B2 Votes!

Today our school participated in a vote for president with other students across the country. The students know that because they are not old enough to vote, it doesn't count towards the actual election results, but that it is important to learn the process. We went down to another classroom with voting stations where students could vote for who they wanted to be the president for the next four years. We talked about how voting is private and you don't have to tell anyone who you voted for. The kids did a great job! After they left they got an "I voted!" sticker! What a cool experience for everyone!!! Here are some pictures of the big event...

Every 4 years....

We have started learning about elections and what it means to be a leader/president. Today we read a book called Duck For President, a Scholastic News about voting, and talked a little bit about the whole process. We will continue to look at the election process, the local, state and national government, and talk about what it means to be a good leader.

Reading Response Journals:

Each year we teach these topics in Social Studies, but it is way more fun to learn about them when it is an election year! Check back on the blog for more election coverage of the learning going on in B2 this week!
Take Care,
Mrs. Weathers

Ten Black Dots

Today we read a story called Ten Black Dots. In this story the author counts from 1-10 and the dots are used to make a picture about something. I read numbers 1-9 then ask the kids what they think the ten black dots can make. This is a lesson in creativity and thinking outside the box. Here are some different ideas the kids came up with. It is a fun/different/creative lesson... it is cool to see the interesting ideas out there..

A Giraffe...

A train...

A whale...

Some blocks

My personal favorite: 10 Little Monsters...

The number 10...

A  train...

Mom's and Dad's

A Mountain...



The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

Friday we read "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything." This is a fun story about a little old lady who has parts of a scarecrow following her in the woods and eventually ends up in her yard. There is a part that repeats throughout the story that the kids love to say along with me and do the motions to. It goes like this: And What do you think she saw? Two shoes go CLOMP CLOMP, One pair of pants go WIGGLE WIGGLE, One shirt go SHAKE SHAKE, Two gloves go CLAP CLAP, One hat go NOD NOD, One scary pumpkin head go BOO BOO! We had a fun little art project to go along with it.

Happy October!
Mrs. Weathers

October Birthdays!

We had the privilege of celebrating our October birthdays today!

Happy Birthday to each one of you!

Have a great day!
Mrs Weathers

Science in the Morning

We had the one and only, super awesome, Bobbie Snead in our classroom to teach about Owls this morning. She is a captivating science teacher and has a great way of communicating and teaching kids! She is aslo a published author. We will read some of her work this year in the area of science.

Speech

Here is the note that came home yesterday with your child. There was also a paper attached to it where they started writing about what they wanted to say in their speech.

“Knuffle Bunny” Speech!

On Wednesday Oct. 31, your student will be giving a speech to the class. This will be a practice speech and not open to an audience. (That speech will be later). Attached you will find a story/speech your student wrote about their “Knuffle Bunny” (special stuffed critter- not blanket or pillow pet). Please work with your student on practicing what they will say. Speeches are short, less than 2 minutes. Students can use whatever they need to help them remember the speech: pictures, note cards, paper etc. The main skills we will be working on are volume and eye contact.

Please send the stuffed critter and speech on Wednesday the 31.

Thank you so much for your help!

***Please remember that Book Character Dress Up Day has been moved to the Spring***

Sight Words

There are many words in reading that students need to know just by looking at them. Here are many words that 1st graders should know as soon as they see them. They are also words they should learn to spell correct whenever they write them. Don't worry, they don't all need to be known right now, but soon they should know them by sight. I would suggest writing these on flash cards and running through them each night a couple of times. You can count this work as part of your RAH minutes.

Kindergarten

a	the	go	up	at
in	to	my	it	look
on	you	dog	can	like
see	he	is	and	of

First Grade- phase one

have	will	his	play	are
him	had	not	get	eat
time	they	help	by	home
one	big	was	out	old
she	all	do	but	ask
little	stop	did	for	said

First Grade- Phase two

next	try	made	again	right
because	door	went	before	them
your	only	some	same	then
girl	about	under	down	this

November/December Skills to Practice at Home

Math:

Write numbers to 100

Count by 5’s to 100

Count by 10’s to 120

Identify name and value of penny, nickel and dime

Count small collection of coins

Addition and subtraction fact families to 10

Writing:

Writing multiple sentences on a topic with a beginning, middle and    

end

Spell high frequency words correctly

Proper use of upper and lower case letters

Spaces between words

Neat handwriting

Reads own writing

Reading:

Knows vowel sounds

Blend and segment words

Can change a letter to make a new word (cat becomes rat becomes

sat)

Hears syllables

Reads 20 minutes daily

When figuring out unknown words, uses chunking or blending to

help decode the word

Retells a story in sequential order (First, Next, Then, Finally)

Classroom Skills:

Quiet voice in the classroom

Following directions

Staying on task and completing work in the time given

         

Checking In and Looking Ahead...

This week we will be learning about bats.

Next week we will be learning about the presidential election.

Next Friday (Nov 2nd) is grading day so there is no school. I have started assessments today with kids that I will use for report cards. This is a time when students need to show me what they can do INDEPENDENTLY without support or guidance. That means I will be assessing their reading levels on a text they have never seen before, giving them math tasks that they have had lots of practice at- but I can't really help them if they get stuck or confused (writing their numbers, addition, counting by 5's and 10's, using the greater than and less than sign, etc). This is the time when I am meeting with a lot of kids one on one during class so that I can really make sure I know where they are at in their skills.

Today we did a writing assessment where I asked them to pick one event (jog-a-thon, going to the pumpkin patch, visiting the fire station, etc) and write as much as they could for me. We reviewed the writing goals we had been working on since school started- they did a GREAT job!

Please feel free to check in if you have questions or concerns! Email is always the best way to touch base, but I am always up for a phone call or personal visit after school if you are around!

Take Care,
Mrs. Weathers

P.S. If you would like to donate baby wipes or pencils to the class that would be great, thanks.  

Field Trip Pictures!

Pictures from the field trip today! We had lots of fun walking over to the station, luckily it didn't rain. Once we got the we walked around the fire house and saw were the the fire fighters hangout. Thanks to all the parent volunters who joined us!!!