First Grade Newsletter

Welcome to Mrs. DiLaura's first grade newsletter. I hope you enjoy seeing the students grow in academics, character, and leadership.

St. Croix Preparatory Academy will develop each student's academic potential, personal character, and leadership qualities through an academically rigorous and content-rich educational program grounded in the classical tradition.

This week, we began working on reading comprehension in a new way. We studied one story all week. We practiced a variety of comprehension strategies. At the end of the week, students were assessed on their comprehension. Because this is a check of oral (listening) comprehension, tests are completely read out loud to the students.

We will continue this weekly routine for the rest of the year. These assessments will be part of your child's overall reading grade.

We are continuing to write directions using the sequential words, first, next, then, and last. We wrote about how to make a peanut butter sandwich. Again, we acted out the steps as a pre-writing activity. Check it out!

We got to give our friendly letters to Ms. Karetov as well. She LOVED reading them!

We have been reviewing phonograms and played a fun game with our desk partners with the tricky ten!

This week we worked on:

• Adding two two-digit numbers with sums greater than 100
• Showing and comparing numbers using base ten blocks
• Subtracting three facts
• Showing place value for three-digit numbers

I am so pleased with how excited students are to share their observations of the sun and moon! Thank you for helping them watch for the moonrise and moonset. This weekend, look for the moon in the mornings in the western sky. Also have your child take a peek at the stars, if possible. Ask these questions: Do they all appear to be the same size? Are they scattered or lined up in rows?

Students diagrammed how the sun appears to move in a pattern across the sky. We will continue to work on drawing this accurately and precisely. It will be a performance task on their assessment.

We will take our assessment on Tuesday.

Thank you to Nora Zins for coming in to do a fun activity for students. They decorated their own heart and hung them up on our door!

Our "I Love to Read" bulletin board is looking fantastic! Thank you to those who have emailed or sent in a photo. We have about half the class!

There is still room for your child. Snap of picture of your child reading and email it to me. I'll do the rest!

On Wednesday, May 14th, our 1st and 2nd grade students will be delighted to sing a concert full of colors! The concert will be held in the gym and start at 5:45 pm. There is no cost and all are welcome. Save the date!

Our class will be visiting the Book Fair on February 25 at 2:40. Please be sure to use the link below for purchasing gift cards so they are accessible through the register. It is helpful for your child to know the gift card amount as well as have their labeled printout for those helping them shop. The Book Fair also accepts cash.

Win a book of your choosing at Book Bingo, which will be held on Thursday 2/27 from 5:30-7:00 pm in the cafeteria. FREE to play with pizza and lemonade available for purchase through the link above. A limited amount of pizza will be available at the door, please pre-purchase by 2/26 at 10 pm.

Please consider volunteering at this event that supports our classroom libraries.

Mon. Feb. 17 - No school

Fri. Mar. 21 - No school; grading day; Spring Break begins

Tues. Apr. 1 - School resumes

Fri. Apr. 18 - No school

Wed. May. 14 - Lower School Fine Arts Showcase

Monday - No School

Tuesday - Gym

Wednesday - Art

Thursday - Music

Friday - Gym

Dear Families,

This year, our class is reading with Scholastic Book Clubs! You'll have access to expertly curated, affordable books that help boost your child's reading skills, build your home library, and maybe even create moments of quality time you can share together.

Plus place an order of $25 or more and you can pick a FREE $5 book (use code READS at checkout).

Family Order Due Date: 02/28/2025

Shop Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/Z2N27

Shop Flyers: https://clubs.scholastic.com/all-flyers

Invite relatives and friends to help your child discover the joy of reading when you share our class page link. Every order benefits our classroom, helping me earn FREE books and resources that every child can enjoy.

Thanks so much for your support!

HANNAH DILAURA

ST CROIX PREPARATORY ACADEMY

I'm here! I'm happy to answer your questions. The best way to reach me is through email (hannahdilaura@stcroixprep.org). Chatting on the phone is another great option. It often works best to set up a time to call.

First Grade teacher

Email: hannahdilaura@stcroixprep.org
Website: https://www.stcroixprep.org/
Location: 4260 Stagecoach Trail North, Stillwater, MN, USA
Phone: 651-395-5999