade had a busy week wrapping up our Where We Are In Place and Time unit on the Past and Present and starting to think about our new unit on shelters. 

In Maths we were thinking about using units to measure our world by considering units to measure, estimating, thinking of strategies to find out if our estimate works, and recording what we found:

Then we had the extra challenge: How many units more is one than the other?

In Writer's Workshop, we are thinking about how we can teach our readers by thinking about what questions our readers might have.

In Unit of Inquiry we thought about the factors that lead to a change from the past to the present.

Then we started thinking about shelters and all the wonderings we can't wait to explore!

Upcoming:

Mondays: 

• Turn in Word Study books (remember to not only sort and paste, but practice writing/using your words!)
• Reading Log check

Tuesdays:

• Library

PE Wednesdays and Fridays

School Calendar Modification

April 10th - NO SCHOOL/Fair due to COVID-19

April 12th - Regular School Day

We are Goal Setters and Published Authors!

This week in Grade 1 we wrapped up our How We Organize Ourselves unit by publishing non-fiction books showing what we know about the past and the present. We have been studying non-fiction texts in Reader's and Writer's Workshop and tied them all together in these books. Our facts came from information we learned throughout the unit and from the interviews with family members we conducted. Check us out reading our books on Seesaw! 

Also in Seesaw you can find our goals and reflection for the week. We tried something new this week, making a goal for ourselves, thinking about how we will reach this goal and reflecting on Friday.

Check our goals and reflections out in Seesaw!

All of our Matisse collages are finally on display on our gallery wall:

Next week we will do a final reflection on the Unit and begin our next Unit of Inquiry: How We Organize Ourselves!

Upcoming:

Mondays: 

• Turn in Word Study books (remember to not only sort and paste, but practice writing/using your words!)
• Reading Log check
• February 22nd: Last Swimming Day

Tuesday February 23rd 

• No School: The Emperor's Birthday

Thursday February 25th

• Library

Week of March 1st

• PE Wednesdays and Fridays

School Calendar Modification

April 10th - NO SCHOOL/Fair due to COVID-19

April 12th - Regular School Day

100th Day of School!

First Grade Celebrated being 100 Days Smarter on Monday of Last Week!

We are so proud of all the learning and growing our minds, hearts, and bodies have done since August!

How many times can you touch your toes in 100 seconds?

We also began working on taking all we have learned about the past and the present - including our interviews with parents and grandparents - to create our past and present books.

As part of our How We Express Ourselves year-long unit, we looked at each other's and our own Matisse-inspired collages and shared what it made us think and feel. 

Upcoming:

Mondays: 

• Turn in Word Study books (remember to not only sort and paste, but practice writing/using your words!)
• Reading Log check
• Swimming (Last Swimming February 22nd)

Tuesdays 

• Library

February 23rd (Tuesday) No School: The Emperor's Birthday

Hope you enjoy the lovely weather this weekend!