Writing Like Authors

We've always talked about the neat words and techniques an author uses, but today we started to write some down. How Ezra Jack Keats uses "crunch, crunch, crunch" as the sound of walking on snow. How Kevin Henkes uses "grew and grew and grew" to emphasize growing. How another uses 3 -ing words in a row...like diving, blowing, singing whales (that's a class original).

We also started to talk about watermelons and seeds, in terms of writing. The watermelon is the big idea, like 'having no power.' The seeds would be things like melting water on the woodstove to make breakfast, assembling all the puzzles in the house and making snow cookies outside. We've just started the thinking today! Our class caught right on, and filled a couple pages in their little booklets of ideas.

I'm beginning to think of scheduling conferences. I'm looking at the week of March 23rd. Hope to get you a sign up sheet tomorrow. (and a book order)

Variety Show

Here's the crew at the end of the show. ----->
We spent most of the day watching our school talents!
Some sang, some danced, some played instruments, but mostly...all were brave enough to get up in front of their peers and perform. Impressive!
We watched Act 1 in the morning, Act 2 in the afternoon.
Did you hear the teachers left their chairs on the stage and had to MOVE IT!? (ask your child)

Happy Valentine's Day

1. We estimated how many candy hearts were in a jar. There were 185! Both KO and GT guessed closest at 103.

2. We made valentine's day necklaces...and bags for our cards.

3. Happy Vacation.

Publish Post

Photographer in the House

Today we ate lunch in the classroom. Professional photographer, Heather Perry, was in the gym documenting PE class at Williams-Cone School. We were able to observe her in action to see what it takes to get the right shots. I heard someone say she took about 500 pictures. Her final project will be banners that permanently hang in our school.

Yesterday, our buddies helped us sort through our facts & information books to find specific information. Our research includes what animals look like, what they eat, where they live and interesting facts about them. Ask you child what animal they have chosen and what they know about it.

Teeth, Teeth, Teeth

1. We did a "tooth" experiment with eggs. We put one egg in water, one in apple juice and one in soda. Ask your child what happened to each tooth (egg). We actually brushed them.

2. Dr. Obery and his crew came to talk with our first graders about dental health. I got to be Miss Molar. They brushed/flossed me to get off the food and bacteria that cause cavities. They also peeked in the kids' mouths for a preliminary exam.

3. We read a book called The Real Tooth Fairy. In this one, the girl stays up and sees her mom taking her tooth/leaving a coin. Her friend stays up and sees his dad. She asks her mom if she's the tooth fairy and mom tells a story of how the tooth fairy can become anyone the child loves, as to not scare them, if they wake.

10 Go Fish

We learned how to play 10 Go Fish (math game).

1. Deal 5 cards, place the rest of the cards in a draw pile.
2. Ask for a number that would make a pair for 10 (if you have a 3, ask for a 7).
3. Lay down any pairs you can make.
4. Play until your draw pile is gone.

Want to make a comment? You may need to have a google account (free). Anytime I have left a comment on a friend's blog, they ask for a password. I'll look into it more. If you know, please help us figure it out, tell us in a comment?

It's February

The kids say...
We had music and we did Alabama Gal on a CD. It was faster than our singing.
We did a math problem. It was a story problem. (had to record strategy, # sentence w/label)
We are searching through books to find special information about whales.
Ask your child what spy hopping is?

I say...
THIS Friday at the Children's Museum in Portland admission is free after 5pm!

Valentines...Thursday, February 12th we will be exchanging cards and accepting healthy snack donations...for a LOVEly afternoon. I'll send home a list with all names.

100 day of school...we will celebrate the week after vacation.

MORE snow?