February 26, 2010

Hello Friends!

We had a wonderful last week in February! This week we played catch up....we reviewed our phonics focus of the r-controlled sound ar. The children were very clever brainstorming ar words. We also wrote our ar words on the smartboard. We finished reading Mark's Big Day and discussed the Author's Purpose. We will be learning all about what a biography is next week.

This week the children also wrote about their favorite holidays. First, we wrote our ideas on an idea checklist sheet and then we used our ideas to write the masterpiece. We continue to work hard making super sentences,using good punctuation, and checking what we wrote. St. Patrick's Day,Mother's Day and Halloween were popular holidays chosen. I have saved these for a writing sample.

We also had lots of fun this week playing many math games with Miss. Torrey. She introduced us to a count backward and forward game using the one hundred board, as well as using cards to count 10 more and 10 less. You may have seen these games in your child's yellow folder. The children will now be familiar with the one hundred board as we introduce number patterns next week...keep practicing! We also had fun playing a sight word vocabulary game . The children pick a sight word and they sing, clap, cheer, count the vowels and syllables in the word. It is a great way to review all sight words from the Dolch sight word list.

We are looking forward to next week. Will March come in like a Lion or a Lamb?? Let's hope it goes out like a Lamb. We also plan to celebrate the 106th birthday of Dr. Seuss! Thank you in advance to our community reader.

Happy Weekend!

Hello Friends!



Happy 100th Day of School! We did it! We are all 100 days smarter...hooray!! The First Graders had a fun-filled day working on many 100th day activities. We made another class book First Grade Celebrates the 100th Day of School. We also read Twas the Night Before the 100th Day of School, Jake's 100th Day of School, and 100th Day Worries. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to make our 100th day mask. We will plan to do that activity Thursday. Congratulations Boys and Girls!



Also, we will continue working on greater than and less than in math this week. Miss Torrey created a few games to practice comparing numbers,thanks!! Comparing numbers will carry over into the week after vacation. Looking ahead...number patterns. Let the skip counting begin! As you know, we are working on the ar sound this week in phonics, as well as realistic fiction (these skills will also be reviewed after vacation).



On Friday, we will celebrate Valentine's Day and talk about Chinese New Year...the year of the tiger.



Thanks for the Valentine Boxes...they look great!! Happy Valentine's Day!!

Have a great vacation!!!

February 5,2010

February is here and Valentine's Day is near! What a fun-filled week we had in first grade. This week we reviewed place value using many hands-on manipulatives, as well as the smartboard. We found some wonderful place value lessons. The children had a wonderful time moving tens and ones to make a number. We also did a few of our Harcourt Place Value lessons (chapter 10) right on the smartboard. It is an amazing visual for the kids! We also watched a quick clip of the Groundhog. Yes, he saw his shadow,very exciting! Six more weeks of winter fun.

Again, thank you Miss. Torrey for helping us this week with place value and estimating objects. Estimation Station was also a crowd pleaser...Thank you Mrs. Fiore for the Valentine yo yo's! Looking ahead in math.....we will begin comparing numbers next week (greater than and less than). Please continue to review at home.

As you know, we read The Mitten this week followed by a few activities. The children had fun brainstorming their animal that climbed into the mitten. They then water painted their animals to be put up in our hall of fame outside of our classroom. Great job boys and girls! In reading groups this week, we read different versions of The Mitten (the children may have kept these books in their browsing boxes). The story was a great connection to our focus skill this week: sequence of a story. What happened first, next, then, and last. We will continue reading more of our favorite author Jan Brett next week. We will continue learning about the different reading genres. Realistic Fiction will be on minds this upcoming week. Please continue to read at home, as well as practice all sight word vocabulary. The children are doing an amazing job recognizing their sight words in reading groups. Their vocabulary continues to grow.

Tuesday 2/9/10 is our 100th Day of School! We did it...Horray for us! Both first grade classes will have a day filled with lots of 1ooth day activities. Please take a peek in our folder, we will be making a 1ooth day book.

Thank you in advance for working with your child to complete his/her Valentine box. You are all very creative! If you have any questions about the family project, please do not hesitate to ask. The First Grade wishes you all a fun-filled February Vacation. We are looking forward to seeing all our our friends on Monday, February 22nd, 2010! Shine your star!