December Newsletter

1H News: December Edition

Dates on Deck:

Wednesday, December 2nd - 1:00 Dismiss, Professional Development

Friday, December 4th - 7:00 p.m., Keystone Christmas Program

Monday, December 7th - 6:00 p.m., BCPTO Meeting @ Atkins Elementary

Friday, December 11th - BCPTO Christmas Store @ Keystone Elementary

Wednesday, December 16th - 1:00 Dismiss, Professional Development

Tuesday, December 22nd - Holiday Party/Book Exchange

Wednesday, December 23rd - 1:00 Dismiss, Winter Break!

Thursday, December 24th-Friday, January 1st - Winter Break

News:

Report Card Envelopes - I am still missing  a few report card envelopes.  Please sign these and return them in your child's Take Home Folder so we can reuse these throughout the year at each reporting period.  Thank you!

Colder Weather Apparel - The temps are dropping, which means we'll need to begin dressing in layers.  Hats, gloves, and winter coat season is upon us!  Please make sure all of your child's outdoor clothing has his/her name inside.  Now is a great time to start checking to make sure all of that outdoor winter gear fits!

December Book Exchange - This month, as part of our winter party, we will do a book exchange on Tuesday, December 22nd.  Books should be gender-neutral and under $5.  Scholastic has a great selection of gender-neutral, affordable books.  Please make sure these are wrapped with your child's name written on the outside so we know who to thank for the gift.  We'll play a fun gift-swapping game the kids always love!

What We're Learning:

Reading - We are learning about sequencing (putting things in order) and story elements (characters, setting, problem, solution).  We are also learning how to summarize and synthesize to understand a story.

Writing - We are learning about how to write a personal narrative with clearly defined characters, a setting, a problem, and a resolution or solution.  Students are learning how to go through the writing process (brainstorming, drafting, revising/editing, and publishing) with some adult support, but as we move on, will be asked to be fairly independent throughout the process.  Once they hit the editing/publishing stage in the writing process, I step in to conference with them individually about their writing.

During Word Work, we have worked on skills such as open vowels at the ends of words and -ck at the ends of words, and will be moving on to digraphs such as sh, ch, th, and wh.

Math - We have learned about telling and writing time to the hour and half hour and have started basic addition and subtraction concepts.  Moving ahead, your child will be asked to memorize parts of ten and doubles.  We'll be doing tougher addition and subtraction as well as writing and counting to 120.  Please work with your child on writing their numbers to help prep them for this topic.

Science - We have made a lot of awesome things in our Maker Space.  Stay tuned for more.

If you have questions about anything, please let me know!

Mrs. Happel