Welcome December (and chilly weather)!

We've been measuring EVERYTHING we can get our hands on this week!  Students have been using 12 inch rulers, 6 inch rulers, and tape measures to practice accurately measuring objects and body parts.  We've even done some estimating of object lengths to the nearest inch using terminology such as  about, almost, and between _____ and _____ inches.

In reading we are focusing on marking the pages in our books where we notice character feelings changing.  We're also beginning to work on reading fluency: sounding more like a storyteller and less like a robot when we read!

Our science and social studies unit on the Winter Solstice also began this week!  We've been reading lots of science books about the Earth's tilt, rotation, and orbit and doing some experiments with our bodies to better understand these complex concepts!

In writers' workshop we've started the publishing process for our realistic fiction unit.  Next week, we will celebrate the unit by sharing our published books with other first grade classrooms!

Out on the playground, students are having a blast playing in the snow.  Please remember that your child needs ALL winter gear in order to play in the snow:

BOOTS
SNOWPANTS
WINTER COAT
HAT
GLOVES

Please consider sending a pair of 'inside' shoes to leave here at school during the winter months.  Extra socks are also a good idea!