Fun in First!

It's been another great week in first grade! We are really starting to get into the "meat" of the curriculum. This week, we've worked hard in all core subjects, while still taking time to to play games, dance, have fun, and get to know each other! We are catching on to the daily routine, and learning to work like first graders. See the photos below and the captions explaining the work that we are doing! Before I get to those photos, though, here are a few helpful reminders to help keep our classroom running smoothly:

* All money needs to be in an envelope of baggie and labeled with your child's first name, last name, the amount, and what the money is for: book order, lunch money, popcorn, fundraisers, T-shirt orders, etc. This helps us stay organized and then the money gets to the correct place in the morning.

* Please check the snack calendar on our website, and also in your child's folder so that snack is sent on the correct day. We currently don't have any extra snacks...so if you are willing to send in some crackers, granola bars, or pretzels, that would be great. If someone forgets their snack day, it is nice to have extras on hand. The students really count on snack to carry them over until lunch. It is really hard for them to focus on learning and stay in a good mood if they are hungry! Thank you!!

*We are in need of 2 parent representatives for PTO. If you are able to attend the monthly meetings, that would be great!! Please let me know!

*You have all been GREAT about sending in notes in the folder, emailing, or calling the office with transportation changes. It is much appreciated! Thank you!!

Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to this week!

Partner reading is fun, and important! These two are reading their phonics book to each other. Notice how they are sitting so they can monitor each other's books in case one person needs help! I love how they go back to re-read the story when finishing early. This will increase fluency and comprehension! When partner reading, we sit EEKK! (Elbow, elbow, knee to knee). Way to go, Cashton & Elijah!

Reading with Mrs. Powell! We are diligently working to find our just right reading levels. Each child reads with Mrs. Powell to find their correct reading level. Some students are at the same level that they ended in Kindergarten, and some have slid back a level or two over the summer. We talk A LOT about how reading is a lot like a sport. The more you spend time practicing, the better you will get! Just like we have developed a love for soccer, or T-ball, hockey, or another sport, we are working to develop our love of reading as well! It is important for children to read 15+ minutes/day outside of school hours, and it really helps if the books are on their level!

Look for book bags that have been sent home for your child to practice reading to you. They may need some help here and there, but mostly they are working to read it fluently. After they know it really well, please send it back to school and then we will have them read to a teacher or volunteer - and then they will choose a new book to take home. Book bags are due every 3-4 days from the day your child brings it home!! Book bags also develop the responsibility of bringing something to/from school within the given time frame. Please help your child by setting aside quiet time for them to read to you every day, and ensuring they bring their bag back to school! Thank you!!

Although we have a mini-fridge in our classroom, it's not quite big enough to hang all of the amazing work that our students produce! So, we call this "The Fridge". This is where we hang OUTSTANDING work; it really gives us something to smile about! If your child's brings home classwork with a Viking blue/gold background, be sure to give them some extra praise for a job well done! This is how you will know it's been hanging on "the fridge" for awhile at school! VIKING PRIDE!!

Here, we are enjoying a little dance break in between spelling/phonics and our reading lesson/activity. We work hard and play hard all day long! That's the balance we use to stay focused and on task until the next break!

We're learning a variety of strategies to add within 5! We broke out the math mats and we are using circle drawings to show that 5 is made up of smaller number partners (addends), and we are also writing the equation that matches the circle drawing. We also learned other strategies this week: using your fingers, using base ten clocks, using number cards, and math mountains (number bonds).

The kids looooooove that the tables are dry erase! When you feel like you're getting away with something, it makes the work seem like play!

Our friends are practicing their short /e/ phonics book, Those Silly Men. We read the story many times together, and then the students got to practice them with a partner. The phonics books go in their book box at school for future use at Read to Self, or Read to Someone, during Daily 5.

We spent the first two weeks focusing on the story, Chester's Way. Here, our friends are using text based evidence to support their answer. To answer a question about the main characters, they used illustrations, and complete sentences! I was VERY impressed with their work on this one!

Phonics practice-----writing short /e/ words on dry erase boards! FUN!

These two have found a love for the quiet work space this area provides. We use every inch of our classroom and nearby hallways for student choice in seating. No one wants to sit in plastic chairs at a table all day----and I wouldn't dream of asking them to do so! Our classroom is a cozy environment where kids can pick from a variety of seating choices for their comfort and optimal work space! There's super cute artwork by both first grades, as well!