Holiday Greetings! Yesterday was such a joyous day in first grade. The students smiled all day, sang Christmas carols, and are so happy for Santa to come! I loved every minute with them!
In Religion class today, we listened to the story about the legend of the candy cane. The candymaker made it a hard candy to remind us that Jesus is our rock. The white reminds us that Jesus never sinned; the red reminds us of the blood Jesus shed for us. It is shaped like a cane as a reminder that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. After the story, we made a candy cane ornament to remind us of this legend. Have a look:
Then it was time to open presents. I am beyond grateful for everything and so taken back by everyone's generosity. Thank you so much! The students also had fun tearing into their presents. I would love to see your houses on Christmas morning!
Before lunch, we played several games of Christmas Bingo. Everyone had fun!
It was a bit of a sad day in first grade. It was the last time Jingles would be with us. We enjoyed having him in our classroom, and he enjoyed us too. He left us a book today. Here are the pictures of where Jingles was this week in our classroom:
Over the next few weeks, may you and your family enjoy the holidays together. May you laugh, love, and eat together. May you find time to sit back and soak in the magic of the season and remember the reason for the season. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! See you in 2018!
~Miss Chalich
Greetings! Today was another day filled with excitement in first grade. We had a special visitor this morning - Santa Claus! Santa stopped by and each student was able to tell Santa one thing that he/she wants for Christmas. The students were so excited to see him!
We continued to talk about the Christmas story in Religion class today. Today we focused on how the shepherds and wise men came to see Jesus. Afterwards, the students created their own Nativity scene. I always love how they do this; they are always so creative.
Our Christmas story in Language Arts today was The Polar Express, a classic. After reading the story, we put the story's events in order. We then decorated bells. The students had so much fun ringing their bells today.
In Math class today we wrapped up our chapter on addition and subtraction facts to 20 by taking our test. After Christmas our focus will switch to measurement.
This afternoon we attended the dress rehearsal for the Choir's Christmas Program. The music was so lovely; it filled you with the Christmas spirit.
Just a reminder that tomorrow is an early dismissal day. It is also a special jean day. Please remember to send in your donation to the school family whose house recently got on fire. Enjoy your night!
Greetings! Today was another day full of excitement in first grade. You could feel the students' excitement this morning. It is just wonderful to see. Like I said yesterday, it makes me want to be a kid again.
Religion class was quite busy this morning. We wrapped up our chapter on the Holy Spirit coming to Jesus' followers by reviewing the story of Pentecost. We then switched gears and read the Christmas story. We talked about how Jesus was born in a stable so long ago.
Each day this week in Language Arts, we will be reading favorite Christmas stories. Today we read How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I just love this story and so did the students. After reading the story we talked about ways to make a Grinch grin. We then illustrated our ideas and added them in a Grinch craft.
In Math class today we reviewed solving addition and subtraction problems. The students are quite good at these problems.
As promised, here is a picture from yesterday's writing:
Have a wonderful night!
Greetings! Excitement is building in first grade as we are just one week away from Christmas. I just love hearing the excitement; it makes me want to be a kid again!
We began Religion class today by reviewing the story of the first Pentecost. We then reviewed the three persons in the Blessed Trinity. This lead to us learning a new prayer to the Holy Spirit: Glory Be. The students are already familiar with it since we prayed it when we prayed the rosary.
We will not be starting a new week of learning this week in Language Arts, but we will be doing some fun Christmas activities. Today we worked in our literacy centers to practice our fluency and comprehension skills. We then did a little writing project. We talked about how at Christmas we don't always have to give gifts but how we can do something kind for someone. We wrote about one thing that we could do for someone at Christmas. I'll post pictures of the writing tomorrow. We finished class by reading Santa's Stuck, a cute story telling about how Santa got stuck in a chimney after eating too many cookies. After we read the story we wrote about what we would do if Santa was stuck in our chimney.
In Math class today we put on our thinking cap to solve problems. The students really did a good job of applying what they have learned to solve the problems.
This afternoon, as a Christmas treat, the students enjoyed a Christmas movie. They really enjoyed it!
Have a great night!
Greetings! Welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed their snow day on Thursday. As much as I missed the students, I did enjoy my day. I was able to get things done for Christmas. I also hope everyone is having a great weekend. It is hard to believe that we are only one week away from Christmas.
Friday was such a wonderful day in first grade. We began our day with Mass. Today was our special Christmas Mass.
In Language Arts we wrapped up another week of learning. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read long i words and plurals, used plural words in sentences, and wrote sentences using our sight words. We then took our weekly assessment and practiced using present-tense verbs in sentences.
In Math class we solved word problems. We first identified whether it was a some, some more or some, some less problem. We then wrote the number sentence for each problem. The students did very well with this.
In Science class today we talked about states of matter. We said objects can either be a solid, liquid, or gas. We gave examples of each and then sorted objects based on whether they were a solid, liquid, or gas.
Finally, it was time for Art class. Today we made a Santa Claus using a paper plate and cotton balls. Here are a few of the finished product:
Jingles has had fun in our room this week. Here is what he has been up to:
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Greetings! Happy Wednesday! Today was such a joyous day in first grade. The students were so motivated to learn today. They worked so hard. It was such joy to help them grow in their learning today.
In Religion class today we talked about the Holy Spirit coming to Jesus' followers on Pentecost. We learned that his followers were in a closed room when they heard a strong wind and saw flames of fire above their heads.
Language Arts class was full of learning. We began by reviewing our oral vocabulary words. Next, we used our whiteboards to write and read long i words and plurals. To help us review our sight words, we played our dice game where students rolled a cube covered in sight words. Whatever word landed up, the students had to use it in a sentence. After that our focused switched to reading. We partner read a story in our decodable reader. We also read a nonfiction piece about plants and completed corresponding pages in our close reading companion.
This afternoon in Language Arts we worked in our literacy centers. We also reviewed present tense verbs and learned how to write titles. Finally, we wrote the steps in how to plant a seed.
In Math class today we reviewed subtraction. We worked with a partner to do this. One students picked a number card from 10-20 while the other student selected a card from 0-9. They then worked together to solve the subtraction sentence.
Just a reminder that tomorrow is Gym day! Have a great night!
Greetings! Today was quite an exciting day for the students in first grade; they were all excited to see the snow. It is neat to watch their amazement and awe as the snow fell. I'm not sure all the adults feel the same way though.
For Religion today we went to church to spend quiet time with Jesus during Eucharistic Adoration. We spent time praying for others, asking Jesus to help us, and just talking to him.
After that we returned to the classroom for Language Arts. We began by reviewing our oral vocabulary words, long i words, plurals, and our sight words. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. This afternoon we read the play The Big Yuca Plant and completed pages in our close reading companion.
Our focus switched from addition to subtraction today in Math. To explore subtraction, we first used linking cubes to solve a problem. We then switched to our number lines. The key for us to remember is that subtraction means to take away.
Enjoy the snow!
Greetings! I hope everyone had a pleasant Monday to begin another week. We had a great day in first grade today. Our morning was busy, but our afternoon was relaxing.
In Religion class today we talked about how Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his followers. We learned that the Holy Spirit would help his followers tell others about Jesus. We then talked about what we would tell others about Jesus.
We began with a review in Language Arts by reviewing our oral vocabulary words and sight words. Our focus then switched to building our comprehension. We reread Time to Plant and talked about the events in the story. We then wrote the events in sequential order. Next we read and discussed our decodable reader. After that we practiced using present-tense verbs in sentences.
Math class followed Language Arts today. We spent time reviewing the doubles facts and the doubles plus one facts. We really enjoyed saying our rap again.
This afternoon we were entertained by two concerts: the Hand bell concert and the Christmas concert. Sounds of Christmas echoed throughout the cafeteria. All of the students did such a wonderful job! It sure got us excited for Christmas.
Here are some photos for you to enjoy. There are pictures of Jingles and what he has been up to last week in our room. I also have a picture from Friday's Art class.
Have a great night!
Greetings! I hope everyone is having a nice weekend! We had a great day on Friday to end our week.
We began our day with Mass. Today was the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a day where we honor Mary. Today we are reminded to follow Mary's example of listening to God.
In Language Arts class we reviewed the oral vocabulary words we learned on Thursday and learned three new words as well. Then we continued to work on making predictions as we read a short fantasy story about a gigantic turnip. Next, we reviewed blending and reading long i words; today we used our letter tiles to help us. After that, we discussed plurals. We practiced making a word plural by adding -s and used that word in a sentence. Finally, we reviewed our sight words.
Math class was full of learning today. We began by exploring the doubles facts. To help us remember the answer we learned a nifty little rap. We will be saying this rap over the next few weeks to help us with these facts. We then explored the doubles plus 1 facts.
As one student said "This was the best Science class!" Today we learned how to group objects in a variety of ways. One way was whether or not an object floats. We picked 7 objects around the classroom, predicted whether they would sink or float, and then actually did the experiment. It was a fun time!
We ended our day with Art class. Today we made Christmas trees using paint. They look so pretty. I'll post pictures next week once everything has dried.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone had a nice day at work and made it home safely. I know I was taken back by the burst of snow we had this afternoon.
In Religion class today we learned that Jesus surprised his followers after he had risen from the dead. We read the story of Peter and the other disciples who were fishing and caught no fish. When Jesus told them to put their nets back in they got lots of fish. Peter was so excited that he jumped out of the boat to see Jesus. This story reminds us that Jesus is with us always.
We began a new week of learning in Language Arts today. We learned two new oral vocabulary words (sprout and bloom). We also worked on making predictions as we read Mystery Vine. After that we practiced blending and reading long i words. That was followed by learning our new sight words. Our focus then switched to building our fluency. We read the play Time to Plant. Finally, we talked about present tense verbs.
After all of that learning, we needed a break. So, we decorated our classroom Christmas tree. Everyone participated by adding the ornaments and setting up the manger. Doesn't it look great?
This afternoon we wrote about the steps in how to decorate a Christmas tree.
For Gym class today we headed to the gym. Today we bowled. The students were divided into groups and given a set of bowling pins and a ball. They worked together to arrange the pins and to knock them down. They had a blast!
In Math class today we practiced adding a two digit number and a one digit number. We learned that it is easier o begin with the bigger number and count on. The students did great with this.
We wrapped up our day with Social Studies. Today we identified the natural resources around us and ways to save them.
Just a reminder that we have Library tomorrow. Please read your library book. And, as promised, here is a picture of the Gingerbread men from last Friday's Art class. Enjoy!
Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a pleasant week. I will admit that the cold air today was a bit of a shock. It always is after the warm weather we have been having.
We began our with Religion class. Today, in honor of St. Nicholas' feast day, we watched a movie about his life. We learned about how he cared for those in need and gave presents to children. We learned that we should always try to do a good deed for others.
We wrapped up a week of learning in Language Arts class today. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences. We read long a words and contractions with not. We wrote sentences using our sight. After that we took our weekly assessment and reviewed verbs by finding them in sentences. This afternoon we worked in our literacy centers.
We continue to practice adding in Math class. Today we reviewed what we learned yesterday which was adding two single digit numbers. We again used our number lines to help. The students are doing quite well using their number lines.
Just a reminder that tomorrow is Gym class!
Greetings! I hope everyone enjoyed the show last night. The students did such a wonderful job and put their whole heart into it. It was so heart warming. I know the students really enjoyed themselves. Hopefully, they put you into the Christmas spirit!
Today we returned to normal in first grade. We began our day with Religion. Today we reviewed our chapter about how much Jesus loves us.
In Language Arts we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced writing and reading long a words and contractions with not. After that we reviewed our sight words by reading the word wall. Our focus then switched to fluency and comprehension. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets as well as our story from yesterday. We read a nonfiction piece about time and completed pages in our close reading companion. We ended class by reviewing verbs; we practiced finding them in sentences.
We began a new chapter in Math today; for the next several weeks our focus will be on adding and subtracting to 20. To help us learn these concepts we used linking cubes and a number line. We began with linking cubes. We made towers for each number and counted to see how many there were in all. Once the students got the hang of that, we switched to using the number line. We will continue to practice addition tomorrow.
Just a reminder that our spelling test is tomorrow. Stay dry!
Greetings! Today was quite an exciting day in first grade; it was the day of our Christmas play! The students were excited and ready from the moment they arrived.
We did do some learning before our big show. In Religion class we talked about how Jesus died and rose from the dead. We learned that he did this because he loves us. We also learned that this is what we celebrate at Easter.
In Language Arts class, we reviewed our sight words for the week. Then we read our story On Our Way to School. After reading this story we completed pages in our close reading companion. We ended class by using verbs in sentences.
Then it was time for our big performance. The students did such a wonderful job! I hope to see everyone tonight! The students will need to be here by 6:00. Please use the main entrance doors. Also, don't forget your cameras!
Greetings! Happy December! It is hard to believe that a new month is upon us. We had a fantastic day to end our week and start a new month.
We began our day with Mass. Today Fr. Rizzo reminded us that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In Language Arts today, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words we have learned this week. We also reviewed reading long a words and contractions with not. In addition, we practiced writing contractions and sentences using the contraction. After that we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We ended class by reviewing action verbs; we identified them in sentences and used them in sentences.
In Math class today we took a test on the numbers to 20. The students did quite well with this. We will begin adding and subtracting numbers to 20 next week.
For Art class today our focus switched to Christmas. Today we made Gingerbread men. They look so cute. I'll post pictures next week.
Here are pictures of our classroom elf, Jingles. I know the students have been telling you about him all week. Here is what he has been up to:
Just a reminder that our Christmas play is on Monday. We will perform it at 1:00 and 6:30. The students are to wear their khaki pants and red or green shirt to school on Monday. The students will need to be back at school by 6:00 on Monday. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Have a wonderful weekend!
