Happy Holidays!

We have had so much fun in 1st grade lately!  We spent the last two weeks learning about holidays around the world in Social Studies, and I hope it was a worthwhile experience for your 1st grader! Opening a package each day sure is exciting for a 1st grader. Click here to watch a short video highlighting all of our fun!

We celebrated two 1/2 birthdays this month too!  We hope Iris and Mason enjoyed their special days!

We also had another Character Champion in our class this month.  Alexis was recognized this month for her willingness to help peers (and me!) in the classroom and her overall maturity in 1st grade.  Keep up the great work Alexis!

With Christmas just around the corner, I am signing off for a few days!  I vowed to really enjoy these days with my own boys (below) and recharge so I am ready for the New Year!  I hope you do the same and enjoy your special little ones.

Bonjour, Hujambo, Ciao!

Where have the past two weeks gone?  I feel like it was just November and now we are already just a couple weeks from Christmas!  Things in 1st grade are as busy as ever.  I can tell that Decembertitis has definitely struck our classroom as these little first graders have a lot to say, even when I am teaching.  Please remind your child to follow our school rules and be respectful to others in the classroom.  Don't forget, next week our class will ring the Salvation Army Bell before and after school.  I'll send a photo to you via the Remind App of your 1st grader in action.  Remember they can dress for the event in holiday hats, jewelry or any other flair you have!

We had so much fun during our personal narrative writing celebration!  We were able to share our stories with our 4th grade buddies.  After reading, the 4th graders offered one compliment and one area to improve upon.  The students were receptive to the suggestions, since they came from their smart 4th grade friends!  Here are a few kiddos sharing their writing!  I decided to send the samples home rather than saving them for conferences because they are absolutely amazing and you must see their hard work!

Anabelle share her writing.

Morgan shares her writing.

Ethan shares his writing.

Have you heard about Globe Trot Scott?  This mystery boy has been sending us packages teaching us about holidays all around the world.  So far packages have arrived from France, Uganda and Italy.  These packages teach us about each country and holiday traditions that are celebrated, include a book to share, treats and/or a craft to complete.  The students complete a travel journal to showcase their new knowledge.  It is exciting for our students to learn about other cultures and their holiday traditions.  I'm working on a video highlighting all of our fun with the unit and will post it when complete (over winter break).  For now, enjoy a few snapshots!

Skyler tries some Buche De Noel

Anthony makes a drum from Uganda that is often hung on trees.

Meet Bentley

Have you met Bentley?  Bentley was new to Washington this year and we are sure lucky he joined our classroom!  Bentley has sure learned to make everyone smile with his fun personality!  Bentley likes Pumpkin Pie (my favorite!) and video games.  He enjoys spending time with his brother and cousins.  

Meet Alexis

Alexis is another new student to Washington.  We are thrilled she has joined our classroom as well!  Alexis likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and loves reading.  I often find her with a chapter book in the classroom reading like crazy.  Alexis is always helping others in the classroom, including me!  Below she leads calendar math.

We also celebrated a 1/2 birthday in class on Friday.  Happy 1/2 Birthday Leah!  Thanks for the yummy treats and we are glad to celebrate with you!

A Peek at Our Week

Reading: In reading we are working on identifying story structure, including characters, setting and plot.  We have also began identifying character dialogue and the use of quotation marks.  Our phonics focus is final blends like in the words camp, think, and just.

Math: In math we are working on subtraction strategies.  Students have practiced counting on, counting back and taking away to complete subtraction sentences.  This week we will work to rearrange the problems as well as determine the relationship between addition and subtraction.  The students are utilizing Daily 5 stations well and have been introduced to computers as an option for math practice.

Emily works on Everyday Math games.

Anthony, Trevor and Iris complete Math with Self stations.

Writing: We are beginning our next unit on procedural nonfiction in writer's workshop.  We began this unit by making trail mix and then writing the steps to complete the process.  Students will work to plan and then write their first "how to" book next week.

Social Studies: Students are working hard to understand different cultures and beliefs.  They will use their new knowledge to make connections and then compare and contrast holiday traditions.

Upcoming Reminders

December 12-16: Ringing the Bell for Salvation Army (see schedule on calendar)

December 22: Grinch Day! (Wear green and/or pajamas!)

December 23-January 2: Winter Break

Collaboration, Communication & 4th Grade Buddies!

Good evening!  I hope you have had a joyous holiday celebrating togetherness with your loved ones.  A lot of exciting things have been happening in 1st grade lately, but if your kiddo is anything like mine, you hear nothing about school!  I feel like I am pulling teeth to hear what my son ate for lunch!  Perhaps this post will help generate conversation with your firstie!

Meet Sam!

Have you met Sam yet?  Sam has a pretty neat hairstyle that all of the 1st graders love to touch!  Thanksgiving must be the perfect holiday for Sam because he loves Deviled Eggs!  Sam has two big brothers and is an amazing friend.  Coincidentally, Sam was also this month's Character Champion!  Sam was caught helping numerous peers without being asked.  He always demonstrates the character traits that Mr. Carlson so passionately promotes at Washington.  It is students like Sam that make this school the great place that it is!  Keep up the great work, Sam!

It was also Ethan's big day on Thanksgiving!  Happy Birthday, Ethan!

Last week the 1st graders got a first hand experience in 21st Century skills with Mrs. Cain in the library!  Following several stories, students were greeted in the library to find out that their book for the day was locked in a box!  They had to communicate and work collaboratively to solve five clues to open the box.  The clues eventually opened 5 locks, and the students found their final book, The Reader. Thanks Mrs. Cain for this awesome experience.

The excitement continued when the 1st graders were introduced to their 4th grade buddy class.  This year, our class has joined forces with Mrs. Clarey's class for some activities to promote friendship.  Our first activity allowed for students to meet their buddy as well as read to one another.  It is so fun to see so many of my former students and how they have changed over the past four years.  I had this bunch of kiddos in kindergarten!

A Peek at Our Week

Reading: Students have been working hard to stretch and segment words to hear consonant blends.  We practiced our blends by playing "Blend It" with a partner.  Students are also learning about subjects and predicates and sentence structure.  

Math: In math students are working hard on addition number sentences.  Students are learning a variety of efficient strategies to solve their number sentences.  Our goal is fact fluency to 10 and an understanding of addition to 20.  We will begin subtraction soon!  

Science: We will begin a study of the seasons next week.  Students will work in their science journal and a flip-book to draw, write and describe the seasons.  

Upcoming Reminders

December 5: Holidays Around the World Donations Due (THANK YOU!)

December 9: Book Order's Due

December 11-17: Mrs. Sterling's class rings Salvation Army Kettle Bell

Artists in the Making

What a busy couple of weeks we have had in 1st grade!  I am so looking forward to visiting with you this week at Parent-Teacher Conferences.  I have been busy gathering information to share with you and am looking forward to CELEBRATING your child's individual achievement!

Our field trip the Plains Art Museum was a huge highlight of the week!  We had a great time on the bus, in the exhibit hall and in the creative art studio, making our penguins!  Those of you that participate in Remind should have received a cute text message photo of your 1st grader!  If you haven't signed up yet, please see me and I'll help you register!  In the meantime, check out these cute photos!

Meet Mason

Mason was our Star Student October 31-4 and is a shining example of what it means to be kind and caring.  Mason always wants to make sure everyone is happy and has a smile worth a million bucks!  After meeting Mason, you will quickly learn that he loves the color red, his dogs Loki and Sif and of course, his Mom and Dad and little sister, Claire.  Check him out below making his penguin!

Meet Iris

Iris was our Star Student this past week in 1st grade.  Iris leads by example in first grade, always staying focus and on task, wanting to learn.  Iris loves crafts, all subjects in school and her family of 6.  I think Iris may perhaps be a future teacher in the making!  She was quite the helper this week, even helping me check student word sorts.  Check her out below taking her job VERY seriously!

A Peek at Our Week

Reading: In reading we have been working hard to practice our standard, Key Ideas and Details, by asking and answering questions about texts, retelling stories, and describing the characters, setting and plot.  Students have learned about nouns, verbs and adjectives as well.  In phonics we are working on R blends.

Math: In math we are working on addition fact fluency to 10.  Students are learning how to make combinations and solve equations efficiently.  We will learn about Number Bonds next week through several hands on activities.  We made turkeys to show off our knowledge of combinations of 10!  

Writing: Students are learning how to add details to their small moment stories by using vivid verbs, transition words, feeling words, speech bubbles and more!  The students are really mastering the Revising and Editing table and are supporting one another nicely to make corrections to their writing.  I can't wait to share writing with you at conferences!

A story plan a student uses to craft her writing idea.

Students use post-it notes and red pens to revise and edit their writing with partners.

Anabelle and Alexis work to revise each other's pieces.

Science: In science we began our Earth science unit.  Students have learned about natural and man-made resources.  We learned about the importance of water on Earth and even created our own water cycle.  Thank goodness my experiment worked!

Upcoming Reminders

November 15, 17, 21: Parent Teacher Conferences

November 22: Spirit Day

November 23-25: No School (Thanksgiving Break)

Pumpkin Science

As we wrapped up our study of living and non-living things in science, we transitioned into a supplemental unit on pumpkins.  Through rich literacy and hands on experiences, students explored all aspects of the pumpkin.  This year in particular, we were able to link language arts to science as students have recently learned about describing words, or adjectives, and so we were busy using these words to describe the inside and outside of our pumpkin.

For some reason (the busyness of teaching 21, 1st graders or old age) I keep forgetting to take photos.  I only snapped a couple during pumpkin science but am hoping your 1st grader was able to share more details with you in your dinnertime conversations about school.  I hope your little one shares more about his or her day than my own!

Here students worked to count the seeds inside of our pumpkin.  Counting them by 10's proved to be the best method.

We had 777 seeds in our pumpkin!

I want to send a HUGE thank you out to everyone that has helped fund our class parties.  We will have our first, today!  Classroom parties are memorable experiences for our students, especially in 1st grade.  Thank you to Mrs. Dickinson for helping to organize the funds and purchase the materials.  What a great idea!

Conference notices will come home this week.  A conference questionnaire will accompany your notice.  Please complete both and return them to school as soon as possible.  Please note, if your conference time does not work, I would be happy to reschedule before school or on an alternate day.  Please do not hesitate to ask!

Meet Anthony

Anthony leads calendar.  He took this job very seriously!

Have you had the chance to meet Anthony yet?  Though I may call him Eric (his big brother) on occasion, he is definitely someone to not forget!  Anthony loves sports, drawing and friends.  He can draw some amazing, detailed vehicles!  Anthony can often be seen outside playing wall-ball with friends, never leaving anyone out of the game!  He is so kind and caring towards his peers and always encourages others.  I'm so glad you are part of our classroom this year!

A Peek at our Week

Reading: Our students just wrapped up the first unit in reading.  The great thing about our curriculum is that it will now begin spiraling through many of those concepts and skills to allow for reteaching and more application.  This week we are reading a fable, similar to The Boy Who Cried Wolf and learning to identify the author's focus.  Many students have already made connections to the story from prior experiences.  In vocabulary the students have been busy discovering new "Fancy" words in our literature.  Some of our new words include famished, plenty, figure, and scan.  Students will be learning about r-blends and final double consonants and ck in phonics this week.  

Math: In math our learning is all about addition and subtraction.  Students learned the new words sum and difference and can relate them to numeral stories.  This week students will participate in the "Egg Test" to learn about iPad safety and care.  Students will care for an egg for an entire day and in the end, gain privileges to use the iPads for math practice.  Ask your child about the Egg test on Tuesday!

Writing: In writing we are still working on our personal narrative stories.  Students have been introduced to the "Revising and Editing Table" as a place where they work with a peer to improve their story.  Our focus this week will be all about details.  Students will learn to add details to show their characters actions and words through the use of speech bubbles.  I can't wait to show you the writing progress at our upcoming conferences.

Character Champion: We yet again celebrated greatness in our classroom!  This month's Character Champion is Iris.  She is such an exceptional leader in our classroom.  She shows initiative completing her work and is always available to lend an extra hand!  Way to go, Iris!

Upcoming Reminders:

November 7: Field Trip to Creative Art Studio

November 10: Book Order Due

November 11: No School

November 15, 17, 21: Parent Teacher Conferences

A field trip & Celebration!

Good Evening! I just wanted to upload a couple of photos that were taken last week.  We ventured to MSUM to attend Poco Fuego, a steel drum show.  The students enjoyed the musical performance, and as usual, the Washington 1st graders behaved exceptionally.  In fact, just as we were about to depart from the bus back to school, the bus driver stopped all three classes and said "In all the years I have driven 1st graders, you are the best behaved students I have ever had on my bus!"  Mrs. Volrath, Mrs, Elkins and I must have beamed with pride!  We are so lucky!

This week we also got in the Halloween spirit.  We painted a special buddy in class!  We made our own Frankenbuddies!  I spent some time over the break hanging up these adorable paintings in our classroom!  Stop in and see them soon as they are unique and adorable!

Finally, we wrapped up the weekend with our first celebration!  The students wore PJ's and brought games to share.  They spent the last 45 minutes of the day playing!  While they were playing I observed sharing, reading, counting, teamwork, and much more!  Never underestimate the power of a classic board game!

That's all for now!  This week will be fun as we explore everything PUMPKIN in science!  I'll upload more photos and be sure to share the fun!