Friday, February 22, 2013

Seal Class Newsletter February 15

Wow, what a fabulous two week we had in the first grade!  We made decorated snowmen, gave and received Valentines, went snowshoeing and even made a cross linked polimer.  Thank you to all of the helpers we had join us in the woods.  I am so proud of the Seals and their snowshoeing adventure!

We are learning about:

  • states of matter
  • fact families
  • the sounds that bonus letters make at the end of words (ss, tt,ll, ff)
  • how to edit our writing to make it easier for our readers to read
  • using fix it strategies in reader's workshop
  • Presidents Washington and Lincoln
  • surface tension
  • using patterns to help us solve harder math equations
  • different ways to show a number    


Some activities we did:

  • wrote lots of stories based on Mo Willems work
  • revised and edited our stories
  • played the fact triangle game
  • ordered numbers
  • measured Chinese noodles and compared and contrasted the results
  • played I Have Who Has with place value
  • created a solid/liquids/ gas book
  • played Sparkle
  • observed a snowman as it changed from a solid into a gas
  • predicted how many drops of water can fit on a penny and conducted an experiment to find out
  • revisited what it means to be a bucket filler
  • learned a new movement song the Dinosaur Rap
  • played a game of Who Knows the Presidents Best?
  • celebrated the end of our Mo Willems unit with an author's party
  • decorated pigeon cupcakes









Sunday, February 17, 2013

Visit from the Mad Scientist

SMS first grade was very lucky to have a visit from the Mad Scientists on Friday.  Jurassic Joe showed us the science behind many experiments! we even had the chance to create our own cross linked polymers.




































Friday, February 8, 2013

Newsletter February 8

Did you hear about the special visitor we had to the Seal Class?  Mason and his mom shared a house finch that they had rescued.  They had found it in their neighborhood with the help of another SMS student.  They brought her to the Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center  to be treated for conjuctivitis.  She spent many weeks getting better before she was able to be released back into the wild.  On her trip home she made a stop at our class.  We learned so many interesting facts about birds and Finches in particular.  Thank you Mason and Mrs. West!









We are learning about:

  • function boxes
  • editing our writing to make it stronger and easier to read
  • doubles
  • the sound the glued letters -ank,- unk, -ink and -onk make in words
  • all thinks 100
  • making change
  • adding with place value




Some Activities we did:

  • painted our Valenine boxes
  • played roll to 100
  • tallied and coin tossed to 100
  • wrote about ourselves at 100 years old
  • exercised to Move to Learn
  • continued writing lots of books based on Mo Willems' craft
  • collected bits of snow and ice and observed how quickly they melted
  • played a new word game
  • had a 100 day parade with our sashes


Ready for the parade

ipad app:  Mo Willems Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App!
poem of the week: 100 Days of School

Volunteers:
Monday             Chris West
Wednesday        Lori Rocha, Claire Ellis and Elisa Barney
Friday                Erin Pompeo



100 blocks

Roll to 100












Mystery reader and a book all about a house designed by a little boy!

Miss Viola Swamp and a Froggy book



100 marshmallows



Friday, February 1, 2013

February 1 Newsletter

Report cards came home today!  Please sign and return the envelope only.
We also sent home a sash to decorate for the 100th day of school.  We will celebrate the BIG day on Thursday, February 7.


                                                           
We are learning about:

  • author's craft
  • activating our schema while reading
  • making inferences to help us better understand the stories we read
  • states of matter
  • function boxes
  • place value
  • greater than and less than


Some activities we did:

  • made goop
  • conducted a glitter germ experiment
  • began writing graphic novel books based on one of our favorite author's Mo Willems
  • played the coin exchange game
  • painted a giant dragon for Chinese New Year
  • shared our amazing writing
  • played six more weeks of Winter


Poem of the Week:  Walking in the Snow

Upcoming events:

February 6    Public budget hearing in SMS cafe at 7 pm
February 7    100th day of school
February 14   Valentine's Day      

February 15   Visit from the Mad Scientist
                      PTO Father Daughter Dance

February 25-March1   Winter vacation

March 8       District meeting in the SMS cafe at 7 pm