This morning the students had a substitute while I attended a Science Training session at Peterson Nature Center. It was very educational and I got EXCELLENT ideas that I can't wait to implement.
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 :)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
So good to be back...
It was excellent to be back with the class today.
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.
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
Another Wacky Wednesday in the books...
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.
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"
Today we were ultra productive. We started our morning with The Little Engine That Could. This is an excellent story, showing that persistence and confidence can be enough. It also tied into our Social Studies lesson, which was about this month's Lifeskill: Effort - "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.
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
We started out our morning reading A Giraffe and a Half and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish which gave the class an excellent opportunity to talking about rhyming.
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..
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
Today was a comfy and relaxing day to follow up an exciting Halloween.
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)
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)
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