September 30, 2014

Whew!  There goes September!  What a kick it's been getting to know the grade one class!  They've been working hard and dazzling me daily with their attitudes, efforts, and accomplishments! 

Check out the class bulletin board to read all about the rare and goofy birds we created. Some fun!

Here are some cool photos of a "Fall Magic" project we started yesterday.  Prepare to be amazed!

September 25, 2014

Reminders for tomorrow:
1. Book bags
2. Spelling test ("in"words)
3. Terry Fox Run   The run will be at 2:30.  Our class will run around the block - heading toward the high school, then past the swimming pool/activity centre, past the old high school, and down Geikie Street.  Any parents who'd like to join us are most welcome!  Thanks to Brennan's mom for volunteering to help out with our run; we really appreciate you, Mrs. A!

September 24, 2014

Thanks to everyone who returned the "Toonie for Terry" sheet.  Your support of this great cause is very much appreciated! For a short video regarding Terry Fox, please click on the address below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF8k8hpyp_A

September 23, 2014

The students all wrote in their own agendas today - a nice step forward!  Homework for tonight is working  through the book bag books/activities.

If anyone has clean, unflattened, empty tin cans that they could donate to us for an art project tomorrow, please send them our way.  (Any size tin will do.)  Thanks.

September 22, 2014

Plastic book bags went home today, as did the spelling words for the week.
This is a cool way to get people to stop at traffic lights.  (If only we had some in Jasper ... !)  Just click on the highlighted words in the last sentence.

September 18, 2014

Check those agenda pockets for spelling test results!  There are some pretty talented students in here who even got the bonus word (school) right!  (I sometimes give the students a surprise word - one that they haven't been able to prepare for - at the end of the test. One of these days you can expect "Constantinople" to appear - ha!)

The students all brought home plastic book bags for the long weekend.  They also brought home the book they authored on Iggy and Jelly.  They are supposed to read the book to a parent - or a sibling, or even a stuffed toy! If they get stuck on a word, one of the best things you can do to help them is to give them time to process the word, then ask, "What do you know about this word?" or prompt them to use the picture to help figure it out or to ask, "What word would make sense here?"  Some of the students were reading the book very well already, even with expressive, fluent performances - great to report!  (We try to avoid "robot reading", which sounds very halting and mechanical.  We're striving to make the reading sound like someone is talking in a normal conversation.)

Here are some photos of our scarecrow construction day.  (Thanks, Mrs. C, for doing this for us!)

September 17, 2014

Some reminders for tomorrow:

1.  The first cookie sale of the year will be held at recess.  Cookies are only a quarter, so dive into those piggy banks and start salivating!

2.  Our spelling test will be tomorrow morning, since there is no school this Friday.

We made shaving cream leaves in art today, and finished our book about the class scarecrows.  Expect an addition to your at-home library tomorrow!

September 12, 2014

The amazing Grade One students of Room Four achieved the impossible today: everyone got 100% on the spelling test!  This has never EVER happened before!  It warranted a congratulatory visit from the principal and a commemorative photo.  What an event!

 

We also baked an apple pie, after reading The Apple Pie Tree, and the students wrote journal entries on how to make an apple pie.  Then, of course, it was time to eat said pie!

 

 

September 10, 2014

The students all brought home a worksheet on tallies today.  This followed up a popsicle stick tally activity that we did and was further followed up by great whiteboard demonstrations of tally writing skills.  These smart grade one cookies are naturals in the math department!

We are looking for paper towel tubes for an upcoming art project; if you have any to spare we'd appreciate them.  Also, grade one students are asked to bring an apple to school this Friday, for a special afternoon activity.

We're still looking for school council representation ... maybe tomorrow at Meet the Teacher Night we'll have someone sign up for us?

September 9, 2014

We learned how to use our hands to tell us where our playground balls were in gym this morning.  There are some athletes with some serious skills in this class!  As well, we completed a joint science/language arts project today: taste-testing apple products.  Here's the class toasting each other with a sample of apple juice!

Aaaannnd one more toast ...

We had our first library class with Mrs. Anderson today.  The students each picked two books: one for home and one for school.  If your child finishes the "home" book, they can bring it back to school and take the second one home in its place.  Our library time will be Tuesday mornings, so try to have all books back by then.  Thanks.

The students all brought home an apple book to read to one or more lucky household members.  Enjoy!

September 8, 2014

We had our first school assembly today; the students were great listeners!  We also completed our first written lesson in companion reading - what a great class of writers this is!

We learned another new card game in math today.  We'll keep practicing it, but the students seemed to catch on really well.  The game is called accordion.  See if your child can explain how to play it.

We also finished some dandy self portraits today - just in time to display for this Thursday's Meet the Teacher evening. (Check out the invitation in the pocket of the agenda.) I hope to see lots of people here on Thursday!

September 5, 2014

What a pleasure it's been getting to know the new crop of first graders this week!  There's a lot of talent in this classroom; I'm going to be able to skip ahead in lots of areas because the students have such a great academic base.  Hats off to parents, students, and Mrs. C from last year; you've done an admirable job preparing for all the learning that Grade One affords!

Newsletters went home in the agenda pockets today, along with a book authored by the bright lights of Room Four.  The students' homework is to read the book they've created to a willing audience.  (Get your "oooh" and "aaahhh" voices ready, parents!)

The students also have a brainbuster challenge for the parents; look for details in the agenda's September 5 message.

Thanks so much to Aurora's mom for volunteering to be a key communicator for our class.  Now we just need a school council rep ....

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

September 4, 2014

Welcome to our class blog!  We use this blog for announcements, bouquets, reminders, photo postings, links to websites (see the Links bar at the far right of the page - just click on one that tempts your eye), etc.  Today we here in Room Four are delighted to offer you our version of human patterns, and extend the challenge to readers to figure out the pattern represented by the photos.  Good luck!