Spelling Words for the Week

We will have our spelling test on Thursday.

1. already
2. possible
3. final
4. over
5. outside
6. smiled
7. continued
8. experiment

Spirit Week

I realize I did not put anything in the weekly about our spirit week.


Monday: Crazy Hair Day-- Style your hair in a crazy way!

Tuesday: Sports Day-- Wear a shirt featuring your favorite sports team

Wednesday: Dress Wacky Day-- Wear bright colors, dress backwards, different

shoes, stripes and polka dots, or create your own style!

Thursday: Mix It Up Lunch-- Students will have the opportunity to sit with a

person they would like to know more about and eat lunch with them.

Friday: Bryant Spirit Wear-- Wear your favorite Bryant school wears.

Weekly Wrap Up

What a fabulous week we had here on planet first grade. The kids did an amazing job with everything I threw at them (metaphorically speaking of course) and I continue to be amazed by their progress. We spent a lot of time this week reviewing concepts in math. We also finished up quite a bit of research for writing and science. Oh yeah, it was Field Day on Friday too and a big thank you to all our integral volunteers who made this event possible. Also, a big thank you to Mr. Hamilton for the incredible job he did in coordinating this event.


A reminder we have our year-end party next Friday. We will plan on starting about 9:30 a.m. and everyone is welcome, so we hope to see you to close out this year.


In reflecting back on this class I have been struck with one overall thought: I really wish I could turn back the clock and do it all over again with these kids. This class is truly an amazing set of kids and you all have done a terrific job in raising them. I have had some of these students for the past two years and it will be so difficult to say goodbye. However, I always tell my kids that once they have been in Mr. Hagen’s class they are ALWAYS in Mr. Hagen’s class. My door is always open to former students and parents whenever you like. I know the kids will have many new adventures and meet new teachers and friends, but I want them to know that they will always be welcome in my class.


I would like to thank John and Kelly for all their fabulous work as my room parents this year. Also, a special thank you to Ruth for all the fabulous projects and donations she has made to the classroom this year. Thank you to everyone who has chaperoned, volunteered and assisted with so many of the events we have had this school year. We simply could not have made this year so special without your tireless efforts.


I hope to see you next Friday and, again, thank you for all that you have done for the class this year. Until September…all told.

Sign Up For End of Year Party

Thank you to Anna for creating this fabulous document to help everyone with the party next Friday.



https://docs.google.com/document/d/1unMRl6Q_1vTsrCcoYF2EK_033EuwwkbDNLlKlELfsX4/edit?usp=sharing


I also wanted to let you know that parents and relatives are ALWAYS welcome in my room and we would love to have you help us celebrate this amazing year.

End of the Year Party

We will be having our end of the year celebration on Friday, June 12th.  As with our last class party I will be making fresh fruit smoothies for the class.  I would also like to have bagels with cream cheese as well.  There will be several class parties going on outside, but I generally like to do smoothies with just my class.  After we are done with the smoothies we will head outside for the remainder of the half day.  We will need the following for the smoothies:

- Large jug of orange juice
- Large bottle of coconut water
- 2x Large bag of frozen mangoes
- 2x Large bags of frozen pineapple
- 2x Large bag of frozen strawberries and berries
- 2x bunches of bananas
- 1 bag of oranges
- 1 tub of spinach
- bagels
- cream cheese


I have plates, cups, napkins, straws all set here in the classroom.  Please let me know what you would like to contribute to the party when you are able.  Thank you all very much and please have a wonderful day.

Spelling Words for The Week

Sorry for the lateness of this post.  This week has really gotten away from me.


- divided
- energy
- subject
- summer
- instead
- surprise
- themselves
- fraction

Weekly Wrap Up & Field Day Info

It was a shortened week here in first grade, which still saw us get to a lot of material. The year-end assessments are in full swing and I have been amazed at the progress these kids have shown in the last 9 months! It has been such a privilege to come to work every day and spend my time with such fabulous people. You all have done such wonderful jobs with your kids and I thank you for all your hard work. 

On Friday, June 5th, Bryant will be holding our annual Field Day. Please dress your child in clothing that could possibly get wet or grass stained. If your child risks getting sunburned, remember the sunblock. Sunblock needs to be applied at home before school. Please send your child to school on June 5th with a water bottle with your child's name on it, or with a refillable sports bottle with their name on it. It can get really hot out there. 

 Let us see what else we were up to this week on to the highlights!!!



Math:
In math this week we took more time to examine two digit number stories. The kids are really starting to grasp this topic and I have been thrilled at their progress. We also took some time to do a bit of exploration with the calculators. This included constructed and writing several math problem. The kids really enjoyed it. We also touched more on time, fractions and shapes. We also took some time later in the week for some review and catch-up.



Writing:
All About books has been the focus in writing this week with a bit of time spent on sentence conventions. The All About books are focusing on our class research project involving Orca whales. The sentence conventions have also been a real push as well.



Science:
We caught up with our weather data collection this week, which was terrific. We also took time to examine the body of the Orca whale and how that form helps it thrive in its natural habitat.



Social Studies:
We finished up our unit on neighborhoods this week in social studies. This included the class working in small groups to create good neighbor puzzles. The kids even got to write down how they can be good neighbors in their social studies journals.




This was a quick snapshot of the mischief we got into this week in first grade. Only two fabulous, fun-filled weeks left until this first grade adventure sadly comes to a close. Until next week….all told.

Spelling Words for the Week

Here are our spelling words for the week folks. Please let me know if you have any questions.

• simple
• picked
• finished
• mind
• return
• either
• someone
• temperature

Weekly Wrap Up

What a lightning quick week it was here in first grade. We had a field trip, a Spring Sing and a Harambee all rolled into one week! Wow, can you tell it is the end of the year yet? I was so pleased with how the class acted this week. We were able to get to a lot of material and the class did a wonderful job showing me that second grade behavior I have been looking for, so terrific work kids! I want to thank Husian, John, Elizabeth, Kelly, Dana and Anna for volunteering to chaperone our final field trip of the school year. The Botanical Gardens was a terrific experience and the learning/fun the kids experienced would not have been possible without the six of you volunteering to chaperone. Thank you again; I really appreciate your efforts. Also, a special shout out to Mrs. Krohn and Mrs. Sullivan for all the fabulous work they did for the Spring Sing and Art Show. I loved having the art displayed outside the classroom and the kids sounded simply heavenly last night. Thank you parents for attending last night as well.

Let us take a look at what else we were up to this week…on to the highlights!!!

Math:

We spent some time in review mode this week in math. This included reviewing measurement and data. The kids had opportunities to work hands on with both of these concepts. We also touched on solving two-digit number stories, which went very well. Finally, toward the end of the week we tackled an open response problem that dealt with number stories. This lesson began on Wednesday and was finished today as we had a long Spring Sing practice on Thursday and were unable to get to math.

Writing:

In writing this week we discussed and practiced several concepts. We continued our research on the Orca whale, which the class seems to really enjoy. We also spent a lot of time with sentence conventions. The kids worked on correct capitalization and making sentences of varying lengths to entice readers.

Science:

In science this week we spent time creating some wind instruments, aka wind socks. The kids had a blast with this activity. We also did a lot of research on our class project.

Phonics:

In phonics the kids had opportunities to create new words and include them in sentences. This was a nice activity for them and they enjoyed heading to this center during the morning work time.

Well, we are really counting down to the end of the year now. Only a few fabulous, fun-filled weeks left here on planet first grade. I will be putting up a post about our end-of-the-year plans next week. Enjoy your holiday weekend and I will see you all back on Tuesday.

Spring Sing

Reminder that the Spring Sing is tonight.  It will begin at 7:00pm and Ms. Krohn would like students to be here by 6:40pm.  I look forward to seeing you all!

Spelling Words

My apologies for not getting these up yesterday.  Here are our spelling words for this week:

- round
- square
- game
- force
- common
- special
BONUS
- everything
- everyone

Field Trip Reminder

REMINDERS FOR THE BOTANICAL GARDEN!

FIELD TRIP TUESDAY

BRING A SACK LUNCH AND DRINK.

Disposable bag is best. No nuts please.

APPROPRIATE SHOES AND CLOTHES FOR OUTDOORS.

Please make sure your child is prepared for the weather. If it is raining lightly we will still tour the trails. Wear closed-toe shoes. Otherwise we will tour the Conservatory and do an indoor activity.

SUNSCREEN/BUGSPRAY

Apply as you see fit in the morning, before school.

COST FOR ADULTS IS $6

If you are attending as a chaperone, the cost is $6. There are parking fees if you drive on your own and meet us there.

U OF M BOTANICAL GARDENS

WHEN

TUESDAY, MAY 19TH, 9:30AM

WHERE

1800 NORTH DIXBORO ROAD

ANN ARBOR, MI

Get Directions

Weekly Wrap Up

It was a bit of rocky week here in the classroom. It seems the kids are very ready for summer to hit. The blast of cold weather and rain forced a lot of indoor recess. Also, unfortunately, the class’ behavior did not warrant recess much early in the week either. Luckily, they recovered slightly toward the back-end, though, so I was pleased about that. We had an assembly on Monday from the Ann Arbor District Library’s summer reading program. Those of you new to Ann Arbor should certainly take advantage of that program. I attached a link at the end of this post. We also had the NWEA assessment on Friday, which went much smoother than last week. I am looking forward to seeing these scores when they are released. In general, it was a big week for assessments as we took a lot of time in math to finish up some unit 8 tests. Again, I was pleased with how the class performed and I made sure to give them plenty of time to recharge outside at the conclusion. We have a field trip next week along with a Spring Sing, so I am looking forward to both of these fabulously important events.  Now that the housekeeping matters have been dispatched, on to the HIGHLIGHTS!!!


Math:

In math this week we worked on mentally adding and subtracting 10 from a number. We also worked with number puzzles.  I also took time to review several subjects including defining and non-defining attributes of shapes and using shapes to make new shapes. Data was also a big push this week during centers. Finally, as I stated above, we took time to assess our progress with unit 8 material.


Writing

We have had several focuses with our writing this week. We are continuing work with How To books. Also, we are working a lot with proper sentence structure techniques. Additionally, we have begun our official class research project on Orcas/Killer Whales. The kids selected this topic and I really look forward to seeing how this research project will shake out. I have included a fact sheet for your child to complete for homework this weekend. Please send this research back in next week. If you have any questions about this project please drop me an email.




Phonics:

We took time in phonics this week to work on synonyms. This tied in nicely to our work with sentences as well. We also reviewed several phonics concepts in preparation for the end of the year.


Science:

In science this week we returned to our collecting and examining life unit. What was the topic of focus? Seeds. This included looking at diagrams of different fruits and their seeds. We made scientific drawings of what we saw as well. We also started our sprouting seeds projects. Right now we have 17 little bags with lima beans sitting in our window waiting to be sprouted. Let’s just hope they cooperate.



This was a brief look at the goings on of the week. Until next week…all told.

Message From Ms. Sullivan

Dear parents,


The Bryant Art Show will be taking place on 5-19 and 5-21 from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. This event is the same night as the Spring Sing concerts, so please come early and enjoy all of the artwork displayed around the school. Each student will have one artwork on display.

Ms. Sullivan

Spelling Words for the Week

Thank you to Aspen for reminding me to put these words up on the blog.


- inside
- correct
- away
- study
- shown
- contain
- attribute
- defining

Thank You

I would like to thank everyone for all that you did this week.  The notes, flowers, desserts, everything was just terrific.  Teacher Appreciation week is always a special time, but you all made it a truly wonderful week.  I cannot express how much I have enjoyed teaching your children this year.  You have all done a wonderful job raising some fantastic kids.  I would like to thank you for the privilege of teaching them these past eight months.

A  very happy Mother's Day as well to all you fabulous moms.




Sincerely,

Michael

Weekly Wrap-Up

It was another fantastic week here on planet first grade. We had NWEA testing and Teacher Appreciation Week and a host of other endeavors. We also were able to get to a lot of curriculum, which was terrific. Let’s delve more into the week…on to the highlights!!!



Math:

We worked a lot with shapes this week in math. We practiced dividing shapes in half and making equal shares. We also had an exploration lesson that included sorting fact triangles based on strategies to solve them. Included in this lesson were some opportunities to make new 3-D shapes by combining several different 3-D shapes.

Phonics:

We reviewed a lot in phonics this week. This included suffixes: es, ed. We also worked more with changing letters of a word to make a new word. We also worked more with our spelling words.

Science:

We collected and analyzed our April weather data this week in science. We also began our unit dealing with sprouting seeds. The kids really enjoyed these lessons.

Social Studies:

We continued our neighborhood unit this week in social studies. The kids learned about how to be good neighbors.

Writing:

We worked on How To books this week in writing. We even worked on a How To book detailing the steps of the NWEA test. We will look to finish up our How To book writing over the next week or so.



Well, it was a busy and lightning fast week here in first grade. A quick reminder that we have a field trip coming up on May 19th to the Botanical Gardens. Please let me know if your child will need a sack lunch from school. Until our next week of adventures….all told!

Spelling Words for the Week

Here are our spelling words for the week:

-half
-decided
-system
-known
-bring
-produce

Bonus:

-nothing
-quarter

Spring NWEA Schedule

Parents,

Here is the schedule for our final round of testing for the NWEA.

Wednesday, May 6th : 9:00-10:00---Reading
Friday, May 15th: 10:10-11:10

Weekly Wrap-Up (On Time)

It was a big week here in first grade yet again. This included field trips, day of service, raptors and a PBIS fun day…oh my! The field trip to Little Mermaid was a smashing success, minus a lot of “ EWWWWW’s” when Ariel had her final kiss at the end. I would like to thank Ruth for volunteering to chaperone this trip. The kids had a blast. Wednesday saw us making up our day of service from that impromptu blizzard last week. The class did a great job of cleaning up the grassy median between the parking lots. Thursday was the first day in quite a while where we did not have ANYTHING going on in the building. It was a nice change of pace to be in the classroom and get to a lot of curriculum. Friday included a visit from the Leslie Science Center and their raptors. The kids enjoyed seeing these magnificent animals up close and personal. Finally, on Friday we had our annual PBIS Fun Day. This is a great event where we celebrate all the fabulous work the kids have done this year exhibiting the PBIS principles of safety, responsibility and respect.



Next week we have our NWEA testing beginning again. We also have a upcoming field trip to the Botantical Gardens in a few weeks. If you would like to chaperone please let me know. Also take note that you will need to send in a lunch with your child, or indicate to me that you would like a sack lunch from school. If you have any questions about any of these events please do not hesitate to drop me a line. Now that the housekeeping issues are over let us get to the HIGHLGIHTS!!!





Math:

In math this week we tackled the beginning stages of fractions. This included dividing items in half and into quarters. We also spent several days working on an open response problem that also included equal shares. I loved how the class responded to both days of the open-response problem. Finally, on Friday we worked on taking existing shapes to create new shapes. This involved a lot of cutting and pasting, so the kids were thrilled. I cannot wait to see what next week will bring us.



Phonics:

In phonics this week we pretty much focused on review. We have gone through most of our phonics curriculum for the year, so we will spend time working on reviewing and reinforcing concepts that were already taught. This week saw us work more with diagraphs and clusters. We also worked on our spelling words for the week.



Science:

We were able to catch up with our weather journals this week, which was a positive. We also discussed wind and its effect on items. I look forward to revisiting this topic next week. Also, next week we will dive back into our Collecting and Examining Life unit, which promises to be a whole lot of fun.



Social Studies:

We began a new unit in social studies this week that deals with neighborhoods. The class had an opportunity early in the week to sketch out some neighborhood characteristics in their journals.




As always this was merely the highlights of what we got to this week. It is so difficult to encompass 35 hours of classroom time into one wrap-up, but if you have any questions please let me know. It was a great week in the classroom and I look forward to next week and the adventures it will bring…..until then…all told.

Belated Weekly Wrap-Up

In all the hustle and bustle of last week I realize I did not get this up on the blog.  My deepest apologies.

It was a very, very, very busy week here on planet first grade. Let’s run down the week. Monday saw us practice our lockdown procedure. Tuesday morning had us at Hands on Museum. Thank you so much to Anna and Keith for chaperoning that fabulous trip. The kids would not have had nearly as much fun without your volunteering efforts. Tuesday afternoon had us in the earth dome presentation in the gym. This was a great event where the kids got to see a 20 foot tall model of the earth. We even got to go inside! The kids had an absolute blast and on top of the field trip that morning my guess is you have some tired kids that evening. Wednesday was supposed to be day of service, but an impromptu blizzard called that off. I mean seriously…a blizzard in late April!?! Thursday was the International Festival and the fashion show, which was terrific. Friday had us practice a fire drill. I mean this was one busy week. I am going to keep the weekly wrap up short this week because a lot of our work revolved around International Festival preparation. I look forward to diving back into everything next week. International Festival is such a wonderful event that comes about every two years her at Bryant. This one went off great and I was thrilled with how well the class did during all of our work. Thank you to everyone for supporting this wonderful event. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please let me know and until next week…all told.

Lock Down Drill Today

We had our last lock down drill of the year today.  I know I said it was supposed to be on Friday, but looks like I got that confused with a fire drill.

The lock down went well and the class did a great job.  Today we practiced what we would do if we needed to leave the building.  This included us running out the back door and all the way up to the large field adjacent to the building.  We talked about how this would allow us to see if anyone was coming and possibly move towards a business on Ellsworth road if necessary.  After we came back to the classroom for a debrief I got a lot of "what if" questions from the kids.  I summarized these by basically stating that a lock down drill is all about putting as many barriers between the "bad person" and us as possible.  This may include desks and chairs in front of the door, or us running to the field.  I explained that the more barriers we have between us and the "bad person" allows additional time for the authorities to arrive and solve the problem.  I think the class did well, but please talk with them about this event and the need for it in the building.  If you have any questions, comments or concerns please let me know.

Spelling Words for the Week

Here are our spelling words for the week:

- told
- almost
- idea
- didn't
- south
- ground


Bonus:

- morning
- hundred

Weekly Wrap Up

It was a great week back here in first grade. I missed these kids so much and I was thrilled to get back into the classroom. I loved hearing the multitude of stories that the kids recited to me as they returned. I was again hit with that sinking feeling that my time with this fabulous group is quickly coming to a close. However, we are not done yet and we had a whole lot to get through this week. We had an Harambee on Wednesday that covered South Korea. I gave the presentation to the building and I was thrilled with how well my class set the example for the rest of the building. They did great. We have a field trip next Tuesday to the Hands on Museum, so if you have not sent in your permission slip please do so, or let me know if you need another one. I have two chaperones all set, but I will need at least one more, so if you are interested please let me know. This is a terrific field trip and one that I remember from my elementary days back at Abbot. I look forward to hearing from you. In addition to the field trip next week, we also have our Day of Service on Wednesday. To those who are unfamiliar with this event, this Day of Service is a time where we celebrate Earth Day by going and cleaning up a section of the school grounds. It is always a lot of fun. If you are interested in joining us we would love to have you. We will be going out at 1:45-2:15. If a field trip and Day of Service were not enough, we also have the International Festival on Thursday! Wow, it is a really big week coming up. Finally, Friday we will have a lockdown drill, so please talk with your children about the need for this procedure. If you have any questions, please let me know. Now that was a whole lot of catching up, but let’s see what we were up to this week…on to the HIGHLIGHTS!!!!


Math:

In math this week we tackled an open response problem. This went very well and I was thrilled at the learning I saw the kids exhibit during the two-day lesson. We also worked a bit more with the What’s My Rule? routine. We then moved on and tackled digital and analog time. This was a fun and engaging lesson, however the kids kept dropping their demonstration clocks. I mean seriously, they must have dropped them 20+ times during the lesson. I did not get it. Anyway, back on track….we took some time for some assessment toward the end of the week.

Writing:

We took a lot of time writing our facts about South Korea and tigers this week. We then transitioned these facts into paragraph form for next week.

Science:

We caught up with our April weather data in science this week. We also had a fun lesson involving wind towards the tail end of the week. It was a lot of fun and terrific to be able to get outside for the lesson.

Phonics:

In phonics this week we took time to review the –ed suffix. We went over how these two letters at the end of the word can mean three possible sounds (c’mon English language, help me out here). The kids had a bit of trouble with this, but we will practice it over the coming weeks. We also reviewed the long and short vowels sounds a bit more.


This was a quick snapshot of what we were up to this week. If you have any questions please let me know and until next week...all told.

Spelling Words for the Week

Here are the words the week:

- took
- above
- those
- usually
- order
- measure


Bonus words:

- describe
- probably

Weekly Wrap-Up

It was a short week on the eve of this Spring Break, however that does not mean we did not get a whole lot done. I want to say how far this class has come in these past 130 days. This is truly a special group of kids that I have enjoyed immensely as we have all experienced this first grade adventure. When we return from Spring Break that will mark the final push to the end of the year. I have very mixed emotions about this and am honestly choosing not to think too much about it for fear of my emotions getting the better of me. I will say that I cannot wait to tackle those remaining 50 days. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

Now let us see what we were up to this shortened week…

ON. TO. THE. HIGHLIGHTS!!!



Math:

In math this week we tackled more attribute work. In addition we also spent a lot of time with the What’s My Rule? routine. You may remember this from kindergarten, but we are taking it a bit further in first grade. The kids worked on this Wednesday and Thursday. While I was hoping to tackle an open response problem this week, the two-day nature of the lesson relegated it to when we return from break.



Writing:

We spent a bit of time with revision this week, but the bulk of our writing time was spent recording facts about either South Korea or tigers. We will be working on these two subjects leading up to the International Festival in late April. Our research included our weekly time in the computer lab. The kids accessed World Book and recorded several facts about South Korea. I was thrilled with how well they did in reading and identifying pertinent facts. The tiger research is because that animal happens to be the national animal of South Korea. I thought it would be a nice addition to the work we are already undertaking about South Korea. If you would like to help with these research topics please drop me a line.



Social Studies:

n social studies this week we started a new unit dealing with family traditions. This will dovetail nicely into our International Festival work as well. I sent home some homework for you this week asking for details about some of the family traditions you celebrate at home. Thank you to everyone who sent that homework back and if you need another copy please do not hesitate to let me know.



This week also saw us tackle a lot of phonics practice, spelling practice and a lot of work on research projects. All in all it was a great week. Have a fabulous and safe break everyone and I look forward to seeing you all back next Monday….until next time….all told.

Plastic Bottles For Science Lesson

If you are able could you please send in a empty plastic bottle with your child on Monday.  They will need them for a science lesson.  Any plastic bottle would be fine, but 2 liters tend to be more difficult for the kids to use, so water bottles and soda bottles would be perfect!   Thank you so much and please let me know if you have any additional questions.


Thanks,

Michael Hagen

Weekly Wrap-Up

It was a terrific week here in first grade. We were incredibly productive in the classroom and I was thrilled with how the class performed throughout the week. It was also spirit week, which led to quite a bit of fun. Before we get into what happened this week I want to take a minute and thank all the parents that sent in items over the past week. We got so many markers, snacks and useful items it is hard to even quantify! I would like to say that I deeply appreciate your support and generosity. A special thank you to Ruth for bringing in an amazing amount of supplies for the class. Also, thank you to the parents for sending in the dry erase markers last week. Thank you to LaSandra for sending in some fabulous snacks for the kids, which they loved! In fact, I do believe with all the fabulous donations we received this past week, we should be set with snack through the end of the year. Again, thank you to everyone who sent in items over the past week and throughout the year. We could not do all that we do in the classroom without your tireless support at home, so from the bottom of my heart…thank you.


We had an Harambee this Thursday, which was a lot of fun and allowed us to learn more about Japan. This coincides nicely with the upcoming International Festival in April. The country we will be researching is South Korea. We will take some time in the computer lab next week to research and record facts about that wonderful country and all of its rich culture. This research and studying will last all the way up to the International Festival in April. I look forward to seeing what the kids discover! Now let’s see what else we were up to in the classroom…ON TO THE HIGHLIGHTS!!!



Math:

In math this week we tackled a couple of new strategies for handling subtraction problems. These strategies included the counting up and counting back methods.

We also reinforced the concept of thinking addition to help with different number models. These strategies are very crucial in your child’s mathematical development and will necessitate us taking more time with them as the weeks move on. In addition (get it?) to these concepts, we also talked more about attributes of shapes. The kids had several fun activities revolving around these concepts. We capped off the week in math by playing some fabulous games on Friday. The kids had a lot of fun!

Writing:

In writing this week we continued our work with revision. The kids had opportunities to partner up at centers to help offer advice on how to revise each other’s work. We also worked on the concept of showing and not telling. What this basically says is that we want the kids to be more descriptive in their writing and their pictures.

Phonics:

In phonics this week we touched on several subjects. One of these subjects included the silent e. The class had an opportunity to sort words based on the vowel sounds they heard along with the silent e. We also had a word wall mystery activity in the middle part of the week. In addition to these topics, we also continued to reinforce compound words, contractions, consonant clusters and consonant diagraphs. All of this happened against the backdrop of our weekly spelling practice.

Social Studies:

In social studies this week we continued our unit dealing with families. We talked about how families show love toward one another and even made lists of what we do to help our families.



This was but a brief view into what went on this week. As I said at the opening, the class did a great job and I am really excited for this stretch run to the finish line. It sure will be tough to say goodbye to these wonderful kids, because you all have done a great job in raising them. That is it for me this week, but if you have any questions, comments or concerns please do not hesitate to drop me a line and until next week….all told. 

COLOR DAY: BLUE!!!

Thank you very much to Aspen for reminding me this morning.  We took a vote and we will be wearing the color BLUE on Thursday.  Hope to see you all in blue on Thursday!!!!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

Michael

Paper Towel Tubes

We could use some paper towel tubes in the classroom for our number scrolls.  If you encounter any of these cardboard tubes please send them in with your child.


Thanks,

Michael

Spirit Week

It is Spirit Week!!  Here is the line-up for the week.  We will be voting on our class color on Monday.  I will immediately post the results on the blog.  

Monday:

Read a shirt day

Tuesday:

Note to a teacher day

Wednesday:

Joke in your pocket

Thursday:

Class color day (color vote on Monday)

Friday:

Favorite book character day

Weekly Wrap-Up

It was a bit of a rough week here in first grade. I was out early this week and it really threw things for a loop. However, I am pleased to report that things went very well in my absence with the substitutes. Again, I am terribly sorry that report cards did not go out on time. The logistics of getting them printed, stuffed and sent was not possible with me sick in bed. They did go out on Wednesday though and if you have ANY questions about what is marked, please feel free to drop me a line or swing by the room. I am always available to conference about your child’s progress in the classroom. Now that report cards are out of the way I can really focus my time on my reading groups and the terrific work they are doing.

This week also saw us begin several new concepts that will be a big part of our remaining months in first grade…on to the HIGHLIGHTS!!!

Math:

In math this week the class spent time finishing up some assessment materials from unit 6. We also began unit 7 this week. This saw us tackle the subject of fact triangles. The kids had multiple opportunities to connect the fact triangle concept to dominoes and they even got to cut out their own fact triangles and practice with a friend. This was all great, great stuff. I also took some time late in the week to bring the class down to the computer lab. We all logged into a new online math program that I will be using to supplement our current instruction and to differentiate math to my higher learners. The entire class really enjoyed this activity. We will be heading to the lab once a week to practice various concepts, including this program. If you have any questions please let me know.

Writing:

Writing took a bit of a backseat this week as we went to the lab and finished up assessments. The kids had some time on Friday, though, to continue to edit and make their pieces better. I am looking forward to finishing up our revising unit next week.

Phonics:

In phonics this week we looked more at compound words. The kids were able to take two root words and slam them together to make compound words. You probably saw some of this work make its way home in folders this week. In addition to this, we also practiced our consonant diagraphs and clusters.


This was but a quick snapshot of what we were doing in the classroom this week. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about your child, or what is occurring in the classroom, please do not hesitate to drop me a line and until next week…all told.

Snack

We are currently very low on snack in the classroom.  I have had a few generous parents provide a lot of the snack for the class this year, so thank you to those parents and I am sure you know who you are.  We really appreciate your generosity and support.

However, we are still low on snack in the classroom and I am asking my other parents to please try and send in snack once a month for the class.  We have snack in both the morning and afternoon.   No one is excluded from snack, so if your child is in my room they are receiving snack twice that day.   If this persists I will have to discontinue our daily snack and go to a system where kids can eat what they bring.  Snack is an important time of the day for the kids to recharge a bit before we tackle additional subjects.

I hope for your help and support with this issue.  If you are able please send in snack once a month.  If you have not sent it in for the month of March we would greatly appreciate it.


Thank you,

Michael Hagen

Classroom Needs

We are in desperate needs of dry erase markers in the classroom.  Unfortunately the ones we received earlier in the year have dried out.  If you are able please send one in with your child.

Additionally we could also use a box of spoons and snack.


Thank you so much,

Michael Hagen

Rotary Food Drive Flyer



Rotary Food Drive

Food Drive To Fight Summer Hunger: Both Bryant and Pattengill schools are collecting canned goods and non-perishable items for Rotary Club of Ann Arbor’s Food Drive To Fight Summer Hunger. Collection boxes will be near the front office at each school from March 16-27. 

Weekly Wrap Up

It was a very quick week here in first grade. We had a day off on Monday and on Wednesday I shadowed Ms. Heyward as part of my master's program. If that wasn’t enough, we had a field trip to the Yankee Air Museum on Tuesday! Thank you to Ruth and Cathy for volunteering to chaperone this wonderful trip. The kids had a blast and this was the first time we have visited this location. The first grade teachers are already looking forward to next year’s visit. In between these events it was assessment, assessment, assessment. Report cards go out on Tuesday so I have been making sure we have everything set for their release. I eagerly look forward to getting back to normal class business next week. If you have any questions about the report cards please get in touch with me. I am always available to speak with you about your child and his or her performance in the classroom.



Math:

Well it was a whole lot of assessments this week in math. We also took some time to review place value. Finally, we worked more on fact triangles. It was a shorter week in math due to assessments, field trip and the day off.



Phonics:

We spent a lot of time with diagraphs this week. The kids practiced sorting and writing various diagraphs. We also took time to review our spelling words and reinforce consonant clusters.



Writing:

We worked a lot more on revising this week. The kids had multiple opportunities to reread work and formulate plans for revision. This included adding additional details, spelling unknown words correctly and adding dialogue. The dialogue piece was particularly interesting to read.




This was a very brief look at what we were up to this week. I look forward to getting back to normal next week. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please let me now. As I stated earlier I am always available to speak on the phone or conference about your child and until next week…all told.

Weekly Wrap-Up

It was a jam-packed, awesome week here in first grade. We had the Read-A-Thon going full bore; we had a terrific book fair that concluded as well. If those events were not enough, we also had Pajama Night on Tuesday. Thank you to all the parents and families that came out to support this wonderful event. We were also able to get to a lot in the classroom as well. Let us see what took place….on to the highlights!!!



Math:

We begun the week celebrating the 100th day of school. This involved some new and fun math games through which the kids had an opportunity to rotate. A very special thank you to Anna for volunteering to help during this event. The kids had a blast playing the Difference Game with Anna. We also tackled an open-response problem. These types of problems really fit well into the common core state standards and I love administering them. It really gives a snapshot into the level of thinking the child is using to solve a problem. I would like to find more opportunities to work with these kinds of problems. We also studied equivalence towards the latter end of the week. Finally, on Friday we took some time to play some math games.



Science:

We observed our crickets a little more in depth this week. We also collected and analyzed our February weather data, but the less said about that the better. Let us just hope that March is warmer.


Phonics:

In phonics this week we worked on consonant digraphs. The kids had several opportunities to practice this concept with a number of different digraphs. We also took time to reinforce consonant clusters as well. Finally on Friday we took our spelling test.



This is just a quick glimpse of what we tackled this week. Thank you to everyone for all the work you are doing here at Bryant and also at home. This is a great group of kids and that is all because of what you all do at home. Please have a wonderful weekend and until next week….all told.

Spelling Words For The Week

Here are our spelling words for this week.

-while
-something
-begin
-paper
-often
-family

Weekly Wrap-Up

What a terrific week back here in first grade.  It was a very productive week and the class did a great job with everything I threw at them.  We had a Harombee on Monday, which focused on the concept of “bucket filling.”   This is a common theme here at Bryant where we encourage children to “fill buckets” of individuals and not “dip from other’s buckets.”  This theme ties into the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program that we utilize here at Bryant. 

I want to let you all know we have a big week coming up with the Read-A-Thon, book fair, and a Bryant Pajama Night.  If that wasn’t enough we also celebrate the 100^th day of school on Monday.  We will have a several fun math related games to help mark the day.  Now let’s see what else we were up to this week…onto the highlights!!!

Math:

We were able to touch on several subjects this week in math.  We took additional time to work on doubles and near doubles.  This strategy is very effective in adding and subtracting within 20, which we also practiced this week.    Fact triangles were another concept that was briefly touched upon, although we will come back to it often over the next several weeks.  A scavenger hunt involving our Math Reference book rounded out the week’s festivities. 

Science:

We caught up with our February weather calendar early in the week.  After looking at our collection of data for the month we all came to the resounding conclusion that it has been cold!  I am also happy to report that we received our crickets late this week.  This allowed us the opportunity to observe and document the cricket’s activity. 

Writing:

We focused a lot on revision this week.  The class used pens to mark and edit their work.  These lessons went extremely week and I was real proud of how the kids performed.  We will continue this focus over the following weeks.  During this time we will also begin touching more on non-fiction writing.  I look forward to working on these subjects with the kids. 

This provides a brief snapshot of what the class was up to this week.  We also took time to delve back into social studies and we kept up our weekly focus in phonics.  If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to get in touch with me.  I am always available to answer any questions you may have and until next week…all told. 

Spelling Words For The Week

Here are our spelling words for the week.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

1. own
2. below
3. country
4. plant
5. last
6. under

Weekly Wrap-Up

I don’t think I can remember the last full week of school we had! It was fantastic to have all five days to really delve into some topics before the upcoming mid-winter break. It was a jam-packed week with NAAPID day on Monday, a lockdown drill on Tuesday and a party on Friday! Thank you to everyone who volunteered with the party today. The kids had a blast! Let’s see what we were up to this week…onto the highlights!

Math:

In math this week we spent time exploring two digit number stories. We also spent a lot of time with doubles, near doubles and true/false number sentences. These topics led us to talk about near-doubles on Thursday. We were able to play a few games on Friday as well.

Phonics:

This week in phonics we worked a lot with our spelling words. Contractions and plurals were also a big focus and point of practice.

Science:

We observed and documented our goldfish this week in science. Using the iPads, I was able to video the fish in Ms. Lim’s tank and have the kids watch, pause and rewind the video during centers. The kids really enjoyed this! We also talked about the different body parts of the goldfish. We also took time observing and documenting our snails.

Writing:

In writing this week we invested time in creating a graphic organizer to help with our Kensington stories. We also examined fact vs. opinion with the help of The Story of Ruby Bridges, a terrific story about a brave girl who fought segregation and hatred in 1960’s New Orleans.

Social Studies:

We spent additional time with our unit dealing with groups. The class had opportunities to sort and classify varying groups such as school groups, community groups, religious groups, etc. This unit was perfect for our talks about African American History month.



This was brief snapshot of what occurred in the classroom this week. On Tuesday we talked a lot about the lockdown and what we could do in such a situation. This conversation was age appropriate, but very insightful and helpful to the class. I was really proud of how they performed both during the lockdown and the subsequent discussion. If you have any questions about this please let me know.





Have a wonderful and safe mid-winter break. I look forward to seeing everyone back on the 23rd. Until then…all told.

Valentine's Day

This Friday we will be having a Valentine's Day celebration in the classroom.  Ruth Hamstra has graciously offered to bring in craft centers for the class again and I am really looking forward to it.  If you would like to send in Valentine's that would be great, although the principal has asked us, and I agree, that we refrain from giving out candy.  If you wanted to send in something then pencils, erasers, and stickers are all viable alternatives.  I appreciate your understanding with this.  We have 18 kids in the classroom, however Benjamin will not be returning for some time, so 17 Valentines should be sufficient.

We are also looking for volunteers that Friday afternoon from 1:15-2:30 to help with the the craft centers.  Also a special healthy snack would be great too!

 Please let me know if you have any questions.


Best,

Michael Hagen

NAAPID Tomorrow

I hope to see you tomorrow.  

Weekly Wrap-Up

What a brief week it was here aboard the S.S. First Grade. We had another impromptu vacation, which took away quite a bit of our week. We also had a field trip today, which was chilly, but a lot of fun! Thank you to Megan and Dana for volunteering to come along. We could not have done it without you!

I want to take a brief minute to apologize to all of you who check my blog regularly. It was brought to my attention yesterday (thank you so much, Joe) that I had not updated my blog since January 23rd. Unfortunately I was making my regular posts about spelling words, weekly wrap-ups and permission slips on the WRONG BLOG! I cannot believe this mistake on my part. I took time last night to delete the draft blog I was posting to these past weeks and this problem will definitely not happen again, I assure you. In the event you are not hearing from me on a regular basis please drop me a line. I always try to answer my emails promptly. I apologize again for this mistake on my part. If that mistake wasn't enough I also made the worst possible typo in my Kensington Reminder post yesterday. My deepest apologies for this typo on my part. In my zeal to get that information up that typo slipped through. It has since been corrected.

Enough of Mr Hagen’s goof ups…onto the highlights!

Math:

We began work in our new math journals this week. You may have noticed the old ones being sent home on Wednesday. This week saw us tackle the elusive target of time. We were able to make hour hand clocks to practice telling time. Unfortunately with the snow days and the field trip on Friday this was all we were able to cover this week. I look forward to next week when we will have more time to cover additional concepts before the break.

Phonics:

In phonics this week we talked a lot of suffixes. The kids practiced putting -s and -ing onto words to help a sentence make sense. We also did some brief work with contractions, long vowels and finally their, there and they’re distinctions. I love explaining that concept to first graders. They give me this inquisitive look that says, “You have GOT to be kidding me, Mr. Hagen?”

Science:

We were finally able to catch-up with our weather recordings this week in science. Our goldfish and snails arrived as well. These wonderful creatures are staying in a tank in Ms. Lim’s room. We will plan on using some of our fabulous technology to help observe and document these living things.

Writing:

We are continuing our work on our February writing goals. We took time this afternoon to write about our experiences at Kensington. It was fantastic.


It was a short week that was filled with adventures (Kensington), mistakes (Mr. Hagen) and a whole lot of fun. Until next week….all told.

Weekly Wrap-Up (Posted by mistake on different blog)

What a great week it was here in first grade! We were able to get outside a bit more often, we were able to use our new iPads, and we were able to write some new goals for February. I mean great, great stuff! Also, we had a fabulous parent volunteer for centers today, so thank you again Dana! We loved having you in the classroom. Everyone is always welcome in my room, so if you would like to volunteer please let me know. Just a quick reminder that we have our Kensington field trip a week from today, so please make sure to send in those permission slips. I am also still looking for some chaperones if you are interested. I have been assured that this is a fantastic field trip. Before we get to the highlights I also wanted to let you know we will be having a Valentine’s Day party on February 13th. Ruth Hamstra is going to be setting up some fantastic centers and we will of course put an academic spin on everything! Thank you again Ruth for your help!!! That takes care of the housekeeping issues, so ONTO THE HIGHLIGHTS!!!


Math:

In math this week we tackled our weekly progress check for unit five. I was quite pleased to see the progress the class has made with unit five concepts. We also got to play several games on Friday which was great. What is next on the docket? Why that would be a journey into the fabulous world of unit six… Ahh, you can just taste the excitement and anticipation!!!


Writing:

We spent some time this week editing our work. I also tied this to a goal writing exercise for February. I had the class look over their writing and decide on a goal for themselves to accomplish over the month of February. I will be sending home writing and copies of these goals for our upcoming mid-winter break. It is my plan to write monthly goals for writing throughout the remainder of the year. Writing is an area I would like to see the entire class take a step forward with, so I am excited to see how these goals work. If you have any questions about this process please let me know.

Phonics:

In phonics this week we focused on several concepts. The kids got to work more with contractions, which went well. We also practiced our long and short vowel as well. These concepts were complemented by our continuing work with consonant clusters.


Science:

In science this week we continued our endeavor to record weather. We received our snails for an upcoming unit as well. These snails will be going into a shared tank in Ms. Lim’s classroom. I cannot wait to see the science we can get into with these snails.


Thus ends the highlight portion of this post. Until next week….all told.

No Spelling Test This Week (posted earlier in the week on wrong blog)

Due to the snow days this week we will NOT have a spelling test this coming Friday.  My apologies for this change, but I do not want the kids to have to worry about cramming for a spelling test, especially with a field trip on Friday.  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Best,

Michael Hagen