Tuesday, January 31, 2012

In first grade today we:

• took our time test.
• we took information from a tally chart we made and created a bar graph and picture graph about whether or not we like to read.
• used our clickers to text words that begin with a digraph or blend.
• learned about blends and digraphs.
• read the book The Itsy Bitsy Spider and highlighted words beginning with blends and digraphs.
• drew, labeled, and used our sorting words in sentences.
• switched reading groups with Mrs. Childers.
• we listened to clues about numbers and made the number 100 on a Hundreds chart.

Monday, January 30, 2012

In first grade today:

• we practiced new spelling words.
• we made a counter toss tally table in math.
• we made a counter toss bar graph with the information from our tally table.
• we went to the library.
• we learned how light can move and we learned that it is a form of energy.
• we learned a song about our spelling word /they/.  Ask me how it goes, and I will teach it to you! (:

Thursday, January 26, 2012

HAPPY 100TH DAY OF FIRST GRADE!

Today we celebrated our 100th day of school!  See the picture below of our class wearing our 100 day glasses.

Some of our activities included:

• making necklaces out of 100 Fruit Loops.
• reading Henry's 100th Day of Kindergarten.
• sharing our 100 Day posters.
• making our 100 Day glasses.
• using our clickers to answer various questions about the number 100 and other things we're learning.
• making a Concrete Graph with our Fruit Loops.
• sorting our Fruit Loops by colors.
• worked in our 100 Days of First Grade book.



Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Hello!  Another busy day in first grade...

• We learned how to use the "clickers".
• We had a guest teacher this morning while Mrs. DuPree was at a technology training meeting.
• We took a math time test.
• We learned about the long o sound.
• We brainstormed words that we think about with snow and snowman.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Hello!  Let us tell you about our day:

• We did math centers today.  We learned about Concrete Graphs.
• We made a concrete graph with SMARTIES.
• We had a new game at the computer math center called Buildasaurus.  The students build dinosaurs that are placed into a graph and they answer questions about the graph.
• We learned about heat in science.

Since everyone in our class has had their turn to be STAR of the Week, we will have Special Readers beginning next week.  Each week, two students will have a day when they bring in a book that they have practiced reading MANY times and are very familiar with, so they can read it FLUENTLY and with EXPRESSION to our class.  Your student will bring home a note the week before they are the Special Reader, so they have plenty of time to practice their chosen book.  Please encourage them to choose a book that can be read in about 10 minutes or less and remind them to practice, practice, practice this book before bringing it to school.  Thank you so much for your support!! (:

Friday, January 20, 2012

Happy Friday!  Here is what happened in first grade today:

• we took our spelling test.
• we learned about heat in science.
• we learned about sorting and classifying.
• we worked on our writing wiki.
• we had indoor recess (AGAIN!).
• no one moved their monkey to the 5,10, or 15 minute.
• Jacob taught us how to make comments on our writing wiki (compliments only!).
• we did not have time for math centers today.
• Jacob, our Star of the Week, shared his poster.
• we watched a video on Brain Pop, Jr. about heat.
• Jacob was our last Star of the Week.
• we didn't have time for our full morning meeting, because we had new literacy centers to learn about.

Whew!!  We were really busy today!  Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

We had an exciting afternoon because we had our buddy activity with our 4th grade buddies!

The first part of the day we:

• had our last "catch up" day for this center rotation.  We start new centers tomorrow.
• We read a book called Ike and Mike to help us learn the long i sound.
• We made a list of long i words.
• Most of us checked out new books at the library.
• We took an addition time test after lunch.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

At school today we:

• did "catch up" day at our literacy centers.
• made a concrete graph.
• met with Mrs. Lenzen's student counselor, Mrs. Whitefield.
• read the story The Little Red Hen.
• made a flip book about The Little Red Hen.
• Jacob, our Star of the Week, read a chapter from his Magic Tree House book.

There are several important papers in your first grader's purple folder today:  field trip permission slip, information about the 100th Day of School, math letter, and spelling homework.  Please be sure to take a look at those items.  THANK YOU!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

We hope you enjoyed your three day weekend!  In first grade today we:

• watched a video about Martin Luther King, Jr.
• took a math post-test and a math pretest.
• worked on a MLK story, by putting the events of his life in sequence.
• learned new spelling words.
• worked on tangled words in our morning message.
• Jacob, our Star of the Week, shared his sharing sack.
• worked in our Word Work book.
• had indoor recess, since it was so cold.

Stay warm!  More tomorrow....

Wiki writing

Here are a few more pictures of your student working on our wiki site. 

Friday, January 13, 2012

Happy Friday!  Today we:

• logged on to our Writing Wiki and typed more of our story.
• took our spelling test.
• did math centers
• learned about how to choose the operation for math number stories.
• worked on our Fact Family Houses.
• took a social studies test.

Check us out!  We're working hard on our Writing Wiki website! 

 

Remember...no school on Monday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Have a great three day weekend!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Happy snowy day!  We hope you are staying warm and dry!  We are learning something new and exciting right now.  Please ask your student about:

• our Writing Wiki website (this is what's new and exciting for us--more information and pictures coming soon!).
• fact families in math.
• the long e sound.
• the book Queen Bee's Scream
• Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have a great evening!  PTG meeting cancelled tonight--stay inside, if you can!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012-Part 2

Hello again!  Just a reminder that if your first grader is interested in doing and submitting a PRISM project, please complete and turn in the PRISM entry form.  It was sent home before the winter break and is printed on green paper.  Please let me know ASAP if you need me to send home another form.  PRISM projects will be checked on February 10th, and PRISM/Science Fair Night is on February 23.  If you have any questions, let me know, and I will do my best to answer them.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Hello!  First grade is fun, and we learn A LOT every day!  Here is a run down of our day:

• In social studies we learned how goods are brought from other states and countries to our state and country.
• We brainstormed advice for the Board of Education for a book we are making for them for National Board of Education month.
• We had our snack on the rainbow rug instead of at our desks today.
• We did math centers today.

Don't forget...tomorrow is Early Dismissal day!  Please send a note with your child if they are going home a different way than their usual.  Early Dismissal also means we do Show and Tell tomorrow.  Please remind your first grader to choose a sensible item and practice what they will tell us about it when it's their turn to share.  During this time, we practice our speaking, listening, and writing skills.  Being able to share something from home just makes it more fun! (:

Monday, January 9, 2012

Happy Monday!  In first grade today we:

• wrote our New Year's resolution on our hand.
• had a guest teacher for the morning (Mrs. DuPree had a meeting).
• our Star of the Week, Erik, shared his poster.
• Rianne, this week's Star of the Week, shared her sharing sack.
• learned about different kinds of jobs in social studies.
• discussed which jobs provide goods and/or services.

Report cards are in your child's purple Take Home folder today.  Please be sure and take a look at it and discuss their progress with them.  Thank you!
Have a great week!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Happy Friday!  As usual, we were very busy all day long!  Take a look at our day...

• We made a toy list in our Writer's Notebook.
• We took our spelling test.
• We are using our new DR books.
• We took 2 math tests.

Please be sure to look in your child's folder over the weekend.  There is a piece of black construction paper that needs to be decorated and brought back to school on Wed., Jan. 11th.  The instructions for this assignment are attached to the paper.  THANK YOU!
Have a great weekend!  (:

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Another busy day!  Today we:

• started Writer's Workshop.
• discussed the social studies vocabulary words:  trading, cost, saving, buying, goods, services, and volunteering.
• read the big book, The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins.
• worked at our math centers.
• had a fire drill.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Hello!  A couple students expressed an interest in viewing our blog at home, so today we talked about how you and your first grader can pull up our blog at home.  I encourage you to view our blog as often as possible, and use it as a stepping stone for discussion as to what they are learning each day at school.  Here is the address again:

• dupreeroom13.blogspot.com

Today we:

• learned how to NOT be a bully from Mrs. Lenzen.
• made a list of -ake family words.
• read a book about not being a bully--Lucy and the Bully
• read a book about words with the long a sound--Jake and Jane's Great Race. 
• wrote in our Photo Journal about our service learning project at Bethesda.
• Our Star of the Week (Erik) read a book:  The Magic School Bus and the Mystery of the Missing Tooth.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We are glad to be back at school, and we have had a fantastic first day in 2012!  Today we:

• talked about things we WANT and things we NEED.
• learned about counting backward (Count Back-subtraction).
• did math centers.
• started new literacy centers.
• learned a new poem, "Snowflakes".
• learned new spelling words.

Whew!  We were busy!  We have A LOT of learning left in first grade.  I reminded our students to work hard and stay focused for the second half of the year.  They are off to a GREAT start! (: