Author: Melissa Morrier-Turk

Dear 1B Families,

Happy New Year and welcome back!

The students have been great this week and were eager to get back to learning in First Grade!

This month our focus is PENGUINS!  We are learning many facts and creating many penguin projects this month.  The penguin report collection sheet, in the homework packet, is due next Friday, January 17.

We have started to read penguin stories and, already a class favorite, Tacky the Penguin stories.  In math, we started place value and the students are doing a wonderful job understanding tens and ones.  In science we started a new unit; the first graders are Environmental Scientist.  We are studying sunlight, water and soil.  If you could send a small flashlight to school with your child on Monday that would be great.  We are studying about sunlight and shadows and with our weather the way it is sometimes it’s best to make our own sun!

Important Information:

Please send a flashlight with your child to school on Monday, thanks.

 Homework: The new January homework packet was sent home Monday.  There is an important penguin report assignment due next week, on Friday, January 17^th.

Operation Warm Feet: 3^rd grade is putting on a service project to help the homeless in our community stay warm during this winter season!  Please bring in a new pair of wool socks if you are able, I know Costco has a great selection. 😊  These socks will be donated to the Everett Gospel Mission and Mercy Watch.

Catholic Schools Week:

January 26-31

Open house on Sunday, January 26 10-1pm

No school dates-

January 17- half day, noon dismissal

January 20- No school, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Please let me know if you have any questions.

God Bless,

Mrs. Heidi Harris

Dear 1B Families,

This week we jumped right into celebrating Advent and the Christmas season.  We created beautiful mosaic advent wreaths which are displayed outside our classroom.  This month we are attending mass every Wednesday in the gym as a whole school for advent.  We read advent stories and Santa and reindeer stories this week.  In writing we are working on general and specific with reindeer.  We are continuing to work on retelling stories and remembering details of what we read.  In math, we started subtraction and the students are doing a wonderful job connecting their addition skills to subtraction.  Today we started fact families and the students are quickly understanding what fact families are, I am very impressed.  In science we are continuing to study plants, we are focusing on evergreen trees and their seeds.  As a reminder this month the homework is just reading, please remember to sign your child’s December reading calendar log each night they read, thank you.  Also remember next week on Friday, December 13 is the Christmas Program at Everett Civic Auditorium please encourage your child to practice their songs at home, thank you.

Important Information:

Save the date for the school Christmas program December 13

Friday, December 13 is the school Christmas Program at Everett Civic Auditorium 2415 Colby Ave

• First Graders should arrive by 6:45 pm.

• First Graders will sit with their teachers in the auditorium
• This is a night to dress up – students should wear nice clothes.   

No school dates in December

Christmas break December 20-January 5, school resumes on January 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

God Bless,

Mrs. Heidi Harris

November 22, 2019

 Dear 1B Families,

 This week we continued to focus on Thanksgiving and turkeys.  We read many turkey stories and worked on retelling.  We reviewed predicting and made predictions when reading.  In math we are finishing chapter 5 on addition and after thanksgiving we will move into subtraction.  In science we are continuing to study plants.  We will focus on evergreen trees and their seeds next week.  I am looking forward to meeting with everyone for conferences.  The first graders have worked hard this week to get ready for conferences and are excited to share their work.

 Have a Happy Thanksgiving and great break!

Important Information:

Save the date for the school Christmas program December 13

 No school dates in December-

Christmas break December 20-January 5, school resumes on January 6

Please let me know if you have any questions.

God Bless,

Mrs. Heidi Harris

Dear 1B Families,

This week we focused on Thanksgiving and turkeys.  We read many turkey stories and wrote from the perspective of the turkey.  We continued to work on author’s purpose in reading and writing.  We finished our writing using author’s purpose to persuade and the first graders are excited to share their writing at conferences.  We are continuing to review short vowel sounds. In math, we finished our chapter on graphing- bar graphs, pictographs, and tally charts.  This week we started unit 2 on addition and subtraction to 10, focusing on addition.  In science we are continuing to study plants, this week we talked about deciduous trees and their fruits and seeds.  We cut open an apple and observed the seeds inside.  In religion, we have been focusing on what we are thankful for.  The first graders have made beautiful thankful art projects. Have a great weekend!

Important Information:

Conferences-

Next week on Friday, November 22 and the following week on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26 we have conferences.  Conferences are student led, this means your child will come to the conference to share their work.  We cannot wait to show you all their hard work.

No school dates in November-

Friday, November 22- Conferences

Monday, November 25- Conferences

Tuesday, November 26- Conferences

Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday November 27, 28, & 29 for Thanksgiving

 Please let me know if you have any questions.

God Bless,

Mrs. Heidi Harris

Dear 1B Families,

This week we focused on author’s purpose in reading and writing. Authors write to persuade, inform, and entertain. We started our own writing using author’s purpose. The letters and sounds we focused on this week were short vowel sounds. We are continuing to identify fiction and nonfiction genres. In math, we finished our chapter on graphing- bar graphs, pictographs, and tally charts. We then did a unit review and next week we will move to unit 2 on addition and subtraction to 10. In science we are continuing to study plants, this week we talked about deciduous trees and evergreen trees.
Today, we attended an amazing Veteran’s Day Assembly led by the 6th grade students and we heard from guest speaker, Veteran Louie Siggins. Enjoy the day off on Monday, Happy Veteran’s Day!
Have a wonderful long weekend!

Important Information:

Progress Reports-
Progress reports are came home with your student today, their MAP results will also be included with their reports.

Conferences-
Conference sign up is now available. Here is the link:
https://signup.com/go/FodaNnK.

Conferences are student led, this means your child will come to the conference to share their work. Conferences are November 22, 25, & 26. Please sign up for a time that works, thank you.

No school dates in November-
Monday, November 11 in honor of Veteran’s Day
Friday, November 22- Conferences
Monday, November 25- Conferences
Tuesday, November 26- Conferences
Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday November 27, 28, & 29 for Thanksgiving

God Bless,
Mrs. Heidi Harris

October 4, 2019

Dear 1B Families,

This week we focused on retelling the story by using our story element words of characters, setting, problem, and solution.  We are also reviewed making predictions.  Our letters and sounds we focused on this week were: p, i, and k.  In our vocabulary journals, this week we learned about initial sounds/beginning sounds, ending sounds, and when we use capital letters in our writing.  In math, we worked on addition skills and learned a new math game.  On Friday we took our developmental scientist test and the students did a wonderful job with these concepts.  In Religion, we are focusing on the Hail Mary prayer in honor of Mary during the month of October.  I encourage you to pray the Hail Mary with your family this month.

 Important Information:

MAP TESTING-

The first graders worked hard on their first MAP Test this week, next week we are taking the Math MAP Test.

On Tuesday, October 8, we will take the Math MAP Test.  Please make sure your child has a good breakfast on these mornings and gets a good night rest before.

Homework–

Homework packets went home on Monday, September 30.  Please support your child with their homework.  The packet is due at the end of the month. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Math Night-

Thursday, October 17 from 5:30-6:30 is Math Night.  Please bring your family to this fun event.  There will be math games and activities your child can teach you.

Behavior Calendars-

Your child should be taking home a new orange, October, behavior calendar each night.  This calendar needs to be returned each day.  Thanks J

God Bless,

Mrs. Heidi Harris

Dear 1B Families,

This week we continued to focus on retelling the story and using beginning sounds to sound out words.  We are also learning how to make predictions when we read.  Our letters and sounds we focused on this week were: m, s, n, and w.  We also started our vocabulary journals this week and have learned about tittle pages and the table of contents.  In math, we finished chapter 1 and started chapter 2 on addition.  We are continuing to study how human beings grow in science and will have our first science test on Friday, October 4, a study guide will come home next week.  The first graders are excited to be developmental scientists and have learned about the stages of infant, toddler, child, adolescent, and adult.  Next week we will learn about our habitat.  The first graders did a wonderful job at mass in the parish hall this week.

Important Information:

Morning line up is still in the gym. 

MAP TESTING-
The first graders are taking the Fall MAP Test in the next two weeks.

On Wednesday, October 2, we will take the Reading MAP Test and on Tuesday, October 8, we will take the Math MAP Test.  Please make sure your child has a good breakfast on these mornings and gets a good night rest before.

Homework–
Homework starts on Monday, September 30.  Your child will take home a packet that is due at the end of the month.

Behavior Calendars-
Your child should be taking home a behavior calendar each night.

This calendar needs to be returned each day, please make sure your child is taking to school each day.  Thanks J

God Bless,
Mrs. Heidi Harris

September 13, 2019

Dear 1B Families,

The first graders are continuing to work hard in class!  This week we have been focusing on retelling the story and checking for understanding.  We are continuing to work on choosing “Good Fit” books.  We started reading in groups this week.  Our letters and sounds we focused on this week were: t and a.  We all wrote our own books of what we can see in our classroom.  In math, we are continuing to work on number sense in our math journals.  We are also reviewing our numbers in our math books and will follow with addition and subtraction.  Each morning we are working on a pattern, graphing, and keeping track of the number of days in school.  We are continuing to study how human beings grow in science.  The first graders are excited to be developmental scientists and have learned about the stages of infant, toddler, and child. 

Important Information:

Next week, morning line up will be in the gym. J

Behavior Calendars-

Your child should be taking home a behavior calendar each night. 

This calendar needs to be returned each day.  If the calendar has a star (any color) or is blank this means your child did not flip a card.  If there is a note written in the space, your child flipped a card.  It is important for each child to understand their behavior is not appropriate, we know they can do better, and tomorrow is a new day!  If you have any questions about the behavior charts please feel free to email me!

 FUN RUN–

The Fun Run is next Friday, September 20^th at 1:00 p.m.  If you have not yet registered your child please go to funrun.com.  Our class has already raised $11 per lap, which is GREAT! 

 Have a great weekend!! 

 God Bless,

Mrs. Heidi Harris

September 6, 2019

Dear 1B Families,

I am very impressed with the hard work of each student this week!  This week we have been discussing the three ways to read a book: read the pictures, read the words, and retell the story.  We also started working on choosing “Good Fit” books.  Our letters and sounds we focused on this week were: h, l, b, and f.  In math, we have been reviewing many skills we learned in kindergarten and working on number sense in our math journals.  We started our science unit on studying how human beings grow; the first graders are excited to be developmental scientists.  As an entire school we attended our first school Mass and the first graders did a wonderful job!

Important Information:

Family Envelope:  The “Family Envelope” went home Thursday.  Please complete the enclosed paperwork and return the envelope to school right away.  There were some very import items in the folder:  emergency form (if you hadn’t already turned this in), technology agreement (needed for student iPad and computer use in 1B!), and picture forms.

School Pictures:  On Tuesday, September 10, we have school pictures.  Our picture time is in the morning, before recess, so the first graders will still look beautiful for their pictures.  For picture day please have your child wear nice free dress clothes.

Curriculum Night is Wednesday, September 11 at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall with classroom presentations to follow.  This is an important event to learn about the first grade curriculum and important school information.  I hope to have the chance to meet each of you this night!

P.E. Shoes: Our P.E. days are Wednesdays and Fridays, if you would like to send your student to school in their tennis shoes these days that would be great, otherwise the students do not need a separate pair at school for now.  If you sent a pair already with your child, you may notice the pair still in their backpack. 😊

God Bless,

Mrs. Heidi Harris