1st Grade MP3 Campus

School Data is open on the 1st for parent reviews. These are due by the 5th. We hope the cut and paste grade level newsletter will be helpful to supplement your remote learning plan reviews. Thank you for submitting in a timely manner and if you need help, please reach out to your SLPC.

Topics: math balances, equal means the same, missing addend, three addend addition, skip counting, ordering numbers, addition and subtraction fluency, algebraic reasoning

Activities: This month we started off with a few tasks that practiced previously introduced skills like skip counting by 2s and 5s, ordering numbers least to greatest, and finding a given sum within a puzzle. Then we spent a day completing the winter iReady assessment which helped pinpoint strengths, areas of growth since the fall, and skills that still need more practice. We then dove into learning about math balances and how we can use them to model equations. We tested out theories and spent time exploring how to represent a given total on each side. Another focus this month was finding the missing addend when given two equations that are equal. Students used place value knowledge as well as knowledge of how addends increase or decrease when the other addend changes (for example if 8+10 changes to 9+?). Students worked on daily openers with visual algebraic equations and the class is getting so fast with these types of problems!

Teacher Tip: A great way to help students make the connection between addition and subtraction is to focus on number bonds. Students can use the three related numbers to create addition and subtraction problems. You can also leave one of numbers blank and write an equation with the unknown.

Teacher Info: Mrs. Kurashige, skurashige@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: informational paragraphs, nonfiction topics, web plan, title, topic sentence, detail sentences, "wrap up" sentence, writing process, adding to and taking away from writing with adult support, spelling strategies, Author’s Chair

Activities: We are back working hard on our informational paragraph unit. Many students have already started taking their second informational paragraph through our Writing process (i.e., plan, draft, conference, publish, share). We are focusing on the paragraphs having a title, a topic sentence, detail sentences, and a wrap-up sentence. I am conferencing with individual students on their paragraphs. Our conferences focus on revising ideas and editing conventions (ex., end punctuation, spelling). We are using spelling strategies which include writing all the sounds you know, using your personal dictionary, and using our class Word Wall. We also took time this month to take the reading portion of the iReady and shared our paragraphs with each other during Author’s Chair.

Teacher Tip: Now that we have wrapped up the winter iReady, you will find fresh instructional activities in the iReady app. Doing the instructional activities for 15 - 20 minutes a day is a great way to fill in learning gaps.

Teacher Info: Mrs. Giesen, jgiesen@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: Login/ Logout Procedures, Keyboard identification, Keyboard Shortcuts, Resizing Images

Activities: The month of January began with reestablishing classroom routines and by the end of the month, all students were able to login to their Chromebooks, open Google Classroom, and find the correct app quickly and without assistance. The rest of our time together was spent wrapping up projects for the semester and beginning Digital Me, where students were able to create their own avatar and story.

I have chosen to keep the first grade Google Classroom open so that students can access apps and projects that we worked on in class. Many of the projects had multiple pages/ puzzles that students can use as practice at home. I am so impressed with the skills and independence our class gained this semester!

Teacher Info: Mrs. Montgomery, rmontgomery@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics:Elements of Art: Texture, Line, Shape, and Space; Principles of Design: Movement and Pattern; Techniques: painted papers and collage

Activities: The snow that fell this month was perfectly timed with our winter art projects! We read Jan Brett’s The Mitten and made our own mittens by painting paper using texture tools and adding fluffy cotton for added texture. Students then used cardboard dipped in white paint to create their snowflakes for the background. Next, we read some penguin books (Tacky the Penguin, and 5 Little Penguins) and used a cut-paper collage technique to make our own penguins. Students painted a colorful background complete with swirls and wavy lines to show the wind and drew three-dimensional icebergs for their penguins to stand on. Of course, we also had to embellish them with hats and scarves! They turned out super cute with lots of personality!

Teacher Tip: Thank you, 1st-grade artists, for sharing your fabulous work at the Share Fair! It has been a pleasure to create art with you throughout the first semester!

Teacher Info: Mrs. Warnock - swarnock@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: Appreciation - law enforcement, rules vs. laws, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Activities: In connection to our study about community helpers and specifically those involved in law enforcement, students found themselves in the middle of a classroom crime scene. A particular animal character had taken cookies from a cookie jar! With a number of clues, students worked with a partner to analyze details and determine the guilty party. Students sorted cards to determine if statements were a rule or a law. A highlight of the month was the delivery of chocolates, a poster and a thank you to the sergeants/deputies at the sheriff's office. Our proximity to their office provided the perfect opportunity for us to venture over. The deputies and sergeant exhibited such kindness in sharing what they love about their job, why they entered the profession and details about their uniforms/tools. Each student was given a coloring book and the opportunity to see inside a deputy's car. One student was even allowed to sit in the front seat and run the lights and siren. In class, we took time to reflect on ways our country has changed over time. With the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in the middle of the month, our class used the opportunity to focus on civil rights and individuals active in bringing about change. By listening to books we learned new words like segregation and boycott and how they related to our country's past. Through a Powerpoint and Brainpop, Jr video, students learned key details. Students listened to step by step directions to draw their own Martin Luther King, Jr. picture. Together, they brainstormed ideas ("dreams") we might have for our world. The semester has been filled with a variety of topics from being a good citizen and treating others fairly to learning about holidays, goods and services, wants and needs. I hope first graders gained a stronger perspective and appreciation for the world around them.

Teacher Info: Mrs. Elgersma- gelgersma@meridian.wednet.edu