Dear Families,
We had a busy week of learning!
Thank you for supporting the Book Fair, Pennies for Patients, the Read-a-Thon and Ben’s
Run this week. Please make sure to look at the upcoming events at the bottom of this
email. March is a busy month!
Take a look at what we are learning next week:
Reading:
It is Read Across America week (see spirit days below)! We will transition back to
fictional texts as we celebrate Dr. Seuss and read his stories. In response to the stories
we read, students will ask and answer questions about key details in a text and identify
words and phrases in stories that suggest feelings. We will continue to have
collaborative conversations about texts read aloud.
Monday, 2-29-16 - Fox in Socks Day – Wear your crazy socks.
Tuesday, 3-1-16 - Oh, The Places You’ll Go Day – Wear clothing that represents a
future school or career.
Wednesday, 3-2-16 – Cat in the Hat Day – Wear red, black or white today.
Thursday, 3-3-16 – 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins Day – Wear a sombrero,
baseball cap or even a beret. Any kind of hat is perfect for today.
Friday, 3-4-16 – The Lorax Day - Wear a mustache.
Writing:
We kick-off opinion writing by gathering facts about four famous landmarks (Mount
Rushmore, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Disney World) and then deciding
which landmark to encourage a family member, friend, etc. to visit. We will practice
stating an opinion using words such as, “I think,” “I feel,” and “I believe” in a friendly
letter format.
Math:
We will continue to study the meaning of the equal sign as we use ten frames to
support our addition and subtraction fluency. When looking at a ten frame such as the
one below, students need to be able to quickly identify how many boxes are filled in (7)
and how many boxes are empty (3) by understanding that there are five boxes on the
top of a ten frame and fives boxes on the bottom. We will also be working on the
inverse relationship between addition and subtraction. When solving subtraction
problems, we encourage students to use addition. See the example below.
Given: 9 – 5 = ____
Student says: “I know that 9 -5 = ____ is the same as 5
+ ____ = 9 so I can count on to find the answer.
5, 6, 7, 8, 9. I counted on 4 so the answer is 4.”
Science/Social Studies:
In social studies we will continue studying maps. We will identify cardinal directions (N,
S, E, W) and we will also use the Compass Rose and symbols to locate places on a map.
How can you help at home?
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Use the information in this email to ask your child questions about the topics that
we study.
Read with your child nightly! Talk to your child about how characters in stories
are feeling and how their feelings change throughout the story.
Practice addition and subtraction equations with missing numbers in all positions
and with the equal sign at the beginning of the equation rather than the end.
Examples:
5 + _____ = 8
_____ + 7 = 9
_____ = 8 + 2
_____ + 5 = 4 + 2
Practice writing and spelling Word Wall Words and Words Their Way word
patterns with your child.
Look at Google Maps with your child and talk about bird’s eye view
(https://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl&authuser=0). You can type in
any address, zoom in, and check out favorite neighborhood spots!
Write a letter with your child and talk about the format of a friendly letter. Mail
the letter! Here is a fun song to go along with the parts of a friendly letter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNKy4hV6WnA
Do the homework with your child. The homework is aligned with the Common
Core and helps reinforce skills that will be reviewed and built on throughout the
year.
Important Reminders and Information:
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February 29- Black History Celebration- 6:30-7:30 PM
March 1- PTA Meeting- 7:00-8:00 PM
March 8- Science Fair- on display all day in the APR
March 11- PTA Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction
March 15- Grade 1 and 2 Music Night- 7:00 PM
March 16- Classroom Pictures
Have you signed up for the Read-A-Thon? Please contact your child’s teacher if
you have any trouble logging in with your child’s secret code. We would love
100% participation for first grade and signing up is FREE!
Sign up for Ben’s Run at http://www.bensrun.org/index.html
Please remind your child to have a book in his/her backpack to read in the
morning.
Stay Informed About the MCPS FY 2017 Operating Budget
The Montgomery County Board of Education has recommended a $2.5
billion operating budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. The budget request
includes a $180.2 million increase from FY 2016, which will allow the district
to make targeted investments to close the achievement gap; improve
students’ literacy and math skills; reduce class sizes; foster stronger
partnerships with the community and families to support students; and
accelerate efforts to improve and diversify the workforce. The Board’s
budget request will be submitted to the Montgomery County Executive and
the County Council. The County Executive is expected to release his FY 2017
operating budget recommendation by March 15. The Montgomery County
Council will hold public hearings on the county budget in April before
passing a final budget in May. Stay informed and engaged on the Board’s
budget request on the MCPS Operating Budget website.
Be sure to share your ideas and views on the importance of funding the
MCPS operating budget with our elected Montgomery County officials—
the Montgomery County Board of Education, the County Executive, and
the Montgomery County Council—through emails, letters, short videos, and
testimonials.
Summer Opportunities Fair Set for March 2
Parents can explore a wide range of summer opportunities for school-age
children at a fair on Wednesday, March 2. Local and regional providers will
be available to talk about summer camps, programs, and activities. During
the fair, parents can meet program staff, pick up applications, and get
information on financial assistance. The fair will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. at
Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Dr. in Rockville. Visit
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/parentacademy/p
arentacademyregister.aspx to register for the fair.
Have a great weekend and we will see your children back on Monday!