Weekly News
12/1/25-12/5/25
We started our Simple Gifts Choice Time unit this week. We are spending time making gifts for family and friends. If you have time, please volunteer to help out here. Thank you!
In Literacy, first graders had their first spelling assessment on our magic e and ee vowel patterns. Our new spelling list went out for next week as well if you would like to practice at home. We have begun learning some other vowel teams as well like “oo” for the sound in “tool” or the sound in “book”. We are also learning how to plan, draft, and edit our writing and reading fables independently in our decodable readers. In Knowledge, we have been learning about ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Second graders wrapped up our Skills 2 before Thanksgiving break and started Skills 3 this week with a BANG! We started our spelling trees this week! We begin this unit with two trees, each representing the /ae/ and /a/ sounds. Each limb has word leaves that give examples of the different spellings of the /ae/ sound. The first tree we created is for the /ae/ sound. This tree’s limbs represent each spelling ( ‘a,’ ‘a_e,’ ‘ai,’ ‘ay,’ and one for spelling alternatives, also known as the ‘odd ducks.’ As we finish these trees, we will hang them over in our “Phonics Forest” area of our classroom for reference. We also began a new reader, “Kids Excel.” This reader is written as if it were magazine articles about a spelling bee. Ask your child to tell you about what they have learned thus far! In CKLA Knowledge we are finishing up our last lesson on Ancient China. We are currently reading about the Chinese New Year. The kids have been so interested to learn about this significant part of Chinese culture. Talk to students to find out when the Chinese actually celebrate their birthdays or the significance of the color red in their Celebration of Light.
In math, first graders have begun figuring out how to answer the question “How many more?”, finding the difference between two numbers and balancing an equation. Students are learning to count up/add more or count down/subtract some. If you want to practice this concept at home, try asking “how many more” questions like, “I need three apples for this recipe, but I only have one so far, how many more do I need?”.
Second graders officially finished the lengthy first module and began Module 2. This Module is going to take us on a journey through learning addition and subtraction within 200. This week we entered into the first topic of simplifying strategies for addition. Some of those strategies include breaking each number apart by using benchmark numbers then adding like units such as tens and ones, and using compensation to add within 200 using number lines and by using the arrow way.
A few small notices: We are starting to run low on Friday snacks. We just need something small like graham crackers to keep us going until regular snack time. Please send something in if you can - no eggs or nuts. Special shoutout to the families who have sent things in so far! We also wanted to send a reminder to our parents about sending warm hats, coats, and/or gloves to school with your student. We go outside several times a day and it is starting to get very chilly, especially in the mornings!