OCTOBER
NEWS
Brooke Grove
Elementary School
Olney, Maryland
Oct ob er
Fir st Grad e
First Grade Newsletter
Introduction
Reading
It is hard to believe that we are almost
halfway finished with the first marking period.
Time really has flown by! Students have
gotten into their routines, new friendships
have been developed and so much learning
has taken place! Thank you so much for your
continuous commitment and support this
year.
Many thanks,
In reading, students will be
participating in daily reading groups as well
as meaningful literacy rotations. We will be
focusing on reading informational texts.
Students will utilize text features in order to
ask and answer important questions about
key details in a text. Additionally, students
will work to sort words into categories in
order to develop a deeper understanding of
word meaning.
Ellen Herron
MaryKay Hirsch
Kathleen Schwartz
VaRysa Williams
Mindy Oxman
Math
In Math we are working on utilizing
different addition and subtraction strategies.
The students will then need to use these
strategies in order to solve different types
of word problems. For example: Mrs. Herron
has some balloons. 5 balloons popped. She
has 10 balloons left. How many did she
start with? Students will use their
knowledge of addition and subtraction in
order to solve different types of word
problems. In addition, students will be
working to create and analyze data.
Students will create bar graphs,
pictographs, and tally charts.
Writing
In writing, students will be working on
completing animal research. The students will
begin by working with our media specialist,
Mrs. Crooke, to identify key vocabulary words
to use when researching. They will use the
index and table of contents in order to
research how animals move, what they eat,
where they live, as well as what they look
like. They will enhance their research by using
an online source as well. Finally, the students
will write an informative piece about their
animal.
First Grade Newsletter Page 2
Thinking and Academic
Succes Skills
Science & Social Studies
In Social Studies, students are
working on identifying what makes a good
leader. Furthermore, they will study
important leaders in American History and
their contributions to our society.
Additionally, students will study different
American Symbols.
In Science, we have been studying animal
and plant needs. We will identify what
animals and plants need to survive as well
as the interdependent relationship between
plants and animals.
Reminders to Students
 Writing journals are due
Thursdays.
 Math homework is due
Wednesdays and Thursdays.
 Reading homework is due on
Fridays.
Analysis: Students will be working on how
ideas fit together. They will discover how
parts fit into a whole. Additionally, they will
sort objects and words into categories.
Finally, they will compare similarities and
differences amongst books and other content.
Collaboration: Students will continue to work
on respecting their classmates, their teachers,
and themselves. They will work on asking
clarifying questions. During this marking
period, students will collaborate in order to
show responsibility. They will identify
responsible behavior in leaders as well as
continue to use teamwork.
Upcoming Events
First Grade in School Field Trip: Animal
Adaptations
Friday, October 2
Harvest Happenings: PTA Event
Tuesday, October 6
Halloween Party
Friday, October 30
Days off School

Friday, October 16
Early Dismissal

Friday, October 2
Thank You
Reminders to Parents
*If you have not yet signed up for a
conference in November, please contact
your child’s teacher to set up a date and
a time.
Special thank you to all of the families who
were able to join us at Back to School Night!
We had a wonderful turn out and it was great to
see you all again! Additionally, thank you to all
for your continual support inside and outside of
the classroom.