It is hard to believe that this semester is already coming to a close! The second quarter grading period also ends on Friday making the school year officially half over.
We have thoroughly enjoyed our botany unit in science. Last week we slipped old socks over our shoes to observe how many different kinds of seeds we could collect while running through a field. I will be sending home all of the science journals, so that the activities we have done all semester may be shared with family members; however, please send them right back! We still have a full spring semester of life science and physical science waiting to be recorded in those journals. Most of the science lessons included active student participation…sorting leaves (by margins, shapes, and vein patterns), eating different parts of plants, constructing a human skeleton, experimenting with echolocation, determining what things in the classroom are made of matter, dissecting a seed, dissecting a flower, measuring and predicting, etc. First and Second graders joined to explore science together, and the extra minds really inspire great conversations and questions. (A couple of students are still not convinced that AIR is made of matter! The debate rages on!)
When we return in January, the focus and tempo of our lessons will intensify. This may require a little more help from parents with home lessons, as a few new routines will be introduced. Please be expecting a "First Grade Report for the Spring Semester" to be sent to you by email during the holidays, so everyone will be ready to dive into learning in January.
My prayer is that your family will have a safe and memorable holiday, as we strive to teach our children the true meaning of Christmas. Over the last few years two films have touched me deeply, and now I watch them both often, especially during the Christmas season. The first is simply called The Nativity Story (www.thenativitystory.com) by New Line Cinema. It depicts the birth of our Lord in a very personal and authentic manner. The second is The Star of Bethlehem produced by Stephen McEveety. In this presentation, an amateur astronomer uses modern technology (possible because of what we now understand about the precision of planetary motion) to visit the skies of ancient times, and what he finds is breathtaking. These videos were not made with first graders in mind, but I hope your family has an opportunity to watch them, nonetheless. Perhaps you will add them to your Christmas traditions as I have :)
Don't forget to come to the Christmas Class Party on Friday, December 21, if you are able to join us. The starting time for the festivities has been moved to earlier in the morning to include more activities.
I hope to see you all there!
Spelling Words for the Week: boy, two, girl, about, hope, hoped, hoping, smile, smiled, smiling
Spelling Rule: For CVCe words (consonant-vowel-consonant-silent e), the silent e is dropped before adding the suffixes -ed and -ing. Also, the vowels in these CVCe words are usually LONG.
Praying for Connecticut families,
Mrs. E
