A Special Visitor

Excitement was ringing in the air today in first grade. The Easter Bunny came last night and left Easter baskets on the students' desks and even wrote on our chalkboard. The students had so much fun digging through their baskets and discovering all what the Easter Bunny left them. Here are pictures of how our room looked this morning and a close up of those baskets. 

After settling down from the excitement of the Easter baskets, we began our day in Religion class. Our focus today was Good Friday where we watched the movie The Proud Tree. In this movie students watch how a boastful and selfish tree ends up becoming the tree which Jesus died on. Students learned the importance of always being thankful. We then painted stain glass crosses. I will show pictures next week once the paint is dry. 

We then read The Easter Egg by Jan Brett. After reading we discussed the characters, setting, and plot. As an extra bonus, students decorated Easter eggs. I loved how everyone used their creativity when doing this project. 

Our day didn't focus all around Easter. We did take a break to have gym class where we played kickball. We also learned how to count dollar bills and write money amounts using a dollar sign. 

I wish everyone a blessed and Happy Easter! I hope you enjoy your break. See you on Tuesday! 

Some Easter Activities

Today was another busy day in first grade. Our Religion lesson today centered around the Holy Three Days. We talked briefly about each one before focusing our attention on Holy Thursday. We listened to the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet and sharing a meal with them. We then talked about the meaning behind what Jesus did. One of the activities we did was wash each others' hands as a way to remember to serve others. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed compound words by forming compound words. To do this, students were given a bucket with Easter eggs. The Easter eggs were split in two with a word written on each half. Working with other students, they had to join the halves together to make a compound word. This was an eggs-lent activity.

We also completed a Writing project where students wrote about what they would do if they were a bunny. They wrote about where they would live, what they would eat, and some activities they would do. The writing project turned out adorable. Have a look . . . 

Just a reminder that we have a Spelling test tomorrow. Tomorrow is also gym day. 

The Start of Holy Week

Today was a great day in first grade. I think everyone was well-rested and ready to learn new things. We began our study of Holy Week in Religion class this morning. We listened to the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem as the people waved palm branches and shouted Hosanna! We then made mosaic palm branches to help us remember Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. 

During Language Arts class, we discovered how to blend and read compound words. We practiced this skill by reading our decodable reader. We also talked about characters, setting, and plot. 

Finally, in Math class we learned about a dozen and a half dozen. 

As you can see it was a busy day in first grade. 

Bunnies in Art Class

Hello, everyone! I hope you are enjoying your weekend. It is hard to believe that Easter is one week away especially when there is snow in the forecast. Hopefully it won't get as bad as they are predicting. 

Friday was an awesome day in first grade. As usual, we wrapped up our reading story by taking our test. In Math, we learned how to solve a problem by making an organized list. 

Science class was lots of fun as we learned about sound. We learned that sounds can be either loud or soft and are made when something vibrates. Placing a ruler on our desk and gently hitting it, we saw what it means when something vibrates. We then used our rulers to make low and high sounds. To end class, we did an experiment to see which objects sounds travel through. We discovered that sounds travel better through solids (a book) then a liquid or gas. 

We prepared for the Easter holiday by making an Easter bunny in Art class. I just love them! 

I just also want to congratulate the Holy Name Forensics students especially all of those who moved onto the Diocesan round. On Friday, we had two students take home a medal, a fifth place medal in impromptu and a sixth place medal in prose. All of the students who participated did an excellent job and I am so proud of them! 

Terrific Thursday!

Happy Thursday! Things in first grade went quite well today. The students are working hard and are having fun learning. We continued to work with our phonics skills and sight words in Language Arts. We also practiced building our fluency by rereading The Lady in the Moon. To finish the day, we worked in our literacy centers. 

Gym class was a ton of fun today. We played a version of tag called couch potato. Before beginning, we talked about what a couch potato is and how not to be a couch potato. During the game, if a student was tagged, that student became a couch potato. He/she could reenter the game by doing 5 jumping jacks with a friend. The students had a great time playing the game. They sure gave their hearts a workout! 

The First Day of Spring

Happy Spring! Hopefully spring weather will blossom soon. Today was a good day in first grade. We worked hard and learned a lot. During Language Arts class we reviewed our sight words before reading The Lady in the Moon. It was neat reading about the Chinese Moon Festival; the students seemed quite intrigued with this celebration. We were also able to work in our literacy centers which is always a hit with the students. 

In Math class today, we learned how to subtract a number from 10. To help us solve these facts, we used our pennies. Most students would agree that these facts are simple. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is gym class. 

Ready for a Nap!

Greetings, everyone! First grade had an action packed day today. We learned how to read words with kn and wr. The trick is remembering that the k and w are silent. We practiced our sight words, continued our study of adjectives, and began writing a paragraph on camping. In Math, we learned how to count nickels and pennies. By the end of the day, we were all tired but excited with the new information we learned. 

A Short but Successful Day

Just when we thought we had seen the last of winter, it made its return today. I do hope everyone made it home safely and that the children are enjoying the snow. Just think spring officially begins in two days. 

Even with a short day, we were able to accomplish a lot today. We began our day by watching a video on the life of St. Patrick. We then switched our gears to Language Arts where we learned to decode and read long i words spelled either ie or igh. We also practiced telling the difference between realism and fantasy. Hopefully tomorrow will be a full day for us. 

Happy Friday!

Today was a great day to finish up a fantastic week in school. We wrapped up our story Mister Bones by reviewing the skills we learned during the week as well as taking our test on the story. As a special treat, we made our own fossils. Students were given a piece of clay. After flattening it, they each pressed a seashell into it. They will bring them home on Monday after I bake the clay so that it will be hard. Hopefully these little fossils will become a treasure for them. 

In Math, we learned how to count nickels which came as no problems since we have been counting by 5's everyday in our Math Meeting. 

We wrapped up our unit of health and nutrition by studying the my plate. We talked about different foods in each food group. Students were then given food pictures and had to place them in the correct section of the plate. Here is a picture of our plate when we were all finished. 

To end the week, we created our very own leprechauns in honor of St. Patrick's day. They turned out adorable. 

I hope everyone has a great and relaxing weekend.  

A Dinosaur Dig!

First grade had yet another amazing day learning and reviewing new things. We reviewed our phonics skills and sight words and practiced our fluency by rereading our story Mister Bones. For something a little bit different, I wrote sight words on bones and hid them in the classroom. The students had to pretend they were on a dinosaur dig and find the bones. As you can imagine they all had a great time. 

In Math class, we learned how to measure and draw line segments using the inch side of our ruler. It was tricky at first, but we soon got the hang of it. 

To finish the day, we did another dinosaur activity. The students 'dug' for fossils (chocolate chip cookies) in the sand, dust them off, dug for the bones (using a toothpick), and finally found the bones (chocolate chips). Here are pictures from this activity. 

So Much Excitement!

I have to say that our day ended with so much excitement surrounding the selection of a new pope. Since yesterday, the students have been asking me if there has been white smoke. When we found out today that we had white smoke, there was so much excitement in the room. I was able to bring a live feed on the computer and we had hoped to see the new pope before leaving for the day. Unfortunately, that did not occur. I just loved seeing the students so excited for something that is so important for us Catholics. 

Our day today was filled with excitement too. We read a great biography about a dinosaur hunter. The students were fascinated by this man's work. They were also excited to be working in literacy centers today. 

In Math class, we learned how to draw congruent shapes. 

Just a reminder that we have gym class tomorrow. 

A Normal Tuesday!

Good evening! I hope everyone is doing well tonight. We had a normal day today which was much needed. We like routine. 

In Language Arts today, we learned to decode and read words with three letter blends. We also practiced our sight words. In addition, we began writing our second paragraph. This one will be about what we would do if we found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. 

In Math class, we continued our study of the facts with a sum of 10. 

To end the day, we attended Stations of the Cross. 

Can you believe that tomorrow is already Wednesday? 

Happy Monday!

Greetings, everyone! First grade had a good start to the week. We learned how to blend, read, and spell long o words when spelled oa or ow. We also talked about the author's purpose in writing a story. In addition, we continued our study of adjectives by discussing adjectives for size. 

In Math class today, we learned some new addition facts. These facts are a bit different in that we need to identify the missing number in the problem so that when we add it to the one number we will get ten. For example in ? + 4 = 10, the answer is 6. With a little more practice we will be solving these problems with ease. 

As promised here is a picture of the artwork we made last Friday in Art class. 

Just a quick note to close, I am so proud of how well the students behaved during the lockdown today. They sat so quietly and listened so well. Hopefully all of our nerves have settled and tomorrow will be a normal day! 

A Productive Friday!

Good morning and Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and the beautiful sunshine we are having. I don't know about you but I am really appreciating this weather. 

Friday was a great and productive day in first grade. During Language Arts class, we reviewed our phonics skills and sight words, completed a story chart for The Dot, and finished our very first paragraph. At first, the students were worried about writing a paragraph, but at seeing how easy it is, they are excited to write many more. 

In Math, we used paper clips to measure line segments. This lesson is preparing us for a near future lesson in measuring line segments using rulers. 

Science class was a blast on Friday as we explored the five senses. The students rotated between centers that focused on a different sense. In the sight center, students looked at a tray of objects for 7 seconds and then had to draw what they saw. In the hearing center, they shook eggs and guessed what was inside them. In the smell center they had to smell liquids and again guess what it was. In the touch center, students reached into a bag, felt an object, and predicted what was inside. We all came back together for the taste center. Students were given various food items to sample. We then decided if the item was sweet, sour, salty, or bitter. It was a busy class, but one the students truly learned about the five senses. 

We finished our day with Art class where we made rainbow shamrocks. I'll post pictures on Monday once I have them hanging in the classroom. 

Enjoy your Sunday! 

Back in Action!

Greetings, everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed their snow day yesterday. I just can't believe that the snow has come and gone. I am hoping this is the last of winter and that spring is on the way. 

We picked up right where we left off. We did a little phonics review in Language Arts as well as reviewed our sight words before reading our story The Dot. The students seemed to enjoy this story especially once they learned that a dot can be a piece of art. 

In Math class we learned how to count by 100's. 

Just a reminder that the Spelling test is tomorrow. Have a good night! 

Busy Beavers!

Today was yet another busy day in first grade. During Language Arts class, we learned about inflected endings when there must be a spelling change. Today we discussed changing the y to an i before adding the ending. We also practiced our sight words for the week. In addition we continued our exploration of adjectives for color and shape. In Math class, we learned how to order numbers from smallest to largest. 

In between all that learning, we had Spanish class and Music class. Plus we practiced our severe weather and lockdown drills. Finally, we had our Magazine Magic Show today. Thank you to everyone who bought magazines. Because of your hard work we met our goal and were able to see such a great show. Thanks Again! 

A Working Monday

What a busy, productive, and learning filled day we had in first grade. In Language Arts, we discovered how to read ea words. We practiced this new skill by using our letter tiles to build a word ladder, created a word family street, and read our decodable reader. We also talked about theme as well as adjectives for color and shape. In Math, we learned how to add 10 to a number first by using dimes and pennies and then by using mental math. 

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Today marked the end of our week-long celebration of Dr. Seuss. And did we ever have a fantastic time. The majority of the day was spent reading some of his books and completing activities associated with them Here is what we did. 

We began the day by reading There's a Wocket in my Pocket. After reading this silly story, we created our very own wockets for our pockets. The students loved designing their own creature. We also created a class book by writing about wockets in various places of the school or using various school supplies. Here is a picture of a wocket in a pocket. 

Next, we read the classic One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Students were then given a cup of colorful goldfish and had to graph them. We then used that graph to answer some questions. Students also created four different patterns by coloring a line of goldfish. Here is one's students graph. 

The third book we read was If I Ran the Zoo. This story is about a boy who dreams of the unusual animals he would place in a zoo. After reading, students were asked to create their own unique animal and then write about what it eats and where it lives. The students' creativity and imagination really shone during this project. 

Our final book was Bartholomew and the Oobleck. The story talks about how a king wishes for something different to fall from the sky. Once Oobleck starts falling it causes all kinds of trouble and the king realizes that he should appreciate what he has. Afterwards, students were able to feel Oobleck (made from cornstarch and water). They even got a small bag to take home with them. Here is a picture of the bowls of Oobleck. 

Our celebration ended in Art class where we made our very own Cat in the Hats. Here is a picture of them as well as our Thing 1 and Thing 2 project from yesterday. 

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!