Songwriting with Buddy 

The kindergarten and first grade classes were chosen to write a song with Buddy Dubay this week. The children were so excited to learn they would be helping write a song about staying calm and safe at school. They worked with Buddy a few times yesterday and started a draft of the song, "Green Zone".  Next week Buddy will be back to finish and record our song!

My Father's Dragon

The first graders had a great time seeing the performance of My Father's Dragon at the Flynn on Monday. They enjoyed watching the story unfold before their eyes.  They drew and wrote about their favorite parts when they returned from the field trip.

The first graders are so excited to listen to the second book in the series, Elmer and the Dragon which we started reading today. Ask your child to tell you about the characters in this timeless classic!

Farming

We started our first social studies unit, Farming in Vermont. The first graders brainstormed different kinds of farms and shared about times they have visited local farms. We read a story about visiting an apple orchard. They had fun making apple crafts this week. It's a great time of year to go apple picking!

Our Week in First Grade

 Some butterflies emerged and we released them back into nature.

We worked as a team with reading partners by sitting side by side and holding the book in the middle. 

We practiced using a storyteller's voice to share small moment stories. Our partners helped us come up with details we could add to our stories.

We read the story, Have your Filled a Bucket Today? and talked about ways we can be "bucket fillers". 

We looked for new books to add to our reading bins during Reading Workshop. 

We ended the week with an All School Hike at Mills Riverside Park. We had a great week in first grade!

Math Workshop

This week the children learned a few new games to develop number sense fluency. They played Plus or Minus 1 Bingo with partners. They practiced adding and subtracting 1 with numbers to 10. They also played Ordering Numbers later in the week. They sorted number cards in counting order and practiced recording numerals accurately.

Reading Workshop

First graders are learning how to select just right books to read. They are looking for books that are interesting and they can read almost every word on their own. They are learning how to build good reading habits like previewing and checking predictions. They are also learning how to read with partners to work as a team.

First Week of School

We had a great week in first grade! We spent time exploring the classroom and materials, making new friends, and learning routines. We are going to have a great year together!