This Morning first graders shared a favorite piece from our small moment unit. It was joyful to see families and siblings here to celebrate the work we have done with narrative writing. Kids showed checklists from the revision and editing process and many had drafts that demonstrated how their pieces changed over time.

We celebrated reaching our reading goals with lunch in the classroom. Students read at home and logged their work.

In math, we have been working with dominoes in a variety of ways. Students use various strategies to find the sum of two quantities. Some of these strategies include: counting on from the greater amount, using a known math fact or subitizing- which is instant recognition of how many.

During word study, we have been investigating the case of the silent e. We discovered that usually when there is an e at the end of a word it makes the vowel say its long sound. We also found out that there are rule breakers like have and come. Kids hunted for words in their books, found evidence of the silent e rule and recorded their findings on sticky notes.

Last week, we had a special visit from the Westford firefighters. We learned all about fire safety. Does your family have plan? Have you changed the batteries in your detectors? 

During writing workshop, we had the opportunity to connect with the second graders to share our final small moment drafts with each other. It was powerful to have a new audience and we ended our time together with a delicious snack.

During our writing workshop, first graders have been working hard to revise their favorite pieces. We have learned to bring our stories to life by making our characters move, talk and feel.

Another part of the publishing process is working in partnerships. Kids take turns reading their pieces and giving peer feedback to make their stories stronger.

During our word study time, first graders have learned so much about words! We have studied features like short vowels, blends and digraphs. We have reviewed and learned SNAP words (words you want to be able to read and write in an instant!) During our work this week, kids used what they know about SNAP words on our word wall to make new words. 

We are safe, kind and responsible!

What a day! Such growth and perseverance- I think everyone had a beautiful moment to take away from our experience. Thank you families-you are amazing! More pictures on the photo gallery.

During Reading Workshop, first graders have been busy building good habits. We have learned how to take sneak peeks, check our sneak peeks when we have finished reading and to do something at the end of a book. Readers can reread, think about, show and explain their favorite parts and retell what they have read.

Children have been working on sharing their thinking during reading partnerships. This is a powerful and fun way to communicate our learning to others.

Today our wonderful nature volunteers taught us all about the sun, light and shadow. We watched a puppet show, experimented with flashlights to find out if different materials were transparent or opaque. We traced our shadows and revisited them to see how they changed when the sun rose higher into the sky and we also observed the effects of heat on an ice cube. There were a lot of thoughtful observations and connections that students brought to their science work. 

This afternoon we harvested fruits and vegetables from the garden. We taste tested them and collected data about which ones we liked and which ones we didn't. Our learning came full circle when we connected it back to the sun, sunlight, photosynthesis and the food chain!

Yesterday our chrysalis was no longer in the pupa stage! In the morning, we came in to see a beautiful monarch drying her wings. We released her at recess and she flew away quickly.

We still have a caterpillar and we are noticing the changes and growth as it eats more and more milkweed. We have been learning about cycles and how they are everywhere in nature.

This afternoon we walked the trails and enjoyed all the beauty that surrounds us.

We worked on what it looks like, sounds like and feels like to be safe, kind and responsible in our first grade community.