First Grade Math - This week we started working on two digit addition.  We are learning different methods to solve the problems.  The methods are new groups above, new groups below, show all totals, and sticks and circles (balls and sticks).  The methods look like this:

Phonics - This week we are working on two syllable words that have 2 closed syllables.  Ex. - insist.  Closed syllables have short vowel sounds and they are closed in by a consonant.

Social Studies - We are up to 36 states and capital as of today.  The students have also started learning a new song - "Fifty States that Rhyme".

Science - The students planted seeds.  They either planted sunflower, kidney bean, pea, or pumpkin.  We planted last week Friday.  The seeds are just starting to root.  We are documenting the growth of our seeds daily.  

They don't look like much yet...but they will!

Religion - We are continuing to work out of our ABC's of Lent book.  We are up to letter p.  Today we learned about M - Mary Magdalene,  N - the nails, O - the open and empty tomb, and P - the palms.  Tomorrow we will work on the Gospel Weekly - The Promise Paper.  Last Friday Fr. Bob came to visit our class.  Before he left we had him do a brain break with our class.  Here a  few pictures -

Today at church Fr. Bob called up a few of our students to help out during his Homily.

Writing - This week in writer's workshop we worked on cinquain poems.  Cinquain poems have five lines.  The first line has one word - the title.  The second line has two words - words that describe the title.  The third line has three words - three action words about the title.  The fourth line has four words - four words that express feelings about the title.  The fifth line has one word.  It's a synonym of the title.

Discipline With Purpose - This week we continued learning about the sharing skill.  We learned that sharing involves four things - places, time, things, and people.  We discussed how to interrupt politely and how to wait.  The other skills we have focused on this year in DWP are listening, following instructions, and asking questions.  

***Reminder - If you still have your report card envelope, please return it to school.

Weekly Spelling Lists -

Phonetic List - 2 Syllable Words with 2 Closed Syllables
upset
admit
pigpen
sunfish
laptop
napkin
himself
contest
insist
cobweb

High-Frequency List - Trick Words - Words 141-150
again
off
went
old
number
great
tell
men
say
small

First Grade Math - This week we worked on measuring using non-standard units (paper clips) and we worked on measuring using inches.  We used rulers and a yard stick.  Today we took our end of the unit test.  We also learned a new basic facts game - math baseball.  Keep practicing those math facts!  We work on them every week.

Phonics - We learned all of the long vowel and short vowel sounds now.  We worked on vowel-consonant e syllables and v-e syllables with the suffix s.  Tomorrow we will have our end of the unit test.

Reading - This week the word work focus is alphabetizing words, when to use a vs. an, and and knowing when y is a consonant or a vowel.  The kids have been working so hard in daily 5 and reading groups this week!

- A few pictures of alphabetizing words -

Religion - We have been working on our ABC's of Lent books.  Tomorrow we will also work on our Promise Paper.

Safe Environment - This week we completed the third lesson in the safe environment curriculum.  The students brought their booklets home.

Writing - This week in writer's workshop we started learning about poetry.  This week we learned about acrostic poems.  We made acrostic poems about spring.

Social Studies - We are continuing to learn about states and capitals.  We have now learned 30 states!  20 more to go!

Science - We started our Einstein kit - organisms.  Our first lesson was learning about organisms and discussing how plants and animals are alike and different.  Today we used our senses to observe and describe seeds.  Our next lesson will be planing seeds.  The four seeds we will be planting are kidney bean, sunflower, pea, and pumpkin.

Puzzles - These kids love puzzles!  On the 100th day of school I brought in some 100 piece puzzles.  They've been a hit.  They have now completed all these puzzles!  A few students have now brought in some of their puzzles as well.  It's pretty amazing!

Tomorrow is a Badgers dress down day.  Go Badgers!

Happy first day of Spring!  Welcome back from spring break!

Just a heads up - May 10th kindergarten and first grade will be going on a field trip to The Building For Kids in Appleton.  Kindergarten will need 4 chaperones and first grade will need 3 chaperones.  If you would like to volunteer, you need to be Virtus trained and pass a background check.

Weekly Spelling Lists -

Phonetic List - Vowel Consonant e Syllable (Including Suffix s)
tape
dime
hope
rule
whale
slide
spoke
tune
grapes
notes

High-Frequency List - Words 131-140
place
well
such
here
take
why
help
put
different
away

First Grade Math - We worked on fractions this week.  We started learning about measurement.  Our next lesson will be measuring with non-standard unit.  We'll be using paper clips to measure.  :)

Phonics - We have been learning the letter keyword sounds for the longs vowels.  We learned about vowel-consonant e syllables and how to mark them.  A vowel-consonant e syllable is a word that has a silent e at the end and that makes the vowel sound long.  for example home.

Computer - In the computer lab we have been practicing keyboarding skills.  We use a website called Dancemat BBC.  It starts with the home row and progresses little by little through all the letters.  If your child ever want to get to some of the websites that we use at home - there's an easy way to do it.  We have a sqworl page.  It is www.sqworl.com/grazhj.  If you type that in, it will bring up websites that we use in our classroom.

Social Studies - We continue to learn three states and capitals at a time.  We are up to number 27 - Nevada.  We have been learning the song Fifty Nifty.  It's so fun to hear them sing it!  Our last Flat Stanley arrived!  We have them all!  We were so excited!  Kate sent hers to Princess Kate in England.  She actually got a response.  It was not from Princess Kate herself, but from someone that works there.  How cool is that?!

Science - After vacation we will start working out of our next Einstein Kit - organisms.  It's a fun kit.  The kids will be planting seeds, creating terrariums, and creating aquariums.

Religion - We have been working out of a book called The ABC's of Lent.  We discuss a few pages and color/draw each day.  This last week we spend most of our time practicing for mass.  The students did a fantastic job at the all school mass yesterday!

Yesterday we had a fun day before vacation.  We spent the morning with our buddies from Resurrection.  The students went through different stations - exercising with the number 40 for Lent (40 jumping jacks, 40 seconds of jumping rope, etc.), watching a Lent video, and playing Lent bingo.
In the afternoon yesterday our class went to they gym and we learned some hula hooping!  It was so much fun.  We ended the day creating some lucky leprechauns!

Have a fantastic spring break!!!!!!

What a wacky day!  :)  The kids had a blast!  We started out the day with the whole school reading in the gathering area.  We had DEAR time - Drop Everything And Read.  We watched a video of Horton Hears a Who.  We made Cat in the Hat hats.  In math we graphed goldfish crackers after reading One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.  We went to kindergarten and made green eggs and ham out of pudding and Nilla Wafers.  We answered Dr. Seuss trivia through out the day.  It was a Wacky Wednesday on Thursday!

I also need to thank you!  I was very surprised to receive hula hoop cookies, a giant card, and a gift card to El Sarape!  I love hula hooping and I love Mexican food!  Yum!  I can't wait to eat there!  Thank you so much for the unexpected surprise today.  That was awesome.  

I took a ton of pictures today.  Enjoy!

Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss' Birthday!  We are having Wacky Wednesday...and it is really wacky because it will be Thursday.  :)  The students may dress in Dr. Seuss clothes or they may wear wacky clothes - maybe something that doesn't match or something else crazy.  At 8:30 the entire school will meet for DEAR time - Drop Everything And Read!

Newsletter error - I just read the newsletter and it said K and 1 are going to the Weidner Center next Wednesday.  It is K and 2.

Mass - We have mass on Thursday, March 9th.  Readings went home today.

Greeters - Aisling, Ephraim, Caxton, CJ
Introduction - Kate
First Reading - RP
Petitions - Ella, Sam. Cayden, Eamonn, Quinn, Emma, Aubrey, Vinny
Bread - Eddie
Wine - Dakota
Thanksgiving Prayer - Clare