Week of November 28th – December 2nd

Here’s a peek at next week!

Phonics Family Words: snack, street, throat, shin, strong, poles, sprain, north, bright, shine

Phonics: Review from past weeks
Reading: Daily 5 implementation with emphasis on asking and answering questions about details in texts (compare/contrast). We will be reading gingerbread stories and applying reading comprehension strategies (looking at non-fiction texts and identifying text features). We will also discuss and identify story elements.
L.Arts: Fix it up: Sentence correction (capitalization, punctuation, does my sentence make sense, plural/possessive noun, personal pronouns) How can I use a dictionary and or thesaurus?
Writing Workshop: Finishing up teaching booklets about things we are 'experts' at. We teach with our pictures by adding details, labels, and words.
Math: Constructing graphs and analyzing their data based upon artificial data. Asking and answering questions about what data the graph represents. Review adding and subtracting strategies.
Social Studies: Who was Harriet Tubman? What did she have to do with the Underground Railroad? Who was George Washington Carver? Why do we study him? What did Theodore Roosevelt do for the United States?
Positive Discipline: How can I show kindness? How can I stay in the Green Zone? (6 Sides of Breathing, Lazy 8 Breathing, Calming Sequence)

 Homework 

1. Study Phonics Family Words! 

2. Reading Passage: Identify Main Idea and Supporting Details

3. Math Sheet

4. Do a random act of kindness for someone!

5. READ!

MAP TESTS

We will be taking the Reading MAP test on Wednesday, November 30th at 9:30AM.  We hope to see the students' scores improve from when we took the MAP in August.

***Please make sure your child comes to school well-rested. A healthy breakfast also helps!

We will take the Math MAP test on Wednesday, December 7^th at 9:30AM.

Volunteer Training

Mrs. Wages is facilitating a volunteer training on Friday, December 2^nd at 9AM. This is the last chance to get your training in to be able to attend/volunteer at your child’s Christmas party.

We Need Your Help!

In keeping with our service learning project of healthcare, first grade is putting contribution in action and collecting items to put chemo care packages together starting the week after Thanksgiving and ending December 16^th. We are in need of the following items: Chap Stick, hand sanitizer, unscented lotion, alcohol free mouthwash, games (Sudoku, adult coloring books, crossword puzzles, adult word searches), hard candy. Thank you for your support!

We are going on a Field Trip!

When: December 2nd 

Where: The Oconee County Civic Center

Who: All of first grade

What: To see the "Nutcracker" performance

Cost: $7 per student (if you have not already paid)

It's Secret Santa Time!

If you would like to help with this year's Secret Santa, please contact Mrs. Porter at 706-769-3232 ext. 1307 or bporter@oconeeschools.org.

You can help by:

·         Purchasing a specific gift or gifts from a child's wish list (anywhere from $10 - $200).

·         Making a financial contribution to Secret Santa.

·         Volunteering your time to organize the Secret Santa boxes and items.

·         Volunteering your time to shop with donated money.

·         Volunteering your time to write follow-up thank you notes.

          

At Rocky Branch, our focus is on finding solutions to our problems. We have been learning some techniques: ignore it, talk it over respectfully with the person, try to agree on a win-win solution, or get help from the teacher. We are working to be problem solvers by using a wheel of choice that we are creating as a class and to share our thoughts with each other during class meetings. We have created bonds by sharing strategies that have worked in the past.

Six Flags Read to Succeed

Your child was sent home with a Six Flags Read to Succeed Student Reading Log. Keep track of your child’s reading with this log to qualify for a free ticket to Six Flags Over Georgia. Students must read and log 6 hours. Reading logs are due to Mrs. Pierce by February 10^th, but may be turned in sooner if at least 6 hours are completed. I will distribute tickets in the spring when they arrive at school. Happy Reading!

Snack Reminders

-Please send a healthy snack {low in sugar} to school with your child every day.

Please send in only one snack.

-Please only send a small water bottle for your child to have with his/her snack (no juice, soft drinks, or sports drinks).

Upcoming Events

Thanksgiving Break – November 21^st-25^th

MAP Reading (Winter) – November 30th

Volunteer Training – December 2^nd

1^st Grade Field Trip – December 2^nd

Watkinsville Christmas Parade – December 3^rd

MAP Math (Winter) – December 7^th

Fifth Grade Performance – December 8^th

End of 2^nd Nine Weeks – December 16^th

Class Parties – December 16^th at 1:30pm

Christmas Break – December 19^th-January 3^rd

Students Back to School – January 4^th

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday!