An Apple Celebration!

Today was quite an exciting day in first grade. All week we have been learning about apples and learned about the life of Johnny Appleseed. To mark the end of our study, we made applesauce. We started by reading a book about Johnny Appleseed. Then, we made the applesauce. The students helped to add the apples, water, sugars, and cinnamon to the crock pot. We then turned the crock pot and let the apples cook. Our room smelt really good today. 

As our apples baked, we got to work. In Religion class today we reviewed details about Jesus' early life. We also drew a picture of the Holy Family. 

In Language Arts class, we practiced using our oral vocabulary words in sentences. We also practiced reading l-blend words and our sight words. In addition we wrote about how we made the applesauce. 

In Math class today we learned how to solve a problem by making an organized list. And in Science class we talked about the four needs all animals have: food, water, shelter, and air. 

Then it was time to eat the applesauce. According to the students it got two thumbs up. Seeing the delight on their faces was priceless. Here is a picture of our applesauce: 

We ended our week as usual in Art class. Our focus has now switched to Halloween. Today we made mummies using colored wiggly eyes and white paper. I'll post pictures on Monday once they are hanging the hall. 

Enjoy your weekend! 

A Rainy Day!

Happy Thursday, albeit a rainy one. The rainy weather could not keep us from learning in first grade today. 

In Religion class, we talked more about the Holy Family. Today we focused on things they did together like pray. We learned a special prayer we can say before we eat. 

During Language Arts class, we practiced using plural nouns in sentences. We also reviewed our sight words by reading the word wall. Next, we put all of our skills to the test and partner read a decodable reader story in the decodable reader booklets. Finally, we practiced identifying statements. 

For gym class today we went down to the gym. We played a favorite game 'Alligator, Alligator.' We were all sweaty and tired after class. 

We returned from the gym and went into Math class. Today we began learning some double facts. We used linking cubes to help us find the answers. Then, to help us remember the answers, we learned the Doubles Rap. 

We ended our day with Social Studies. Today we talked about why people move from country to country. We learned that people moved because of jobs and because they want to be close to family. 

For our apple activity today, we made a diagram of an apple and labeled the various parts. Our apple unit will end tomorrow with an exciting activity. 

Blossoming Writers!

Happy Wednesday! It is hard to believe that we are half way through this week. Time flies when you are having fun! 

We began our day talking about the Holy Family. We learned that the Holy Family is Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We also learned that they lived in the town of Nazareth. We then discussed things that the Holy Family did together. 

Next we moved into Language Arts. We used our letter tiles to build l-blend words. We then reviewed our oral vocabulary words and practiced using them in sentences. After a break for Music class, we returned to the classroom and partner read Flip. We then answered questions in our close reading companion. We ended our morning by working in literacy centers. This afternoon we practiced writing a descriptive sentence. We changed things up for this today. Before, we would write a sentence after looking at a picture. Today the students drew a picture and wrote a sentence for their picture. 

In Math class today we learned about ordinal position to the sixth. First, six students stood in a line and we identified the place for each student. We then used linking cubes to help us identify ordinal position. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Gym day! 

Picture Day!

Happy Picture Day! The students looked so beautiful and handsome today. They smiled so pretty. I can't wait to see the pictures! 

After having our pictures taken, it was time to get to work. We began our day in Religion class. Today we read the story of Jesus' birth. We learned that he was born in a stable in the city of Bethlehem. 

During Language Arts class, we worked on our fluency and comprehension skills. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read and discussed our story Flip! Finally we worked in literacy centers. Each week the students will work in three literacy centers: word work, writing, and reading. With each center students will practice their decoding, writing, and fluency skills. 

In Math class today, we learned how to write addition number sentences. First we put linking cubes on an apple worksheet, then we drew a picture to show the linking cubes, and finally we wrote our number sentence. 

We ended the day by talking about Johnny Appleseed. This kicked off our celebration of apples. Each day we will do a different apple activity leading to a very big and very special activity on Friday. 

Have a wonderful night! 

The Last Monday of September!

Greetings! Welcome Back from that long weekend. I hope everyone enjoyed their day off on Friday. 

In Religion class today we read the story of the Angel Gabriel visiting Mary telling her that she would be the mother of God's son and that she would name him Jesus. We also talked about how Mary said Yes to God and that we should say Yes to God. 

During Language Arts we reviewed reading l blends and plural nouns. We did a sorting activity with plural nouns. Students were given a word and had to decide if it was one or more than one. Then, we used the more than one words in a sentence. We also choral read our story Flip which is about a dinosaur who goes to school. This afternoon we practiced writing. We wrote about what we like to do in the fall. 

In Math class today, we made a pictograph. We took the seeds from the apples we used last week and graphed a picture of how many seeds were in the apples. Two apples actually had 11 seeds! 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Picture Day! 

A Special Visitor!

Greetings! Today was quite an exciting day in first grade. We had a special visitor today. Mrs. W from the Write Tools came into our room and taught a lesson on narrative writing. The students did a wonderful job during the lesson and wrote a beautiful story. The teachers enjoyed watching the lesson and learning new ideas to use in teaching writing. 

Prior to our special visit, we began our day with Religion. We wrapped up our chapter on the Blessed Trinity. We reviewed the Trinity, what prayer means, and the promises God and Jesus made. We then wrote a promise to Jesus that we will keep. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed plural nouns. We practiced using plural nouns in sentences. We then practiced our sight words. Finally, we put all our skills to work by reading our decodable reader and answering questions about the story. 

For Gym class today, we headed outside. Since the students did so well during the writing lesson, they head extra time outside. It was just so nice outside! 

During Math class today, we practiced counting to 23 by using a wrap-up. This was our first introduction to wrap-ups. We will be using them throughout the year to practice our math facts. 

In Social Studies we learned about community helpers. We read a story about community helpers all around us. 

Just a reminder that the students are off tomorrow. Enjoy your weekend! See you on Monday! 

Back to Normal

Greetings! Today was a normal day for us in first grade. We were not coming and going like yesterday. 

In Religion class we continued our discussion about the Blessed Trinity. We learned that the Sign of the Cross is a special prayer to the Blessed Trinity. Also, to help us remember the Three Persons in the Blessed Trinity, we made a triangle. I look forward to doing this project every year. Former students will come and tell me where theirs is; I love hearing it. Here is a sample: 

In Language Arts class, we learned three new oral vocabulary words. We then practiced blending and reading l blend words; we even used our letter tiles to help us spell words. We also learned about plural nouns. Next, we worked on our comprehension skills by drawing and writing about the key details in the story A Pig for Cliff. This afternoon we worked on our writing skills by writing a descriptive sentence and a sentence about a pet we would like. 

During Math class today we learned how to divide a solid in half. We used apples for this. After dividing each apple in half, each student was given a half. He/she then dug out the seeds in the apple. We will use these seeds next week in Math class. 

Tomorrow is a dress down day. Students may wear shorts, capris, or jeans. They cannot wear sandals, sleeveless shirts, or spaghetti strap shirts. 

A Wild Day!

Greetings! Today was a really busy day in first grade. We continued our participation in the 40 Hours Devotion by going to Mass this morning. Msgr. Lockard reminded us to be brave and strong in our faith just like the martyrs from Korea. This afternoon we went back to church for Adoration. That time with Jesus was a nice break in our day. 

In addition to the 40 Hours Devotion, we had Guidance class and Music class. In between all of that we had time for learning. 

During Language Arts class, we reviewed l blend words. We also learned some new sight words. We put all of our new knowledge to work by reading a story titled A Pig for Cliff. We ended class by writing a descriptive sentence. 

In Math class today we practiced identifying a number between a given set. To do this, we lined up our number cards in order from 0-9. We would then put linking cubes on two numbers and identify the number in between. After some practice, we didn't even need the linking cubes. 

Have a good night! 

40 Hours Devotion!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice weekend. The students told me this morning where they went and all the exciting things they did. I love hearing about their adventures! 

We began our day by attending Mass. We are in the midst of our 40 Hours Devotion. Today in Mass we were reminded to always look for God. This afternoon we returned to church to spend some quiet time praying to Jesus. We will continue our 40 Hours Devotion tomorrow. 

In Language Arts class today we learned some new oral vocabulary words. We also worked on visualizing and retelling the events from a story by reading Cool Dog, School Dog. In addition, we practiced blending and reading words with l-blends. Finally, we wrote a descriptive sentence and learned about statements. 

During Math class today we learned how to count pennies. Every student was given a cup of pennies and practiced counting them. 

Here is a picture from the fall trees we made in Art class. Enjoy! 

Peacekeeper Promise!

Happy Friday! Today was a busy day in first grade. We began our day with Religion where we talked about the Blessed Trinity. We learned that there are three persons in one God. We then attended our annual Peacekeeper Assembly. There we talked about bullies and how not to be a bully but be a peacekeeper. We can do this when we THINK before we act. At the end we all promised to be peacekeepers. 

Back in the classroom, we wrapped up our week of learning in Language Arts. We reviewed short i and final double consonants. We wrote sentences using our sight words. And we practiced writing sentences paying attention to word order. 

In Math class today we practiced identifying sorting rules. We sorted ourselves into categories and had to identify the sorting rule. 

Science class was lots of fun today. We learned about insects and how they have three body parts and six legs. We then worked in groups to make a model of an insect using Play-doh. The models were fantastic! 

We finished the day with Art. With fall right around the corner, we made fall trees. The students used balls of aluminum foil, dipped them into paint, and stamped them on a tree trunk. I'll post pictures on Monday once all the paint has dried. 

Have a fabulous weekend! 

Happy Thursday!

Happy Thursday! We had a great day in first grade! We began our day with Religion. Today we talked about how Jesus is God's greatest gift to us. We then decorated the letters in Jesus' name and glued them onto a banner. 

We spent time reviewing and building our comprehension skills in Language Arts today. We reviewed short i, double final consonants, and our sight words. We partner read Go, Pip! and then answered questions about the story. We really had to infer to answer the questions. 

For Gym class, we headed to the playground. It was so nice outside, warm but comfortable. It was really hard to come back inside. 

In Math class today we drew pictures for some, some more and some, some went away stories. 

And in Social Studies, we talked about leaders and rules. We learned that we have rules to keep us safe. 

Tomorrow will be an action-packed Friday. We have the Peacekeeper Assembly, Spanish, and Library! Sleep Tight! 

Starting with a Program!

Greetings on this beautiful Wednesday! I could not believe how nice it was outside today. When I came home from school, I walked my dog. She too loved the weather and did not want to go inside. So we sat on the porch for a bit. 

Our day began with the Officer Phil program. This program reinforces safety rules when dealing with strangers and reminds students not to be a bully but be a buddy. The students always enjoy this program. 

During Language Arts today, we reviewed short i and double final consonant words; we also practiced our sight words. We read a story called Go, Pip about a squirrel who takes a trip to the city. We also practiced writing sentences. 

In Math class today we used geoboards. We made various shapes and identified the inside and outside of a shape. 

Don't forget that tomorrow is gym class! 

A Quick Day!

Greetings! Happy Tuesday! Today was quite a busy day in first grade; time flew right by us! 

We began our day by attending Eucharistic Adoration. We spent some quiet time praying to Jesus and asking him to help us today. 

From there we returned to the classroom and jumped into Language Arts. We began by learning new vocabulary words. We then reviewed short i words by using our letter tiles to spell words. Next we learned how to read words with final double consonants. After reviewing our sight words, we reread our story from yesterday and wrote the key details from the story. We ended the morning by reading our decodable reader. This afternoon we practiced unscrambling words to make sentences. 

In Math class today we learned about triangles. We know that triangles have three sides and three angles. Next, we practiced identifying sorting rules. We began with shapes and then sorted ourselves into different groups (i.e. boys/girls, gray socks, no gray socks, etc.) 

Have a wonderful night! 

The Return of Coolness!

Greetings! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. From what I heard today some had fun at the fair while others were under the weather. I do hope everyone is feeling better and ready for another week ahead. 

Today in Religion class we talked about promises. We read about how God promised to send Jesus to His people and how Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit. We learned that when someone promises something then they will do it. 

During Language Arts class, we built our oral vocabulary by learning two new words: city and country. We then continued our skill of visualizing by painting a picture in our mind while we red a story. Next, we blended and read short i words. That was followed by learning our new sight words. Finally, we talked about correct word order when writing sentences. 

In Math class today we acted out some, some more stories and some, some went away stories. We will soon be drawing pictures to match the stories. That will be followed by us writing number sentences to go along with them. 

As promised, here are our owls from Friday's Art: 

I hope everyone has a wonderful night. Go Steelers! 

The End of the Heat?

Greetings! Happy Friday! It was yet another hot day for learning, but we pushed through and had a fun, busy day. 

We began our day by attending a prayer service. We then returned to the classroom and reviewed all that God created. The students drew three things God created. All of their drawings were wonderful! 

Today was a review day in Language Arts. We reviewed short a and inflected ending -s words. To review these phonics skills, students added short a words to a sack and then decorated the sack. Next, we reviewed our sight words; the students wrote sentences using them. The sentences were amazing! We took a break from reviewing to do some reading. We read a short nonfiction piece and answered questions by finding the evidence in the text. Then it was back to reviewing. We reviewed how to write sentences and practiced writing sentences. 

In Math class today, we learned the four steps in solving a problem. They are understand, plan, solve, and check. Knowing the steps, we put them into action by solving a word problem by using logical reasoning. 

During Science class today, we talked about the different coverings animals can have. We then sorted animals based on their coverings. 

After all that hard work, it was time to unwind with Art class. Today we made owls. We used celery sticks to stamp "feathers" onto the bodies of the owls. They look amazing. I will post pictures next week once the artwork has dried. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Learning in the Heat!

Greetings! Thank you to all of you who came to Open House last night. It was wonderful meeting with you and talking with you. I continue to look forward to getting to know you and your child more during the school year. 

We began Religion today by reading Guess How Much I Love You? This led to a discussion about how God will always love us. We then read the story about how God never stopped loving Adam and Eve when they did not listen to God. 

We were busy beavers in Language Arts class today. We reviewed short a word by using our letter tiles to spell short a words. We also reviewed our sight words by reading our word wall. Then we practiced our comprehension skills by rereading our story Nat and Sam and wrote answer to questions about the story. Finally, we talked about how photographs provide information in a nonfiction selection. 

We took a break from learning by going to Gym class. We again went outside to the playground. 

In Math class today we discusses things that we do in the morning and afternoon. We then practiced identifying ordinal position. First, students sat in chairs and we identified who was in which place. We then used various colors of linking cubes and put them order based on the color. 

For Social Studies class today, we talked about jobs we can do in our classroom. 

Have a cool evening! 

The Return of the Heat

Happy Wednesday! It was another good day of learning in first grade despite the heat. Hopefully this will be the last hot spell for some time. I can't complain that much though. Winter weather will be here before we know it. 

In Religion class today we talked about the special gifts that God has given to us. 

During Language Arts class, we practiced our strategies for the week by reading some stories. While reading Nat and Sam and listening to This School Year Will Be the Best we practiced visualizing and finding key details. Before reading, we practiced our phonics skills for the week as well as our sight words. Finally, we reviewed sentences by writing sentences. We know that we need to begin sentences with a capital letter and end it with a period. 

In Math class today, we ordered sets from smallest to largest. To do this, we made towers using our linking cubes and then put them in order. 

I hope to see everyone at Open House tonight. It begins at 6:30! Stay cool! 

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday! Welcome back from the long weekend. I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I hope you were able to relax, have fun, and enjoy time with family and friends! 

Today in Religion class we talked about how God created all people to know, love, and serve him. We focused our discussion on ways we can take care of God's creation. 

During Language Arts, we worked on visualizing details from a story. While listening to a selection about school from around the world, students painted a picture in their mind about what they heard. Next, we worked on our phonics skills. We reviewed reading short a words and learned how to read words with inflected ending -s. We also practiced our sight words. Then, we worked on our comprehension skills. We reread a story and wrote about the details in the story. Finally, we learned about sentences. 

In Math class today we practiced writing the numbers 0, 6, 8, and 9. 

Don't forget that tomorrow is Open House. It begins at 6:30. I hope to see you there! 

A Cooler Friday!

Greetings! Today was a much cooler day in first grade. That nice breeze came into our room and cooled things down. This really made our room feel nice. 

Today was a really busy day to end our first full week of school. We began our day by attending Mass. The students were so reverent today and listened so well as Msgr. Lockard reminded us to embrace all the new things that will come our way this year. 

Back in the classroom, we spent our morning in Language Arts. Today we began our first story of the year. We worked on building our oral vocabulary. We also practiced visualizing events in a story. Next, we blended and read short a words. Finally, we put our knowledge to the test as we read a short story. 

After lunch, we visited the library. We will be visiting the library every Friday. Please remember to return all library books to school by then. 

In Math class, we created a bar graph. To do this, each student was given a dot cube. He/she then rolled the cube and then colored a box on a graph that corresponded to the number rolled. After the activity, we talked about our graphs. 

During Science class, we discussed all the ways animals move. We then identified animals that move in certain ways. 

Finally, after working hard all day, it was time for Art class. Today we made mosaic apples. We used our handprint as the stem. Here are a few finished masterpieces: 

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. See you on Tuesday!

A Pleasant Day!

Greetings! Today was such a pleasant day both inside and outside the classroom. 

For Religion class today we went over to Church to review proper church behavior. We talked about how to stand, kneel, and sit reverently. We are quite excited about our first Mass tomorrow. 

We finished our review today in Language Arts. We looked at the remaining letters and their sounds and reviewed the sight words we learned in kindergarten. We are now ready to begin our first story tomorrow! 

In Math class today we made a pixtograph showing how we come to school in the morning. We then idenitfied the row with the most and the row with the fewest. I have a picture of our graph below. We also practiced identifying left and right. To help with this, we danced the "Hokey Pokey". 

For Gym class today we went outside. It was so pleasant outside; it was hard to come back inside. 

Tomorrow will be a busy day. We have Mass, Spanish, Library, and Art! Sleep tight!