Kahoot!
If you attended our S'mores night last week you know exactly what I'm talking about when I say we've been doing Kahoot in class. The students have been buddying up on the iPads and they answer multiple choice questions on whatever skill/standard we're working on. The past couple days we've been doing place value and comparing numbers. As they answer questions they earn points. The quicker you answer, the more points you get! It's been so much fun watching the kids play. In fact they BEG me to play every day now. It's keeping the kids engaged and they're enjoying learning!
Our Kahoot winners today-- Team "Mario"
Iready Trophy Winners This Week for 1st Grade!!!
Our class won the iready trophy this week for passing the most iready lessons last week! We are so excited and hope to keep it again next week!!
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Practicing Addition & Subtraction: "Make That Number"
After our math lesson, I gave the students more opportunities to practice their addition & subtraction. They were given 2 dice and they had to roll both. They could choose whether or not to add or subtract the numbers they rolled. Whatever their answer was they colored that circle on their paper. They had to see if they could get 4 in a row. This is why it was up to them to decide if they wanted to add or subtract the numbers they rolled on their dice. Several of them got 4 in a row a couple of times.
Independent Reading TimeWe have finally started getting in our independent reading time each day. We've talked about the importance of our reading "stamina" and how our time only counts if everyone is reading for the set amount of time and they aren't getting interrupted. Right now they can read books on their level independently for 5 minutes. They have done a fabulous job and they really enjoy this time! While they are reading, I am walking around and asking students to randomly read to me and I may ask them questions to make sure they're comprehending what they're reading.
As you can see in the pictures, I really like to make sure they get comfortable during their reading time. Students have the opportunity to read in my rocking chair, inside our circus tent, or even sitting in my scoop rocking chairs. We're really working on becoming independent readers that love to read. |
Apple Week!
This week is always one of my favorite weeks to teach! It's fun & because it means is finally FALL! It's my favorite time of the year! This past Monday was Johnny Appleseed's birthday, so we learned facts about who he really was and we also learned all about apples and the apple life cycle. We did some informative writing where they had to write 4 facts they learned about Johnny Appleseed & then we did a directed drawing of him. They turned out amazing! I was very impressed with them! We learned about the apple life cycle and we wrote about each stage of an apple's life. I think the kids really enjoyed this week. I know I did!
To end the week, we did our apple taste testing and we cooked applesauce in the classroom. I love to incorporate cooking into my classroom because it's fun, it's hands-on, and the kids learn so much from it. :) To make the applesauce, the kids are the ones that did all of the work, I just guided them along the way. They peeled, cored, cut, and mashed the apples all by themselves. They learned it was hard work to cook. To incorporate what we learned about apples this week, we talked about the parts of the apple as we were coring them. They were pointing out the core and how we could find the seeds inside the core. So don't be surprised if your child wants to plant their apple seeds to grow their own apple tree. Haha!
To end the week, we did our apple taste testing and we cooked applesauce in the classroom. I love to incorporate cooking into my classroom because it's fun, it's hands-on, and the kids learn so much from it. :) To make the applesauce, the kids are the ones that did all of the work, I just guided them along the way. They peeled, cored, cut, and mashed the apples all by themselves. They learned it was hard work to cook. To incorporate what we learned about apples this week, we talked about the parts of the apple as we were coring them. They were pointing out the core and how we could find the seeds inside the core. So don't be surprised if your child wants to plant their apple seeds to grow their own apple tree. Haha!
Welcome Back to the 2016-2017 School Year!
1st Day of School for Students- August 16, 2016
School Hours: 8:30- 2:42
School Hours: 8:30- 2:42
Special Package Delivery!
Yesterday morning we were surprised with a special delivery straight from the North Pole, from Santa Claus himself! We couldn't believe it! He sent us a little elf friend to watch over us and make sure we are making good choices in school. He's also looking for random acts of kindness. We read his book that came with him and we were told we needed to give him a special name. We voted and "Sprinkles" won! He came back this morning and took my letter tiles and made his name with them. He also left us journals to keep track of his adventures every day. I can't wait to see what he does tomorrow!
Thanksgiving
We aren't celebrating Thanksgiving in the classroom, but you can come join your child for lunch as Mr. Hayward is preparing a nice feast in the cafeteria. This feast day will be on Thursday, November 19th. He needs a head count so he can prepare enough food, so if you plan on joining us for lunch, please fill out that gold sheet I sent home on Friday and return to me as soon as possible. Thank you and I hope to see you there. :)
Title I Family Book Swap Night is also November 19th if you plan on joining! :) Start sending in books with your child this week so our Title I coaches can start organizing them, or you can wait to bring them in the night of if you plan on participating in this fun READING event!
Interims will go out Monday, November 16th, so be sure to check Parent Portal to see how your child is doing.
Thanksgiving Holiday: November 23-27th (Students return to school on Monday, November 30th)
I would like to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope you have a wonderful time with your friends & families! <3
Title I Family Book Swap Night is also November 19th if you plan on joining! :) Start sending in books with your child this week so our Title I coaches can start organizing them, or you can wait to bring them in the night of if you plan on participating in this fun READING event!
Interims will go out Monday, November 16th, so be sure to check Parent Portal to see how your child is doing.
Thanksgiving Holiday: November 23-27th (Students return to school on Monday, November 30th)
I would like to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope you have a wonderful time with your friends & families! <3
Flag Retirement Ceremony
On Friday, as a whole school, we all went out to the bus circle to attend the flag retirement ceremony. We took down the flag that has been there for the past 6 years and we put up a new one. I've truly enjoyed watching the kids all week show their patriotism! In class as we worked on Veteran's day activities, I put on some music and listening to them sing the words so nicely was just heart warming! We had a great week celebrating our Veterans!
Happy Halloween!
We had a great end to the week by dressing up like superheroes to go along with our theme for Red Ribbon Week & Halloween. I think just about everyone in class participated and everyone was creative in their own way! Everyone looked great! We also made "dirt" pudding cups for one of our Halloween treats. I think its safe to say they enjoyed making them as much as they enjoyed eating them. They did great following my directions! Here are some pictures that captured our day! ENJOY! :)
"Bats" Unit
This week we have been learning about bats to go along with Halloween this week. I can't believe how much these kids know about bats already! Most of the vocabulary that I planned on discussing with them, they already knew about! As you can see from the picture, the students schema is pretty full! We did learn a few new facts too! It pays off when you read! :) We also listening to a song about "echolocation." I think we listened to it at least 20 times today! But I guarantee you, your child knows what it is and why they use it. We are also in the process of making our own nonfiction books to share facts we know about facts. This is why doing nonfiction units are so great. The kids LOVE nonfiction and they love knowing they're learning new information! Next week, we're going to shift our focus to farm animal fun to go along with our field trip to the crop maze! I can't wait!
Red Ribbon/Halloween Week: October 26th-30th
Monday: Wear your shirt backwards to show we "Turn our backs" on drugs!
Tuesday: Wear your sunglasses because our futures are too bright for drugs!
Wednesday: Wear your boots because we STOMP out drugs!
Thursday: Wear your sweats because we don't sweat drugs!
Friday: Dress up as a SUPERHERO! Be creative! Create your own superhero if you want to. They will be coming around and judging the most creative costume! I'm coming as "SUPER TEACHER!" Today is also an EARLY DISMISSAL day (11:45). We will have a little Halloween celebration, but nothing too crazy. We will enjoy some snacks, make our own dirt pudding cups with gummy worms, and discuss trick or treating safety rules.
Tuesday: Wear your sunglasses because our futures are too bright for drugs!
Wednesday: Wear your boots because we STOMP out drugs!
Thursday: Wear your sweats because we don't sweat drugs!
Friday: Dress up as a SUPERHERO! Be creative! Create your own superhero if you want to. They will be coming around and judging the most creative costume! I'm coming as "SUPER TEACHER!" Today is also an EARLY DISMISSAL day (11:45). We will have a little Halloween celebration, but nothing too crazy. We will enjoy some snacks, make our own dirt pudding cups with gummy worms, and discuss trick or treating safety rules.
Pumpkin Week!
Last week, our focus was on pumpkins. We read nonfiction books about pumpkins and discussed the life cycle. We also learned how to "visualize." This is an important reading skill to understand how to do in order to show you are understanding what you are reading, especially when there aren't any pictures. We ended the week with a fun pumpkin science experiment where we learned about reactions of 2 different substances and what it causes. We had so much fun last week!