Week of December 20-23

Happy Holidays! This is our last week of school for 2010.
This week we will be exploring area, comparing weights on a balance scale, using base ten blocks to add 2 digit numbers, and making calendars for 2011. We will also be learning about the different sounds of the letters c and g. We will read different versions of The Night Before Christmas and compare and contrast them.
On Wednesday, we will watch the movie "The Polar Express." Children are allowed to wear their pajamas that day. I encourage robes if you have them. No slippers please, we have physical education that day. We will be having hot chocolate and cookies while we watch the movie.
Our Holiday Party will be on Thursday, beginning at 11:30. We will have pizza, fruit, juice boxes, water bottles, and cookies. Thanks to all who donated items for our party! Students are encouraged to bring in a board game or a card game to play with their classmates at the party. Parents are welcome to attend as well.
I hope you all have a wonderful, healthy, restful winter break. Enjoy every minute with your little ones! See you in 2011!

Week of December 13-17

During this last full week before our winter break, we will be learning about winter holidays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. We will prepare for our Holiday Concert, which is on Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm. On Thursday, we will have an assembly, called "Super Survivor".
Friday we will have a special treat when we make Gingerbread Houses with the 8th graders. Each first grader will make their own house, using milk cartons (from school) and graham crackers, frosting, and decorations from home. This activity is a very fun process and the children really enjoy it. Please look for a note to come home with more information.
An email went out about the classroom Holiday Party, which will be Thursday, December 23. We are ordering pizza and playing board games or card games brought from home. All are welcome to join us for a fun time of games and pizza.
We are starting Unit 5 in Everyday Mathematics this week. We will be exploring place value using base ten blocks and calculators. We will also be comparing numbers using the greater than and less than symbols. Please continue to practice basic addition facts to ten.
In reading, we are reading a Biscuit story in our anthology. We are continuing with our Jan Brett author study. The students are really enjoying her stories!
Have a great week! I know the children are getting very excited about the holidays. We have had some great discussions about Santa and they are writing wonderful stories about Christmas traditions with their families. Thanks for sharing your children with me each day!

Week of December 6-10

This week we will begin our new author study of Jan Brett. She has written so many wonderful books! We will share her stories, newsletter, website, tips for writing, coloring pages, and even puppets. Her books will definitely help us get into the spirit of the season.
We will finish Unit 4 in math and have a test on Thursday. Our next unit is about place value, number stories, and basic facts. It is devoted to extending children's understanding of, and proficiency with, addition and subtraction. Children make up and solve number stories, which helps foster links between verbal representations and concrete, pictorial, and number model representations. They also will work on adding 0 and 1 and doubles.
Please look for information to come home about gingerbread houses and the Polar Express. These are special events first grade enjoys each year.
Please note that we will be going outside for recess every day, as long as it is not raining. Please send your child with a warm coat, hat, gloves, scarf, etc.
Have a joyful week!

Week of November 29-December 3

As we enter the month of December, we are busier than ever in 1D! Thanks so much for all of the generous donations for our Friendship Soup. The students did a great job of making the soup, and it was delicious! They also enjoyed the corn bread, pumpkin bread, apple juice, and apple cider. We even made our own butter. It was a fun feast! A special thanks to all the Moms who came in to help. Your assistance was greatly appreciated.
We are on our third unit of our Scott Foresman reading series. Students will take the Unit 2 test this week. We are learning about describing setting in our writing. Look for writing pieces to come home soon, as it's the end of the month again.
In math, we are measuring with rulers to the nearest inch. We are also measuring time to the quarter hour. Please practice basic addition facts at home.
Our faithful canine reading partners will be with us on Monday. We can't wait to see how they are dressed this time!
We will be learning about the importance of shelter this week. We will learn about different kinds of houses and how they are built.
Have a super week!

Week of November 22-24

Happy Thanksgiving! We will have a short week this week, and a busy one!
On Tuesday we will be following recipes to make two delicious treats. Mrs. Saxton will make peanut butter balls with us, and then we will make Friendship Soup. In the afternoon we will enjoy the soup at a feast with Mrs. Esposito's class. A note went home on Friday asking for specific donations for the soup. Please send items in on Tuesday. If anyone can come in on Tuesday afternoon to help serve the soup, that would be great. Please let me know.
We will not have a spelling test this week because of the short week. I will send home the word wall words and spelling words, but we will not have a test.
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Week of November 15-19

This week we will enjoy two special visits. Our faithful therapy dogs will come on Monday to hear us read stories. They are such good listeners! On Thursday, we will have a real live author visit our school! She writes stories about dogs. We can't wait to hear her advice on improving our own stories.
In math, we are finishing Unit 3 and will have a test on Tuesday. Unit 4 is about measurement. We will work with linear measures and review and extend our use of thermometers and clocks. We will measure in nonstandard units, such as digits and hand spans, as well as the US customary units of inches and feet. We will use tape measures to practice measuring classroom objects and ourselves. You should be practicing basic addition facts a little each night. Flashcards are a great way to practice. You can also try some of the games on my homepage.
David Shannon is our author/illustrator of the month. We are enjoying his stories and pictures. If you have any at home that you would like to share, please send them in!
Have a wonderful week!

Week of November 1-3

During this short week, we will be moving ahead with our Scott Foresman reading series. We will not have a spelling test this week. For our learning centers we will sort the seeds we found on our seed hunt. We will also use our painted papers to create collages in the style of Eric Carle. We will learn about popcorn and make and enjoy some!
I look forward to seeing you at conferences!

Week of October 25-29

It's the last week of October! WOW! The first marking period ends this week. Conferences and report cards will happen next week. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child's progress.
This week we will publish in Writing Workshop. The students have been writing every day and their writing skills are improving every day. This week they will choose a piece they would like to publish. I will type it for them, they will illustrate it. The other pieces they have written this month will come home on Friday. Look for them!
We had a great time learning about seeds last week. Our seed hunt revealed many surprises! This week we will be learning about bats. We will read about bats, watch a video of bats, and act like bats while we are using echolocation.
Our Halloween Parade and Party will be on Friday, 10/29. The parade starts at 1:45. Students are allowed to wear costumes to school (guidelines were sent home on Friday, 10/22) Thanks for volunteering to send in so many goodies for the party. I hope to see you there!
This week is also Red Ribbon Week. An outline of the week went home on Friday 10/22. In first grade we focus on making healthy choices. That includes eating healthy foods, making positive choices about our activities, getting exercise, avoiding things that are bad for us.
Happy Halloween!

Week of October 18-22

I hope you are enjoying the beauty of the fall as much as I am!
This week we will go on a leaf hunt as a math enrichment activity on Tuesday. We will sort, measure, compare, and classify leaves. We will also learn about seeds this week. We will go on a nature walk and look for seeds. We will try to determine the plants they grow in to. We will spend some time learning about pumpkins and their life cycle.
We have started Unit 3 in math. This unit is all about predictable patterns. We will focus on number patterns: odd and even numbers, patterns in number lines, number grids, and number sequences. Telling time is extended to the half-hour, dimes are added to our coin collections, and work is begun on solving simple addition and subtraction stories.
Spelling will begin this week. Look for spelling words to come home on Monday. We will have a spelling test on Friday. Students should review the words each night.
Our Halloween Party is almost set. Thanks for the quick email replies! We are still in need of a game. We could play Pass the Pumpkin, or make each other into mummies with toilet paper. Let me know if you have any other ideas, or would like to run the games mentioned.
Have a great week!

Week of October 12-15

Happy Columbus Day!
On Monday, I will be attending workshops on Writing Workshop and Differentiation of Instruction. I will also be trained in our new reporting system. I hope you enjoy an extra day to sleep in and spend with your children!
This week we will continue our Eric Carle author study. We will read more of his beautiful books, and maybe try to write some of our own in Writing Workshop. We will even try some of his artist techniques and visit his website.
We are finishing Unit 2 in math this week. Thank you for sending in the nickels. It is so helpful to have authentic coins to count. We will have assessments this week in math, and on Friday we will play "store". Students should bring in small items to pretend sell/buy at their store, which they will set up in the classroom. We will use the coins in the classroom to count money to "buy" the items. This is all pretend, no items will be truly bought. It's just good practice!
We will learn about the voyage of Christopher Columbus by making our own ships on the ocean, singing songs, and watching a video of his journey.
On Friday, I will be testing the students phonemic awareness and phonics skills through the DIBELS assessment.
If you have not sent in $1 for a Tulip Bulb for Red Ribbon Week, please do so.
Look for an email to come home this week about our Halloween Party, which will be on Friday, October 29.

Week of October 4-8

Can you believe it's October already?!
On Monday we will welcome our therapy dogs to our classroom. They will visit us many times during the school year. The dogs are very well trained and love to listen to the children read. Each child will get a turn to read with the dogs each time they visit. Ask your child all about it on Monday!
The students have new seats in the classroom to start the new month. We also have a new author of the month ~ Eric Carle! We will be studying the format of his books and perhaps creating some of our own in writing workshop.
This week we will be learning about fire safety. We will be discussing escape plans and hazardous materials. Please practice your fire escape plan at home and check your smoke alarm.
In math, we will be studying nickels. Each student should bring in ten nickels to use for counting money and for playing exchange games. We will also be learning about change to more and change to less number stories.
Thank you for practicing shoe tying! We have seven children in our class who have passed the shoe tying test!

Week of September 27-October 1

We begin the week with Picture Day! Our pictures will be taken on Monday between 11:10 and 11:30. Dress your best! Please remember to send in the envelope. Students can bring sneakers to change into for physical education.
Speaking of sneakers, our "I Can Tie My Shoes" caterpillar will be going up in the hallway. When students learn how to tie their shoes, they show me. I give them a certificate and they get to put their name on the caterpillar for everyone to see. Please work with your child to teach them how to tie their shoes. I look forward to seeing everyone's name on the caterpillar!
On Thursday we will have a writing workshop celebration! We have worked on adding details to our writing, using capitalization at the beginning of sentences and for names, and writing complete stories. We will share our published pieces and have cookies and punch to celebrate our accomplishments. The published pieces will go on the bulletin board. The students will be bringing writing work home for you to see and respond to. Look for it on Thursday. Please send the response sheet back to school. The writings can stay home.
In math this week we will be using rulers, calculators, clocks, and pennies to learn more about the uses of numbers. Thanks for keeping up with the homework!
Have a great week!

Week of September 20-24

This week we will welcome a new student to our class on Monday. In Writing Workshop, we will learn when to use capital letters and practice writing friendly letters. We will meet our 8th grade Reading Buddies this week. Five eighth graders will come to read with five first graders every afternoon for about 15 minutes. This is a great program which helps our first graders become better readers and helps our eighth graders learn how to work with children.
We will have Library for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. Students will be able to take home one book. Please return it by the following Wednesday.
We have also started using the Computer Lab. We are working on mouse control by trying to stay in the lines when we color a picture on the computer.
In Math, we have finished Unit 1. We will have an assessment on Tuesday. Our new chapter is about Everyday Uses of Numbers. We will learn how numbers are used to tell time and count money. Look for HomeLinks to come home for homework.
Please remember that we are always in need of baby wipes and Clorox wipes.

Week of September 13-17

Thank you parents for doing such a great job last week with homework and book in a bag returns! The students are off to a wonderful start and already showing progress. There is such excitement about learning every day in the classroom. Thanks for all the penny donations. Keep them coming! Students should also bring a clean, white, tube sock to keep at school as an eraser for our slates. We use these almost everyday.
This week we will begin our first author study. We will read stories by Kevin Henkes and explore how he develops his characters. The students will enjoy relating as the characters go through situations similar to ones they have experienced.
Don't forget about Back to School Night on Tuesday at 6:00 pm. I look forward to meeting each of you then.
Friday we will learn about the Constitution as we acknowledge Constitution Day.
Look for the homework packet to come home again on Monday!

Welcome to First Grade!

Greetings to all new first grade parents! I hope the school year has gotten off to a smooth start. The students are doing a wonderful job adjusting to the new classroom and routines. Next week we will already begin guided reading groups and writing workshop! We will also work at centers, do Project READ lessons, and have an apple tasting. Please send in an apple on Friday. I also need donations of paper plates, napkins, peanut butter, and caramel. We will need pennies for math activities. If you have any pennies to donate, please send them in with your child.
I look forward to meeting everyone on Back To School Night, which is September 14 from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Week of June 14

This is our last week of first grade! On Monday we had a fantastic field day at the lake. I was pleased with the way the first graders conducted themselves. They used good sportsmanship and cheered on their classmates in the events. On Tuesday we had fun playing games that the students brought in from home. We also learned about the flag and sang patriotic songs for Flag Day. Wednesday we will have the first grade talent show! Thursday will be our last day together. There will be a pizza party at 11:00. Please bring in $1 for pizza. Report cards and summer packets will be sent home on Thursday.
Thank you for being wonderful parents to work with this year! Your children brightened my days and I enjoyed watching them grow. Please be sure to read every day over the summer. The library has a wonderful summer reading program. A blue flier will come home in the report card envelope explaining the program. I hope you take advantage of it. Use flash cards or math games to practice math facts. Don't forget about real life problem solving. Your children are very bright and should be asked higher level thinking questions about your daily activities.
Have a wonderful, safe summer!

Week of June 1-4

Happy June everyone!
This week we will be wrapping up many things. We will take the end of the year math assessment. We will take a word wall test. We will make special cards for the therapy dogs. Their last visit with us will be June 7. A letter will come home on Tuesday asking for donations of dog treats, toys to present to our therapy dog friends on their last day. We will also be learning about sand, observing sand samples from all over the world, and creating a sand art project. On Wednesday, we will have an Earth Science Circus assembly.

Week of May 17-21

The Butterfly That's Missing!
By Richard and Brian

The butterfly was missing! When Mrs. DiRenzo was feeding the butterflies, one escaped from the cage. Now we are looking for it. We have not found it. It is probably not dead yet. That is sad. We really miss it. I hope we find it. Then we will let them go. Bye butterflies!

The Butterfly Who Got Away
By Jacob

Once upon a time, Mrs. DiRenzo was feeding the class butterflies and one of them flew out! Then he went into one of the seashells. He made some arrangements. So he painted it black and red, built a computer, and a TV, and a bed. He loved his new home. So he slept there. But then he started to miss his family and went back to his real home.

Week of May 10-14

We will begin our study of the rocky seashore this week. As part of MARE (Marine Activities and Resources in Education), first grade learns all about the tidepools. We will study the creatures who live in this unique environment, the plants, what makes the tides, where tidepools are found, and what people can do to protect them. If you have any materials that you would be willing to share, that would be great!
We are starting Unit 10 in math. This is our last unit. It is a review unit of all we have learned this year. Please read the parent letter that will come home on Monday.
Some exciting news - I will be graduating this Saturday! My teacher action research plan was delivered from the bindery today. Thanks again for sharing your children with me this year. They were wonderful participants in my study!

Week of May 3-7

This week holds our class trip to the State Theater, a visit from our therapy dogs, the school-wide MARE kick off, Cinco de Mayo, and preparations for Mother's Day. WOW! All that in addition to reading, writing, and math. We will be busy!
We will finish our insect unit this week. We have been having a great time being entomologists. We did find some bugs on our bug hunt and the students have been fascinated by them. Each student wrote a report about our bug hunt. We have been learning how to read non-fiction texts and recording all that we have learned on charts. We also acted out metamorphosis and created all kinds of insects out of craft materials.
I hope you are enjoying reading the Junie B. Jones books I sent home. She is quite a character! I'm sure we will enjoy the play on Tuesday at the beautiful State Theater in Easton. I did encourage the students to dress nicely for our trip.
If anyone wants to send in chips, salsa, or guacamole for Cinco de Mayo, that would be great! Just let me know. Thanks and have a great week!

Week of April 26-30

We will be buzzing in first grade this week! Our new science unit is all about bugs! We will be learning about different types of bugs and how they live. We will learn about bug safety. We will go on a bug hunt and hopefully find some bugs to observe in our classroom. If you feel comfortable, take your child on a bug hunt and capture a specimen to bring in for observation. Live insects can be kept for a few days and are very fun to watch. It's going to be an insect extravaganza!
We will be starting our last unit in Scott Foresman this week. Students will bring anthologies home on Friday and can keep them all week. Please read a few stories every night and return them on Friday.
Spring pictures will be taken on Monday. There is no obligation to purchase. These photos will be taken by LifeTouch Studios.
On Thursday, we will have an enrichment activity provided by Mrs. Saxton. The activity will be related to Earth Day.
Have a great week!

Week of April 19-23

During this week, we will be learning about the importance of recycling, reusing, and reducing waste. We will celebrate Earth Day by reading stories such as Farewell to Shady Glade and The Wump World, by Bill Peet. We will also read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. We will make posters to put around the school reminding everyone to reuse, reduce, and recycle.
In math, we will be starting Unit 9, which is about place value and fractions. We will also be exploring concepts such as capacity, symmetry, and measuring heights in this unit. Look for a parent letter to come home this week.
My daughters will be joining our class on Thursday for "Bring Your Child to Work Day." Lauren will perform a reader's theater version of "Hey, Little Ant" with me and Gina will lead the class in creating origami. It's sure to be a fun day!
The Student Council is sponsoring a Duck Race on Friday for autism awareness. It's not too late to buy a duck for $2.00.

Week of March 29

During this four day week, we will begin learning about fractions in math. We will make our own fraction pizzas out of paper plates and use the flannel board to explore equal parts. We will be writing stories called "All About Me". On Tuesday, we will make our Easter bunny craft.
I hope everyone has a wonderful spring break! Rest, relax, be safe, and enjoy the holiday!

Week of March 22

We will finish our math unit on geometry this week. Look for a parent letter to come home on Monday explaining our new unit. We will continue to explore new concepts on motion in science. We will build our own rollers and try them out on ramps. We are having a great time with our Marc Brown author study. The students are writing some terrific stories about Arthur and the other characters. Using a story map as a graphic organizer is really helpful.
Please send in three bags of cotton balls and a bottle of white glue by the end of the week. We will be making Easter bunnies out of milk cartons. They are adorable and will last a long time, but your child will need cotton balls and glue to make them. Thanks!

Week of March 15-19

We are concluding our study of fairy tales this week. The students have done a wonderful job reading, writing, acting out, creating castles, and comparing their favorite fairy tales. Now we are moving on to an author study of Marc Brown. He is best known for his Arthur stories. Marc Brown will be a guest speaker at the Rutgers Annual Reading and Writing Conference, which I will be attending next month.
In math, we are continuing our study of shapes and 3D objects. This week we will make shapes out of playdough. We will also use geoboards to make polygons. The students are doing a great job with their subtraction facts.
Our science unit on balance and motion is so much fun! This week we will study spinning and twirling. We will make zoomers and twirlybirds.
Please save a gallon size plastic container for an upcoming Easter project. Each child will also need 3 large bags of cotton balls and a bottle of white glue. These items are needed by March 24. Thank you!

Week of March 8-12

We have started a new science unit. We are using the FOSS kits from Delta Education. We are studying balance and motion. We will be learning all about balance, spinning, rotating, twirling, and rolling. We will be using a variety of materials to help us explore motion. A parent letter came home last week explaining this unit.
In math, we are starting Unit 7, which is all about geometry. We will explore 3D shapes and 2D figures. We will sort objects into categories, make polygons with straws and twist ties, and explore geometric concepts. Look for a parent letter to come home.
The fairy tale castles were WONDERFUL, and the students said they had so much fun making their castles. Thank you for your support for this activity. Isn't is amazing what you can do with recycled materials?
We have finished another unit in our Scott Foresman reading series. We will have a unit test this week. The anthology will come home on Friday. Have fun listening to your child read his/her favorite stories from the anthology. Please remember to return it on Friday.
Please keep the lego items coming for our Tricky Tray basket! Thanks to everyone who has donated so far.

Week of February 22

Last week we had so much fun learning about Chinese New Year. We even had our own dragon parade, complete with the sound of firecrackers!
This week we will be reading many different fairy tales. We will compare and contrast versions of the same tale, we will study story elements and development of characters. In our guided reading groups, we will act out fairy tales using a Reader's Theater format.
We will be learning about the quarter in math. We will also be working on telling time to the 5 minute interval. Our subtraction timed tests will begin next week. Look for a parent letter.
We will also learn about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln this week.
Thank you for the soup donations! We reached our goal of 100+ cans for the local food pantry.
Thank you to those who have donated Legos for our Tricky Tray basket. We have six kits so far. Keep them coming!
I wanted to share my news that my research advisor has signed off on my Master's thesis project! Thank you all for allowing your children to be a part of my study. They were the perfect group!

Valentine's Day update

Happy President's Day weekend everyone!
The snow has certainly lengthened our weekend! I hope you are enjoying sledding, building snowmen, and making snowforts.
Our Valentine's Day celebration will be on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 1:45. If there is a delay, it will still be then. If there is a snow day, then we will have it Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 1:45.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Week of February 8

This short week will be packed with a lot of interesting events. We will be learning about Chinese New Year. We will also be celebrating the 100th day of school! The projects look awesome on the bulletin board. Don't forget to bring in soup cans for our Souper 100 service project. We are also collecting coins for the leukemia foundation. We will be starting a unit on Fairy Tales this week. Please remember that we do not have school on Friday or Monday. Enjoy the long weekend!

Week of February 1

Happy February! This week we sadly say good-bye to Morgan, who is moving to Florida. We will miss her very much! On Tuesday we will celebrate Groundhog Day and learn about the traditions behind this holiday. In math we will study the relationship between addition and subtraction. We will begin to celebrate Kindness Month by writing letters to each other telling how special we all are to each other. We will learn how to write acrostic poems this week.
Thanks for sending in money to buy books and videos. OCS raised over $400 for Operation Smile!
Don't forget our service project! We are collecting cans of soup for Souper 100.
I hope you are busy working on your 100 day project. They are due on Friday. Please let me know if you need any ideas or have questions.

Week of January 25

This week we will learn more about life during the pioneer times by reading the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder. We will compare life today to life long ago. We will play with colonial toys and wear pioneer clothes. It will be fun!
This week we will also have Child Assault Prevention on Wednesday. The therapy dogs will be visiting on Monday. On Thursday, Mrs. Saxton will come in for an enrichment lesson for our class. Don't forget, report cards come home on Wednesday. Please sign the white envelope and return it to school.
We have finished our third anthology. The students will bring it home on Friday. Please enjoy listening to them read the stories from this anthology. It needs to be returned by Friday, Jan. 29.
Congratulations to Jacob White for winning our class spelling bee! Jacob won a $5 gift card to The Book Loft. Congratulations to Jennifer Hayes for coming in second place. Everyone did a great job!

Week of January 19

Ask your first grader what they can do when they are reading and they come to a word they don't know. We have been spending a considerable amount of time learning about and implementing reading strategies. We made our own classroom poster and each student took home a bookmark and visual reminder. Please encourage them to use these strategies when they are reading. Don't tell them the word, they can do it!
After spending time learning and experimenting with snow and ice, we are moving on. This week we will learn about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We will also be introduced to Laura Ingalls Wilder. She is our new author of the month. We will learn about her life as a pioneer. We will also make our own quilt squares, using the maple leaf pattern.
The students have been doing a fantastic job writing small moment stories and animal reports. Look for pieces to come home soon for sharing.
Have a great week!

Week of January 11

Happy New Year! 2010 is off to a great start in our first grade classroom. This week we have been studying snow. We completed a story impression to help us learn about Snowflake Bentley. Then we did an anticipation guide and discovered some very interesting science facts about snow. We also did an experiment involving melting ice. We made wiggle snowmen to hang on our clothesline. In tech lab we typed the poems that we wrote about snow. What a flurry of activity!
Next week we will learn about arctic animals. We will discover how they adapt to their environment. Each student will choose an animal to research and write a report about.
In reading, we will make a classroom poster of our favorite reading strategies. The therapy dogs will visit us on Monday and listen to our reading. Students will also meet with me for reading conferences and guided reading groups.
Our class won Spirit Day this week! Thanks for your support. We get to pick the theme for next month.
Have a great week!