First Grade: January 26 - 30, 2026
Dear First Grade Families,
The class concluded their third Math block last week. Their confidence in using their math tools, recalling math facts, and skip counting as an introduction to times tables has come on leaps and bounds. Students will continue to practice math during morning Circle and Extra Main Lessons (XMLs). At home, you could have some fun with your child creating word problems if they come up naturally. For example, if they help or observe food preparation, they could practice subtraction: “We need to make four sandwiches. We have made two. How many more sandwiches do we need to make? How many pieces of bread do we need?” Sometimes children freeze and try to guess, but if warmly encouraged to use strategies, they will relax and do so! Remind them that they can use their fingers, manipulatives, or refer to a number line; inaccurate calculations are learning opportunities! Automaticity will come with time.
This week, the class has returned to Language Arts; during this block, the children will consolidate and extend their reading and writing skills. Immersed in fairy tales told by the teacher, students will connect with universal themes while enriching their vocabulary and increasing their awareness of language conventions. In addition to practicing encoding and decoding words in their Main Lesson Books, the class will participate in speaking and listening activities to recall and reflect on the stories they have heard. Personal responses to stories are encouraged with oral prompts relating to favorite characters, scenes, etc., enabling learners to engage with the stories as individuals and relate more deeply to texts. Waldorf education seeks to instill in children a lifelong love of reading, which begins in Kindergarten and the lower grades via oral stories as students build their foundation in reading skills. These first reading experiences mark an exciting time in their lives!
Another Waldorf tradition honored in the Grades program is the celebration of each birthday with the whole class. We are mid-school year and about midway through the birthdays! In the First Grade, each child’s seventh birthday is celebrated within the close-knit class community simply and reverently. Our class tradition is to form a circle around the birthday child and sing “Happy birthday” before enjoying a shared birthday treat. Some children opt to don the class birthday crown and a silk cape, while others prefer to go without. Many children enjoy being hoisted (carefully and within set parameters) into the air by their classmates on their special day; it is always a joyful moment!
Announcements & Reminders:
Please send rain boots! The melting ice is so tempting and slushy.
We look forward to seeing you at the curriculum morning next Saturday, where you will hear an overview of spring semester main lesson blocks and collaborate on auction project planning! The spring All School Meeting immediately follows, to which all are cordially invited.
February 7: Early Childhood & Grade Curriculum meeting at 11 am & All School Meeting (Spring) at 12:30 pm
February 12: Lunar New Year Performance 2:30 pm (all families welcome)
February 16-20: Mid Winter Break (No School)
February 23: Teacher in Service (No School)
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
