Friday, October 26, 2012

October 26 Newsletter

The Seal Class is ready for Halloween and all of the fun that comes with it!
Trick or Treat has been changed to Sunday, October 28 from 5-7.

We are learning about:
                                                                                                                   
  • fall holidays                                                                                   
  • the life cycle of a pumpkin
  • using adjectives in our writing
  • odd and even numbers
  • the sounds z, x and qu make in words
  • using the number grid for addition and subtraction
  • where to find words in our room to use at writer's workshop


Some activities we did:

  • wrote Halloween stories
  • created a pumpkin book
  • played a before and after game in math
  • exercised to odd and even numbers
  • described the ooey gooey inside and the hard, bumpy outside of our class pumpkin
  • began reading the Pumpkin Elf
  • continued our work with Mrs. Curry about expected and unexpected behaviors
  • colored a jack-o-lantern number grid puzzle
  • graphed our favorite pumpkins
  • read lots of Halloween stories



Poem of the Week:  The Skeletons Are Out Tonight                                
ipad app:                   Concentration

Upcoming Events:
Tonight is the Halloween Howl!
October 31  Fall Festival
November 8 and 14  Early Release for parent/teacher conferences
November 9      No School teacher workshop
November 12   No School Veteran's Day

Please let me know if you would like to meet and have not signed up for a conference time.

Next week's volunteers:
Monday   Melissa Caracciollo

I sent home the link for Xtra math in every child's folder.  This is not a have to but a want to.  If your child enjoys the challenge of "beating" the computer, this may be the game for them.  It is however, strictly optional.






Monday, October 22, 2012

October 19 Newsletter

We are learning about

  • the sound -ck makes at the end of words
  • trading pennies for nickels
  • writing number stories
  • different types of insects
  • using backpack reading strategies to help us with tricky words


Art in the hall



                                                                                           


Some activities we did

  • wrote insect riddle books        
  • labeled insects in the computer lab
  • used coins to "buy" things at the store
  • practiced making change
  • created pumpkin glyphs that tell a story
  • began our tree journals
  • met Mrs. Marceau's friend Mr. Bones
  • listened to our very own author Mason's Seal Story


ipad app:  Quick Math
poem of the week:  There was a Ghost

This week's volunteers  Monday         Lori Rocha
                                      Wednesday     Louise Potorti
                                                             Chris West

Upcoming Events 

October 26        Halloween Howl
October 31        Fall Festival
November 8 and 14  Early Release for parent/teacher conferences
November 9      No School teacher workshop
November 12   No School Veteran's Day

Please let me know if you would like to meet and have not signed up for a conference time.





Our mystery reader is... Mr. Potorti!




Our class is becoming a group of amazing readers!  As a result, our reading folders will begin to come home nightly.  Your Seal will have the chance to bring home a new book each night to read and to practice with.  If your child is reading longer books, they know they may keep them at home as long as they need.
Please help your Seal to remember their reading folders.




Friday, October 12, 2012

Newsletter October 12

We had another fantastic week in the first grade!  

We are learning about:
  • reading with partners
  • graphing
  • using tally marks to gather information
  • the sound that short i makes in words like pit, dig and tin
  • what good readers do to get ready to read
  • directions on a map
  • stretching our stories to fit across pages
  • reading strategies to help us when we get stuck on a word
  • sink and float
  • insects
  • fire safety

                                                                                                                          

Some activities we did this week:
  • visited Coppal Farm
  • created graphs and had our friends help us to fill them in
  • played the penny/partner game
  • decorated our seal t-shirts
  • created insect clocks
  • did a sink and float experiment
  • wrote a class poem about good friends


Poem of the Week:  Putting Out The Fire
ipad app:   Monkey Math

Upcoming Events:    October 14 Fire Tower Fun Run  If you are able, please join us for the one mile         
                                  fun run!
                                 We will meet in front of the stage at the bottom fields at 8:10.  Wear your t-shirt!

Volunteers:             Monday                 October 15    Donna Marsh
                             Wednesday             October 17    Erin Pompeo  and Elisa Barney
                             



                       Reading with our Partners in 1MM











Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Mystery Reader

We were so excited to have our first mystery reader.  Thank you Mrs. Larkin!




Our Trip to Coppal Farm

We had a fabulous time at Coppal Farm today.  The rain held out and the farm was beautiful.  Thank you to all of the moms and dads who were able to join us!



Tom Turkey



Visiting the baby sheep



We all had a turn to pet the 2000 pound horse.



Lost already...
Getting ready to go in! 


The hay maze was so much fun! 
We made it out!




Friday, October 5, 2012

Sink or Float Boats


The Titanic floated because it did not have any holes in it.
We had so much fun floating our boats today!  Everyone was a success.  I think that we may have future engineers in the Seal Class!





I think that my boat, the Santa Maria, was strong enough to float in the water.  I am glad that mine floated.

The Caribbean floated because it is light.

My boat, the Cricket, floated because it was made out of plastic.

My boat is a floater because it has a flat bottom.

You know how logs float, my boat is one.

My boat the Caribbean floated because it has a sail.

My boat is called the Santa Maria.  I used styrofoam, sticks and straws.

The Eyeball boat floated because it is light.


I am so excited and happy that my boat floated.

The name of my boat is the Jumbo Boat X60 and the USS Caparso.
My boat is named the S.S. Abbie.

My boat is called Smarshy.
It floated because of the sail.

My boat is the Sunny Sail.  It has trash on the bottom.  I ate a yogurt cup for the seat of my boat.  My mom peeled off the wrapper of the cup.

My boat floated because it is light.  It is called the USS Ethan.  I used an egg carton, straws and cloth.

Sail Matey Go sailed because I made it from Styrofoam. 



The Pirate boat floated because it has a sail.


My boat is light.  It is named the SS Lia.