Look Who’s Arrived!!

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Posted by Alissa | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on September 25, 2014

Big news!  Our butterflies are starting to emerge.  We now have 3 of them living in our classroom and the kids are really excited about it.  We did Butterfly centers on Wednesday.  In one center the kids spent time observing and drawing our new  butterfly.

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Another center was full of puzzles and matching games the kids really enjoyed.  And the last center was spent talking about the complete life cycle we have now observed.  The kids made a life cycle wheel, learned new vocabulary and did lots of cutting to make their project.  You may have seen it come home yesterday in the backpack.  

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Come stop by some morning to see our new butterfly friends!

Reading Workshop

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Posted by Alissa | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on September 19, 2014

You will see these reading plans coming home in the home folders today.  This is the plan children use to guide their independent work while they are not in a reading group with a teacher.  We’ve been spending the past few weeks learning how to do all these choices.  Ask your child to tell you about each one!  I think they are ready to be independent readers and writers so next week reading groups begin and you will see books coming home with your child 3 days a week.  IMG_2560

Here they are in action. Working in a small group with a teacher to do science observations. IMG_2552

Adding on to a story in their writing folders.

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Doing an ABC or rhyming puzzle.

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Science work.

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Computer programs like Lexia, Starfall, or PebbleGo.

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We are becoming better readers every day!!

1st Grade News

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Posted by Alissa | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on September 17, 2014

We learned a new math game this week called Bunny Hop.  Children are practicing moving up and down the number line to 20.  We also started our math workbooks this week and played a dice game using tally marks.  Math homework went home on Monday for the first time.  The children were so excited about getting homework.  I hope the excitement lasts!IMG_2528

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On Fridays the 4th graders will come visit our classroom to be Reading Buddies with the 1st graders.  This week our big kid buddies came down and the 1st graders interviewed them to get to know them better.  You may have seen the interview sheet come home in the home folder.  This is a fun time for both the big and the little kids!IMG_2535

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Look at these cool designs the boys made with geoboards at math time.  I like the proud smiles even more!!IMG_2540

 

Reading Workshop is now up and running.  Children are meeting with me in small reading groups based on their own reading level.  While they are not in a group, kids are working independently reading alone or to a friend or completing their reading plan.  More on that later!  Next week reading homework will begin and children will bring home books from their reading group.

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1st Grade Today!

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Posted by Alissa | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on September 10, 2014

Everyday in 1st grade we start the day off with a friendly morning greeting.  This is a picture of the kids doing the Turkey greeting.  It helps the children learn how to introduce themselves, greet another person, speak in a loud, clear voice…and they’re a lot of fun!  Ask your child to tell you about our shoe greeting.  That’s a favorite!

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In math this week we learned a new game called Penny Dice game.  It’s a game you need to play with a partner and it involves counting pennies, rolling dice, taking turns and comparing who has more/less.

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At computer lab today, Mrs. Gravina taught us how to use the iPad to create storybooks.  The kids broke up into 3 different groups to create a book about the three live insects we have in our classroom:  ants, caterpillars and milkweed bugs.

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You’ll notice two papers coming home in the backpacks today.  One is a notice from Khan Academy.  Our school will be using this program to help improve math skills.  It’s something your child can also work on at home.  Please sign the form giving your child permission to sign up, and return it to school ASAP!  Thank you!

Also in the backpacks is a picture your child drew about a feeling.  Today at 2nd Step we talked about our feelings and how sometimes you can tell how a person is feeling just by looking at them.  Knowing how someone is feeling can help you be a better friend.  Ask your child about the feeling he/she drew today in school.

Math homework starts next week!  Keep an eye out for it in the backpack next Monday or Tuesday!

 

 

Bugs!

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Posted by Alissa | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on September 4, 2014

Look who arrived in our classroom today!  Now we have live insects to observe and watch grow.  The kids were so excited about the arrival of our ant colony, caterpillars and milkweed bugs.  If your child finds any dead bugs at home, feel free to put them in a small, sealed container and send them in to school.  We will add them to our observation shelf!

 

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