Happy 100th Day of School!

Hooray!  Today is the 100th Day of School!  Our class is 100 days smarter!  Today we challenged ourselves to read 100 Accelerated Reader books today and take the tests!  We did it!  Each student contributed by reading at least 5 books and passing the comprehension tests!  A few students did even more than 5 to help make up for the students who were absent.  I am so proud of everyone's hard work today!

After reading so many books today the kids really worked up an appetite!  At the end of the day each student made a "100 piece" snack.  Students counted out 10 from each of our 10 items.  We had Fruit Loops, chocolate chips, marshmallows, Skittles, M&Ms, Goldfish, Red Hots, pretzels, Cheez-Its, and popcorn.  Yummy!  The kids loved making and eating their snack.  Thank you to all of you who sent in snack items!

Star Students and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Walker was our star student our first week back.  We enjoyed learning more about him and I know he enjoyed his mom having lunch with him and stopping by the classroom.  

Last week, Brooke was our star student.  We were treated to some beautiful music from Brooke on her violin!  Wow!

Yesterday, to open our discussion about Martin Luther King, Jr. we used food!  Food?  Yep, food.  I showed the students a white egg and a brown egg.  We discussed how they were alike and different based on how they looked.  Then we predicted what the eggs would be like when we cracked them open.  Many of the students guessed that they would look different.  To their surprise, the eggs looked the same!  Then we were able to discuss how even though the outsides were different (just like people) that the insides were still the same (just like people).  Be sure to ask your child what they thought of this!  

Report cards will come home next Wednesday!  Enjoy your afternoon off!

Back in the swing of things!

Happy New Year!  We are back in the swing of things now that we are in week 2.  Testing, testing, and more testing (yuck!)...Last week was full of PALS testing and this week we are finishing up sight word assessments and the math benchmark.  Next week we will have our 2nd nine weeks writing test and the marking period will be over!  Wow, half way through the year...it seems to be flying by!  Please be sure you are checking all sections of your child's OWL book each night and remember to sign your child's reading homework. 

Yesterday we were able to sign up for the iPod cart.  The kids got to play reading and math games on the iPods for a little bit of time.  We are signed up  to use them one day next week as well. 

We have been studying polar animals.  Today we read Polar Bears by Gail Gibbons and learned some interesting facts about polar bears.  Ask your child what they might remember from reading the story.  Then each child had the chance to experience how blubber helps keep polar bears warm in the frigid Artic waters.  The kids placed one hand into a bowl of ice water and the other hand inside of our "blubber bag" (Crisco).  They were amazed at how much warmer the hand in blubber felt than the naked hand in the water.  You should try it at home...very cool! 

Finally, please make sure your child is dressed for the weather.  They usually don't want to wear their jackets but they  cannot go outside if they do not have one!  Thank you for helping them remember to bring one!

Merry Christmas!

Wow!  It has been several weeks since I posted anything!  Sorry...I'm sure you can all understand...these past few weeks have been so incredibly busy!  I know you all have been busy too!

The kids seemed to really enjoy our December activities.  I heard several positive comments about both the 12 Days of Giving and Secret Friends.  The children were excited whenever we did things for others and they LOVED finding notes from their "secret" friend.  We revealed our secret friends last Friday - some were completely surprised and a few had guessed!

I hope your child told you about some of the acts of giving/kindness we did for others during our 12 days of giving.  Let's see...We fed the birds, put candy canes and holiday cards on cars, made warm fuzzies for the teachers, read a readers' theater for Kindergarten, picked up trash, cleaned the room for Mr. Carson, gave a compliment, gave candy canes and cards to our book buddies, left lucky pennies for others to find, left happy thoughts on stickies around school for others to read, sang a song for others, and ????  I had a great time and I hope the kids did too!

We finished up the week with a Pajamas Party with our book buddies on Thursday.  We watched The Polar Express and had cookies with hot chocolate!  Yummy!  Then on Friday, we had a wonderful breakfast and book exchange for our party.  Then we went to the school's Holiday Sing Along.  The JF band came...PHENOMENAL...just amazing!  What a super way to get everyone in the holiday spirit!  Here a few pictures from our party and the sing along.

Click this link to hear a small part of the JF Band.  AWESOME!

Over winter break, be sure to take a little time to review sight words and math facts with your child.  We will be completing our mid-year PALS testing the first week we are back in January.

I wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!  May God continue to bless us all!

Weekly News!

December has snuck up on us!  Yesterday we were excited to start our celebration of the "12 Days of Giving!"  This is a season of giving, love, and friendship.  To help reinforce this message with the kids we are doing several activities here at school.  Each day we are doing something for our school community.  We will be making cards, singing songs for the office staff, reading to Kindergarten, making warm fuzzies for teachers, as well as some other things to continue our gift of giving for the month of December.

Today, the kids enjoyed their first "Friendship Friday" lunch.  Each student was given an assigned table and group of friends to sit with.  We will mix up the tables again next Friday.  We are hoping to foster new friendships and an overall feeling of family within our classroom.  

Lastly, the kids picked a name out of my Owl jar to be their "Secret Friend" for the rest of December.  They are leaving each other special notes, candy, asking them to play at recess, eating lunch with their friend, giving compliments, lending a helping hand, etc.  The kids were excited this morning to come in and do something for their "secret friend."  Please help your child think of creative ways they can participate!

Today was also our 1st School House Rocks!  We had about 9 children stay for the fun!  Here is a little video and a few pictures of the kids having a blast rockin' it out!

The kids are counting down the days until Christmas!  

They cut off a piece of Santa's beard for each day!