The Dolphin Dispatch
News from Room 7
August 12, 2016
Another successful week in first grade! Overall, we have been showing appropriate behaviors throughout the day in a variety of settings. We have received many compliments and are on our way to a full jar of seashells and a Read-a-Thon! Most students are doing a great job of showing respect, responsibility, and cooperation throughout the school day. However, please remind your child that appropriate behaviors at school are essential for promoting learning. Thank you for your support with this!
We have a new student in Room 7! Manny Manatee joined us on Friday and he will be spending the year withus. Be on the lookout for Manny when he comes home with your child in his bag¸ complete with histravel journal.
In reading, we continued whole group phonics and phonemic awareness actities. We have been working on isolating beginning, middle, and ending phonemes in CVC words (/c/a/t/). We’ve also been busy blending words with “short a” and practicing some first grade high frequency words. Mercy Watson, the “porcine wonder,” has become a favorite reading series in Room 7. We are using these books to create a variety of thinking maps to help us with our comprehension. We completed a Circle Map for the character of Mercy Watson, as well as a Double Bubble to help us compare and contrast the characters of Eugenia and Baby Lincoln. Next week we will continue work with short a words.
Our listening and speaking activities using the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) program have us listening to and talking about Fables. We are learning that fables are typically short, fiction stories that teach a lesson. We are learning vocabulary words like pranked, greedy, and budged.
Informal reading assessments are underway. DIBELS has been completed and we have received the information. Once informal reading assessments are done, we can begin forming reading groups within the classroom and the K3 intervention reading program. We will also be very busy next week learning how to rotate through literacy centers with minimal help. It takes us a few weeks to learn what the center icons mean (and there are several!), where to find each center in the classroom, and what to do at each center. We need to be independent in order for centers to “work” so that Mrs. Hartung can begin reading groups. It’s also very important we learn appropriate center behaviors. It typically takes about 3 weeks to complete “center boot camp.” Then we’ll get our reading groups going. This training is crucial to the success of your child gaining the skills needed to function as an independent learner, and as a member of a cooperative group!
In math this week, we have explored counting and number order through math games called Collect 20, Plus 1 Minus 1 Bingo, and Compare. We are also working through story problems every day and sharing our strategies. It is amazing how inventive kiddos are in solving problems! Next week we will be adding two numbers to 12 through the games of Double Compare and Five-in-a-Row, and continue counting and ordering numbers.
We had our first full library time with Miss Hellinghausen (Miss H) on Tuesday. We were shown where different types of books can be found, and how to check out books. We will be going to the library as a whole group every Tuesday morning.
In the Fish Folder you will find a Scholastic SeeSaw Order form for book orders. These reasonably priced books are a great way to build your home library. If you would like to place an order, please return the order form in the Fish Folder on Monday with a check payable to Scholastic, Inc.
There has been no homework given so far. If any work comes home now, it is unfinished class work. The September Homework Calendars will come home in the Fish Folder on Friday, August 26th.
Thank you to everyone who signed up to be a volunteer. We are always in need of volunteers for Art Masterpiece, P.E. events such as the Turkey Trot and Field Day, PTO sponsored activities, the Estrella Library, and the Estrella workroom.
Beginning next week, the Dolphin Dispatch will be online only. Access the newsletter through
It was a pleasure to see you on Curriculum Night. There was a lot of information to tell you in a short amount of time so please read the Curriculum Packet I passed out, or check out the Kyrene School District website under the heading of Curriculum. If you were not able to attend my presentation, there is a packet in the Fish Folder for you.Thank you for your generous donations and support for Room 7! Have a great weekend!
Important Reminders
Scholastic Book Orders due on Monday, August 15th
No school on Monday, September 5th, Labor Day
We’re sailing into the third week of 1st grade!