First Grade

General Studies – Ms. Diamond

Learning About Brassica Plants

Children planted Brassica seeds and put them under special grow lights as an introduction to our plant unit. Brassica plants were developed at the University of Wisconsin and are widely used in education at many levels.They go through a complete life cycle in four weeks so students are able to see the plants not only grow, but develop flowers and then seed pods. New vocabulary will include: germinate, seedpod, bud, nutrients, photosynthesis, pollen, and cross pollination.

A Trip to Golden Valley

On June 1, all three first grade classes will be taking a field trip to the Golden Valley Shopping Center (Highway 55 and Winnetka). We will be looking for parent volunteers to accompany us. This trip will culminate our social studies focus on community. We will be visiting the fire and police stations as well as library, water tower and historical society. A special scavenger hunt has been planned as we check out the area stores.

Learning About Animals

As you know, we are well into our animal research reports. Your child has picked an animal they are interested in learning about and has been researching many aspects of the animal. Students have decided that some of the most important questions to be answered are:

• What does my animal look like?
• Where does my animal live?
• What does my animal eat?
• What are other interesting facts about my animal?

In class, we have been studying different features of non-fiction books and how to use them. For example, using a table of contents and index together to find what an animal eats or looking at a caption to figure out what a picture is showing. Thank you to all the parent (and grandparent) volunteers that have helped the children with their projects so far and we look forward to seeing even more of you in the weeks to come!

Math: Adding, Subtracting, Fractional Parts, Place Value and Measuring

As we begin the ninth unit in math, we look to reinforcing counting, adding, and subtracting with tens and ones. In this unit, students will:

• continue to work with fractions, extending fractional concepts to equivalent fractions, comparison of fractions, and working with fractions ( halves, fourths, sixths, eights)

• learn how to write fractional notations
• learn that fractional parts of a whole may have many names (equivalent fractions)
• use the number grid to review counting patterns
• continue to use place value to assist in counting by ones and tens and in adding and subtracting two digit numbers
• work towards proficiency in adding and subtracting tens to prepare for adding and subtracting two digit numbers
• continue to create and compare symmetrical designs
• compare capacities of containers using standard and nonstandard measuring tools
• estimate heights using standard measures
• continue to tell, write, and draw number stories

This is a comprehensive math unit with diverse math concepts, skills and activities, all of which reinforce our work in math this year and helps prepare for our work in second grade math!

Hebrew and Judaic Studies – Hamorah Karen

Thank you for sending your children to school wearing Kahol v’ Lavan (blue and white) for Yom HaAtzma’ut! It was a very meaningful, educational and festive day. Everyone felt connected to Israel, and enjoyed the day!

Hebrew

In Hebrew, we will…

• continue work in our fourth and final Ari-Ot book
• learn the letters Kof, Reish, Sin and Tav
• learn and read new stories that go along with the study of each new letter
• learn more vocabulary that goes along with the new letters
• visit the computer lab to support our learning
• begin writing more complex sentences using the adjectives and verbs that we have learned.

Judaic Studies – T’filah (Prayer)

We are continuing to learn about some of the prayers in the morning service. During this time we will…..

• look at the words and meanings of the prayers more closely
• put more photographs into our Siddur
• discuss and write about how the prayers connect to our lives
• study the prayers Etz Haim and Or Hadash.
• have students take turns being the “Rabbi” of the day and lead the morning service.

Judaic Studies – Holidays

The students had a great experience learning about the Dead Sea in Israel. They learned many facts and performed experiments in the classroom using water and salt. They even got to put some Dead Sea mud on their hands. They did a fantastic job sharing their knowledge about the Dead Sea at the all school Yom HaAtzma’ut assembly! The students also enjoyed visiting different stations and completing activities related to water in Israel. Ask your child to share some facts that they learned.

Upcoming, we will learn about and celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, Lag B’Omer and Shavuot.

Judaic Studies – Torah Portions

We will continue learning Torah portions from the book of Vayikra, the third book of the Torah. Students will study key concepts, characters and vocabulary from each Torah portion. We will also discuss how some of these key concepts connect to our lives today.

Hebrew Homework

Please encourage your child to spend time each week reviewing the Hebrew flashcards that come home. This will help them retain the vocabulary that we have learned in class.

Hag Sameah,

Karen Malka

Art – Ms. Orkin

What we have been doing in First Grade

• Made tissue paper collage Passover seder plates
• Integrated science and art animal sculptures and habitat from found objects
• Studied MIA Art Adventures final two art pieces

“Pacific” Tz’daka Box by artist Tony Berlant, made in 1998 on display in the MIA Jewish Art Collection

Chinese Ceremonial Gateway, made in 1728 of handcrafted ceramic tile.

Art Adventures Art Project

Chinese Doorway with photo collage decoration

Field trip to the Minneapolis Art Institute “Let’s Celebrate Life”

• Wednesday, May 16, 10 – 11 a.m.
• Bus leaves at 9:30 a.m. and returns at 11:30 a.m.
• Parents/grandparents are invited to help chaperone
• Please RSVP to aorkin@hmjds.org

Upcoming projects…

• Landscape drawing from observation outside
• Sidewalk chalk murals

Music – Mr. Shaw

During the month of May we will continue to expand our ability to write rhythms. Students will use whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and rests in their upcoming compositions.

The onset of nice weather often makes the students a bit restless, so we will add some old and new movement activities to work off some energy. This will help with the internalization of steady beat and rhythm, as we use our bodies. Also during the month students will being given many opportunities in class to sing and play solos. Charlie Over the Ocean and very soon Rico’s Pizza Restaurant will afford the children the chance to sing by themselves. While I do not require students at this age to sing alone, those who take the chance will find that performing solos helps build presentation skills. We also learn that the music classroom is an okay place to take risks, and that it is alright if we aren’t perfect every time.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Develop an understanding of music terminology (mood, solo, group/ensemble).
• Distinguish aurally between expressive features in music: tempo (fast/slow).
• Respond to music using movement.
• Feel and express steady beat.
• Use solfege (Curwen hand signals) to indicate melodic direction.
• Read, write (compose), and perform from music notation.
• Understand music in relation to history and culture.
• Identify rhymes and homonyms used in the lyrics of songs.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Spring is a very busy time at HMJDS; as we have many observations and celebrations, including the sixty-fourth birthday of Israel (Yom HaAtzma’ut), Art Adventures, and Fitness Week. I hope your student(s) picked activities for Fitness Week that will provide them with a fulfilling experience.

What’s Going On?

Your First Grader just finished our volleyball unit. They started out using balloons, and finished using beach balls while playing a modified game. During this modified game we mimicked a conventional volleyball game by rotating positions and keeping score.

What’s Next?

After volleyball we will venture outside (weather permitting) to play soccer in addition to a variety of assorted games. Earlier in the school year we played different versions of line soccer, but this spring the games will be closer to official soccer. Students will play different positions and learn the difference between offense and defense. We will finish up the school year as we always do, playing softball in the warm sunshine.

Technology – Ms. Olson

First Grade Filmmakers!

This month while first graders nurture real plants in their classrooms they will also be growing digital plants! Students will have their first experience using photography and will learn to make a Stop Motion Animation film. By making all of the parts of a flower out of paper, small groups of students will break down the process of how plants grow into a short film. Amazingly enough students can make an impressive film that shows the entire process and synthesizes their learning. Stay tuned to learn where you can view your child’s Oscar worthy film!

General Studies – Ms. Diamond

It was so great to see most of you at conferences. As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership throughout the school year!

All About Animals

In Writing Workshop, we have moved on from our persuasive letter writing unit to focus on nonfiction as it relates to research reports. We will be discussing the different elements that make nonfiction and how to determine if a book fits these criterions. We will look to see if there is a beginning, middle, and end of the story, pictures with captions, diagrams, index, glossary, or other key feature of a nonfiction text.

Now, as you probably have heard, your children are writing their animal research reports, complete with chapters. When finished, each book will have a table of contents, and children are learning to organize their information into the appropriate chapters. They are learning also that each chapter has its own organizational structure. For now, we are helping guide the students into important questions that should be touched upon in their research, but it would be a small step forward for children to write similar books using their own knowledge about what is important about the animal they have selected.

Plant Project

We will soon be starting our last science unit focusing on life cycles. This unit will be about plants and will be integrated with math, science and reading activities. Students will be making predictions and estimations as well as recording observations and doing experiments.

In addition to participating in plant activities in school, we are asking first graders to complete a plant project at home. The assignment will be sent home on April 20th – after spring break. Children will create an activity from the following list:

• seed collection or mosaic
• book, story or poem
• poster or collage
• video or audio tape
• mini garden terrarium
• report on an unusual plant
• diorama or experiment

Each student will have the opportunity to show and explain his/her project. The projects will be on display in the hallway in front of our rooms from May 21st to May 25th. All projects are due on Monday, May 21.

Community Study

We will continue our study of communities with a comparison of our own community with life in Mexico. After learning about the geography of North America, we will transition into developing a more in depth understanding of another culture in North America. Using such resources as the DVD “Families of Mexico”, we will learn about a family from the port city of Veracruz. The family owns an advertising agency, the mother teaches a dance class at the cultural center, and the children go to school, the grocery store, and swimming lessons. We will use a Venn diagram to contrast the two cultures.

First graders were very fortunate to have two guest speakers visit us. Mr. Einisman told us all about life in the White House. The children were especially surprised to find out that the White House has its own bowling alley! He also brought memorabilia from his time working in the White House

A few days later, Kathy Johnson from the St. Louis Park Historical Society joined us to talk about the history of SLP. She showed us lots of before and after pictures that clearly illustrated how SLP has grown through the years. Ms. Johnson, also, brought in several artifacts including a spittoon, school bell, and a lantern. In addition, we learned about two important landmarks in SLP—the Beehive (barbecue pit along Highway 100) and Peavey Grain Elevator (now belonging to Nordic Ware). This fits into our upcoming study of landmarks in the Twin Cities and surrounding communities.

Math: More Money and Lots of Fractions!

Our eighth unit in math will focus on the following concepts:

• Extend work with money to include more dollars and making change by “counting up”
• Show amounts of money using the fewest number of coins
• Extend place value work to more work with the hundreds place
• Show the relationship between dollars and place value to the hundreds
• Introduce concepts related to fractions; fractional parts related to a whole, fractional parts related to parts of “collections”, fraction notation and fraction vocabulary
• Identify and count by halves, thirds, fourths and sixths to complete a whole unit.
• Explore two dimensional and three dimensional geometric shapes
• Explore symmetry-What a symmetrical shape looks like and how is it created on a geoboard

This unit provides many opportunities to integrate key concepts and skills previously learned with those being newly introduced!

Hebrew and Judaic Studies – HaMorah Karen

It was so nice seeing all of you at conferences. Your children have learned a lot and I enjoyed being able to celebrate their progress with you!

I also want to wish all of you a Hag Pesah Sameah! Your children have learned a lot about the holiday of Passover. They are bringing home a model of a Seder plate along with an explanation of the symbolism and meaning of each item on it. I hope you will enjoy incorporating this into your Passover Seder at home.

Hebrew

In Hebrew we will…

• Begin work in our fourth and final Ari-Ot book.
• Learn the letters Tzadee, Tzadee sofit, Kof, and Reish.
• Learn and read new stories that go along with the study of each new letter.
• Learn more vocabulary that goes along with the new letters.
• Visit the computer lab to support our learning.
• Begin writing more complex sentences using the adjectives and verbs that we have learned.

Judaic Studies – T’filah (Prayer)

We are continuing to learn about some of the prayers in the morning service. During this time we will…

• Look at the words and meanings of the prayers more closely.
• Put more photographs into our Siddur.
• Discuss and write about how the prayers connect to our lives.
• Complete studying the prayers of Birkhot Ha Shahar and begin our study of the Barhu and Shema.
• Have students take turns being the “Rabbi” of the day and lead the morning service.

Judaic Studies – Holidays

We will be learning about Israel as we prepare for Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day) This year the theme of Yom Haatzmaut will be Mayim (water) first grade will focus on the Dead Sea.

Judaic Studies – Torah Portions

• We will continue learning Torah portions from the book of Vayikra (the third book of the Torah)
• Learn about key concepts, characters and vocabulary from each Torah portion
• Discuss how some of the key concepts from the Torah portions connect to our lives today

Hebrew Homework

Please encourage your child to spend time each week reviewing the Hebrew flashcards that come home each week. This will help them retain the vocabulary that we have learned in class.

Hag Sameah,

Karen Malka

Art – Ms. Orkin

What we have been doing in art class…

Purim Masks and African Mask Making using tag board, oil pastel, feathers, glitter glue, sequins and yarn.

Spring Portfolio Drawings of flowers and trees.

Our final two pieces from the Art Adventures Program’s- Let’s Celebrate Life! Series.

California Artist Tony Berlant’s Tzedaka Box made in 1988 out of metal, plywood and steel.

Chinese ceremonial gate made in 1728 of hand-carved tile.

Upcoming project – Passover decorative Seder plate

Important Upcoming Date!!!

Minneapolis Institute of the Arts Field Trip Wednesday is May 16 and Thursday May 17. Parent permission slips will be emailed home. The specific tour time will be on the slip. Students need written permission to go on the field trip. We encourage parents to meet us at the Institute of Arts ten minutes before the field trip if they wish to help chaperone. Please RSVP to Aimee Orkin if you can come help chaperone our tour.

Special thanks to the Sharon Lerner Visual Arts Fund, donated by the Posada and Lerner Families, for funding this amazing experience!

Library – Ms. Oskow

The library buzzed with excited students at the Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30. We earned more than $2,200 in profit for the HMJDS library budget. In addition, we took $1250 worth of books directly from the Fair for students’ immediate use, and earned $400 in book vouchers for more materials to order to complement classroom materials. Students are already excitedly checking out new books. People also donated books directly from the book sale to the classrooms or library.

A big thank you to the Book Fair Chairs, Beth Jasco, Ellen Berkelhamer, and Micki Litton, for all of your hard work!

And thank you to all of the great volunteers:

Judy Finkelstein, Gail Freedman, Michelle Gendlin, Alyssa Golob, Diane Greenberger, Michael Keller, Wendy Khabie, Becky Madigan, Melissa Mark, Emer O’Connor-Keller, Mark Roth, Laura Schmieg, Heidi Schneider, Beckie Skelton, Lisa Villalta, Kim Kotzen Wear, Lauren Weiser, and Dana Beth Weisman.

And student volunteers:

Talia H., Daniel H., Felicia & Haley J., Liang J., Avia K.-R., Chyna L.-L., Isaac M., Talia N., Ora R., Emmy S., and Zachariah W.S.

Teachers and Students Win Prizes in Book Fair Drawing

Two Grand Prize winners won $25 in Book Fair merchandise for the student, and $25 for his or her teacher to pick out books for the classroom: Sammie W. and Ms. Dorman/Schochet, Josh M. and Ms. Norton. Twenty-two other students in grades K-8 won posters. Students entered another drawing by creating a poster about a favorite book on a pineapple-shaped paper. Sydney W. won $25 worth of books from the Fair in that contest.

Hunger Games Mockingjay Pin Raffle

A limited-edition Hunger Games trilogy boxed set at the Book Fair contained a hotly desired Mockingjay pin. Mr. Gawronski and Mr. Portnoe were kind enough to buy boxed sets, keep the books, and donate their pins back for a raffle. Winners of the pins and a Hunger Games poster were pulled on Thursday, April 5.

Thank you to everyone who bought books, donated books or pins, or entered the Mockingjay raffle! Your purchases will enable us to buy many new books to enhance curriculum and aid students’ love of reading, as well as help us to update the library with electronic resources for the 21st Century.

Music – Mr. Shaw

In April the students will use half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and rests in their next compositions. The children will continue playing rhythm instruments, which is a way for them to transfer their rhythm compositions that allow for class performances. In addition to working on reading rhythms, we will continue to identify elements of pitch (high and low). Students continue to use a musical staircase that allowed us to understand how pitches can move by step or by skip. In the future we will learn songs with nautical and ocean themes, such as By the Sea, If I Were a Pirate, and Goin’ Over the Sea. The onset of nice weather often makes the students a bit restless, so we will add some old and new movement activities to work off some energy. Using our bodies will help with the internalization of steady beat and rhythm by.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Develop an understanding of music terminology (mood, solo, group/ensemble).
• Aurally distinguish expressive features in music: tempo (fast/slow).
• Respond to music using movement.
• Feel and express steady beat.
• Use solfege (Curwen hand signals) to indicate melodic direction.
• Read, write (compose), and perform from music notation.
• Understand music in relation to history and culture.
• Identify rhymes and homonyms used in the lyrics of songs.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings First Grade Parents,

I enjoyed meeting with you at spring conferences and sharing fabulous fitness testing results. In case we didn’t have a chance to connect at conferences, fitness results will be presented on report cards as well. As the school year draws to a close there are some wonderful events to look forward to, including Fitness Week!

What’s Going On?

Your first grader is in the middle of our volleyball unit. We started out learning and practicing eye-tracking and striking skills using balloons and beach balls. Students started out performing individual and cooperative partner skills. They were given many different volleying challenges using different body parts. During the second half of volleyball students will be taught a modified volleyball game where they will learn conventional positioning, player rotation, and scoring.

What’s Next?

After volleyball we will venture outside (weather permitting) to play soccer in addition to a variety of assorted games. Earlier in the school year we played different versions of line soccer, but this spring the games will be closer to official soccer. Students will play different positions and know the difference between offense and defense.

Please be aware that Fitness Week is penciled in for the week of May 28. Look for volunteering opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

General Studies – Ms. Diamond

Can You Be Persuaded?

This month, students will be continuing their work on writing persuasive letters. Our focus will be on forming strong opinions, coming up with reasons why things need to change, and effectively persuading the reader of their opinions. Although the main focus of the unit is to come up with a persuasive argument, we will also be indirectly learning about the structure of letter writing and how important it is to include aspects such as greetings and salutations (salutations) and closings.

In reading, we will be diving even deeper into the structure of non-fiction texts. We will be discovering words like table of contents, index, glossary, captions, bold print…and much more! It is important to know the meanings of each of these words along with how to spot them in texts. We also will learn how to utilize all these tools in order to make the most out of a non-fiction reading experience.

I’m Stuck On You!

Students will soon be learning first-hand how the frog uses its tongue to survive in their environment. We will use party blowers with Velcro attached to simulate how frogs catch their food. Key questions will include:

• How are the tongues of frogs adapted to allow them to catch their food?
• How many times can you successfully catch an insect in 10 trials?
• Where can you catch the most insects—on the floor (ground), on the wall (bushes, trees) or when they are hanging in the air (flying by)?

Believe it or not, this activity is not easy. I am sure after students try it, they will have gained a deeper appreciation of the effort frogs must exert just to catch one insect!

Learning About North America

After learning about the communities that we live in, students will broaden their focus to include important geographical features of not only Minnesota but the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. We will also learn about bodies of water that surround North America. This will also be a good time to review what we have already learned about finding directions using a compass rose and reading a legend or key to gain more information about a map.

Geometry and Attributes: Shapes, Shapes and More Shapes!

Soon, we will begin learning about geometry and attributes. This is the seventh unit in math. The students will be introduced to three dimensional geometric shapes. We will be having a “Shapes Museum!” The students will then sort the shapes in the museum into geometric categories and look for two dimensional shapes within three dimensional shapes. Our geometric “construction crews” will construct polygons with straws and twist ties. There will be four overarching areas of focus:

• Sorting attribute blocks according to attribute rules
• Extending familiarity with polygons
• Identifying three dimensional shapes
• Learning about symmetrical shapes

Vocabulary introduced with this unit is:

Attribute, cone, corners, cube, cylinder, hexagon, faces, (curved and flat) polygon, prism, sphere, surface, symmetry and symmetrical

Rectangle, square, triangle, trapezoid and rhombus are all additional geometric shape words you will be hearing about soon!

Hebrew and Judaic Studies – Ms. Malka

Hebrew

In Hebrew we will:

• continue our work in our third Ari-Ot workbooks.
• learn the letters Samech,Ayin,Peh, Peh Sofit.
• learn and read new stories that go along with the study of each new letter.
• learn more vocabulary that goes along with the new letters.
• visit the computer lab to support our learning.
• begin writing more complex sentences using the adjectives and verbs that we have learned.

Judaic Studies-T’fillah (Prayer)

We are continuing to learn about some of the prayers in the morning service. During this time, we will:

• look at the words and meanings of the prayers more closely
• put more photographs into our Siddur
• discuss and write about how the prayers connect to our lives
• continue studying the prayers of Birchot Ha Shahar
• have students take turns being the “Rabbi” of the day and lead the morning service.

Judaic Studies-Holidays

We will be learning about the holiday of Pesah (Passover). We will learn about the story, the customs, symbols, meanings and traditions of the holiday. We will learn prayers and songs from the Passover Haggadah. We will learn the four questions and other parts of the Passover Seder so that the students will be able to participate in their Passover Seders at home.

Judaic Studies-Torah Portions

We will continue:

• learning Torah portions from the book of Sh’mot (the second book of the Torah)
• learning about key concepts, characters, and vocabulary from each Torah portion
• discussing how some of the key concepts from the Torah portions connect to our lives today
• making connections between the holiday of Passover and the Torah portions from the book of Sh’mot (Exodus).

Hebrew Homework

Please encourage your child to spend time reviewing the Hebrew flashcards that come home each week. This will help them retain the vocabulary that we have learned in class.

Shabbat Shalom,

Karen Malka

Art – Ms. Orkin

Our clay frogs integrated our science and art classes. They were successfully sculpted, glazed and sent home . . . . Just in time for the Passover seder, to help commemorate the frog plague!

Students created Purim masks using oil pastels, feathers, sequins and yarn.

Upcoming projects include:

We are in the midst of our third installment of the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Art Adventures curriculum on the theme “Let’s Celebrate Life!”

Students looked at:

A Lakota Native American women’s dress from 1880 and an Indian sculpture of Shiva Nataraja from the late 10th century.

Our project will be a beading mosaic picture of Native American Indian design.

Our Passover project will be a painted afikomen napkin for the middle matza to be hidden in.

Happy upcoming holidays!!

Ms. Orkin

Library – Ms. Oskow

HMJDS Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30!!

Books available for preschool through adults at Scholastic’s discounted prices. 25% of money collected goes to the library.

Book Fair Hours:

Sunday, March 25 - 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

Monday, March 26 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Tuesday, March 27 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Wednesday, Mar. 28 - 8:00 AM-8:00 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Thursday, March 29 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Friday, March 30 - 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

Student Preview Days

Each HMJDS class visits the Book Fair Monday, March 26 or Tuesday, March 27. Students write a Wish List of books and may buy books.

Teacher Wish Lists

Teachers post Wish Lists and families can buy books or Gift Certificates to dedicate for classrooms, specialists, or the library.

Contests to Win Free Books

Parents or adult relatives can enter their students in a drawing anytime they stop by the Book Fair together through Thursday, March 29 (once per student). On Thursday, March 29, two students’ names will be drawn to win $25 worth of books—and a winning student’s teacher also chooses $25 worth of books! Students’ names are drawn for other prizes, too.

Additional drawing: for students who design posters celebrating their favorite book to decorate the library. Posterboard available from Ms. Oskow. Posters due by March 22.

Visit the Book Fair Online

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/hmjds

The Online Book Fair:

• allows your child to send wish lists, and invite family and friends to participate in the Book Fair
• offers an expanded book selection – books for all ages, even adult titles
• is available for an extended time: Monday, March 19 to Sunday, April 8.

Volunteers Needed For Book Fair

• Set up the Book Fair on Friday, March 23
• Tear down the Book Fair on Monday, April 2
• Staff the Book Fair during open hours

Please contact Book Fair Chairs Micki Litton, Beth Jasco or Ellen Berkelhamer – or sign up on the sheet that will be posted outside the library.

Music – Mr. Shaw

We will work on the concept of musical style and how the same song can sound quite different depending on the musician’s interpretation of the piece. Students will also be building musical independence by learning how to scribe basic musical notation. Grade one students will start composing their own rhythms. Children will write short rhythm studies using quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests in their compositions.

In addition to working on reading rhythms, we are also continuing to identify elements of pitch (high and low), as the students will be introduced to a musical staircase that allows us to understand how pitches can move by step or by skip. One song that will demonstrate this concept is “If You Can Follow Me.” We will then look at previously learned songs and analyze how the pitches in the melody move either by step or skip as well as if the melody is ascending (upward) or descending (downward) motion.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Echo-sing short phrases.
• Read lyrics from song sheets.
• Use solfege (Curwen) hands signals to indicate melodic direction.
• Develop the competency to perform music through modeling.
• Identify appropriate song styles.
• Read and write visual symbols that indicate rhythm.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings First Grade Parents,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a meaningful Sh’vat. In my lower school classes we recognized Tu b’ sh’vat by incorporating the holiday theme into our warm-up activity. Now for Adar fun!

What’s Going On?

Your first grader just finished their rope jumping unit and is now participating in gymnastics. This year we will be using the balance beam, vault and the handstand spotter.

In the beginning the balance beam height will be 30 inches. It will be raised six to twelve inches during the course of the unit. Students will be introduced to different balance beam challenges to create two to three different skills in their balance beam routine. This includes the dismount onto the crash mat while landing on their feet without dropping to their knees.

In vaulting students will learn the proper approach to the spring board, hurdle onto two feet and either tuck or straddle over the 24-36 inch vault.

Handstands will be introduced using the wall for support. If your student is capable of supporting their own weight they will be able to use the back handspring spotter.

Please be aware that Fitness Week is penciled in for the week of May 21 so look for volunteering opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

How Do I Find GREAT Websites For My First Grader?

Have no fear… HMJDS is here! It just so happens that at school your child uses our custom Portaportal website to find safe and age level appropriate websites that are also interesting, educational and fun! If you don’t already have the HMJDS Portaportal set up on your home computer, please follow these instructions:

• Go to www.portaportal.com
• Along the right side you will see a field in a box labeled Guest Access. Click in the box and type hmjds.
• Once hmjds is typed, click visit.

It’s that simple and now your child will be able to access all of the websites that we work on in school and even try out some others… You may even want to sneak back into the Kindergarten list for some fun games they used to play or up to the grade two list to try something more challenging.

The HMJDS Portaportal site is updated periodically when a new website comes to our attention that we feel is important to share with students. If you know of a site that you feel we should know about and possibly add to the Portaportal, please contact me and I will consider it for addition to our Portaportal.

General Studies – Ms. Diamond

In My Opinion…

As you know, first graders are full of opinions. This month, we will be starting our persuasive letter writing unit. We will continue to be looking at non-fiction texts in Reading Workshop in order to define what makes a non-fiction book and what aspects they need to have. Students will be given the direct instruction and repeated opportunities they need in order to become proficient at stating an opinion and supplying supportive reasons for that opinion. Specifically, they’ll learn to write letters and speeches that aim to persuade, or to argue. They’ll learn not only the skills involved in opinion writing, but also the stance. Even six and seven-year-olds can learn that if they work hard to make their writing sensible, persuasive, and supported by facts, their writing can actually affect changes in the world.

Learning about St. Louis Park

We are continuing our study communities by focusing on St. Louis Park. Essential questions that will be answered include:

• How does St. Louis Park meet people’s needs?
• What services are provided by St. Louis Park for its citizens? That means that first graders will be learning about the part that libraries, the post office, public safety, water, streets, recycling, food shelves, hospitals, public transportation and grocery stores play in developing a community.

We are also in the process of contacting the St. Louis Park Historical Society to see if they have a member who would be available to give a history of St. Louis Park as well as show us some fun historic artifacts. Having a city planner talk to our classes about the role they play in developing a community is also in the works.

Our Frogs Have Finally Arrived!

Curriculum night for first grade will be on Thursday, February 23 from 7:00 to 8:00. We ask that if it is at all possible, you leave siblings at home. The focus of the program will, of course, be frogs! We will have stations set up where students can measure how far their plastic frogs can jump, write an observation after watching the antics of live frogs, as well as create a life cycle chart that depict the life of a frog from spawn (eggs) to an adult frog. There will be music and a video showing some of the activities we have worked on in the classroom. You will love the “talking frogs” our students created when you visit the computer lab.

Math: Fact Power, Beginning Geometry, Equivalent Numbers and Data

Shortly, we will begin unit six, Developing Fact Power. In this unit, students will continue the work begun in unit five around learning number facts, working towards immediate recall. Students will:

• Use fact triangle as math graphic organizers to help visualize how number families fit together to make sums or differences
• Learn how to use equivalent numbers to find the same sum or difference (2+3=5, 10-5=5, 15-10=5, etc.)
• Compare whole numbers
• Measure in centimeters
• Use quarters with increased frequency to count coin values
• Note time digitally

• Create, organize and read data sets using range and middle value as tools to interpret data
• Create geometric shapes on a geoboard
• Investigate the relationships between sizes and shapes of pattern blocks
• Match similar geometric shapes
• Estimate and compare lengths of objects

This unit contains many unique “hands-on” opportunities enabling students to both visualize and “experience” math concepts!

Hebrew and Judaics – Ms. Malka

Hebrew

In Hebrew we will…

• Continue our work in our third Ari-Ot workbooks.
• Learn the letters mem,nun,samech.
• Learn and read new stories that go along with the study of each new letter
• Learn more vocabulary that goes along with the new letters.
• Visit the computer lab to support our learning.
• Begin writing more complex sentences using the adjectives and verbs that we have learned.

Judaics-Tefillah (Prayer)

We are continuing to learn about some of the prayers in the morning service. During this time, we will…..

• Look at the words and meanings of the prayers more closely
• Put more photographs into our Siddur
• Discuss and write about how the prayers connect to our lives
• Continue studying the prayers of Birchot Ha Shahar
• Have students take turns being the “Rabbi” of the day and lead the morning service.

Judaics-Holidays

We will be learning about the holiday of Purim. We will learn about the story, the customs, symbols, meanings and traditions of the holiday.

Judaics-Torah Portions

Art – Ms. Orkin

Upcoming units of study include…

Our next two pieces of study on the theme of “Let’s Celebrate Life” from the MIA will be a painted wooden African Plank mask created in 1960 and a wooden Kundu drum from New Guinea.

• Creating Purim groggers (noisemakers)
• Sculpting clay frogs and painting with glaze

Library – Ms. Oskow

In February, first grade library classes experience:

• Easy Reading, Easy Chapter and Picture Books, including many about U.S. Presidents
• Picture books by authors whose last names begin with “T,” “U,” “V,” “W,” “Y” and “Z,” such as: Simms Taback, Mark Teague, Kay Thompson (Eloise), Chris Van Allsburg (Jumanji), Judith Viorst (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day), David Wiesner, Mo Willems, Margery Williams (The Velveteen Rabbit), David Wisniewski (Golem), Audrey Wood, Douglas Wood, and Jane Yolen.

HMJDS Scholastic Book Fair Coming March 25-30!!

Biggest Library Fundraiser

The Scholastic Book Fair runs Sunday, March 25 – Friday, March 30. It is the single biggest fundraiser of the year for the library. Books will be available for all ages from preschool through adults, at Scholastic’s discounted, tax-free prices. Shoppers can make purchases for themselves as well as consider donations directly to the library or to HMJDS classrooms. 25% of all money collected will go to the library.

Look for more information following Mid-Winter Break.

Volunteers Needed For Book Fair

Volunteers are needed to help:

• set up the Book Fair on Friday morning, March 23
• tear down the Book Fair on Monday morning, April 2
• staff the Book Fair during the hours it is open

Please contact Book Fair Chairs Micki Litton, Beth Jasco or Ellen Berkelhamer – or sign up on the sheet that will be posted outside the library after Mid-Winter Break.

Music – Mr. Shaw

Students are learning how to distinguish between melody and harmony, as we can play both on the Orff instruments. In addition to reading rhythms, we are also playing easy two and three pitched melodies. We use our February rhythm study, in addition to songs like “Star Light, Star Bright” and “Pease Porridge Hot” to play short songs. While we were getting ready for the next Jewish holiday, we have been learning how to play the three different harmony patterns to “Plant a Tu BiSh’vat Tree.” Playing a three layered harmony accompaniment to a song can be challenging for students, as they have to keep a steady beat while other parts play different rhythms and pitches at the same time. Toward the very end of February and when we come back from mid-winter break in March, we should have a lot of fun working on songs for Purim, such as “Hag Purim,” “Ani Purim,” and “Mishenihnas Adar.” I also anticipate that we may work on the concept of musical style and how the same song can sound quite different depending on the interpretation of the musician.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Develop an understanding of music terminology.
• Echo sing short and long phrases.
• Play simple rhythmic and melodic patterns that include beat, divided beat, and silence.
• Use solfege (Curwen) hands signals to indicate melodic direction.
• Develop the competency to perform music through modeling.
• Gain an understanding of musical style.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

I hope your first grader told you how much fun they had playing floor hockey! There was a noticeable improvement in their motor coordination as we combined running, reacting to a moving ball, and striking the ball while maintaining their balance.

What’s Going On?

We are involved in Gymnastics and Rope Jumping. First Grade gymnastics starts out with simple body challenges that require strength and balance, combined with some partnering activities. In first grade, the height of the balance beam starts out at 30 inches and is raised six to twelve inches, which is very intimidating for most students. They are introduced to different balance challenges to create two to three different skills in their balance beam routine. One of their newly honed skills will be the dismount onto the crash mat, landing on their feet without dropping to their knees.

The rope jumping unit works on timing and coordination, in addition to greatly improving aerobic fitness. We begin reviewing how to turn a short rope with both handles in one hand forwards and backwards with either their right or left hand. The airplane and helicopter spin is fun and challenging for this age. First graders have been introduced to the long rope out at recess, but in the actual rope jumping unit we take it to a different skill level. Kids will work on skills like entering and exiting a turning long rope and partner jumping.

Technology – Ms. Olson

Talking Frogs

It’s true! Technology has progressed so far that this month we are teaching frogs to talk! Using one of my favorite fun online tools, Blabberize, students will learn to use a technology tool to speak for some of our hoppy friends.

Sometimes you just have to have fun and this project has fun written all over it. This project will also comes with a great deal of technology knowledge expansion and classroom science integration. The process for making frogs talk will go something like this…

Students will:

• find a picture of a frog by doing a Google search and saving their favorite picture in their own file on our HMJDS student network.
• do some research about frogs in their classrooms and write up a statement (spoken from their frog’s point of view) including at least one fact about frogs
• learn how to use Blabberize which includes finding their file on the network, opening their frog picture, using precise mouse movements to form the frog mouth, speaking clearly into a microphone and typing in the name of their project so it can be saved.

All of these tools will make an awesome talking frog that you’ll be able to see soon!

January 2012

General Studies – Diamond

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

This month we are continuing our unit of study on nonfiction writing and reading! This is an important unit. If you think about it, most of the reading and writing that you and I do is nonfiction. In almost every subject area of the school curriculum, your child will be asked to see nonfiction, but most of all, it is important because children are being given the chance to teach each other what they know. The children will become the teachers, instructing others in how to make salsa or to do the rumba! We will begin by devoting almost two weeks to writing How-To Books. We will use mentor texts to help the children learn that it is not easy to write clear, explicit directions that take a person step-by-step through a sequence of actions.

Once we finish with the How-To Books, we will be moving on to All-About Books, complete with chapters. Each book has a table of contents, and children will learn to organize their information into the appropriate chapters. They will also see that each chapter has its own organizational structure. If a child is writing about the different kinds of something, the chapter will be sectioned into categories…If the child is writing how to do something, the chapter resembles a how-to book.

For now, these All-About Books are based on topics in which the child has personal expertise, but it would be a small step forward for children to write similar books about a topic that they need to research and write on their own…like our animal reports which will be coming in future months.

Social Studies

As a follow-up to learning their addresses and phone numbers, students will use a graphic organizer to tell about the features of their homes and neighborhoods. Then we will write descriptive paragraphs using lots of adjectives and, of course, our graphic organizers to help us.

We will also create an alike and different chart that will help us explore the question, “How are communities alike and different?” I will lead the students to conclude that communities start to become different as the number of people increases. As I read The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton we will note when the community in the story changes from rural to suburban to urban. I will also read The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse by Jan Brett. It is a famous fable about two mice living in two very different environments and what happens to them when they trade places. The children will then, write stories about whether they would want to be a country or a city mouse.

Science

Our African Clawed frogs will be coming in the middle of January. Our focus will first be on observing, drawing and writing about creatures. Metamorphosis for tadpoles is very slow, so while we are waiting for changes to occur we will learn a little bit about toads. We will make a chart comparing these two amphibians and then make our own frogs and toads, complete with facts about each.

Math

We will be beginning unit five, place value, number stories, and basic facts. Experiential highlights of this unit are:

• Learning place value to the tens place
• Working with equivalencies and their respective symbols; greater than, less than , equal
• Using base ten blocks to add numbers
• Adding two digit numbers
• Solving comparison number stories that require subtraction-“ finding the difference”, addition and number relationships
• Finding weight and area by counting number units
• Identifying “turn around facts” in addition (1+3=4, 3+1=4)
• Using “What’s My Rule” (Watch for examples of this in upcoming homework) to explore rule-based relationships between pairs of numbers, number patterns and number facts

Hebrew and Judaics – Mrs. Malka

It was so wonderful to see all of you at the Hanukkah Program. The kids did a wonderful job. I hope you had a bright Hanukkah and a relaxing break!

Hebrew

In Hebrew, we will…

• Continue our work in our Ari-Ot workbooks.
• Learn the letters Tet, Yod, Kaf.
• Complete our current Ari-Ot book and begin a new one.
• Learn and read new stories that go along with the study of each new letter
• Learn more vocabulary that goes along with the new letters.
• Visit the computer lab to support our learning.
• Begin writing more complex sentences using the adjectives that we have learned.

Judaics-Tefillah (Prayer)

We have been learning about some of the prayers in the morning service. During this time we will…

• Look at the words and meanings of the prayers more closely
• Put more photographs into our Siddur
• Discuss and write about how the prayers connect to our lives
• Connect and integrate our prayers that express gratitude to God to the holiday of Thanksgiving
• Continue studying the prayers of Birkhot HaShahar

Judaics-Holidays

We will be learning about the holiday of Tu B’ Shevat, the holiday of the trees. We will learn about the customs, symbols, meanings, and traditions of the holiday.

Judaics-Torah Portions

• Begin Learning Torah Portions from the book of Shmot (the second book of the Torah)
• Learn about key concepts, characters and vocabulary from each Torah Portion
• Discuss how some of the key concepts from the Torah portions connect to our lives today

Hebrew Homework

Please encourage your child to spend time each week reviewing the Hebrew flashcards that come home each week. This will help them retain the vocabulary that we have learned in class.

Shabbat Shalom,

Karen Malka

Art

Lifedrawing and Costume drawing from Observation

Upcoming units of study include…

The Art Adventure program from the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts is a curriculum our school has integrated into our lower school art program for the past decade. It begins this month and continues through May, when we will take a field trip to the museum to see the eight art pieces we studied in depth in class.

Once a month, we will study two art pieces from diverse cultures and time periods. This year’s theme is “Let’s Celebrate Life.” It looks at eight objects to explore ways that people commemorate special times in their lives. Whether it is the festive atmosphere of a communal holiday, the solemn ceremony of a sacred ritual, or a private moment to mark a personal milestone, celebrations bring people together. The artworks in this series highlight the similarities and differences in how and why humans celebrate.

• Sculpting clay frogs and painting with glaze
• Collaged paper tree murals for Tu B’Shvat observance
• Portfolios will be brought home full of artwork for your child to share with you
• Please consider displaying your child’s art work around your home!

Music

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday we are learning “Sing About Martin,” and reviewing “This Little Light of Mine.” We will also learn a little about patriotic music and the history behind the song “America, the Beautiful.” Katherine Lee Bates (1857-1929) wrote this beautiful poem that was set to music by Samuel Ward. Katherine wrote the poem while on a visit to Pike’s Peak in Colorado, which explains some of the text that describes the natural beauty of the United States. Echo songs like “Snowflakes” and “Climbing Up the Mountain” will also be heard in the music room and will even be used for February while our wintery weather keeps it grip on Minnesota. In the song “The Winter Wind” students will learn hear some expressive instruments that paint the picture of icicles and blowing snow. While we were getting ready for Tu B’Shvat we will learn how to sing “Plant a Tu B’Shvat Tree.” Hopefully singing about planting trees will break this recent cold snap we have been experiencing in Minnesota.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Develop an understanding of music terminology.
• Echo sing short and long phrases.
• Play simple rhythmic patterns that include beat, divided beat, and silence.
• Read lyrics from song sheets.
• Use solfege (Curwen) hands signals to indicate melodic direction.
• Develop the competency to perform music through modeling.
• Identify appropriate song styles.
• Gain an understanding of musical style.

Physical Education

I hope you enjoyed the holidays with family and friends. It is great to hear from your child about the time you spent away from school and the places you visited.

What’s Going On?

We are in the second period (hockey term joke) of Floor Hockey, which is the first of our striking units. The first graders are using Pillow Polo Paddle sticks for striking a special Nerf Ball. They are doing well learning to strike a moving object. We began a variety of drills and modified games such as “Clean out the Backyard,” which is a game they played during our throwing unit. Now they are playing games and learning the value of teamwork while improving hand-eye coordination.

What’s Next?

Gymnastics and Rope Jumping are the next units. These are activities are refreshing for students who need a break from competitive games. This is where your student works individually on understanding and improving body core strength, balance and flexibility. In first grade we begin with simple body challenges using the floor mats. These activities require strength and balance and some partnering skills. The rope jumping unit works on timing and coordination in addition to greatly improving aerobic fitness. Many of the first graders have been practicing the long rope out at recess so they’re off to a good start!

December 2011

General Studies – Diamond

A Word About S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G

As you know, we have been using the spelling program Words Their Way. This program works with patterns and families to help the students build a deeper understanding of how spelling works to represent sounds and meaning. With this spelling program, you will see:

• Students who are grouped into appropriate level spelling “sorts” depending on their initial spelling assessment
• Students introduced to a new group of words with a specific feature as its focus each week
• Students working on hands-on activities to sort words with common characteristics

• Students working hard about whether these features mean they have to HEAR or SEE what the words have in common

Meeting New Characters

In reading workshop this month, we have been learning about characters and getting to know the characters in our books. We began this study last month and will be continuing to dive deeper this month. We will use this study to answer questions such as:

• What motivates this character in my book?

• How can we predict what is going to happen by looking at how the character has acted so far?
• Do I know someone who acts like this character?
• Did the author help by “making a picture in our head”?

Using these questions and more, we are able to develop our own characters during our time in writing workshop. By using qualities of ourselves or of people we know, we will be working on writing realistic fiction stories. Our goal is to develop strong characters, have them encounter a problem, and solve the problem in a realistic way. We will be looking at many “mentor texts” to see how some of our favorite authors develop strong stories with interesting characters.

Measurement and Basic Facts

We are about to begin the fourth unit in math, Measurement and Basic Facts. In this unit the students will work with linear measures, addition facts, and review and extend their use of thermometers and clocks. This unit offers a variety of “hands on” lessons. Highlights of focus will be:

• Measuring and comparing lengths using standard and nonstandard units; Tape measures, six inch ruler, standard ruler, “personal foot”
• Learning to tell time on the quarter hour. (Telling time on the hour and half-hour will be reviewed.)

• Introduce and practice addition facts; Vertical and horizontal addition, “domino addition”

We continue to practice and use previously taught math skills as “building blocks” in learning and applying new skills as they are taught.

Learning About Our Neighborhoods

This month, students will focus on their neighborhoods as we continue to explore our environment. As a special project, children will use graphic organizers to tell about all the different features of their house and neighborhood. We will, then draw pictures of our homes and write descriptive paragraphs—using lots of adjectives and, of course, our graphic organizers to help us.

Coming in January–African Clawed Frogs!

Our students will continue their study of life cycles with the addition of African Clawed Frogs in our classroom. As I noted with butterflies, metamorphosis takes on real meaning when you can actually see it happen. We will take these creatures from tiny tadpoles to fully developed frogs. We will be learning many interesting facts about frogs including information about those who live in the rainforest. The rainforest will be a topic of study for some of our reading groups. I know they will be excited to have real rainforest animals in our classroom!

Hebrew – Malka

Our big news since last month’s newsletter is that we completed our first Ari-Ot book and received our second book! It is a big accomplishment for the students and they are very proud of this achievement!

Hebrew

In Hebrew we will…

• Continue to work in our second Ari-Ot workbooks.
• Learn the letters Zayin, Het and Tet
• Learn and read new stories that go along with the study of each new letter.
• Learn new vocabulary that goes along with the letters we are learning.
• Visit the computer lab to support our learning.
• Make toast in the classroom (toast begins with the letter Tet)

Judaics-T’fillah (Prayer)

Last month, we studied the prayers Modeh Ani and Ma Tovu. We learned what the prayers mean and discussed and wrote about how we connect to these prayers. This month we will…

• Learn the prayers from Birkot Hashahar (there are 7 prayers and each one thanks God for something different).
• Continue writing about and discussing what each of the prayers mean to us and how they are relevant in our lives today.
• Continue to attend Divisional T’fillah once a week as well as have a service in our class once a week.

Judaics – Torah Portions

During the past month, we have been introduced to Noah, Adam, Eve, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca. This month we will…

• Continue our study of the Torah portions found in the book of B’reisheet.
• Learn key concepts, characters and vocabulary from each Torah Portion.
• Connect the actions of the characters to our school core values.
• Discuss how some of the stories relate to our lives today.

Judaics – Holidays

This month we will…

• Learn the story of Hanukkah
• Learn about the symbols, rituals, foods, traditions, and songs related to Hanukkah
• Learn how to light the Hannukiah and recite the blessings
• Sing, sing, sing Hanukkah songs

We look forward to seeing you at our lower school Hanukkah program on December 20 at the Adath Jeshurun Synagogue at 6:30 p.m.

Shabbat Shalom,

Karen Malka

Art

What we have been doing in art class:

• Drawing animals step-by-step using shapes
• Monochromatic animal paintings
• Read Dr. Seuss’s book, My Many Colored Days. Illustrations were painted by Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson

Upcoming units in art are:

• Art and spirituality book called God’s Paintbrush, written by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and illustrated by Annette Compton
• Self-expression watercolor painting responding to questions about God
• Portfolio review and sharing
• Drawings of bodies from observation
• Drawings of bodies with costumes

Library

In December, first grade library classes learn about:

• Hanukkah books
• Folk and fairy tales
• New easy reading and easy chapter books
• Patricia Polacco—a wonderful Jewish author and illustrator

Keep Reading Jewish Books Over Hanukkah!

Some suggestions:

• On Hanukkah by Cathy Goldberg Fishman
• Asher and the Capmakers by Eric Kimmel – A Hanukkah fairy tale
• Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel
• Jeremy’s Dreidle by Ellie Gellman (sister-in-law of HMJDS teacher Robert Portnoe)
• The Uninvited Guest by Nina Jaffe
• Letter on the Wind by Sarah Marwil Lamstein
• Hanukkah at Valley Forge by Stephen Krensky
• The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
• Chanukah in Chelm by David Adler
• Elijah’s Angel (A Story for Chanukah and Christmas) by Michael J. Rosen

Thank you to all of the grandparents and special people who bought books to donate to our library on Simhat Dor L’Dor!

Physical Education – Lindquist

Greetings First Grade Parents,

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving. It really is a wonderful holiday that bonds family around the dinner table and reminds us how fortunate we truly are.

What’s Next?

We’re just finishing up our basketball unit, during which your first grader improved their ball handling skills. Our next unit will be floor hockey, which is the first of our striking units. In first grade we use Pillow Polo paddle sticks for striking a special Nerf Ball. For many children who are 6-7 years old, striking a moving object is a skill with which they may have had limited experience. We begin with demonstrating how to grip the stick with separated hands. Before we play the regulation game, students learn how to direct the ball through an obstacle course. They will also participate in a variety of drills and modified games such as “Clean out the Backyard,” which is a game they played during our throwing unit. When we begin playing games, students will improve their agility and aerobic fitness by reacting and moving quickly in all different directions in relationship to the ball. Pillow Polo also is a great cooperative group game that teaches teamwork and improves hand-eye coordination. Who knows, this may be the first step in you becoming a hockey parent down the road, like me!

Technology

Digging Deeper

First graders will continue focusing on their butterfly slideshows. We will complete the art on this project and learn how to put it all together. The additional skills the first graders are learning during this project are very exciting. In the coming month, the students will continue to confirm their skills in working with our network. By the end of the project, they will be able to easily find their files on the network and save in their own file. These are important skills that they will continue to use throughout their time at HMJDS and beyond.

A compilation of some of the pictures from the slideshows you’ll see soon!

November 2011

General Studies – Diamond

Discovering the “Perfect” Neighborhood

Our focus on communities continues in the month of November as students learn more about their classroom and school communities. Dr. Levi and Mrs. Siegel spoke to us about their jobs and we took a tour of the office. Expanding out into the world, we also will learn more about the concept of neighborhood. I will read My Perfect Neighborhood by Leah Komaiko. In this story, a young girl describes her own neighborhood in a rather humorous manner. We will compare the neighborhood in the story with our students’ own neighborhoods and talk about what they might include in their own “perfect” neighborhood. Prompted by this brainstorming session, children will write and illustrate stories depicting their own version of such a perfect neighborhood. As part of this unit, our class will practice writing and learning about the different parts of their own addresses.

Math

Students are beginning unit three, Visual Patterns, Number Patterns, and Counting. Key concepts students will be learning are:

• Even and odd number patterns
• Number grid patterns
• To Create visual patterns using manipulatives
• To create and extend patterns using pattern blocks
• To create patterns related to number order such as before and after
• Number patterns created by counting by 2’s, 3’s, 5’s and 10’s
• Add and subtract using a number line or a number grid
• To tell time to the half hour
• Count up and back using a calculator
• Problem solving using “frames and arrows”
• Count and trade coin values using pennies, nickels and dimes
• Measure and record simple data

What is a Seed Story and where does it happen?

The first graders are developing into strong, confident writers and readers. We are well into our “Small Moment” unit. A small moment is made by looking into a “watermelon story” (a story with a lot of different moments) and pulling out a “seed” (one small moment). We have been spending our time looking into our own lives and pulling out an interesting moment, stretching it out, and making sure it all makes sense. We are taking our small moments and putting them into realistic fiction this month. Some mini-lessons we will focus on:

• Writers dream up what they can write about
• Writers find the best possible ending to their stories
• Writers imagine a problem and find a way to solve it

We will also be practicing ways to develop characters and setting in our own writing. This will be practiced during writing workshop and reading workshop. We will be using mentor texts to study how professional writers make believable, well thought-out characters and settings in their stories. We are continuing our “book clubs” where small groups of students work with me to hone in on particular skills. Some skills that could be touched on this month will be:

• Contractions
• Story structure
• Word families
• Sentence structures
• Nouns and Adjectives

Art

Butterfly/symmetry lesson

Students drew and painted on a folded piece of paper and printed the symmetrical butterfly with acrylic paint.

Upcoming units are:

• Review of paintbrush technique
• Color mixing using different art materials (Chalk, oil pastel and water soluble crayons)
• Read Dr. Seuss’s My Many Colored Days
• Choose one animal, one color, and one mood to draw and paint
• A monochromatic animal painting. We’ll be blending with white and black to create contrast.

Library

November is National Jewish Book Month!

First graders read Jewish books this month, both in and out of library class, in celebration of National Jewish Book Month. /strong>

Students may make a poster celebrating a Jewish book and bring it into the HMJDS library by November 9 to decorate for Book Month.

Include on the front of the poster:

• Student’s first and last name
• Student’s grade and first letter of homeroom teacher’s name (e.g. 1-D for First Grade-Diamond)
• Title and author of the book
• Colorful picture–student’s own best effort illustrating something from the story
• Any medium, such as crayons, oil pastels, markers, paint, collage

Look for the posters on library walls by mid-November!

Regular Every-2-Week Library Classes Resume!

Some first grade library classes moved around due to holidays and conferences. We are now back on our regular every-2-week schedule as listed below. Please take note, so the night before you can ask your child if he or she has books to return. November 7 is a Week 1; November 14 is a Week 2. Ms. Diamond’s class has library class on Wednesdays, Week 2.

Simhat Dor L’Dor Book Sale – Donations to the Library

On Simhat Dor L’Dor Bet, Tuesday, November 22—the day before Thanksgiving Break—from 1:30-3:30, books are available for purchase to donate to our library collection. Students whose grandparent, parent or other special person donates abook are given first opportunity to check the book out of the library. Thank you to the families who bought books for donation on Simhat Dor L’Dor Alef!

Happy Reading and Creating!—Cathi Oskow, HMJDS Librarian

Music

In the month of November we will work on being able to distinguish melodic features such as high and low tones as well as melodic direction. We will also review how to read simple rhythmic phrases using quarter notes, eighth notes and the quarter rest through a rhythmic chant that includes facts about the month of November. Prior to Thanksgiving we will learn the song “Thanks for Everything.” Hopefully the children will make connections with the song lyrics when they share things for which they are thankful. Students will be assessed on playing simple patterns on pitched percussion instruments (Orff instruments, barred xylophones and metallophones), which require them to enter on a musical cue and build ensemble skills. Assessments on the ability to play a steady beat, show melodic direction (going up and down), and mallet technique will be completed. Feedback sheets will be placed in the students’ music portfolio.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Read simple rhythm patterns that include combinations of quarter notes, two eighth notes and a quarter rest using standard music notation
• Play simple rhythmic patterns that include beat, divided beat, and silence
• Play with others a varied repertoire of instrumental music on classroom instruments
• Develop an understanding of music terminology
• Echo sing short and long phrases
• Use solfege (Curwen) hand signals to indicate melodic direction
• Distinguish melodic features: high and low tones; and melodic direction

Physical Education

It’s good to be back to our routine! I enjoyed meeting with you at fall conferences and discussing your child’s Fitness Testing performance. If you weren’t able to attend, Mr. Jacobson and I will be sharing your child’s Physical Fitness testing results with you and telling you how your child compared with National Standards in report cards. Some students were close to performing at the Presidential Physical Fitness level. If your child meets the Presidential Physical Fitness standards he or she will be awarded a certificate and patch signifying their achievement.

What’s next?

We just finished our throwing unit where we participated in various cooperative games, as well as individual activities. The goal of this unit was to get your kindergartner to consistently throw with their favorite hand while placing their opposite foot forward.

Our next unit will be our highly anticipated Basketball Unit where we learn and improve ball control skills. We begin by reviewing dribbling mechanics with appropriately sized basketballs and performing dribbling patterns. The dribbling patterns get more challenging as we progress.

We also participate in speed dribbling. Students count their bounces in a set amount of time and try to improve their score. Some of the dribbling challenges may include starting out standing, then lying flat on the floor, then returning to a standing position while maintaining their dribble. Eye-tracking and catching is also reviewed with emphasis placed on catching using only their hands.

Kelly Lindquist

Technology

Bye Bye Butterflies

The amazing butterfly investigation has been completed and fond farewells have been said to our beautiful winged friends. This means that we can now take a look back at all that we have learned about butterflies and their lives. In Technology, we’re bringing what we know about the process of metamorphosis to create amazing slide shows. We will continue this month using KidPix to show the butterfly life cycle. Each student’s original artwork and words will show their understanding and knowledge of this miraculous process that butterflies repeat generation after generation.

Once the slide shows are complete, we will be converting them to Quicktime files that we can send home for you to see. If you are unable to view the Quicktime file, please feel free to come to the lab at any time and your child will be happy to show you the incredible work he/she has done.

It was wonderful seeing so many of you at conferences, if you were unable to visit with me or have further questions, please feel free to email me, jolson@hmjds.org, at any time.

October 2011

General Studies – Jody Diamond

Numbers in the Real World

We have started our second unit in our Everyday Math journals. Everyone will be learning about three specific uses of numbers in the real world: the use of numbers in telephone numbers, in telling time, and in counting money. Your child will learn how to interpret the various parts of a telephone number (the area code, the prefix and the last four digits), how to tell time on the hour, and how to count collections of nickels and pennies. When learning to count money, it is preferred that your child use real coins. Your child will also be continuing to develop counting skills with the help of a number grid, do simple addition and subtraction problems, and solve number stories.

We have also been busy working on extra enrichment activities that involve the use of a variety of hands on materials—dice, unifix cubes, pattern blocks, rulers, geoboards, etc. These kinds of activities will continue throughout the year.

Have You Read This?

We are having a wonderful, busy start to or new school year. I am sure you have already heard your child talking about our reading workshop. This is a way to structure the reading time so every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. Students receive whole group instruction and are then given practice time to read independently. When it is up and running smoothly, students will spend their time on:

• Reading to Self
• Listen to Reading
• Reading with their partner
• Working with words

Having students involved in these activities will allow me to work more efficiently with individuals and small groups of students.

One thing you may notice is a decrease in the number of activity sheets your child brings home. While worksheets keep students busy, they don’t really result in the high level of learning I want for your child. Instead, students will be taught to select “Good Fit Books” or books they can read, understand and are interested in. They will be spending a great deal of time actually reading, which research supports as the number one way to improve reading.

Check out our Caterpillars

Wow! Our Monarch caterpillars continue to get fatter and shed their skin. Later on this month, they will crawl to the cover of their cages and hang down by a very thin thread. This will be the beginning step in the process of spinning chrysalises and turning into butterflies. This will be a very fascinating transformation for students to observe. This month, students will continue to put on their science hats, write about their observations, and measure the caterpillars’ growth. We will be making a special storyboard showing the Monarch’s life cycle. Look for the results on the back bulletin board.

Learning about Communities

Our focus this year is on communities—starting with our school and classroom communities and expanding out to our bedroom, house, and immediate neighborhood. We will learning about symbols, legends, and the compass rose when we study mapping. In the computer lab, we will use Google Earth to see a bird’s eye view of their actual house. They will be able to look at a panoramic view of their house and the surrounding neighborhood.

We have also been focusing on Derekh Eretz (respect and good deeds) and the school’s core value of the month. This month, the core value is “Judge all people favorably (kindly).” We will discuss and brainstorm what this means and looks like in our classroom and home lives.

Becoming Real Authors

Our writing workshop time is off and running. We are focused now on writing about small moment stories (recounting an event that happened over a small period of time). During the writing workshop, students are invited to live, work, and learn as writers. They are beginning to observe their lives and the world around them while collecting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing well-crafted texts. Students receive direct instruction in the form of a mini-lesson (a short lesson crafted to the specific skills needed in the class) and a mid-workshop teaching point. During the lessons, I explicitly name the skill that proficient writers use that is within reach for most of the class. Then, I demonstrate the skill and provide students with a brief time of guided practice using it. Students are also given time to write, applying the skills and strategies they’ve learned to their own writing projects. As students write, I meet with them and discuss how to move them along with their writing. The feedback is given through one-on-one conferences and small group instruction and includes instructional compliments and teaching. We set goals for the next writing time in order to push the writer to tackle new frontiers.

Hebrew and Judaic Studies – Karen Malka

Welcome Back!

It has been so wonderful to start the year with such an amazing group of first graders! Their level of excitement about learning Hebrew is amazing. Each day they embrace the material and I am very proud of what they have accomplished so far!

Hebrew Language

• We continue to begin each day by greeting each other in Hebrew and asking each other how we are. We enjoy talking and singing about the weather and the days of the week all in Hebrew!
• Ari-Ot (the lion that you met at Back to School Night) continues to help us learn the Hebrew letters. We have already learned three letters, the Aleph, Shin, and Bet. The students enjoy learning the song and completing the activities that go along with each letter.
• We have also learned two vowel sounds. We are combining the letter and vowel sounds and we are reading Hebrew!
• Each unit in our Ari-Ot workbook contains a new letter, vocabulary words, a story, and activities to help us learn the new letter.
• Each week, we visit the computer lab and use the computer program that supports our Hebrew learning. Ask your child about the fun Hebrew activities we do on the computer.
• We use many multi-sensory activities to help us learn the Hebrew vocabulary including drama, singing, games, flash cards, and art.

 

Jewish Holidays

There are many holidays during the first Hebrew month of Tishrei. In preparation for Rosh Hashanah, we have:

• Learned songs, traditions, and vocabulary.
• Set a Rosh Hashanah table and identified all of the objects on it.
• Discussed foods we eat on Rosh Hashanah such as fish, round challah, pomegranate, apples, and honey.
• Talked about and listened to the sound of the shofar (ram’s horn).
• Talked about the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and why they are important.

Upcoming Holidays

In preparation for Yom Kippur, we will:

• Discuss the concept of T’shuvah saying sorry for our mistakes. We will do this by listening to and writing our own “Sorry stories” about a time when we made a mistake and we apologized for it
• Learn that we begin each year with a “fresh start”
• Learn the customs and traditions

In preparation for Sukkot, we will:

• Learn about the holiday, why we celebrate it what it means
• Discuss what a Sukkah can be made of and other characteristics of a Sukkah
• Learn about the four components of the Lulav and Etrog
• Visit a Sukkah and possibly have a meal in the Sukkah

T’filah (prayer)

• Once a week, all of the first and second graders gather in the Beit-K’nesset for divisional T’filah. During this time the students learn the morning prayers, hear a Torah reading, learn about the weekly Torah portion, and participate in honors related to the Torah service.
• The students also have T’filah once a week in the classroom.
• In the weeks ahead, we will begin working in our own Siddur. We will be placing our pictures from home in the Siddur (thanks to those students who have brought their pictures in) we will begin by studying the prayer Modeh-Ani.

Hebrew Homework

Please encourage your child to review the flash cards that have come home. This is a great way to maintain the vocabulary that we have learned.

I want to wish all of you a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Shanah Tovah,

Karen Malka

Welcome Back to Art Class!

It has been an exciting beginning in our art classroom. I am so happy to see you and your children back at school! Also, welcome to all our new HMJDS families! The new students add a refreshing and fun change to our classes. This year all of my classes will be in art studio A and Ms. Thor’s classes will be in art studio B.

Reminder: If you haven’t already, please send a labeled paint shirt to keep in your child’s locker!

If you need to contact me you can leave a voicemail message at; 952 381 3500 EX. 3469 or email me at; aorkin@hmjds.org

Family Art Opportunities This Month

• The Minneapolis Art Institute-www.artsmia.org
• Look for Target Family Days monthly on Sundays.
• The Walker Art Center – Free First Saturdays at www.walkerart.org

Congratulations to our first HMJDS Featured Student Artist, Sixth Grader Jessica Baker. She has displayed seven acrylic paintings on canvas! She has explored diverse subject matter and techniques. It is exciting to see what students create outside of our school classes! Consider having your child exhibit their artwork from outside of school for the HMJDS community.

Thank you to art room coordinators Lauren Weiser and Lisa Sweet for helping to organize our art room volunteers! Thank you to all our art room volunteers for making classes run smoothly and giving extra attention to students!

Ms. Orkin’s First Grade art news

• Drew and shared something fun they did this summer on their new art portfolios
• Reviewed the elements of design
• Discussed ‘What is art, where is art,’ and ‘how do we talk about art?’
• Drew and painted kinds of lines
• Cut shapes to make a story collage
• Learned the difference between organic and geometric shapes

Coming up in October:

• Leaf walk and crayon rubbings
• Butterfly/symmetry lesson in drawing and painting
• Portfolio preparation for conferences

First Grade Physical Education

It’s great to be back in school working with your child in the HMJDS Physical Education program. Mr. Jacobson and Mr. Lindquist are busy putting your student through the rigors of Physical Fitness testing and are looking forward to sharing the results with you during Fall Conferences. I must admit that my favorite part of working as a physical educator at the Day School is comparing these fall test results with the spring test results, so we can gauge how well they benefit physically from our program. I am very proud of the high percentage of students who improve their level of personal fitness during the course -of the school year.

Fall Fitness Testing

Our fitness tests assess your child’s physical performance in four areas;

• Endurance – Half Mile Run
• Hamstring Flexibility – Sit & Reach Box
• Core Strength – Sit-ups completed in one minute
• Agility (which is the ability to change direction quickly) – Shuttle Run

This year we will be awarding certificates in the spring to students whose performance results meet the Presidential Physical Fitness or the National Standards.

What’s next?

During October we will be involved in activities that involve ball handling skills. First graders will use an assortment of different size and shape balls that will improve eye-tracking and hand–eye coordination. Many of the activities and games are cooperative in nature and also work on timing and accuracy.

We’re looking forward to a fun year in the gym with your child.

The Library Page for First Grade – Librarian Cathi Oskow

Our mascot, Skoob the Shelf Elf is back in the library this year.

He helps the first graders remember how to behave in a library and take care of books:

• The library is a quiet place for reading and studying.
• Use placeholders when looking for books, so you can put the book back in the correct place if you don’t want to check it out.
• Return checked-out books within two weeks—by your next library class–so that other students have the chance to read them, too.

Skoob also reminds the students to take good care of their library books:

• At home, find a special place to keep library books safe from pets and young siblings and where you can find the books when it is time to return them.
• Keep books dry, read them with clean hands, and keep food and drinks away from them.
• Turn pages carefully from the corner so they don’t rip.
• Use a bookmark or piece of paper to mark your spot.

First graders learn about Easy Reading Books and Easy Chapters, and become comfortable with checking out at least one book they can read themselves. They also learn about non-fiction books.

Librarian Access:

I work in the library in the middle of every school day, including over lunches and recesses, when I am also available for book checkout, study halls and to mentor book groups. On Tuesday afternoons, I work straight through until after school. Tuesday is the day you can stop by the library at the end of school.

Each first grade student comes to library class once every two weeks.

Library day for each class is listed below. Please take note, so the night before you can ask your child if he or she has books to return. October 10 is a Week 1; October 17 is a Week 2.

Ms. Norton’s class has library on Mondays, Week 1.

First Grade Music – David A. Shaw

To create our music classroom community we continue to spend time concentrating on what derekh eretz (respectful behavior) looks like and sounds like in the music room. During the month of October we will start concentrating on playing simple rhythmic phrases that include beat, divided beat, and silence. We will also start work on distinguishing melodic features such as high and low tones, as well as melodic direction. Some of our new songs may include: “Hop Old Squirrel,” “Trees in the Forest,” and “It’s Autumn.” We will also continue to learn how the voice is an expressive musical instrument by using our speaking voices in a rhythmic poem entitled “Crispy Leaves.” In addition, we have been reviewing how to read simple rhythmic phrases using quarter and eighth notes while using the quarter rest. To strengthen our ability to read rhythms we will learn a rhythmic chant that includes facts about the month of October.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Identify and demonstrate four healthy uses of the voice: talking, singing, whispering and calling.
• Explore how the voice can be used to create expression.
• Echo sing short and long phrases.
• Echo a four-beat rhythm pattern using beat, divided beat, and silence.
• Read simple rhythm patterns that include combinations of half notes, quarter notes, quarter rests, and paired eighth notes using standard music notation.
• Use solfege (Curwen) hand signals to indicate melodic direction.
• Distinguish melodic features: high and low tones, and melodic direction.

First Grade Technology – Juli Olson

Fabulous Firsts!

First graders are jumping in feet first picking up amazing skills. I have been so impressed with their ability to develop skills which allows us to get quite a bit done each class.

Next month, we will be focusing on using the tools available in KidPix to make a great looking picture. One of the most important computer skills is to use programs properly and allow the programs to help you. We will even begin working on a slideshow that will bring our pictures to life and help us tell a story.

Please remember to set up your home computer to open to the HMJDS portaportal on the internet. Go to www.portaportal.com and enter the Guest Name: hmjds. Our school Portaportal has grade level appropriate, teacher approved, and recommended safe websites for your child to work on and explore.