Math ~ Thank you for sending in the 100 pennies! Students had a blast using them in our math! Students have become well versed in decade numbers and have related them well to dimes. Please practice math facts at home so your child has facts
through 10 memorized. Memorized math facts are useful throughout our whole lives! Write us a note when all facts are memorized.
English/Language Arts ~ Several parents asked us to define the subject of language arts. Language Arts is the study of grammar, writing and spelling/phonics. We are teaching students how to write in complete sentences and use proper punctuation within their sentences. By the end of first grade, we want all students to be able to write a five sentence paragraph on a topic. This paragraph should include an opening sentence, three detail sentences and a closing sentence. As a simpler home/school connection, you could ask your child to write their spelling words in sentences you dictate to them. For example: “The bike is red.” or “Do you like it?” Check for capital first letters, lowercase letters within the sentence and proper ending marks!
As an extension, students who are more advanced may write more complex sentences.
Science ~ February is Dental Health Month! We hope your child has become more conscious of brushing and flossing through our discussions in class. Dental health provided us with loads of interesting stories about the Tooth Fairy. Then, students wrote about what they think the Tooth Fairy does with all the teeth she collects.
Their creative responses are hung on bulletin boards in the hallways. You will certainly walk away smiling! Another Science topic we explored was MATTER.

Ask your child what are the three types of matter. Can a type of matter change to another type? Your child has experimented with this question and observed the results. We have become very impressed with our Science skills: Observing, classifying, inferring, recording and hypothesizing, to name a few.
Social Studies ~ February had so many wonderful special occasions and events to celebrate! Presidents Day, the Olympics, Valentine’s Day, Black History Month were all interesting! We read stories and wrote about each subject with enthusiasm. We wished we had more time for each topic. The engagement in history by these children is heart-warming. To learn about Black History, we read the story, In the
Time of the Drums by Kim L. Siegelson we learned about the slave trade in the South and the roots that the slaves had back in Africa. After discussion, we experimented with many African instruments and made our own instruments from paper plates and dried beans. Another day, we learned about Louis Armstrong and his song What a
Wonderful World. The class illustrated each line of the song to create our own songbook. We encourage parents to take out more books on each of these subjects so you can enjoy non-fiction texts at home.
Other Notes:
 Sanitizing wipes are always needed. If you are able to send in a container, it would be appreciated. With cold and flu season well underway, we are trying to sanitize the tables daily!
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Please try to remember a snack for your child each day!
Warm regards,
The First Grade Team