Dear Redeemer Community,

This Saturday my husband and I plan to gather for dinner with three other couples, all whom we met as parents at Redeemer back in 2001. We don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like, and truthfully, it took us two months to find a date that worked for all of us. Regardless, they will always be among some of our dearest friends, and the bonds we formed as young parents at Redeemer continue to this day.

This month’s student video is a touching reminder of so many of our favorite things - family, community, learning, outdoor play, teachers, Redeemer. The common thread to all of that, though, is friendship. It is not surprising that our families and students make connections that last long beyond their time at Redeemer. PDS offers many gifts, but likely the most precious is a community of friends.

I like to think that Redeemer is a place “where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.”

That is a gift that lasts a lifetime!

Best regards,

Mary

First Grade with Mrs. Burkett

During the month of November, we have been counting our blessings in First Grade!



1 One fabulous field trip to First Fruits Farm where we helped pack 18,000 lbs. of potatoes for those in need. It was a wonderful experience, and by the time we left the farm, our arms were tired but our hearts were full!

2 Two STEAM activity sessions with our second-grade friends. This month’s topic focused on Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We learned the history and science behind the making of the parade. Then, we worked in groups to design and create our own balloon “floats.” We paraded our final prototypes through the school in own version of the holiday event!

3 Three Thanksgiving songs to sing for our families during the Thanksgiving Chapel Service!

4 “Four Corner Friday” has become a favorite morning activity in First Grade. On Friday mornings, students can choose to work in a creative building station that has been set up in one of the four corners of the classroom. They look forward to the choices, and work cooperatively with each other while building and playing.

5 Five reading partner pairs have been practicing fluency and decoding skills while reading to each other!

6 Six ways to introduce ourselves to our Govans “Hi Neighbor” friends, including favorite foods, colors, teams, places to visit, career aspirations, and videos sharing our schools. We cannot wait until we can say hello in person!

7 Seven age groups of Redeemer students all gathering for a Thanksgiving feast on Thankful Thursday! First graders were very excited to share the feast with friends and siblings in the 2’s, 3’s, Pre-K, K, Pre- 1^st, and Second Grade.

8 Eight writing opportunities to share personal narratives in our journals and in a published form. Topics have included our families, pets, Halloween, our field trip, and our special talents. We will move into persuasive and “how-to” writing in December.

9 Nine new math games and centers to practice addition and subtraction strategies, problem solving, skip counting, and number pairs using dominoes.

10 Ten enthusiastic and creative first graders who enjoy working, playing, and taking on responsibility together!! 

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