What are we learning about in Kindergarten?
Math
Six to Ten: Use one to one correspondence for numbers 6,7,8,9,10. Use
numbers to describe how many objects are in a set (through 10) using verbal
and symbolic descriptions.
Greater Than, Less Than, Equal to: Generate a set using concrete and
pictorial models that represent a number that is greater than, less than, or
equal to a given number up to 10 using the following symbols >, <, =.
Social Studies
What is a family? Students
explore what make families
special. Through a series of
writing for understand
activities about the “gifts”
family members give one
another.
Science
Properties of Objects- The
student is expected to observe
and record properties of objects,
including relative size and mass,
such as bigger or smaller and
heavier or lighter, shape, color,
and texture.
English Language Arts
Reading: Students will learn the parts of a book (front cover, back cover, title,
illustrator, spine, picture, words, and author). Also, they will learn about “special book
language” such as “Once upon a time…” Students will learn how to identify the beginning,
middle, and end of a story. They will learn how to identify characters, setting, problem
and solution. Next, the students will practice how to retell a story.
Writing: During our Writing Workshop time, students will focus in on stretching out
their big stories and writing about “small moments”. The students will be introduced to
different types of writing such as: letters, postcards, notes, lists, stories, and books.
They will create all of the different types of writing. Also, they will learn the basics of
editing and revising.
First Grade
Ms. Serath-1A
Ms. Williams- 1C
Mrs. Ervin-1B
2014
Dear Parents,
We really enjoyed all of our
classroom breakfasts as well as
parent/teacher conferences. We have
gotten to know all of our children better
and look forward to helping each child
based on the needs that we have noticed. As
the end of the nine weeks nears its end, we
hope that our children keep up the hard
work.
Upcoming Events





October 7th/14th/21st/28th: Wear pink
for breast cancer $1
October 13th: Staff Development
Day/Student Holiday
October 17th: End of 1st 9 weeks
October 20th: Yankee Candle Fundraiser
begins
October 28th-31st: Red Ribbon Week
Class Wish list:
 New or used books for classroom
libraries (all classrooms)
 Listening center (Mrs. Ervin and Ms.
Williams)
How to Reach Us!
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
School Phone Number: 832-437-3926
Email is the best way to reach us!
October Highlights
ELA:
Reading- Students will start to explore important facts
and details in a story that support the main idea
whether the book is a read aloud or read by themselves.
They will continue to learn how to retell the order of
events of a story but learn how to infer those unstated.
Writing- Students will be learning how to use sentence
starters when responding to expository/informative
texts. While writing, students will begin to use different
words that mean “said.”
Spelling/Word Work- Students will continue to practice
spelling words with the short vowel sounds
Math:
In math, we have started our unit on addition. We will
be using different strategies such as counting on,
drawing a picture, and making a model to solve addition
problems. We will also begin working on word problems
and using various strategies to solve the word problems.
Science:
The students will finish up measuring and comparing
objects using non-standard units of measurement.
Students will classify objects by using observable
properties such as large and small, heavier and lighter,
shape, color, and texture. Students will begin to
predict and identify changes made to objects caused by
heating and cooling such as melting, freezing, and
evaporation.
Social Studies:
The students will finish learning about why we have
rules at school. Students will learn about who helps
them at school such as the roles of teachers, principals,
secretaries, etc. Students will start learning about how
they are good helpers at school. They will discover that
they can make contributions to the school by helping
others, respecting school property, being positive and
solving problems.
October 2014 Newsletter
What Are We Learning in ELA?
Reading- In October we will be working with non-fiction and informational texts and identifying
the text features such as: Table of Contents, Glossary, Index, Caption, Photo, Labels, etc. We will
be learning how good readers ask questions to clarifying meaning and draw conclusions from texts
that we read. Students will continue to implement strategies previously taught such as visualizing,
making inferences, main idea of a story and details. As always, students are expected to be reading
for a minimum of 20 minutes per night. Students have begun taking AR (Accelerated Reader) in
their classrooms to earn points. More information can be obtained by asking your child’s teacher.
Daily Language and Phonics- Students have been diving into breaking down and identifying
beginning and final consonant clusters in words. We will keep working with consonant cluster
sounds such as double consonants and will discuss how we can change words meaning by changing
prefix or ending such as adding –ing, -s, -es, re- and un-. Spelling words will follow these patterns.
Additionally, students are working at building their vocabulary words each week by taking a deeper
look at new words from our weekly student story.
Grammar- In grammar this month we will be exploring nouns and their many forms. Starting off
with singular and plural nouns and how to identify them. Which leads us to how we make plural
nouns by adding -s and -es. Then we move into proper nouns and how they differ from other
nouns. We will end the month introducing verbs.
Writing- We are continuing to learn and develop our writing skills focusing on the Narrative Writing
Diamond and the four techniques of good story beginnings. The students are then using those skills
to develop their own story beginnings and emphasizing elaborative details around the characters
and settings in their story.
What Are We Learning in Math?
-
During the month of October, we will be learning how to use different strategies to add. We will
start in basic fast facts and then move on to two digit addition. At the very end of October we will
start subtraction. As always we will be working on Rocket Math and Kamico (which gets students
ready for STAAR problems).
2nd grade newsletter Page 2
What Are We Learning in Social Studies?
Sept 29 - Oct 3 What is Geography?
In this lesson, students will use simple geographic tools such as maps and globes. Students are expected to:
- Understands the locations and characteristics of places and regions in the community, state, and nation.
- Identify major landforms and bodies of water, including each of the continents and each of the oceans, on maps and globes.
-Examine information from various sources about places and regions.
Oct.6 -Oct 17 How Do We Use Maps?
In this lesson, students will use simple geographic tools such as maps and globes. Students are expected to:
- Interpret information on maps and globes using basic map elements such as title, orientation (north, south, east, west), and
legend/map keys.
- Create maps to show places and routes within the home, school, and community.
Oct. 20- Oct. 31 Continents
In this lesson, students will understand the locations and characteristics of places and regions in the community, state, and
nation. Students are expected to:
- Locate places of significance, including the local community, Texas, the state capital, the U.S. capital, major cities in
Texas, the coast of Texas, Canada, Mexico, and the United States on maps and globes
What Are We Learning in Science?
Oct 1- Oct 3 Physical Changes
In this lesson, students are expected to demonstrate that things can be done to materials to change their physical properties such
as cutting, folding, sanding, and melting; AND combine materials that when put together can do things that they cannot do by
themselves such as building a tower or bridge and justify the selection of those materials based on their physical properties.
Oct 6- Oct 17 Changes from Heat
In this lesson, students are expected to compare changes in materials caused by heating and cooling.
Oct 20-31 Forms of Energy
In this lesson, students are expected to investigate the effects on an object by increasing or decreasing amounts of light, heat, and
sound energy such as how the color of an object appears different in dimmer light or how heat melts butter.
Important Dates for October:
Saturday, October 4th-Katy Rice Harvest Festival
Monday, October 13th-No School, Professional Development
Friday, October 17th- end of 1st grading quarter
Friday, October 24th- Fall Festival
News from 3rd Grade
October 2014
What’s happening in 3rd Grade:








October 1- Mrs. Blackwell’s homeroom
breakfast in the cafeteria from 8-8:30am.
October 2- Ms. Joseph’s homeroom
breakfast in the cafeteria from 8-8:30am.
October 6- 17, Benchmark Testing.
October 8- Mrs. McClure’s homeroom
breakfast in the cafeteria from 8-8:30am.
October 13- No school due to Staff
Development Day.
October 17- End of 1st 9 week grading
period.
October 20- Yankee Candle fundraising
begins.
October 24- School Fall Festival from
5:30-8pm. 3rd Grade team will be hosting
the Cake Walk!
English Language Arts:
For reading comprehension, we will focus on sequence
of events, identifying text and graphic features, drawing
conclusion, and inferring/predicting. We will identify
these concepts using mentor texts, graphic organizers
and UNRAVEL.
For grammar, we will focus on identifying verbs, verb
tenses, synonyms, suffixes –er and –or, using commas in
a series, and understanding multiple meaning words.
For writing, we will continue to explore Narrative
writing. We will use the Writing Diamond as a guide to
help write an entertaining beginning.
Math
Science:
We will be covering forms of energy; light,
sound, mechanical and thermal/heat. We will
use force and motion to conduct project based
activities which are linked to engineering.
We are in the midst of our multiplication unit. Please
practice skip counting and start working on
multiplication facts at home. Having solid facts will help
your child’s success in the third grade and beyond!
Social Studies:
We will be covering the geography of different
communities around the world. We will learn
about immigration; how people gain access into
the country and why they choose to immigrate
to another country.
You may contact us at:
Mrs. Blackwell – [email protected]
Ms. Joseph – [email protected]
Mrs. McClure – [email protected]
Teacher’s Wish List:
Mrs. McClure-World Map and United States Map
Ms. Joseph- electrical pencil sharpener and two letter trays