January29,2017
DearParents,
Lastweekwasanotherfantasticweekinfirstgrade,concludingwithafuncelebrationofthe
ChineseNewYearintheKLEEmulti-purposeroom.Wearetrulyblessedwithgenerosity
withinourclassparents-THANKYOUallagainformakingthespecialdaypossibleand
memorableforourstudents.Besuretochecktheweek20photoalbumforsomefunpictures.
Therearethreecurricularmilestonescomingup:WewillwrapupAstronomyinsciencewith
anassessmentonThursday;expertpresentationsforournon-fictionposterprojectswill
happeninReadingWorkshop;studentswillcompleteashortassessmentontheMesopotamia
unit.Additionally,weaskstudentstoreturntheirMathinFocustextbook(1A)byFriday.
RemembertobringinyourplanetreportMonday!
WeeklyPlans(January29th–February3rd):
Math:WewillconcludeChapter10(Weight)withareviewonMondayandanassessmenton
Tuesday.At-homepracticecanincludeaskingyourchildtomeasureandcomparetheweights
ofobjectusingthefollowingvocabulary:heavy,heavier,heaviest,light,lighter,lightest.We
willthenbeginChapter11whichfocusesonpicturegraphsandbargraphs.Wewillcollect
andorganizedataintopictureand/orbargraphsaswellastallycharts,whileusingspecific
vocabularywords:data,most,few,fewer,fewest,tallymark,tallychart,charttitleandscale.
ReadingWorkshop:OnMonday,wewillcelebrateournon-fictionposterswithshort
presentationsandalittlesnack.Thestudentsdidagreatjobselecting,studying,andthen
recordinginformationabouttheirexperttopics.Besuretolookoutforthepresentationvideo
innextweek'snews!OnTuesday,wewillbeginournextunit:ReadersHaveBigJobstoDo.
Thisunitplacesemphasisonfluency,phonics,andcomprehensionthroughstrategylessons,
individualconferences,andpartnerwork.Wewillworktoincreaseourreadingstaminaand
togrowourindependenceasreaders.Thisunitwilltakeusbacktoourfictionlibrary.
WritingWorkshop:Wewillworkonjournalingthisweekforpleasure(a.k.aSacredWriting
Time).Ourgoalwillbetowriteforfiveminuteswithoutstopping.Whilethismightnotseem
likealongtimetowrite,toyouorme,thisissomethingyoungchildrenmustworktowards.
WetalkedaboutgoalsettinginFriday'sworkshop,andsustainedwritinginthesecondhalfof
theyearwillbeagoalforouryoungwriters.
WorldLanguage(Spanish):Duringourfewdaystogether,thestudentsenjoyedanew
wintersong(checkmyweb-page)andpracticedthevocabularyforwinterclothingand
animals.Thestudentsalsoenjoyedannouncingtheweather:hacefrìo,hacesol,estànevando,
estànublado,estàlloviendo.Seeyouintwoweeks!
95 Dartmouth College Highway, Lyme, NH 03768 • 603.795.3111 • www.crossroadsacademy.org
Science:Thisisourlastweekstudyingastronomy,andwewillwrapuplearningaboutstars
andconstellations.Wewilltalkaboutwhatstarsaremadeof,howfarawaytheyare,andtheir
differentsizes,colors,andtemperatures,aswellaslearnthatshootingstarsaren'treallystars
atall,butmeteors.WewilldiscusshowtheancientMesopotamiansusedCuneiformtorecord
thefirststarcatalogues,andhowtheconstellationsareexplainedbyelaboratestoriesfrom
ancienttimes.Ourdiscussionswillincludepoetry,books,andmakingconstellations.Wewill
haveaunitassessmentonThursday.PlanetreportsaredueMonday,January30!
History:OurCuneiformtabletswithourinitialsarehomenow,andourZigguratsarealmost
complete.Buildingthesestructuresdeepensourunderstandingofthemathematicalprinciple
ofasquareandthecalculationofperimeter.Wewillwritethedimensionsofourzigguratsin
Cuneiform,thenbringthemhomeWednesday,alongwithasmallbookletonthetopicwhich
includesanindexwecreated.TheunitassessmentwillbegivenFriday.
JanuaryVirtueandSaying:
Courage-Courageisdoingwhatisrightinthefaceoffear.
Saying-“tohitthenailonthehead”
Here’stheweeklyalbumofphotosandvideos:Week20.
PleasenotethattheseweeklyplansandlinksarepostedtoMr.Cassell’steacherpage(onthe
WeeklyPlanstab.)Ifyouhaveanyquestions/commentspleasedon’thesitatetocontactus!
Yoursinpartnership,
Mr.Cassell
Mrs.Doyle
Ms.Harris
95 Dartmouth College Highway, Lyme, NH 03768 • 603.795.3111 • www.crossroadsacademy.org