December 12th Newsletter

This was a very short week in first grade with the snow day on Tuesday and an early out on Wednesday and our IMS buddies on Thursday. 

In math we continued to work on measurement and comparing our height with the height of things in the classroom.  We also worked on combinations of numbers that add up to numbers 5-15.  We did all of our math work this week in partners.  The first graders did a great job of partner work.

In reading we read  the story "Me on the Map".  We did a little bit of map reading and talked about how we fit in the world at large.  We worked with the long a sound in words that have a silent e (cake, made, tape, etc.).  We will finish this story next week.

We finished up our pictures of our favorite Christmas trees from the Herbert Hoover Museum.  I think the blue Christmas tree and the one with the dice and the pink flamingos were by far the favorites.

We celebrated four birthdays this week.

I shared some of my favorite holiday literature this week. We read "The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree" by Gloria Houston,  "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Suess, and "Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg.  The main theme of all of these stories is that there is much more to Christmas than the glitter and commercialism that seems to be so common these days.  

The Christmas Carol Sing will be Friday, December 19th at 12:30.  If you would like to join us in singing Christmas Carols that day, please feel free to do so.

The first graders will also be enjoying a Christmas party next Friday from 2:15-3:15.

IMS Buddy Activity

Our IMS buddies came today to do some Christmas activities.  They brought some books about snow that they read to us.

We decorated sugar cookies.  I didn't realize first graders could eat so many sprinkles.

We made Christmas tree ornaments.

Here are the ornaments we made.  They are beautiful blue and silver snowflakes.

We had a great time with our buddies.

Sinterklass Came!!!

We arrived at school this morning to find candy, cookies, and a pencil in our wooden shoes.  After checking with Dan and Paula we decided that Sinterklass did have time to visit us while he was visiting the children of Holland. We all must have been good because we all got goodies instead of a lump of coal in our shoes!!!   

December 5th Newsletter

In reading this week, we worked on writing a personal narrative.  A personal narrative is a true story about something that happened to the writer.  I was very pleased with the writing of the students, considering this is the first formal piece of writing they have done for me.

We started a Holidays Around the World unit this week. We started in the country of Holland.  We learned that Dutch children start the holiday season on the evening of December 5th.  On this night they leave out their wooden shoes in the hopes that Sinterklass will leave presents and candy.  Then the actual Christmas celebration on December 25th is a very solemn occasion celebrating the birth of Christ.  We made some wooden shoes and left them on our desks over the weekend in the hopes that Sinterklass will be able to visit us as well as the children of Holland.  Next week our trip will take us to the country of Sweden and maybe Mexico.

THERE IS A 2 HOUR EARLY OUT NEXT WEDNESDAY FOR INSERVICE!!

It would be of great help if you could put your child's name in their winter clothing.  Black snowpants all look alike and it is very difficult to tell whose is whose.

West Branch Christmas Tree Museum

On Thursday we went with our Wellman Elementary buddies to the Herbert Hoover Museum in West Branch. We viewed their display of Christmas trees.  This year the trees were all decorated around an Elvis Presley theme. We heard a little bit about each of the trees and picked out our favorite tree. 

The patriotic tree was my personal favorite.

We had our picture taken with one of the trees and also with both of the other first grade classes.