Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween! We had a spooktacular day in first grade! 

Before celebrating and partying, we did have some work to do. We had a beautiful prayer service in Religion class. The students created a pumpkin. Afterwards, we prayed a prayer asking Jesus to open our eyes to those around us, to help us not snub our noses and others, and to use our mouths to speak kind words. After our Math Meeting and Spelling test, it was time to party! 

We began by reading Where's My Mummy. After reading the story we wrote about how our 'mummies' help us when we are scared. We added our writing to a craft. 

We then played several minute-to-win-it games. The students had to build a tower using cups without it falling over, toss rings into a cup, and stack candy corn on a popsicle stick without any falling off. Finally, the students used candy corn and pumpkins to design a haunted house. 

This afternoon we watched Hotel Transylvania. 

Here are some pictures from the day: 

Thank you to everyone for a great day! Have fun trick-or-treating. Please remember to maintain social distance and wear a mask. Let's work together to keep everyone safe! 

Rainy Day Learning!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone had a great day. We sure did in first grade. We did not let the rainy weather dampen our spirits. 

In Religion class today we learned that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He taught them the Our Father. The students were amazed that this is the same prayer we pray today. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts today; tomorrow we will be having some Halloween fun in class. So, today, we used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with the digraphs th, sh, and ng and closed syllable words, and wrote sentences using our sight words. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets along with our story from yesterday. We also read a nonfiction piece about helping in our community and completed pages in our close reading companion. Finally, we took our weekly assessment and practiced writing proper nouns correctly. 

In Math class today we took our chapter test on subtraction. Next week, we will begin our study of shapes. 

For some Halloween fun today, we read Creepy Carrots. After reading the story, we talked about what we would do if creepy carrots were following us. The students came up with some very creative ideas. Here are some of them:

Because of the rain, we stayed in our classroom for Gym. We danced to some videos and played with our recess bags when we got tired. 

We ended our day with Social Studies. Today our focused switched to geography as we learned about the continents and oceans. We created a map of the world, which is one of my favorite Social Studies projects. Have a look: 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our Halloween celebration. The students are to wear their costumes to school. They must also wear their facemask. We will have a spooktacular time tomorrow! 

Let's Carve a Pumpkin!

 Today was a great day in first grade. It was one of those days that reminded me why I love teaching. The students were so engaged today and were applying their knowledge and skills all day. It was so great to see them excited about learning. 

In Religion today we talked about how Jesus' Apostles came to believe that he was the Son of God. We read the story of Jesus calming the stormy water. We illustrated what the water looked like before and after Jesus calmed the water. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary. We then used our sound boxes to segment words into sounds. Following that, we read words with digraphs th, sh, and ng, and closed syllable words. We also practiced reading our sight words. Our focus then switched to reading. We partner read a story in our decodable readers. We also read Nell's Books from our literature anthologies. After reading that story we wrote and illustrated the characters, setting, and events. Finally, we practiced writing proper nouns. 

In Math class today we reviewed everything we learned about subtraction. We are ready for our test tomorrow. 

In Spanish class we reviewed the greeting phrases we learned last week by creating flash cards. 

After working hard all day, it was time for pumpkin fun. Today we carved a pumpkin. Each student was given plastic gloves and helped get the seeds out of the pumpkin. We then worked together to design the face. As I carved the pumpkin, the students wrote the steps in how to carve a pumpkin. We added that to a craft. And here is our pumpkin . . . 

Have a great night! 

Red Ribbon Week!

 Greetings! Today was another great day in first grade. 

This week we are celebrating Red Ribbon Week. All week we are celebrating being drug free. Today we were too bright for drugs as we wore our neon colors and tie dyes. The students are enjoying this week. 

In Religion class today we talked about how Jesus invited people to be his followers. We read the story of how Jesus invited Peter and Andrew to follow him. We then talked about how Jesus invites us to be his followers too. 

We began Language Arts by reviewing our oral vocabulary words from yesterday and then learning three new words (connections, rely, and enjoy). We then listened to a story about a man's biblioburro and worked on rereading for comprehension as we heard the story. Next we used our letter tiles to spell and read words with the digraphs th, sh, and ng. Following that we learned how to read closed syllable words, words like cabin, rabbit, and helping. After that we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We ended our morning focusing on reading and comprehension. We reread Thump Thump Helps Out and talked about the characters, setting, and events in the story. We did the same as we read our decodable reader. 

This afternoon we reviewed common and proper nouns by sorting words into those two categories. 

In Math class today we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems. We also reviewed how to determine if a number sentence is true or false. 

After working hard all day, it was time for some pumpkin fun. Today we created a diagram and labeled the parts of a pumpkin. We even used real pumpkin seeds as we did this. The diagrams turned out so nice; I wish I would have remembered to take pictures. 

Have a great night! Remember tomorrow we team up against drugs. Students may wear jeans and a favorite team shirt or hoodie! 

The Last Week of October!

 Greetings! Welcome Back after that three-day weekend! I hope everyone was able to enjoy it. I enjoyed hearing all what the children did. 

Today in Religion class we finished our discussion about Ordinary Time. We reviewed the color of the season and what we celebrate. We also finished praying the rosary as we prayed the fifth decade of the Glorious Mysteries. The students were encouraged to keep praying the rosary at home. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week our focus is on how we can help our communities. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words (leadership and admire). We then worked on rereading for understanding as we the The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Following that we learned how to blend and read words with the digraphs th, sh, and ng. Next, we learned our new sight words. Finally, we put our new skills to work as we read Thump Thump Helps Out. We ended the morning by working in 'centers' and reading a leveled reader. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we learned the difference between common and proper nouns. 

In Math class today we became detectives as we looked to determine whether a number sentence was true or false. We used our linking cubes or drew a picture to help us. 

This week we will be celebrating Halloween all week. Today, we focused on the life cycle of a pumpkin. We listened to a story about how pumpkins grow and then created a diagram showing its stages. The students are quite excited about all the Halloween activities we will be doing. 

Have a great night! 

A Gorgeous Day!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday (Friday for the students!)! I know many of them are excited to be off tomorrow. They have been working so hard and deserve a break. I hope they enjoy their day! 

In Religion class today we talked about Ordinary Time. We learned that during this season we hear stories about Jesus teaching others and helping others. We also learned that it is called Ordinary Time because the weekends are put in numerical order. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in first grade. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with end blends and words with the -ing ending, and wrote sentences using our sight words. We partner read a story in our decodable reader along with our story from yesterday. After that we read a poem and completed pages in our close reading companion. Finally, we took our weekly assessment and wrote possessive nouns correctly. 

In Math class today we reviewed writing fact families. We then learned how to solve a word problem by using related facts. We used our linking cubes to help us act out the stories before switching to just paper. 

For Gym class today we headed outside. It was such a gorgeous day outside; it was so hard to come back inside. I think we could have stayed outside all afternoon.

We ended our day with Social Studies. Today we wrapped up our first unit by reviewing what we have learned about communities. 

Have a great weekend! See you on Monday! 

Fun with Fact Families

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! There is only one more day to go this week. Boy, this week has gone fast. 

In Religion class today we reviewed the seasons of the church year. We talked about what each season focuses on and what colors we see in each season. We also prayed the third decade of the Glorious Mysteries. 

In Language Arts class we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced reading words with end blends and words with the inflectional ending -ing. In addition to that we practiced our sight words. We worked on building our fluency and comprehension as we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read a story in our literature anthologies, At a Pond. After reading that story we worked on identifying details as we completed pages in our close reading companion. Finally, we practiced writing possessive nouns correctly. 

In Math class today we learned how to write fact families. We looked at a number bond and wrote the two addition and two subtraction sentences that went with it. The students really enjoyed writing fact families. 

In Spanish class today we learned more greetings and phrases. I am quite impressed with all that they have remembered this year. They are really enjoying Spanish. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our dress down day and Gym day. Have a great night! 

Great Thinkers!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! Today was another great day in first grade.

We began our day by going to Adoration. We spent some quiet time praying to and talking to Jesus. It was a great way to start our day! When we came back, we prayed the second decade of the Glorious Mysteries. 

Language Arts was its usual busy self today. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words from yesterday and then learned three new words (hibernate, tranquil, and tolerate). Following that we worked on rereading as we listened to a story about animals in the desert. Next, we used our sound boxes to segment words into their sounds. Then, we used our letter tiles to spell and read words with end blends. After that we learned how to blend and read words with the inflectional ending -ing. Then we practiced using our sight words in sentences. After all of that review, it was time to put everything together as we reread The Best Spot and our decodable reader. After reading each story, we wrote about the main topic and details from the story. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we practiced using possessive pronouns in sentences. We also worked on our tablets as I met with groups of students to practice reading skills. 

In Math class today, we continued to solve subtraction word problems. I am amazed not only at how well the students can solve the problems but also at how well they can explain their thinking. 

As promised, here is a picture of the ghosts we made last Friday. Enjoy! 

Reading about Animals!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend and a great start to the week. We had an awesome day in first grade. 

In Religion class today we learned the seasons of the church. We named a season, identified the color for that season, and talked about what the season focuses on. We said that all throughout the year we praise God and give him thanks no matter what church season it is. We ended class by praying the first decade of the Glorious Mysteries. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts today; this week we will be reading about animals and their habitats. We learned two new oral vocabulary words (habitat and depend). We worked on rereading for understanding as we read Babies in the Bayou. Following that we learned how to blend and read words with end blends. Next we practiced our new sight words. We ended our morning by putting our new skills to work as we read The Best Spot. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we wrote a detailed sentence about a picture. We are beginning to use adjectives as we write. We also talked about possessive nouns and practiced finding them in sentences. 

In Math class today we solved subtraction word problems by either using our linking cubes, drawing a picture, or writing a number sentence. We did very well with this. 

Have a great night! 

Ghostly Fun!

 Greetings on this Friday! I hope everyone had a great week! 

While I was at a training this morning, the students had a busy time in the classroom. They wrapped up our chapter on Jesus teaching us about love. They reviewed the Great Commandment and illustrated a way we show God love. They also prayed the fifth decade of the Sorrowful Mysteries. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read short u words and contractions with is, wrote sentences using our sight words, and took our weekly assessment. After all that, we created a short u sun. On each ray, we wrote a short u word. 

In Math class today we practiced writing subtraction sentences for a picture. It was neat to see all of the different interpretations of a picture. 

In Science class we finished our study of animals by reviewing all that we have learned about them including their needs, how they move, and their different coverings. 

Finally, it was time for Art. Today we made a ghost using cotton balls and messy glue. We had lots of fun creating them. I'll post pictures on Monday once everything has dried. 

Have a fabulous weekend! 

A Beautiful Day!

 Greetings on this beautiful fall day. I hope you were able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and take in the gorgeous fall scenery. 

In Religion class today we talked about how everyone is our neighbor. We read the Good Samaritan story to illustrate this point. We also prayed the fourth decade of the Sorrowful Mysteries. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words, spelled and read short u words and contractions with is, and used our sight words in sentences. We also partner read two stories: one from our decodable reader and our story from yesterday. We also read a nonfiction piece about homes and completed pages in our close reading companion. Finally, we practiced writing plural nouns. 

In Math class today we looked at pictures and wrote subtraction number sentences based on the pictures. They did really well with this. 

This afternoon a lady from the Step by Step Learning program joined us to model a lesson. We will begin using this program in the coming days. I am so proud of how well the students worked during this period. 

After our lesson, we headed outside for gym. It was hard to come back inside. 

Have a great night! 

The Great Commandment

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

In Religion class today we again focused on the Great Commandment. We talked about how we can love ourselves and love God. To help us remember this commandment, we created a giant heart and glued three smaller hearts inside it. One each small heart, we wrote how Jesus wants us to love. Here is a look at one of the hearts:

In Language Arts class we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We then used our sound boxes to segment words into sounds. Next we practiced reading short u words, contractions with is, and our sight words. We then switched our focus to reading. We partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. Next we read The Pigs, The Wolf, and The Mud. Following that, we completed pages in our close reading companion. 

In Math class today we again practiced solving subtraction sentences using number bonds. We told a subtraction story, drew a picture, and then wrote a number sentence to solve it. The students are very creative at telling subtraction stories.

In Spanish class today we continued to practice greetings. We completed greeting cards where we wrote the English meaning on the back. We then took turns reading the cards. 

I forgot to post pictures from last Friday's art class. Here are some of them. They turned out really well! 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a jean day. The students are to wear jeans and a Holy Name shirt to school. 

A Classic Tale!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is doing well today!

In Religion class today, we learned the Great Commandment. We learned that Jesus taught us to love God, love others, and love ourselves. We also prayed the second decade of the Sorrowful Mysteries. 

As usual, Language Arts was busy. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words from yesterday and then learned three new words (collapsed, furious, and refused). After that we worked on making predictions as we read the classic tale "The Three Little Pigs". Next, we used our letter tiles to spell and read short u words. Next, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We then switched our focus to reading. We reread Cubs in a Hut and identified the character, setting, and events in the story. We did the same thing as we read our decodable reader. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we worked on our writing skills. We wrote a sentence to describe a picture. We then added an adjective to give more details about it. Next, we learned about contractions with the word is; we practiced writing several of them. Finally, we sorted nouns based on whether they were singular or plural. 

In Math class today, we used number bonds to help us solve subtraction stories. The students did quite well with this. 

Have a great night! 

Happy Monday!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! By the sounds of this morning, I can tell the students are getting excited for Halloween! 

In Religion class today we talked about how many people followed Jesus. We also prayed the first decade of the Sorrowful Mysteries. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words (shelter and materials). Following that we worked on making predictions as we read Three Little Dassies. Next, we learned how to blend and read short u words. After that we learned our new sight words. We ended the morning by reading and discussing Cubs in a Hut, a fantasy story about cubs who build a hut. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we talked about the difference between singular and plural nouns. We practiced finding them in sentences. We also worked in our centers social distant style. 

In Math class today, we worked on solving subtraction problems by using linking cubes, our counting strip, or drawing a picture. We are getting good at remembering to count back when we subtract. 

Have a great evening! 

Short E Fun!

 Greetings and Happy Friday! It has been a busy week in first grade. I'm sure that the students will enjoy their weekend. 

In Religion class today we wrapped up our chapter on Jesus beginning his public ministry. We also prayed the fifth decade of the Luminous Mysteries. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts today. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read short e words and words with the inflected ending -ed, wrote sentences using our sight words, and took our weekly assessment. After all of that, we had some short e fun. We created a bird's nest. On each nest, we wrote a short e word. Have a look at it: 

In Math class today we practiced solving subtraction problems by counting back to find the answer. We did well with this and will continue to practice next week. 

In Science class today we talked about how animal parents care for their young by feeding them and cleaning them. We also said that sometimes baby animals look like their parents and sometimes they don't. 

Finally, it was time for Art. Today we painted a moon using yellow and orange paint. We then added bats to our moon. I'll post pictures on Monday once everything has dried. 

In between our learning today, we had a fire drill with the Dauntless Fire Department. After our drill, they talked to us about important fire safety tips. We thank the men and women of Dauntless who came to speak to us today. 

Have a great weekend! 

Jesus, Heal Us!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone has had an opportunity to stop and appreciate the beautiful fall colors this year. I am truly enjoying seeing them. 

In Religion class today, we continued to talk about how Jesus continues to heal today. The students created a poster to help us remember this. We added Jesus in the middle and put band-aids around him to help us remember this. I always love how this project turns out. Have a look: 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also used our whiteboards to spell and read short e words and words with the inflected ending -ed. We then partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets and our story from yesterday. Following that we read a nonfiction piece about firefighters and completed pages in our close reading companion. Finally, we practiced finding nouns in sentences. 

After lunch, we viewed the Living Rosary which was led by Junior High. This year we took it virtual. The students did such a good job. 

For Gym class today, we headed outside. They love being able to run around and play with friends. 

We actually ended our day with Math class. I was given the opportunity to have a professional development opportunity today. Today in math we began our study of subtraction. We learned that when we subtract, we take away. We used linking cubes to solve the problems. The students did very good with this. 

Tomorrow we will have a fire drill with local fire companies. We will also have Art. Have a great night! 

Noun Pizza!

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone had a great day. 

In Religion class today we focused on Jesus healing people. We watched a short video about Jesus healing the paralyzed man. We talked about how Jesus helped all people. We then completed a storyboard page to help us remember all those who Jesus healed. We ended class by praying the fourth decade of the Luminous Mysteries. 

We began Language Arts class by reviewing our oral vocabulary words. We then segmented words into sounds by using our sound boxes. After that we practiced reading short e and inflected ending -ed words. Next, we practiced our sight words. We then switched our focus to reading. We read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read The Red Hat, a realistic fiction story about firefighters. When we were finished reading the story, we completed pages in our close reading companion that focused on the events in the story. Finally, we practiced writing commas to separate a series of nouns. 

In Math class today we took our chapter test on addition. Tomorrow we will begin our study of subtraction. 

For a little fun and a break, we created a noun piece of pizza today. Under each pepperoni we wrote an example of a noun. We wrote one person, one place, and one thing. They looked delicious! 

In Spanish today we learned some simple Spanish greetings. We learned the words for hello, goodbye, good, bad, and so-so. 

Finally, it was time for Computers. Today we logged onto Splash Learn to practice math. 

Tomorrow is our dress down day! Don't forget! 

Firemen Fun!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a great week. Today was another busy day in first grade. 

In Religion class we talked about how Jesus healed many people. Today, we read the story of Jesus healing two blind men. We also prayed the second decade of the Luminous Mysteries. 

Language Arts was as busy as usual. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words we learned yesterday and then learned three new words (astonishing, equipment, fortunately). We then worked on making predictions as we read a nonfiction piece about jobs in our community. Following that we used our letter tiles to spell and read short e words. Following that we learned how to blend and read words with the inflectional ending -ed. After that we practiced using our sight words in sentences. Next, we reread Good Job Ben and wrote about the characters, setting, and events in the story. Finally, we read and discussed our decodable reader. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we continued our discussion on nouns. We sorted pictures based on whether they were a person, place, or thing. We also practiced finding nouns in sentences. 

In Math class we reviewed everything we have learned about addition. We are ready to take our chapter test tomorrow. 

We ended our day with our fire safety week lesson. Today we focused on firefighters. We watched a short video that toured a fire house. We then wrote about what firefighters have, what they do, and what they are. We took our writing and added it to a craft. The students were so excited to bring their fireperson home tonight: 

Here are some more pictures from the week. One is of our Columbus Day project that we finished this morning. And the other is our Noun Town. Enjoy! 

A Busy Day!

Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! Today was a hoppin' day in first grade. 

In Religion class today we talked about how God loves us and watches over us even when we don't know it. We created a medallion to help us remember that we are important to God. After that, we prayed the first decade of the Luminous Mysteries. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts. We learned two new oral vocabulary words (community and occupation). We then worked on making predictions as we read Millie Waits for the Mail. After that we learned how to blend and read short e words. Following that we learned our new sight words. We then put all our new knowledge to work as we read Good Job, Ben. We ended our morning by working in centers social distant style. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we learned that nouns name people, places, things, and animals. We then created a Noun Town. The students drew pictures of people, places, things, and animals we see in our town. They then glued them onto green posterboard to create our town. I'll post pictures of this tomorrow! 

In Math class today we used our critical thinking skills to solve some problems. 

This week is fire safety week. All week, we will be talking things related to fire safety. Today we reviewed that we call 911 in an emergency. We also talked about what to do if our clothes catch on fire. We completed a stop, drop, and roll worksheet. 

Finally, we had a special Social Studies class today since we won't be able to have class on Thursday because of the Living Rosary. Today we learned about Christopher Columbus. We are working on a project that we will finish tomorrow morning. 

Have a great night!  

Pumpkin People!

 Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great day to end the week. 

We began our day at Mass. Today was the feast day for the guardian angels. At Mass, Deacon Mark reminded us that we need to turn to and trust our guardian angels. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read r blend and s blend words, wrote sentences using our sight words, and took our weekly reading assessment. We also spent time reading using Epic reading. 

In Math class today, we practiced solving addition word problems. The students not only did great at solving them but also at explaining their thinking. 

In Science class, we talked about the needs for animals by watching a short video and then learning a song. We said that all animals need food, water, air, and shelter. 

Finally, it was time for Art. Today we created a pumpkin person. They look really cute hanging in our classroom. 

Here are pictures from our fall writing we did earlier in the week along with a picture of today's art project: 

Have a great weekend!

Hello, October!

 Greetings on this first day of October! The students were very excited that today was October 1st. I don't know if it is because it is a new month or that Halloween is only 30 days away! 

In Religion class today we read the story of Zaccheaus. We talked about how Jesus shared God's love with everyone, even those that the people didn't like. We said that we need to be like Jesus too and love everyone. To help us remember this story, we created a storyboard. We ended class by praying the fourth decade of the Joyful Mysteries. 

We began Language Arts class by reviewing our oral vocabulary words. We then used our whiteboards to spell and read r blend and s blend words along with possessives. After that we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. Following that we partner read Move It and read a nonfiction piece about diagrams. We then completed pages in our close reading companion. We ended class by practicing writing sentences correctly. 

In Math class today we learned how to solve addition word problems by using linking cubes, drawing a picture, or just writing a number sentence. The students did a great job with them. 

For Gym class, we headed outside to the parking lot. They are all smiles running around with their friends.

In Social Studies today we talked about why people move. We said that they move to be near family or to get a job. 

Tomorrow is Friday. We have Mass and Art. Have a great night!