Awards Day!

Greetings! Happy Thursday! It is hard to believe that another week has come and gone. We have only one full day to go! 

We began our day with our Awards program. Today we honored the students for all of their hard work this year. They just loved receiving their certificates and held onto them as if they were gold. 

In Religion class today we reviewed ways the the church honors the saints and Mary. And in Science we sorted pictures based on whether or not they came from plants. 

We worked on two special projects today. We made a summer reading flower. The students are encouraged to read 10 books over the summer. If they do so they will receive a special prize at the beginning of next school year. We also made a class poster. On it is a class picture, and everyone signed it. 

For Gym class today, we headed to the Gym and played Good Ship SPARK, the activity the students voted on last week. Everyone had fun! 

This afternoon we took a break from learning and cleaning to watch a movie. It was an incredible time! 

Have a good weekend! Enjoy the festival! See you on Monday! 

A Day of Games!

Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a great week. 

We began our day with a special Music class. Mr. Rhoades took the students for two periods of class. The students really enjoyed this! 

In Religion class today we talked about ways the church honors the saints. We learned how November 1st is a special day to honor all of the saints but we can also honor the saints every day by praying to them. 

In Language Arts class, we wrote about our plans for the summer. We added our writing to a pair of flip flops that we designed. We are flippin' out because summer is almost here! 

In Science class today we sorted various foods based on the part of the plant that we eat. And in Social Studies, we made a booklet of various American symbols. The students just loved learning about them and seeing pictures of them. 

In Math class we again practiced solving problems to find the total cost or change. I think the students really enjoy counting money! 

After all of that hard work, it was time to relax with an afternoon of games. The students worked in groups of three to play various board games. They had so much fun and laughed so much. It was so nice to see. 

Thanks to everyone for sending in Box Tops. Because we collected over 700 we have a jean day tomorrow. The students can wear jeans or shorts. The shorts must be of appropriate length. They will need to wear sneakers because we have Gym. 

Enjoy the night! 

Lots of Cuddles!

Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. The students were quite excited to tell me all about their weekends. They seemed to be action-packed and filled with memories. 

In Religion class today we talked about how the church honors saints. We looked at the lives of some of the saints and how they were really close to God. We also took time to review the life of our classroom saint, St. Veronica. 

In Language Arts class we worked in our literacy centers to build our fluency and comprehension skills. We then made a gigantic ice cream cone. On each scoop, we wrote something that we learned in Language Arts and Math this year as well as a favorite memory. Here is a picture: 

We ended the morning with a special Science class. Today we talked about the different parts of a plant and their jobs. We read the story The Tiny Seed to help us identify each part and its job. We then labeled a diagram. 

In Math class today we learned how to add money amounts to find the total cost and how to subtract money amounts to find the change. We are getting much better with money. 

We also had a special Social Studies class today. Today we learned about some of America's heroes including Sacajawea, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King, Jr. 

In addition we had a special Art class today. We made a pineapple using our fingerprints. Here is a finished product. Doesn't it look delicious? 

Finally, it was time for our Snuggle and Cuddle reading. The students read in partners their books and snuggled with their animals. They really enjoyed having a buddy on their desk all day. Here are pictures of the books and the stuffed animals. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our game day. Don't forget your board game! 

A Day at the Beach!

Greetings! It is hard to believe that another week has come and gone. Today marked our final Friday together. We had a great day! 

In Religion class we talked about how the church honors Mary. We learned special titles it gives her, her feast days, and special prayers we say. 

We wrapped up our final week of learning in Language Arts. It is amazing to see how much they have grown in reading this year; they have become such fluent readers. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences and read r-controlled -air, -are, and -ear words along with r-controlled syllable words. We then wrote sentences using our sight words before taking our weekly assessment. Finally, we practiced finding adverbs that tell how in sentences. 

In Math class today we continued to practice counting quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. We are doing much better with this. 

In Science class we talked about the needs of plants. They include sun, air, water, and soil. 

Finally, it was time for Art. Today was our last Art project of the year. So, today, we created a beach scene. We even added sand to it. Here are some final products: 

Just a reminder that Tuesday is our Cuddle Reading day. Please remember to send in a stuffed animal and book. Enjoy your holiday weekend. See you on Monday! 

Abundant Sunshine!

Greetings! I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy the sunshine today. If not, hopefully you will be able to. As one student told me today we need to take advantage of this weather! 

In Religion class today we talked about Mary. We recalled how she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. We also talked about things Mary would have taught Jesus and things they would have done together. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We then practiced reading r-controlled words. After that we reviewed our sight words by reading the word wall. Following that review, we worked on our fluency and comprehension. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also partner read Happy Birthday USA. The students really enjoyed learning about the 4th of July. We then read a nonfiction piece that included a map of the 13 colonies and completed pages in our close reading companion. That book came home tonight; we have completed the whole thing! We ended the morning by finishing our narrative paragraph about our field trip. 

For Gym class, we headed outside. The students had so much fun running in the sun. It was quite difficult to come back inside. 

But we did and had Math class. Today we counted a combination of quarters, dimes, pennies, and nickels. It is taking us a bit to catch on with the skip counting, but we will continue to practice. 

We ended the day with Social Studies. Today we talked about citizens rights and responsibilities including the right to vote. We held our own election in the classroom; the students got to vote for which gym activity they would like to do again. The winner was Good Ship Spark. 

Enjoy your night! 

A Wonderful Wednesday!

Greetings! I hope everyone had a fantastic day. We sure did in first grade. 

In Religion class today we wrapped up our chapter about sharing God's love. We talked about ways we show love to others and God. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We then practiced reading words with the r-controlled -air, -are, and -ear and r-controlled syllable words. Following that we reviewed our sight words and vocabulary words. Our focus then switched to fluency and comprehension. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read Happy Birthday USA, a nonfiction story about the history of the 4th of July. Following reading that story we completed pages in our close reading companion. We ended class by reviewing how to write abbreviations. 

In Math class today we talked about quarters. We learned what quarters look like and what their value is. We also exchanged a quarter for other coins. Tomorrow we will be counting with quarters. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Gym day. Please remember your sneakers! 

Feliz Cumpleanos!

Greetings on this Tuesday! I don't know about you but today just flew by. I guess that happens when you are busy. 

For Religion class today we headed to church for Adoration. We spent time praying to Jesus. We prayed for three people and asked him to help us have a great day and watch over us this summer. 

In Language Arts, we answered questions using our oral vocabulary words. We then used our letter tiles to spell r-controlled -air, -are, and -ear words. Next we learned how to read r-controlled syllable words. Following that we practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. 

This afternoon we reread Share the Harvest and Give Thanks. After that we talked about the author's purpose for writing the story. We then partner read our decodable and answered questions related to the author's purpose. Next we practiced using adverbs that tell how in sentences. Finally we wrote the beginning part for our narrative paragraph about our field trip. 

In Math class today we continued to count dimes, nickels, and pennies. Today we counted a combination of the coins. We also showed the coins for various amounts. 

The highlight today was our Spanish birthday celebration. We began by breaking open a pinata. The students loved hitting it. Once we cracked it open out rained prizes and sight words. We reviewed those sight words by using them in sentences. Then it was time to break open the confetti eggs. It was so much fun to see their enjoyment on their faces. Thank you to everyone who helped make the eggs. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the final day to take AR tests this school year. 

Our Final Full Week!

Greetings! Today marked the beginning of our final full week of school. It is so hard to believe that we are almost finished. Yet there is still so much more to learn. 

In Religion class today we talked about how we can show love to others. We wrote about ways we can help at home which not only shows our love to our families but also to God. 

We began our final week of learning in Language Arts today. We learned our new oral vocabulary words. We then worked on rereading as we read a nonfiction piece about the history of the flag. From there we learned how to blend and read r-controlled words spelled -air, -are, and -ear. After that we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. With all of this new knowledge, we applied what we learned as we read Share the Harvest and Give Thanks, a nonfiction piece about Thanksgiving. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we worked in our literacy centers. We also learned about adverbs that tell how and practiced finding them in sentences. Finally, we sketched the pictures for our narrative paragraph this week. We will be writing about our field trip. 

In Math class today we began our chapter on money. We identified the penny, nickel, and dime and their worth. We then practiced counting the coins. We just need to remember that the dime is small than the nickel but costs more. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow will be our Spanish birthday celebration! Don't forget your eggs! 

Shark Attack!

Greetings! Happy Friday! Today was a busy day to end our week. It is hard to believe but we only have one full week of school left. 

We began with our final school Mass of the year. Today Msgr. Lockard reminded us to always stay close to God especially during the summer months. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts today. We began by reviewing our oral vocabulary words and using them in sentences. Then we practiced reading words with three letter blends. Next, we spelled words with the inflectional endings -ed and -ing, remembering to make spelling changes when needed. Following that we wrote sentences using our sight words. 

Then it was time to focus on fluency and comprehension. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklet. We also partner read Lissy's Friends. After that we read a nonfiction piece about origami. We completed pages in our close reading companion and made our very own origami dog. We ended class by taking our weekly assessment and reviewing when to use I and me in sentences. 

In Math class today we reviewed addition and subtraction by taking our test. It amazed me seeing the students solve the problems with ease. They are so good at this! 

In Science today we reviewed force and motion. We talked about pushing and pulling to move an objects. We also reviewed magnets and the simple machines. 

After working hard all day, it was time for Art class. Today we made sharks using newspaper. I have been waiting a long time to do this art project and am so happy with how it turned out. Beware! Here they are: 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Field Trip Day!

Greetings on this Field Trip day! The students could hardly wait for this day and were not disappointed. 

The first stop of the day was Quaint Corner Children's Museum. Here the students had three floors of fun. The were able to play in the animal hospital, go grocery shopping, do science experiments, dress up, and play in a giant sand box. 

Our second stop was at Playtime Pottery. Here the students picked a magnet and then painted it. They really took their time to make their magnet beautiful. I can't wait to see the final products in a week or so. 

With all the excitement we had today, I am sure everyone will sleep good tonight. That is good because tomorrow we have Mass, a Spelling test, and Art. 

Have a wonderful night! 

Music in the Air!

Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is enjoying their week. We had quite a busy morning but a relaxing afternoon today. 

We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked about ways we show our families love. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We then practiced reading words with three letter blends and inflectional endings. We also practiced our sight words and vocabulary words. After that we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. Next we read Lissy's Friends, a fiction story about a girl and her friends. After reading the story we completed pages in our close reading companion. We ended class by reviewing how to use commas. 

In Math class today we practiced addition and subtraction. We solved problems with and without regrouping. 

This afternoon we headed to the cafeteria for our annual Spring Concert. It was an afternoon filled with music and laughter. The students especially liked the Spongebob Squarepants song as well as all of the dancing. Congratulations to all who participated in such a wonderful show. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our field trip. The students are to wear jean or shorts, sneakers, and a shirt with sleeves. They will need to bring a lunch and their bookbag. If you have any questions, please let me know! 

Warming Up With Learning!

Greetings on this warm Tuesday! Today was another great day in first grade. 

In Religion class today we talked about how we grow closer to God when we pray. We said that we can pray by ourselves or with others. We can also pray prayers we know or say our own prayers. We then wrote our own prayer to pray this week. 

We began Language Arts by reviewing our oral vocabulary words; we answered questions using the words. We then used our letter tiles to spell and read words with three letter blends. Next we reviewed inflectional endings; we practiced adding them to the ends of words, reading the new words, and using them in sentences. Following that we practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. We ended our morning by rereading A Spring Birthday and writing about the theme in the story. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we read our decodable reader and answered questions about that story's theme. We then practiced using I and me in sentences. Finally we wrote our narrative paragraph about the Hawk Walk. 

In Math class today we practiced subtracting two two-digit numbers with regrouping. We are doing better at remembering when to borrow and at counting backwards. 

Tomorrow is our Spring Concert. We can hardly wait! 

Happy Mother's Day!

Greetings! Happy Mother's Day! I hope everyone enjoyed their day. The students talked about all of the nice things they did for you. 

We began our week with Religion class. Today we talked about how Jesus wants us to love and serve others. We discussed examples of things we could do everyday. 

In Language Arts, we began a new week of learning. We learned our new oral vocabulary words. Then we worked on visualizing as we read a nonfiction piece about traditional dances. Following that we learned how to blend and read words with three letter blends. Next we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. After all that learning, it was time to practice our new skills. We read a realistic fiction story called A Spring Birthday. We wrapped up our morning by working in our literacy centers. 

This afternoon we learned when to use the words I and me in sentences. We also sketched the beginning, middle, and end parts to our narrative paragraph. This week we are writing about the Hawk Walk. 

In Math class today we practiced subtracting two two-digit numbers with regrouping. It took us a little while to remember what to do. But once we did, we were off and running. 

Because we did not have Science class on Friday, we had it today. Today we learned about simple machines. We created a "cool book" (as said by a student) to help us remember about pulleys, wedges, wheels and axles, screws, levers, and inclined planes. 

Have a great night! 

Hawk Walk Day!

Greetings! Today was our annual Hawk Walk event. It was a day filled with fun and smiles! 

Before beginning all of the festivities, we had our department prayer service. We then wrapped up our Language Arts for the week. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with silent letters and compound words, took our weekly assessment, and identified indefinite pronouns in sentences. 

After taking our group picture, it was time to walk around the town. It started off cool but soon warmed up. We really enjoyed it when cars and trucks would honk their horns! 

After lunch, we headed outside for an afternoon of games. We participated in an obstacle course, tossed bean bags, and participated in several relay games including one with pizza boxes and one with inflatable rings. We even got our face painted. It was a great time. I am sure that everyone will sleep good tonight. 

Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered today. Without you, this would not have been a success. 

I would like to wish all the mother, grandmothers, aunts, and the like a Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy your weekend! 

Ascension Thursday!

Greetings! It has been a tale of two weathers today. I came to school in a thunderstorm, and as I am writing it is raining again. However, the sun was out during the school day. I just hope that the sun is out tomorrow! 

Today was Ascension Thursday, the day we remember that Jesus went up to heaven. At Mass this morning, Msgr. Lockard reminded us that we still see Jesus in the Eucharist and in each other. Let us be Jesus for others and see Jesus in others. 

In Language Arts today we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also reviewed words with silent letters and compound words. We wrote sentences using our sight words too. To practice our fluency and comprehension we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklet and Rain School. Finally we read a nonfiction piece about rainy weather and completed pages in our close reading companion. 

For Gym class today we returned to the Gym to play one of our favorite games of the year. The students took turns rolling dice. The first number said what exercise we would do, and the second number said how many we would do. By far, they loved doing push-ups. 

Our focus in Math class switched from addition to subtraction today. We subtracted two two-digit numbers without regrouping. Again, they did this with ease! 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our Healthy Hawk Walk. The students will need to wear their Hawk Walk shirt (which was sent home yesterday) and sneakers. They are allowed to wear jeans or shorts. If you have any questions, let me know! 

Enjoying the Sunshine!

Greetings on this beautiful Wednesday afternoon. We are really enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather. The students are quite excited to get to the playground for recess. 

In Religion class today we wrapped up our chapter on the Mass. We made our own Mass booklets and read them to review the Mass including our responses. We also drew pictures to show what we do at Mass. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced reading words with silent letters and compound words. We then practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. After that, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We finished the morning by reading Rain School and completing pages in our close reading companion. 

This afternoon we learned when to add commas in a letter. We also worked in our literacy centers. 

The students worked with partners to solve addition problems with regrouping today in Math. We then practiced problems individually. They are pros with this. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is Gym day. Please remember to wear your sneakers. We also have Mass tomorrow since it is Ascension Thursday. 

Enjoy the sunshine! 

An Ordinary Day!

Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is enjoying their first full week of May. 

In Religion class we looked at the final part of Mass. Today we talked about when we pray the Our Father and share the sign of peace. We also learned the responses we say at the end of Mass. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words by answering questions using the words. We also reviewed words with silent letters by using our letter tiles to spell and read words. After that we reviewed reading compound words; we spent time identifying the two words that join together to make the compound word and using those compound words in sentences. Next we used our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. We wrapped up the morning by rereading Wrapped in Ice and identifying examples of cause and effect in the story. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we practiced using indefinite pronouns in sentences. We also read our decodable reader and identified examples of cause and effect in that story as well. 

In Math class today we practiced adding two two-digit numbers with regrouping. The students are doing so well with this. I am so proud of them. 

Have a wonderful night! 

Love of Books!

Greetings! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. The students seemed to have busy days; I loved hearing all of their stories today. 

We began our week with Religion class. Today we focused on the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We were reminded that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. 

As usual, we began a new week of learning in Language Arts today. We learned our new oral vocabulary words. When then worked on visualizing as we read a tall tale. Next we blended and read words with the silent letters kn, wr, and gn. After that we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. We finished the morning by reading Wrapped in Ice, a realistic fiction story about an ice storm in a small town. 

This afternoon we talked about the special pronouns anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and everyone. These are also known as indefinite pronouns. In addition to learning about pronouns, we visited the book fair. The students had so much fun picking out a new book. 

In Math class today we reviewed adding two two-digit numbers without regrouping. The students are doing so well with this. I am so proud of them! 

Enjoy your night! 

May the Fourth Be With You!

Greetings! Happy Friday! Today was a great day in first grade to end this first week of May. 

We began our day with Mass. Today at Mass Fr. Rizzo reminded us of how Jesus showed his love for us. 

In Language Arts, we wrapped up another week of learning. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, and we read vowel team au words and vowel team syllable words. Next we wrote sentences using our sight words before taking our weekly assessment. Finally, we practiced using possessive pronouns in sentences. 

In Math we reviewed adding two two-digit numbers without regrouping. The students are quite good at this. The only difference now is that the numbers are bigger. 

In Science class we worked with magnets today. We learned that when a magnet sticks to an object we say that it is attracted to it. When a magnet does not stick to an object we say that it repels it. The students then worked with a partner to find 3 things in the classroom that a magnet is attracted to and 3 things it repels from. Needless to say, they loved this. 

Finally, it was time for Art after all of that hard work. Today we water colored a background and added butterflies to it. They look really awesome. Here is a picture: 

Enjoy your weekend! 

A Day for Mary!

Greetings! Happy Thursday! I don't know about you but this week is flying by! 

In Religion class today we continued our discussion on the Mass. Today we focused on the Liturgy of the Word. We talked about the readings we hear each Sunday and our responses to the readings. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We then practiced reading words with the vowel team au and vowel team syllable words. Next we practiced our sight words and vocabulary words. Following all of that review, it was time to put our skills to work. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets and Meet Rosina. We then read a poem and completed pages in our close reading companion. We ended class by writing the ending to our narrative paragraph. 

In Math class today we took our test on the numbers to 120. Tomorrow we will begin adding and subtracting numbers to 120. 

After Math, we went to church for our May Crowning Service. Here we watched as the second graders crowned Mary and listened to Msgr. remind us that we need to be like Mary for others. 

We ended our day with Social Studies. Today we talked about the leaders at each level of government. We talked about the mayor, governor, and president. 

Enjoy your night! Please remember to return all library books tomorrow! 

Hello May!

Greetings on this beautiful, warm May day. It looks like we have finally turned the corner and that spring is here to stay! 

In Religion class today we began our study of the Mass. We will look briefly at each part of the Mass; the students will go more in depth next year as they prepare to celebrate their First Holy Communion. Today we looked at the beginning of Mass. We learned that we stand and sing, and we learned about the prayers we pray. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We then reviewed reading words with the vowel team au and vowel team syllable words. Next we practiced our sight words and vocabulary words. After that our focused switched to reading. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We then read and discussed Meet Rosina, a nonfiction story about a girl who is deaf. Following that we completed pages in our close reading in companion. For the writing portion of class, we wrote the middle part of our narrative paragraph. We finished class by reviewing how to write months, days, and holidays. 

We spent time reviewing in Math class today. We reviewed the numbers to 120, place value concepts related to each one, and identified the greater and less number in a set. 

Just a reminder that because of May Crowning tomorrow, we will not have Gym class. Enjoy the weather! 

Sweet as PIE!

Greetings! Happy May! It is hard to believe that the final full month of school is upon us. We had an awesome start to the month! 

We went to Adoration this morning after Computer class. It was nice to spend some quiet time with Jesus just talking to him. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words by answering questions using the words. We then reviewed the vowel team au by using our letter tiles to spell and read words. Next we learned how to read words with vowel team syllables. Following that we practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. 

This afternoon we spent time talking about why an author writes a story. We said that the author's purpose could be to persuade, inform, or entertain. We made a pie to help us remember these reasons. Here is a picture: 

After learning that, we reread All Kinds of Helpers and identified the author's purpose. We also did the same thing when we read our decodable reader story. We ended the day by writing the beginning part to our narrative paragraph and by using possessive pronouns in sentences. 

In Math class today we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems. The students were quite excited to show their knowledge. Many were jumping out of their seats when they figured out the answer. 

Enjoy your night!