As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude for your support in our classroom. Teaching our first graders about this holiday is an enriching experience that I believe is essential for their growth. 

Thanksgiving provides a wonderful opportunity to introduce the concept of gratitude, emphasizing the importance of being thankful for what we have. It's a valuable life skill that we can cultivate from a young age. 

Additionally, we'll touch on cultural awareness in a simplified manner, introducing our students to the diverse cultures and the people who inhabited this land before the arrival of European settlers. This understanding is crucial as we discuss respect for different backgrounds. 

Lastly, learning about Thanksgiving allows children to connect with their own families and traditions, enriching their experiences during this special time.

As we prepare our students for more independence, I want to emphasize the importance of teaching them their phone number and address. This knowledge is crucial for their safety, especially as they begin spending more time away from home at school or daycare. 

Here are a few key reasons why this is vital:

• Emergency Situations: If a child is lost or needs help, knowing their address and phone number allows them to share vital information with adults who can assist them in contacting their parents.
• Independent Ability to Contact Caregivers: Memorizing this information empowers children to reach out to their parents when necessary, even if they are not directly supervised.
• Building Confidence: Familiarity with important personal details can enhance a child's self-esteem and confidence in managing potential situations.
• Developing Responsibility: Learning their personal information early on fosters a sense of responsibility for their own safety.

Thank you for your support in this important aspect of our students' development. 

We will take a break from maps and globes to learn about the importance of elections, how to understand the voting process, and what the President’s job entails. Towards the end of the week, students will start mapping their bedroom using the parts of a map that we have been learning about.

Last week, we learned how to use a map key and looked at different types of maps.  This week, we will identify natural and human features and start creating their own simple map showing Huanan and natural features.

Vocabulary for this unit:

borders: the outer lines that separate a country or state

continents: Large pieces of land on Earth

destinations: the place you want to go

explorer: a person who travels and studies places

features: distinct or special areas

neighborhood: the area right around where a person lives

restaurants: places people go to eat

route: path to get you somewhere

sphere: a solid, round 3-D shape

This week, we will learn how to read a map using our compass rose.

Vocabulary for this unit:

borders: the outer lines that separate a country or state

continents: Large pieces of land on Earth

destinations: the place you want to go

explorer: a person who travels and studies places

features: distinct or special areas

neighborhood: the area right around where a person lives

restaurants: places people go to eat

route: path to get you somewhere

sphere:a solid, round 3-D shape

This week, we will start our social studies unit on using geographical tools.  In this unit, students will compare and contrast the functions of maps and globes, use direction words to describe location, and create a simple map including human and national features.

Vocabulary for this unit:

borders: the outer lines that separate a country or state

continents: Large pieces of land on Earth

destinations: the place you want to go

explorer: a person who travels and studies places

features: distinct or special areas

neighborhood: the area right around where a person lives

restaurants: places people go to eat

route: path to get you somewhere

sphere:a solid, round 3-D shape

We will be wrapping up our “Leader in Me” unit. 

Last week, we learned about Habits 4 and 5. This week, we will look at Habits 6 and 7 talking about synergy and sharpening our saw.

The Seven Habits 

Habit 1:  Be Proactive (You’re in Charge) 

Habit 2:  Begin With The End In Mind (Have a Plan) 

Habit 3:  Put First Things First (Work First, Then Play) 

Habit 4:  Think Win-Win (Everyone Can Win) 

Habit 5:  Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (Listen Before You Talk) 

Habit 6:  Synergize (Together Is Better) 

Habit 7:  Sharpen the Saw (Balance Feels Best) 

We will start our “Leader in Me” unit.  In this unit, students will learn leadership and life skills to create a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader.  

Last week, we learned about Habit 3, Put First Things First.  This habit focuses on helping students learn to prioritize tasks in their daily lives. It teaches important executive functioning skills essential for managing everyday activities like making plans, solving problems, and adapting to new situations. By developing these skills, students can better organize their time and responsibilities.

The Seven Habits 

Habit 1:  Be Proactive (You’re in Charge) 

Habit 2:  Begin With The End In Mind (Have a Plan) 

Habit 3:  Put First Things First (Work First, Then Play) 

Habit 4:  Think Win-Win (Everyone Can Win) 

Habit 5:  Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (Listen Before You Talk) 

Habit 6:  Synergize (Together Is Better) 

Habit 7:  Sharpen the Saw (Balance Feels Best) 

We will start our “Leader in Me” unit.  In this unit, students will learn leadership and life skills to create a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader.  

Last week, we learned about Habit 1, Be Proactive.  This habit is talking about how to be proactive instead of reactive. This week, we will look at Habit 2, Begin with the End in mind.  This habit teaches us to make a plan before we just dive into things.

The Seven Habits 

Habit 1:  Be Proactive (You’re in Charge) 

Habit 2:  Begin With The End In Mind (Have a Plan) 

Habit 3:  Put First Things First (Work First, Then Play) 

Habit 4:  Think Win-Win (Everyone Can Win) 

Habit 5:  Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (Listen Before You Talk) 

Habit 6:  Synergize (Together Is Better) 

Habit 7:  Sharpen the Saw (Balance Feels Best)