Thursday, November 29, 2007
Let's Find Out
Movement: Old McDonald with a twist - using the animals that were in our book
The Cc Book: We reviewed the letter Cc by creating, coloring, and reading a book which contained things that began with Cc. For example "This is a cup. This is a cookie."
Writer's Workshop: We did our first entry in our Sourcebooks for Writer's Workshop. I modeled drawing a picture and including words about my trip to Chicago. Students were asked to think about a trip or place that they'd gone and were asked to do the same.
Let's Find Out: We finally got the opportunity to enjoy and use the November Let's Find Out magazines. The first was Science based and was about turkeys and how they grow up, then the back asked students to complete and create patterns. The next was History based and was about the life of Pilgrim Children showing what would be different if you were a Pilgrim.
Red Bags: After lunch, students finally had an opportunity to check out Red Mystery Book Bags. These bags will be taken home weekly, and contained great literature for students to enjoy at home. They are an excellent opportunity to practice reading strategies and to dig deeper in their comprehension.
P.E.: Today in P.E. we attempted to complete a relay race similar to the Turkey Trot that was completed at the assembly. This proved to be somewhat challenging with 40 kids, but they were able to practice several locomotor skills including jumping, skipping, and walking backwards.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Effort Award!
Turkey Choices: Students chose to do one or all of the following: Turkey Dot to Dot with alphabet letters, Turkey Coloring Page, Turkey Color by Numbers.
Red Mystery Bags: We discussed procedures for Red Mystery Bags which will be sent home tomorrow for the first time. Information will be provided with the bags for procedures and suggestions for reading.
Science: We did Tree Part Labeling in our Science Notebooks. We had images with highlighted portions (Roots, Trunk, Branches, Leaves) and then labeled those parts.
Music: Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Chiappe led music singing great song including "The Hola Song" which is a song that involves saying hello in various languages.
After Lunch we finished up the Science Notebooks as well as getting the room tidy-ed up.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
During Choice time in the afternoon, students were pulled out to work on a patterning exercise for assessments. We also had art this afternoon where students completed their November self-portrait. (Reminder: these self portraits will be done once per month and bound together at the end of the year. Already the changes are incredible).
After lunch, during Computer Lab, we explored Jumpstart Kindergarten Advanced. This is an extension of the Jumpstart Kindergarten program and children used three of the activities: music, reading, and art.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Back to School..
For Social Studies this morning we read another story about pilgrim life and then completed a worksheet about things in the Past vs. Now. Students had to discriminate between things used in the past (milking cows) vs. things that are used currently (cartons of milk).
For Science, students cut out leaf silhouettes and worked with a partner to play a matching game. After they finished matching each of their leaves, they were challenged to create their own game. Their creativity impressed me and they seemed to really enjoy it, even claiming that it was "too fun to be science". We went to the Library before lunch and listened to a story about a bear who stayed awake from his winter hibernation to make preparations for Christmas.
After lunch we participated in our first Earthquake Drill. Prior to lunch we had a conversation about the importance of staying calm and following directions during the drill and all of the students were very efficient at finding a spot under a table to duck and cover. After this the students had math choice time while I worked one-on-one with students to assess Concepts About Print and being more math assessments.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thanksgiving Week
On Monday we talked in Social Studies about the past (long ago) and how things were different than they are now. To lead into this discussion we read a Non-Fiction story called Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl.We then brainstormed things that were done in the past and the difference between those things and what we do now.
In Math we reviewed patterns and then drew them onto plates that we would use for our Feast Placemats. We also made our Thankful Books which involved layering of construction paper to create a book of things to be thankful for (earth, grass, sun, skies, etc). Before we went home we did the first step for making our Turkey Hats. We glued tissue paper onto the "body" of the turkey to be the "feathers".
On Tuesday we finished projects which we'd started on Monday including our turkey hats and the our placemats. After recess we went out to the playground and traded students so that each teacher recieved children from each class. This was an excellent way for us to meet new students and share our food for the feast.
Each class brought an item to share and we feasted on popcorn, pumpkin seeds, raisins, cornbread muffins, blue tortilla chips, and apples (Thank you for those of you that donated apples!). After we introduced ourselves, shared our food, and feasted together, it was time to return to our own home classrooms.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Technicolor Turkeys
Our buddies came in and we worked on a Turkey Card that students will bring home to give to someone who they are thankful for next week. This was a nice project for collaboration between the grade levels.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Nature Walk
For Writer's Workshop, students pasted their sourcebook covers onto their folders which are grouped by color (similar to Science Notebooks). Afterwards we created Book Boxes out of the cereal boxes that we've collected from parents. In this box, we will keep books that we create in class that students can practice reading.
After recess, we reviewed tree parts (Roots, Branches, Trunk, Leaves). We then went on a Nature Walk where we picked up things that were parts of trees including leaves, bark, and small branches. This was an AMAZING activity and the students gathered some excellent tree parts. We will use them tomorrow to create a collage of sorts.
In P.E. today we did the standard jogging warm-up, stretching, and a Ghost Tag game. After which we did some catch-up on things that haven't been completed this week.
(the camera has been down for a few days, but I look forward to getting it back in action and including more pictures in the near future)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
With a Gobble Gobble Gobble...
While I was gone, the students worked on a variety of Thanksgiving tasks. The continued work on their Floating Down books, making a pointer to practice reading and narrating how they'd like the last page to end. They worked on the first square for their November Quilt. They also worked on turkeys which are two parts (tail and body) that can be attached with a brad and have a pivoting tail.
They also had music led by Miss Casselini and Mrs. McDonough with accompaniment by Mrs. Kwiatkowski.
When I returned in the afternoon I was greeted by a unified chanting, I've never seen them so excited. It's the little things that make the difference sometimes :)
So good to be back...
We had a wonderful day! We started the morning picking new jobs and getting used to a little bit of a new set-up (Our classroom got an AMAZING new easel that is soooo useful so we've shifted things a little). Our read aloud this morning was Miss Nelson is Missing, a VERY clever little story about a mysterious substitute teacher (very time appropriate).
We took the rest of the morning to get caught up on what happened last week. The class gave me a report of what they did with Mrs. McDonough and even taught me a game that they learned during Healthy Play (with our special guest teacher, Spencer).
After recess we worked on a booked titled "Floating Down". This book is a repetitive literacy exercise that helps not only with reading and tracking, but also with color identification. Students underlined and colored in the story and will practice reading it again tomorrow.
During math choice time students had the option of working with several different manipulatives including Linking Cubes, Pattern Blocks, and Peg Boards.
After lunch we had Computer Lab where students once again had Free Choice in the Jumpstart Kindergarten program. Next week we will be starting work on an educational website to which I will provide the address as soon as I am sure what it is ;)
Before packing up to go home, we read Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham and students helped to read it, filling in words that I omitted at the end of lines. They are picking up on the fact that the rhyming of the words is what makes it easy to fill in the blanks.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Weekly Bulletin
WEEKLY BULLETIN – ROOM 4
W e e k l y H a p p e n i n g s
Even with tons of interruptions in the normal routines of the classroom, the children were very successful. Along with all subject areas, we’ve been spending a lot of time learning and reciting the alphabet and sounds.
(Ex. A apple, B ball, C cat, D dog, etc.)
Letter of the Week: e
Word Wall Words: the
Science: Trees
Social Studies: being thankful
Math: Rectangles, the number 5
Art:
N o t e s and R e m i n d e r s
Snacks: Thank you to those that have sent in snacks. We’ve gotten plenty to get us through the rest of November.
Thankful
Red Book Bags: We have collected and organized Red “Mystery” Book Bags that will begin to be sent home next week!! J This will provide excellent literature for children to take home and read.
Playground Reminders: We’ve had some issues on the playground lately, so we ask you review appropriate playground behavior with your children (As we will also do).
Children should go down the slide on their bottoms ONE at a time.
Trikes should be ridden around the track, with the flow of traffic.
No screaming on the playground - it can be confused for real danger.
**Also, we’re being asked to enforce that dogs are NOT allowed on the playground during OR after school. Thank You for Cooperation! **
U p c o m i n g E v e n t s
Monday, November 12th – NO SCHOOL (Veteran’s Day Observed)
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Ee
This morning the children had a guest teacher - Mrs. McDermott. As part of the BTSA (beginning teacher something or another) I am lucky enough to have a support provider on campus. This morning she led the class through opening, read A House for a Hermit Crab and Readers Workshop to give me the opportunity to observe Ms. Stryker in her classroom. This was very valuable and gave me tons of good ideas to implement.
After I returned, we worked on some handwriting -- the letter e. A song, similar to that used for the letter c, is an excellent way for children to remember how to form the letter. Straight line, go up around and down then stop. Straight line, go up around and down and stop. Straight line, go up around and down, let's make an e. Straight line, go up around and down and stop.. After learning and practicing the letter E, we listed words that began with e including elephant, Eesha, everyone, excellent, Eva, and ear.
We then practiced writing our first sight word: the. Students practiced forming the T - h- e and then reading the word "the". We've now placed it up on our word wall and should be able to read and write this word by the end of the week.
In Social Studies today, we talked about being thankful, and attached some of the feathers that have come in, to our classroom Thankful Turkey. It is starting to look really full and impressive. If you haven't yet worked on the "feathers" with your child, please do so and send them back.
Music today was led by Miss Ciampa and myself with Mrs. Kwiatkowski on piano. We sang several Thanksgiving themed songs and did a couple of songs with movement. Students were well behaved and participated fully during this half hour session. After lunch we listened to The Princess and the Pea and had some short time for choice.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
"I Will Work Hard"
For math we read The Raccoon Picnic which is a story that aims to help children with counting the numbers 1-5. We also had an opportunity to do a walk thru of the Book Fair. We did a read aloud of Freight Train, a Caldecott Award winner.
After lunch we went to the Computer Lab, during which we had a Fire Drill. After that, we had choice time. Some students chose to help paint a Thankful Turkey (to which we'll affix the home project feathers). To end the day, I read the children the story of Tacky the Penguin. The children loved this story about a penguin who marches to the beat of his own drummer. As a result, he saves the rest of the penguins from hunters.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Oops, I forgot my hat
This morning we started our review of Concepts About Print during Reader's Workshop. Students identified front, back, spine, cover, title page, publication page. We also reinforced that books should be read from front to back, from left to right and top to bottom. We will begin testing for Concepts About Print in the upcoming week or two.
In Writer's Workshop, we began work on the covers for our Sourcebooks. These are the journals that we will be throughout readers workshop. Covers contained the words "My Sourcebook" and the students' name. Around the border, we drew icons to spark ideas of writing topics. For example, some students drew a Band-Aid to remind them that they might write about a time when they got hurt. Others drew balloons to remind them that they might want to write about parties or celebrations that they attend.
For math, we learned and practiced drawing the number 5. Down the street and around the corner, Oops! I forgot my hat. We went to the Library this afternoon and Mrs. Williams read us Bark George and The Napping House. Students checked out books and received bookmarks from Mrs. Williams.
Science consisted of making two charts. One of them was What we KNOW about trees.. while the other was What we WANT to know about trees... These will be the springboard for our study of trees in November. At the end of the unit we will complete a third chart of What we LEARNED about trees..
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Pajama Day
We started the morning inviting Ms. Stryker's class into our class to enjoy a movie. We watched The Mouse and the Motorcycle and enjoyed some hot cocoa and popcorn. This was an excellent little movie and the snacks hit the spot.
After recess, we did some social studies - practicing the difference between left and right. In Science, we completed the pumpkin project that has been carried over a few days. We had a little time for choice and in the afternoon completed several Halloween handouts (including Frankenstien coloring, Connect the Dots, and a Which-One-Of-These-Is-Not-Like-The-Other-One type worksheets).
Tons of projects went home today, along with Thursday folders. Reminder -- Book Orders are due tomorrow (FRIDAY NOVEMBER 2nd)