Our first Family Fun Project of the year was a big success! Everyone did an awesome job on their treasure boxes! We have a few friends that will bring their boxes this next week. We look forward to seeing those too. Please find a spot at home to keep your child's "Treasure Box". We will be making books throughout the year to bring home and read to you. It will be good practice to "revisit" these books often because they will be full of our sight words that we are learning for first grade. We are learning that to be good at most things, it takes practice. Reading is one of those things. Please allow your child to "read" something to you every night. Praise these first attempts at reading and above all else be positive and build confidence.

 

Students worked on listening and speaking skills. They introduced themselves to the class and shared who helped them at home. Students practiced giving compliments and what to say in return. This exercise in public speaking will grow as the year progresses. Everyone did a great job presenting and listening!

We are Fortunate!

  We had a wonderful "meet the teacher" on Thursday! If you were able to come, you may have met two very special people. We are very fortunate to have Mr. and Mrs. Thornton volunteering in our classroom. 

                                         (Yes, the sun was very bright that day! )

This sweet couple have been "foster grandparents" in my classroom for several years.  They donate their time (and often much more) to our children.

They come a few times a week to read with them, listen to them, work on special skills etc.  They are truly a joy and an asset to the make up of our class.

  So if your child mentions a funny story "Mr. Doyle" told or that "Mrs. Nell" listened to them read a book, you will know who they are talking about. I am very excited to be able to welcome our "foster grandparents" back again this year!

Why didn't I think of that?

I found something today I wanted to pass along to my teacher friends. It's from a great blog I love and one you should check out. It's called The Organized Classroom.
This cool idea is for storing those posters and charts you really don't want to roll up, but don't have the space for.

http://www.theorganizedclassroomblog.com/index.php/blog/over-the-door-poster-holder

Check out the link or the left sidebar for their button and hop on over there for more great ideas!

Simple Things

Spring Has Sprung!

How many of you take the time to enjoy the simple things that each day brings? The hug from a child, the shape of a cloud as it drifts across the sky?  Sometimes in our hustle and bustle to fill our day with tests and rules and the skills we must cover that day, it's easy to miss out on the simple things.

Did we cover our math objectives today?... Yes

Did we talk about nouns?... Yes

 Did we review our sight words?... Yes 

But...

We made fairy crowns and fairy bracelets and

flower necklaces. I have a wet spot on the seat of my jeans from sitting on the ground. 

We read good books with cozy buddies and braided hair. (I have two boys, so I don't really do hair)

    

We took time to enjoy some simple things today...and it was good. I hope in the midst of your busy, crazy days, you will take the time to enjoy something simple too. It will be worth it.

  

Spring will soon be here! it is time to put away all the winter decor and crafts. Check out these cute snowmen

 from our art center that went along with 

Snow Family by Daniel Kirk.  

This is one of my favorite books. We read it every year. Its great for rhyming words.

Another favorite of mine is this book 

by Ezra Jack Keats called The Snowy Day. (Click the title for a read aloud)

Hope you had an awesome winter and here is to a happy spring!

 

This Friday, students will exchange valentine cards. If you need a list of the names, click the link below.

 

Valentine Class List