Merry Christmas!

 Greetings! Today was an exciting day in first grade as we counted down till Christmas break. 

In Religion class, we reviewed the Christmas story and watched a video on it. 

After a brief Math Meeting, we played some holiday games. We did a minute-to-win-it game where students raced to move marshmallows from one bowl to another using candy canes. We also played BINGO. The students were excited to win a jingle bell bracelet or light up necklace. 

After lunch, we enjoyed watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head home. We are all excited to see what Santa brings us. 

May you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. As our elves said today, see you next year! 

Reindeer Day!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! Happy Reindeer Day! Today was a very festive day in first grade. 

In Religion class, we reviewed the Nativity story. We created our own Nativity scene using stickers. The students loved this. 

While we were busy in Religion, a special visitor stopped by: Santa! The students each got to tell Santa one thing they would like for Christmas. 

After that, it was time for our Reindeer Day fun. The students enjoyed working with each of the teachers to complete a special reindeer theme project. They made a reindeer, made a reindeer headband, learned about reindeer, played a reindeer game, and made reindeer food. 

This afternoon, we went over to church to hear the Christmas Eve choir program. The students did such a nice job. 

Unfortunately, we ran out of time to read the book that Jingles brought us. We will try again tomorrow. 

Have a great night! 

A Bit of Everything: Holiday Style!

 Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a nice day to end our last full week in 2025. I also hope everyone made it home safely. I don't know about you, but I was not expecting that yesterday. 

At Mass this morning, Fr. Brian encouraged us to continue to celebrate Christmas past Christmas day. 

After Mass, we read Mooseltoe. After reading the story, we wrote about the problem in it and how Moose solved it. We then decorated Moose like a Christmas tree using sequins, foam stickers, and shiny stars. The students worked so diligently on this. They all took their time and did a great job! 

After that, we had our Math class for the day. Today we practiced drawing a picture to solve the problem. 

Following that, we had our Show and Tell celebration. I loved seeing all of the stuffed animals, sports memorabilia, pets, and turkey calls. 

We ended our morning with Art class. Today, we made a Santa Claus. The hit came when we got to use messy glue to glue on the cotton balls! 

This afternoon the students were treated to a movie, hot chocolate, and popcorn. They really enjoyed it. 

And, I can't forget to mention Jingles. Today, Jingles brought the students new erasers. They loved getting to pick one! 

Have a great weekend! 

Candy Cane Day!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is hanging in there. We had another busy, fun day in first grade. 

Our Christmas theme today centered around candy canes. In Religion class, we learn about the legend of the candy cane. We talked about how it can look like a J for Jesus. We also said that it looks like a shepherd's staff to remind us that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. Finally, we talked about its colors. To help us remember all of this, we made a candy cane ornament. I forgot to take pictures before sending them home. I hope you are enjoying them tonight. 

Our candy cane activities centered around reviewing our literacy and math skills. We sorted words based on whether they were real or make believe. We also practiced spelling short vowel words. In addition, we matched a number to its picture. Finally, we used a ruler to measure pictures of candy canes. 

In Math class today, we took our chapter test on length. We will take a break from new learning in Math until next year. 

In Social Studies today, we continued to learn about the continents and oceans. We colored a map of the world, and then labeled the continents and oceans. 

Have a great night! 

All Aboard!

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

In Religion class today, we reviewed the Christmas story. We sequenced the events of the story. 

Today, our Christmas activities centered around the book The Polar Express. After reading the story, we sequenced the events of the story and wrote about what we would like for the first gift of Christmas. Finally, we used pictures of jingle bells to measure various Christmas pictures. 

In Math class today, we reviewed measuring objects and ordering them from shortest to longest and longest to shortest. Tomorrow we will take our chapter test. 

This afternoon, Sr. Angela Marie visited first and second grade. Playing her violin, we sang Christmas carols with her. We really enjoyed this. 

Have a great night! 

Merry Grinchmas!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! Today was a Grinch-y Day in first grade! 

In Religion class, we began our study of the Christmas story. We read about the first Christmas and then colored the pictures in our storybook. 

Our theme for the day was the Grinch. We began by reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas. After reading the story, we sequenced the events in it. Next, we wrote about what we would do to make the Grinch grin; we added our writing to a craft. Then, we completed a write the room activity that had us solving Math problems. 

In the story, the Grinch learned that Christmas is not about the presents but is more than that. We spent time talking about ways we can show kindness this Christmas season. We added ways we can by kind to a wreath. 

In Math class today, we reviewed what we learned about length. The students are doing a great job with measuring. 

And, we cannot forget to mention Jingles. Today, we made a mess with paper towels. I think he was sad that he missed out on the snow. 

Here is a picture from the gingerbread people we created yesterday. 

Have a great night! 

Gingerbread Day!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone is staying warm tonight. We had a great, shorten day of learning in first grade. 

In Math class today, we had fun measuring with our linking cubes. We used our linking cubes to measure our pencil, the height of our chair, and our desk. 

This afternoon we had our Gingerbread Day! We began by creating a gingerbread person using glitter glue and pom-pom balls. Then we wrote about our gingerbread person. Wow! Their writing blew me away. 

Next, we worked in gingerbread them centers. We practiced adding, matching rhyming words, identifying the number of syllables in a word, and adding the correct punctuation to a sentence. 

After that, we baked up some long vowel words. We did a write the room where students had to add the magic e to a short vowel word to make a new word. 

Finally, we made gingerbread houses. We used a graham cracker for the house. Using icing, we added gum drops, peppermints, M&Ms, pretzels, and marshmallows. We did a great job sharing everything and creating beautiful houses. 

Have a great night! 

Christmas Trees and Presents!

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

At Mass this morning, we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadeloupe. We remember that Mary is always with us. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, wrote sentences using our sight words, and took our weekly assessment. We also wrote the steps in decorating a Christmas tree. 

In Math class, we had fun comparing lengths. We used our linking cubes to build three towers of varying height. We then identified which was the tallest and which was the shortest. 

In Science class, we continued to talk about light. Today we focused on why light is important. We learned that we need light to see. 

We ended our day with Art class. Today we made two projects, both of which involved painting. First, we made a Christmas tree using strips of green paper. Then we painted snow around it. Next, we painted a present using sponges. We really enjoyed Art class today. 

Have a great weekend! 

Do You Know the Continents?

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is staying warm! 

In Religion class we wrapped up our chapter on Mary. We reviewed how Mary was born with grace, how the angle Gabriel visited her, and how Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth.

In Language Arts class, we answered questions using our oral vocabulary words. Then, we practiced reading soft c and soft g words along with our sight words. In addition to that, we practiced spelling and reading words with inflectional endings when the final e is dropped. To build our fluency and comprehension skills, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read another folktale and discussed its theme. After that, we practiced identifying past and future tense verbs. Finally, we wrote the steps in planting a seed. 

In Math class today, we began our chapter on measurement. The students were introduced to the concept. We compared the length of 3 alligators. 

In Social Studies today, we learned about the continents and oceans. We completed a booklet where we labeled each one. 

Have a great night! 

Christmas Play Day!

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

In Religion class today, we talked about how Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth after the angel Gabriel left her. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words, practiced reading our sight words, words with soft c and soft g, and practiced reading and spelling words with inflectional endings when the final e is dropped. To help build our fluency and comprehension skills, we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets. We also read The Gingerbread Man. After reading this story, we wrote about what the characters in the story did. Finally, we practiced using past and future tense verbs in sentences. 

In Math class today, we took our chapter test on solving words problems. Tomorrow we will begin our chapter on measurement. 

This afternoon we enjoyed watching the Christmas play which was presented this year by the junior high students. They all did a fabulous job retelling the birth of Jesus. 

Here are pictures from our Elf writing project, our Christmas ornament Art project, and Jingles, who had fun building a tower. Enjoy! 

Have a great night! 

Growing Closer to Jesus in Advent!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great day! 

We began our day by going to Adoration. We spent some quiet time with Jesus. We prayed to help us grow closer to him this Advent. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We reviewed the oral vocabulary words we learned yesterday and then learned three new words (timid, eventually, foolish). We then worked on making predictions as we read a folktale about a foolish rabbit. Next, we used our letter tiles to spell and read words with soft c and soft g. After that, we practiced spelling and reading words with inflectional endings when the final e is dropped. Following that, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We ended our morning focusing on comprehension. We reread The Nice Mitten. We then wrote about what made the story a folktale and what lesson we can learn from it. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we sorted verbs based on whether they are in the present, past, or future. We also assembled an elf; tomorrow we will be writing about being an elf. 

In Math class today, we used our critical thinking skills to solve word problems. We are ready for our test tomorrow. 

Have a great night! 

Secret Santa Fun!

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

We began our day by attending Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Fr. Brian reminded us that all things are possible with God. 

After Mass, we made our way to the Secret Santa shop. We had lots of fun shopping for Christmas gifts and wrapping them. 

Then, it was time to begin our week of learning in Language Arts; this week we will be reading folktales. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words (hero and tale). Then we worked on making predictions as we read Interrupting Chicken. After that we learned how to blend and read words with soft c, soft g, and -dge, words like cent, face, gem, page, wedge, and bridge. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we learned our new sight words (any, from, happy, once, so, upon). Then we read The Nice Mitten which helped us practice our new phonics skills. Finally, we learned about past and future tense verbs. 

In Math class today, we put everything we learned about word problems together today. We read a problem and had to decide whether we needed to add or subtract to solve the problem. 

Have a great night! 

A Sparkling Art Class!

 Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great day to end the first week of December! 

At Mass today, Fr. Brian reminded us that Jesus is the Divine Physician and that we can always turn to him when we are not feeling well. 

We ended another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, practiced reading long i words and plurals, and wrote sentences using our sight words. To help us build our fluency, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklet. We also read a short nonfiction piece about how plants grow. Finally, we took our weekly assessment. 

In Math class today, we solved comparison problems by subtracting. Next week, we will put all of the different types of problems together and solve them. 

In Science class today, we learned the words transparent, translucent, and opaque. We then sorted items based on whether light easily passes through them, whether light kind of passes through them, or whether light does not pass through them. 

We ended our day with Art class. Today, we designed our very own Christmas ornament using paper tissue circles. We even added glitter to the top for some extra sparkle. I'll post pictures next week once the glitter has dried. 

Jingles, in honor of St. Nicholas Day tomorrow, brought the children candy canes. It was heart warming hearing the children thank Jingles as they took one. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

6 7

 Greetings! Today was an exciting day in first grade: it was the 67th day of the school year. The kids loved saying 6 7 all day. Even Jingles got into the spirit. 

In Religion class today, we learned about St. Nicholas. We watched a video to learn about him and then talked about how we can be like him by trusting in God, praying, and being kind to others. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words by answering questions using the words. We then practiced reading long i words, plural words, and our sight words. After that, we read the play The Big Yuca Plant. The students really enjoyed having a part in the play. After reading the play, we answered some comprehension questions about why the characters did what they did. Finally, we practiced using present tense verbs in sentences. 

In Math class today, we learned how to solve comparison problems by adding. We focused on understanding what the problem told us which helped us decide if we need to add or subtract. 

In Social Studies class today, we finished our Junior Achievement lessons. Today, we focused on how entrepreneurs advertise their business. We colored an advertisement for a new business. 

Have a great night! 

Welcome December!

 Greetings! Happy December! Where did November go? 

It was nice to be back with the students today. They did seem to enjoy the snow yesterday. I love their excitement with it. I wish I felt the same way they do when I see snow. 

In Religion class today, we talked about how the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her that she would be the mother of Jesus and how Mary said yes to God. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We began by reviewing the oral vocabulary words we learned last week and by learning three new words (assist, grasped, spied). Then we worked on predicting as we read a folktale. Next, we used our letter tiles to spell and read long i words. Following that, we learned how to make magic e words plurals; we practiced spelling and reading the words. After that, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We ended our morning focused on comprehension. We reread the play Time to Plant. We then wrote about how the characters felt in the story and sequenced the events in the story. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we practiced writing sentences using present tense verbs. 

In Math class today, we practiced solving subtraction word problems. We identified the whole and one part. We then wrote subtraction sentences to find the other part. 

We had a special visitor join our classroom today. Our elf, Jingles, has made his way back to Room 101. Today, we has hanging on the whiteboard. I think he missed us yesterday. 

We ended our day with some Christmas fun. The students decorated the classroom Christmas tree and helped put out the manger. They did a great job of spreading the ornaments around the tree. Our room is looking quite festive. 

Have a great night! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Greetings! Today was a great last day of school before Thanksgiving break. 

In Religion class today, we made an Advent wreath. The children brought home paper flames to add to their wreath during each week of Advent. May you all have a blessed Advent as we prepare to welcome Jesus at Christmas. 

We spent the rest of the morning celebrating Thanksgiving. Today, we talked about an American tradition, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We read Balloons Over Broadway which tells the story about the man who made the first balloons for the parade. Then, we got to design our own balloon. We did a small version and wrote about. Then, we did a big version and paraded around the classroom. 

Before we knew it, it was time to go home. May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving! See you on Tuesday! 

A Peanuts Thanksgiving!

 Greetings! Today was an exciting day in first grade. We are really getting excited about Thanksgiving! 

In Religion class today, we continued our study on Advent. Today, we completed a story book learning how Advent is a time of waiting. We are waiting and preparing our hearts for Jesus. 

We began Language Arts class by learning our new sight words: green, grow, pretty, should, together, water. Next, we read Time to Plant. We really enjoyed this story because it is a play. We enjoyed playing the different characters in it. Finally, we talked about present tense verbs and practiced using them in sentences. 

In Math class, we practiced solving addition word problems where we were given the two parts and we had to add to find the whole. We did quite well solving these problems. 

This afternoon we had a Thanksgiving feast: Peanut style. We began by watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Then we had our feast which consisted of toast, pretzels, jelly beans, and popcorn. Needless to say, we really enjoyed it. 

Have a great night! 

Thanksgiving Week!

 Greetings! Happy Thanksgiving Week in first grade. We are getting excited for our turkey on Thursday! 

In Religion class today, we started learning about Advent. We learned that Advent is a time to get ready for Jesus. We also talked about the Advent wreath. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week we are reading about plants. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words (bloom and sprout). Then we worked on making predictions as we read Mystery Vine. After that, we learned how to blend and read long i words. 

Then, it was time to do some Thanksgiving learning. Today we focused on the first Thanksgiving. We learned that the first Thanksgiving lasted 3 days and that the Pilgrims and Indians ate food, sang, and danced. 

We also wrote about what we love to eat on Thanksgiving. We added our writing to a craft. 

In Math class today, we began our chapter on solving word problems. The key is to pay attention to what we learn in the word problem. 

Here is a picture of the Indian corn we painted on Friday. 

Have a great night! 

Painting Corn!

 Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a nice day to end their week. 

At Mass this morning, we celebrated the feast of the presentation of Mary. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read long a words and contractions, and wrote sentences using our sight words. To help build our fluency and comprehension, we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets. We also read a short nonfiction piece about different ways to tell time. Finally, we took our weekly assessment. 

In Math class today, we learned a strategy that we can use to solve problems. Today, we made lists to help us solve the problems. 

In Social Studies today, we continued to learn about Thanksgiving. Today, we focused on the Native Americans and what daily life was like for them. 

We ended our day with Art class. Today, we painted flint, or Indian, corn using Q-tips. We will put them together on Monday once our paint has dried. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Applying in Math!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone had a great day! 

In Religion class today we talked about how Mary was born without original sin and was born with grace. We also practiced praying the Hail Mary. 

In Language Arts class, we answered questions using our oral vocabulary words. We also practiced reading long a words, contractions with not, and our sight words. To help us build our fluency and comprehension, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read On My Way to School. After reading the story, we answered questions that focused on the events in the story. Finally, we practiced finding verbs in sentences. 

In Math class today, we took our chapter test on adding and subtracting within 20. I am so proud of how the students thought about how to solve the problems today. They really applied what they have learned. 

Have a great night! 

Pilgrim, Pilgrim!

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is enjoying this last full week before Thanksgiving. 

In Religion class today, we wrapped up our chapter on the prophets. We reviewed the stories of Moses and John the Baptist. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words we learned on Monday and then learned three new words (occasion, weekend, calendar). Then, we worked on making predictions as we read about different ways to measure time. We ended the morning by practicing reading long a words. We used our letter tiles to spell and read long a words. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we learned how to read and spell contractions with not. We also practiced using our sight words in sentences. Next, we focused on our comprehension skills. We reread Nate the Snake is Late. After reading it, we talked about who was telling the story and sequenced the events in the story. Finally, we practiced identifying the verbs in sentences. 

In Math class today, we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems. The students were able to read a math problem and write the number sentence that helped solve the problem. 

This morning, we welcomed Adaigo Health. They talked to us about why athletes don't smoke or vape. 

Yesterday, we learned about the Pilgrims. Today, we finished our Pilgrim craft by writing about what we would do if we were a Pilgrim. 

Have a great night! 

Go Red Flash!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! Today was a very exciting day in first grade! 

We began our day by going to Adoration. We spent some quiet time praying and talking to Jesus. 

When we returned to the school, it was time to board the buses and head to St. Francis to see the women's basketball game. It did not take us long to get into the spirit. We were soon yelling and cheering on the Lady Red Flash. We really enjoyed the game even though the home team came up short. 

When we returned to the school, it was time to continue our Thanksgiving learning. Today we focused on the Pilgrims. We learned how the Pilgrims had to build their houses, work in the fields, cook over open fire, and the games they played. We created a flipbook with what we learned and are working on a Pilgrim writing project that we will finish tomorrow. 

Have a great night! 

Mayflower!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great day to start the week. 

In Religion class, we talked about John the Baptist being the last prophet. We learned that he baptized people as they showed they were sorry for their sins. We also talked about he told the people to get ready because the Savior was coming very soon. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week we will be reading about time. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words (immediately and schedule). Next, we worked on retelling as we read A Second is a Hiccup. Following that, we learned how to blend and read long a words. We know that the magic e at the end makes the a say its name. After that we learned our new sight words (away, now, some, today, way, why). We ended our morning reading Nate the Snake is Late which helped us practice reading long a words and our sight words in sentences. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we learned about verbs. We began by showing different action verbs in action. Then we practiced finding verbs in sentences. 

In Math class today, we reviewed adding and subtracting within 20. We used some critical thinking skills to help us solve problems. 

This week we will begin our unit on the First Thanksgiving. Today, we learned that the Pilgrims sailed on the Mayflower. We watched a video about the voyage, wrote facts about what we learned, and created a Mayflower sailing on water. 

Here are pictures of our Mayflower project along with our Pete the Cat Art project from Friday. 

Have a good night!  

Pilgrim Pete

 Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone enjoyed their short week of school. Today was a busy day to end the week. 

At Mass this morning, we welcomed Fr. Timothy Fariss. He talked to us about God's mercy. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, played Memory to review words with digraphs, wrote sentences using our sight words, and took our weekly assessment. 

In Math class today, we reviewed subtracting within 20. We did another write the room activity which is a favorite for the students. Today, they walked around the room, copied subtraction problems, and then solved them. 

In Science class today, we talked about how sounds are made when something vibrates. We looked at various instruments to see what vibrates and causes the sounds. 

We ended our day with Art class. Today, we made a Pilgrim Pete the Cat. They turned out cute. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Thanksgiving Lunch!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is doing well. 

In Religion class today, we continued to learn about Moses. We talked about how God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. We also talked about how God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. 

In Language Arts class, we answered questions using our oral vocabulary words, practiced reading words with the digraphs ch, tch, wh, and ph and words with the ending -es. We also spent time working on our fluency. We partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets and read a short story about map directions. Finally, we practiced writing irregular plural nouns. 

In Math class today, we wrote fact families to help us solve subtraction sentences. I was quite pleased that we remember how to write fact families. 

In Social Studies class today, we talked about different jobs people have in our community. We played a version of Head Bands. Students had to guess what job others were describing without looking at the picture. We had lots of fun with this! 

The highlight of our day was our Thanksgiving lunch. We enjoyed eating turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes with our friends and watching the fifth grade play. 

Have a great night! 

Making Sounds!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone had a great day!

 In Religion class today, we wrapped up our chapter on Noah and Abraham. We also talked about what prophets were.

 We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words and learned three new words (height, model, separate). Then we used our letter tiles to spell and read words with digraphs. Following that, we learned how to spell and read words with the inflectional ending –es. After that, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We ended our morning focusing on comprehension. We reread Which Way on the Map and wrote about what we learned from the map along with its main idea and key details.

 This afternoon in Language Arts we learned about irregular plural words, words like men, women, children, and people. We sorted words based on whether they were singular or plural.

 In Math class, we switched our focus to subtraction. Today, we learned how to subtract by subtracting ones.

 In Science class, we learned that sounds are made when something vibrates. We practiced making sounds of a thunderstorm and bouncy ball.

 Have a great night!

Emotions

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the first full week of November. 

In Religion class today, we talked about emotions. We talked about different emotions we have and how these emotions affect our bodies. We talked about what to say and do when someone does something that makes us feel uncomfortable. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week we will be reading about maps. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words locate and route. Then, we worked on retelling as we read Me on the Map. Following that we learned how to blend and read words with the digraphs ch, tch, wh, and ph, words like chat, pitch, when, and graph. We ended our morning by learning our new sight words: around, by, many, place, walk. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we read Which Way on the Map. We got to practice using our new phonics skills and got to read our sight words in sentences. 

In Math class today, we reviewed addition to 20. We did a write the room activity. Students walked around, found a math problem, copied it, and then solved it. They love doing these things. 

In Music class today, we learned the refrain to "God Has Made Us a Family". 

Have a great night! 

The Stories of Abraham!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great day! 

In Religion class today we reviewed the story of Abraham. We colored a giant three illustrating the three parts to his story. 

We wrapped up a week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, read words with the digraphs sh, th, and ng and read closed syllable words like rabbit and dentist. We wrote sentences using our sight words, took our weekly assessment, and wrote proper nouns using capital letters. Finally, to build our fluency and comprehension skills we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we wrote about why veterans are our heroes and added it to a craft. 

In Math class today, we learned how to add three one-digit numbers. We learned to first add two numbers and then add the third number. 

Have a great night! 

Honoring the Saints!

 Greetings! Happy November! November is a short month but filled with lots of activities. 

In Religion class today, we talked about how Abraham was tested by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. We talked about how Abraham was obedient to God and how God kept Isaac safe. 

In Language Arts today, we reviewed common and proper nouns by completing a noun sort. 

In Math class, we learned the doubles plus 1 facts. We talked about how we can double the smaller number and add 1 to find the answer. 

Our afternoon was devoted to our All Saints' Day Prayer service. Today we remembered our baptismal call. The children were so excited to dress as saints and let everyone see them. The eighth grade students did a wonderful job researching the saints and writing a short biography on each one. Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who helped assemble the costumes. Let us all remember to look to the saints to help us live out our baptismal call. 

Have a blessed night! 

Happy Halloween!

 Greetings! Happy Halloween! Today was a spooktacular day in first grade. 

We began our day with Mass. Today, Fr. Brian reminded us about keeping holy the Sabbath day. He talked to us about reminding our parents to take us to church on Sundays. 

We came back from Mass and got ready for our Halloween parade. With the cold and wind, we paraded downstairs to the cafeteria. We were quite excited to show everyone our costumes. 

We then returned to our room for our Halloween party. We played ring toss, stuck a spider to a web, and created a sticker scene. We ended our party with a game of Halloween BINGO. 

This afternoon, we watched Hotel Transylvania to end our day of fun. 

Here is our pumpkin that we carved on Wednesday. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Halloween Eve!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! The excitement is building for Halloween. The students are very excited to party tomorrow! 

In Religion class today, we continued learning about Abraham. Today, we focused on how God told Abraham that he would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. 

In Language Arts class, we practiced writing proper nouns with capital letters. We also practiced reading our sight words. In addition to that, we worked on our fluency and comprehension skills. We read and discussed Nell's Books paying attention to the characters, setting, and events. 

We ended our morning with some pumpkin writing. We read Spookley, the Square Pumpkin. We talked about what made Spookley special and what makes us special. We then created our very own pumpkin and wrote about what made it special. 

This afternoon we joined up with our 8th grade friends to practice for our All Saints' Day prayer service. We are very excited to pray with everyone on Monday. 

Have a great night! 

Pumpkin Math

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! Today was such a fun day in first grade! 

In Religion class, we started learning about Abraham. Today, we learned how Abraham was obedient to God and moved to a new country. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We reviewed our oral vocabulary words, read words with the digraphs sh, th, and ng and read closed syllable words. To help build our fluency, we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we reviewed common and proper nouns by completing a write the room activity. The students walked around the room and found a card. After looking at the noun on the card, they had to decide whether it was a common noun or proper noun. They enjoyed this activity. 

In Math class today, we learned the double facts. To help us remember them, we created a pumpkin and added the double facts to it. 

We ended our day with some pumpkin fun. Today, we carved a pumpkin. The students helped clean the seeds from the pumpkin. Together, we decided on the eyes, nose, and mouth. The students watched in excitement as I carved it. After carving it, we wrote the steps in how to carve a pumpkin and added it to a craft. 

Have a wonderful night! 

Noah's Ark!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a great week so far. 

In Religion class today, we reviewed the story of Noah. We talked about how God keeps his promises. We created a picture of Noah's Ark to help us remember this. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We began by reviewing the oral vocabulary words we learned yesterday and by learning three more words (connections, enjoy, rely). Then, we used our letter tiles to spell and read words with the digraphs sh, th, and ng. After that, we learned how to blend and read closed syllable words, words like picnic, rabbit, and wishing. We ended our morning by practicing using our sight words in sentences. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we focused on comprehension skills. We reread Thump Thump Helps Out and wrote about who is telling the story along with the character, setting, and events in the story. After that, we learned the difference between common and proper nouns. 

In Math class today, we practiced adding by making a ten and then adding on. 

We ended our day with some pumpkin fun. Today, we created a diagram of a pumpkin. Tomorrow we will label the parts. 

Have a great night! 

Pumpkin Week!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had fun trick-or-treating this weekend! I can tell the children did. They were a little sluggish today which is to be expected after a day of fun. 

In Religion class today, we learned about Noah. We talked about how Noah was obedient to God. We also talked about how Noah built and ark to save him, his family, and the animals when God flooded the land. Finally, we talked about how God promised never to flood the earth again. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week, we will be reading about how we can help in our community. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words: leadership and admire. Next, we worked on retelling as we read about Martin Luther King, Jr. After that, we learned how to blend and read words with the digraphs sh, th, and ng, words like fish, shell, math, this, and king. We ended our morning by learning our new sight words: all, call, day, her, want. 

This afternoon we practiced our new skills as we read Thump Thump Helps Out. 

In Math class today, we learned how to add by using number bonds. We broke a teen number into 10s and 1s. Then we added the 1s before adding the 10s. 

Today kicked off pumpkin week in first grade. All week we will be learning about pumpkins. Today, we read a story to help us learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin. We created our own chart to help us sequence the events in the life of a pumpkin. 

Have a great night! 

Spider Webs!

 Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a nice day to end their week. 

At Mass this morning, we welcomed Fr. Brian Norris. He talked to us about being open to God's call in our lives, particularly the call to religious life. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, took our weekly assessment, and wrote sentences using our sight words. 

In Math class, he began learning how to add within 20. Today, we used a number line to help us count on as we add. 

In Science class, we began our unit on sound and light. Today, we talked about how sounds can be loud and soft. We sorted pictures based on whether they were loud and soft. We also drew something that made a loud sound and something that made a soft sound. 

We ended our day with Art. We began by following directions to draw a spider web. Then, we used water color paints to paint our web. They turned out nice. 

And, here is a picture of our scarecrow writing we did yesterday. 

Have a great weekend! Have fun trick or treating! 

Needs vs. Wants

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is adjusting to the change in temperatures. 

In Religion class today, we wrapped up our chapter on Adam and Eve sinning. We reviewed what happened when they sinned and how God promised to send us a Savior. 

In Language Arts, we answered questions using our oral vocabulary words, read words with end blends, words with the inflectional ending -ing, and our sight words. To build our fluency and comprehension, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read a poem about the ocean. After that, we practiced writing possessive nouns. Finally, we did some creative writing. We wrote about what we would do if we were a scarecrow. We added that to a scarecrow craft. 

In Math class today, we began our chapter on addition and subtraction within 20. We practiced telling addition stories for a picture and reviewed adding and subtracting within 10. 

In Social Studies today, we talked about needs and wants. We talked about how needs are things we must have: food, water, clothes, and shelter. We also talked about how wants are things we would like but are not necessary. 

Have a great night! 

Extra Gym!

 Greetings! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is doing well. I don't know about you, but the change of temperature is getting to me. I just need to get used to the change in seasons. Please remember that we still will be going outside for recess. 

In Religion class today, we talked about how God promised to send a Savior to bring back grace and open the gates of Heaven. We know that Jesus is the Savior God sent to us. 

In Language Arts, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words, practiced reading words with end blends and with the inflectional ending -ing and our sight words. To help us build our fluency and comprehension, we partner read a story in our decodable reader booklets. We also read At a Pond. After reading this story we wrote details from the story which helped us determine the author's purpose for writing it. Finally, we practiced writing possessive nouns correctly. 

In Math class today, we took our chapter test on the numbers to 20. They did very well on this. Tomorrow we will begin learning strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems within 20. 

We enjoyed our extra gym class today! 

Have a great night! 

Time with Jesus!

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

We began our day by going to church for Adoration. We spent some quiet time talking to Jesus. 

We continued our week of learning in Language Arts. We began by reviewing our oral vocabulary words we learned yesterday and by then learning three new words (tolerate, tranquil, hibernate). Next, we used our letter tiles to spell and read words with end blends. We ended our morning by learning how to blend and read words with the inflectional ending -ing. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. Next, we worked on our comprehension skills. We reread The Best Spot and wrote facts about the animals in the story and wrote about the author's purpose. Finally, we practiced writing sentences using possessive nouns. 

In Math class today, we used our critical thinking skills to solve problems. We are ready for our chapter test tomorrow. 

Don't forget, tomorrow is a make up gym class. Wear your sneakers to school! 

Have a great night! 

PIE!

 Greetings! Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend! We had a great start to our week in first grade! 

In Religion class today, we talked about how we are all born with original sin but how that is washed away when we were baptized. We also talked about how we received the gift of grace when we were baptized. 

We began a new week of learning in Language Arts; this week we will be reading about where animals live. We began by learning two new oral vocabulary words (habitat and depend). Next, we worked on rereading as we read Babies in the Bayou. After that, we learned how to blend and read words with end blends, words like lamp, pond, desk, and skunk. Then, we learned our new sight words (eat, no, of, under, who). We ended our morning by reading The Best Spot which helped us practice reading end blend words and our sight words in sentences. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we practiced identifying possessive nouns in sentences. We also learned about author's purpose. We created a pie to help us remember the three reasons authors write stories: p (persuade), i (inform), e (entertain). 

In Math class today, we reviewed our numbers to 20. We practiced finishing patterns, identifying greater and less, and ordering numbers. 

Here is a picture of our mummy art from Friday. 

Have a great night! 

Mummy Art!

 Greetings! Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a nice day to end their week. 

At Mass this morning, we remembered St. Ignatius of Antioch. This was also our first Faith Family mass of the year. 

We wrapped up another week of reading in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, spelled and read short u words and contractions, wrote sentences using our sight words, and took our weekly assessment. We also worked on our fluency and comprehension skills. We partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets and read a short nonfiction piece about homes around the world. Finally, we practiced writing plural nouns. 

In Math class today we practiced ordering numbers from least to greatest and greatest to least. Again, the children had tons of fun doing this. 

In Science class today, we talked about camouflage and how it helps animals. We practiced finding moths hidden on trees. We also talked about how camouflage can help the predator. 

We ended our week with Art class. Today, we created a mummy using a paper plate and paper towels. I'll post pictures next week! 

Have a great weekend! 

No Lights, No Problem!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone had a nice day! 

Our day was filled with excitement. We lost power a little before lunch time. But, because the sun was shining, we were still able to continue with our learning. We opened the blinds, let the light in, and had a great day of learning. 

In Religion class today, we talked about what happened because Adam and Eve sinned. We talked about how they had to leave the Garden of Eden, how they would have to work for food, how the gates of Heaven were closed, and how they lost grace. 

In Language Arts class, we reviewed our oral vocabulary words and practiced reading short u words, contractions, and our sight words. To build our fluency and comprehension skills, we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets. We also read the funny story The Pigs, the Wolf, and the Mud. After reading this story, we wrote about its characters, setting, and events. Finally, we practiced writing plural nouns. 

In Math class today, we learned about the comparison symbols > and <. The students had so much fun writing them. They kept asking for more problems! 

We ended our day with Gym. Today, we headed outside to enjoy the sunshine! 

Have a great night! 

The Fall of Adam and Eve!

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

In Religion class today, we talked about the fall of Adam and Eve. We talked about how this happened when Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree. We learned that because they sinned, they had to leave the Garden of Eden. We ended class by praying the second decade of the Sorrowful Mysteries. 

We continued with our week of learning in Language Arts. We began by reviewing the oral vocabulary words we learned yesterday and by then learning three new words (collapsed, furious, refuse). Next we used our letter tiles to spell and read short u words. Following that, we learned about contractions with is. We practiced spelling them and using them in sentences. 

This afternoon in Language Arts, we practiced using our sight words in sentences. We also worked on our comprehension. We reread Cubs in a Hut and wrote about the problem and solution and about events in the story. 

In Math class today, we practiced counting to 20. We grouped by 10 and then counted on. 

Have a great night! 

A Visit from a Hollywood Star!

 Greetings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend! 

In Religion class today, we wrapped up our chapter on Adam and Eve living in the Garden of Eden. We also prayed the first decade of the Sorrowful Mysteries. 

After Religion, we headed over to church for a meet and greet with Philip Tan. He told the students to always listen to God and stay close to him. God will lead them into deciding what to do in the future. 

We began a new week of learning in first grade; this week we are reading about buildings. We began by learning two oral vocabulary words (shelter and materials). Next, we worked on making predictions as we read 3 Little Dassies. Following that, we learned how to blend and read short u words. 

This afternoon in Language Arts we learned our new sight words (could, live, one, then, three). We then read Cubs in a Hut which helped us practice our new skills. We ended our day by learning about singular and plural nouns. 

In Math class today, we began our chapter on the numbers to 20. We talked about ways to count and reviewed counting to 10. 

Have a great night! 

Junior Achievement Fun!

 Greetings! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone had a nice day. The children are quite excited for their four day weekend! 

In Religion class today, we talked about how we receive God's grace when we were baptized. We also prayed the fourth and fifth decades of the Luminous Mysteries. 

We wrapped up another week of learning in Language Arts. We used our oral vocabulary words in sentences, practiced reading short e words and words with inflected endings. We also wrote sentences using our sight words and took our weekly assessment. To build our fluency and comprehension skills, we partner read a story from our decodable reader booklets and a nonfiction story about firefighters. Finally, we practiced finding nouns in sentences. 

In Math class today, we took our chapter test on subtraction. Next week, we will begin to learn the numbers to 20. 

We ended our day with Social Studies. Today, we began our Junior Achievement lessons. Our focus today was on our family and neighborhood. We had lots of fun completing our picture book and writing about ourselves. 

Have a wonderful weekend! See you on Tuesday!