Language Arts

What are we learning?

Reading and Writing: Poetry

• As you immerse your students in poetry, keep in mind that the goal is for them to appreciate and understand poetry. Taking the time to enjoy poetry together maintains their interest in poetry and builds engagement that supports deeper thinking within, beyond, and about poetry. While it is important to keep reading for enjoyment, young students can engage in thoughtful conversations about poems.

Phonics: CVCE Vowel Patterns

• There are six syllable spelling types in the English Language. Three of those syllable types can be used to spell long vowels. In our last unit, Open and Closed Syllables, students learned one way syllables can help us to spell long vowel sounds. In this unit, students will learn a second way to represent long vowel sounds with a new syllable type.  By adding an e to the end of a CVC word, we can change the short vowel sound to a long vowel sound. This adjustment changes how the word looks, how the word sounds, and what the word means. The e that is added to the end of the word is silent. Its role is to indicate the change of the vowel sound from a short sound to a long sound.
  • Ex. cap to cape

Home/School Connection

• How are poems like music? 
• What does the poet want me to see and feel? 
• How can we make poems come alive?

Math

What are we learning?

Counting and Number Part 2

• In this unit, students count objects and write numerals up to 110. As they become more efficient at counting, they are challenged to count groups of objects by
• twos, fives, and tens. They also reason about magnitudes of one-, two-, and three-digit quantities. While working on these counting skills, students are asked to describe the patterns they notice in our number system.

Home/School Connection

• Show students a jar that holds anything, pickles, candy, or coins. Ask them if they think it has 5, 50, or 500 of that item. Students are learning to understand the differences between these numbers and how that can affect their estimates.
• COUNT COUNT COUNT! When going up the stairs count how many steps you take. When you are counting out apple slices to pack for lunch, include your first graders. Also, you could have them count spare change around the house. Counting by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s will help support your student throughout this unit.

Science

What are we learning?

• Students use the motion of birds to think about movement. Students think about how they might be able to move an item from one place to another. Students explore the concept that motion and sound are connected by using a variety of materials.

Home/School Connection

• Have students think about how things move. Do you they move in a circular, straight, or back and forth motion?

Social Studies

What are we learning?

Economics:

During the school year, children will have many opportunities to make choices in the classroom. They will learn to recognize that people choose because they cannot have everything they want. During learning stations/centers, lunch, recess, or while choosing materials, opportunities will be presented that will allow children to make choices between two or more things. When people cannot have everything they want, they must choose something and give up something else.

• Choice - deciding among two or more things
• Wants - things people would like to have.
• Need - things people must have to live.
• Goods - things people make or use to satisfy wants and needs (food, clothing, etc.)
• Services - activities that satisfy people’s needs and wants (haircut, dentist, etc.)
• Consumer - a person who uses or buys goods and services
• Producer - a person who makes goods or services
• People are consumers when they buy or use goods and services.  People are producers when they make goods or provide services.

Home/School Connection

• When going to the store ask if certain things are wants or needs. Students are learning that all living things need food, water, shelter, air, and space. Consider having students to help you make good shopping choices at the store.

Important Dates & Reminders

• Martin Luther King Jr Day: Monday January 17th, 2022 (no school for staff and students)
• Early Release: Thursday, January 20th, 2022 (two hour early release for students)
• Teacher Work Days: Friday, January 21st, 2022 & Monday January 24th, 2022 (no school for students)

Information Regarding COVID 19:

New Guidance for Returning to School After Quarantine, Pause, or Isolation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance for isolation and quarantine in late December, with multiple updates in January. This guidance reduces isolation and quarantine to five days. The VDH states that school districts may choose to continue more stringent isolation and quarantine requirements or may implement the new CDC guidance.

FCPS will adopt the new guidance with one exception:

• FCPS will adopt CDC’s recommendation for a five-day period of quarantine for students and staff.
• FCPS will adopt CDC’s recommendation for a five-day period of isolation for staff.
• FCPS will NOT adopt CDC’s recommendation for isolation for students as we are unable to implement the required physical distancing protocols during meals.  FCPS students with COVID- 19 will need to continue to complete a ten day isolation period. 

Return Guidance for Students with COVID-19

Students who are COVID-19 positive are able to return to school when ALL of the following criteria are met:

• Student completes at least 10 days of isolation from symptom onset for symptomatic students or 10 days since testing positive (day test administered) for COVID-19 for asymptomatic students; AND
• Student is fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication; AND
• Student’s symptoms have improved; AND
• Student submits the FCPS Isolation Letter with the return date to their attending school

Positivity Project

Week of:

• 1/10 - Prudence
• 1/17 - Perseverance
  • P2 for Families (password: P2), click here

Click here to see what students are learning in Specials!