Can We Do S'More of This Writing?

As we have been concentrating on sequencing in reading and writing, I thought a great way to put this into practice was through some writing about "How to Make S'Mores".  We started the week off with a group writing about the steps need to make a yummy s'more.  Ms. Fogt and I decided to use the directions given by our students to make this delicious treat.  Needless to say, I tried to eat a cardboard box.  Our directions needed a little tweaking.  We fixed up our writing and each student received a S'More Kit.

After reading through our edited directions, the Firsties made their chewy, gooey, yummy treats!  Granted, there was no fire to toast the marshmallow, but that didn't seem to stop us from enjoying the s'mores.

Fall Has Arrived!

Fall is the best season for school!  We have learned about the procedures and rules, guided reading is in full swing, and there are so many fun things to learn.  This week, we have been focusing on sequence of events.  What a better way to show what we learned than create a pumpkin life cycle craft?  Our Firsties had a fabulous time painting and creating the parts of the pumpkin's life.  This went along with the beautifully illustrated book Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jamie Titherington.

From a seed, to a sprout, to a plant, to a flower, and finally....a pumpkin!

Love those smiles!

The concentration in these faces!

When I see these faces, I know I am the luckiest person to have this job!

Tally Marks!

We have been working hard to review our Kindergarten math concepts.  Right now, the kiddos are working on representing numbers in several ways.  We have talked about showing a number using pictures, number words, addition and subtraction sentences, and tally marks.  To help us remember how to draw and read tally marks, we learned this chant:

1,2,3,4, number 5 shuts the door!
6,7,8,9, number 10 draws the line!

Here we are hard at work, using craft sticks to represent numbers in tally marks.

Along with this skill, we are practicing counting by 2's, 5's and 10's.  Be sure to let your Firstie show off their counting skills at home!  They have been working hard.

Our First Week as Firsties

We have officially finished our first week in first grade! What a great week it was. We talked a lot about rules, procedures, and how to be a successful first grader. We also learned that first grade is a lot of work! The expectations are high, but we will all rise to them and be FABULOUS! Here are a few pictures of us hard at work!

Working on a Four Square in the Reading Nook area.

We do a lot of writing in first grade!

Finding a relaxing place to work.

Hard work pays off!  Mrs. Torian doesn't let just anyone sit in her chair!

I hope Chip approves of her work...

Sometimes Mrs. Torian cannot always get a candid shot. 

It took weeks, but I think our classroom is finally set up.  I have plans for each area.  Here are some spots I am most proud of!

Our guided reading area.  I am so excited to start groups!  The beginning of the year is hardest for me.  I just want to start reading with students!

This is my first year using a clip chart for behavior.  The kids really seem to like it!  We get really excited about pink.

Here is a view from the back of the room.

One of my favorite spots...the Reading Nook!

New Year, New School, Not So New Grade!

Welcome back parents!  Some of you that are reading this may be parents from my wonderful group of Kindergartners from Little River.  Others reading will be parents of my new group of Fabulous Firsties at North End.

Yes, I left a wonderful school to work closer to home at another wonderful school!  I am new to North End Elementary, but not to Person County or to teaching First Grade.  I was formerly a first grade teacher at North Elementary before leaving Person County Schools to teach in Durham.  After 6 wonderful years and an addition to our family (my now 2 year old), I realized that I needed to be closer to home.  I feel so blessed to have found a wonderful position only a few miles from my home.

This past school year, I taught Kindergarten and am returning to First Grade this year.  I just cannot seem to get enough of the class of 2025!  For my past parents, I have changed the name of this blog to reflect my new beginnings.  I will keep our old posts from last year up for a while.  To my new parents, please feel free to peruse the old posts.  Our new year together will look very similar!

I believe in hands-on learning and lots of excitement!  We will have a structured, yet fun learning environment this year.  Students need rules, procedures, and lots of structure.  They also need to experience what they are learning about.  I will try to provide as much experience as I can this year!  I am looking forward to working with you and your families during the 2013-2014 school year.

Thank You!

What a great year!  The last day came too fast, but I was so proud of all the accomplishments we made during our 180 days together.  I could not have done it without the tremendous support I received from parents and families.  You made every day enjoyable! 

Thank you for sharing your children with me.  They brought me so much joy this year and I send them off to first grade with a heavy heart.  They are ready and have outgrown Kindergarten, but they have made a permanent mark on my heart.  Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

Here are a few pictures that I did not get around to posting this year.  Enjoy!

Our new carpet was a hit!  Thank you for spreading the word and your donations from Donorschoose.org.  We love it!



Field Day was a little cooler than expected, but we still had a great time!



More photos on their way!  Check back for Muffins for Mom and Science Day fun!

Math Game Time!

We've been learning lots of hard math concepts lately.  Playing games with a friend makes it so easy though!  Here's a peek at our kiddos hard at work and having fun.



Eli and DeAngelo are comparing numbers.  Who has a bigger number?



Who can race to 20 faster?

Learning with a friend is so much fun.  We will be learning some new games this week to continue to practice tens and ones.  Help your child at home by asking them to take numbers apart.  How many tens are in 16?  How many ones?

Cold Science

What a treat we had last Friday!  Rylin's grandparents and mom came by to talk to us about some very "cool" things.  We looked at the properties of dry ice and liquid nitrogen.  We even made some yummy ice cream with the liquid nitrogen!  Check out our pictures.

Dr. Warren poored the liquid nitrogen on the table and it looked like it poured all over the floor! 

Dry ice and liquid nitrogen!





Making our ice cream!





Dry ice in a balloon.  When we shook it, the balloon inflated.



100th Day Fun

The 100th Day of School has come and gone.  Thank you to all of the parents for sending in some yummy treats and dressing us up! 

We counted and counted and counted some more today.  Continue practicing counting at home!  We are learning to count by 10's, but will soon be counting by 5's and even 2's!  Be sure to help your child arrange items in rows to help with counting. 

We expect that students can count up to 10 items in a scattered arrangement.  However, that task gets tricky for higher numbers.  That is why it is important to teach students to make a neat arrangement to assist in the counting process.

Now that we only have 80 days of school left, the job of the parents is getting bigger.  Continue to read and write nightly.  Check your child's work folders for important notes, homework, and completed work.  This completed work can give you a window in on your child's progress.

Enjoy the pictures of the "elderly" that visited Little River today!