Art: Material Exploration Abstraction

First graders familiarized themselves with a variety of materials (crayon, colored pencil, and marker) and explored the marks they could make with each tools. Then they used materials of their choice to complete a guided abstraction, following verbal instructions using line and shape vocabulary. For example, they each drew a straight line that touched two edges of the paper. The girls made predictions about how the different materials would interact with watercolor,mans then used watercolor to transform their compositions. Afterward, students compared their artworks, and hypothesized about the source of commonalities and differences. One of the things they discovered is that while their work was guided with verbal instructions, the limited choices they did have resulted in a large variety of expression. Ask your daughter how the materials she used interacted with watercolor, and if it was what she expected. 

Johnny Appleseed Day!

This week we are celebrating Johnny Appleseed's birthday with a host of fun apple activities.  In Language Arts we have read aloud "tall tales" about this famous American, sorted apples with word families, and sequenced stories about his life.

In Math we tallied and graphed each homeroom's favorite type of apple.  Yellow was the clear favorite of the First Grade class!  The girls also practiced addition number sentences using dice and apple seeds.

Science is always a hit at school, and this week is no different.  The girls participated in multiple experiments- some trying to discover how to keep an apple from turning brown and some trying to predict what will float and what will sink.

It has been such a fun week in our First Grade classrooms.  Check out  some of our girls in action below.  Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!!!

Apple Taste Testing and Voting

Homemade apple muffins!!!

Story Sequencing

Which apple won't turn brown?

More Tasting

Counting apples by two

French: Playground Games

The girls have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather to play a favorite French playground game.  They sing a song about the mailman and the days of the week as the girls close their eyes to wait to see who will get the letter today.

Art: Exploring the Studio

First graders explored the art studio, and used their iPads to document their findings. They searched for geometric shapes, different kinds of lines, and things they wondered about or had a question about, and then shared their findings. Here are some of the collections that the girls were curious about:

Many asked questions about the spinning wheel. Here is a video of of a spinning wheel in action you can share with your first grader.

Lastly, first graders learned that since the studio is their shared space, it is also their responsibility to keep it in working order. Ask your daughter about her responsibility this month!

French -- Bienvenue

Welcome -- Bienvenue

First grade French is off to a great start.  We began the year learning the French words for classroom objects.  Did you see the French classroom objects coloring book your daughter brought home?   The girls have also been having a blast singing and playing games with Emiline.  This week they are learning the days of the week and the months.  Maybe you could start each day asking your daughter if she can remember the French word for the day of the week. 

  Lundi

Mardi

Mercredi

Jeudi

Vendredi

Samedi

Dimanche

Reading: Off to a great start!

It was a pleasure talking to all of you last night.  I have really enjoyed meeting with your daughters one-on-one and getting to know them.   We will be finishing up the evaluation process next week and your daughter will be assigned to her LA group the week of September 30th.  Look for a letter from the first grade team describing the different groups and letting you know who your daughter's teacher will be this year.  Mrs. Gandhi, Ms. Lacy, Mrs. Pohlhous and I are excited about getting started. Please feel free to email me at hanleyh@brynmawrschool.org if you have further questions about 1st grade language arts.  Happy reading!

PE--Let's Move!

Our first graders are having a great time in PE.  Our focus this month
is on moving.  The girls are playing tagging games while practicing their loco motor movements.  We just began our parachute unit, and they are loving it!  The girls work together, using their upper body strength, to lift and move the parachute.

Art: A Portrait of the Lower School

To begin the year in art, every girl in the Lower School drew a self portrait in pen. Using this permanent medium allowed students to practice resilience by changing an "uh-oh" into an "ah-hah!" The results are impressive,  and can be viewed just inside the studio. Ask your first grader about how she makes decisions and changes in her drawings.

Art: Connections

Each grade in the Lower School focuses on a certain theme in art. The theme for first grade is "Connections." First graders reflect on how our creative choices reflect us as individuals and connect us to others. 

Library: Cynthia Rylant experts

Greetings from the library. First graders have been learning and reviewing routines of the library including assembling into a perfect discussion and greeting circle, using space holders, choosing and checking out just right books. We started off with Cynthia Rylant books including Mr. Putter and Tabby, Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Annie and Snowball. These are all series, so if girls enjoy Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup they can keep going with other adventurous tales with these characters. Ask your daughter if Mrs. Teaberry's dog Zeke is a bother.
We are currently enjoying  Tomie DePaola's Strega Nona stories. Big Anthony continues to get into various kinds of trouble and Strega Nona works her magic. Ask your daughter to sing a song to make a pasta pot boil, or stop, or to make a magic ring transform its wearer.

Hello from Ms. Wilbur and I'd like to welcome all our first grade girls to music class.  We have been working on a song based on the C major scale.  We have been moving to the music and finally playing a part of the song on the barred instruments.  Ask your daughters about the elevator song!

Welcome to the First Grade Blog!

Dear Families,

We are so happy to have our First Grade Blog up and running!  Throughout the year we will be posting photos and news updates from our three homeroom classes.  The year is off to a great start, and we have been busy working in our classrooms.  Check back throughout the year for more updates!

Thanks,
The First Grade Team

Mrs. Gandhi's Homeroom

Miss Lacy's Homeroom

Mrs. Pohlhaus' Homeroom