During the month of December, first grade will be a bustling with special activities. The students are very excited about the holiday concert on Wednesday, December 5. Also on December 5, we will visit the Holiday Shop, where students can purchase gifts for family members. Hat Day is December 7. Students can wear a hat in school all day by bringing in a canned good or nonperishable item for donation to the local food bank. Our cute canine friends will visit us on December 12. We will make special reindeer cards for them. On December 17, we will travel to the North Pole aboard the Polar Express, while wearing our pajamas and enjoying hot chocolate. Friday, December 21 is a 1:00 dismissal day. We will return to school on January 2.
Academically, we are on Unit 3 in our Scott Foresman reading series. Look for the anthology to come home on Friday, December 7. You may keep it home for one week, and return it on December 14. Please have your child read a few stories to you each night. Be sure to commend them on their progress in reading! We are on Unit 5 in Everyday Math. This unit focuses on place value for tens and ones and adding two digit numbers. Please be sure to practice adding and subtracting on a regular basis. We have finished our realistic fiction stories in Writing Workshop. They will be coming home soon. During the month of December, we will be working on "how to" books. In Science, we are learning about how animals adapt to their environment and how baby animals learn from their mothers. In Social Studies, we are learning about maps, map keys, and the compass rose. Our author/illustrator this month is Jan Brett. We are really enjoying her fun stories and beautiful illustrations!
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, full of joy and wonder. Be safe and enjoy every minute of this special time.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
November News
November started off a bit crazy because of Superstorm Sandy. I hope that all of you are staying safe and warm during this trying time. If there is anything the school can do to make things easier for you, please let us know. We will be having a Hat Day to support the Red Cross on Friday, November 9. Students may wear a hat if they bring in a monetary donation, in any amount, for the Red Cross.
I enjoyed meeting with parents at conferences to discuss your child's progress. Report cards will be sent home on Monday, November 12. Please remember to sign and return the brown report card envelope. We will be learning about Veteran's and working on narrative fiction in writing workshop. We will be counting money and working on improving our addition and subtraction strategies. The ROCK dogs will visit on Wednesday, November 14.
Thanksgiving brings us a shortened week of school. We will have a 12:30 dismissal on Wednesday, November 21 and no school November 22 and 23. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
October 17-31
Many exciting topics are being "researched" by the first graders! We are learning about apples, pumpkins, bats, and spiders. They are using non-fiction materials to conduct their research. They are recording what they learned and what they continue to wonder about. We will use our research to help us write about these topics.
Speaking of writing, I hope you enjoyed the first pieces that your child brought home from writing workshop. We are focusing now on "small moment" stories. Each student has chosen a small moment from their life and they are writing a story about it, focusing on zooming in and adding details. We will also focus on capitalization this month.
We are almost done with our first Scott Foresman unit. In Unit 2, we will be reading stories from the anthology. We have had DIBELS tests this month and DRA tests. I will discuss the results with you at conferences.
We are all looking forward to the Halloween Party on October 31. We will have treats, costumes, and games, and of course, the parade!
Our therapy dogs have been to visit us twice this month. We love to read to them. They are a great motivator for us all. We especially enjoyed their Halloween costumes.
Speaking of writing, I hope you enjoyed the first pieces that your child brought home from writing workshop. We are focusing now on "small moment" stories. Each student has chosen a small moment from their life and they are writing a story about it, focusing on zooming in and adding details. We will also focus on capitalization this month.
We are almost done with our first Scott Foresman unit. In Unit 2, we will be reading stories from the anthology. We have had DIBELS tests this month and DRA tests. I will discuss the results with you at conferences.
We are all looking forward to the Halloween Party on October 31. We will have treats, costumes, and games, and of course, the parade!
Our therapy dogs have been to visit us twice this month. We love to read to them. They are a great motivator for us all. We especially enjoyed their Halloween costumes.
Monday, September 26, 2011
September 26-October 14
The first graders have adjusted to their new routines. Our days are busy with math lessons and games, phonics and phonemic awareness activities, guided reading, writing workshop, and social studies and science lessons. Check out our bulletin board to read some of the fantastic stories we have already published! We are enjoying our author/illustrator study of Kevin Henkes. We especially like his mouse characters. We are fortunate to have a new student in our class. Betsy speaks English and Spanish; we are learning a lot from her! Thank you for the great job you are doing with supervising homework and signing the bookmark for reading. Keep up the super work!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
September 6-16
Welcome to First Grade! We are off to a great start, despite the rainy, soggy weather. The students are eager to get into the routines of first grade and happy to see their friends. This first week of school is all about getting familiar with the classroom, each other, and routines. Next week we will start getting into our Everyday Math books and the Scott Foresman reading series. We will also be learning about Constitution Day and reflecting upon what it means to be an American. I look forward to seeing everyone at Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 13. If you cannot attend, please send me an email so I have your email address. Thank you!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Week of June 13-17
The MARE projects were WONDERFUL! The students did a really fantastic job with them and enjoyed presenting them to the class. We all learned a lot about tidepool creatures.
As we approach the end of first grade, we have many fun events to look forward to. On Monday, our canine friends will visit for the last time this year. Thank you for the great treats for them. We have quite a gift bag ready! We also made cards to show them our appreciation. They have been so faithful to us and have really inspired our reading and writing.
On Wednesday, we will have our class Talent Show. This is a chance for our students to show off some of their lesser known skills, maybe dancing, singing, hula hooping, magic tricks, joke telling, or other talents. This show is just for the first graders. We are looking forward to a fun day!
Thursday is Field Day, and this year we will be staying at OCS. The fire department is coming to our school for the "wet down" event, so students will need to wear bathing suits. Mrs. S is recommending hats and sunscreen. Parents are welcome to join us for this fun day. Dismissal is at 12:30.
On Friday we will enjoy our school wide positive behavior award by watching a movie in the library with 1E and kindergarten. Dismissal is at 12:30.
Thanks for your continued support and have a great week!
As we approach the end of first grade, we have many fun events to look forward to. On Monday, our canine friends will visit for the last time this year. Thank you for the great treats for them. We have quite a gift bag ready! We also made cards to show them our appreciation. They have been so faithful to us and have really inspired our reading and writing.
On Wednesday, we will have our class Talent Show. This is a chance for our students to show off some of their lesser known skills, maybe dancing, singing, hula hooping, magic tricks, joke telling, or other talents. This show is just for the first graders. We are looking forward to a fun day!
Thursday is Field Day, and this year we will be staying at OCS. The fire department is coming to our school for the "wet down" event, so students will need to wear bathing suits. Mrs. S is recommending hats and sunscreen. Parents are welcome to join us for this fun day. Dismissal is at 12:30.
On Friday we will enjoy our school wide positive behavior award by watching a movie in the library with 1E and kindergarten. Dismissal is at 12:30.
Thanks for your continued support and have a great week!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Week of June 6-10
This week we will be taking the Oxford Test for Language Arts and Math. This test is based on the NJ State Test. We will be taking the Language Arts portion on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 8:30 until about 10:00 each day. On Thursday and Friday we will be taking the math portion during the same time. It is important that your child arrive at school on time, get a good night's rest, and have a healthy breakfast each day. Your children are well prepared for this test and should feel confident each day.
Don't forget that MARE tidepool projects are due on Monday. The children have been talking excitedly about what they are doing. I can't wait to see them! We will share with the class on Monday.
We are looking forward to the yummy Luau Lunch on Wednesday!
I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday at Ocean Night. There will be so much to look at and learn throughout our school. First grade has created a giant tidepool in the hall outside of our classrooms. We hope you enjoy it!
Have a great week!
Don't forget that MARE tidepool projects are due on Monday. The children have been talking excitedly about what they are doing. I can't wait to see them! We will share with the class on Monday.
We are looking forward to the yummy Luau Lunch on Wednesday!
I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday at Ocean Night. There will be so much to look at and learn throughout our school. First grade has created a giant tidepool in the hall outside of our classrooms. We hope you enjoy it!
Have a great week!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Week of May 31-June 3
I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I know the students loved marching in and watching parades, swimming, and having picnics with family and friends.
This week we will be completing the Unit 6 Scott Foresman test. We will also be doing DIBELS and DRA tests on Thursday and Friday. Please keep the anthology home until Friday. Have your child read a story or two each night to you. The end of the year math tests will come home on Tuesday. Please check the skills your child seems to need work on, mostly time and money. They would be good to practice over the summer.
If you still have library books at home, please return them ASAP.
Have a safe week, stay cool!
This week we will be completing the Unit 6 Scott Foresman test. We will also be doing DIBELS and DRA tests on Thursday and Friday. Please keep the anthology home until Friday. Have your child read a story or two each night to you. The end of the year math tests will come home on Tuesday. Please check the skills your child seems to need work on, mostly time and money. They would be good to practice over the summer.
If you still have library books at home, please return them ASAP.
Have a safe week, stay cool!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Week of May 16-20
This week we will be exploring the tidepools even further. We will be making tidepool creatures for our bulletin board display. We will be working with a partner to write an All About... book for the tidepools. We will be reading some fantastic ocean related literature and doing some hands on activities along with it.
We have finished our Everyday Math curriculum. We will be having a Unit 10 test on Tuesday, and shortly thereafter we will have the end of the year test. We will spend the rest of the year reviewing and perfecting our skills.
The students did a fabulous job writing poems, and they are displayed on the bulletin board outside of our classroom. Stop to read them when you come for the concert, which is Wednesday night. Students should report to the classroom between 5:30 and 6:00. See you then!
We have finished our Everyday Math curriculum. We will be having a Unit 10 test on Tuesday, and shortly thereafter we will have the end of the year test. We will spend the rest of the year reviewing and perfecting our skills.
The students did a fabulous job writing poems, and they are displayed on the bulletin board outside of our classroom. Stop to read them when you come for the concert, which is Wednesday night. Students should report to the classroom between 5:30 and 6:00. See you then!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Week of May 9-13
I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! The students were so excited to make the "purse" cards for their Mother's. Thank you Moms, for all you do each day and night for your children. You are super Moms!
This week we will be exploring poetry. We will be reading a variety of poems and trying our hand at writing our own poetry.
Our study of the tidepools has officially begun! Students should have brought home information about their MARE projects, which are due on June 6. If you have any questions about the projects, please email or write a note. I will be happy to help.
Progress reports will come home on Friday, May 13.
Don't forget about the Spring Concert, Wednesday, May 18. The theme is, "It's Saturday", so students should wear Saturday clothing. The concert begins at 6:00.
Thanks for all the goodies for Cinco de Mayo! We had a very fun fiesta and the students tried some new foods.
This week we will be exploring poetry. We will be reading a variety of poems and trying our hand at writing our own poetry.
Our study of the tidepools has officially begun! Students should have brought home information about their MARE projects, which are due on June 6. If you have any questions about the projects, please email or write a note. I will be happy to help.
Progress reports will come home on Friday, May 13.
Don't forget about the Spring Concert, Wednesday, May 18. The theme is, "It's Saturday", so students should wear Saturday clothing. The concert begins at 6:00.
Thanks for all the goodies for Cinco de Mayo! We had a very fun fiesta and the students tried some new foods.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
April 26-May 6
I hope everyone enjoyed their Spring Break. It was nice to have some time to rest and refresh. The end of first grade is now in sight, and there are so many exciting things coming up!
During these next few weeks, we will finish our insect unit. Our next science unit will be on MARE. First grade learns about the tidepools and all of the amazing creatures who live in them. Our MARE kick off is on May 6 and is a fun schoolwide event. This year we are playing Minute to Win It to review concepts learned in previous years. Should be exciting!
In math, we only have one more unit left in our Everyday Math series. So we are learning about some other math concepts, such as weight, coordinate grids and graphing, ratios, and probablility. Please continue to practice basic addition and subtraction facts, telling time, and money.
The students are almost finished writing their All About books. They have done a fantastic job. We are planning on sharing them with the fourth grade. Then we will send them home for you to read!
In reading, we are getting into such good books, such as the Henry and Mudge series, by Cynthia Rylant, and Frog and Toad, by Arnold Lobel. I am so pleased with the students progress in reading!
My daughters, Lauren (13) and Gina (11) will be joining us this week for Bring Your Child to Work Day. Lauren will bring her flute and Gina will bring her violin. Lauren is planning a writing activity and Gina is going to help the students with an origami project. They are really looking forward to their visit and finally meeting the children I tell them so much about! :)
Thank you for your generous donations for the American Red Cross for Japan. Our Hat Day raised $320!
During these next few weeks, we will finish our insect unit. Our next science unit will be on MARE. First grade learns about the tidepools and all of the amazing creatures who live in them. Our MARE kick off is on May 6 and is a fun schoolwide event. This year we are playing Minute to Win It to review concepts learned in previous years. Should be exciting!
In math, we only have one more unit left in our Everyday Math series. So we are learning about some other math concepts, such as weight, coordinate grids and graphing, ratios, and probablility. Please continue to practice basic addition and subtraction facts, telling time, and money.
The students are almost finished writing their All About books. They have done a fantastic job. We are planning on sharing them with the fourth grade. Then we will send them home for you to read!
In reading, we are getting into such good books, such as the Henry and Mudge series, by Cynthia Rylant, and Frog and Toad, by Arnold Lobel. I am so pleased with the students progress in reading!
My daughters, Lauren (13) and Gina (11) will be joining us this week for Bring Your Child to Work Day. Lauren will bring her flute and Gina will bring her violin. Lauren is planning a writing activity and Gina is going to help the students with an origami project. They are really looking forward to their visit and finally meeting the children I tell them so much about! :)
Thank you for your generous donations for the American Red Cross for Japan. Our Hat Day raised $320!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Week of April 11-15
On Thursday we will go to the beautiful State Theater in Easton, PA to see a live performance of the Berenstain Bears. We have been reading books about these characters and the lessons they learn. The students are very excited to see live theater in such a grand setting. We will leave school about 9:15 and return by 12:30. We will eat with the late lunch. No need to send a snack that day, but your child should eat a good breakfast.
The library will be closed on Wednesday, so we will attend on Thursday this week. We will be able to purchase books from the archery book sale fundraiser then. All books are only 50 cents. If you want your child to purchase books, please send in money on Thursday for the book sale. All proceeds go to the archery team.
Friday is Hat Day. This was our class' idea, and we are hoping to raise some money to send to Japan. The students are excited to watch their ideas go into action. They can wear a hat all day at school for a minimum donation of 50 cents. Please help us to help those who have been struck by tragedy.
Please remember that we do not have school April 18 through April 25. School resumes April 26. It is very important that you remember to vote on Wednesday, April 27. Every vote counts! I hope everyone has a fantastic spring break and a very happy Easter.
The library will be closed on Wednesday, so we will attend on Thursday this week. We will be able to purchase books from the archery book sale fundraiser then. All books are only 50 cents. If you want your child to purchase books, please send in money on Thursday for the book sale. All proceeds go to the archery team.
Friday is Hat Day. This was our class' idea, and we are hoping to raise some money to send to Japan. The students are excited to watch their ideas go into action. They can wear a hat all day at school for a minimum donation of 50 cents. Please help us to help those who have been struck by tragedy.
Please remember that we do not have school April 18 through April 25. School resumes April 26. It is very important that you remember to vote on Wednesday, April 27. Every vote counts! I hope everyone has a fantastic spring break and a very happy Easter.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Week of April 4-8
As we enter the final marking period of the year, we will be having another busy week. We will continue to learn about bugs in science, focusing on life cycles this week. We will read a true story about a girl named Abbie Burgess who helped to keep the lights burning in the lighthouse her family ran. We will also read a true story about a cat who saved her kittens from a fire. In math, we will continue to explore place value and adding and subtracting larger numbers. In Writing Workshop, we will begin working on "All About" stories.
This is the last week to send in books and DVDs for the archery fundraiser. Our Tricky Tray basket has received many donations lately, thank you!
Good luck to Olivia in the play "The Wizard of Oz" this weekend!
Have a great week!
This is the last week to send in books and DVDs for the archery fundraiser. Our Tricky Tray basket has received many donations lately, thank you!
Good luck to Olivia in the play "The Wizard of Oz" this weekend!
Have a great week!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Week of March 28-April 1
Next week we will finish some of the things we didn't get to this week, like the math unit and the science unit. We will begin a new science unit on bugs! If your child has anything about bugs at home that they would like to bring in and share, that would be great. We will also be starting our author/illustrator study of Stan and Jan Berenstain. This is in preparation for our class trip to see The Berenstain Bears live at the State Theater in Easton. This is not a movie, but live theater where the characters and stories will be acted out for the students by professional actors and actresses. The State Theater is a lovely setting for live theater. The students are excited! Look for a note to come home about it on Monday.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Week of March 21-25
This week we will be wrapping up our science unit on balance and motion. The students have had a great time exploring these concepts, making tops, rollers, zoomers, and even balancing a pencil on its point! I hope they have shared their discoveries with you and will continue exploring them more on their own.
We will conclude Unit 8 in math this week. Our next unit focuses on fractions and adding larger numbers. Please continue to practice counting coins and adding and subtracting.
Your child will bring home some writing pieces this week. Please look for the use of setting, quotation marks, and specific details in the writing. Please spend some time having your child read their stories to you and discussing them together. I am so pleased with their writing!!!
Hope you have a great week!
We will conclude Unit 8 in math this week. Our next unit focuses on fractions and adding larger numbers. Please continue to practice counting coins and adding and subtracting.
Your child will bring home some writing pieces this week. Please look for the use of setting, quotation marks, and specific details in the writing. Please spend some time having your child read their stories to you and discussing them together. I am so pleased with their writing!!!
Hope you have a great week!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Week of March 14-18
Some reminders for this week~
Turn your clocks ahead 1 hour this weekend for Daylight Savings Time.
There is a 12:30 dismissal again on Monday. No lunch is served.
Please remember library books on Wednesday.
Please consider making a donation to our class Tricky Tray basket. You can donate a game or money. Please send it in with your child, or give it directly to Mrs. Hill. Thanks so much!
Happy St. Patrick's Day on Thursday! We will be learning about this fun holiday this week and making our own leprechauns to display in our classroom. We will also be continuing to learn about money and base ten in math. We will also review geometry concepts this week and be introduced to fractions.
The students are enjoying our author/illustrator study of Marc Brown. We have identified details in his stories, viewed a few Arthur shows, and played some great games on the computer. We even tried to draw Francine.
The castles are wonderful! The students shared them and had some time to play with them on Friday. They really enjoyed making them with their families. Thanks for your support!
Turn your clocks ahead 1 hour this weekend for Daylight Savings Time.
There is a 12:30 dismissal again on Monday. No lunch is served.
Please remember library books on Wednesday.
Please consider making a donation to our class Tricky Tray basket. You can donate a game or money. Please send it in with your child, or give it directly to Mrs. Hill. Thanks so much!
Happy St. Patrick's Day on Thursday! We will be learning about this fun holiday this week and making our own leprechauns to display in our classroom. We will also be continuing to learn about money and base ten in math. We will also review geometry concepts this week and be introduced to fractions.
The students are enjoying our author/illustrator study of Marc Brown. We have identified details in his stories, viewed a few Arthur shows, and played some great games on the computer. We even tried to draw Francine.
The castles are wonderful! The students shared them and had some time to play with them on Friday. They really enjoyed making them with their families. Thanks for your support!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Week of March 7-11
Castle projects are due on Friday, March 11! This is also a 12:30 dismissal day. The students are really enjoying learning about why castles were built and all of the special features they had. On Friday we will spend some time playing with our castles.
This week we will begin Unit 8 in math. We will learn about the dollar and spend more time counting money. We will also begin to learn about fractions.
We have begun Unit 5 in our Scott Foresman series. Only one more unit to go! This week we will begin an author/illustrator study of Marc Brown. We love his character, Arthur. We will have the puppet show set up as a center so we can use Marc Brown's characters to do some puppet shows.
Thank you to those who are participating in the math-a-thon. We have all been working on our math-a-thon books in school.
Please remember that Monday, March 14 is also a 12:30 dismissal day.
Have a great week!
This week we will begin Unit 8 in math. We will learn about the dollar and spend more time counting money. We will also begin to learn about fractions.
We have begun Unit 5 in our Scott Foresman series. Only one more unit to go! This week we will begin an author/illustrator study of Marc Brown. We love his character, Arthur. We will have the puppet show set up as a center so we can use Marc Brown's characters to do some puppet shows.
Thank you to those who are participating in the math-a-thon. We have all been working on our math-a-thon books in school.
Please remember that Monday, March 14 is also a 12:30 dismissal day.
Have a great week!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Week of February 28-March 4
It's time for Read Across America! We will be practicing a choral reading of Green Eggs and Ham. We will read it to other classes as we celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. Mrs. Saxton will help us make actual green eggs and ham (yum!) on Tuesday.
I hope you saw the castle project information, which is due on March 11. We have been enjoying fairy tales and learning about the importance of castles, so we thought it would be fun to make our own! This is also a good opportunity to reinforce geometry concepts.
We will be finishing our geometry unit in math this week. We have had a great time exploring shapes, 3D objects, and symmetry. The students added many new words to their vocabularies.
In Writing Workshop we will be focusing on punctuation. I am continually amazed at the quality of writing this class is producing. It's so exciting!
Don't forget to send back the signed progress report. Also, keep in mind our class Tricky Tray basket. Our theme is "Fun and Games". I know the students will have lots of good ideas for items to add to our basket.
I hope you saw the castle project information, which is due on March 11. We have been enjoying fairy tales and learning about the importance of castles, so we thought it would be fun to make our own! This is also a good opportunity to reinforce geometry concepts.
We will be finishing our geometry unit in math this week. We have had a great time exploring shapes, 3D objects, and symmetry. The students added many new words to their vocabularies.
In Writing Workshop we will be focusing on punctuation. I am continually amazed at the quality of writing this class is producing. It's so exciting!
Don't forget to send back the signed progress report. Also, keep in mind our class Tricky Tray basket. Our theme is "Fun and Games". I know the students will have lots of good ideas for items to add to our basket.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Week of February 22-25
Happy President's Day!
This week we will be learning about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and the contributions they made as leaders of our country. We will also be continuing our genre study of fairy tales. This week we will read Rumpelstiltskin and Little Red Riding Hood. The students loved hearing and seeing Jack and the Beanstalk last week. I hope they retold the story to you at home, using their pictures as a guide. In math, we will be starting a new unit on geometry. We will explore attributes, 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes, symmetry, congruence, polygons, pattern blocks, geoboards, templates, and flannel board pieces.
In writing workshop, our mini-lessons will focus on beginning, middle, and endings in our stories, as well as matching pictures to text. I hope you enjoyed the pieces that the students brought home last week.
Our canine friends will be visiting on Tuesday. We can't wait to see how they are dressed! The students always love reading to them.
We are still collecting shampoo and conditioner. Look for a letter to come home about our Tricky Tray basket this week.
Have a super week!
This week we will be learning about Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and the contributions they made as leaders of our country. We will also be continuing our genre study of fairy tales. This week we will read Rumpelstiltskin and Little Red Riding Hood. The students loved hearing and seeing Jack and the Beanstalk last week. I hope they retold the story to you at home, using their pictures as a guide. In math, we will be starting a new unit on geometry. We will explore attributes, 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes, symmetry, congruence, polygons, pattern blocks, geoboards, templates, and flannel board pieces.
In writing workshop, our mini-lessons will focus on beginning, middle, and endings in our stories, as well as matching pictures to text. I hope you enjoyed the pieces that the students brought home last week.
Our canine friends will be visiting on Tuesday. We can't wait to see how they are dressed! The students always love reading to them.
We are still collecting shampoo and conditioner. Look for a letter to come home about our Tricky Tray basket this week.
Have a super week!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Week of February 7-11
This week we will try to accomplish some of the things we didn't get to last week, because of the snow and ice! We will learn more about Chinese New Year and make our own Chinese lanterns. We will also begin our study of Fairy Tales. This week we will read and compare different versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Don't forget to work on your 100 day projects! They are being displayed in the hallway. The students are excited about finding ways to make 100.
Mrs. O'Neil has been doing a good job teaching math and the lessons from the Scott Foresman reading series. She has also introduced a new poetry center that the students are enjoying.
Valentine's Day is coming up. We will exchange Valentines in class and have juice and cookies. We will not have a party, just a time to exchange cards and have a little snack together. I will supply the juice and cookies.
I hope everyone has a great week!
Don't forget to work on your 100 day projects! They are being displayed in the hallway. The students are excited about finding ways to make 100.
Mrs. O'Neil has been doing a good job teaching math and the lessons from the Scott Foresman reading series. She has also introduced a new poetry center that the students are enjoying.
Valentine's Day is coming up. We will exchange Valentines in class and have juice and cookies. We will not have a party, just a time to exchange cards and have a little snack together. I will supply the juice and cookies.
I hope everyone has a great week!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Week of January 31-February 4
I hope this week will be a full week of uninterrupted learning! We have so much going on this week! We will be learning about Chinese New Year and participating in activities related to this fun holiday. We will also be learning about the legend of groundhog day. We will hopefully finish and publish our non-fiction books about animals. It seems like it is taking forever for us to finish these!
Congratulations to Madison and Katherine for winning our class spelling bee!
Mrs. O'Neil will be teaching math and language arts this week.
Keep your fingers crossed for a snow free week!
Congratulations to Madison and Katherine for winning our class spelling bee!
Mrs. O'Neil will be teaching math and language arts this week.
Keep your fingers crossed for a snow free week!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Week of January 24-28
I hope you have been enjoying all of the snow!
This week we will be discussing nutrition. The students will write poems about healthy foods, create posters to share, and watch a video about good nutrition.
We have started learning about long vowels. We are starting with long a and following the silent e rule. We will review ch and th.
Mrs. O'Neil will be teaching math this week. We will have a test on Unit 5 this week.
In writing, we will be finishing our animal reports. We will publish and share them.
The therapy dogs will be coming on Monday. Reading to them is a great way to improve reading fluency!
Have a great week!
This week we will be discussing nutrition. The students will write poems about healthy foods, create posters to share, and watch a video about good nutrition.
We have started learning about long vowels. We are starting with long a and following the silent e rule. We will review ch and th.
Mrs. O'Neil will be teaching math this week. We will have a test on Unit 5 this week.
In writing, we will be finishing our animal reports. We will publish and share them.
The therapy dogs will be coming on Monday. Reading to them is a great way to improve reading fluency!
Have a great week!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Week of January 18-21
This week we will learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. We will read stories about him and learn a song about him on Friday. We will continue our author study of Mo Willems. The students are really enjoying his books. They will be buddy reading them aloud to the class this week! We will finish our animal reports and share them during writing workshop. The students are learning how to do research about the animals they have chosen. We are learning a lot, and they are creating informative non-fiction pieces to add to their writing portfolios.
We have finished another unit in the Scott Foresman reading series. We will have the unit test this week and begin Unit 4. We are almost finished with Unit 5 in Everyday Math. Please keep practicing addition facts. We will also be measuring to the nearest inch.
We have been inside for recess because of the snow. The children are allowed to bring things from home to play with, as long as they are willing to share them with classmates.
I hope you have been enjoying the snow! The sledding has been wonderful! Have fun and be careful!
We have finished another unit in the Scott Foresman reading series. We will have the unit test this week and begin Unit 4. We are almost finished with Unit 5 in Everyday Math. Please keep practicing addition facts. We will also be measuring to the nearest inch.
We have been inside for recess because of the snow. The children are allowed to bring things from home to play with, as long as they are willing to share them with classmates.
I hope you have been enjoying the snow! The sledding has been wonderful! Have fun and be careful!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Week of January 10-14
Happy New Year!
January has brought us a new student teacher! Her name is Mrs. O'Neil and she will be with us for 12 weeks. For the first two weeks, she will be observing. Then she will be teaching small reading groups, and will gradually take on more teaching responsibilities. The students enjoy having another teacher in the classroom.
This week we learned about snowflakes. We also did a science experiment to learn about the water cycle. Next week we will learn about the animals that live in very cold climates.
In Writing Workshop, we will be writing animal reports. Report writing is new for us. Please look for our writing pieces from December to come home soon.
Our author/illustrator of the month is Mo Willems. He is best known for his pigeon character. Some of his other characters are Knuffle Bunny and Piggie and Gerald. His stories are perfect for first grade readers and they are very funny!
We are almost finished with Journal 1 in Everyday Mathematics. When we begin Unit 6, we will be in Journal 2. The students should be practicing math facts on a regular basis to develop fluency.
I hope everyone has a great week!
January has brought us a new student teacher! Her name is Mrs. O'Neil and she will be with us for 12 weeks. For the first two weeks, she will be observing. Then she will be teaching small reading groups, and will gradually take on more teaching responsibilities. The students enjoy having another teacher in the classroom.
This week we learned about snowflakes. We also did a science experiment to learn about the water cycle. Next week we will learn about the animals that live in very cold climates.
In Writing Workshop, we will be writing animal reports. Report writing is new for us. Please look for our writing pieces from December to come home soon.
Our author/illustrator of the month is Mo Willems. He is best known for his pigeon character. Some of his other characters are Knuffle Bunny and Piggie and Gerald. His stories are perfect for first grade readers and they are very funny!
We are almost finished with Journal 1 in Everyday Mathematics. When we begin Unit 6, we will be in Journal 2. The students should be practicing math facts on a regular basis to develop fluency.
I hope everyone has a great week!
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