SEPTEMBER
NEWS
Brooke Grove
Elementary School
Olney, Maryland
September
First Grade
First Grade Newsletter
Introduction
First Grade is possibly the most
important year in a child’s school career.
Launching a love for learning and beginning
with all the skills you need to be a
lifelong learner is crucial to a lifetime of
success.
The first grade teachers are so excited
to begin this important partnership with you.
We truly feel as if the teachers, parents, and
students are each an important part of the
team in your child’s success in school. We
look forward to working with you throughout
the year in order to promote a love of
learning and foster positive relationships,
encourage independence, as well as provide a
welcoming environment for students to grow
in. We are so excited to see where this year
will take us. We would love to invite you to
Back to School Night. It will take place on
September 16 at 7:00. It will be a great
opportunity to get to know more about the
routines and practices your child’s teacher will
be implementing this school year. Thank you
so much for your continuous commitment and
support this year.
Many thanks,
The First Grade Team
Reading
In reading, students will be
participating in daily reading groups as well
as meaningful literacy rotations. We will be
working on answering comprehension
questions in small groups. Some examples
include: key details in a text (setting,
problem, solution, and characters), main
idea, beginning, middle, and end, as well as
text features. We will be sending home
reading group books on Thursdays. Please
practice these skills at home with them.
Math
In Math we are working on counting
to 120. The children are working in
small groups to explore all different ways to
organize counters to help them count to up
to 120 quickly, for example by tens and
ones. Students will begin to understand that
two digit numbers represent amounts of
tens and ones. Help your child practice
counting with real objects tens and ones at
home! We will also be introducing and
reviewing math vocabulary words such as
more, less, before, after, as well as some of
the comparison symbols <,>, and =. We
will then move into addition and
subtraction. In order to help understand the
connection, we will be breaking apart
numbers. For example: 6 (2+4) (1+5),
(3+3).
Writing
In writing students will be working on
writing personal narratives. They will be
including a beginning, middle, and end in the
stories as well as focus on adding details to
their writing. Students will begin to take their
writing through the writing process focusing
on important editing and revision tools.
First Grade Newsletter Page 2
Thinking and Academic
Succes Skills
Science & Social Studies
In Science and Social Studies we are
working on how to be safe in different
environments. For example, in Science,
students will be observing and studying
plants and animals. Students have
established safety rules while participating
in Science Experiments.
In Social Studies, we will be working
together to identify rules. Furthermore,
students will identify some of the rights and
responsibilities that they have at school,
home, and in the community.
Reminders to Students
 Be respectful, responsible and
ready to learn each day at
BGES!
 Find a quiet place to do your
homework each night.
This marking period, first graders will focus
on 2 different Thinking and Academic Success
Skills (TASS).
The first is collaboration. Students will be
working to identify what collaboration looks
like and sounds like. They will be actively
involved in many different tasks that require
them to utilize collaboration.
The second is analysis. Students will have to
use higher level thinking skills in a variety of
content areas in order to demonstrate
analysis.
Upcoming Events
Back to School Picnic
Friday, September 4,
Back to School Night
Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 pm
Days off School
Reminders to Parents
*Please be sure you have told your
child’s teacher a dismissal plan for
your child.
*Check and empty the Wednesday
folders each week.
*Any paperwork, forms, notes should
be placed in your child’s take home
folder.
*Any money should be in an envelope
labeled with your child’s name (please
also include PIN number if the money
is for lunch.
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Monday, September 7
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Monday, September 14
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Wednesday, September 23
Thank You
Special thank you to all of the families who
were able to join us at Open House, August 28!
It was so wonderful to meet so many new
students and see how excited they were to
begin the school year! Additionally, thank you
to all of the families who have offered to
volunteer or help out in the classroom or with
classroom parties this year. We truly appreciate
it!