Weekly Update!

Team Summit Weekly Update

9/11/09

We have had a productive week in school. We are all settling in to our new routines and enjoy learning and spending time together. Our Classroom Contract is finished and it now adorns our wall. The students and I decided to establish classroom guidelines around the school’s “Be a Star” philosophy. Not only did we come up with many ideas, we also signed our names in stars which we hung around the contract. We are very proud of this document. Please visit our classroom.
We also started Reader’s Workshop this week. We learned that reading is synonymous with thinking. We learned that as engaged readers we must actively think about the words we read. While we quickly realized that we can do our best thinking in a quiet and relaxed spot, we also discovered that we also need time to read and fully comprehend the text. We will continue to explore reading comprehension strategies in the weeks to come. One strategy we already discussed is the use of a “Reading Pencil” which I use all the time. Ask your child to explain.
To help your child with his/her reading at home, I send home a weekly Reading Log. Our first Reading Log went home last week, and your child will bring one home every Friday. The Reading Log is due back on Fridays with a parent’s signature.
We also started Writer’s Workshop this week. Our first unit will be on writing small moment stories and personal narratives. We are currently reading “Gooney Bird Greene” by Lois Lowry as a read aloud. Ask your child to explain how this is an example of many small personal narratives and how we are in the process of showing our understanding with index cards and yarn!!!
Our first grade level field-trip is scheduled for September 23rd. We will visit “Science on the Green” in Waterbury. A note went home earlier this week with an attached permission form. If you did not receive this form, or if you would like to join us for this special day, please contact me (mmccormack@hcsvt.org or 482-2106). Thank you!
Please be advised that the HCS school pictures are taking place the same day as our field-trip. We will have our class pictures taken in the morning, before we leave for Waterbury. Please make sure your child arrives on time that day!! Thanks

Regards,
Maria McCormack.