First Grade: November 10-14, 2025
Dear First Grade Families,
The class is in the final week of their second Math block. While their first Math block focused on the qualities of the numbers, engaging the children's feeling life through universal images of a singular sun, the dichotomy of night and day, the triptych of parents and child, etc, the current block lays foundations in arithmetic. Students have utilized math tools - manipulatives and number lines - and engaged in varied activities to learn their math facts, including whole body counting, fingerplays, bean bag exercises, and partner hand clapping with number verses. Many students are becoming adept at counting by twos and 10s, while others are still becoming comfortable with this new way of counting by whispering the numbers they are skipping.
During recess, the class has been spending more time in the main Grades play area near the creek. Cooperative activities such as pulling one another on the rope swing and rock hopping have seen the children gaining valuable proprioceptive input while improving their social skills. They have encouraged and helped one another, taken turns, and figured out ways to make play fair. In the meantime, students have grown through the bumpier moments! When settling disagreements and ensuring adherence to safety rules, students have learned to advocate for themselves more. A special forest play experience last week was that perennial classic: raking a huge pile of leaves and jumping into it! Each child's temperament was on full display through their movement: nimbly jumping, diving, or running full pelt and tumbling in! What a delightful sensory experience and spectacle for the children and teachers looking on.
Announcements & Reminders:
We are looking forward to seeing families at the Thanksgiving Luncheon on Friday. Please join the Grade program musical presentation in the church’s sanctuary at 10:30.
A Kindergarten tour and a Grades tour will be offered on Wednesday, December 10th at 9:30 AM. These tours are for our current families to learn more about the respective programs. Please RSVP by emailing Crystal: admissions@thegardenmarietta.org
November 19: Please RSVP to Ki Michelle by tomorrow, November 19th, via email with the names of the guests attending
November 21: Grades Presentation in Sanctuary at 10:30 am
November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon at 11 am (All families and students are invited)
November 24 - 28: Thanksgiving Break (No School)
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
