1st Grade Newsletter
January 24, 2022
Language Arts
What are we learning?
Reading: Talking about Books
- Young students love to talk. You see evidence of this daily from listening to morning chit-chat, to hearing every single detail of when a student lost a first tooth. When students are offered the opportunity to socialize with peers in an academic context, they become deep thinkers and effective communicators. In this unit, Talking About Books, students learn how to listen, respond, and contribute to a meaningful conversation around an engaging text.
Writing: Realistic Fiction
- Many children have vivid imaginations. In this unit, students draw on their imaginations, their experiences, and their interactions with mentor texts to create a fiction story in which their own creativity determines the direction of the story. Focusing on realistic fiction allows students to write better stories because they are writing about what they know. Writing these kinds of stories gives students the opportunity to approach dilemmas with relationships and real-world problems through fictional characters’ eyes. Students explore crafting believable characters that encounter realistic obstacles. This unit taps into students’ choice and voice. Additionally, students grow their understanding of plot and character development while improving their use of elaboration techniques. This unit builds on their understanding of how stories work from both the reading and writing perspective.
Phonics: Contractions
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Contractions are the shortening of written or spoken expression by the omission of one or more letters or sounds. In other words, contractions are words made up of two or more words with some letters removed and replaced with an apostrophe. Simple contractions consist of words that eliminate only one or two letters that are replaced by an apostrophe. The placement of the apostrophe when writing is important because it conveys meaning to the reader. Contractions connect spoken language to print.
Home/School Connection
- Tell us about your favorite part in the book.
- What connections do you have to the characters?
- Create a story about a problem and solution that a first grader would have.
Math
What are we learning?
Counting and Number Part 2
- In this unit, students work toward building fluency with composing and decomposing numbers to 10. Students also continue to develop and refine their strategies for solving addition and subtraction story/picture problems to 10. Equality continues to be integrated throughout the unit, so students deepen their understanding of this concept.
Home/School Connection
- Practice your fluency facts by practicing adding and subtracting.
Science
What are we learning?
Motion:
- 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?
Civics: Being a Good Citizen
- Good citizens are responsible, helpful, honest, kind, and work well with others online and offline.
- Good citizens follow rules, understand consequences, and contribute to their community.
- Honoring people and celebrating holidays is important to people around the world.
Home/School Connection
- How can you show courage at home or at school?
Important Dates & Reminders
- 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:
- 1/24 - Supporting Others
- 1/31 - Prudence (Make Up Week)