Pizza Party at Lunch Tomorrow

There is no need to send in a lunch with your child tomorrow because we will be having our pizza party during lunch. However, if they do not like pizza you may want to send a lunch.  We will be eating the pizza in the classroom and then putting the Lego movie on the projector.  I look forward to celebrating the class and everything they have done in this beginning leg of first grade.  

Weekly Wrap-up

What a fast-paced, jam-packed week leading up to report cards going home on Monday. Obviously with report cards going home on Monday, the name of the game this week has been assessment. I have been really pleased with how the class has done with all of this. In fact, I have decided that I would like to celebrate everything the class has done during the first leg of their first grade adventure. So, on Tuesday we will be having a pizza party during lunch to celebrate. I also am planning on screening the Lego Movie for the class. During the movie we will be filling out several graphic organizers related to the movie. Graphic organizers are a big push in first grade and I think this will be a nice way of hitting several birds with the same Lego brick…


I will be providing the pizza for the class. I will need plates, napkins, cups and bottled water and or juice for the kids. If you would like to send in any of these items please let me know. I am sorry for the late notice on this, but as I was reflecting on all the work the class has done and how well they have put up with me, I think they need it. I look forward to hearing from you and now onto the highlights!!!



Math:

We spent a lot of time with measuring this week. This measuring was done primarily with nonstandard units of measurement, i.e. base-ten cubes, paperclips, pencils, etc. We then used what we had learned to solve an open-response problem on Friday.



Phonics:

I have used the consonant cluster topic to springboard into learning more ending sounds this week. The class had a lot of opportunities throughout the week to practice sorting, writing and reading words with similar patterns. They did a great job with this.



Science:

In science this week we learned more about water and its many forms. Tuesday saw us running a very interesting experiment on condensation. I also introduced a vocabulary center so the class could practice some of the words we have been learning in science. Fridaymarked the beginning of the Motion unit of study. I know the class will have a blast with this unit as we move through it. Get it? Move through the motion unit… Sorry folks, it has been a long week. I look forward to hearing from you regarding Tuesday and until next month…all told.

Barnes and Noble Opportunity!!!

Hey parents,

Thought I would pass this wonderful opportunity on to you all, especially with the holidays around the corner.

From Ms I.

Shop at any Barnes & Noble on Sunday, November 30, 2014, or online at BN.COM, and use the Bryant book fair code 11512340. You can bring a copy of the voucher attached, or just have the book fair code with you. Profits benefit the Bryant library. Depending on the amount earned, the percentage profit could be anywhere from 10-20%. 

If you are in town, stop in to the Washtenaw B&N at 2pm on Sunday, November 30 to hear Mrs. Idzikowski and Alouicious reading the brand-new Elephant and Piggie book! 

If you shop online, from the Payment page at BN.COM, scroll to the very bottom and choose “Check this box if it is a book fair order.” (If you are signed into your BN.COM account, you may need to click “Change” on the Payment section on the Checkout page, then scroll to the bottom.) The Bryant book fair code is 11512340.

In addition to books and NOOK products, you can also purchase whole cheesecakes made by Cheesecake Factory from the cafe. Each is $40 and contains 14 pieces. Flavors include Eggnog, Red Velvet, Godiva Double Chocolate, Plain and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Spelling Words for the Week

Here are the spelling words for the week.  Please practice with your child daily to ensure they get that 100% the first time.  Remember that everyone is always given the opportunity to get 100% in my classroom.  Let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns about the spelling test.

• school
• father
• never
• keep
• start
• light
• thought
• earth

Weekly Wrap Up

I decided to switch things up a bit this week in the classroom. After Friday’s behavior issues, I wanted to put the class in a better position to succeed. I moved the classroom around and switched the positions of the desks. The kids seemed to respond well to this, so I was pleased. We also had two substitutes on Monday and Friday. This Monday I was in a building data team meeting pouring over results from the NWEA. Friday, I was assessing kids for our upcoming report card. Being out of the classroom is always tough for me, but I was pleased with how the class performed. Let us see what else we were up to this week…onto the highlights!!!!



Math:

In math this week we looked more at the frames-and-arrows routine. We reviewed the material from last week and added more to it. The class used the arrow routine to find the rule and to solve addition and subtraction equations. Tuesday saw us learning how to program our calculators to do skip counting. This worked very well for students to check their work on the frames-and-arrows routine. Wednesday and Thursday was our end of unit assessment for unit three. I will be using the data from this assessment to help with our upcoming report cards. On Friday we spent some time catching up and playing math games. The kids had a lot of fun with that!



Writing:

We continued our push for the 5 w’s in writing this week. We also reexamined our readable and unreadable material. For homework today I want you and your child to come up with a story you could tell across a three page story. On the first page I want to see the 5 W’s: who, what, where, why, and when. This should lead to the second page where additional details are given about the what from page 1. Finally, on page three the story arc should be wrapped up. This is a tight, well-constructed three-page story with a beginning, middle and end. This is our push in writing. Please practice it with your child this weekend.



Phonics:

Consonant clusters were another focus in phonics this week. The kids transitioned from writing simple consonant cluster words, to writing sentences including the consonant cluster word. We also practiced our spelling words quite a bit. The final topic we looked at in phonics this week was the onset and rime of a word. The onset is that beginning sounds and the rime is the part of a syllable which consists of its vowel and any consonant sounds that come after it. The kids were able to play a fun Go Fish game using this concept.



Science:

In science this week we examined water and how it can change forms. As you recall we touched on this a few weeks ago when we talked about water freezing. This week saw us examine how water can change form into a gas through a process called evaporation. This led us to talk about humidly and do an experiment about condensation. The kids had a lot of fun.



If you would like to start volunteering for our center times we would love to have you. I do literacy-based learning centers in the mornings on most days. Here are the approximate times.

• Monday: 9:40-10:30

• Tuesday: 9:40-10:30

• Wednesday 9:40-10:45

• Thursday: 10:00-10:50

• Friday: 9:40-10:30

If you see something that jumps out at you please drop me a line and we will set something up. Everyone is always welcome in my classroom. I look forward to hearing from you and until next week…all told.

Spirit Week

Next week is Spirit Week here at Bryant.  Let's take a look at what the student council selected.

Monday:
Backwards Day

Tuesday:
Twin Day

Wednesday:
Favorite Sports Team

Thursday:
Pajama Day

Friday:
School Spirit Day

Pasta for Pennies Final Tally

A big congratulations to Ms. Huff's second grade class for winning the Pasta for Pennies drive.  Our class was among five other classes that raised over $100 each.  Thank you to everyone at home for making this possible.

Spelling Words for the Week

Hot off the presses...Here are our spelling words for the week:

blend
between
than
country
high
plant
every
add

Weekly Wrap Up

It was a brief week here in first grade.  I was out sick on Monday and with the election day on Tuesday this week has just flown by!  I was really pleased with how the class performed with the substitute this week.  It is always a good sign when the class can still be independent and act appropriately even when I am not in the classroom. That is exactly what I expect from this class and they did not disappoint early in the week!   However, Friday was a bit of a disaster behavior wise, so we will have to redouble our efforts next week.  Despite all of this we were still able to cover a lot of material, so let us take a look at that…onto the highlights!

Math:

In math this week we looked a lot at the number line.  We practiced adding and subtracting on the number line early in the week.  Towards the end of the week we began looking at frames and arrows.  If you have been looking at the homework you will see what I mean by these concepts.  Those homelinks do not act as just homework, but offer you a snapshot of the learning your child is experiencing in the classroom.  I hope you are taking advantage of this resource. 

Phonics:

We spent a lot of time with consonant clusters this week in phonics.  The kids had an opportunity to practice with several different clusters.  They really enjoyed practicing these words during phonics. 

Science:

We collected and examined our October weather data this week.  The kids got to look at our weather calendar for October and answer several questions about what they noticed.  They had a lot of fun looking at the data. 

Writing:

In writing this week we focused more on those 5 w’s.  I was very pleased with how they incorporated these concepts into their writing.  I will be looking for more next week!

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.  I am always available to talk about your child and how they are doing in the classroom.  PICTURES WENT HOME TODAY.  Please have a wonderful weekend and until next week….all told. 

Lock Down DRILL Today

We had our first lock down drill today.  Please talk with your child about the necessity of these drills and have them recount what we did to help practice today.  We will have several more lock down drills throughout the year.  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns about these drills.

Spelling Words

Here are our spelling words for the week.  I am sorry I did not submit these on Monday.  I was out sick and did not have my master at home with me.


- people
- first
- water
- been
- called
- who
- now
- find