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Here's another great read aloud for describing words and word choice.  Of course the best part was hearing them all make the WHooOoooo" sound of the train.

After reading it, we made a list of sensory words (see, taste, feel, smell, hear).

Students then tried to use describing words in their writing.

I STINK!

NoOoooo, NOT me!  The book...have you heard of it?  It's a great book and the boys especially LOVE it. This week for writer's workshop we're focusing on precise words.

Our mini lesson is good writers paint a picture in our head by using precise words.  They choose words that help the reader SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.

As they listened to this book, students were to be thinking about some of the good word choices the author used.  We brainstormed a list of words that really helped to paint a picture in our heads.

Here's our work.

Students tried to use some precise words in their work.

BLAST Off!!

Today we began our Space Race.  The kids each colored in a rocket and put it by Pluto.  In order to move to a new planet, they must read three books (which is their fuel), write them down, and bring the slip back to school.  They earn a small treat if they move to a new planet.

We're starting on Pluto (which is now a dwarf planet).  Pluto is dark, cold, and the smallest.  It is the furthest from the sun.  The treat for leaving Pluto will be a freeze pop.

Liquid Observations

We looked at different liquids today.  The kids worked in groups, made observations, and wrote properties for each.  Here they are at work.

Winter WELLness Day

Most think of the day before vacation as dragging out and being a difficult day to get through.

NOT US!  Today we celebrated Winter Wellness Day.  Our gym teacher, Ms. A, and others put together a fun filled day with TONS of activities that got the kids moving around.

We participated in hockey dribbling...

An obstacle course...

Limbo...

Movin' with Jack...I love their faces!!

Bowling...

And they made healthy snacks.

We ended the day completing a winter word find and an assembly.  ENJOY your vacation and see you soon!!

Silent E Work

We've been working with Silent E.  Today,  I had the kids break up into teams and write as many words as they could with Silent E.

They worked well in teams and both were really close.  One team had 14 and the other had 16.

Here they are at work!

New Class Jobs?

OhHhhhh, those boys!!  Josh, Tommy, and Jack thought it would be a RIOT to add some new jobs to the board for the kids to do today!!

Each morning I write what they need to do when they come in.  My jobs are simple....
1. Unpack
2. Sign in
3. Read to Self

The kids were quite excited to find this new list on the board.

Lemons, Lemons, and more Lemons

Oh I had to do it again!!!  We had lemons to try and I had my camera right in hand.  Here they are.  Quite candid!!

100 Days Smarter

So on Sunday I found myself with the nasty flu bug!  Lets just say I spent a lot of time hugging my toilet (graphic, I know) and cloroxing at the same time.  Oh, I rarely get sick so I wasn't at all impressed.  The assistant principal has even begun calling me Ralphie.  Great!

Aren't all teachers Super Heros?  Well,  I thought so and I believed I could make it to school on Monday.  I mean, 100's Day on Monday and Valentine's Day on Tuesday.  I couldn't miss those!

Plus making sub plans takes too much time...it's easier to just be there.  Also, our team planned activities to rotate through and I had taken my art activity home to prep for Monday.  I knew no matter what I had to drive to school in the morning to drop things off and seeing my commute is almost 30 minutes I thought I should just stay.

I got to school on Monday completely on FIRE!  Literally on FIRE!!  Not the type of fire where you're multi-tasking, every thing's in fast motion, and organized for the day.  It was the type of fire where you're actually taking off your sweater (I live in Maine) to try to cool down.  That's when I knew I wouldn't make it.  I guess every Super Hero has his/her day.

I never call in so I guess it's sometimes okay to just let go.  I knew I'd have a great sub and the kiddos were in good hands.  Plus everyone seemed to be telling me to go home.  I'm thinking they REALLY cared or I looked REALLY bad and they didn't want to catch it.  I got to enjoy part of the morning with the other first graders and then went home to SLEEP!!

I feel much better today and was able to enjoy Valentine's Day.  If only my voice would come back.  I've had laryngitis for about a week.  Ugh, not complaints though.  The kiddos have been so good.

The kids went on a Smarties Hunt.  I hid them around the room.  Apparently I miscounted because they could only find 90.  I'll blame it on the illness!!

Who wouldn't want a picture on themselves on a $100 bill?  I've done this every year and the kids get a kick out of it.  We have a color printer so when I laminated them they turned green.  Yikes!!  They look a bit like Lady Liberty.  They had to write what they would do with $100.

SsHhhhhh, Don't Tell Your Child You Read This!!

SssSShhhh....you can keep a secret right?  The kiddos didn't want me to post about this but I just had to share.  We wrote our Valentine's Day postcards today.  The kids LOVED IT (even though most were begging to have Writer's Workshop).  This class just loves to write.

Here are a few examples.  Check the mail but PLEASE, OH PLEASE be surprised when it arrives in the mail.