1. Ms. Murphy’s Classroom News
Week of August 20-24
Resource: Week 1
What we’re learning…
Math
We have started discriminating between letters and numbers, and the students have already practiced typing their lunch numbers. Our first math unit will pertain to plane shapes (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle). The students will have to be able to identify and describe the characteristics of each of these shapes, including the number of sides and vertices for each shape.
Language Arts
We have already begun the year with a new phonemic awareness curriculum. Studies have shown that phonemic awareness (the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual speech sounds) and letter knowledge as the two best school entry predictors of how well children will learn to read during their first two years of school. There are examples of phonemic activities you can practice at home in the beginner reader packet I sent home during Open House. The students will also be introduced to reading comprehension strategies this week that will help them understand what is read. These strategies include making connections to what we read to something in our lives, predicting before and while we read, visualizing as we read (making a movie in our heads), and summarizing what we read.
Resource Schedule
Monday- Music
Tuesday- Computers
Wednesday- Gym (wear tennis shoes)
Thursday- Library
Friday- Art
Important Dates
August 21-September 18th: Fall Fundraiser
September 3rd: No School (Holiday)
September 4-11th: Fall Book Fair
September 6th: Back to School Night(5:30-7)
Classroom News
The only homework students will have this week will be to read. I encourage you to read at least 15 minutes a day with your child. This time can include you reading with your child, or the child reading to you. There will be no reading log to sign. I trust that as a parent, you have the best interest of your child at heart and will follow through with the assigned homework. Please collect Box Tops and Labels for Education and send them in with your child to help support
our school!
Writing
In writing this week the students will practice tracing and writing their names. Please work with your child in recognizing, spelling, and writing their name at home as well.
Science
There will be no social studies instruction the first few weeks of school; we will alternate between science and social studies instruction. Our first science unit will be centered on our five senses. The students must be able to identify and describe the senses and match each sensing organ (eye, ear, nose, tongue, and skin) with its associated sense.