Sun & Fun in First

We have really been enjoying all the sun and fun that this beautiful spring weather has brought us. Our outdoor classroom is in full swing, and we LOVE LOVE LOVE being outside as much as we can! Students are encouraged to bring a beach towel to sit on outside. We have some picnic tables in our outdoor classroom, but we often like to spread out, and it is not a very grassy area. Students will keep their beach towels in their backpacks every day and you can take them out and wash it as needed.

We do our writing lesson inside, and then student can choose to sit inside or outside for their independent practice time.

Here is Emmy writing in her April journal.

Some great thinking and writing happens here!

We also had all students pass their bowling ball words, so we enjoyed some outdoor bowling this week, too! Look at that form! His parents must own a bowling alley! ;)

Last week we worked on character traits with the story, Whistle for Willie. We analyzed the characters from the story and used words to describe the main character. We also described our good friend, Keadric!

Last Saturday was Earth Day. We read articles, and talked about all the ways that we can help (not harm) the Earth. We made Earth Day hats, too!

Some students are moving beyond a typical reading group and are trying out a 'book club'! We are working more independently on reading a text and discussing the main idea, answering questions about the texts, interacting with various story elements, and making connections with the texts. So far, they are loving it!

Recently, we read a nonfiction story called Clarabelle. It was all about a the milking process at a dairy farm. Afterward, we learned how the milk fat is separated into cream, and how that cream can be used for making butter. We shook, shook, shook the cream until it turned into butter, and then enjoyed in on a piece of bread!

We watched some short videos on the butter making process while we shook the containers.

Another scholar earned lunch with Mrs. Powell for reaching 75 points for being on time to the group area, displaying good work habits, and being kind and responsible!

Congrats to our first place winners, Emma and Kendra on the Arbor Day Contest! We hope you enjoyed your afternoon with Mr. Brown and other contest winners from area schools at the City Hall today!

We're digging into life cycles this week and next. Here's a peek from some files on SeeSaw.