100th Day of School

Current Wish List

How-To: Tie a Tie

To help students with writing How- To books, last week we had a How-To Tie a Tie literacy center. This was a very fun activity where students had to first order the steps. The steps consisted of a photo and written directions. After students put the directions in order they got to practice with ties. They quickly discovered it was going to take LOTS of practice. 

Buddy Study

This week, we started our new spelling program called Buddy Study. During Buddy Study students pick 9 new words every week they would like to learn to spell. Each day has a different activity to help them learn the spelling of all the words.

On Thursday the students do a practice test with their buddy to see if they need anymore practice before Friday's test. It is a great program and you will begin to see improvement in their spelling! The weekly Buddy Study will take place during our morning literacy centers and will last until the end of the year.

MONEY! MONEY! MONEY!

We are starting to learn about money in math. Learning to sort and count coins is a big deal for 1st graders and we will spend the next 2 weeks learning strategies to help this. Of course we have some new songs too. Enjoy! 

Celebrating Success!

On Friday we celebrated our middle of the year reading success. The students were surprised to return from PE to this:

Along with this classic blasting on the speakers. 

                                            

Every student in our class has improved their reading score from September and our class average has moved up 18 points! I told them I was very happy with their hard work and I can't wait to see the scores at the end of the year. Has we had Fantastic Friday, students enjoyed some fruit parfaits in honor of their fabulous reading. 

Class President

As part of our Good Citizen unit in Social Studies, we elected a class president. It was fun for the kids to learn the election process. We started by nominating candidates. Next the candidates made speeches. Then everyone had to register to vote and wait in line to go into the voting booth. It was an exciting experience and we are all better citizens after the process!

Voter Registration Cards 

Waiting in line to vote 

Inside the "voting booth"

Picking a candidate

How To Books

We started our new writing unit today. We will be writing non-fiction how-to books. The topic was introduced with a fun activity of using grapes and toothpicks to make squares. We wrote the steps together as a class to practice. Then students got to build their own squares with the grapes and toothpicks.

A Week in Review

We had a very productive week. We learned about silent E, good citizens, new year goals, All About Books, patterns, word problems, and shapes. Woooooo, what a week. Here are some pictures.

Silent E word Hunt

More Silent E word hunt

Votes for our classroom president nominations

Story we read to learn about the election process. 

Making patterns and pattern units

More practice with patterns

Setting Goals for the New Year

We have been writing goals this week in our writing center. The students were encouraged to pick a goal for something they have never done and would like to do in 2012. Here are a few of those goals.

"I want to go to Romania to see my grandparents"

"I want to do gymnastics with my friends"

"Read everything that I see"

"Read a chapter book on my own. When I am finished I get a new book"

"I want to learn more things in 2nd grade"

"I want to go to Seattle in Washington to see Dustin Ackley"

"My new year goal is to become a black belt"

A Skype Call with China

Our classmate Cindy took a trip to China just before winter break. We were very excited to get a call from Cindy all the way from China!!