Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is staying warm during these chilly days. We had a short day of learning today.
We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked about how Jesus chose Peter to be the leader of the Apostles.
In Language Arts, we worked in our literacy centers to build our fluency and comprehension skills.
In Math class we compared the height of objects using the terms tall/taller/tallest and short/shorter/shortest. We also compared the length of objects using the terms long/longer/longest and short/shorter/shortest. We are finding these concepts to be easy.
Then, it was time for a break in the afternoon. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day, the students were treated to a movie. Today we watched Incredibles 2. They all really enjoyed it.
As promised, here is a picture of our penguins. They are so adorable:
Because of the cold weather, we will not have school on Wednesday and Thursday. All book orders will be due Friday. Please check your child's folder for an updated letter on Catholic School's Week. If you have any questions, please let me know. Stay warm!
Greetings! I hope everyone had a marvelous Monday. I apologize for this post being a day late; I had no Internet at my house last night.
This week is Catholic School's week. Each day we will be doing something to honor Catholic schools. Today we prayed for vocations and gave thanks for all of the priests who support Catholic education. We had a prayer service with Msgr. Lockard and the local priests.
We began our week with Religion class. Today we wrapped up our chapter on how the Holy Spirit helped the church to grow. We reviewed how the church began on Pentecost, how the Holy Spirit helped the church grow, and how the Holy Spirit still helps the church today.
We began a new week of learning in Language Arts. Beginning this week, our daily routine will change. We began by learning all five of our oral vocabulary words. Next, we practiced our comprehension skills as we listened to a folktale about how the elephant got its long nose. Following that, we learned how to blend and read long a words spelled with ai or ay. After that we learned our new sight words and two vocabulary words. We ended our morning by reading A Tale of a Tail, a folktale about how the beaver's tale came to be.
This afternoon we learned how to use was and were in sentences. We then did some Groundhog Day writing. We wrote about whether or not we want Phil to see his shadow on Saturday. We added a craft to our writing.
In Math class we began a new chapter on learning; our focus will be on measuring. Today we learned to compare the heights of objects using the words tall/taller and short/shorter. We then compared the length of objects using the terms long/longer and short/shorter.
Enjoy your day!
Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a fantastic day to end their week. We had one busy and productive day in first grade.
In Religion class we talked about how the Holy Spirit helps us today.
We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. Today we used our oral vocabulary words in sentences. We then read words with oo and words with inflectional endings when the final letter is doubled. From there we wrote sentences using our sight words. Our focus then switched to building our fluency and comprehension. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read a short nonfiction piece about the food chart. We ended class by taking our weekly assessment and reviewing writing contractions for not.
In Math class today we took our test on the addition and subtraction facts to 20. We did well. We did learn that we need to listen to directions which helps us when we take the test.
In Science class we wrapped up our chapter on matter. We reviewed solids, liquids, and gases and how they can change forms.
Finally, it was time to create our penguins. We first stuffed our water bottles with cotton. Then using tacky glue we added flippers, feet, eyes, a beak, and a bowtie. They look awesome. I will post pictures on Monday once all of the glue has dried.
Have an awesome weekend!
Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone made it to and from safely today. It is amazing how we started the day with rain and ended it with snow. In some ways, weather always amazes me.
We began our day with Religion. Today we talked about how the Holy Spirit helped the church to grow.
Language Arts was full of learning today. We began by reviewing our oral vocabulary words. Next we practiced reading words with oo and inflectional endings when the final letter is doubled. After that we reviewed our sight words before switching our focus to fluency and comprehension. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read and discussed From Cows to You, a nonfiction story about how milk goes from farms to our houses. After reading the story, we completed pages in our close reading companion. We ended class by reviewing contractions. We did a workbook page and designed our own mittens with contractions on them.
For Gym class today, we played "I Want a Home", a fun game using hula hoops. Each student but one was given a hoop to place around the gym. The one without a hoop yelled "I want a home." On that cue, students ran from one hoop to another. They really enjoyed being the one who got to yell!
In Math class today we did some reviewing. We practiced solving addition and subtraction problems, problems where a number is missing in the number sentence, and word problems. We are ready for our test tomorrow.
We ended our day with Social Studies. Today we talked about the difference between towns and cities. We also learned that a suburb is a town outside a city.
Tomorrow will be fun. We get to make our penguins! Stay warm!
Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful day!
We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked about what the early church members did together. We learned that they prayed, shared, and ate together just like we do with our families today.
We began Language Arts class by reviewing the oral vocabulary words we learned yesterday and learning three new words today (enormous, delighted, and responsibility). We then worked on rereading for understanding as we read a folktale about a little red hen. After that we used our letter tiles to spell and read words with oo. Following that we practiced spelling and reading words with inflectional endings when the last letter is doubled before an ending is added. Next we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We ended the morning by rereading A Look at Breakfast and sequencing how bread, jam, and orange juice is made.
This afternoon in Language Arts we read our decodable reader and sequenced the events in that story. We then practiced identifying contractions for not. Finally, we learned about paragraphs. We learned that paragraphs begin with a topic sentence which tells us what the paragraph is about. That is followed by detailed sentences which explain more. Finally, a paragraph ends with a concluding sentence. In a few weeks, we will be writing our very own paragraphs!
In Math class today we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems. I was quite impressed with all of the thinking and reasoning the students did today to solve the problems!
Just a reminder that tomorrow is Gym day!
Greetings! Welcome back after a four day weekend! I hope everyone had a nice, warm weekend. I know that it is supposed to be cold in January, but it is always a shock to the body when it happens. This will definitely make us appreciate warm days.
Because of the two hour delay, we had a shortened day but we still filled it with a ton of learning.
We began a new week of learning in Language Arts. We learned two new sight words (delicious and nutritious). We also worked on rereading for understanding as we read Where Does Food Come From?. After that we practiced blending and reading words with oo. We followed that up by learning our new sight words. With all of our new knowledge, it was time to go to work. We read and discussed A Look at Breakfast, a nonfiction story about where our food comes from. We ended class by reviewing how to write contractions for not.
In Math class we continued to solve word problems. Today the problems were mixed. We had to decided whether or not to add or subtract to find the answer. By looking for key words, we did just fine.
Have a great night! Stay warm!
Greetings! Today was an awesome day to end our week. It as busy and filled with fun.
Today in Religion we talked about how the Church began on Pentecost. Jesus' followers were so excited to tell everyone about the Holy Spirit coming that 3,000 people joined them that day.
We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read long o, u, and e words and CVCe words. Then we used our sight words in sentences. Following that we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read a short nonfiction piece about how transportation changed over time and completed pages in our close reading companion. Finally we took our weekly assessment and reviewed using is and are in sentences.
For Gym today we danced. The students had a great time dancing to classics like YMCA, Chicken Dance, and Hokey Pokey as well as other songs. They loved showing their moves as they free danced to Let's Twist Again.
In Math class today we learned how to solve subtraction word problems. We identified the whole and a part and then subtracted to find the other part. On Monday we will mix problems together.
We ended our week with Social Studies. Today we remembered Martin Luther King, Jr. The students wrote about their dream for the world and added it to a craft. Some of their dreams were that everyone lived in peace, that everyone would be nice, and that everyone would have a home. Here is a finished product:
Have a great weekend!
Greetings! Happy Wednesday! Here's a throwback for you: Who remembers the camel in the Geico commercials yelling "Hump Day"?
We began our day with Religion class. Today we wrapped up our chapter on the Holy Spirit. We reviewed the events of Pentecost by completing pages in our book and drawing what happened on that day.
In Language Arts we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We then worked on rereading as we read The Last Train. Next we practiced reading long o, u, and e words as well as CVCe words. In addition we practiced reading our sight words. Then, we switched our focus to reading. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We then read and discussed Long Ago and Now. This afternoon we completed the close reading pages that went along with the story. We also practiced writing dates.
In Math class today we learned how to solve addition word problems. We used number bonds to help us. We found the parts and then added to find the whole.
The highlight of the day came at the end. The students received their new crayons for the second half of the year. They are very excited to use them!
Just a reminder that tomorrow is our Box Top Jean Day and Gym Day! What fun!
Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a terrific day! We sure did in first grade!
We began our day by going over to church for Eucharistic Adoration. We spent some quiet time praying to God, thanking him for what we have, and asking him to help those in need.
We began Language Arts by working in our literacy centers. Then we dove back into our weekly learning. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words from yesterday and learned three new words today (entertainment, future, and present). We then worked on rereading for understanding as we read a story about pioneers. Following that we used our letter tiles to spell and read long o, u, and e words. Next we learned how to read CVCe words by dividing them into syllables, reading the syllables, and putting the syllables together to read the word. After that we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We ended the morning by rereading Life at Home and comparing and contrasting homes today and those long ago.
This afternoon in Language Arts we read our decodable reader. We also practiced using the verbs is and are in sentences.
In Math class today we learned how to solve subtraction number sentences when a number is missing. We learned two ways. We can count back to we get the answer and see how many fingers we used. We also learned that we can count up from the answer to the big number.
And, for a special treat, we had a mini Art project today. Since the computer lab is being used for CDT testing, I thought the students would enjoy something fun to end their day. Today we made a snowman using doilies. We added the writing we did yesterday to our project. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend. It seemed to me that many of the students enjoyed the snow. Many of them told me that they went sled riding over the weekend.
We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked about the prayers we pray to the Holy Spirit. When we pray the Sign of the Cross and the Glory Be we are praying to the Holy Spirit.
We began a new week of learning in Language Arts today. This week we will be reading about life long ago. Today we learned two new oral vocabulary words (century and past). We also learned how to blend and read long o, long u, and long e words. In addition we learned our new sight words for the week. We ended the morning by reading Life at Home, a nonfiction story that compared life a long time ago to life today.
This afternoon in Language Arts we learned when to use the verbs is and are. We also wrote about what we like to do on a snowy day.
In Math class, we practiced subtraction. Today students worked with a partner. They each took turns pulling a number card from a bag and then subtracting the two numbers. We are getting much better at counting backwards.
Have a great night!
Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a fantastic, fun day to end their week. We sure did in first grade.
In Religion class today, we talked about the Holy Spirit coming to Jesus' followers. We learned that they were together in a room, heard a strong wind, and saw flames of fire over their heads. We remember this event on Pentecost.
We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with soft c, soft g, and -dge, spelled words with inflectional endings when the final e is dropped, and wrote sentences using our sight words. We took our weekly assessment and reviewed the past and future tense of verbs.
In Math class today we practiced subtracting. This time our single digit got bigger. We used our number lines to help us subtract 6, 7, 8, or 9 from a two digit number.
In science class we talked about how water changes. We said that it is a solid when it is ice, a liquid when it is water, and a gas when it evaporates. We have a cup of ice and observed it melting. We will let it sit out all weekend and see how much evaporated over those two days.
Finally, it was time for Art. Today we made Eskimos, one of my favorite projects. They always turn out so cute and this year was no different. Here are pictures from this week's project and the snowflakes from last week. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend!
Greetings! Happy Thursday! I will say that I am not used to the colder weather. The wind has gone right through me. Even my dog does not want to go outside! Even though it is cold outside, it is warm inside for us to learn!
In Religion class today we talked about how Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his followers. He wanted his followers to have someone to remember him by.
In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced reading soft c, soft g, and -dge words, words with inflectional endings, and our sights words. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets and The Gingerbread Man; this story has to be one of our favorites this year. We ended class by reading some Mother Goose Rhymes and identifying the rhyming words in them.
In Math today we continued our practice of subtraction. The key for us is to remember that when we subtract we count backwards.
In Social Studies today we talked about the seasons and weather. We discussed the different things we do in each season.
Just a reminder that we will be visiting the Library tomorrow!
Greetings! Happy Wednesday! Well, it looks like winter has come. I hope everyone had safe travels today. It's days like today that make me appreciate the warm days.
We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked about how Jesus surprised his followers after he rose from the dead. He surprised them early one morning while they were fishing. Peter was so excited to see Jesus that he jumped into the water and swam to shore. His excitement reminds us that Jesus is always with us.
In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced reading soft c, soft g, and -dge words. In addition we practiced spelling and reading words with inflectional endings when the final e is dropped. After that we read our sight words. Then we switched our focus to reading. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read and discussed The Gingerbread Man, a classic folktale that the students just loved reading.
This afternoon in Language Arts we completed pages in our close reading companion. We also reviewed how to use commas in a series.
In Math class today we switched our focus from addition to subtraction. Today we practiced counting backwards to solve problems. We used number lines to help us.
Just a reminder that tomorrow is Gym day. Remember your sneakers!
Greetings! Well, I spoke too soon yesterday. I guess this will not be our first full of week 2019. I hope everyone enjoyed the delay and made it to and from work safely.
Because of the delay, we missed Religion class today. So, we began right where we would have been when school started and that is with Language Arts. Today we practiced spelling and reading words with inflectional endings when the final e is dropped. We then practiced using our sight words in sentences. Following that we reread The Nice Mitten and wrote cause and effect examples from the story. We ended the morning by reading our decodable reader and identifying cause and effect examples in it.
This afternoon in Language Arts we sorted verbs based on their tense. The students did quite well with this. They also wrote the steps in making hot chocolate. We will be adding that writing to a craft tomorrow.
In Math class, we practiced solving what are known as the doubles plus 1 facts. To find the answer in a problem like 7+8, we double the smaller number and add 1.
Have a great night!
Greetings! Happy Monday! We had a great start to our first full week of school in 2019!
In Religion class today we wrapped up our chapter on Jesus dying and rising to new life. We reviewed why we call Jesus the Good Shepherd, how the people greeted Jesus when he entered Jesus, and how Jesus showed his love for us by dying on the cross and rising to new life.
We continued our week of learning that we began last week in Language Arts. Today we learned three new oral vocabulary words (eventually, timid, and foolish). We worked on making predictions as we read the folktale "The Timid, Foolish Rabbit." We then practiced blending and reading words with soft c, soft g, and dge by using our letter tiles to spell words.
This afternoon we read a decodable reader. We also sorted verbs based on whether they were past tense or future tense.
In Math class we practiced adding two digit and one digit numbers by counting up. The students are doing quite well with this. We will have one more day of addition practice before we switch to subtraction.
Have a great night!
Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a good day to end the first week of 2019!
We began our day with Mass. Today we celebrated the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. Msgr. Lockard reminded that we can always call upon Jesus by name to help us.
After Mass, we met with our Faith Families. While with our Faith Families, the students were given time to talk to their prayer partners and get to know them. The students are encouraged to pray for their partners on a regular basis.
In Language Arts today, we wrote our goals for 2019. The students wrote about what they want to see, try, and learn to do. We added our writing to a craft.
In Math class today, we practiced adding one and two digit numbers by counting on. We realized that it is no different than what we have been doing except that the numbers are a little bit bigger.
In Science class today we talked about solids, liquids, and gases. We gave examples of each on and then sorted pictures based on what state of matter it was.
We ended our day with Art. Today the students created snowflakes. I placed painter's tape in the form of a snowflake on construction paper. The students painted all around the tape. On Monday, I will remove the tape which will reveal the snowflakes. I can't wait to see the finished product. I'll be sure to post pictures of them.
Have a great weekend!
Greetings! I hope everyone's year is off to a good start. We sure are having fun so far in 2019!
In Religion class today we talked about Jesus dying and rising. We read that Jesus died for us because he loves us. We also learned that Alleluia is a word of praise.
In Language Arts class, we continued to practice blending and reading words with the soft c ad soft g sound. Today we sorted words based on the g sound. After that, we learned how to blend and read words with the letters -dge. Following that we learned our six new sight words. Then, it was time to read. We read The Nice Mitten, a folktale about animals who find a warm mitten. We finished the morning by learning about past and future tense verbs. This afternoon we wrote the final two steps in brushing our teeth.
For Gym class today the students participated in various relay races. They cheered each other on as they walked, ran, skipped, and balanced a bean bag.
In Math class today we continued practicing counting on to find the sums. We are doing much better at counting on larger numbers.
We ended our day with Social Studies. Today we talked about natural resources and ways to save them.
Tomorrow is Library day! Don't forget your book!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an amazing holiday break. The students were quite excited to tell me about their favorite presents and show me the teeth they lost! I really did miss them over the break.
We began this new year with Religion class. Today we talked about Jesus teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem. We learned why Jerusalem is an important city and what a Temple is.
We began a new week of learning in Language Arts that will stretch into next week. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words (hero and tale). Then we worked on making predictions as we read Interrupting Chicken. Following that we practiced blending and reading soft c and soft g words. To help us with the different sounds we sorted pictures based on when c said /k/ or /s/. We ended the morning by reading a decodable reader story.
This afternoon in Language Arts we practiced writing. We wrote the first two steps in brushing our teeth. We also wrote in our journals.
In Math class today we began a new chapter. Our focus will be on adding and subtracting numbers from 0-20. Today, we learned how to count on to find the sum. We also did a little work with number bonds. The goal was to make 10 and then count on. But we found it easier to just count on.
Just a reminder that tomorrow is already Thursday, and it is gym day! Remember your sneakers!
