Science

As our insect unit enters the home stretch, things are getting really exciting. Last week, First Grade students each chose a local insect to study. This week, research began! Our special friends in Fourth Grade came to our classroom on Tuesday to help us with our research. Student research began in books and if information could not be found, students got iPads and searched the internet. Fourth graders are savvy web users, and were so helpful in locating valuable information from safe sources online. We had so much fun collaborating with these older students, and we got a lot of work
done!

Math

This week we learned a lot about odd and even numbers. I was amazed at how quickly our young mathematicians discovered patterns on the number line and hundreds chart relating to odds and evens. We also played games and worked with manipulative that reinforced this important number concept. When we were counting by 2s in a separate activity, students had a EUREKA! moment and realized that we were counting only the even numbers. This kind of guided discovery is what learning at TCS is all about!

Movement

It is nearly Halloween (a favorite holiday for many TCS first graders) and what better way to celebrate than to play some spooky outdoor games? This week in Movement, we started by learning how to play a brand new game: Ghost in the Graveyard. Some first grade parents may even remember playing this version of hide-and-go-seek tag when they were young. It is a new First Grade favorite! Next, we learned how to play Zombie Tag. In this game, the zombies who are “it” may not run, but the game is played within tight boundaries so it gets trickier and trickier as the number of zombies grows. Ask your child about these spooky games, or play them at home!

Important Dates

• Monday, October 31 – Halloween, Half Day, 11:30 dismissal
• Wednesday, November 2 – Parent Morning Meeting, 8:00-8:20am
• Friday, November 4 – “Free Dress Day”
• Friday, November 11 – Insect Museum Presentation! 2:00pm, TCS Library
• Monday and Tuesday, November 14 and 15 – Parent Conferences, Half-Days, 11:30 dismissal
• Tuesday, November 22 – Harvest Feast, 10:00am (Half-Day, 11:30 dismissal)
• Wednesday – Friday, November 23-25, – Thanksgiving Break, No School