Happy third week of October! Thank you to every family who came to Parent-Teacher Conferences on Tuesday. We loved sitting down with you to talk about your child's growth, and we are grateful for your partnership. And thank you to everyone celebrating with us at Hispanic Heritage Night this Friday, especially the families who brought food to share. We love celebrating our community together!
This is a full five-day week, and a big one! On Wednesday, October 21, our first graders present their math data projects, and we can't wait for you to see them (times are in the math section and under Coming Up). In ELA and SLA, we wrap up our maps units. And the Book Fair ends on Thursday, October 22.
First Grade
Weekly Newsletter
Week of October 19, 2026
Hello 1st Grade Families!
School Year at a Glance
9/44
Week
142
school days remaining
This Month's Strong Start Theme
Respecting Differences
Coming Up
- Oct 19 Bancroft Tech Use Town Hall — Monday, October 19, 4:30–5:15 pm. A virtual meeting on Microsoft Teams for families. Look for the link on ParentSquare.
- Oct 21 Math Data Project Showcase — Wednesday, October 21 (moved from Tuesday). Cartagena and Venezuela 9:30–10:00 am · España and DR 10:45–11:15 am · Colombia and Managua 2:30–3:00 pm. First graders stand by their posters and answer your questions in Spanish. About the project
- Oct 22 Book Fair — last day, Thursday, October 22.
- Oct 22 Talent Show auditions — Thursdays, October 22 and 29, 3:30–5:30 pm. Sign up on ParentSquare.
- Oct 29 1st Grade Birthday Celebration — Thursday, October 29, 2:45 pm. We celebrate our October birthdays! Healthy snacks to share are welcome (no candy, please).
- Oct 30 Professional Development Day No School
- Nov 2 Records & Wellness Day No School
- Nov 3 Election Day No School
- Nov 11 Veterans Day No School
- Nov 25–27 Thanksgiving Recess No School
Specials Schedule
1:30–2:15| Monday Day B | Tuesday Day C | Wednesday Day D | Thursday Day E | Friday Day F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cartagena | 🔬 Science | 🏀 PE | 🏀 PE | 📚 Library | 🎨 Art |
| Colombia | 🏀 PE | 🏀 PE | 📚 Library | 🎨 Art | 🎵 Music |
| España | 🏀 PE | 📚 Library | 🎨 Art | 🎵 Music | 🔬 Science |
| DR | 🎨 Art | 🎵 Music | 🔬 Science | 🏀 PE | 🏀 PE |
| Managua | 📚 Library | 🎨 Art | 🎵 Music | 🔬 Science | 🏀 PE |
| Venezuela | 🎵 Music | 🔬 Science | 🏀 PE | 🏀 PE | 📚 Library |
Math News
Our math data project comes together this week! On Monday and Tuesday, students finish their bar graphs and questions and put them on a large poster. Then, on Wednesday, October 21, they stand by their posters, science-fair style, and explain their work in Spanish. The showcase moved from Tuesday because of a schedule change. Thank you for your flexibility!
• Cartagena and Venezuela: 9:30–10:00 am
• España and DR: 10:45–11:15 am
• Colombia and Managua: 2:30–3:00 pm
On Thursday, we start Module 2, Topic A: story problems where we add to or take from a group and find the result. Students act out each story with cubes or draw it, then write a matching number sentence.
Try this at home:
• Set the table: "There are 6 plates. 4 go to the sink. How many are left?"
• Use fingers: hold up 7 fingers, put down 5 all at once. How many are still up?
• Spot graphs together: point out charts and graphs you see, like the weather forecast or a sports table. Ask: What does it tell us? Which is the most? How can you tell so fast? A picture of the numbers is quicker to read than a list.
More ideas: Topic A Family Math letter
Module Module 2: Addition and Subtraction Relationships
Topic Data Project Showcase · Topic A: Add To and Take From
Lesson Project Days 4–5 · Lessons 1–2
Literacy News
SLA: We wrap up our maps unit in Spanish! Students finish their writing about maps and share their maps with a partner and the class. At home, draw a map of your home together, then write sentences about what is around it:
• En el norte hay ___. (To the north, there is ___.)
• En el sur hay ___. (To the south, there is ___.)
• En el este hay ___. (To the east, there is ___.)
• En el oeste hay ___. (To the west, there is ___.)
ELA: This is a bridge week between English and Spanish. Students look for cognates, words that look and sound alike in both languages, like map / mapa, globe / globo, continent / continente, and city / ciudad. To finish the unit, ELA and SLA each give an end-of-unit check. In ELA, students meet Ingrid, a first grader in El Salvador, and write how their life at Bancroft is the same as hers and how it is different.
Coming soon: Unit 2, Endangered Animals. Our next unit, in both English and Spanish, asks: What do endangered animals need to survive, and how can we help protect them? Each student will choose an animal to research. Ask your child which animal they would pick!
Reading at home: Please have your child read to you for at least 20 minutes a day, and keep practicing first-grade heart words.
Ask Your Child About...
What question did your team's poster answer? What did you tell the visitors at the showcase?
There are 7 apples and you eat 2. How many are left? How do you know?
How is your life the same as Ingrid's in El Salvador? How is it different?
Words of the Week
Math
add to agregar take from quitar total total unknown desconocido subtract restar
SLA
mapa map título title etiqueta label símbolos symbols rosa de los vientos compass rose
ELA
cognate cognado globe globo terráqueo continent continente city ciudad neighborhood vecindario
ROARS
Congratulations to this week's ROARS students for showing outstanding character!
Cartagena Ian L. R.
Colombia Marian G.
España Teresa V. H.
DR Rhys H.
Managua Genesis M. G.
Venezuela Zinnia K.