This week weather permitting we will work in our Sun and Shadow journal.  The students are writing about why and how shadows are made, also drawing and comparing them at different times of the day.  Along with that, we are finishing up heat energy and learning vocabulary such as friction, radiation, conductors, and heat insulators.   Our next unit is sound energy where we will learn about vibrations, and how sound travels.

We are sending home a letter explaining our Everyday Math first grade curriculum in the Monday folders.  We will occasionally be sending home letters of this sort, so you will be able to learn some vocabulary and keep you informed on what we're doing in the classroom.

For homework please have your child collect examples of numbers.  They can write numbers that are important to them too.  We will have them share the paper in class. Thank you for your support.

Last week we took a pre-assessment of first grade Everyday Math. This assessment will help guide instruction, and show growth at the end of the year.  Next week we'll introduce our first grade curriculum. The Friends are getting excited about this, and about having a workbook, and tool kit. This week we'll work on measurement skills, including volume, area, and length.  The Friends drew a map of their bedroom and shared it a group time. The maps turned out cute, so we're saving them for their portfolios.  Because of the short week, no homework!!  Enjoy your long weekend.

This month we will investigate three forms of energy, heat, light and sound.  We will discover energy can move and change things, and that energy exists in different forms. With many of the activities the class will practice skills such as observation, prediction, comparison, critical thinking, and analysis.

I feel so loved, blessed and fortunate by all your Holiday well wishes, gifts, and cards.  You are all so wonderful and have the best children to show for it. Mrs. Morelli and I are always saying how terrific our class and parents are, and we appreciate it so much!!

Special thanks to Pam Davis and everyone who helped make our Holiday party so fun.  You all make it seem effortless, and I know it's not.  Everyone had a super time.  I hope all your dreams come true in 2008!!

We will have our Winter Party on Friday, Dec. 21 after lunch.  We invite all the morning Friends to please bring a lunch, so we can all eat in our room and have a fun party.  The party is well palnned, and we will have crafts, games, and holiday foods.  The Friends will all need a sack lunch then so we can eat in our room together. Thanks for helping and making our parties possible.

Dear Parents,   Mrs. Morelli has given me the most wonderful gift.., a ticket to go visit my mother back in Wisconsin. She is ill, and I'm so fortunate to be able to visit her for the Holidays. I will be out all week, and Mrs. Lori Bender will be in for me. The Friends know and enjoy her very much. I'm not giving homework this week because of my absence. I will miss everyone, and wish you all a great week!!!

The class has been organizing a class play on our Solor System. They are dressing up as planets, and other space objects. They have organized this pretty much on their own for Theme.  We are going to have our first performance, complete with sound effects Friday afternoon. Please ask your student how and what they did to help with the play. You can ask them what they learned about space, and liked the best about this unit.

Kindergarten is having the museum come to us to deliver a presentation on space and the moon, on Tuesday the 27th in the morning.

We are making a Native American village in our classroom. The Friends have made teepees, rivers, mountains, canoes and have made vests for themselves. We are enjoying ourselves while we learn about life during these times.