Wow, check out this new website I just found for helping your child learn spelling words in a fun way. Start here: (or click on Spelling City under great websites bar)
http://www.spellingcity.com/laforge/
(and ignore that our school says it's in Bozeman, MO. I have emailed the website to change their abbreviation error!)
Now click on the list
HM 9.3 The Surprise Family
(because that's our list for this week)
and students can then click on Flashcards, Games, etc. to practice the spelling words and their definitions! It really is a great tool!
Have fun!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Our Class Is Totally Awesome
I just had to tell you about one thing that really warmed my heart today!!!
We do Rocket Math every afternoon, and when students open their folders and see that they have moved up to the next level, usually no one says too much to them. Today, I heard at least three separate groups of kids say, "Congratulations, _____!" And that was even if they hadn't moved up themselves. That may not seem like that big of a deal, but it showed me that we really have created a community in our class. For six and seven year olds to be truly happy when their friend moved on and they didn't????? That's HUGE. Thanks again for having such awesome kids. And once again, I keep asking but no one is answering!!! Can I keep them? :)
This afternoon all the teachers headed over to Emily Dickinson during early release to discuss some exciting new things in writing! Writing is emerging as a more and more important part of school due to the sheer amount that we are required to write as adults, especially with the increase in technology. All of the teachers commented on how amazing it is to see what students can do! Way to go first graders!
We do Rocket Math every afternoon, and when students open their folders and see that they have moved up to the next level, usually no one says too much to them. Today, I heard at least three separate groups of kids say, "Congratulations, _____!" And that was even if they hadn't moved up themselves. That may not seem like that big of a deal, but it showed me that we really have created a community in our class. For six and seven year olds to be truly happy when their friend moved on and they didn't????? That's HUGE. Thanks again for having such awesome kids. And once again, I keep asking but no one is answering!!! Can I keep them? :)
This afternoon all the teachers headed over to Emily Dickinson during early release to discuss some exciting new things in writing! Writing is emerging as a more and more important part of school due to the sheer amount that we are required to write as adults, especially with the increase in technology. All of the teachers commented on how amazing it is to see what students can do! Way to go first graders!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Okay I'm back!
Wow, what a busy time of year! Sorry for the absence of new posts last week! Due to site maintenance, the website wouldn't let me login to submit new posts...of course it probably would've helped if I would have tried more than one day! Sorry!
Thank you chaperones for the great field trip! Our class showed excellent behavior, learning, and had a lot of fun!! Remember our next field trip up at Hyalite on June 2. We will just be going for the morning, so hopefully some of you can come!
Last week we also had our guests from the Billings Special Olympics team join us for about an hour in our classroom! It was a great experience to be able to support the athletes!
Just yesterday we had a police officer come to our class and tell us about his job and safety. The police car was especially a favorite, and students got to slide through the back seat to see just what an uncomfortable place it is! Thanks to all of our police officers for keeping us safe!
Here are some pictures from the Fun Run, which was TOTALLY fun! The kids really did run for 30 minutes straight, which was between 20 and 40 laps for most students. They ran about 2 miles! They were amazing! Thank you for your support with sponsoring and collecting pledges. Remember, you can turn those in right away!
Here is almost everyone in our class. Don't they look so much bigger than at the beginning of the year!?
On the horizon--
We have several other fun presentations coming up: U.S. flag, recycling, and our last Junior Achievement session this week.
I will be out the 20th and 25th, so there will be a sub. As much as I hate to be out, I am on the social studies curriculum committee, and we are trying to finish up before the end of the year.
In math, we are finishing our unit with tens/ones and fractions.
Science will be states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) from here on out.
Social Studies--We just finished up slavery and will be going through the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement.
Walk to Read will be finishing strong with reviews and assessments. Keep sending those reading bags!
Thank you chaperones for the great field trip! Our class showed excellent behavior, learning, and had a lot of fun!! Remember our next field trip up at Hyalite on June 2. We will just be going for the morning, so hopefully some of you can come!
Last week we also had our guests from the Billings Special Olympics team join us for about an hour in our classroom! It was a great experience to be able to support the athletes!
Just yesterday we had a police officer come to our class and tell us about his job and safety. The police car was especially a favorite, and students got to slide through the back seat to see just what an uncomfortable place it is! Thanks to all of our police officers for keeping us safe!
Here are some pictures from the Fun Run, which was TOTALLY fun! The kids really did run for 30 minutes straight, which was between 20 and 40 laps for most students. They ran about 2 miles! They were amazing! Thank you for your support with sponsoring and collecting pledges. Remember, you can turn those in right away!
Here is almost everyone in our class. Don't they look so much bigger than at the beginning of the year!?
On the horizon--
We have several other fun presentations coming up: U.S. flag, recycling, and our last Junior Achievement session this week.
I will be out the 20th and 25th, so there will be a sub. As much as I hate to be out, I am on the social studies curriculum committee, and we are trying to finish up before the end of the year.
In math, we are finishing our unit with tens/ones and fractions.
Science will be states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) from here on out.
Social Studies--We just finished up slavery and will be going through the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement.
Walk to Read will be finishing strong with reviews and assessments. Keep sending those reading bags!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Updates
Hi everyone! I hope your newsletter made it home in one piece! It looks like we have the perfect number of field-trip chaperones, so thank you for taking time for that!!! I'll let you know more as May 11 approaches, but what I know right now is that the buses will be leaving from school at 9:30 and leaving the museum at 2:00. We should have enough space on the buses if you want to ride with us because we will be taking two at this point, but you can also meet us there.
Another even bigger field trip to keep in mind is our field trip to Hyalite Reservoir on June 2nd. Last year, the first graders piloted the whole trip from a grant we received, and this year, Mrs. Hamburgh has decided to make it a whole-school affair! I would really like to thank you for supporting the Fall Festival and the many other fundraisers we have had this year because that is what makes this trip possible! We had so much fun last year and got to do stations that fit right in with our science standards. So, if you are at all interested in spending a day outside with us at the end of the year, we will need LOTS of volunteers! Again, more info to come, but it's something to think about!
READING--A note about reading. Please keep in mind that all first graders should be reading at home nightly whether they have a book sent home or not! It is crucial for them to be rereading if something doesn't make sense and reading fluently at this point of the year, so keep it up! Also, this month is our READING CONTEST! For every five minutes your child reads at home, jot me a quick note or just write it on their reading record (yes, YOU must at least initial it) with your child's name, number of minutes read, and your initials. This is to avoid students being tempted to go cross off minutes that weren't read just because their friend is. The competition is tough! For every 50 minutes, their name will be entered into a drawing for a prize!! They only have until April 30, so get those minutes in now! Even reading to your child can be counted in some cases!
This time of year is super busy and flies by, but it is also my favorite time of year. Every day your kiddos make me laugh, and I hate to think I have to let them go on to second grade soon! They make my day every day! You should see their writing samples. WOW.
Okay, last, and then I'll be quiet, please please please go ahead and leave comments on this blog if you have one, even just to say you liked a picture! I love to hear from you, and it has been so quiet this year! Last year, I even had parents who would help their child post a comment, and we continued to write to each other during the summer! I would love to get that started now, so go ahead, post a comment! :)
Once again, thank you for being awesome and for letting me work with your awesome kids!
Another even bigger field trip to keep in mind is our field trip to Hyalite Reservoir on June 2nd. Last year, the first graders piloted the whole trip from a grant we received, and this year, Mrs. Hamburgh has decided to make it a whole-school affair! I would really like to thank you for supporting the Fall Festival and the many other fundraisers we have had this year because that is what makes this trip possible! We had so much fun last year and got to do stations that fit right in with our science standards. So, if you are at all interested in spending a day outside with us at the end of the year, we will need LOTS of volunteers! Again, more info to come, but it's something to think about!
READING--A note about reading. Please keep in mind that all first graders should be reading at home nightly whether they have a book sent home or not! It is crucial for them to be rereading if something doesn't make sense and reading fluently at this point of the year, so keep it up! Also, this month is our READING CONTEST! For every five minutes your child reads at home, jot me a quick note or just write it on their reading record (yes, YOU must at least initial it) with your child's name, number of minutes read, and your initials. This is to avoid students being tempted to go cross off minutes that weren't read just because their friend is. The competition is tough! For every 50 minutes, their name will be entered into a drawing for a prize!! They only have until April 30, so get those minutes in now! Even reading to your child can be counted in some cases!
This time of year is super busy and flies by, but it is also my favorite time of year. Every day your kiddos make me laugh, and I hate to think I have to let them go on to second grade soon! They make my day every day! You should see their writing samples. WOW.
Okay, last, and then I'll be quiet, please please please go ahead and leave comments on this blog if you have one, even just to say you liked a picture! I love to hear from you, and it has been so quiet this year! Last year, I even had parents who would help their child post a comment, and we continued to write to each other during the summer! I would love to get that started now, so go ahead, post a comment! :)
Once again, thank you for being awesome and for letting me work with your awesome kids!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Shopping, Story Problems, and Making Change
This week we have been doing some shopping at our make-believe classroom store so that students have practice counting money, exchanging money, and making change. Change is a difficult concept for many first graders, so don't worry if your child needs extra practice. You can help by pointing out price tags while you are shopping together and then having your child count the coins for the cashier if possible. You can also point out when you get change from the cashier. Because of the common use of debit cards, some children did not realize that if you give the store too much cash, they give you money back! They thought the store just keeps the extra.
Here is one student being the cashier.
We are also working on writing number stories (story problems.) When they shop at the store, students had to write a number story for the items they were going to buy and calculate the total.
This student had one dollar to spend at the store, so he found as many items as he could that would add up to less than one dollar so he could buy them all!
Here he is calculating his total on the number grid. Nice work!!!
These two chose to finish their math during recess. They worked on a challenge problem then helped each other finish math pages. Way to go!!!
I absolutely love this time of year!! Students have grown so much, and we can work on more and more challenging concepts. They have truly formed a community in our classroom, and working together is one thing this class does well! Great job everybody!
Parents, you have a lot coming home in backpacks lately.
Please remember to return book orders and field trip permission forms by tomorrow, April 15. Have a great day!
Here is one student being the cashier.
We are also working on writing number stories (story problems.) When they shop at the store, students had to write a number story for the items they were going to buy and calculate the total.
This student had one dollar to spend at the store, so he found as many items as he could that would add up to less than one dollar so he could buy them all!
Here he is calculating his total on the number grid. Nice work!!!
These two chose to finish their math during recess. They worked on a challenge problem then helped each other finish math pages. Way to go!!!I absolutely love this time of year!! Students have grown so much, and we can work on more and more challenging concepts. They have truly formed a community in our classroom, and working together is one thing this class does well! Great job everybody!
Parents, you have a lot coming home in backpacks lately.
Please remember to return book orders and field trip permission forms by tomorrow, April 15. Have a great day!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Polygons
Last week, we learned all about polygons! One great way for the kiddos to learn about polygons is to construct pens for animals. Polygons are many-sided shapes with straight sides, no openings, and no closures inside.
We ran out of cows, so we put many kinds of animals in corrals! We had a lot of fun, and students should now know all of the shapes, including many 3-D shapes. Now in math, we are moving on to more about money, time, and place value to the hundreds! Have a great day!
We ran out of cows, so we put many kinds of animals in corrals! We had a lot of fun, and students should now know all of the shapes, including many 3-D shapes. Now in math, we are moving on to more about money, time, and place value to the hundreds! Have a great day!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Teamwork!
We are starting a unit in math all about polygons and geometry. This is a short unit, only two weeks or so, but so fun!!!
In this game, students have to give each other directions without looking to try to make each other's design. These two are just starting a new game, while the two girls above did so well with their directions that their designs matched exactly!
This week we have been learning the names of the continents, and we split up into boys versus girls to see who could name all of the continents. The boys automatically got into a huddle to make sure the girls couldn't hear! Final score? It was a tie with congratulations all around! We have SUCH a nice class! (Can I keep them?) :)
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