Short Week!

Good morning all! Happy Monday!
This week is a short week with short days. Dismissal will be at 1:00 pm (12:50 pm for 1st grade).
P.A.M. 10:05 am-10:30 am
Lunch 10:40-11:00
There is no homework this week.
Please allow your child to wear their PJs on Tuesday as a special reward. (If they do not want to it is okay!)
We will have PE on Tuesday so sneakers are a must, no slippers.

Call for help

The morning custodian at school, whom I see every morning at 6:30 am as I walk in the building, stopped me and asked me about hand me down clothes. She has family living outside of the country who are so poor they barely eat. She was asking me for Jay's outgrown warm, winter type clothing. They need infant on up to late teen clothing. If you have any boy or girl clothes that your children have outgrown and no longer have a use for...I am sure she would be grateful to have the chance to send them on to her family. Just bring it in to me at school, I will be happy to pass it along to her.
Thanks!

Non Fiction Writing

This afternoon we worked on finding information and facts on space related topics in non fiction books. The children are going to work in groups and create non fiction books of their own based on found information. It has been a great opportunity to help the children understand what staying on topic means, the difference between fact and opinion, correct sentence structure and grammar, and teamwork. Here they were just getting started.

Our Planet Reports!

The boys and girls were offered a planet. They chose the one they wanted and picked a partner. The first day, they gathered facts from a planet book. The next day they created their poster. The final day they shared information about their planet. I can not tell you how amazing it was to listen to them shout out, "Hey I learned something new!" Followed by them telling me what they learned. As I watched them work together in pairs, I couldn't help but think this is what teaching is all about! Wait...I change my mind...it is when they come up and hug me and tell me how much fun it was to do a report and I am the best teacher in the whole world.
In light of the upcoming last and final space shuttle launch, we have been learning about planets and space travel.

If you click on the picture they will enlarge for easier viewing.

Boosterthon Boys are getting 'em fired up!

Here is the link to get you started.
www.funrun.com
Unfortunately, there was a glitch in getting first grade info printed on our necklaces, so they will be coming home 10/26/10.
Here is a snippet of what we experienced in the Booster-thon Fun Run Pep Rally.

Planets via Hubble Telescope

Hubble Telescope was launched into orbit in 1990. This year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope.
Here you will see photos of the planets thanks to Hubble!
Mercury:

Jupiter:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Mars:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Venus:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Saturn:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Uranus:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Neptune:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Non Planet, Pluto:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Other Hubble photographs:
Omega Swan Nebula

Source: Hubblesite.org
Helix Nebula:

Source: Hubblesite.org
Galaxies:
Majestic Sombrero Galaxy

Source: Hubblesite.org
Spiral Galaxy

Source: Hubblesite.org
Black Eye Galaxy:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Star Clusters:

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Class Photos and Updates!

 The vowel word chunks are added to our wall as they are introduced.

 This is our Venn Diagram of what thinking looks like and how it leads to real reading.

 Schema is everything you know and have experienced in life.

 Sung to the tune We've been working on the Railroad.

 Ways we read books.

 The children are learning more and more about comprehension.

 Sung to tune Twinkle Twinkle

Sung to the tune Are you Sleeping?

 Featured AR books for AR testing.

 "Even when no one is watching!"

 This past Friday I colored up to 400.  We are over 450 today!

 Their eyes light up!

 Reading Challenges to better fluency.

Long Vowels

 ABC

 Short Vowels

 Bob Books

 I Pick Song

 Brainstormed ideas by the class for our reading goals.

 For every book read aloud, AR test, or reading log entry the child receives a hole punch.  We are keeping track of how many books we read in first grade.  If a child reads 500 books I take them out to lunch!

 I love owls!

 Reading Tubs and what's inside!

 Challenge books ready to be read.

 Words I use when I write...for expanding vocabulary.

 Reading Log, punch card pocket, child's reading goals on post it.

 Reading log entry example, "just right" books, and books of interest

 Dolch Most Used word lists for mastery

 Dolch phrases

Post it Notes and book marks are all things that can be found in these reading tubs.  

 We learned the correct name for parts of pumpkins.  Did you know the stem is also called the "peduncle"?  That cracked us all up it sounded so funny!

 Working together to answer questions about pumpkins and find all the words that start with P.