Welcome to Our Hive FROGS!
We had a great trip to the Massabesic Audubon Society. After learning all about the frogs of New Hampshire, we went on a nature hike and found lots of baby frogs in various stages of development. We had a wonderful time. Thanks to all the parents who came along! Take a look...
Make a Smilebox slideshow
Here are some duck photos. The first ducks to hatch are 6 days old in these pictures. The last one, Daisy, is 4 days old. There is another sideshow below. It is hard to stop taking pictures of them!
April 16, 2009
We thoroughly enjoyed conferences yesterday. It is great to share all the progress everyone has made. We are so proud of everyone and look forward to meeting with those of you who are coming next week. Thank you for all the positive feedback. Did you hear about our 'team' of ducklings? We now have 8 total. We had fun naming them: Big Foot, Webster, Mallory, Houston (he had a problem...the teachers named him), Marty, Daisy, Fred and Fuzzy. When Houston first hatched his body wasn't formed like the rest of our ducks. His abdomen was very large. So large, in fact, that his legs went straight out and he couldn't walk. We were worried about him and sent him home with Mrs. Whitely for some extra TLC and close consideration. I am happy to report that he is fully recovered from his difficult hatch and back home with the team. You can't even tell which one he is now. He can walk just fine. This offered us the opportunity to talk about differences and special needs. We know that Houston needed to be loved and cared for just like all the other ducklings even though he looked different. Have a peek:
Make a Smilebox slideshow
March 26, 2009
Here are some photos from the day the ducks our classroom. This was DAY 1 of the duck egg incubation. Yesterday we 'candled' the eggs and could see the duckling growing and developing inside. It didn't look like a duckling yet, but we could see lots. Ask your first grader about. Our ducklings should start hatching on day 28!
Make a Smilebox slideshow
March 22, 2009
Thank you to everyone who visited us at the open house. It was fun to see everyone enjoying the polar bear cave, blubber glove and birdfeeders. We raised $82.00! We definitely can 'Adopt a Polar Bear' with that. Thank you for all your support.
QUACK, QUACK!Did you happen to see our duck eggs? We are the proud parents of 18 duck eggs. Most are Pekin Ducks. We are learning all about ducks and ducklings. There are some great photos and interesting information on our
Please check it out! :)
March 11, 2009
Polar bears are COOL!
We've been learning all about polar bears as we explore ways we can help our planet. Polar bears are built to live in the cold arctic. Global warming is making it hard for the polar bears to hunt and survive. What can first graders do to help? Come to the GO GREEN Open House on March 19 and see what we have learned and how we are helping. One thing we are doing is raising money to 'adopt a polar bear' by selling bird feeders we are making from recycled milk jugs (we had some left over from our Kamakura which has been renamed THE DEN for this unit). Click the link below to go to our polar bear page.
February 4, 2009
We had a wonderful time snowshoeing together.
Make a Smilebox slideshow
January 29, 2009
We have started to learn about the Sun, Stars, Moon and Sky. We learned that the sun IS a star. We learned that the Earth moves around the sun even though it looks like the sun is moving in the sky during the day. We visited the NASA for kids website. It was a hit. Here is the link:
Here is a page with more information about our unit and more interesting links about the sky:
January 24, 2009
It's almost finished. Here are some shots of most of us in the growing kamakura. I still need to take pictures of some of us and will add them to the slide show next week. We are STILL collecting jugs. Our Japanese Girls' Day and Boys' Day lunch was such fun. We learned that first graders either LOVE or HATE sushi. Everyone was brave enough to try. Some us were quite skilled with the chopsticks, too. We have some great photos coming soon. Thank you to Ashley and her family for sending in the rice cooker and rice. It was perfect. If anyone wants the recipe for the sushi or soup just email me. Don't forget we are going to the Phantom Tollbooth performance at the High School on Monday.
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THE BIG CHEESE! Everyone will get to be the BIG CHEESE for a week. The BIG CHEESE gets special priveleges like being the line leader and dining in with the teachers. We will send the full schedule home next week. |
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Hina Matsura is The Doll Festival or Girls' Day in Japan. In Japan, families set up special dolls for Hina Matsura. We would like to celebrate Hina Matsura on Thursday, January 22nd in our classroom. Girls are invited to bring in a special doll to share. They will also have lunch in the classroom with the teachers. We will serve Miso soup and make sushi.
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Happy New Year!
I found a fun HANGMAN game. This is a great way to prctice our sight words. There are other words, too. I will also add a link to the links page.
Have a wonderful break. I hope you stay warm and lights stay on. I uploaded our storm stories for you to enjoy. We also wrote "How Do You Survive An Ice Storm?" question and answer books. I hope to get them up after break.
We are still collecting gallon jugs for our kamakura. We have a great start but will need many many more to complete it. Please save and send in water, milk or juice gallon sized jugs. PLEASE RINSE MILK AND JUICE JUGS .
In the middle of February in northern Japan,where it is not unusual to have 8 to 10 inches of snow fall in one night, they take advantage of the snow and celebrate with a festival. They build snow forts like igloos, called Kamakura.
Children put blankets on the ground inside the kamakura. They decorate the inside and at night light them up with candles. They use a small cooking stove to cook rice cakes ( mochi) to serve the visiting grown ups! In the past, alters were built and people prayed for safety for their families, abundant harvest and academic success. It was also a way to spend a few days away from the tempation of matieral things. However, today it is geared for fun for the children.
As my gallons of water jugs started to pile up in my kitchen and garage, I thought about a Kamakuri festival to enhance our study of Japan! I would like to make a Kamakuri in the classroom. So, in the name of recycling, please send any gallon jugs into our classroom so we can build a kamakura. If it is a milk jug, please make sure it is cleaned out. Thank You.
December 6, 2008
Konnichiwa! We are learning so much about Japan. Have you heard us counting in Japanese? We are studying the land and people of Japan. We made fans and kimonos. We read some nonfiction books about Japan. Check out our Japan page to learn more about what we are doing.
This week we will read some stories about cranes. In Japan the crane represents peace. We will try our hand at the art of origami. We will spend some time talking about PEACE and what it means. What can we do as individuals and a class to spread peace?
One thing we are doing as a class is creating a GIVING TREE. I am asking families who can, to bring in new or gently used hats, mittens, scarves, coats and boots of ALL SIZES to add to our tree. We will donate these items to families who are not able to provide them for themselves. Thank you for helping others stay warm this winter. This will also fit in well with our school theme of GO GREEN...reduce, REUSE and recycle!
November 10
We read some wonderful books about the Sonoran Desert and the Saguaro Cactuses that grow ONLY in this desert.I put our art and poems into a voicethread!
Thanks to the room moms for a wonderful
halloween party.
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I added a new page with a list of sites with online stories. Check it out!
October 28, 2008
I am so impressed with the learning in our classroom. I am so proud of everyone. Some of the growth is amazing! We are taking a small break from the study of the desert to focus on spiders and how they are different from insects. We will discuss the desert tarantula and make one. After this week we will be finished with insects and spiders and spend more time on the desert, Mexico and the animals of the Sonoran Desert. We are starting to focus on our first comprehension strategy in reading: schema. I started to write a parent letter explaining schema, when I found this one from a website I frequent often. Please read Jennifer Jones letter about schema..it is the best I have found.
check the
A great way to practice math concepts is by playing games with your child. Everyday Math builds many games into the program to reinforce skills. Here is a link to an ONLINE version of EDM games. We have played Top-It and Monster Squeeze. Now you can play online with your child. I recommend it!
September 29, 2008.
It was so great to see everyone at Back to School Night. I understand people have other committments and hope the packet and website will answer any questions you may have about the classroom. Feel free to email or call me with questions. Thank you to everyone for helping cover your child's writing notebook with pictures. They look beautiful and the bees were soooo proud. Everyone had something to write about today. I was glad to get some feedback that parents enjoyed the project. I know how busy families are and don't want to overwhelm you. On Friday, our first homework packet is coming home. These are due ON or BEFORE the following Friday. Last year, parents appreciatead the flexibility that the packets allowed. I understand that children have many events, but I do recommend a bit of homework each night. The routine helps kids. Try to find a time that your child is not too tired. Build 'homework' time into the daily routine.
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Thank you EVERYONE for sending in empty plastic containers.
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Thank you to Foley's family for the business cards.
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Thank you to Brenda's family for classroom books.
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Thank you to T.J.'s families for classroom books.
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Thank you to Owen's family for classroom books.
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Thank you to Emily's family for classroom books.
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Thank you to Luke, Owen and Emily's mom for being our room parents. They will be contacting you throughout the year for support via email or notes home in the BEE book.
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Thank you everyone who has sent in old sneakers for our re-use a shoe program. First grade rocks at donating used sneakers!
Check out what is happening with our GO GREEN theme. Tomorrow the Electric Car will visit our school. Very exciting.
September 17, 2008.
We are having a great time in the hive. Everyone is settling into our routine.We are thoroughly enjoying everyone's forever books. I am excited about the class book we are creating with them. Thank you for sending them in. We are also making a class book on Butterfly Facts. All of our Monarchs have left our room and are headed to Mexico. We are going to be learning more about Mexico. Thank you to everyone for sending in the BEE books daily. Please don't hesitate to drop a note in the BEE book or email us with any questions you may have.
Check the Sneak Peek link on the left for our current focus. I also added a page outlining the first grade curriculum.
Thank you to Ashley's mom for the delicious and ADORABLE Monarch cookies. They really were too pretty to eat. But, boy were they tasty!
Each Week I will update the Sneak Peek at the Week page with our current focus. You can click the link on the left to see what we are working on.
SNACKS
Thank you for sending in a snack. Everyone had healthy snacks and they were appreciated! I have had some questions about peanut butter. We do NOT have a peanut allergy in our classroom. So, peanut butter is fine to send in for snack AND lunch. We are working hard to teach the kids to wash their hands after eating peanut butter because there are allergies in the other first grade. They are already very aware and thoughtful about this issue. What a great bunch.
MONEY
Thank you for using the MONEY and NOTES pouch in the BEE book. First graders are very good at telling us when you send things in. They often like to take it out and give it to us! Please put any money in an envelope or baggy labeled with your child's name, amount and purpose. We are often collecting money for different things at the same time and it is very helpful to have it labeled. THANK YOU!
Reading with your child is so important. I hope everyone is reading over the summer. Below is a link to a wonderful tool for parents and teachers. At the scholastic Book Wizard you can type in a book your child likes and find out the reading level. Then you can search and generate a list of books on the same level or find similar books your child may enjoy!
