Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish!

We have been having so much fun with Dr. Seuss!  His birthday is Wed., March 2nd.

We made these fish today and on Friday, we made Cat in the Hats with our big buddies from Mrs. Nelson's room.

Buddy Classes and Siblings too!

Busy Big Buddy Work

Mrs. Morissey and Mrs. Nelson during Buddy Time

On March 2nd, we will also be meeting Erik Brooks and throughout the week, the whole school will be stopping everything to STOP, DROP, and READ.

This Friday we will have a READ-IN from 9-10:30.  Bring lots of books for our fun morning of reading, reading, reading!  (We will be sending a note home about this too)

This week we have a science assembly on Thursday, March 3rd which leads us right up to the Science Expo on March 17th for those students who have registered for this.

Be sure to check the upcoming events section on the sidebar for all the March happenings - including the Music Concerts... which re the week of March 8th (a note came home today).

Have a wonderful week!

Our monthly calendar was made today.

Tuesday Update

Happy Tuesday!   I hope everyone had a delightful long weekend.   I heard all about the fun trips and adventures folks had during their mid-winter break - lots of students wrote very elaborate pieces about their vacation during writing time.

In fact, we have been working very hard on elaborating by giving lots of details, using our senses, and describing exactly who, what, where, when, and why.

We also read all about Georgia O'Keefe today and how she mostly painted things found in nature (like shells, flowers, hills, mountains, the sky) instead of people or animals.   Then students created their own landscapes in the style of O'Keefe's Evening Star painting.

Today, your child brought home the Scholastic Newspaper we read about President's Day, their math sheet (how addition can help you with subtraction), and an important note about our Author Visit with Erik Brooks. 

I am really excited about this.  He is a Seattle author who has written, Practically Perfect Pajamas (which I read to the class earlier this year), and has a new book out called, Polar Opposites.   If you would like to purchase a book, please return the order form by this Friday, Feb. 25th.

His books are wonderful.  Here is a link to his webpage:  http://erikbrooks.com/

To top off our day, we also created a new seating arrangement.  Mrs. Morissey and I try to do this once a month... it's a good excuse to clean out the desks, sit by new people, and rotate through the one desk that isn't a 'partner' desk (all of our desks are 2-tops except for one and we have 21 students... so one lucky person gets their own desk every once in awhile... but always connected to a table group of friends.)

Remember that the book rodeo is this Friday and have a wonderful afternoon.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It was a fun day here in 1st grade today!

We started our morning by making these beautiful paper heart designs.   I think it looks like a beautiful quilt when they are all put up together.

Our party was a hug success!  Thank you to Theresa Harrington for planning it and to Lisa Martin, Marci DeBaun, Greg Pendergast, Julie Main, Alison Bard, Cynthia Santana, Lisa Morris, and Lucas Pendergast's aunt, Emily, for being here to help make the party a success!  Mr. Gervais even stopped by to visit!

Thank you to students who are donating to our Sandburg Hopelink Food Drive.  The Food Drive just started today and goes until Wednesday.   We are collecting only the following:

5 lb bags of SUGAR or 5 lb bags of FLOUR or 24/48 oz bottles of OIL

The Sandburg Book Rodeo is next Friday, Feb. 25th.

Students took home a Valentine Day Game packet today.  We started this in class, but didn't have time to finish.  I told them that if they do it at home and bring it back by NEXT TUESDAY, I'll give them a little prize. 

Mrs. Morissey and I wish you a delightful Valentine's Day!  Thank you for sharing your sweet little 1st grade valentine children with us.

Monday Update

Cold Hands, Warm Heart Paintings

Another beautiful day in 1st grade.    These 1st graders really know their warm and cool colors.  They are also whizzing along with their math facts.  We continue practicing adding numbers by making 10 and then adding what is left.  Students are working on elaborating in their writing.  Anyone who would like to enter the Young Author's contest, may turn in their writing to me on Feb. 14th (next Monday)

Our class blogger this week

Class lists came home today, and I'm including a copy in this post.
Students can bring their valentine's next Monday to pass out at our party.   Party details are in last week's blog post.

Enjoy the day.

February News

Happy February!  We have a full fun month ahead of us and it is starting with a visit from a cute little groundhog.   Ask your child all about the groundhog he or she made at school today - if yours didn't make it home today, it will be coming home tomorrow.

Today Mrs. Morissey and I had a chance to truly team-teach.   She taught this morning, then I came in at noon so that she could leave to go to an appointment.   We tried to squeeze in some art... but ran out of time and will finish it on Monday.  We started a lesson on warm and cool colors.  Students are painting 'warm' hearts and 'cool' hands.

Here are some of them in progress.   I think they look pretty good at this stage too!

Look for a letter coming home this week about SPELLING TESTS.   We are starting them up next week, doing practices in class, and testing on Friday.   Studying for the spelling test will be part of their weekly homework.

Here's our class blogger, Colin, this week:

Valentines Party:  Thank you to Theresa Harrington for organzing this fun event. It looks like we have lots of great voluneers for this, so thank you!   Valentine's Day is a big deal to 1st graders.   We will be making 'mailboxes' on Monday the 7th, so all your child needs to bring is his or her valentines for the entire class.  

I will send home a class list so that students will be able to include everyone when making valentines.  

 The party will be from 1-2 pm on Monday, Feb. 14th.   Below is the list of volunteers and the order of events. 

Juice boxes –  Alison Blanc

Pretzels – Cynthia Santana

Mini-treat – Michele Gervais

Strawberries – Christina Freinik

Other fruit – Lisa Martin

Other healthy Snack of your choosing -  Rhonda Marinkovic

Party Volunteers - Marci DeBaun, Cynthia Santana, Theresa Harrington

 12:30 – 1:00        Set Up during Lunch Recess

1:00 – 1:20           Rotate between a craft station and game station.

1:20 – 1:40           Wash-up, visit snack buffet, snack, clean-up.

1:40 – 2:00           Open Valentines (kids that have finished can work on some Valentine Fun Activity/Color pages.

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Please check the upcoming events information on the side bar for more important dates this month.