Update December 18th

Our Family & Friends celebrated my daughter, Arya's 3rd birthday this weekend at The Maker Farm in Westford.  We had a fabulous time!

*This Thursday, Winter Party!  Looking forward to celebrating with the class.  Thank you to everyone that is volunteering or donating items!

*Friday P.M.- All school holiday sing-a-long.

No School December 25-January 1st.  We will return to school on Tuesday, January 2nd.

*Last week, we spent most of the week indoors due to the temperature.  Just for reference, we do not send kids out to recess if the temperature/wind chill is below 20 degrees.  I hope we can get out and enjoy some fresh air this week! If you would like your child to leave their snow clothes at school each day during the week, please discuss this with your child and let them know it's okay to do so!  It can be a lot of work for them to carry snow clothes in big bags back and forth to school each day.  I'm happy to have kiddos leave their snow clothes at school and make sure they go home every Friday.  If this is something you want your child to do, just let them know.  Otherwise I'll continue to have them bring them back and forth.

*Thank you for sending water bottles in each day!  It's really helpful for the kids to have water bottles at their tables throughout the day for our frequent water breaks!

*Last week, we finished up Unit 4 in Math.  This week, we will catch up with math journal pages we've missed, play games to increase our fact fluency and combinations of 10.  I will also meet with students individually to quickly assess their fact fluency to better group them in math groups for our math rounds.

*There will be a spelling list this week but no spelling the week we get back from vacation.

*In Science, we will continue to talk about instruments or natural objects that make light.  Students will work to write their own light book during Science this week.

*We will continue learning about holidays this week.  Our focus this week will be on:

*Las Posadas

*Kwanzaa

*Diwali
*Hanukkah

*Christmas

*I want to wish you and your families a happy winter break.  Thank you for all you to do to support your child at school.  They are all excelling and showing great growth.  Thank you!

Update December 11th

*This Tuesday, we will have school store for first grade in the morning.

*We will begin to learn about Fall/Winter holidays this week and next.  The holidays we will focus on throughout the next two weeks are:

Diwali

Hanukkah

Las Posadas

Kwanzaa

Christmas
*If there is a winter holiday your family celebrates that's not on this list please let me know.  I would love to add a holiday your family celebrates to our list to learn about!

*In Math, we will finish Unit 4 of Everyday Math.  Our focus this week will be on combinations of 10, adding 3 numbers together and 10 more/10 less.

*In Writing, we will continue to talk about adding ending punctuation, adding fancy words and details to our stories.

*In Science,  we will begin a new unit called "Light and Sound." This week, we will observe how light can help you see.  We will play a game called "spotlight," observe different types of light and write a story about light.

*As our weather turns to snow in the forecast, please remember that students need proper attire to play in the field at recess.  Please consider sending in snow attire in a reusable shopping bag with your child's name on it.    Reusable shopping bags stand up on their own and do not break which is helpful in our crowded coat room.  In order to play in the field, students need:  boots, snowpants, a winter coat and gloves.

*We will welcome our first Mystery Reader and Parent Volunteers to our classroom this week!  Thank you for helping out!  Volunteer time will be a combination of clerical work and working with the kids!

*Progress Reports will be available for parents to view in iPortal starting at 4pm on Friday, December 15th. 

Looking Ahead:

*Thursday, December 21st 2:00 Winter Party

We will have our holiday party this day.  I will send an email early this week with volunteer and donation information for this party.

Monday, December 25-Monday, January 1st- No School

We will return to school on Tuesday, January 2nd.

Update December 3rd

*This Thursday, December 7th is a 12:20pm Early Release.  We will have snack in the morning.

*In Math, we will work on double facts (2+2, 4+4,) explore with shapes and practice combinations of 10.

*In writing, we will work on adding fancy words and interesting endings to our stories.

*Thank you for sending in donations for the class to create businesses.  We will finish up making goods and hope to sell to our classmates (using my school coins) on Thursday.

*We will begin collecting new hats, mittens and scarves for children that need them this week and next week.  The Kindergartners will sort and count the number of items we receive!

*Thank you for all of your donations for the Turkey Trot to benefit our school!  We raised over $5000 (wow!) We will celebrate with a school wide dance party in the Spring.

*I will begin planning our Winter Party soon and will be in touch with parents that have requested to volunteer or donate items.  If you're interested in planning the party, please let me know!  The Winter Party is scheduled for Thursday, December 21st at 2:00pm.

Looking Ahead:
No School December 25-January 1st.  We will be back in school January 2nd.

Update November 27th

*I hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend!  I know my family is excited to move onto the holidays now.  We picked out our Christmas tree yesterday! 

*In Spelling we will continue with King-Ed words.  We also have a few tricky power words on our list, including ARE (so very tricky!)

*In Math, we are continuing our work with non-standard units of measurement.  Today, we measured using pencils of varying lengths.  The kids aren't sure if pencils are the best measurement tool.

*In Social Studies, we are beginning to make goods for our businesses.  Please consider donating the following items to our classroom to help with businesses:

*glitter glue

*sequins

*letter beads

*empty toilet paper rolls

*empty paper towel rolls

*balloons

*ribbon

*cardstock

Items donated do not have to be new.  We'll gladly take your scraps or extras!

*This Wednesday, November 29th will be our Turkey Trot in the afternoon from 1:45-2:45.  We are very close to making our $5000 goal!  Please dress students for the weather (right now the forecast is 52 degrees and sunny!) Please also send in a water bottle, clearly marked with your child's name to use while we're outside.  Here's a video made by staff to get kids excited for the trot! https://vimeo.com/244086517

*On Friday, we will welcome our Book Buddies to Robinson for our monthly meetings!

*You will begin to see books coming home more frequently from me, 2-5 times a week!  Please have your child check the reading pocket of their BEE Binder each night to check for books.  It's helpful to have all books returned the next day.  Thanks!

Update November 19th

This is a very short week at school.  I hope you are able to enjoy some time with family and friends over the long weekend.

*Monday, November 20th- 2 Hour Delay.  School begins at 11:05.  Students will head right out to recess and lunch.  Parent/Teacher Conferences begin at 8:15am.

*Tuesday, November 21st- No School.  Parent/Teacher Conferences begin at 2:00pm.

*Wednesday, November 22nd- 12:20pm Early Release.  

Robifulli Turkey Trot 10:15-11:15am.  We will run, walk and dance around the field to raise money for our school.  Please dress students for the weather.  Currently the forecast is 48 degrees and rainy.

Update November 12th

*We are looking forward to a full week of school this week!

*On Tuesday, we will have School Store in the morning for first grade.  Please send no more than $2 for students to spend.

*Also, on Thursday our class will be attending the school book fair during Library class.  For book fair students can browse and create a wish list for parents to purchase during conferences or they can purchase items using cash or check.  I will try my best to have students put purchases directly into their backpacks to avoid lost items.

*I look forward to seeing you all for Parent/Teacher Conferences next week.  Thank you for signing up online.  Please note conferences will only be 15 minutes long.  I will try my best to stay on schedule to ensure that if you have another conference to go to, you will make it in time.  Please send back the "November Conference Discussion Sheet" to school this week so I can have a better idea of the topics you would like to discuss.  As a reminder, Trimester 1 Progress Reports will not be handed out at the time of conferences.  Grades close on December 1st and progress reports will be available on iPass on December 12th.

*Students have begun to use a new Math program called Dreambox at school.  This program will help with all areas of math and introduce students to new mathematical vocabulary.  For example, a number model is also a number sentence and an equation.  At this point, students will only be using Dreambox at school.  Students have begun  to use Dreambox independently on the iPads during math rotations.

*In Math, we students will finish Unit 3 (focus on adding and subtracting) and take the Unit 3 assessment.  I will share these assessments during conferences next week.

*In Writing, we are working on adding an "inside voice" to our writing.  Students are beginning to write about what they were feeling.  For example:  This weekend, I went pumpkin picking with my family.  We went on a hayride.  I was so excited to go over the big bumps.  

*Please send students in with water bottles each day.  We take water breaks often during the day to transition to new activities.  It would be helpful for students to have their own water bottle at their table.

*The Robifulli Turkey Trot will take place on Wednesday, November 22nd.  We will walk, run and dance laps around the outside lawn to raise money for our school.  This was a great community event last year and we're looking forward to another successful year.

Looking Forward:
Monday, November 20th- 2 Hour Delay- Parent/Teacher Conferences- Schools begins at 11am.

Tuesday, November 21st- No School- Parent/Teacher Conferences 2-8pm.

Wednesday, November 22nd- Turkey Trot & 12:20pm Early Release

Thursday & Friday November 23/24- No School

Update November 5th

*This Friday, November 10th is No School in observance of Veteran's Day.  We will learn a little about the importance of this holiday.

*In Math, we will practice counting on the number line, counting to add/subtract and skip counting.

*In Social Studies, we will begin to focus our Economics unit, called Goods and Services.  Businesses that provide goods sell items that are made or grown.  Businesses that supply services provide work that someone does for someone else.  This person is usually specially trained.  This week, we will brainstorm businesses in our community and listen to members of our community that provide goods and services.  The students will work with a partner to decide whether the person provides a good or a service.  

*In comprehension, we will continue to learn about Non-Fiction features.  Students will begin writing their own Non-Fiction book: All About Me. 

*Star of the Week: I will be the first Star of the Week in our class.  On Thursday, I will share personal photos, mementos and some of my favorite things with the class.  Each Friday we will choose a new Star of the Week.  Every student will have a chance to share.  When your child is chosen, you will receive a letter with information and a poster for your child to fill out.  My hope is for everyone to have their own special time to share a little bit about themselves.

*Over the next couple of weeks, students will begin to bring reading books home with them a couple of times a week.  These books are books we have read in reading group at least 2 times.  The books should be fairly simple for students to read as they've had multiple opportunities to read them in class before bringing them home.  Sometimes when reading longer books, I'll put a "Stop Here" sticky note in the book.  Please only read up until the sticky note.  Reading beyond will make it so we cannot make predictions or ask questions before reading on in class.  When your child does bring a book home, please have them read it to you, sign off on the log sheet that they've read it and return the book the next day.  Often times we will use the book the next day to begin our reading group with a familiar book.

*On Thursday, we will welcome author, Renata Bowers, to our school.  She will meet with all of our grade levels individually to discuss her "Freida B" books.  We will begin to familiarize ourselves with her books tomorrow during Read Aloud.

*I'm currently working on our volunteer and mystery reader schedules.  Thank you for your patience as I get this paperwork taken care of!

Curriculum Night

Mrs. Carvalho and I look forward to welcoming parents to Curriculum Night this Tuesday, September 19th from

 7-7:45pm.  Please note, this event is for parents and caregivers only.

Best, Mrs. Conway

Update August 28th

Hello, Mrs. Carvalho can now be reached at dcarvalho@westfordk12.us.

Update August 2017

As the new school year approaches, I'm looking forward to meeting you all when I return from my maternity leave at the end of October.  Your teacher, Mrs. Carvalho, is looking forward to meeting you on the first day of school.  You are so lucky to have two first grade teachers this year!

When students had Move-Up day at the end of last year, they were introduced to my family and me via video.  Here's the video I made with my daughters Arya (age 2.5) and Kit (now 9 weeks, but only 1 week old in this video!)

Please let me know if you have questions.  I do check my email often.  

Carrie Conway

cconway@westfordk12.us

Update June 11th

Our Schedule of End of Year Important Dates!!

Tuesday, June 13th- Robinson Spirit Day!  Wear your Robinson T-Shirt or Red today to celebrate our school.  We will also see the 5th Grade Chorus from Crisafulli today.   Please send in $2 for last day pizza by today!

Wednesday, June 14th- Red, White & Blue Day- Dress in red, white and blue.  We'll learn about the American Flag today.

Thursday, June 15th- Movie Day- Bring an extra snack to school for the movie!  We'll see the 5th Grade Strings Concert this morning.

Friday, June 16th-Art Day.  We'll do a number of fun arts projects throughout the day.  The McAullife-Shepard Discovery Museum will bring their Skydome Planetarium display to our gymnasium today.  Students will explore the constellations. 

Monday, June 19th- Game Day- Bring a favorite board game or card game from home.  Please label with your name.  No electronic games, please!

Tuesday, June 20th- Book & Blanket Day- Bring a towel or blanket and your favorite book to school.  Please also wear sunscreen.  We will have Move Up Day in the afternoon.  Students will meet their 2nd grade teachers and classmates.

Wednesday, June 21st- Pizza Party at 11:00am.  Please send in a drink with your child.  This day is a 12:20pm Early Release.  Please send a note if there is a change in dismissal.

Enjoy your summer with friends and family!

Update June 4th

*Since Spelling lists are finished, we will begin to review the words on the 3rd list of Power Words.  These are the trickiest for kids to learn and remember.  We'll spend time during whiteboard spelling to review.  

*In Math, we are finishing up math journals pages and working on playing games the students have learned throughout the school year.

*In Writing, we will begin reviewing narrative writing topics covered earlier in the year.  This week, we will review when uppercase letters should be used, using inside and outside voice in writing and using transition words.

*In Social Studies, we will begin our final unit on American Symbols.  This week, our focus will be on the Bald Eagle and Liberty Bell.

Update May 28th

*No School on Monday, May 29th- Memorial Day

*This Wednesday, May 31st is Field Day (rain date June 1st.)  Students will be outside for long period of time today.   Please put sunscreen on before coming to school.   They may bring sunscreen and bug spray into school-labeled with their name to reapply if needed.  I would recommend sending students in with a hat and/or sunglasses.  Every student should bring a reusable water bottle with their name on it to school for Field Day.

*This Friday will be my last day of school before maternity leave.  That is, if I haven't left yet (I wrote this blog last week!)  I have loved having your children in my class this year.  They have all grown in many areas: academically and socially throughout the school year. Thank you for sharing a piece of them with me this year.  Mary McCabe will take over for the remainder of the school year.  She can be reached via email at mmccabe@westfordk12.us.  

*On Friday, students will enjoy a School Wide Dance Party.  This dance party is to celebrate the great success of our Race for Education Fundraiser from the beginning of the school year.

*During Science, students will have the opportunity to explore more information about the Sun, Moon and Stars.  They will explore books and share interesting information with their classmates.

*In Math, students will construct 3D Shapes and spend time working on their number scrolls and math journals.

*We will begin reading books by Leo Lionni.  Leo Lionni writes children's books about friendship skills.

Update May 21st

*The students will be working hard this week to prepare for our Excellence Fair on Friday at 2:15pm.  They are very proud of the work they picked out to highlight their strengths in first grade.  When you come into the classroom on Friday, I'll ask that you visit with your own child and view their work.  Also, I'll leave sticky notes and pens on the reading table so you and your child can view other student's work and leave them "notes" of praise.  If you or another adult are not able to come on Friday, please send me an email ahead of time.  We look forward to seeing you then!

*On Monday, we will have a short assembly about water safety put on by the Goldfish Swim School.  

*Tuesday is our last School Store of the school year.  I recommend sending no more than $1-$2.

*On Friday, we will have a Memorial Day Assembly at 9:30.  We are extending a welcome to any heroes of the military, police or fire  to join us for this assembly.  Friday will also be a USA Spirit Day at Robinson.  Students may dress in patriotic clothing (red, white, blue.)

*Excellence Fair at 2:15pm on Friday!

*We will have another busy week at school (thankfully cooler than last week!)  Please remember to send water bottles into school with students.  It can get very hot in our classrooms and we take frequent water breaks.  Students are able to refill water bottles in the classroom using the faucet or in the cafeteria using our water filling station.  

*Over the next week, we will be finishing up big concepts and assessing student's knowledge in different areas.  Take a peek at last week's blog to see more information about what the class will be engaged in after this week.  There is still plenty of work for them to do!

*We will finish our last math lesson on Monday.  This lesson is about equal shares.  The remainder of the week in math will be spent on assessing student's math knowledge on the End of Year Math Assessment.  This assessment is quite lengthy, however I expect the students will be very successful in sharing their math knowledge.  Due to the length of the assessment, we will take three days to administer it, so students are not feeling too much stress over it.

*We'll finish our study of the Sun, Moon and Stars by learning about Stars this week!  We will go on a stargazing trip in class.

*Most students have finished up their Non-Fiction Books and are so proud of their work.  Everyone will have time to finish up this week.

*This is our last week for weekly spelling words.  Students will have their last spelling check-in on Friday!

Looking Ahead:

Monday, May 29th- No School

Wednesday- May 31st- Field Day

Friday, June 2nd- Mrs. Conway's Last Day

Update May 13th

Happy Mother's Day!  I hope everyone enjoys their mother's day tomorrow.  Thank you for all you do to make your children successful in life, school and friendships.

*This Monday and Tuesday we will have early lunch at 11:05 to accommodate the 2nd graders presentation of "Day in Ghana."   We will have snack in the afternoon.

*This Thursday, May 18th is a 12:20pm Early Release.  We will have snack at school, but not lunch.  Please send a note if there is a change in dismissal.

*We will be busy over the next two weeks finishing Non-Fiction Writing (pond animals) and preparing for the Excellence Fair.  Please remember that the excellence fair is Friday, May 26th at 2:15pm.  We do ask that you make arrangements for siblings for this event so that your first grader can be the Star for the day.  If you (or someone else) is unable to attend the Excellence Fair, please send me an email at cconway@westfordk12.us so I can arrange for an adult from Robinson to come into class that afternoon.  An invitation with more details will go home Monday.

*We will complete Unit 9 of Everyday Math this week.  Our focus this week will be on reviewing 2-digit addition and subtraction, place value and 3D Shapes.  Starting next week we'll begin our End of Year Math Assessment.  

*For the final time this year, students will write the 100 Power Words that we've been working on in spelling all week.  I'm excited to see the growth students have made during this school year!  We will write the 100 words over the course of 3 days this week.

*In Science, our focus this week is on the moon: how the moon rises and the phases of the moon.

*Last week a note from Mr. LaCoste went home about the end of the school year.  My last day before maternity leave in Friday, June 2nd.  Last week students were introduced to Mary McCabe, who will fill in for the last 13 days of school.  Mrs. McCabe works in the 2nd grade as a teaching assistant and is excited about working with your children for the end of the year.  Most concepts, lessons, skills and assessments will be completed before I leave on June 2nd, in order for me to complete grades before I leave.  The students will be engaged in a number of learning opportunities and experiences after I leave including:

*Daily 5 each day- with some still working in reading groups

*Math Centers each day- including math games, Dreambox, finishing up math journals and number scrolls.

*Social Studies- American Symbols.  Students will be learn about five American Symbols (Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, American Flag, Bald Eagle and the White House.)  They will complete fun projects for each American symbol.

*Writing- reviewing narrative writing skills.

*Handwriting- working on review pages.

*First Grade Spirit Days-more details coming!

Looking Ahead:

Thursday, May 18th- 12:20pm Early Release

Tuesday, May 23rd- School Store (last of the year)

Friday, May 26th- Excellence Fair 2:15pm

Monday, May 29th- No School (Memorial Day)

Wednesday, May 31st- Field Day

Wednesday, June 21st- 12:20 Early Release- Last Day of School

Update May 8th

*Thank you for coming into school on Friday to see our first grade play.  I was so proud of all of the students work-everyone sounded great!

*Two weeks ago, we began a pom pom jar in our classroom.  Students and the class as a whole earned pom poms for showing 2nd grade behavior.  We quickly filled up the pom pom jar and the students were able to vote on a class reward.  This Tuesday, May 9th, students may bring in a stuffed animal from home to spend the day at school.  Please only send one stuffed animal.  I have extra stuffed animals at school if anyone forgets one on Tuesday.  I will also send a reminder home on Monday.

*On Wednesday, teachers will be participating in placing students in their classes for next school year.  To accommodate the time needed for these meetings, our recess/lunch schedule has changed for the day.  We will have lunch at 11:05 (typically we eat at 12:45.)  Therefore, we will have snack in the afternoon instead of the morning.

*On Friday, students will walk to Crisafulli for our last meeting of the year with our 4th Grade Book Buddies.  Students will read books and spend some time playing together on the playground.  Please dress students for the weather.

*If you haven't come in to be a Mystery Reader this year and would like to read a book to the class, please send me an email at cconway@westfordk12.us.  We can set up a time within the next few weeks to have you come in to read!

*In Science, we will continue our discussion of the number of hours of daylight throughout the year.  We'll also discuss "where is the moon in the sky."  Students will learn about the moon’s path across the sky in one night and observe a calendar to show the moon’s shape at different times of the month. 

*In Math, our focus will be on addition and subtraction including 2 digit addition and adding 3 numbers together.

Update April 30th

*We have a very busy week coming up with our First Grade Play happening.  Students will be performing their show "America: Of Thee We Sing" on Wednesday to the school community and on Friday at 2pm for parents and families.  Please dress your child in patriotic colors (red, white and/or blue) on both Wednesday and Friday.  Their outfit does not need to be the same for both days.  We're excited to see you all on Friday.  When looking for a seat for the show, we are positioned right in the middle of the stage, so any seat should be a great seat!

*In Math this week, we will finish up Unit 8 and begin Unit 9 (Unit 9 is our last unit.)  Unit 9 is a review unit of concepts we have been working on all year.  

*In Science, we will learn about the placement of the sun in the sky and long the sun is in the sky during different times of the year.

Looking Ahead:

Friday, May 12th- Robifulli Fun Fest at Crisafulli

Thursday, May 18th- 12:20pm Early Release

Friday, May 26th- 2:15pm Excellence Fair

Monday, May 29th- No School: Memorial Day

Wednesday, May 31st- Field Day

Friday, June 2nd- My last day before maternity leave

Update April 23rd

Happy Sunday!! I hope you all found time to enjoy the nice weather and had some time off with friends and family.  We had a busy week going to the Stone Zoo, meeting Belle from Beauty and the Beast,  exploring Bass Pro Shop and meeting Peppa Pig.

*We will have a busy week back to school this week.  We begin rehearsing for our first grade play with the rest of the first and pre-1st classes.  Please remember to put Friday, May 5th at 2:00pm on your calendar for our production of "American: Of Thee We Sing."

*This Tuesday, April 26th is School Store for first grade.  We will also welcome Mrs. Kane to our class to read the final CARE to Read book of this school year, The Chicken and the Tree.

In Math, we will focus on telling time to the half hour, data collection and number grids.  We will also continue to work on naming coins, their values and counting collections of coins.

*In Science, our focus will be on the sun and how it moves across the sky. Students will build a house and decide where to put windows in order for their house to have the most sunlight throughout the day.

*Students are making great progress on their Pond Animal research books.  We will continue creating these books over the next several weeks.

*If you would like to contribute to our raffle basket for the Robinson/Crisafulli Family Fest, please send in donations by Monday, May 1st.  Our theme for our basket is "Stuffed Animals."

Dates for Your Calendar:
Friday, May 5th @ 2:00pm- First Grade Play

Friday, May 12th @ 5-7:30pm- Robinson and Crisafulli School PTO Family Fest @ Crisafulli

Friday, May 26th at 2:15pm- Excellence Fair

April 7, 2017

*This Friday, is a Beach Day spirit day.  Students are invited to wear Hawaiian shirts, shorts (if the weather cooperates which it looks like it will,) sunglasses, hats.  No bathing suits.

*This Friday, we will enjoy a Skydome Presentation to learn about our sky and universe.  This will introduce us to our new Science unit called "Sky Patterns."  To learn more about the skydome visit, http://www.mobileedproductions.com/sky-dome-portable-planetarium-school-assemblies.  This assembly is put on my donations collected for the PTO.  Your donations for the Race for Education at the beginning of the year helped fund this program and programs like it.

*This Friday, it an 12:20pm Early Release.  We will not have lunch at school.  We will have snack together in the morning.

*In Math, we will work on fractions and 2-D and 3-D shapes.  We will also begin our unit on coins.  The coins unit is a supplemental math unit to address Massachusetts Math Frameworks.  We will work on coins on Fridays during math centers.

*This past week, we went to the Library to gather research information on our pond animals.  We will use the notes students prepared to begin writing our informational books.

*We are finishing up our Social Studies unit on Maps & Globes.  Students did fabulous map drawings of their desks using Bird's Eye View.  We began calling ourselves mapmakers or cartographers (if you're a fancy mapmaker.)


Looking Ahead:

April 17-21st- No School, Spring Vacation

Dates for Your Calendar:
Friday, May 5th @ 2:00pm- First Grade Play

Friday, May 12th @ 5-7:30pm-**Updated Time** Robinson and Crisafulli School PTO Family Fest @ Crisafulli

Friday, May 26th at 2:15pm- Excellence Fair

Update March 31st

Thank you for coming in to meet with me this week to discuss your child's progress in first grade.  I've been impressed with the excellent work students are doing to meet term and end-of-year benchmarks.

*Please see the flyer going home today asking for donations of toys, blankets, towels and pet food for the Lowell Humane Society.  The 2nd grade students are working to collect supplies and bring them to the Humane Society over vacation week.

*This Wednesday, April 5th is a 12:20pm Early Release. We won't have lunch at school but we will have snack in the morning.

*This Friday, April 7th, we will travel to Crisafulli to see our 4th grade Book Buddies.  Please dress students for the weather as we will walk the trail to Crisafulli.

*In Math, we will finish up Unit 7 of Everyday Math.  We will begin Unit 8.  Our focus this week will be on building shapes and learning about halves.

*In Writing, we will begin work on our informational pond animal research.   Students will learn to take notes that they'll use later to write informational sentences.

*In Social Studies, we will learn about bird's eye view and locate capital cities (Washington D.C. and Boston.)

Looking Ahead:

Friday, April 14th- 12:20pm Early Release

April 17-21st- No School, Spring Vacation

Friday, May 5th- The first graders will be performing their play called "America: Of Thee We Sing" at 1:45pm for parents and families.  Please mark this date of your calendar now.

Friday, May 26th at 2:15pm- Our class is inviting you to join us for our Excellence Fair.  Students will pick out pieces of work they are proud of to share with parents.  This is a great time to see all of the hard work students have put into first grade.  Please mark your calendar for this exciting event!

Update March 26th

We have a very busy week coming up with many changes to our schedule.

Monday:

No Changes

Tuesday:

First Grade School Store- Less than $2 is enough money to spend at School Store. Please label money for "School Store."

11-12:30 Living Lab

We're traveling to the Day School for Living Lab.  We will be back in time for our regular lunch time.  Please dress students for the weather.  We may be outside for part of our time at Living Lab.

Book Fair- Students will visit the Book Fair during Library class in the afternoon.  They can either bring cash or a check made out to Robinson School.  If you send a check, please put an amount not to exceed in the notes section.  If students do not bring money, they can create a "wishlist" for you to shop during conferences.  Please label money/check for "Book Fair."

Wednesday:

2 Hour Delay- school begins at 11:00am

8:15-10:45 Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Thursday:

No School

2-8pm Parent/Teacher Conferences

Friday:

No Changes

*Student Progress Reports are available to be viewed on the iParent iPortal.  I will also have hard copies of progress reports at conferences. 

*In Math, we will continue using function machines to help solve addition patterns.  We will also learn about reading digital clocks.  

*In Handwriting, we are working hard to finish up practicing our lowercase letters.  At this point, all students are transitioning to using lowercase letters most of the time.  I'm expecting students to be using uppercase letters at the beginning of sentences and for proper names at this point.

*In Social Studies, we will learn about map keys and their function.

*My last day before my maternity leave begins will be Friday, June 2nd.  Mr. LaCoste and I will work together to find an appropriate replacement for the final three weeks of school.  My plan is to have the bulk of the lessons and assessments finished before I leave.  I will also complete progress reports for third trimester before my leave begins.  Thank you for your support during this exciting time for our family.

*Many students shared their "My Famous Person" project at school last week.  We will continue to present this week.  If your child hasn't sent in their project, please send it in as soon as possible.  This is my favorite project at first grade because I love to learn about the most important people in my first graders lives.

Looking Ahead:
Wednesday, April 5th- 12:20pm Early Release
Friday, April 14th- 12:20pm Early Release
April 17-21- No School- Spring Vacation

Update March 18th

**Donations of empty paper towel rolls are needed for math!  Thank you.**

*Please remember to send in "My Famous Person" projects to school any day this week. We will begin to present on Monday and will hopefully get through everyone's project by the end of this week or beginning of next.

*In Social Studies, we will begin our study of Maps & Globes.  Students will learn about the difference between a map and globe.  We will also study cardinal directions, compasses and map keys.

*In Math, our focus will be on shapes and their attributes (color, shape, size, thickness.)  

*We will begin our Informational Writing unit this week.  Students will choose a pond animal to learn about and write a non-fiction book about.  This writing project will take the next several weeks.  

*Last week, EVERYONE got a sticker on their Spelling Check-In.  This means that EVERYONE remembered to put an uppercase letter at the beginning of their sentences and punctuation at the end.  Way to go!

*You will gain access to iParent iPortal on Friday at 4pm to view student grades.

Looking Ahead:

Tuesday, March 28th- School Store

Tuesday, March 28th- Field Trip to the Living Lab at the Day School 11-12:30pm

Wednesday, March 29th- 2 Hour Delay- Conferences in the morning.

Thursday, March 30th- No School- Conferences 2-8pm

Wednesday, April 5th- 12:20pm Early Dismissal

Update March 12th

Good Afternoon!  With the impending snowstorm, many of the items we were planning to work on this week, may be moved to next week.   These are my hopes for this week!

*On Thursday, we have a 12:20pm Early Release.  Students will not be eating lunch at school.  As usual, we will have snack in the morning.

*Please remember to sign up for Parent/Teacher Conferences online starting this week.  Sign-ups will begin on Monday, March 13th at 3:30pm and be open until March 20th.  The sign-up link will be posted on the Robinson website Monday afternoon.

*Last week, began Unit 7 in Math.  Our focus will be on Fact Families.  A fact family is made up of two addition facts and two addition facts.  For example:

2+3=5

3+2=5

5-2=3

5-3=2

We will also begin to work on key math vocabulary the class needs more practice with:

*sum

*doubles facts

*turn around facts

*difference

*number model

*addition

*subtraction

You will notice Fact Triangles going home as homework this week.  Tomorrow you will receive an explanation sheet on how to use Fact Triangles to build fact families.  Please use these Fact Triangles at home to build student's fact family fluency.  They do not have to return these triangles to school.  We have sets we will use in class.

*In Spelling, we will work on words with -ir- in the middle.  We will also review the words "said" and "what."  Finally, this week students will learn my song to teach the power word "BECAUSE."  Ask them to teach you this song on Monday night!

*I hope to finish our unit on Famous Americans this week.  We will learn about Ruby Bridges.  On Friday, I sent home the "My Famous Person" project for students to complete.  These projects are due back to school any day the week of March 20th.  Just a reminder, the person chosen should NOT be a famous person.  Rather the person should be someone your child knows that possesses the same qualities or character traits of the famous Americans we learned about in school.

*Many students are coming home with chapter books at this point in the year. Often, I only give one or two chapters to read each night.  Sometimes, the students have to answer a question or add information to a sticky note if included in the assignment.  It's important that students only read the assigned pages or chapters.  This will give us opportunities in our reading group to make predictions without some students knowing what will happen next.  Also, it's important that students return their books the next day. I'd rather them return their books and be able to participate in our group even if they didn't have a chance to read the night before.  I don't always have an extra book to share if someone forgets their book.  Thank you!

*Thank you to all parents that have sent in donations of materials we need in our classroom.  We will no longer be accepting donations of Clorox Wipes.  The district is in the process of ordering us cleaning supplies that are better suited for the kiddos to use.  We will use our supply of Clorox Wipes through the end of the year, but they will handled by adults only.

Update March 5th

*On Wednesday, we will have our Alice School Safety Drill in the morning.  Leading up to Wednesday, we will be reading I'm Not Scared, I'm Prepared to prepare students for the different drills we will practice.

*On Friday, we will welcome our 4th grade Book Buddies to our classroom to read books.

*This Friday, is when grades will close for 2nd Trimester.  Letters will be coming home early this week will information on signing up for conferences and before school care for March 29th.

*In Math, we will finish up Unit 6 with our math assessment.  We will begin Unit 7 at the end of the week.  

*We will send home our regular spelling list this week.  In addition, the class will be working throughout the week to write the 100 high frequency words for first grade.

*In Social Studies, we will learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson.

Looking Ahead:

Thursday, March 16th- 12:20pm Early Release

Wednesday, March 29th- 2 Hour Delay (Parent Teacher Conferences in A.M.)

Thursday, March 30th- No School (Parent Teacher Conferences 2-8pm)

Update February 27th

Good Morning! I hope you all enjoyed some time with your families last week. We're back in full swing at school working on finishing up Trimester 2 of learning and growing.

*This Tuesday, February 28th is School Store.   Students will have the opportunity to shop for school supplies in the morning at school store.  I recommend sending in no more than $2 for shopping.

*We are looking for donations of empty paper towel rolls.  We will use these rolls to create number scrolls for math.

*In Math, we will work on understanding equivalence and place value.

*In Social Studies, we will learn about famous Americans, Martin Luther King Jr. and Neil Armstrong.

*In Writing, our focus will be on writing an opinion letter to someone.  We will also read the story, "Click, Clack, Moo" and learn about writing an opinion letter to change someone's mind.

*Students have been doing a wonderful job sharing their Star of the Week posters each Friday.  They've all enjoyed sharing a piece of who they are with their classmates.  We will continue Star of the Week until everyone has had a chance to share.  This week, we will start Friday Poet.  Students will be introduced to Poet, Jack Prelutsky.  Prelutsky is known for writing silly, children's poetry.  Students will have the opportunity to explore Jack Prelutsky poems and share their favorites with their friends in class.  We will choose two Friday Poets each week.

Looking Ahead:

Thursday, March 16th- 12:20pm Early Release

Wednesday, March 29th- 2 Hour Delay (Parent Teacher Conferences in A.M.)

Thursday, March 30th- No School (Parent Teacher Conferences 2-8pm)

Update February 13th

*On Tuesday, we will celebrate Valentine's Day with a party.  Thank you again to Ruthanne Madsen for organizing the parties this year.  We all appreciate everything you do (especially the kiddos!)  Please remember to send in Valentines for students to pass out.

*On Friday, we will meet at an all-school community for Community Meeting.  Friday is also a spirit day.  We will show our school spirit with a CRAZY HAT DAY.

*In Math, we will learn about near doubles facts.  For example, 5+6= can be solved by knowing 5+5 or 6+6.  We will continue to solve subtraction facts and making groups of 10.

*In Social Studies, we will learn about the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart.

Update February 3rd

*I sent a Google Doc with the names of students in our class.  Please use this list to make Valentine's for our classmates.  If you cannot access this Google Doc, please email me.

*Last week, Mrs. Grimm shared a great video with us with a new trick to tie shoes.  We have been practicing in school.  Please take a peek at the video if your child continues to need help.  

*This week, we welcome Unnati to our classroom. The students have been incredibly welcoming and helpful with teaching her how we do things at Robinson.  Many I-Care Coupons have been given out and the whole class earned an extra-long extra recess on Wednesday!  I am so proud!

*On Wednesday, February 8th, we have a 12:20pm Early Release.  Please let me know if there are any changes to your child's dismissal plans.  Wednesday is also our 100th day of school.  We will be doing activities throughout the day to celebrate 100 days!

*In Math, we will begin Unit 6.  Students are ready to get back into "learning" math.  We have done a lot of assessing in math over the past 2 weeks, so I know everyone is happy to get back into a math routine.  This week we will focus on telling time to the hour and solving 2-digit number stories.

*In Social Studies, we will learn about the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart.  The students are beginning to notice a common character trait amongst our famous Americans, bravery!

Update January 29th

*On Monday, we will welcome a new student to our classroom.  I'm excited to welcome her in and I know the students will be welcoming, inviting and a great help!

*On Tuesday, we will have School Store for first grade.  The students will have time to shop at School Store in the morning. Please remember that $2.00 is more than enough for students to spend.

*On Friday, we will have Patriot's Spirit Day to cheer on our New England Patriots.  Students are encouraged to wear red, white and blue or Patriots clothing.

*On Friday, we will walk up the Robifulli trail to the Crisafulli School to meet with our 4th grade Book Buddies.  We always look forward to seeing our book buddies and reading with them.  Please dress students for the weather.

*In Math, we will finish up the Unit 5 Assessment and the Mid-Year Math Assessment.  The assessments that students completed last week showed great growth in math concepts.  We will also play math games and finish up math journal pages.

*In Writing, we will continue to talk about facts and opinions.  Students will write about their favorite fruit and provide reasons for why they think their fruit is the best.

*In Social Studies, we will learn about Abraham Lincoln and Clara Barton.