Sequencing Fun!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is doing well. It was another busy day in first grade. 

In Religion class today, we reviewed the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. We reviewed how Jesus fed the people by creating a craft. In addition to that, we started a Lenten journey booklet. Each week, we will focus on something we can do during Lent. This week we are focusing on helping others. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words by answering questions using the words. We also practiced reading long e words spelled -y and -ey by using our letter tiles to spell the words. After that, we learned how to blend and read compound words. Following that, we practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. We ended the morning focusing on comprehension; this week we are focusing on sequencing. We reread From Puppy to Guide Dog and sequenced the steps in becoming a guide dog. We then read our decodable reader and sequenced the steps in getting a pet. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we learned about adverbs that tell when. We practiced finding them in sentences. 

In Math class today we again practiced adding without regrouping. The students are doing very well with this. Tomorrow we will learn how to regroup. 

This week is Read Across America Week. All week we are celebrating Dr. Seuss. Today we read If I Ran the Zoo. Afterwards, we created our own animal and wrote about it. 

Have a great night! 

Adding Without Regrouping!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. 

In Religion class today, we heard the story of Jesus multiplying the fishes and the loaves to feed 5,000 people. We talked about how Jesus still feeds us today in the Eucharist. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week we will be reading about how animals help people. We began by learning five new oral vocabulary words (career, soothe, advice, remarkable, trust). We then worked on visualizing as we listened to a story about a dog trainer in China. After that, we learned how to blend and read long e words spelled -ey or -y. Next, we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. We ended the morning putting our skills to work as we read From Puppy to Guide Dog. 

In Math class today, we practiced solving addition problems without regrouping. The students are doing very well with this and are really enjoying it. 

We ended our day by going to church for Stations of the Cross. We spent time reflecting on what Jesus did for us. 

Have a great night! 

Watercolor Fun!

 Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone is staying warm tonight. Winter has returned. 

At Mass this morning Fr. Brian went over the three facets of Lent: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, played Stinky Feet to practice reading long i words, and wrote sentences using our sight words. We also took our weekly assessment. 

In Math class today, we learned how to add without regrouping. We began by using our base ten blocks to show the numbers and then added the ones and tens. We then transitioned to our whiteboards and markers. The students found this easy and loved solving the problems. 

In Science class today, we learned the words transparent, opaque, and translucent. Using our flashlights, we shone light through different objects and decided which ones were transparent, translucent, and opaque. 

We ended our week with Art class. Today, we completed a directive drawing of a bee. We then used watercolor paints to paint our bee. They turned out great! 

And here is a picture from our President's Day writing we did earlier in the week. 

Have a great weekend! 

A Break from Winter!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is enjoying this break from winter. It just feels good to feel the warm sunshine. 

In Religion class today, we finished watching the Brother Francis video on the Stations of the Cross. Afterwards, we talked about them and started to color our Station book. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words, practiced reading long i words, and spelled, read, and used words with inflectional endings in sentences. We then switched our focus to fluency and comprehension. We partner read a story in our decodable reader. We also read a nonfiction piece about insects and completed pages in our close reading that focused on details about insects. Finally, we practiced using see and saw in sentences. 

In Math class today we took our chapter test on the calendar and time. Tomorrow we will begin to learn how to add without regrouping. 

We had a big surprise at the end of the day. We had our pizza party for naming our Hawk mascot. A big thank you to the Athletic Association for the pizza and soda. 

Have a great night! 

Ash Wednesday!

Greetings! Today was a busy day in first grade. 

Today, we marked with beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. We went to Mass this morning and received our ashes. We were excited to see them when we returned. During these next 40 days, let us grow closer to Jesus. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words, read long i words, spelled and read words with inflectional endings when the y is changed to an i, and read our sight words and vocabulary words. To help us build our fluency and comprehension, we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklet. We also read Hi! Fly Guy, which the students loved. After reading the story, we completed pages in our close reading that focused on point of view. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we practiced using see and saw in sentences. We also wrote about what we would do if we were president. We are adding our writing to a craft. 

In Math class today, we reviewed the calendar and time. We will be taking our chapter test tomorrow. 

Have a great night and a blessed Lent. 

Hockey Visitors!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great weekend! The children really seemed to enjoy the break. They came in rested and ready to learn. 

Our day started with excitement. We received our new desks. We emptied our old ones, moved them out, moved the new ones in, and put our books in them. They really look nice. 

After getting our new desks, it was time to start our day of learning. In Religion, we reviewed what we learned about Lent. We then started talking about the Stations of the Cross. We watched a Brother Francis video to help us learn about them. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We practiced our oral vocabulary words by answering questions using them. We used our letter tiles to spell long i words. After that, we learned about changing the final y in a word to an i before adding -ed or -es. Next, we practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. We ended the morning focused on comprehension; this week we are learning about point of view, how characters feel in the story. We reread Creep Low, Fly High and wrote about the characters' feelings in the story. We did the same as we read our decodable reader. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we practiced using see and saw in sentences. 

In Math class today, we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems about time and the calendar. 

This afternoon, three Johnstown Tomahawk players visited us. They read us a story, showed us hockey equipment, and answered our questions. Thank you to the Home and School Association for bringing them to Holy Name. 

Have a great night! 

Learning About Lent!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! We had a great day in first grade wrapping up our week. The children are really excited about their four day weekend! 

In Religion class today we continued our study of Lent. We watched a Brother Francis video about Lent. He talked to us again about praying, fasting, and helping others during this Lenten season. After the video, we wrote about someone we can pray for, something we can give up, and ways to be kind. We added our writing to a craft. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week we will be reading about insects. We began by learning five new oral vocabulary words (flutter, different, imitate, protect, and resemble). We then worked on visualizing as we read about how certain insects protect themselves. Next, we learned how to blend and read long i words spelled i, ie, y, and igh. Following that, we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. To put everything together, we read Creep Low, Fly High. Finally, we practiced using see and saw in sentences. 

In Math class today, we played memory where we matched clocks to their digital times. 

We ended our week with Social Studies. Today, we celebrated George Washington. After reading books about him, we wrote four facts. We then added them to a craft. 

Have a great weekend! See you on Tuesday! 

Writing the Room!

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone enjoyed the sunshine today. I have to keep reminding myself that it is only February and that winter will return. 

In Religion class today, we began our study on the season of Lent, which begins next Wednesday. We talked about how Lent is 40 days long and how it is a time to think about Jesus. We talked about ways we can pray, fast, and give alms. 

We wrapped up our week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, participated in a write the room activity to practice reading long o words, wrote sentences using our sight words, and took our weekly assessment. We also spent time working on our comprehension skills as we read a poem about a mouse in the winter. 

In Math class today we practiced telling time to the half hour. We used our clocks to show various times and our whiteboards to write the time using both digits and words. 

Have a great night! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 Greetings! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone had a lovely day! We spent the morning learning and the afternoon celebrating Valentine's Day. 

We began our day by going to church for Adoration. Many of us prayed the rosary as we adored Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words and read long o words and open syllable words. To practice our sight words, we played 'Don't Build the Heart Man' (a version of Hangman). The students love this game and love guessing their sight words. In addition to working on our word recognition skills, we worked on our fluency by partner reading a story from our decodable reader booklets. We ended class by reviewing using go, went, do, and did in sentences. 

In Math class today, we practiced telling time to the hour by completing a write the room activity. The students did very well telling time today. 

This afternoon was loads of fun in first grade. We used candy hearts to measure arrows and to create a bar graph. We played a cupid arrow tossing game and Valentine Bingo. We had fun passing out our treats. We ended our afternoon by watching Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown. 

Here are pictures from our activities today along with the Art project from yesterday. 

I'm sure everyone is tired tonight. Sweet dreams! 

Fun With Time!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a super weekend! The kids were so excited to tell me about their Superbowl parties yesterday. 

In Religion class today, we wrapped up our chapter on Jesus teaching the Good News. We reviewed that the Good News is that God loves us. We also recalled how Jesus taught us to love God, love others, and love ourselves. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words, read long o words and open syllable words, and practiced our sight words and vocabulary words. To help us build our fluency and comprehension skills, we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets. We also read Vulture View. After reading this story, we completed pages in our close reading book that focused on finding details from the story. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we reviewed writing proper nouns with capital letters. We also looked at a paragraph. We learned that the first sentence tells us what we are writing about. The next several sentences tell more about our topic. And the last sentence restates what we are writing about. We will now begin writing paragraphs! 

In Math class, time was our focus today. We practiced telling time to the hour. The students were very excited to use the clocks to show various times. 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our Valentine's Day celebration. Have a great night! 

Brush Your Teeth!

 Greetings! Happy Friday! It has been a busy week in first grade. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to a few days off. 

At Mass this morning, Fr. Brian reminded us that Jesus is the Divine Physician, always there to help us. 

Our Language Arts class today centered around writing. We wrote about someone we love and why we love that person. This week, we have been learning about Abraham Lincoln including how he kept important papers in his hat. Today, we wrote about what we would keep in our hat. We added both writings to a craft. 

In Math class today, we reviewed the calendar. We answered questions about the months, days, and seasons. 

Science class was messy today. We watched a DVD about the importance of brushing our teeth. Afterwards, we talked about how to brush our teeth. Then, we saw what our teeth would look like if we did not brush them. Working with a partner, we brushed our tooth (hard boiled egg soaked in Coke). The students loved getting messy. 

Our Art class today was to consist of two projects, but we only had time for one. We made our bags for our Valentine treats next week. We will do our other project next week. 

Here is a picture from the Valentine writing we did earlier in the week. 

Have a great weekend! 

Seasons of Fun!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone enjoyed the break from the winter weather today. 

In Religion class today, we talked about the Great Commandment. We learned that Jesus told us to love God, love others, and love ourselves. We talked about ways we can do all 3. To help us remember the Great Commandment, we created a giant heart. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We answered questions using our oral vocabulary words. We then used our letter tiles to spell and read long o words. Following that, we learned how to blend and read open syllable words, words like frozen and donate. After that we practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. We ended our morning focused on fluency and comprehension; this week we are working on main idea and key details. We reread Go Wild and wrote the main idea and key details from the story. We did the same as we read our decodable reader. 

In Math class today, we continued our talk about the calendar. We practiced writing the date. We also talked about the seasons. 

Talking about the seasons in Math flowed right into our Social Studies lesson where we talked more about the seasons. Using paint, we painted trees to show what each season looks like. 

Have a great night! 

Easy Math!

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a great week. It sure is going by quickly. 

In Religion class today we learned that the Bible is a book written by God. We learned that the Old Testament has stories before Jesus was born and that the New Testament has stories about Jesus. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week we will be reading about how animals survive in nature. We began by learning 5 new oral vocabulary words (survive, provide, communicate, superior, and wilderness). After that we worked on asking and answering questions as we read a story about how animals survive in the winter. Following that, we learned how to blend and read long o words spelled o, oa, ow, and oe. Then, we learned our new sight words and vocabulary words. We ended the morning working on our fluency skills as we read Go Wild. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we learned when to use go, went, do, and did in sentences. 

In Math class today, we began a new chapter. We will be looking at the calendar and telling time in this chapter. Today, we focused on the calendar. We reviewed the days of the week and months of the year. The students laughed as they are quite familiar with both. 

Have a great night! 

Blossoming Writers!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is enjoying the break from the winter weather. It makes me get excited for spring. 

In Religion class today, we talked about one of Jesus' famous sermons: the Beatitudes. We talked about their meaning, and to help us remember them, we created a poster. 

We wrapped up our week of learning in Language Arts. We practiced using our oral vocabulary words in sentences and read long e words and words with prefixes. We wrote sentences using our sight words, took our weekly assessment, and practiced using has and have in sentences. To help us with our fluency, we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets. Finally, we wrote our very own how to paper. The students picked a topic and wrote how to do something. They have really blossomed into writers. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we again focused on writing, this time it was creative writing. We read The Day It Rained Hearts and then wrote about what we would do if it rained hearts. We added our writing to a craft. I'll post pictures once I get them displayed in the hallway. 

In Math class today, we took our chapter test on the numbers to 40. Next, we will be working with the calendar and time. 

Have a great evening! 

First Full Week in February!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! We are looking forward to our first full week in February in first grade. 

In Religion class today we talked about Jesus sharing the Good News with the people. We talked about how the Good News is that Jesus loves us. 

We continued along with our week of learning in Language Arts. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words, read long e words, words with prefixes, and our sight words. We also practiced using context clues to find the meaning of a word. To help us build our fluency and comprehension skills, we partner read Animal Teams. We also read a nonfiction piece about bees. Following that selection, we completed pages in our close reading companion that focused on main idea and key details. We ended the morning by reviewing when to use has and have in sentences. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we illustrated the steps in our how to piece. Tomorrow we will write them. 

In Math class today, we reviewed concepts related to the numbers to 40. These include counting, place value, ordering, comparing, and patterns. We will take our chapter test tomorrow. 

Have a great night! 

Celebrating our School!

 Greetings! I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Friday was another busy and exciting day as we wrapped up Catholic School's Week! 

At Mass on Friday, Fr. Brian talked about us being sent to tell others about Jesus. He also blessed our throats at the end of Mass. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our sight words and vocabulary words. We then read Animal Teams, a nonfiction story about how animals work together. After reading the story, we wrote about its main idea and key details. 

In Math class, we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems. These problems made us build patterns and compare numbers to 40. 

To end our Catholic School's Week celebration, we played BINGO. Our 7th grade friends helped us play. Everyone came home with a prize! 

We ended our week with Art class. Today, we created a heart with a splash of color around it. The students had fun painting. 

Here are pictures from our Groundhog project and Art project. Enjoy! 

6 More Weeks of Winter!

 Greetings! The children came in excited to tell me that Phil saw his shadow this morning meaning we will have 6 more weeks of winter. Some are happy, and some are not. 

In Religion class today, we wrapped up our chapter on Jesus beginning his public ministry. We reviewed how he went from town to town telling people about God's love and how he blessed the children. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words, practiced reading long e words, and practiced reading and defining words with the prefixes un-, re-, and pre-. We also worked on our fluency skills as we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets. 

In Math class today, we practiced solving number patterns. We again used our number chart to 40 to help us. By crossing off the given numbers, we were able to see the pattern and thus find the missing numbers in it. 

Our Social Studies class today was devoted to Groundhog's Day. We learned all about groundhogs and wrote facts about them. We are in the process of adding our writing to a craft. We will finish that tomorrow. 

Have a great night! 

Happy 100th Day of School!

 Greetings! Today was the day we have been waiting for: the 100th Day of School! We had so much fun celebrating today! 

Before our celebration, we did do some learning. In Religion class, we talked about how the pope leads the whole church. 

In Language Arts, we practiced using our sight words and vocabulary words in sentences. We reread A Team of Fish and wrote about its main idea and key details. Finally, we practiced using has and have in sentences. In Math class, we practiced solving patterns to 40. 

Then, it was time to celebrate. We began by using our creativity to build designs using either 100 cups, 100 linking cubes, or 100 pattern blocks. Here are some pictures from our designs. 

After that, we wrote about things we would like to do before we are 100 including what we want to be, where we would like to go, and what we would like to do. We added that to a craft. 

Finally, each student was given a $100 bill (not real) and wrote about what we would do with $100. 

We ended our day with some groundhog fun. We predicted whether or not Phil would see his shadow tomorrow. The majority are hoping for an early spring! 

Have a great night!