Sunday, December 18, 2011


Just a reminder that our class party is Monday, December 19.  Please be sure to have your son bring in a gift for a boy and your daughter bring in a gift for a girl.  I sent a note home in reading folders last week if you were signed up to bring something. 

Wednesday will be a pajama day.  If your child would like to wear his/her pajamas to school, they may.  We will be having a sing-a-long in the morning and will curl up for a good Christmas movie in the afternoon.  Our Holiday vacation starts December 23 and goes until January 2.  We will see you all back to school on Tuesday, January 3.  I wish all you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Gingerbread Houses

Thursday we made Gingerbread houses and was it ever fun!!  The class was excited from the moment they walked in the door!  There was definitely a sugar buzz all day long!  It definitely couldn't have happened without the help of our volunteers.  Thanks so much for taking time to help us!!  Here's a peek at what we did:





                            

Letters for Christmas

What a busy week!!  We started out on Monday with Mrs. Hill helping us with our project for the hallway.  It looks great.  Each student designed his/her own hat and gloves and then made their face to put with it.  We wrote letters to either Santa, Mom and Dad, or Grandma and Grandpa and glued them to the front.  This is how they turned out:
The Christmas lights add just the right touch!!

Dear Mom, Drake would like Legos

Dear Santa, Can you bring me a fake car?  Love Regan


Thanks Mrs. Hill for helping us create these!!!




Saturday, December 3, 2011

Meet Violet

  
This week was pretty exciting!!  We have a new classroom visitor!  Her name is Violet.  We adopted a Scout Elf from the North Pole!  We took a class vote and named her Violet.  She flies to the North Pole every night and reports to Santa on our GOOD and BAD behavior.  Every morning she hides in a new place in our classroom.  One night she messed up our Word Wall.  She turned the words upside down and moved the letters all out of order!  She must be one of those elves who likes to play tricks.  I wonder where she will hide this week and if she will do any other naughty things herself.  Some of us wrote letters to Santa to have Violet deliver right to the big guy himself!  We certainly are having a lot of fun with our new elf friend!

                        Paige and Violet                                                             Michael and Violet

Elizabeth and Violet


This week we will begin our Christmas projects!!  I'm super excited but it becomes quite a busy time!  I need each child to bring in an empty toilet paper roll for one of our projects.  If you get a chance to read this before Monday, I'd love them on Monday....if not, I would like them as soon as you can get one!!  Thank you!

Be sure to look at the newsletter for information regarding the Christmas Program and the Christmas Party.  The Program is Monday, December 12th at 7:00 p.m.  Please have your child here no later than 6:45.  Our classroom party will be on Monday, December 19th in the afternoon.  Please be sure to have your gift for the exchange here on or before this day!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

New Classroom Happenings!!

I hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend!  I know that I did.  I love spending the time with family and doing some shopping and holiday decorating.  It also gives me some time to catch up a little at school where I have fallen behind.  I have made some big changes in our classroom!!  The class is going to be very surprised when they walk into the door in the morning.  They are going to wonder if they are in the right classroom!! Here are some pictures of the updates that I made!!  
                                                                                                                                        

This is the new writing center.  These tables are nice and low to the ground so the students should love sitting down by them to do some writing!

This is the new Buddy Reading Station.  Pairs of students can choose to read on either side of the book case. 






This is the new place to sign out for the bathroom.



This is our Word Study Area.  The students will love that they won't have to take the activities back to their seats!!


I put up the Chirstmas tree in the Gazebo.  Here's what the Gazebo looks like all lit up!  Do you think they will like it??  I'm almost positive they will!


I apologize for not sending home our Thanksgiving art projects, but I just couldn't let them go!!  I didn't want to see an empty hallway!!  We had a lot of fun with Ms. Grogan making our holiday turkeys.   Here's how they turned out:




















Last week we discussed what it was like to be a pilgrim boy and a pilgrim girl.  We made a Venn diagram comparing what it was like then to what it is like now.  Our list didn't even fit into our diagram.  I had to stop the class because we ran out of room!!! They did an amazing job comparing themselves to pilgrim boys and girls.  We then made pilgrim boys and girls and wrote what we would do if we would have been a pilgrim.  Here's how they turned out:



The halls are once again empty.  However, we will be writing letters to Santa that we will display in the hall and we will be making Christmas carolers out of empty toilet paper rolls (which each child will need to supply! - more information to follow).  I can't wait to get started on all of our projects!!  If there is anyone who would like to help, please let me know.  I would still like to have at least 2 more people to help with the Gingerbread houses on December 9.  Let me know!!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Reading Celebration

We were able to celebrate learning all our Beanie Baby strategies on Friday with Mrs. Brinks' class.  They came in and we read the book Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington, chorally (all together as a class).  During the story we stopped and explained the different strategies we used to figure out the tricky words on the page.  We got to be the teachers for a change!  After they left, we got to read to beanie babies.  We also got to take a book home to keep called My Favorite Book.  What an exciting reading celebration!
These ladies introduced Tryin' Lion.  ALWAYS be brave and NEVER give up when you are figuring out tricky words.


This group taught Chunky Monkey.  When you come to a word you don't know, break it up into chunks.  For example in our book we came to the word spr-out, sprout!


This group introduced Strechy Snake.  When you come to a word you don't know stretch out the word and then blend it together.  For example:  p-l-a-n-t-e-d, planted.

This group taught us Lips the Fish.  This beanie means get your lips ready to read.  For example when you come to a tricky word always say the first sound.

Helpful Kangaroo was taught by this group.  When you come to a tricky word and you have used all of your strategies and you still can't figure it out, mark your page with a sticky note and ask someone else for help.


This beanie baby strategy is Eagle Eye.  This means when you come to a word you don't know, look at the picture for clues.



Last, but certainly not least, don't get the first grade forgetfuls, use Wise Old Owl and when you come to a tricky word and think you have it figured out ask yourself Does it look right?, Sound right?, and Does it make sense?

I was so VERY proud of them and all the hard work that they did to present these Beanie's to the kindergarten class.  No one was too shy or embarrassed.  I can't wait until our next reading celebration!!
 

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Parent Teacher Conferences

It was so nice to see you at conferences!!  I'm glad that I got to meet with you and talk about your child with you.  I really enjoy having them in my class this year!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Report Cards

Be looking for your child's report cards to be coming home on Tuesday!!  I will see you on Thursday for conferences!!

Feed The Troops

Don't forget to send in nonparishable food and canned food to feed the troops in Afghanistan!!  We are on our way to collecting 3,000 items!!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Halloween Party

Our Halloween party is next Monday.  Please do not send your child in their costume to school.  Please put it in a plastic bag with his/her name on it.  We will parade down town at 1:00 with the 2nd and 3rd graders.  Then we will come back and go through the 4th grade wax museum.  After that, we will come back to our classroom and enjoy snacks and a Halloween movie.  I will be sending home a note asking some of you to bring in something for the party.  If you do not receive a note, you will be asked to bring something for our Christmas party.  Thanks ahead of time!!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Field Trip on Friday

Just a reminder that our field trip is on Friday.  It does look rather cool.  Please be sure to dress your child warm!!  Include a hat.  If your child is wearing a cowboy hat, a stocking cap can fit under it.  Please be sure to send gloves with your child.  If you are able to, label the gloves with your child's name.  If you haven't gotten out a winter coat yet, you might want to get it out for Friday.  The class is VERY excited.  We looked at some pictures and it looks like a lot of fun!! Please do not forget a sack lunch!!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Field Trip

Our field trip to the Old West Harvest Festival has been rescheduled for October 21st due to the weather forcasted for tomorrow.  Sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Book It

Book it starts today, Monday, October 3.  This is a reading program with rewards.  If you read with your child 15-20 minutes 4 times a week for a whole month, you will receive a Pizza Hut coupon for one free personal pan pizza.  This is such a great deal!!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Family Fun Night

Be sure to come to family night Thursday, October 6.  Dinner starts at 5:00.  The activities start at 5:30 and go until 7:00.  I hope to see you there!!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Our Library Grand Opening

We opened our classroom library on Friday!!  We enjoyed lemonade, cookies, and good books!  Fun was had by all!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

We're Officially Parents

Yesterday not one, but two of our chrysalis' hatched!  This morning we let them go.  It was very exciting.  I think that we may even have another butterfly when we arrive in the morning or during the day sometime!  Can't wait!!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

This Weeks Reminder

We had a great first day!  I just wanted to remind you that your child needs to bring in his/her favorite book to share with the class.  Also, remember to be working on the puzzle piece as well.  We already have gotten a few in and they look terrific!  Can't wait to piece it all together and get it up on the bulletin board!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Hi-Dee Ho First Graders!

I am so glad that I got to meet you at open house!! Thank you so much for helping me out and picking out your lockers for me.  That really helped me a lot!!  I can't wait for school to start on Tuesday!  I hope that you all have a very restful weekend.  I know I will!