Curriculum

Spelling words

Or, for, corn, cork, fork, more, hang, ring, two, from

Sentence: Is more corn on the cork or the fork?

Sight words: four, five, into, over, starts, three, two, watch

Math: We worked on a couple different things this week: skip counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s, filling out our hundreds chart, and even and odd. Next week we’ll be going into time.

Writing: We did a sequencing project this week on the life of a frog. We also did some work with contractions. Next week we will continue with various forms of non-fiction writing.  

Social Studies/Science: We learned about nutrition this week – healthy and unhealthy foods and why. We will continue our nutrition unit through next week. Also, attached to the homework is a form to fill out all the food they eat in 24 hours. Please help them fill it out on one of the days over the weekend and have them bring it in on Monday.

Reading: Please continue to read with your children at home – this has such a dramatic impact on their ability to read. They are all doing great and making incredible progress. Also, we went to the James and the Giant Peach Play and it was AWESOME! The kids really enjoyed it!

Friday Folders: Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Curriculum

Tell your children they get a bit of a break next week. No spelling and sight words! And no homework! Due to the short school week, we feel it is not a good idea to have homework – I’m sure we all have enough on our plates with Thanksgiving coming up (heh heh, no put intendedJ). Next week will be primarily review of concepts already learned this year.

Math: We had a lot more fun with graphing and data this week. The students enjoyed a really cool activity with Skittles, they got to tally heads and tails for flipping pennies, and much more. The children have become pros at collecting, interpreting, and graphing data. The test is today and I’m sure they will do great.

Writing: This week we did a couple fun projects with writing, one of which was done in preparation for the grand-parents tea coming up next week.

Social Studies/Science: We  learned about Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea this week. The students got the opportunity to play the roles of both Lewis and Clark as we mapped the school campus and documented plants and nature as we traveled.

Reading: Please continue to read with your children at home – this has such a dramatic impact on their ability to read. They are all doing great and making incredible progress.

Projects

Way to go on the turkey projects! They were amazing! They are hanging up in the hall and the creativity blows my mind.

Friday Folders: Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Curriculum

Spelling words for next week                                              
us, sun, but, fun, bus, run, jump, must                        

Sight Words
  eat, give, one, put, small, take

Sentence of the week: We must have fun when we jump in the sun.

Math: We took our unit 2 geometry test today. For the most part, our students performed very well. Please review the math test with your children and help to clear up any confusion. Next week we start with fractions!

Writing/grammar: We continued to work on personal narratives this week. The students are getting better and better at reviewing their writing and producing quality papers. Next week we will work hard at using good word choice. We will also cover synonyms.

Social Studies/Science: We again review some geography, and we also studied about magnets. Next week we will talk about the accomplishments and impact of Theodore Roosevelt.

Reading: We read about Dr. Seuss this week and also Jim Henson. The students are getting so much better at reading – it’s so exciting to see. Please keep reading with them at home – it has such an immense impact on their reading ability.

Needed Items

Large construction paper

Friday Folders

 Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Curriculum

Spelling words for next week                                              

yes,  let,  red,  ten,  bed,  get,  sled,  step      

Sight Words

after,  draw,  pictures,  read,  was,  write

Math: We continue to enjoy the wonderful world of shapes. Students learned their 3D shapes this week, today we plan to make some shapes with Marsh Mellows and tooth picks! We will have a couple more days to review next week, and then we will have the shape assessment on Thursday. Please review with your children on occasion to help ensure they are prepared.

Writing: This week we revisited personal narratives. We discussed having a topic sentence, and then at least two detail sentences. I am impressed with their progress. Next week we will review these concepts once more: topic sentence, detail, detail, detail. And we will add word choice.

Social Studies/Science: We discussed the accomplishments of Christopher Columbus this week and we also reviewed geography of the continents. Next week we will learn about magnets.

Reading: We read various stories about music this week. The students continue to improve their reading strategies. Thank you so much for reading with your children at home. Please continue to do so – it is so important.

Needed Items

None at the moment – you guys are awesome!

Friday Folders

 Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Curriculum

Spelling words for next week                                              

on            hop          fox         not                                             

got          clock         block                                                        

Sight Words

her            now           our

she           today         would
<쪴Š>

Math: Students did very well on their unit 1 math test – I’m very proud of them. Last week we learned about plane shapes (circle, square, rectangle, hexagon, octagon, triangle, pentagon) and their attributes. This week we’re moving onto 3 dimensional shapes (sphere, rectangular prism, pyramid, cone, cube).

Writing: The students are becoming better and better writers. We continue to work on Capital letters at the beginning of the sentence, period at the end, good spacing, and quality letters. This week we will focus on the who and what of personal narratives.

Social Studies/Science: Last week we discussed fire safety. This week we’ll talk about Christopher Columbus and review some geography.

Reading: Last week we read How Animals Communicate as a class. We also read leveled books in small groups. This week we’ll be reading A Musical Day and other books related to music.

Needed Items:

-Construction paper

-Small containers of Plato

Friday Folders Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Pictures!

Here's the latest pictures. The one below isof the children that eanred lunch with Mr. Ward this week! Way to go guys. We'll see who gets it next week.

These are pictures from science lab. Thanks for the parent volunteers.

Curriculum

Spelling words for next week
                                              
an            bad          can         add    
                                         
had          cat            ran         pass                                            

 Sight Words

away            call           come

every            hear         said

Math: We reviewed addition and subtraction and we introduced number combinations (number sets that add up to a particular number (2+1 = 3,  1+2 = 3,   3+0 = 3,  0+3 = 3 etc)). The number combinations is a very difficult concept for them. If you could help them to solidify this, that would be very helpful. They will have a test on everything we’ve covered so far this year next Friday. Please do their math homework with them and ensure they’re prepared for the test. Thank you J

Writing: We learned about adjectives of color this week.  We then learned how to use these in sentences to describe nouns. We wrote about trips and worked on editing. Next week we continue to solidify nouns, verbs, and adjectives and we will also continue to work on editing.

Social Studies/Science: This week we enjoyed learning about the tall tales of America (John Henry, Paul Bunyan, Annie Oakley, and Davy Crockett) – you should ask them about these characters – see if they can tell you about them.  Next week we’ll learn about Johnny Appleseed and have lots of fun activities with apples!

Reading: We read a book together as a class every week – this week it was Gus Takes a Train. We also read in leveled groups where I get to spend one-on-one time with each student and help them with reading strategies. Everyone is progressing and it’s awesome to see their development. Please continue to read with your children at home – this will greatly enrich and help to build their reading abilities. Please volunteer if you’re able on Volunteer Spot. Also, if the book is too difficult for your child, please let me know and we will find a book at a more appropriate level.

Friday Folders Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Curriculum

Spelling words for next week                                              

up               bug                  mud                                                

nut              hug                  tub                                                   

Sight Words

friend               full                   good

hold                many                 pull

Please study the spelling and sight words (sight words they should be able to read) with your children. They will perform much better on their tests if they practice regularly at home.

Math: This week we introduced subtraction. We learned how to subtract horizontally and vertically, on a number line, and with pictures. Next week will be review and we will have a test on addition and subtraction on Friday. Please help your children to be solid in these concepts.

Writing: We learned about adjectives of shape and size (small, big, long, short, narrow, wide, tall, round, square, oval, flat, curved).  We then learned how to use these in sentences to describe nouns. We also wrote about our neighborhood. Next week we will introduce adjectives for color.

Social Studies/Science: We continued with sound this week. The children now understand pitch and vibration pretty well. They loved making Maracas.  Next week we will move to social studies and study folk tales.

Reading: Please continue to read with your children at home – this will greatly enrich and help to build their reading abilities. Power Reader is now under way and it has been so awesome to have the parents in the morning. Please volunteer if you’re able on Volunteer Spot. Also, if the book is too difficult for your child, please let me know and we will find a book at a more appropriate level.

Friday Folders Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Brett Ward                          wardbj@fultonschools.org

Power Reader

Reading to your child is the single most valuable thing you can do. Why?

• it gives experience of different types of language, rhythms and sounds
• research shows that children who are exposed to plenty of language (books and conversation) tend to do better at school
• it teaches about many topics which wouldn't come up in conversation
• it is a wonderful way to bond with your child
• it is very calming

In your child’s backpack you will find his/her “Power Reader”.  Each night your child will be bringing home a book in a Ziploc bag.  Please read the book with your child each night and sign the sheet on the appropriate date.  Every morning a parent volunteer will come in and read with each child and check to see if his/her reading log has been signed.   Your child will then pick out a new book to bring home with him/her.  This book travels from home and school every night including weekends.  Please try to read every night. 

This program was funded by a grant given to the school to increase reading among first grade students.  If a book is lost, a fee of $5 could be charged.  Please make sure your child keeps the book and reading log form in the plastic bag.

Volunteers:

Your job will be to come and read a page with the students in the morning. You will pull them outside into the hallway, read with them, and assess their reading for the book. Mark their chart, give praise and encouragement, and get them a new book. I will help you out if you have any questions when you come for your first time.

If you have any questions please send me a note in the travel folder or e-mail me at wardbj@fultonschools.org.

Thank you for your support,

Mr. Ward

Curriculum

Spelling words for next week

yet                web                  pen  

wet               leg                    hen                                    

Sight Words

all                does                   here

me              my                      who

Please study the spelling words with your children. They will perform much better on their tests if they practice regularly at home.

Math: This week we introduced story problems with addition. I was very impressed with the students’ ability to grasp this concept. Next week we move into subtraction!

Writing: We added on verbs and proper nouns this week. The students are pretty solid as far as nouns are concerned; however, they still need help with verbs and proper nouns. If you could review these with your children here and there, that would be great. We also worked on writing simple sentences. The students are quickly improving their writing abilities. Next week we will reinforce these concepts and discus different kinds of sentences.

Social Studies/Science: This week we introduced sound. We had a lot of fun learning about pitch and the different kinds of instruments. Next week we will continue to learn about sound.

Reading: Please continue to read with your children at home – this will greatly enrich and help to build their reading abilities. Also, Power Readers is officially starting on Monday. We have volunteers coming in to help out (check VolunteerSpot if you’re interested in volunteering– there’s a link on the blog under calendars and schedules). Also, I will send out explicit instructions for Power Readers this weekend.

Friday Folders Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Brett Ward                          wardbj@fultonschools.org

Another Great Week

I have to say, the second week has been an excellent week. The students understand the expectations and rules and they are doing better and better at adhering to them. Great job kids! Curriculum night was awesome. Thank you all for coming and thank you so much for your supportive and positive attitudes. It is truly a blessing to have such a great group of parents.

Curriculum

Spelling words for next week

log                dot                  top

hot               lot                    ox

Math: We recently studied greater than and less than, adding with objects and models vertically and horizontally, and adding on a number line. The kids seemed to have grasped these concepts very well. Next week we plan to expand and solidify these ideas as well as introduce word problems with addition.

Writing: We have been working on generating ideas and writing captions. We also learned nouns and did a little bit of editing. This coming week we plan to continue writing captions, focusing on using essential parts of a sentence (verb and noun – we will introduce verbs).

Social Studies/Science: We discussed American symbols and basic geography this week (our continent, country, state, and city), and land forms. Next week we plan on covering sound.

Reading: Students have begun to check out books from the library. Please read with your children at home – this will greatly enrich and help to build their reading abilities.  

Friday Folders

Please don’t forget to review your student’s progress report and review all material sent home. Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Brett Ward                          wardbj@fultonschools.org

Spelling Words and schedule

Here's the spelling words for this week. They will have a test on Friday.

rip
him
is
fit
pin
if

Also there is a link to the daily schedule on the sidebar. Thanks again.

Weekly News

(this is the same as what was in the Friday Folders)

We had a great first week of school together these past five days. The children are adapting well to having a new teacher, and we are really enjoying each other. Please thank your kids for being such an awesome bunch.

Classroom

Thank you so much for all those parents that donated books or supplies. Feel free to continue adding to the class library, but I feel that we have a pretty descent size at this point. There may be some other things we need for class, but I will let you know as they arise.

Snacks

The first graders are the last to go to lunch (I know, it seems like they would be the first), but alas, that is the situation. They arrive around 7:15 and eat lunch at 12:30. As you can imagine, their tummies start to growl well before 12:30. We have snack time at 10:00. I would advise parents to pack a hearty little snack that can hold them over till lunch.

Curriculum Night

Curriculum night will be next Tuesday, August 30 at 6:30 PM. I really hope to see everyone there. This will be a great opportunity for you to understand what your child is expected to learn and do in first grade, and how you can help them to be successful.

Friday Folders

Each student should have brought home a Friday folder. This has all the important notes that need to go home, such as this weekly news letter. It also has the students’ grades. Please look over their grades and praise their good work and discuss any improvements that need to be made for the following week.

Thank you so much for your support and let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Brett Ward                          wardbj@fultonschools.org

FIrst Day of School!

We had a wonderful first day of school yesterday. I had the opportunity of getting to know all of the students a little better, and they got to know me as well. This is a great bunch of kids and I can't wait to work with them and help them reach their potential this year.

This is the class blog that I will update periodically. To the right there are some helpful resources such as calendars and educational websites. I'll add to these resources throughout the year.

For those of you who didn't make it to the open house (and I can fully understand - afterall, it was your third one! :) below is the information I distributed.

I am so happy that this class is full of students with supportive parents. I definately plan on tapping into your resourcse of knowledge and service. Let me know if there's anything specific I can do for your child, and I will do my best.

I also thought of a couple things we could use in the classroom if anyone is inclined to donate:

-More books (most of my books were for upper grades, so I am lacking in children's books, especially lower levels)
-Construction paper
-Small prizes for the prize box (this is what I use for rewarding good behavior, it could be something like party favors etc)

Lastly, with all these transitions, I would have a greater peace of mind if I asked you all to inform me of any specific needs, allergies, etc. I just want to make sure I'm aware of any important information.
Thanks a ton and I look forward to seeing you all at curriculum night!

(Open House Welcome Letter)

I am thrilled to be working with your children this year. I know this is a big change that’s been put on all of us, but I am excited for the new experience.  I am positive that I will love working with these kids and I promise that I will do my best to help each and every one of them succeed.

         If you have questions or any information to share with me, you are welcome to email me or send me a note. This will probably be more efficient than voice messages.

     A little about me: I was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado – the mountain state. I love to do anything outdoors – hiking, dirt-biking, cycling, climbing, camping, sports, etc. I also enjoy music; I play the drums, the piano, and I dabble with the guitar. Before moving to Georgia, I taught 6^th grade in Utah. This will be my first year teaching 1st grade in Roswell, and I am totally excited. My wife and I have been married for 2 years and we are expecting our first baby girl in December.

     I do have some experience in 1^st grade. I did student teaching in 1^st grade with an awesome teacher, and I learned many valuable strategies for literacy instruction. I am confident in my ability to help your children learn to read and write.

     I will be setting up a class blog to help keep you informed of upcoming events and happenings of our class. If you need to contact me, the best way to reach me is by email: 

wardbj@fultonschools.org

     I am thoroughly looking forward to this coming year. I am sure that we will all learn a great deal, and that we will all have a great deal of fun!

                                                                                                 

Sincerely,

Brett Ward