Penguin Fun!

 Greetings on this blustery Friday. Days like today make me really appreciate warm ones. 

In Religion class today, we began working on our Catholic School's Week projects. Today, we made cards for our frontline healthcare workers thanking them for all that they are doing. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. Today we used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read long e words and words with prefixes, and wrote sentences using our sight words. We also partner read a story in our decodable readers and read a nonfiction story about bees. Finally, we took our weekly assessment and practiced using has and have in sentences. 

In Math class today, we used our linking cubes to measure. The students selected three things in or on their desk and used the linking cubes to measure them. They measured things like crayons, pencils, water bottles, their name tags, and even their dry erase sock. 

In Science class we looked at the my plate. We learned about each food group, sorted pictures of foods based on which group it belongs to, and then drew examples of food for each food group. 

Then it was time for Penguin Fun in Art class. We stuffed our water bottles with cotton and then glued on feet, a hat, flippers, eyes, beak, and bowtie to make our new friend. They will be coming home on Monday once the glue has dried. 

Have an awesome weekend! 

Cutting and Gluing Kind of Day!

 Greetings on this chilly evening. It took awhile but that winter chill is here. I hope everyone is staying warm tonight.

In Religion class today we talked about ways we celebrate God's love. We learned that the words Alleluia and Amen are words we sing and pray joyfully when we worship God. We also talked about how we worship God with our parish. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced reading long e words and words with prefixes. Following that we reviewed our sight words and vocabulary words. Next, we partner read a story in our decodable reader before reading our story from our literature anthology. Today we read Animal Teams. After reading the story, we wrote its main idea and key details we learned. 

For our Penguin fun today, we reviewed everything we have learned this far by creating a penguin book. They turned out adorable. I hope you are enjoying them tonight. 

In Math class today, we learned how to use a start line to compare the lengths of objects. We placed pictures against the line and then looked at them to see which was the shortest and which was the longest. 

For Gym class, we danced and worked out using Go Noodle. 

We ended our day with Social Studies. Today we identified the continent, country, and state where we live by creating a flip book. 

Have a great night! 

The Day After a Snow Day!

 Greetings! Welcome back after our first snow day! I hope everyone enjoyed their snow day. I know that I really did! 

In Religion class today, we talked about how Jesus celebrated God's love. We learned that he worshiped God and sang songs of praise. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words by answering questions using the words. We then used our letter tiles to spell and read long e words spelled with e, ee, ea, or ie. After that we learned how to blend and read words with the prefixes re, un, and pre. Following that, we practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. Next, we worked on our fluency and comprehension. We reread A Team of Fish and wrote about the main idea and key details from the story. We also did the same as we read our decodable reader. 

This afternoon we practiced using has and have in sentences. We also learned more about penguins. Today we labeled the different parts of a penguin. We also talked about its life cycle. 

In Math today, we continued to have fun with measurement. Today we focused on comparing the lengths of three things using the terms taller, tallest, shorter, shortest, longer, longest. 

In Spanish class, we played Bingo. The students filled in their cards using the numbers 8-20. I then said the number in Spanish, and the students had to find that number on their card. We had fun! 

As promised here is a picture from Art class last Friday: 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a jean day! Stay warm! 

The Start of Penguin Fun!

 Greetings! I hope everyone had a great weekend and got to enjoy some snuggle time together. 

In Religion class today we worked on a special project. Last week we talked about how a parish works together and helps others. Today we made get well cards for one of our substitutes who is recovering from surgery. We took what we learned and put it into action. 

We began Language Arts by working in our 'centers.' We then began a new week of learning. We learned five new oral vocabulary words (behavior, beneficial, dominant, endangered, and instinct). We then worked on rereading as we listened to a story about how animals work together. Next, we learned how to blend and read long e words spelled ee, ea, and ie. After that we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. We ended our morning by reading a nonfiction story about fish called A Team of Fish. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we learned how to use the verbs has and have in sentences. We also began a fun week devoted to penguins. Today we read a story about them, watched a video about them, and watched the live feed webcam from the San Diego Zoo. 

We began a new chapter in Math today; this chapter focuses on measurement. Using linking cubes today, we showed towers that we taller or shorter than a given tower. The students found this to be easy. 

Have a great night! 

Eskimo Fun!

 Greetings on this chilly Saturday! I hope everyone is staying warm today. It is a perfect day to snuggle, play games, and watch a movie. 

We began our day on Friday by attending Mass. Today, Fr. Brian reminded us about the importance of praying for all of the unborn. He also encouraged us to listen to what God is calling us to be when we are older. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences. We also spelled and read long a words spelled ai or ay. We also practiced putting words into ABC order. After that we wrote sentences using our sight words. We then partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets and a nonfiction story about bats. After that, we completed pages in our close reading companion. This afternoon we took our weekly assessment and practiced using was and were in sentences. 

In Math class today we took our chapter test on adding and subtracting to 20. Next week, we will begin our chapter on measurement. 

Science class was popping with excitement today. To help us understand how we use our five senses, we completed an experiment with popcorn. The students got to see it popping (I used a hot air popper), hear it popping, smell it, feel it, and taste it. Needless to say, but Science class has a big hit today. 

We ended our week with Art class. Today we made Eskimos. I'll post pictures once they have dried. 

Have a great rest of your weekend! 

I Have A Dream

 Greetings! Today was a great day in first grade. 

In Religion class we finished our chapter focusing on parishes. We reviewed what a parish is, who leads a parish, and how a parish helps people both near and far. 

As usual, Language Arts was busy. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words, practiced reading words with long a spelled ai or ay, and practiced putting words into ABC order. We also practiced our sight words and vocabulary words. We did spend some time discussing what a dictionary is and practiced finding the meaning of certain words in a sentence. We ended our morning focusing on fluency and comprehension. We read a story from our decodable reader booklets. We also read a fiction story How Bat Got Its Wings. After reading that story, we completed pages in our close reading companion that focused on problem and solution and comparing and contrasting. 

This afternoon, we practiced writing contractions. We also wrote the final steps in how to plant a seed. 

In Math class today, we worked on several things. We reviewed how to solve addition and subtraction word problems. We also reviewed how to add and subtract. Finally, we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems. 

For Gym class today, we stayed inside and exercised to Gonoodle. 

We ended our day with Social Studies class. Today we focused on Martin Luther King, Jr. We talked about what his dream was and how we worked to make his dream come true. We then discussed what our dream for the world is. Many said that there would be no poverty, no more covid, and peace. We wrote about our dream and added it to a craft. Have a look:

Have a great night! 

A Late Start!

 Greetings on this two hour delay day! I hope everyone had a good and safe day. I have been debating whether I like a lot of snow all at once or a little here and there. Either way we can expect snow in winter. 

With the two hour delay, our day was a bit different with the shorten learning time. After our Math Meeting, we jumped right into Language Arts. We answered questions using our oral vocabulary words. We then used our letter tiles to spell and read long a words spelled with ai or ay. That was our morning. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we learned how to put words into ABC order when all of the words begin with the same letter. We also practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. After that we worked on sequencing. We reread A Tale of a Tail and sequenced events from that story. We did the same as we read our decodable reader. After that we practiced using was and were in sentences. Finally, we did some winter writing. Today we wrote about what we like to do on a snowy day. We added a giant cup of hot chocolate to our writing. Here are some examples: 

In Math class today, we continued to solve word problems. I love seeing the students think about the problem, solve it, and then explain their thinking. They are truly young mathematicians. 

As promised here are pictures of our snowflake art project from Friday. They look great in the hall. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a jean day. Stay warm! 

Additions to Reading!

 Greetings! Welcome back after a long weekend! I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed some family time. 

In Religion class today we learned that a parish helps many people including people close to us and people around the world. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts. This week we will be reading about how animals use certain features to help them survive. We began by learning 5 new oral vocabulary words (feature, appearance, determined, predicament, and relief). We then worked on retelling as we read a folktale. Following that, we learned how to blend and read long a words spelled ai, ay, or a. After that we learned our new sight words along with two vocabulary words. Beginning this week, we will work on building our reading vocabulary as we practice using vocabulary words as we read. Finally, we read A Tale of a Tail, a folktale about how beavers got their tale. 

This afternoon we practiced using was and were in sentences. We also wrote the first two steps in how to plant a seed. 

In Math class we continued to practice solving word problems. We reviewed problems that involve addition and then learned how to solve word problems that involve subtraction. 

Just a reminder that Book Orders are due tomorrow. We will also have a spirit jean day tomorrow. Have a great night! 

Snowflake Fun!

 Greetings! I hope everyone had a great day to end their week. 

In Religion class, we talked about how the pastor is the leader of our parish. We learned that Fr. Brian is the pastor of Holy Name Parish. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. Today we used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, spelled and read words like book and push along with words with inflectional endings where the final letter is doubled. We also wrote sentences using our sight words and took our weekly assessment. 

In Math class today, we practiced solving addition word problems. The students did quite well with solving the problems and explaining their thinking. 

In Science class today we identified our five senses and talked about which body part helps us in using that sense. We created a Mr. Potato Head and labeled each part. Here are some of our creations: 

Finally, it was time for Art class. Today we painted a snowflake. The students were given a large piece of white construction paper with the outline of a snowflake made with painter's tape. Using blue and purple paint, the students painted the white paper. On Tuesday, I'll pull off the painter's tape leaving a white snowflake behind. The students loved painting and are excited to see their snowflakes! 

As promised, here are some examples of the writing project we did yesterday. 

Just a reminder that the children do not have school on Monday. Have a great weekend! 

Outside Play in January!

 Greetings! I hope everyone was able to make it outside and enjoy the warmer than usual winter day we had today. I know the children really enjoyed their time outside today!

In Religion class today we talked about how our parish gathers together to worship. We said that when we worship we praise and thank God. We ended class by drawing people we see when we go to church or when we watch Mass online. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced reading and spelling words with oo and u along with words with inflectional endings where the final letter is doubled. After that we switched our focus to reading. We partner read a story from our decodable reader along with our story from yesterday. We also read a nonfiction fiction piece about the different food groups; after reading this piece, we completed pages in our close reading companion. Finally, we reviewed writing contractions for not. 

Our writing today consisted of writing and art. We created a person catching snowflakes. We wrote about what we would like to fall from the sky like snowflakes. I'll post pictures of our project tomorrow. 

In Math class today we learned how to solve problems when a number is missing from a subtraction sentence. We used linking cubes and our number chart to help us with this. 

In Social Studies, we talked about the difference between a city, town, and suburb. 

Finally, after a hard day of work, it was time for Gym. We headed outside to enjoy exercising with our friends. 

Have a great night! 

Creating Number Sentences!

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I don't know about you but this has been another fast week. 

In Religion class, we began our chapter about the parish. Today, we talked about how a parish is like a family. It is a group of people who pray, work, and help others. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced reading words like book and push and reading and spelling words with inflectional endings where the final letter is doubled. In addition, we practiced reading our sight words. Our focus then switched to fluency. We partner read a story in our decodable readers and read our story in our literature anthology. Today we read From Cows to You and completed pages in our close reading to help us sequence how we get milk. We ended class by writing contractions for not. 

This afternoon we completed a fun little project with contractions. The students wrote a contraction on one mitten and what it is short for on the other mitten. Afterwards, they got to decorate their mittens. 

In Math class today, we had fun practicing subtraction. We took our number cards and put them into two groups: one with the numbers 0-10 and the other with the numbers 11-20. We then picked a number from both stacks, wrote a subtraction number sentence, and solved it. We had so much fun doing this! 

In Spanish we practiced the numbers to 20. The students are doing better with recognizing the numbers. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our weekly jean day. Have a great night! 

Fantastic Memories!

 Greetings on this Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great day! 

In Religion class today we wrapped up our chapter on the leaders of the church. We reviewed the roles of bishops and the pope and the ways they serve the church. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words and learned three new words (delighted, enormous, and responsibility). Next we worked on rereading for understanding as we listened to a folktale. After that we used our letter tiles to spell and read oo and u words. Following that we learned how to blend, spell, and read words with inflectional endings where the final letter is doubled. Next, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We ended our morning with a focus on fluency and comprehension. We reread A Look at Breakfast and talked about the order that bread, jam, and orange is made. Then we read our decodable reader and sequenced the events in that story. 

This afternoon we reviewed contractions for not. I am so proud that they remember how to spell and read them. We also wrote the final steps in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

In Math class today we continued to practice subtraction. We are getting the hang of counting backwards. 

Have a great night! 

Happy Monday!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice weekend (minus the Steelers loss). We had a great start to our week. 

In Religion class we talked about how the church serves others and how we can serve others. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts today. We learned two new oral vocabulary words (delicious and nutritious). We then worked on rereading as we read a story about where food comes from. Next we learned how to read words with oo and u like in the words book and put. Following that we learned our new sight words. Finally, we put all of our skills to work as we read A Look at Breakfast, a nonfiction story about how we get certain breakfast foods. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we reviewed the contractions for not. We also began learning how to write how-to pieces. Today we wrote the first two steps in how to make a PBJ sandwich. 

In Math class today we focused on subtraction. We practiced subtracting using linking cubes, our number chart, or mental math. 

As promised, here is a picture from Friday's art class. Enjoy! 

Welcome Back Art Class!

 Greetings! What a great first week of 2021 we had! I really enjoyed being back in the classroom with the kids. 

In Religion class today we learned that the pope is the leader of the whole church. We took a trip to Vatican City to see where the pope lives. We also learned that Pope Francis is our current pope. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts today. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read long vowel words and CVCe multisyllable words, and wrote sentences using our sight words. We also took our weekly assessment. 

In Math class today we again reviewed adding to 20. Using linking cubes, a number chart, or mental math, we practiced solving problems both in our workbooks and on our tablets. 

In Science class today we wrapped up our chapter on matter. We reviewed solids, liquids, and gases. 

We ended our week with Art class. We really did miss Art class in December. Today we made a snowman looking through a window. They turned out so nice. I'll post pictures on Monday once the paint has dried. 

Have a great weekend! 

Painting on a Thursday!

 Greetings and Happy Thursday! I don't know about you but today went really fast. We had lots of happenings in first grade.

In Religion class we learned that bishops lead and care for the church. We also talked about how Bishop Mark leads our diocese. 

Language Arts was filled with lots of learning today. We began by reviewing our oral vocabulary. We then used our whiteboards to spell and read long vowel words and to practice segmenting CVCe words into syllables. Next we reviewed our sight words by reading our word wall via a slideshow. Next, we partner read our story from yesterday and then read a story about how transportation has changed over time. Following that we completed pages in our close reading companion. Finally, we practiced using is and are in sentences. 

In Math class today, we reviewed adding to 20. I am really impressed at how well the students picked this up during our virtual learning. We also spent time learning the doubles facts. 

Because of our special Music class yesterday, we did not have Spanish, so we had it today. We practiced the numbers to 20 by writing them in Spanish. 

For Gym class today, we worked out using our GoNoodle videos. 

We ended our day with Social Studies. Today, we reviewed the seasons of the year. We talked about what the trees look like in each season and used paint and Q-tips to show what the trees look like. We had lots of fun doing this! 

Have a great night!

Enjoying the Drums!

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! It is so hard to believe that we are at the half way point of the week! 

In Religion class today we learned that Jesus chose Peter to be the leader of the Apostles. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words. We practiced segmenting words into sounds by using our sound boxes. We also practiced reading long vowel words and multisyllable long vowel words. Next we practiced our sight words. Our focus then switched to building fluency. We read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read Long Ago and Now, a nonfiction story looking at life long ago and now. After reading that story we completed pages in our close reading companion that had us comparing and contrasting. Finally, we wrote about a goal we have for 2021. 

In Math class today we took a test on the numbers to 20. We focused on place value, more or less than a number, and patterns. 

We ended our day with a special Music class. We got to hear the band's Christmas performance. We really enjoyed the drums! 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a jean day! Have a great night! 

The 2nd Day of 2021!

 Greetings! Happy 2nd day of school in 2021! We had another great day in first grade. 

We began our day by going to Eucharistic Adoration. We spent some quiet time praying to Jesus and asking him to help us and those in need of our prayers. 

Back in the classroom, we jumped into Language Arts. We reviewed the oral vocabulary words we learned yesterday and then learned three new words (entertainment, future, and present). We also worked on rereading as we read a story about pioneers. Then we used our letter tiles to spell and read long o, long u, and long e words. After that we learned how to read multisyllabic words that have a long vowel. Next, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. Finally, we reread Life at Home and compared and contrasted life long ago and life today. 

This afternoon we read our decodable reader and compared and contrasted the various jobs boys and girls had long ago. We also practiced using is and are in sentences. Finally we worked in our socially distant centers. 

In Math class today, we practiced ordering numbers from least to greatest and from greatest to least. We also practiced finishing number patterns. I'm so impressed with how much the students learned virtually. 

Have a great night! 

Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year! I don't know about you, but it sure felt good to say those words this year. It was so good to see everyone today. We had a great start to 2021 in first grade. 

In Religion class today we reviewed the Christmas story. The students then created their own Nativity scene using stickers. They arranged the stickers and then colored their picture. I loved seeing how creative everyone was. 

We began Language Arts by working in our socially distant centers. We then reviewed soft c and hard c. After that we began a new week of learning. We learned two new oral vocabulary words (century and past). We then worked on retelling as we read The Last Train. Following that we learned how to blend and read long o, long u, and long e words. We found this easy because we remember magic e. Next we learned our new sight words. Finally, we read Life at Home, a nonfiction story about life long ago. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we learned how to use the verbs is and are in sentences. We practiced identifying which word was missing in a sentence. 

In Math class today, we spent time reviewing. Today we focused on place value and more or less than a number. The students did great with this. 

Here's to a great 2021!