Dear Families,
Happy December! What a
wonderful experience Grandparents and Special Guests Day was. It was amazing to
watch the pride each student had while sharing their classroom, reading from
book boxes, sharing their published books, making turkeys and modeling a
morning meeting. Thank you for your participation – we hope our special guests enjoyed the day as much
as we did.
December is a busy month. One
of the ways we work to slow things down is by gathering together with other first
and second graders for Advent. Beginning
December 1st, we will start our day with all first and second graders singing
and praying together. Occasionally, we will have a guest speaker. It’s a great
way to start the morning calmly and remember the meaning of the holiday season.
Social Studies
We acknowledge and value the many traditions
families have to celebrate the holidays. During social studies this month, we
will learn about traditions and celebrations from around the world and
specifically those important to families in our class.
Reading
It has been wonderful
watching how excited our class is about reading! At our recent reading
celebration, the room was full of energy as readers shared stories with their
stuffed animals. We are very happy with the progress they are making.
Writing
Writer’s Workshop
continues to be an active and exciting time in our classroom. We are finishing
up our “How To” unit – be watchful for our new published work.
Math
Math is going well. Being
a math helper is a great way to practice speaking in front of a group and to be
in a leadership role.
Candy Houses
A very special tradition
for First Grade is to make candy houses. We will be collecting milk cartons at
lunch and transforming them into a beautiful village, which will be on display
until the evening of our Holiday Music Program. After that, all are welcome to
take their creative candy masterpiece home for display. We will be creating our
candy houses on Friday December 8th. Bob Miles in the kitchen will
provide us with all of the necessary ingredients.
Winter Clothing
Winter is definitely here
and we have been enjoying outdoor recess every day. We expect all students to
have snow pants, boots, a jacket, hat, mittens and gloves. Our first grade
expectation is that students will wear boots to and from school during the
winter season. Please label all of these items with your child's name (first
and last).
Christmas Program
The children are excitedly
preparing for the Christmas Program, which is scheduled for Thursday, December
14th at 6:30 (They may arrive in our classroom between 6:00 and
6:15). Children should wear dress-up
clothes. Following the performance, students will return to their classroom
where parents meet them.
The last day of school
before the Winter Break will be a time to relax and be with friends in a more
reflective tone. Students will be allowed to wear casual clothes and bring a
stuffed animal to snuggle with and read to. We will be cleaning out lockers and
sending winter clothes home for washing. After all of this, everyone will be
ready to re-group their energy for all the family fun during the final weeks in
December and… January we hit the ground running, again!
Dates to Remember:
·
Friday
December 8th – Holiday Party – Candy Houses
·
Monday
December 18th – Hanukkah Party
·
Thursday
December 14th 6:30 –
Holiday Program
·
Tuesday
December 19th – Last day of
school before Holiday break – free dress day
·
Winter
Break: December 20th –
January 2nd .
·
School resumes
Wednesday January 3rd .
Best wishes to you and
your family for a joyous, loving holiday.
Sincerely,
Marie Murphy and Carly Skates
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