1. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! 4/8 – 4/14 Holy Family Spring Book Fair 4/11 We will have our reading and spelling test on Thursday this week. 4/15 No School, Teacher In-Service Enjoy your long weekend! 4/22 Earth Day 4/28 Spring Pictures 5/2 April Reading Log Folders are due 5/4 Adventure Aquarium Field Trip. In order to attend this field trip in any way, you must have your clearances on file with the office. Please contact the office if you have any questions. 5/5 Ascension Thursday – No School 5/8 Mother’s Day Always make sure to check our school website for additional news and upcoming events. First Grade News April 11 th -15 th 2016 School Supplies Please check with your child to see if they need any additional school supplies. Supplies may include a new pencil case, colored pencils, crayons, or pencils. We are starting to run low on tissues and wipes. Girls: Could you please bring in one box of tissues at your convenience. Boys: Could you please bring in one small container of child friendly wipes at your convenience. Thank you! April is National Poetry month. I encourage you to read and discuss a variety of poetry as a family. In April, we also celebrate Earth Day. Remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle. We all have to do our part to keep our Earth green. April Snow Showers Bring May Flowers Spring into a good book! I hope that everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. Fun In First Grade! Last week, we celebrated our progress in Spanish with a Piñata. In conjunction with our reading story, we learned about fossils. Our hallway is blooming with colorful flowers, artwork, and writing pieces. I continue to be so proud of everyone’s hard work.

2. This Week’s Curriculum Notes Math – Chapter Eight, Time and Money. This week, we will learn how to tell and write time to the hour and half hour. Please practice these skills at home. Also, continue to practice counting mixed coins. When time allows, review addition and subtraction math facts. Replay some of the math games that have been sent home. Create double addition fact flash cards. Mastering these facts are important. We’re having a ball learning! Beach balls are an excellent way to get outside and make learning fun. Purchase a beach ball and write math facts or sight words on each stripe. Go outside and toss the ball to one another, reading the facts/words your hands land on. Reading – This week, we will read, Lady in the Moon, from our reading textbook. Genre: Realistic Fiction. Comprehension Skill: Realism and Fantasy Phonics & Spelling – This week, we will focus on long i: ie and igh. We will also focus on three letter consonants. In addition, we will identify kn/n/ and wr/r/ words. This week’s spelling words and sight words are attached. A hard copy was sent home on Friday. Grammar & Writing – All about adjectives! Students will identify adjectives within a sentence. We will also practice incorporating rich adjectives into our journal writing. When reading with an adult this week, identify nouns, verbs and adjectives within a story. Religion – This week, we will read and discuss Chapter Eleven, The Holy Spirit Helps the Church to Grow. Social Studies and Science – In conjunction with this week’s reading story, we will learn more about the moon and outer space. We will also discuss ways we can reduce, reuse, and recycle goods. April 22 nd is Earth Day. Discuss ways your family can go green. Spring into good study habits!

3. Reading At Home Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) Finding time to read on a daily basis is important. Select a DEAR time that works for your family. When everyone is reading, it promotes a stronger interest and love for literature. Visit your local public library or bookstore to explore different authors and genres. Our first grade spring reading goal is 15 minutes of reading, at least 5 days per week. Break it down! Select one of the following to do each evening: 5 minutes – Rereading the weekly sight word list. Rereading the weekly decodable reader. Rereading the spring poem(s) attached to your reading folder. The above methods build fluency, expression, and overall reading confidence Select one of the following to do each evening: 10 minutes – Free choice reading. Select a book or chapter to read aloud to an adult. Read to yourself and then discuss what you read with an adult. Reminder… A list of comprehension questions are inside your child’s reading log folder. Reading Objective: To read aloud fluently with accuracy, rate, and expression.

4. Spelling Words Test date: 4/14/16 Our spelling and reading test will be on Thursday Long i: ie and igh lie night tie bright high light might pie right tight High-Frequency Words: above laugh Challenge Words: Three letter consonant blends scream sprint stretch school Words to READ eight moon above touch laugh

5. April 11 th – 15 th Sight Words Have your child read this week’s list of sight words to you frequently throughout the week. Review previous lists to monitor retention of these words. Thank you. high sigh thigh cries lies pie ties fries knight light might night right bright scratch squeak strong splotch thrift sprung shrimp throb script school squeeze stretch thread shrank wrap knife wrist knit write knock wrong know knew wreath knob ie and ighwr/r/ and kn/n/ Consonant blends