9-16-22

 We started our next First Grade topic of study — insects!  We first made a list of what we already know about insects, and then made a list of insect questions we have.  In our science books, we read that insects have 6 legs and 3 body parts.  Some even have wings! We learned a song to help us remember all of these facts.  To the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, here is our song:

Head, thorax, abdomen, abdomen,

Head, thorax, abdomen, abdomen,

Eyes, antennae, six legs and some have wings,

Head, thorax, abdomen, abdomen!

We tested out our jumping skills after learning that fleas can jump 200 times their height.  None of us could jump quite that high, but we did have some impressive results!

We will start looking for insects outside to catch and observe in our insect jar. 

  We read several insect books including School Bugs and I Love Bugs.  We also spent time one day looking through insect identification books and insect encyclopedias to see just some of the amazing insects who share our world.  And of course we sang our insect song quite a few times!

In math, we focused on our second chapter which is about subtraction.  Along with the variety of strategies we are working on, we learned that another word for the “answer” in a subtraction problem is the “difference”.  We’ve been playing math games too!  Between rounds of Bunny Hop and Penny Plate, we were very busy!

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend Meet the Teachers night!  If you were unable to attend, the handouts are in your first grader’s Take Home Folder.

One quick housekeeping note:  As the weather is starting to get chilly in the mornings and the first graders are starting to bring sweaters, hoodies, and jackets, please take a moment to write your first grader’s name or your last name on the tags.  Many of these sweaters look the same, and being able to identify each one quickly is extremely helpful!

We look forward to welcoming Morah Esther back next week after a recent illness.  We missed you Morah Esther!

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Miss Deena Tanenbaum