December Morning Tubs

Kids have been using the Morning Tubs each Friday.  The activities for this month are: working as a team build the longest paper chain, decorate a gingerbread man, make a tree that can stand on its own, and design and make reindeer antlers.

Here are a few pics!

We also decorated our doors to spread the holiday cheer!

Newsletter for the Week of Dec. 17th

I haven't been printing a hard copy of the newsletter and sending it home for a couple of weeks.  If you would still like one, please let me know.

Newsletter for the Week of Dec. 10th

Newsletter for the Week of Dec. 3rd

Newsletter for the Week of Nov. 26th

Newsletter for the Week of Nov. 13th

November Morning Tubs

I've introduced our new morning tubs and the kids are LOVING them.  I put them out each Friday for the kids to use in the morning and they've gone really well.  This is a great way to get students talking, designing, and building.

The tubs for this month are: Turkey Tower Building, Hide a Turkey, Design and Build the Mayflower, and Build a Log Cabin.

Here are some pics of them at work!

PTC Artwork

Each year teachers are asked to complete artwork with their students.  These pieces are auctioned off to help raise money for our school.

Each year I feel the pressure to outdo what I did last year!  I've been thinking for awhile of what I want to do with my class and finally came up with the idea of each student decorating a mug.  I tried to stick with some first grade themes.  I took the time to work with each student, holding the mug steady while they did the artwork.

Here's their work!!

As soon as the link is up and running I'll be sure to share it with you so you can bid away!!

Newsletter for the Week of Nov. 5th

 

Newsletter for the Week of Oct. 28th

A Look at Our Week

This was Red Ribbon week!  We decorated our door and each student wrote a sentence on how they stay healthy and safe.

Ugh, we also had our first taste of winter!  Of course everything stopped to watch the snow falling and they couldn't get enough of it at recess.  

This little guy has been getting ready for winter by feasting in the trash can right outside our window.   Does that make him our pet chipmunk now?  We've seen him on a daily basis scurrying back and forth.

I read the story, Creepy Carrots, and students had to write their opinion on who they thought the villain was in the story-Jasper or the Creepy Carrots.

We spent the week learning more about pumpkins but took the time to paint some funny pumpkin faces!  They make me laugh every time I walk outside the classroom door!

After reading the story, Spookley the Square Pumpkin, students made their own Spookely.  Each teacher in our community read the story and made pumpkins. We now have a pumpkin patch spread throughout our community!  Look how adorable they are.

Newsletter for the Week of Oct. 21st

Meaningful Morning Tubs FUN

I found these morning tub labels here (Meaningful Morning Tubs) and decided to try them out.  I was looking for more hands on activities where my kids could work together to design, create, and solve problems.  

They were a BIG hit and they can't wait to try them out again next week!

Build a Haunted House

Build a Pumpkin Patch Using Different Shapes

Design and Build a Spider Web

Design and Build a Monster

Readers Make Connections

We've been learning about squirrels!  We've read a lot of informational books and during Writer's Workshop wrote squirrel facts.

We connected to Scaredy Squirrel by writing what we were afraid of.  Here are some examples.

There are two sides to every story and if you're looking for a book that shows that this is the perfect book!  The first story is about a little girl who thinks she's rescuing a beast.  The beast is NOT happy though.  The second story is the beast telling his side.

Readers Ask Questions Before, During, and After Reading

This week we worked on asking questions by starting with, "I wonder..."

I introduced this strategy with the book, Officer Buckle and Gloria.  We brainstormed questions as we read.

We practiced throughout the week in our Readers' Notebooks.  Here are some examples.