1st Grade

Welcome to the first grade web page! My name is Jenna Lee Gustafson and I am the First Grade teacher at St. John Vianney School.

In first grade, our day begins with a prayer and then greeting each other with a handshake during our morning meeting. After our morning meeting, we jump into religion. We discuss the teachings of Christ and the components of the Catholic Church. First graders will have the opportunity to prepare for masses and prayer services throughout the year. In first grade, we strongly focus on loving one another as Jesus taught. This spans from using kind words, supporting others, making strong choices, and creating an overall positive environment.

After religion, the rest of the morning typically consists of literacy content such as reading, phonics, handwriting, and language. First grade is an exciting time as students transition into being able to read more independently. This year, students will have an opportunity to publish their own stories. After each component needed to create a story is refined and polished, students will present their hard work to their friends and families.

Afternoons in first grade consist of math, art, social studies, and science. Science is often a class favorite! In our science curriculum, we will discuss the unit of Weather and Sky. In this unit, students will explore the water cycle, seasons, and how Earth moves. This unit consists of interactive and engaging activities such as tracking our shadows, ways to measure components of weather, identifying moon phases, and researching unique features of each planet in the solar system. In the first grade math curriculum, we learn about place value, how to skip count by twos, fives, and tens, and how to add and subtract.

First grade also participates in physical education every day. In physical education, students learn how to keep their bodies healthy and strong. The students enjoy learning through movement. First grade attends music three days a week. Music is a great chance for students to learn through song and instruments.

Thank you for visiting our website. Feel free to contact me with any questions or to go into further detail about first grade!

God’s blessings
Ms. Jenna Lee Gustafson