Hello Grade One and Two Parents,
After the first two exciting months quickly
went by, the grade one and two students begun to get settled in our busy
classroom. Everyone worked well and learned lots of new and exciting things.
In October we have started our Home Reading Program and I am very
happy to see how excited the students are. Continued practice at home has
already made an impact. Please, keep up the great work you are doing and keep
reading every night! Do not be afraid to become more deeply engaged in your
child’s learning. Encourage your child to read the book a few times until the
reading becomes very fluent. Remember to initial the little booklet and write
down the minutes too. Some students have really good decoding skills, but they
are unable to tell what happened in the story. Also, sometimes they don’t know
the real meaning of certain words. Please remember to ask several questions after
the reading. There is the so called “Five W’s and One H” to follow after each
story.
St. Stephen School is offering a great online
reading program called RAZ – Kids. For more details check your child’s agenda!
The grade 2’s are started the Spelling Program. They are working on
their spelling skills and each week (on Friday or Thursday) they have a
spelling quiz. The students have a full week to study and prepare. It is a good
idea to have a quiz at home the day before, so they can build confidence in their
ability to succeed.
During the month of November in Language Arts we will continue to work on
reading skills, comprehension, learning new vocabulary and practice sight
words. In writing our focus is on good sentences and proper punctuation.
The grade 1’s are finishing off the Alphabet Stories
and started to show a really nice progress in their printing booklet. It is
very important that they are practicing all the Dolch sight words in order to
make better progress in their reading. If you lost the sheet I have sent home,
please do not hesitate to go online and you will find all the words listed. It
is a free website, www.sightwords.com
In Math
the most important is the fluency in skip counting and mental math. This could
be practiced even during a car ride. Count by 2’s 5’s and 10’s. Also, adding or
subtracting small numbers mentally up to 10 and later up to 18. Using the ten
frame helps students to recognize the value of ten and understand how to make
10. There are lots of YouTube videos you can find on the internet.
In Science
we will finish our unit on magnets around the middle of November, and before we
will start our new unit, called Hot and Cold Temperature, the students will have
a short and easy quiz on magnets. Still, it will require some studying and
preparation.
In grade 1 the students will show and perform how
well they can recognize and read all the colour words, name the primary and
secondary colours. In mid-November we will learn more about seasonal changes.
In Religion
we will learn about the life of the Saints and at the end of the month we will
be getting ready for the wonderful journey of Advent.
In Music
more songs and games are making us happier and the students are learning to differentiate
between rhythm and beat while keeping the steady pulse.
During Health we are continuing our journey of wellness
choices such as healthy eating, physical activity, adequate sleep, sun
protection and an appreciation for our own body.
In Social
we will be learning more about Canada, the provinces and territories and their
capital cities.
Important Dates for November
Ø
Remembrance Day Liturgy on Friday, Nov. 10th at 10:30
a.m.
Ø
Popcorn Day November 22nd
Ø
Report Cards go home on November 24th.
After the students brought home their Progress
Report it is important to review the report card comments together with your
child. After, please sign the envelope and return it to the school. The report
card is your copy to keep. If you wish to discuss something during the
interview please remember to bring it with you.
Remember to make an appointment for
Parent/Teacher Conferences.
