Holiday Celebrations...Oh what fun!!!

Gingerbread House Construction

Beginning Stages

Ready to begin!

Ready to begin!

Grinch Day - Making Grinch Grime

Grinch Day - Making Who Pudding

Elf Day

Our Class Giving Tree - Recognizes students in the act of giving

December 2015

December 2015

Reading

Our new reading theme is called "Our Neighborhood at Work". We will be working with the following skills.

• Using text and graphic features, such as photographs, illustrations, captions, and labels
• Story structure (characters, setting, problem, solution)
• Understanding author's purpose

We will be working with the following comprehension skills.

• Sequence of events (first, next, and then, last)
• Cause and effect
• Questioning (who, what, when, where, why, how)

During phonics, we will work on reading and writing syllables (closed syllables and -le syllables).

We will also be reviewing short vowel sounds/spellings, r-controlled vowels (-ar, -or, -er, -ir, -ur) and diagraphs (-sh, -ch, -th, -wh).

Please continue to help your child practice reading sight words with speed and accuracy. Automatic recognition of sight words will help your child become a more fluent reader. 

When reading with your child at home, remember to use these strategies.

• Point to each word as you read (one-to-one correspondence)
• Look for picture clues.
• Get your mouth ready for the first sound (onset).
• Look through the word and attempt to blend the middle and ending sounds.

Math 

We will be working on learning Numbers to 20. 

                                      Concepts include:               

• Counting to 20
• Place value
• Comparing numbers
• Making patterns and ordering numbers

Please continue helping your child memorize addition facts up to ten and fact families. Using flashcards at home is a great way to help children learn their facts. You can also have your child play math fact games on the following free website at http://www.softschools.com/math/games. This will help them improve their speed and accuracy. 

Writing

In our journals we are still working on putting our ideas into sentences that others can read. Students should be spelling high priority words correctly and using transitional spelling that more accurately reflects the word attempted. We will also be working on writing related sentences on a topic. Students should be using upper and lowercase letters, spaces, and punctuation correctly. During the second trimester we will be working on adding more details to stories. 

Social Studies

We will be covering Economics. Concepts include:

• Needs/wants
• Goods/services  
• Money                        

UA's

We now have two more unified arts to add to our schedule. 

• Monday 9:30 - 10:00      HEALTH        11/23 - 1/14
• Wednesday 9:15 - 9:45   GUIDANCE

                    Upcoming events                

12/15 Cawley Holiday Concert at Underhill

12/16 Elf theme

12/16 ALPS Coding day in computer lab

12/18 Reindeer theme

12/21 Grinch theme 

12/22 Gingerbread houses

12/23 PJ's, Breakfast, and Movie

(specific details of each will be coming soon)

Please Note:

Now that the weather is colder, please have your child dress appropriately for the weather. We will go outside when the playground is clear from snow and ice. Jackets are needed, and hats and gloves are highly recommended.

DAYS OFF - Our holiday break is Thursday, December 23 through Sunday, January 3. 

Happy Holidays!

Mrs. Salcito

Happy Thanksgiving to Underhill Families

Today the entire first grade family enjoyed a feast of homemade corn bread muffins and butter. The students did all the work preparing the feast on Monday afternoon and reaped the benefits today! Yum! Just like the pilgrims and the indians, all the first grade children came together as one and shared stories of what they were thankful for while enjoying the feast.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Activity

This week we completed our second STEM activity. This activity included using 20 toothpicks and 10 gum drops to build a 3-D structure that could withstand the weight of a book. We discussed what things good problem solvers do when approaching a task. We developed an anchor chart that listed the attributes of good problem solvers. We decided that they complete research, they make hypothesis, and they experiment through a process of trial and error. Here are some pictures that capture the essence of the experience.

Thanksgiving Feast at Underhill Cafe 11/19/2015

Fall Festival and November Happenings

Thank you to all Underhill families that donated Smartfood and Apple Juice for our fall festival snack! The day was full of fun and surprises. The children in Mrs. Salcito's class and Mrs. Newcomb's class enjoyed a visit from two witches who shared their recipe for witch's brew and gave them a live cooking class.

NOVEMBER HAPPENINGS

Today we began Chapter 3 in Imagine It! This unit is about responsibility. We will learn what it means to be responsible. We will also learn what it looks like to be responsible. Lastly, we will talk about people in our world that are responsible and why we think they are responsible.

We will be covering a brief unit in Social Studies on government, voting, and United States symbols.
Government: Students will learn how and why laws are made. They will also learn who makes the laws and how they are enforced.
Voting: Students will get a chance to complete a voter registration card, cast a ballot, create a candidate poster, count ballots, etc.
United States of America Symbols: Students will learn the significance of the American flag, the bald eagle, and the statue of liberty.

In Math we will be working on shapes. We will be learning the names and attributes of many shapes. We will be manipulating and building with shapes. We will be looking at 3 dimensional shapes.

In writing we will be working on creating a main idea for a piece of writing. Once we have determined a main idea we will be learning how to extend our writing with supporting details. Overall, we will be learning how to write a cohesive paragraph of more than two sentences.

Pumpkin S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

This week we will be discussing pumpkins. We will be covering the content areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics within the pumpkin theme. Here are some highlights:
1. Put pumpkins in order from smallest to largest.
2. Make predictions about measurements. Check predictions using measuring tools (tape measures, scales, connecting cubes, etc.)
3. Use five senses to explore the pumpkins!
4. Cut open a pumpkin and explore the inside. Use new vocabulary such as pulp, stem, flesh, seed skin, etc. while identifying different parts of pumpkin.
5. Estimate number of seeds and check estimation by skip counting.
6. Discuss the concept of sink and float. Make predictions for each pumpkin and test hypotheseis.

We learned how to use different measuring tools.

We thought our pumpkin would sink but it                                           FLOATED!!!

We counted 578 seeds in our pumpkin!!!

We counted by 10's!!!!

Apples! Apples! Everywhere!

This week we have been talking about apples. We have learned who Johnny Appleseed was. We have colored with apples. We have cooked apples. We have tasted apples. It has been so much fun learning this way! Here is the recipe for our crockpot applesauce...YUM!

INGREDIENTS

YIELD6 cupsUNITSUS

• 4lbs tart apples, cored and sliced thin
• ¹⁄₂cup sugar
• ¹⁄₂teaspoon cinnamon
• 1cup water
• 1tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix apples (about 12 cups) with cinnamon and sugar and put into crock pot.
2. Pour water and lemon juice over apples. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

Fire Safety Week

Thank you to the Hooksett Fire Department for visiting us this week. We learned so much about fire safety! We had fun going in the fire truck and exploring.

Classroom Update

We have been working hard in our first grade classroom! Everyone is learning the new routines, procedures and expectations. We are learning how to show whole body, 5 star listening (eyes are looking, ears are listening, lips are closed, hands are still, feet are quiet). We are also working on doing our personal best! Basically this leads to being a good citizen both in and outside the classroom.

READING AND WRITING

We just completed our review unit in our reading series. Now we have begun Unit 1 - Back to School. This reading series might seem slow for some children, however, it is teaching very important skills for reading and writing. It is going back and building a strong foundation that will help your child become better at word attack, vocabulary, comprehension strategies, understanding the make up of words, omitting and changing sounds in a word and essentially becoming better readers and writers this year and in their future education.

MATH

We just completed the Unit 1 - Numbers to 10. My Math In Focus lessons consist of various questioning techniques to further concept understanding. For example, "What do you think?", "How did you get your answer" , "Explain this to the class". I am taking a guiding approach and allowing a lot of hands on work with manipulatives as well as encouraging reasoning and problem solving skills. These skills are essential for your child's learning and ability to think in the cognitive-pictorial-and abstract levels.

HOMEWORK

This reading series does not address spelling words until later on in the year. At that time, students will have homework that helps them study spelling words. It is assumed that your child practices high frequency words that have been introduced for 3-5 minutes a few times a week. Automatic recall is necessary for your child to become fluent reader.

Along with high frequency word practice, reading to your child nightly is very important to their development as a reader. When you read to your child, you are modeling appropriate fluency and expression. Eventually, your child should read to you. Your child should read or be read to 10-20 minutes per night. While reading, please talk to your child and ask them about what is being read (who, what, when, where, why and how). This questioning technique will help your child develop comprehension.

Reminders:
Ice  Cream Social is Tuesday 9/29 6:00-7:30
Picture Day is Wednesday 9/30

Thank you for being an important part of your child's first grade year!

Smiles,
Mrs. Salcito

Ice Cream Social

 First Grade Ice Cream Social is Tuesday, September 29 6:00-7:30

Please stop by your child's classroom to view samples of their work thus far. The children are very excited to show you all their hard work. They are especially excited to share an ice cream with you,

 shop at the book fair, and introduce you to their new friends. This event is always a big hit! Hope to see you there!

Picture Day

Picture Day is Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Please send in order form with your student if you choose to place an order. We will be taking individual pictures and a class picture on this day.

First Day of First Grade

The Salcito Dorito's were hard at work today! They had a great day and should be quite tired this evening. It was extremely warm today and I wanted to remind everyone that the children may bring in a water bottle to keep at their seats. They can refill it if necessary. It helps to stay hydrated on days like today.

Class Visitation Day

Thank you to all the families that came and visited our classroom on Thursday afternoon. I enjoyed seeing each one of you. Kudos to all that completed the Scavenger Hunt! Please make sure that everyone gets lots of rest this weekend. I am so excited to see all the "Salcito Doritos" bounce into class come Monday morning.

A Note From Mrs. Salcito

~ A Note From Mrs. Salcito~

Dear Parents,

I want to welcome you and your child to first grade! You will play a key role in your child’s learning this year as YOU are their role model. In first grade, your child will gain an important foundation that will be beneficial in the years ahead.

In my classroom, your child will learn how to read and write. They will also learn some important math and science concepts. At times, this year may seem challenging for some and not challenging enough for others. My goal is to reach your child’s maximum potential while in my classroom.

                                                                         Communication

Communication is a very important part of your child’s education. This includes student/teacher as well as teacher/parent communication. There are many ways in which I will be communicating with you this year. Some examples include: a parent/teacher conference, progress reports and report cards. Besides these formal ways, I encourage you to communicate questions and concerns by sending a note or emailing me at school (ssalcito@sau15.net). I will be utilizing this blog as my primary source of communication.

                                                                           Lunch and Snack

While in first grade, your child will have lunch from 12:00-12:25 each day. They can bring a home lunch, buy a sandwich or buy hot lunch. They will make this decision each morning as part of their morning routine. Please help them remember what to do each day. In order to maintain a level of energy throughout the day, your child will also have a snack time in the afternoon around 2:30. I ask that your child comes to school every day with a snack and a drink or they can buy milk for snack time. However, please remind him/her that he/she will need to make that decision first thing in the morning. Please discuss this with your child and make sure it is clear whether or not they need to purchase milk for the afternoon or if you have packed him/her a drink for snack time. In the past, some parents have sent a separate bag labeled “snack” to help prevent confusion.

                                                           Pick up and Bus Changes

If there is a change in how your child will be dismissed from school (i.e., change of bus or change to parent pick up), please send in a SIGNED, DATED note with YOUR CHILD’S FIRST AND LAST NAME as well as “Mrs. Salcito” written on it. This will inform the office of the change and insure your child is dismissed accordingly. If there are last minute changes during the school day please communicate the change by calling the office directly by 1:00 pm.

                                                                 Birthdays/Invitations

Birthdays are very exciting and important to your child. As a class, we will give your child a birthday crown and sing a special song. To show respect to students who may have food allergies, please refrain from sending in any type of food for the class. 
Due to privacy and school policy, invitations will not be allowed to be passed out in the classroom, even if the whole class is invited.

                                I look forward to working with you this year!                                      Thank you for supporting your child’s first grade year!

                                                                                                     Smiles,                                                                                                                                Mrs. Salcito

Bouncing Into Grade 1

The count down is on! So excited for the Salcito Dorito's to bounce into Grade 1. See you all soon!

Scholastic Book Club - Introduction

 Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub
 One-Time Class Activation Code: P7DYX


 Dear Families,
 Encouraging reading is one of the most important things we can do to help your child succeed. It can  be tough finding the right books to keep them interested, which is why I am so excited that our class  will be participating in Scholastic Reading Club this school year.

 With Scholastic Reading Club: Every book you buy earns FREE Books for our classroom library.  You can choose from handpicked, grade- and reading-level-specific books for your child. You'll find  the best values on a variety of formats. Each month, your child will bring home Reading Club flyers.  Together you can choose from books hand-selected by teachers and experts, and then order online or  send your order form and payment to me. I'd also love some help growing our classroom Reading  Club. If you'd like to help out, please let me know! I'm excited to get our class reading!

 Thank you for your support,
 Mrs. Salcito

•  VISIT scholastic.com/readingclub
•  ENTER the one-time Class Activation Code (top of this letter) 
•  SHOP from a carefully curated selection of the best books and value packs 
•  SUBMIT your order and earn FREE Books for our classroom.  All book orders will be shipped to  our classroom so we can celebrate the joy of reading together!

Parent Welcome Letter

Parent Welcome Letter

Dear Parents:                                                                                                      August 2015

Welcome to First Grade! There is an exciting year awaiting, designed to promote and enhance your child’s growth and development. This very important year promises to be one filled with discovery and joy as your child works and plays in an environment that is warm, safe and challenging.

The structure of daily activities is carefully planned to encourage independence, self confidence and group cooperation through large group, small group and one-on-one participation in a variety of  hands-on, interactive experiences. The activities will incorporate instruction and skill reinforcement in reading readiness, mathematics, writing, science and social studies, art, fine and gross motor skills, social/emotional skills and language development.

You will notice the focus of the curriculum centered around theme units and related selections of literature. This is the core of our integrated learning and these units of study will be used to extend across, and connect all of our content areas. In doing so, your child will see the continuity of his or her learning and the application of skills will become more concrete. Learning will be real and learning will make sense!

I am so looking forward to our working together to make this a most successful school year! Please feel free to contact me at school, should you have any questions and/or concerns regarding your child‘s first grade experience.

Very Sincerely,

Mrs. Salcito

ssalcito@sau15.net

Student Welcome Letter

Student Welcome Letter

August 2015

Dear Fantastic First Grader,

It is almost time to come to First Grade and I am so excited to see you!

We are going to have a great time together. We will sing songs and read stories, make projects and learn so many wonderful new things. Of course there will be lots of other new friends who will be waiting to play and learn with you, too.

Our classroom is all set up with exciting things to do and see, and I am very ready to get started!   I know that the fun will not begin until you are here, so I will be waiting for you to arrive to begin a super year!  

Meet your teacher/classroom visitation day is:  August 27, 2015 2:00-4:00

First day of school is:  August 31, 2015

See you very soon!

Your teacher,

Mrs. Salcito

                                                        

                                 

Meet Your Teacher Day

August 27, 2015   2:00 - 4:00

Families are invited to visit our classroom and meet their teacher. This event is a great way to jump start the new year. I look forward to seeing all your smiling faces!

First Day of School

The first day of school is quickly approaching. I look forward to working with your children beginning August 31, 2015.