Developing Readers, Writers, and Thinkers

Mrs. Kennedy

Class News 

Welcome to our class page. 

Our Schedule

8:05-8:25      Write agenda message, lunch count, attendance, exchange books, restroom break, etc.

8:25-8:35      Morning meeting and calendar

8:35-8:55      Whole group reading lesson

9:00-10:00    Literacy stations and small-group guided reading 

(snack)

10:00-10:45  Writer's Workshop (Friday only - Socratic seminar)

10:50-11:15  Recess 

11:25-11:50  Lunch

11:50-12:10  Word Study or read aloud

12:15-1:05    Related Arts : Monday - Computers, Tuesday - Art, Wednesday - Library, Thursday -                   Music,  Friday - P.E.

1:05- 2:35    Math (whole group lesson, math station games, review)

2:35-2:55     Science or Social Studies and read aloud

3:00 -          Pack and prepare for dismissal

Parent Conferences - I have had many parent conferences this year.  Please contact me if you would like a/another conference.

Volunteers - Thanks for all you do to help our class. 

Upcoming Events

December 14th - Holiday lunch for 1st grade and parents.  Our class eats at 10:40 that day.

Dexember 15th - Ethiopia project presentations for our class - schedule of group times TBA

December 20th - Winter Celebration 9:30 - 10:15 for K-2 classes early dismissal

January 23rd - February 10th Magazine Sale

February 7th - First grade performance at PTA meeting - 6:00 p.m. 

February 10th - Field Study to Creative Discovery Museum

March 1st - Field Study to Chattanooga Theatre Center

March 28th OR 29th - Field study to UTC Challenger Center (2 or 3 classes each day)

April 2nd - 6th Spring break

May 9th OR 10th - Field study to Chattanooga Nature Center (2 or 3 classes each day)

May 18th Field study to Althaus Park and last day of school for students

 

First Grade

reading

reading

Literacy

Our newest reading strategy that we are learning is "questioning".  We are learning to ask questions that can be answered from the text we are reading (who, what, when, where) and questions that cannot be answered directly in the text we are reading (Why do you think...?, Are you wondering about...?, How would the story be different if..., etc.).  Students are still practicing writing connections as they read, but now we are also learning to write questions as we are reading.  The strategies we have learned (visualizing, making connections and questioning) support our thinking as we read and help us understand the text in a deeper way.

I continue to meet with small groups of readers to practice these and other skills as we progress through increasingly difficult texts.  We spend time practicing sight words, word study, comprehension and reading fluency in these guided reading groups.

Math

We are beginning topic 10.  We are learning to make numbers 10-20 on a ten frame.  We will also be learning to use 100 grids patterns to solve addition and subtration problems.  

Science & Soc. Studies

Our class has started researching and studying the culture of Ethiopia. We will compare it to what we have learned about the United States.  Each child will have research to do at home to complete a group project at school.  Students will present these projects to our class, then visit one other first grade classroom to teach others about the culture of Ethiopia.  Each first grade classroom is researching a different culture of the world to present to the other first grade classrooms.

Projects will be presented to our class Dexember 15th.  You are welcome to come watch your child's presentation.  A schedule of times will be announced soon.