Just thinking...

1.  Tomorrow (10/31) is BLUE day!  We will be taking a photo of the kids in the shape of "WCS."

2.  With tomorrow being Halloween, I just wanted to mention that I will not allow students to have candy at snack time.  If they'd like to pack a piece with their lunch, great, but not at snack time.  Thanks.

3.  We now have four laptops in our classroom.  Very exciting.  We are currently using them with Sumdog during our math game time.  I'd like to add a literacy site during our open library time.  I was hoping you could send in a pair of headphones or earbuds, to be used only by your child to support the audio portion of this and other programs.  Thank you.

4.  We have been working on using this checklist of expected components with our narrative writing.
Ask your child what they do well, and what they are working on...

Amazing Mystery Readers!

Here are a few snippets from our last two mystery readers...

A flashlight is a useful tool on an officer's belt.

Reflective gear helps officers be seen.

There's a first time for everything!

Thank you Officer Todd!

Thank you Kay for reading We're Going on a Ghost Hunt

!

Mr. Mo Willems

We have really been enjoying the works of author/illustrator Mo Willems.
Mo is the creator of Knuffle Bunny, Pigeon, and Elephant & Piggie (to name a few).

Here's a link to his site.  http://www.mowillems.com/

Here's a YouTube video we watched.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY9EhZ6rqjI 
It is entitled Don't Let the Pigeon be the Principal.

What's New?

Here's what's going on in our first grade class...

1.  In math, we have started unit 2.  Here are the targets for the end of the unit.
     a.  write numbers 7, 8, 9, 0.
     b.  solve number stories.
     c.  count pennies.
     d.  count nickels.
     e.  tell time to the hour.
     f.  read a tally chart.

2.  The class has chosen and voted on their first reward!  Ask them about our marble jar and how we earn marbles.  The reward is PAJAMA DAY with a stuffie!  I'll keep you posted on the date.  We are awfully close to filling the jar.

3.  Generating writing topics is one of the most difficult steps of writing for most.  As you go through your daily routine and events happen for your family, please help them by "feeding" them topics.  Say, "Oh!  You could write about this!"  "How would it go?"  (and rehearse it orally) I like to say we catch ideas and put them in our pockets to write about later.

4.  I am aware that there is lice in other classrooms here at school.  Please remind your children to not share hats, combs, coats, etc.  Other fabulous preventative measures are to put hair UP and do head checks.  I know my hair is up!

5.  Oh, and have you heard any details about the Hoboken Chicken Emergency that we are reading?

Happy October!  (already?)

Math, Unit ONE Skills

Here are the expected skills at the end of unit one.
1.  Count by 1's
2.  Count by 2's
3.  Count by 5's
4.  Make tally marks
5.  Find numbers before and after
6.  Count on a number line

Counting by 2 and 5 could use some practice.  I am soliciting for your help.
Maybe driving in the car, waiting for dinner to cook, skipping down the driveway... (???)

See you Wednesday for the Ice Cream Social. 
6:15-6:45 in the classroom. 
6:45-7:15 on the playground for ICE CREAM!  (yum!)

Busy Beavers

Here's the skinny...

Each reading/writing workshop is comprised of a mini-lesson each day.  Within the mini-lesson there is a teaching point that we discuss and try to put into practice. Here's what the class has heard thus far...

Writing
- Writers get started right away, stay in 1 spot, do their best and keep on going, write the whole time.
- Writers write true stories (small moments) from their lives. 
  They rewind the event like a movie to help them retell what happened.
- Writers walk around the world catching stories from their lives, to write about.
- Writers include action, talk and feelings in their stories.
- Writers use pictures and words to tell the story.  Labels, thought bubbles, speech bubbles help.
- Writers know the saying "When you're done, you've just begun."  (ask them...)
- Writers PLAN their story, then SKETCH the pictures, then WRITE the story...in that order.

Reading
- Readers get started right away, stay in 1 spot, do their best and keep on going, read the whole time.
- Readers warm up before they read (cover, back, think what it's about and what words we'll see)
- Readers choose just-right books for their book boxes.
- Readers make a plan (stack up the books we want to read)...they set goal and work hard to reach it.
- Readers know when they've stopped thinking about the book and pull themselves together!
- Readers reread (like we listen to favorite songs) to try our storytelling voice, notice things we didn't the first time, and focus on the story.

We've read a TON of books.  Some of which are... 
(Many messages about being yourself and it's okay to be different.)
Big Mean Mike                                   Oliver Button is a Sissy                     The Big Orange Splot
The Sandwich Swap                           Charlie the Caterpillar
Dex: The Heart of a Hero                   Bad Case of the Stripes
Odd Velvet                                          Elmer

Hope this helps you ENVISION our recent discussions.  :)

Let's Get Started!

Greetings New Families,
Here is our special schedule!

Monday         Learning Commons
Tuesday         (pack sneakers...just in case)  No special
Wednesday    Art
Thursday       PE (sneaker day)
Friday            Music

We have been...
...reviewing letter formation.
...settling into classroom expectations and routines.
...writing small moment stories during writing workshop.
...working on establishing good reading habits & building our reading stamina.
...having math choice time.
...reviewing whole body listening.
...exploring the new playground equipment.
...learning about one another.

The Final Stretch

As we approach the end of the year...

1.  Grassheads - just put water in the yogurt container.
The nylon will wick up the water and keep the grasshead moist.
Or at least that's the theory.
Feel free to trim and style as needed or desired.

2.  Last Day - is Tuesday, June 18.
It's a half day, release is at 11:30.
Students WILL be served lunch on this day.

3.  We'll spend our final days enjoying one another.
We are working on writing our own reader's theater.
We will create puppets to perform the reader's theater.

4.  I have scheduled a walk to DQ on Friday at 12:30.
Please send NO MORE than $3.00 with your child that day.
Wear sneakers.  Any and All chaperones are welcome.
In case of rain, we'll try again on Monday, June 17, same time.

Thank you.

Field Day

Tuesday, June 4 is our FIELD DAY

Planned for the morning are DRY activities, the afternoon has WATER activities planned.

Here are some things you and your child will need to pack...
--bug spray (applied at home in the morning would be great)
--sunscreen
--hat or visor
--our BLUE team shirt.  We are the DOLPHINS!
--water bottle (no glass) labeled with student name
--plastic bag for wet clothes
--towel (or two, if it's chilly)
--may wear bathing suits
(over swimsuits, boys need shirts and girls need to wear shorts)
--sneakers or water shoes for water activities (no Crocs, flip flops or open toes)
--a change of shoes for the bus ride home
--an extra set of dry clothes for the bus ride home (a must)

Thanks.
Please LABEL everything with your child's name.

Writing Like A Scientist

WRITING
Our writers are engaged in a unit where they are writing lab reports, like scientists.  They are including
     -A Question and Hypothesis
     -The Materials You Need and The Procedure
     -The Results
     -Analyzing the Data, Where they confirm/revise their hypothesis

Some items they have had to experiment with have been...toy monster trucks, hot wheels, ramps, and various tops. 

READING
Our readers have been thinking about putting their books on stage.  We have been working on performing a reader's theatre (K was our first audience).  Students are paying attention to envisioning the characters' actions, gestures and facial expressions.  Students can also pull sections from their books to perform.  Fun to watch, for sure. 

iPad Apps

Here are some of the iPad apps we use at school.  I'm still searching, of course, for new ones that are educational and fun.  So, please, if you use any, let us know in the comment section.

Good for Letter Formation

• i write letter
• letter school ($)

Good for Writing

• primary writer
• spelling 1
• spelling 2
• real chalk ($)

Good for Reading

• sight word touch
• sight words 1 ($)
• rhyming
• bitsboard
•  cvc a
• cvc e
• cvc i
• cvc o
• cvc u

Good for Math

•  number squeeze
• top it addition
• tric trac
• math bingo
• zoom
• hungry fish
• lobster diver
• my script calculator

Thanks.  That's all for now!

Pouches

We have decided that it might be a good organizational tool to keep our post-it notes and pencils for our reading box in a little pouch, like a pencil pouch.  We know that good practice is to use post-it's to keep track of our thinking as we read...and when we talked about ways to make it easier to jot, this is what the class suggested.
So...if you have one laying around at home, please send one in.
If not, you could either...shop for one your child could pick out...(we've talked dollar store, target, staples...) Or...let me know if this is not possible, and I will buy one.
Thanks,
Dana

Scholastic Book Order

You can order online.
Orders Due by Monday, February 11.
Click here!  https://orders.scholastic.com/H6277
(I hope it works)
Another thing you should know...
IF you order online, you get a $5 coupon to use on another order AND...the classroom gets a $3 coupon. 

Scroll CRAZY!

Our Class is SCROLL CRAZY!

Many students have taken this challenge very seriously and have written farther than I have EVER seen!  A few kids are already past 1, 000!  Holy Cowzers! Look!  They are taller than we are!

Recently...

1.  So...I've made ANOTHER mistake.  Please disregard the non fiction writing...we, as you may now know, writing persuasive letters.  We are working on including a) a request b) reasons why this is important c) including related mini-stories that help my case and d) offering possible solutions.  So, if you see these writings, you know what to look for.

2.   Math homework often asks to show an amount of money using D, N and P.  The goal here is to make the given amount using the least amount of coins.  I believe the paper should read D, N and/or P.  This is just an FYI, if they use dimes and no nickels, that's fine.  Thanks.

3.  We got together with Mrs. Warner's fifth grade class to listen to the Non Fiction picture books they wrote. 

A New Year

Here's what's new in FIRST GRADE...

1.  We have been learning how to read and write Informational Books.  We have started writing a class book about Winter in Maine (a topic we know a lot about).  We have a table of contents, a page on what to wear, outside play and weather, so far.  Your child will be asked to write about a topic they know a lot about, so any help you can give at home...to brainstorm would help us get rolling on Tuesday. 

2.  We are in the middle of reading Mr. Popper's Penguins.  It's a long chapter book, written long ago, so...at the end of each chapter we've been writing a post-it telling "What was this chapter mostly about?" 

3.  We have a new bathroom policy.  Hopefully, this doesn't have to continue for very long.  If your child needs to use the bathroom, they must ask first.  I check the bathroom before and after they use it.  (sounds crazy, I know)  We were seeing increase instances of peeing on the floor and strewing toilet paper all over the place.  Since the bathroom checks, imagine..., NO issues! 

4.  Happy New Year.  Thanks for all your thoughts and gifts at the holidays. 

5.  We had 14 students return their vacation reading log.  They received a mechanical pencil and an ice cream sandwich.  If your child did not partake, or wished they had...look for a similar incentive, for February Break.