First Grade Math - We are continuing story problems.  This week we worked on more problems with hidden information.  We are also learning about 2-step story problems.  In the 2-step, we have to figure out two problems to get to the answer.

Phonics - We are working on the review unit.  We are practicing scooping by syllables, identifying the syllables, and marking everything - suffixes, bonus letters, glued sounds, digraphs, blends, digraph blends, etc.  We have learned a lot this year!

Writing - We have been very busy writing thank you letters!  We are so lucky to have so many volunteers!  We also had our last writer's workshop session this week.  We are almost finished with all the letters in handwriting.  We are making a first grade memory book.  They are turning out so great!  The kids are writing about their school year, adding photos, and getting signatures from their classmates.

Religion - We continue to work out of our book.  This week we learned about the parable of the Good Shepard.  We have also been working on our final copy of the books we made with Mrs. Friday. The
books tell about each of the unthinkables and the thinkables.  They are great resources!  They are really awesome books!

Reading - Everyone has finished running records!  Woohoo!  We'll meet in reading groups for the rest of this week.

Science - We are finishing up our organisms unit.  The terrariums and aquariums are getting cleaned up.

A few field day pics -

Beginning of the day

End of the day

*Library Books - Please remember to return your library books!  According to my list from Mrs. Donarski the following students need to return books - Aubrey, Cayden, Ella, Eddie, Caxton, and Ephraim.

***Faith Shields/Magic Stars/Leader of the Pack cards - Today we counted.  We have 456 cards in our classroom bucket!  :)  All of that great behavior leads to something positive - We earned our reward!  On Monday, we are going to have a board game hour!  The students can bring in any games that they want from home to play!  Cards, board games, etc.  No electronics this time.  )

First Grade Math - We are working on story problems.  This week we worked on comparison story problems, problems where the unknown was in all places, and problems with not enough, extra, or hidden information.

Phonics - We have started the last unit of our book!  This unit is a review.

Reading - We are still working on running records.  Almost everyone has read.  Wow!  Boy have their levels changed from the fall to the spring!  This week in word work our new center is base word addition.  The students are taking base words and adding prefixes and suffixes.  A new work on writing center is called "The Scholastic News Report".  The students read a Scholastic News.  Then they write the title, what the paper is about, and draw a picture to go along with the story.  It's been a hit!

A great picture from daily 5 last week.  These girls were practicing their spelling words.  :)

Religion - This week we have been practicing for our mass!

Writing - We are still practicing our handwriting.  We are working on forming the letters correctly and putting the letters in the correct spaces.  We are three letters away from completing the whole alphabet.  In writer's workshop we continue to write, edit, and illustrate stories.  We are also working on books for our dads for Father's Day.

Science - This week we discussed ways our woodland animals and our water animals are alike and different.  We learned about different ways that animals move.  We continue to observe our aquariums and terrariums.

Mrs. Friday - This week we had our last lesson from Mrs. Friday.  We have learned so many "unthinkables" and "thinkables" from her.  We are putting together a book of all of the superflex powers we have learned about.  They will be finished soon.

***Field Day***
Tomorrow is Field Day.  Everyone will get dropped off and picked up at the Res campus.  Make sure your student is wearing their Field Day team colors.

First Grade Math - We have been working on story problems.  We are working on add to and take from problems where the unknown number can be in all positions.  (partner or total)

Phonics - We are finishing up unit 13.  We have been working on suffixes s, ed, ing, and es.  We learned that we use the suffix es when a base word ends in s, ss, x, ch, sh, and z.

Reading - Our word work focus is still tongue twisters.  As the students are working in the daily 5 centers I have been pulling the kids to do their final running records of the year.  It is amazing where they started and where they are now.  They have come so far!  This week we also had a visit from the Bookmobile.

Science - We are still working with our organisms.  We have had lessons on comparing and contrasting our water plants vs. our land plants and our water animals vs. our land animals.  We learned about four amazing plants.  We learned about ways different animals move.  We still have our terrariums and our aquariums.  We check on them often.  We are seeing plants that are growing and plants that are dying.  We are finding that some of our guppies have died and some of our guppies are having babies!

Religion - This week in our textbook we talked about who Jesus says is our neighbor - and it's everybody!  We learned from the parable of The Good Samaritan and The Poor Widow who gave here last two coins.  Father Bob is coming to talk to our class on Friday.

Friendship Mass has switched from May 24th to May 31st.  So the mass we were scheduled for on June 1st switched to next Thursday - May 25th.  Mass parts were picked and readings went home today.  

The mass parts are -

Greeters - Emma, RP, Vinny

Introduction - Dakota

First Reading - Kate

Petitions - Sam, Aisling, Caxton, Ephraim, Quinn

Bread - Ella

Wine - Aubrey

Volunteers Poem - Clare

Preparation of Gifts Song - CJ

Communion Song - Cayden

Closing Song - Eddie

This mass is going to be in honor of our school volunteers.  Instead of the Thanksgiving prayer, we are going to read a Volunteers Poem.  The students are working on decorating the letters that spell out volunteers and they will hold them up during the poem.  After that we will sign the blessing song to all of our volunteers.

Discovery Day - Today we had an awesome afternoon.  In one session the first graders learned how to play gaga ball.  In their other session they learned about restaurants from three people that came from Eddie Whipps.  They had to talk about all the people that make a restaurant go and that they all work as a team.  Then the students had a chance to be those workers.  We had chefs, bakers, waiters and waitresses, hosts and hostesses, bussers, dishwashers, and customers.  

Making a menu

Setting the table

The waitress taking orders

The chef cooking

Enjoying the delicious cream puffs from Eddie Whipps

The second group setting the table

The hostess waiting for customers

The customers waiting for their dinner

Adding up the bill

Happy Mother's Day!

Weekly Spelling Lists -

Phonetic List - Irregular Plurals

foot

feet

wolf

wolves

mouse

mice

goose

geese

person

people

High-Frequency List - Words 191-200

world

going

want

school

important

until

form

food

keep

children

***Thank you so much for the wonderful card and the gift cards to Target and Kohl's for Teacher Appreciation Week!  That was so kind and thoughtful!

Our field trip to The Building for Kids was so incredible!  We started the day by taking a class called magnificent matter.  We learned about solids, liquids, and gases.  We worked in stations on many different science experiments.  We made silly putty, worked with oobleck, mixed vinegar with baking soda, poked holes through bags of water with pencils, and many other fun experiments.  The rest of the day was spent exploring the exhibits of the museum.  A fun time was had by all!

Weekly Spelling Lists -

Phonetic List - y to i - add -es
baby
babies
cry
cries
pony
ponies
sky
skies
berry
berries

High-Frequency List - Trick Words - Words 181-190
few
those
always
show
large
often
together
asked
house
don't


***Field Trip on Wednesday***

This Wednesday we are going to The Building for Kids in Appleton.  We will be gone all day.  Each child must bring a cold lunch.  (And if you're a chaperone, you need to bring a lunch, too.)  All of the lunches must be "brown bag style".  Please pack your child's lunch in a brown bag, grocery bag, etc.  and label it with their name.  Everything in the lunch needs to be consumable - ex. baggies, plastic silverware, etc.  Do not pack any tupperware, silverware, etc.  We will be bringing the lunches there, but we will not be bringing any of the lunches back.

The students may have a dress down day on Wednesday for the field trip.

First Grade Math - This week we worked on equation chains, addition equations with three addends, and addition equations with four addends.  Keep practicing those math facts!

Phonics - This week we are working on the -es suffix.  We learned that words have -es when they end with sh, ch, s, ss, and x.

Science - We have been working with two new organisms - pill bugs and bess beetles.  We are continuing to observe both our aquariums and our terrariums daily.

Religion - This week we worked out of our text book.  We read stories about miracles Jesus performed.  We discussed God's love for us.

Handwriting - We are continuing to work on forming letters the correct way and writing the letters in the correct spaces.

Reading - This week our word work focus is tongue twisters!  The students are reading and writing the tongue twisters onto their very own creations.  

The fire department came for a visit on Wednesday afternoon.  They showed us one of their fire trucks.  They also brought their safety house.