Kites/Challenge!

Last week we tied the topic of kites into a lot of our learning. We read a nonfiction book about kites by Gail Gibbons and made our own nonfiction books with the steps to flying a kite, including a labeled diagram of a kite. The students learned about contractions this week and we made contraction buddies and contraction kites! Students also learned about Ben Franklin's discovery and made a fact kite about their learning. They wrote what the would do if they were kites and attached to a cute scrapbook kite that they put together. They also made paper kites and had a chance to try flying them. Unfortunately it wasn't a windy day on Friday but they still had a blast!

Here are some challenge questions! Please remember to email me your child's answers and they should get 2/3 correct for a prize.

1. What is a contraction?
2. What did Ben Franklin tie to the end of a kite and why?
3. What are ellipses (dot, dot, dot) and what can they do for a reader?

Gumball Math Update

I just wanted to update you on Gumball Math. It is going very well and the students are highly motivated! I know it might seem that I am tough if I do not give a gumball when a child is able to get 48 or 49 correct out of 50 but yet do not give a gumball, however they CAN get 50 and they will! If I do it for one student then I will need to do it for another, and so on. I remind the students that this is for fun and we will try hard not to get discouraged. I tell them this is really for good practice, not necessarily the gumball. If I have a certain issue regarding your child and the gumball quizzes, I will be in touch. Often times students finish before the time is up and have more time to check yet still miss one or overlook some that they skipped. Feel free to practice by making your own quizzes at home as well! As always, if you have any questions please feel free to send me an email. :)

Trivia Night!

I really hope to see some of you at Trivia Night! It's such a fun night!!! It's not too late, so think about getting together with your family, friends and/or another family and get a table and come enjoy the night. You will have a great time! It's this Friday night!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Yesterday we did some fun activities in school for St. Patrick's Day. The kids came to school to find a special treat on their desk (as well as a green lei for tropical day). We reviewed adjectives and brainstormed some adjectives to describe a leprechaun together, then the students designed their own leprechauns. They came out adorable. They had to then choose 6 adjectives to describe their leprechauns and glue them to the paper. Great job boys and girls!

What Are We Doing?

It's time for a bit of randomness! We are moving right along in our learning - I can't believe it is already mid March! Where has the time gone? In Reading Workshop we are working hard at monitoring our reading and are using various strategies to be sure that we understand what we are reading. One of those strategies is to check in after chunks of text. Students are putting sticky notes in their books after a few pages to remind them to stop and sort of check in with their comprehension. We are working hard at writing down different thoughts about our reading as well. Their sticky notes get collected so that I can see how they are doing. I am so impressed with their level of stamina. They just read and read and read and it makes me so happy!

In Writer's Workshop we are now in a new unit called Authors as Mentors. We are reading books by Angela Johnson and studying how she writes her stories to help us think about what we can do in our own writing. Students were given tiny notebooks to jot down tiny topics that happen in their lives to then be turned into small moment stories.

In Math we are working on place value and adding two digit numbers, comparing numbers, and next week we will get into fact families and turn around facts. Gumball Math continues to be a fun challenge and big motivator. I am proud of how hard the students try. Keep practicing at home!

In the next weeks we will be doing a lot of learning with kites and weather which will be a lot of fun for the kids!

Here are some pictures of different activities we have recently done in class.

Family Math Night

It was so great to see so many of you at Family Math Night! I hope you all enjoyed the time. The kids all said that they had a blast. First Grade really represented! :) Congratulations to Liam for winning the estimation contest with his estimate of 150. Yay Liam!

America!

We have spent the past two weeks learning about some important people, events, and things related to our country. We created nonfiction books about American Symbols and they came out great! Students also had a chance to be artists as they drew George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and the Statue of Liberty! We tied in a lot of interactive writing and art projects as well. Here are some pictures. :)

Dr. Seuss, Report Cards, and a Challenge!

Hi everyone!
Tomorrow is Dr. Suess's birthday and we will be doing a few Dr. Seuss related activities. One of them being reading with big friends. I asked the kids to bring in a favorite Dr. Seuss book from home and figured I would post it here as well. If they forget or don't have any it is not a problem as I have plenty in the class!

A notice about conferences will be sent in the report card envelope. It will basically state that if, after reading the report card you still wish to schedule a conference, we will do that for the half day (March 14th) that is designated for conference times. I can also email if you have any questions if that is easier. I try to be flexible as well and if you can't make it that day, we can work to meet anytime between then and year end.

Now for a little challenge for the students. Your child needs to answer two out of the three questions. Please email me their responses and he/she will get a little prize.
1. What is the name of the bird that is an American symbol.
2. What does liberty mean?
3. What do the 7 rays on the Statue of Liberty's crown represent?

Thank you!