The End of May!

Greetings! Happy Thursday (and Friday for the students)! It is hard to believe another month has come and gone. We only have 3+ days of school left. Where has the time gone? 

We began our day with Mass in honor of Ascension Thursday. This was also our last school Mass of the year. Today, Msgr. Lockard reminded us that Jesus is still with us today spiritually. He also reminded us that we can never take a vacation from God and encouraged us to continue to pray and go to Mass over the summer. 

We wrapped up our final week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with r-controlled -air, -are, and -ear and read words with r-controlled syllables. We then wrote sentences using our sight words before switching our focus. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklet and read a short nonfiction story that focused on maps and completed pages in our close reading that went along with the story. Finally we took our weekly assessment and identified adverbs that tell how in sentences. 

Today was our final Gym class of the year. We headed to the Gym where the students had the opportunity to exercise with whatever they wanted. They played basketball, soccer, jumped rope, and hula hooped. They were quite sweaty by the end of class. 

In Math class today we practiced counting quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. They did quite well with this. We also practiced showing amounts using all four coins. 

We ended our day with Social Studies. Today we talked about leaders of government. We learned that a mayor leads a city, a governor leads a state, and the president leads the country. We also identified who are governor and president are. 

Just a reminder that there is no school tomorrow. Please take some time to visit the parish festival. On Monday we will have our Cuddle Reading day. Students will need to bring a stuffed animal and a book to share with a friend. Enjoy the long weekend! 

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Greetings on this rainy day. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for the rain; it will help keep all of the plants and grass green and healthy. However, I am getting a little tired of the storms. Hopefully, tomorrow will be the end and sunshine will return next week! 

We began our day with Religion class. Today we wrapped up our chapter on sharing God's love. We reviewed how we can share God's love with our families and with others. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. Then we practiced reading words with r-controlled -air, -ear, and -are; we also practiced reading and segmenting r-controlled syllable words. Following that we reviewed our sight words and vocabulary words. We then switched our focus to reading. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read Happy Birthday USA, a nonfiction story about the 4th of July. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we completed pages in our close reading companion. We also reviewed how to write abbreviations. Finally, we wrote about the school year. We wrote about something we learned in Language Arts, Math, and a favorite memory. We turned our writing into a giant ice cream cone. They looked delicious: 

Our focus in Math class today we the quarter. We identified the value of a quarter and various ways to show 25 cents. Tomorrow we will count quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies! 

Just a reminder that our Spelling test is tomorrow. It is also our last Gym day. Have a great night! 

Happy Memorial Day!

Greetings! Welcome back from the long holiday weekend. Talking with the students today, they really seemed to enjoy their weekend. I loved hearing the stories of fishing, camping, and playing baseball. 

We began our day by attending Eucharistic Adoration. We spent quiet time praying to Jesus asking him to help others, help us, and help us have a good summer. 

We began Language Arts by working in our literacy centers; this was the last time we will be working in them this year. The students really came to enjoy them, and I noticed a tremendous amount of growth in the fluency and comprehension development. After that, we jumped back into our week of learning. We answered questions using our sight words. We then used our letter tiles to spell and read r-controlled -air, -are, and -ear words. Next we practiced blending and reading r-controlled syllable words. We ended the morning by using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we reread Share the Harvest and Give Thanks and talked about the author's purpose for writing the story. We then read our decodable reader and talked about the author's purpose for that story. Finally, we practiced using adverbs that tell how in sentences. 

In Math class today we continued to work with money. We practiced counting a collection of dimes, nickels, and pennies. Then, the students had to show various money amounts using those coins. Their number sense with that truly amazed me. 

Have a wonder (and dry) night! 

Oceans Away!

Greetings! Happy Friday! We made it through our last full week of school! I'm not sure if I am happy or sad. Like I said many times, I really enjoy this group of students. I'm going to miss them. 

But, before, we end the year, there is still a bunch of learning to be had. We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked about how God wants us to share his love with others. We discussed many ways we can do that. 

We began Language Arts by working in our centers. The students really enjoy them and work so hard to improve their fluency and comprehension skills. Then we began a new week of learning, our last week of learning for the school year. We learned our new oral vocabulary words (display, pride, design, purpose, represent). Next, we practiced rereading as we listened to a story about flags. We then learned how to blend and read r-controlled ar words spelled -air, -are, and -ear. After that we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. We ended the morning by rereading a nonfiction story about harvest festivals, Share the Harvest and Give Thanks. After lunch, we identified adverbs that tell how in sentences. 

In Math class today we practiced counting a collection of dimes, nickels, and pennies. The students are doing well with this. 

Then, it was time for our final Art project of the year. Today we made an ocean scene using a blue paper plate. The students glued Cheerios on the bottom for sand and then added sea creatures. I just loved how they made each scene unique. Here are two examples: 

We ended our week by finishing the movie we began last Friday during the Hawk Walk. The students did enjoy Homeward Bound especially when they realized all were safe. 

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend! See you on Tuesday! 

Fiesta in First Grade!

Greetings! Happy Fiesta day! We had lots of fun in first grade today. 

We began our day with Religion. Today we talked about how we can show God's love to our families. We said that when we are kind, helpful. respectful, and forgiving we show God's love. 

We wrapped up a week of learning in Language Arts today. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with three letter blends and with inflectional endings, and wrote sentences using our sight words. Next we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets and the story we read yesterday Lissy's Friends. After that we read a short nonfiction piece about origami and completed pages in our close reading companion. We ended the morning by taking our weekly assessment and reviewing when to use I and me in sentences. 

For Gym today we headed outside to the parking lot. The students had fun playing and running around with their friends. It was neat to see them all organize different games. They are such a close group of students. 

We began a new chapter in Math today. We will be focusing on money to end the year. Today we reviewed the value of a penny, nickel, and dime and practiced counting various amounts using these coins. 

In Social Studies today we began our unit on government. Our focus today was on laws. We learned that we have laws to keep us safe. 

After all of that learning, it was time for our fiesta. We began by breaking open a pinata. Each student was able to get two prizes and a sight word. They had to use their sight word in a sentence. Then it was time to crack open the confetti eggs. They loved this. I loved seeing their excitement has confetti poured down on them. Thank you for helping them make their eggs. 

Tomorrow will be an exciting day to end our week! 

Learning Origami!

Greetings everyone! Happy Wednesday! Today was another great day of learning in first grade. 

We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked about how when we pray we grow closer to God. We also talked about how we can pray alone or with others and how we can pray prayers we learned or pray our own prayers. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We then practiced reading words with three letter blends. We also practiced using words with inflectional endings in sentences. Following that we reviewed our sight words and vocabulary words. Next, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read a realistic fiction story about a girl making friends in Lissy's Friends. After reading the story, we tried our hand at origami and made a dog. The students really enjoyed this! 

This afternoon in Language Arts we completed pages in our close reading companion. We also reviewed when to use commas when writing a letter. Finally, we wrote the closing part for our narrative paragraph about our field trip. 

In Math class today we wrapped up our chapter on adding and subtracting with and without regrouping. Tomorrow we will begin our chapter on money. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our fiesta day. We will have a pinata and crack open those confetti eggs. It will be loads of fun! It is also Gym day! 

A Normal Day!

Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a nice day. We had a busy day in first grade. There is still so much to learn in such a short amount of time. 

We began our day by attending Eucharistic Adoration. We spent some quiet time praying to Jesus, asking him to help people and help us have a good day. 

We began Language Arts by working in our literacy centers. Then we jumped back into our week of learning. We answered questions using our oral vocabulary words. We then used our letter tiles to spell and read words with three letter blends. After that we reviewed the inflectional endings -ed and -ing and practiced spelling words with them. We ended our morning by using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we reread A Spring Birthday and wrote about the theme of the story. We then read our decodable reader and identified its theme. Next, we practiced using I and me in sentences. Finally, we wrote the middle part of our narrative paragraph about our field trip. 

In Math class today we reviewed adding and subtracting with and without regrouping. The students worked with partners to solve problems. I just loved seeing them work so nicely with each other. 

Have a great night! 

Our Last Full Week!

Greetings! It is hard to believe that the last full week of school is upon us. This year has gone too fast. As I look at the students, I know that they are ready for second grade. I'm not sure I'm ready to see them go. I'm going to enjoy these last few days with them. 

Today our Religion class came this afternoon when we met with our Faith Families. Today we focused on the life of St. Francis and the virtue of humility. 

We began Language Arts by learning when to use I and me in sentences. After that we wrote the first part of our narrative paragraph on our field trip. Following that we worked in our literacy centers to continue to build our fluency and comprehension skills. Then we began a new week of learning. We learned our new oral vocabulary words (effort, tradition, ancient, drama, and movement). Next, we practiced blending and decoding words with three letter blends. After that we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. We ended the morning by reading a realistic fiction story about a boy celebrating his birthday in A Spring Birthday. 

In Math class today we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems. I was quite impressed with them and how many combinations they could tell me that added up to 100. They love math and working with numbers! 

With all of our work done, we headed outside for some extra fun in the sun. We have worked hard all year and earned some free time. Needless to say, they loved it. 

Just a reminder, that Book Orders are due tomorrow. Have a great night! 

Hawk Walk Day!

Greetings! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! Friday was another fun day in first grade. It was our annual Hawk Walk day. But, before partaking in all the festivities, we had some business to do. 

We began by taking our Spelling test. Then we wrapped up our chapter in Social Studies on economics. After that we wrapped up our Science chapter on motion. Finally, we talked about how Jesus wants us to love and serve others in Religion. 

Then it was time to celebrate. After gathering outside for the group picture, we began our walk around Ebensburg. It was such a beautiful day to take a walk. We prayed really hard that the rain would hold off and it sure did. 

This afternoon we headed back outside for some games and activities. We really enjoyed bowling, playing with the parachute, racing to to dress our friends, and seeing Smoky the Bear. Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to help make this day possible. 

See you tomorrow! 

Field Trip!

Greetings on this beautiful Thursday! Today was quite an exciting day in first grade! We had our field trip! The students waited all week for this and were not disappointed. 

We began our fun at the Quaint Corner Children's Museum. There the students had three floors of fun to experience. The good to play in a giant sandbox and in a Pirate ship. They also had fun in a theater room, laser room, art room, grocery store room, and vet clinic. 

From there we headed to Playtime Pottery. The students got to pick a magnet to paint and got to choose what colors they wanted to paint it. The magnets ranged from crocodiles, to sharks, to butterflies, to ice cream cones, and so much more. It was really neat seeing their creativity come out. They really took their time painting and thought about what they wanted to do. We left the magnets their to be fired in the kiln; I'll pick them up in about 10 days. 

Tomorrow is our Hawk Walk day. The students are to wear the Hawk Walk shirt which was sent home today. They can wear jeans or shorts. They must wear sneakers. Please pray that the rain holds off! 

The Day Before a Field Trip!

Greetings! Happy Wednesday! Today was our last full day of learning for the week. Tomorrow is our field trip, and Friday is the Hawk Walk. Exciting things are happening in first grade. 

We wrapped up our chapter on the Mass in Religion class today. We made a Mass booklet to help us remember all of the responses we say at Mass and what happens at Mass. 

We also wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences. We then read words with silent letters and compound words before writing sentences using our sight words. After that we took our weekly assessment and reviewed those special pronouns. We ended the morning by writing the ending to our narrative paragraph about the spring concert. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we combined writing with a craft. The students pretended to look up into the sky to see what they see in the clouds. They then wrote about what they saw and used cotton balls to make what they saw. Some students got quite creative. I'll post pictures of everything later. 

As promised, here is a picture of the compound word project we did yesterday. 

In Math class today we once again reviewed subtracting with regrouping. We did a much better job at remembering when we need to regroup today. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our field trip. Don't forget your lunch! 

Dreary Outside, Sunny Inside!

Greetings on this dreary Tuesday. Today reminded me of a late fall day, not an early spring day. I am hoping the weather clears up for Friday! I miss seeing the sunshine! 

In Religion class today we talked about the end of Mass. We discussed when we pray the Our Father, share a sign of peace, and the closing remarks. For the most part, the students are doing very well learning the parts of the Mass. 

We began Language Arts by working in our literacy centers. Then we jumped into our weekly learning. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words and read words with the silent letters wr, kn, and gn and compound words. After that we reviewed our sight words and vocabulary words. Next, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets and our story from yesterday Rain School. We ended the morning by reading a short nonfiction piece about rainy weather. 

This afternoon we completed pages in our close reading companion that went along with our nonfiction piece. We also wrote the middle part of our narrative paragraph. Finally, it was time for some art and learning. We created an umbrella with raindrops. On each raindrop the students wrote part of a compound word and illustrated it. Then they wrote the compound word on the umbrella. All we have left to do is attach the raindrops which we will do tomorrow morning. I'll post pictures then. 

In Math class today we practiced subtracting with regrouping. We remembered that we need to look to see where the bigger number is to see if we need to regroup. We also remembered that we subtract top down. 

Have a great night! 

A Wet Monday!

Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day weekend! I hope all the Moms were able to relax and enjoy themselves. 

We began our week with Religion. Today we looked at the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Our emphasis today was on how the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus. We also learned that when we say "Amen" we are saying "Yes, I believe". 

We began Language Arts class by working in our literacy centers to continue to build our fluency and comprehension skills. Following that we jumped back into our week of learning. Today we reviewed our oral vocabulary words and read words with the silent letters wr, kn, and gn. We then practiced making compound words to finish a sentence. After that we reviewed our sight words and vocabulary words. Our focus then switched to reading. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We ended the morning by reading Rain School, a realistic fiction story about children going to school in Africa. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we completed pages in our close reading companion that correlated with the story. We then learned when to add commas when writing dates and letters. Finally, we wrote the topic sentence and first detail sentence in our narrative paragraph about the spring concert. 

In Math class today we reviewed how to subtract without regrouping. We are really good at looking at where the bigger number is to help us subtract. 

Have a great night! Stay dry! 

Shark Attack!

Greetings on this Friday! I hope everyone had a great day to end their week. On my drive home today, I really noticed how the rain has affected everything. Everything is so green and so pretty. Thank you God! 

In Religion class today we looked at the Liturgy of the Word. We talked about the three readings we hear at Mass, the responses we say after each one, and why those readings are important. 

We began Language Arts by working in our literacy centers. Then we jumped back into our week of learning. We answered questions using our oral vocabulary words and used our letter tiles to spell and read words with silent letters. After that we reviewed how to blend and read compound words. We ended our morning by using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we reread Wrapped in Ice and wrote cause and effect examples from the story. We then read our decodable reader and identified cause and effect examples in that. Finally we practiced using those special pronouns in sentences. 

In Math class today our focus switched from addition to subtraction. We reviewed how to subtract without regrouping. The students had no problems with this. 

In Science class we learned about simple machines. We looked at pulleys, levers, wedges, screws, wheels and axles, and inclined planes. We talked about how each one helps makes our lives easier. 

Finally, it was time for Art. Today we made a shark out of newspaper. They look amazing. I can't wait to display them in the hall. 

To all of the moms, I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day. Enjoy your special day! 

A Little Bit of Music!

Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone was able to beat the rains home. I did but did not have luck as I walked my dog. It started to rain on us. What can you do! 

We began a new chapter in Religion today; this chapter focuses on the Mass. We take a brief overview of the Mass in first grade. The students will learn more about the Mass next year as they prepare for their first Communion. Today we focused on the beginning part of the Mass. 

We also began a new week of learning in Language Arts today. We learned our new oral vocabulary words (cycle, predict, frigid, scorching, and creative). Next we worked on visualizing as we listened to a story about Paul Bunyan and the popcorn blizzard. After that, we learned how to blend and read words with silent letters kn, gn, and wr. Then we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. Following that, we practiced our new skills as we read Wrapped in Ice, a realistic fiction story about what a girl and her mom do during an ice storm. We ended class by learning some special pronouns like everything, anybody, and nothing. 

This afternoon we were treated to a wonderful Spring Concert. I am just amazed at all of the talent we have here at Holy Name. The students did a fantastic job and should be very proud of themselves. Bravo! 

Tomorrow will be a busy day to end our week. Get some sleep! 

Another Fast Week!

Greetings! Happy Wednesday! This is once again another fast week. It is already half way over. 

We began our day with Religion class. Today we wrapped up our chapter on Jesus giving us the Eucharist. We recalled how when we have Mass we remember what Jesus said and did at the Last Supper. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. Today we used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with the vowels au, augh, aw, and al, and read vowel team syllable words. Following that we wrote sentences using our sight words. Then we took our weekly assessment before reviewing how to use possessive pronouns in sentences. We ended the morning by working in our literacy centers. 

In Math class today we again practiced adding two two-digit numbers with regrouping. The students are really mastering this skill. I am quite proud of them. 

This afternoon we headed to church for our annual May Crowning. The second grade led us in this special prayer service honoring Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Msgr. Lockard reminded us that we make Mary happy when we include everyone and treat others with kindness. 

Because of the spring concert tomorrow, we will not have Gym class. Instead, we look forward to the wonderful music we will hear. 

Working Together in Math!

Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone enjoyed the sunshine today. It was hard to come back in after recess. We sure did enjoy our time on the playground. 

We began our day with Religion class. Today we talked the different things we do to participate in Mass. We said that we sing, pray, and listen during Mass. 

We began Language Arts by working in our literacy centers. Following that, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words, read words with au, augh, aw, and al, read vowel team syllable words and identified the vowel team in each word, and read our sight words. Next, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets and the story Meet Rosina, which we read yesterday. We ended the morning by reading and discussing a poem. 

This afternoon in class, we completed pages in our close reading companion that went along with the poem we read this morning. We also reviewed capitalizing months, days, and holidays when writing sentences. 

In Math class today we practiced adding two two-digit numbers with regrouping. The students worked with a partner. They took turns spinning a spinner and adding it to a given number. I was quite impressed with how well they worked together. 

We ended our day by finishing our Mother's Day gifts. The students were quite excited to bring them home today! 

Enjoy your night! 

First Full Week of May!

Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone dried out after the weekend rain. I actually sat in the rain to watch the Pirates beat the A's on Saturday at PNC Park. I just love my Pirates! 

We began our week with Religion class. Today we talked about how the Mass is the church's greatest celebration. At Mass, we remember what Jesus said and did at the Last Supper. 

We began Language Arts class by working in our literacy centers. Then we jumped back into our week of learning. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words. Then we practiced reading words with the vowels au, augh, aw, and al, and we practiced reading words with vowel team syllables. Following that we practiced our sight words and our vocabulary words. After all that practice, it was time to read. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We ended the morning by reading Meet Rosina, a nonfiction story about a girl who is deaf. This afternoon in Language Arts we completed pages in our close reading companion that went along with our story. 

In Math class today we continued to practice adding two two-digit numbers without regrouping. Even with increasing the value of the numbers, the students are really good at this. Nothing can stop them! 

Have a great night! 

Flower Gardens!

Greetings! Happy Friday! 

We began our day by going to Mass. Today Msgr. Lockard called us to follow in the Apostles footsteps and share Jesus' good news with everyone. 

We had a busy day in Language Arts. We began by answering questions using our oral vocabulary words. Then we used our letter tiles to spell and read words with the vowels au, augh, aw, and al. After that we blended and read vowel team syllable words. Next, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We ended our morning by rereading All Kinds of Helpers and writing the author's purpose for the story. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we read our decodable reader and identified the author's purpose for that story. We then practiced using possessive pronouns in sentences. 

In Math class today we practiced adding two two-digit numbers without regrouping. The students did very well with this. 

In Science class today, our focus was on magnets. The students worked in groups to find objects in the room that a magnet was attracted to or repelled from. They loved this. 

Finally, it was time for Art. Today we created a flower garden. The students painted the grass and sky and then used forks to make the flowers. They turned out nice. 

Here are pictures from the projects we did this week. Enjoy! 

Have a great weekend! 

Easy as Pie!

Greetings! Happy Thursday! This week is flying right by! 

In Religion class this morning, we talked about the Eucharist. We learned that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts. We learned five new oral vocabulary words (inspire, respect, distance, swiftly, and decision). We then worked on rereading as we read a fable about how the moon got to be in the sky. After that we blended and read words with the vowels au, augh, al, and aw. Next, we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. 

Then we took a break from Language Arts and went to Gym. We had to move our class time today because of a program in the Gym. So, we went to Gym this morning instead of this afternoon. Today we went to the playground to run and play with our friends. 

We did have a little more Language Arts class after Gym and before lunch. In that time we read a nonfiction story about helpers titled All Kinds of Helpers. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we learned the possessive pronouns and identified them in sentences. We also wrote about what we would do if we were a kite and added our writing to a kite craft project. Finally, we learned the three reasons authors write a story. We made a pie to help us remember persuade, inform, and entertain. 

In Math class today we took our chapter test on the numbers from 41-120. Next, we will revisit adding and subtracting with and without regrouping. 

Finally, it was time for Social Studies. Today we talked about the role of buyers and sellers. 

Just a reminder that all library books should be turned in tomorrow. Have a great night! 

Happy May!

Greetings! I hope everyone had a fantastic Wednesday. I don't know about you but this week is flying by. 

In Religion class today we talked about the special meal Jesus shared with his Apostles the night before he died. Even though we talked about this during Holy Week, we are revisiting the story because we are beginning our chapters on the Mass. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with the vowel variant /u/. read and defined words with suffixes, and wrote sentences using our sight words. We then took our weekly assessment before reviewing pronouns. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we learned about narrative writing. We read Owl Moon and talked about how the boy recalled a time he went owling with is dad. After that we wrote a narrative paragraph about the story. The students did a great job writing about what happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story. We will continue to write narrative paragraphs this month. 

In Math class today we reviewed the concepts we learned related to the numbers 41-120. We identified place value, identified more or less than a number, compared numbers, and finished number patterns. Tomorrow we will take our chapter test. 

Enjoy your night! Don't forget about Gym tomorrow!