Merry Christmas!

Today was the end of an exciting week. Christmas time is finally here. We are all excited for Santa to come and can't wait to play with our new toys. 

We began our day with Mass. Msgr. challenged us to not drive our parents crazy, to be nice to our brothers and sisters, share, stay safe, and have fun. He also said that when we need help to do those things then we need to turn to Jesus. 

Back in the classroom, we wrote the final entry in our elf journal. Today Jingles left us a note and a book. We did take time to read the book Jingles gave us. 

Then it was time to open presents. I can only imagine the excitement in your houses on Christmas morning! Before we knew it, it was time to go home. 

May you and your family have a blessed, Merry Christmas and a healthy, Happy New Year! See you in 2017!

~Miss Chalich 

Christmas Concert!

Greetings on this third day of Christmas week! The students are really getting excited for Christmas. They tell me about baking cookies, wrapping presents, and what they do on Christmas. 

In Religion class today we recalled the Christmas story. The students then created their own Nativity scenes. They colored pictures of the people and animals in the story. They then arranged their own Nativity scene on construction paper. They turned out really nice. 

Our Christmas story today was The Polar Express. After reading it, we sequenced the events in the story. We then made Christmas bells. The students decorated them with foam stickers. The bells could be heard ringing throughout the primary floor! 

Since we were not able to get to Social Studies last week because of the delay, we had it today instead. Today we talked about natural resources. We learned what they are, where they are found, and why we need to save them. 

This afternoon we headed to church for the Christmas Choir Concert. The students sang so beautifully. It was so enjoyable hearing the Christmas music. Our favorite song was the "Carol of the Bells". 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is an early dismissal. 

Ringing of the Bells!

Greetings! Happy Tuesday of Christmas week. Excitement was definitely in the air today in first grade. This morning we had a special delivery. A few weeks ago, I had the students write a letter to Santa Claus. I then mailed them to him and today we received letters back from him. The students were so excited to receive a letter from Santa. 

In Religion class today we continued to learn the Christmas story. Today we read about how shepherds and kings came to see the baby Jesus. We also learned that the kings brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We also talked about the legend of the candy cane. We made candy cane ornaments and attached the legend of the candy cane to them. 

Our Christmas story today was How the Grinch Stole Christmas. After reading the story, we talked about ways to make the Grinch grin. We then wrote or illustrated a way and made a Grinch with our writing. 

This afternoon we attended the annual Handbell Concert. We were treated to Christmas carols performed by students in third through eighth grade. The music was beautiful and really got us into the Christmas spirit. 

Tomorrow is a jean day. Students can wear jeans and a Christmas shirt/sweater to school. 

It's Christmas Week!

Greetings! Happy Christmas Week! All week we will be doing some Christmas activities. The students are so excited for Christmas. I love their energy!

In Religion class today, we read the Christmas story. We talked about how Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem and how Jesus was born in a manger. We will continue to talk about the Christmas story this week. 

In Language Arts class today, we read Santa's Stuck. We then brainstormed ways we would help Santa if he got stuck in our chimney. We then wrote about what we would do and added it to a craft project. Here are a few examples: 

Our Language Arts class was interrupted by a special visitor. Santa Claus himself stopped by. Everyone got to sit on his lap and tell him the one thing they are hoping for for Christmas. 

Math class today focused on measurement. Together we used linking cubes to measure a pencil, paper clip, marker crayon, and ruler. The students then worked with  partner to measure 4 things in the classroom using the linking cubes. We will soon be using rulers to measure objects. 

This afternoon the students were treated to a surprise. Because they have worked hard all year, the primary teachers decided to reward the students with an afternoon movie. The students got together and we watched Finding Dory. 

Here is a picture of the Santa's from Friday's Art class: 

Have a wonderful evening! 

Brrr . . . It's Cold!

Greetings! It was another cold day on Friday. But we did not let that stop us from learning in first grade. 

After getting settled, we jumped into Language Arts. We first wrote the final step in decorating a Christmas tree. Then we reviewed our oral vocabulary words for the week by using them in sentences. We also practiced reading long i words and plurals. Next we practiced our sight words by writing sentences with them. After that we took our weekly assessment. And before we knew it, it was time for lunch! 

After lunch and recess, we reviewed present tense verbs by using them in sentences. Finally, we did some Christmas writing. The students pretended that they had a pet reindeer and answered questions about their pet. They were so creative in their responses; I love how they turned out. Here are a few examples: 

Then it was time for Science class. We talked about the characteristics of solids, liquids, and gases. We also completed a picture sort sorting pictures based on whether they showed a solid, liquid, or gas. 

Finally, it was Art time. We began by painting a few things we will be doing next week. We then made a Santa Claus today. They are drying, and I'll post pictures of them next week. 

I'll leave you with a picture of Jingles. He is really enjoying our classroom! Have a great weekend! Stay warm! 

A Productive Short Day!

Greetings on this chilly December night! It certainly does have a Christmas fill in the air tonight. Just like on Monday, we had a productive day even with two less hours. 

In Religion class today we wrapped up our chapter on the Holy Spirit. We reviewed what happened on Pentecost and the prayers to the Holy Spirit. 

In Language Arts class today, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words, used letter tiles to spell long i words, practiced spelling plurals and using them in sentences, and reviewed our sight words by reading the word wall. Then we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets and read a nonfiction pieces about plants. We also talked about diagrams. 

In Math class today we practiced our adding 2 facts. We used a wrap-up to help us. 

We think Jingles was bored this morning without us. He used the linking cubes to make a Christmas tree. Here he is: 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is another 2 hour delay day. We will still be going to the library and having Art. 

Christmas Music in the Air!

Greetings! Today was a busy morning and relaxing afternoon in first grade. We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked about how the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Blessed Trinity. We also learned that the Glory Be prayer is a prayer to the Holy Spirit. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words, long i words, plurals, and sight words. After all that reviewing it was time to put our skills to work. We partner read a story in our decodable readers. We then read our story The Big Yuca Plant which was a play about a big yuca plant and how a family worked together to pull it out. Finally, we learned how to write the title of a play. 

This afternoon we went to the annual Christmas Band Concert and Christmas play. It was an afternoon filled with Christmas music and songs. The band students and intermediate students are to be commended for a job well done. The music was absolutely beautiful and performed from the heart. Congratulations to all! 

As promised, here are the pictures from yesterday's gingerbread man writing project: 

Enjoy your night! 

A Full Day of Learning!

Greetings! It was nice to be back to a full day today. Just like yesterday, though, it was filled with learning. 

We began our day by going to Adoration. I reminded the students that it is always nice to spend some quiet time with Jesus especially as we prepare to celebrate his birth. That quiet time talking to him really starts the day off well. 

We had a busy morning in Language Arts class. We learned three new oral vocabulary words. Next, we practiced reading long i words by using our letter tiles to spell and read long i words. Then we learned about plurals and practiced using plurals in sentences. After that we reviewed our sight words before rereading Time to Plant. After rereading the story, we wrote what happened first, next, then, and last in the story. We continued to practice our reading skills by reading our decodable reader. We then switched our focus to grammar and writing. We wrote the second step in decorating a Christmas tree and practiced using present tense verbs in sentences. 

This afternoon for Language Arts we worked in literacy centers. We then did a Christmas activity. We read The Gingerbread Man and then wrote the steps we would take to catch the Gingerbread man. We added a gingerbread craft to our writing. I'll post pictures of it tomorrow. 

In Math class today, we used pattern blocks to cover a design. After covering the design, we sorted the blocks, counted how many of each one we used, and recorded those numbers on a chart. 

Christmas music will be in the air tomorrow; we will be going to the Christmas Band Concert and Christmas play. We are looking forward to it! 

The First Delay!

Greetings on this first two hour delay of the school year. I am hoping that we get the winter weather out of our system sooner rather than later. But I have a feeling that we will make up for last winter this year ☺

Despite starting our day late, we were quite productive today. We learned two new oral vocabulary words and worked on making predictions as we listened to Mystery Vine. We then practiced blending and reading long i words. Next we learned our new sight words for the week. We put our phonics skills to work as we read Time to Plant. The students really enjoyed reading this play. We switched our focus to grammar where we talked about present tense verbs; we practiced finding them in sentences. Finally we wrote the first step in decorating a Christmas tree. 

After all that Language Arts, we switched our focus to Math. Today we identified the odd numbers to 100. We also practiced determining whether a number was odd or even. Finally, we made our own fact cards for the adding 2 facts. 

As you can see, we did a lot today. I know that Jingles is going to give Santa a good report tonight!

As promised, here are pictures of the elves we made in Art on Friday. Enjoy! 

Elves and A Christmas Tree

Happy Friday! Another week has come and gone. This week just flew by for us in first grade. I am sure the students are looking forward to a relaxing weekend! 

We began our Religion class with a prayer service. We had several friends read during it and did such an amazing job. We then returned to the classroom where we learned about Pentecost. On that day, Jesus' followers were filled with the Holy Spirit! 

We wrapped up our week of learning in Language Arts. We practiced using our oral vocabulary words in sentences and reading long a words and contractions. We then wrote sentences using our sight words. We took our weekly assessment and reviewed verbs by finding them in sentences. 

In Math class today we practiced solving a problem by looking for a pattern. As one student pointed out the one pattern used Christmas colors! 

Then it was time for Science class. We began our study of physical science today. Today we discussed various ways to sort objects. We said that objects could be sorted b size, shape, color, and hardness. We then did an experiment where we sorted objects by whether they floated or sank. We discovered that a linking cube and pattern block float while an Army man, paper clip, piece of chalk, and dice sank. The students really enjoyed this! 

To help make our room festive for Christmas, we took some time to decorate a Christmas tree. The students put the ornaments on the tree and help set up the manger. It looks so pretty: 

And then it was Art class. Today we made elves. They look really adorable. I"ll post pictures of them on Monday once they are dried. 

Have a wonderful weekend! Stay warm!

A Special Mass Day!

Greetings on this cold, snowy night. I was surprised how quickly the weather turned this evening. When I went into Walmart it was fine; by the time I came out, it was snowing. I guess winter is coming. 

To celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception, we went to Mass this morning. Msgr. reminded us to remember Mary's answer to God and say yes when he asks us to do something. 

As usual, Language Arts was full of learning. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words, used our letter tiles to build long a words, and practiced spelling contractions. We worked on our fluency and comprehension by reading a story in our decodable reader booklets, partner reading On My Way to School, and reading a nonfiction story about time and answering questions in our close reading companion. We then practiced adding commas between a series of verbs. Finally, we wrote the final step in planting a seed. 

For gym class today, we played a game called "I Want a Home." Every student but one had a hula hoop home. On my mark, the student without a 'home' yelled "I Want a Home" and then everyone had to run to find a new home. They loved it! 

In Math class today, we practiced adding 2 to an even numbers; we used our linking cubes to help us solve these problems. We then colored all of the even numbers on a hundred number chart. Finally, we practiced identifying even numbers. We will work with odd numbers on Monday. 

There is a big surprise awaiting first grade tomorrow! 

Telling Time!

Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I don't know about you but this week is surely flying by for us in first grade. We are working hard, learning lots, and smiling. It has been a blast working with the students this week! 

In Religion today we talked about how Jesus promised to send his followers the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help his followers remember him, love others as he did, and help them tell others about God. We will be learning about Pentecost on Friday. 

Language Arts class was full of learning today. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words, long a words, contractions with not, and our sight words. We practiced reading these words and using them in sentences. Then it was time to read On My Way to School, a fantasy story about a boy who is late to school and all of the animals that make him late. To help us build our comprehension skills, we completed pages in our close reading companion. These pages focused on the plot of the story. This afternoon we wrote the next step in planting a seed. We also reviewed verbs. We acted out various action words and practiced putting commas in a series of verbs. 

Math class centered around time today. We learned how to number a clockface and then show the time on the clock. We are getting very good at telling time. 

Tomorrow will be another busy day. We have Mass in the morning and Gym in the afternoon. Enjoy your night! 

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

The students found a surprise on their desk this morning. St. Nick visited our classroom and left everyone a candy cane. He even gave Jingles one. Jingles must have enjoyed it. He played with some small blocks and made a snow angel. 

In honor of the feast of St. Nicholas we watched a video on his life today in Religion. We learned about how we always prayed to God and trusted him. 

During Language Arts class we reviewed our oral vocabulary words and learned some new ones. We also reviewed long a words by using our letter tiles to spell words. We then learned how to blend, read, and spell contractions with not; we even practiced using them in sentences. We then switched our focus to reading. We read our decodable reader and reread Nate the Snake is Late. After reading them, we talked about the plot in each one and wrote about the beginning, middle, and end of the story. For Grammar today we practiced using action verbs in sentences and created a superhero. Around the superhero we wrote actions he/she can do. Finally for writing, we wrote the first two steps in planting a seed. 

In Math class today we identified the odd numbers to 23 and practiced counting by odd numbers. We will continue to practice counting by odd numbers during our Math Meeting. 

Have a wonderful night!

Busy and Fast Day!

Greetings! I hope everyone had a nice start to their week. As one student said at the end of the day, our day sure went fast. We were quite busy in first grade today! 

In Religion class today we read about how Jesus surprised his followers after he rose from the dead. Peter was so excited that he jumped out of the boat to swim to shore just to see Jesus. We loved Peter's reaction! 

A new week brings us new reading stories and skills in Language Arts. Today we learned new oral vocabulary words. We also learned how to blend and read long a words. We watched a video on Magic e which helped us when we read the words. In addition we learned new sight words. We put our new skills to the test when we read Nate the Snake is Late. We ended the morning by working in our literacy centers. This afternoon we talked about action verbs and practiced identifying them and using them in sentences. 

In Math class today we continued our talk about symmetry. Today we divided a shape in half, traced the line of symmetry, and wrote the fraction one half. 

Enjoy your night! 

A Message from Jingles!

Greetings and Happy Friday! It is hard to believe that it is December already. Where has this year gone? 

The day started with excitement. It seemed that Jingles got into our Play-doh and had a little fun with it. Check it out: 

We began our school day with Mass. Today Msgr. Lockard reminded us that we need to light to others. We do this when we follow Jesus and be Jesus for others. 

We had one busy day in Language Arts. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words, digraphs ch, tch, wh, and ph, inflected ending -es, and our sight words. We partner read a story in our decodable story booklets, partner read Fun with Maps, and read a nonfiction selection about compass direction. After reading, we reviewed irregular plural nouns by fixing them in sentences. 

After all that Language Arts it was time for Math class. Today we learned about symmetry. We created a Christmas tree with a line of symmetry. To do this we folded a piece of paper in half, drew half of a tree, and then cut it out. Next week we will continue to talk about lines of symmetry. 

We reviewed in Science class today. We gave examples of living and nonliving things and reviewed the different habitats around the world and the various plants and animals found in them. 

Finally, it was time for Art class. Today we made Christmas trees using strips of paper. We then used white paint to add some snow. Here are some examples: 

Enjoy your weekend!