Sixty-Fourth Day

Today we had a competition to see who could read sight words the quickest and one to see who was the quickest at addition facts. Then we wrote letters to and drew pictures for Santa.

Thanks to all the parents for the very nice party. Many students agreed: "It was the best day ever."

January reading logs have been sent home for the holidays. Have a great holiday and keep reading. The extra reading time some parents are putting in is really paying off.

Sixty-Third Day

Well at least we got it together by the third performance. Thanks to those who came to see us.

Reminder: December reading logs due tomorrow. Math for homework.

Sixty-Second Day

We finally completed the vowel poem. One child was able to recite the poem in its entirety and received a star and a Chance Ticket. We blended through the first two long-e spellings with dictation.

In math we estimated with time measurements and continued our work with equivalent expressions; this time finding a missing element in expressions such as: 11-2=_+5. We also briefy discussed square numbers as a tangent to a language arts question. I then challenged the children to find other square numbers graphically up to 144.

Sixty-First Day

Tying up many loose ends this week. Our second reading skills battery is complete but for a few make-ups. Generally speaking half of the class's fluency scores decreased as I had predicted and half improved. Those whose scores decreased did not have much buffer for a lower score and will likely be receiving unsatisfactory notices in the next notification cycle. The tests increase in difficulty each period and are administered every six weeks. The bottom line is some children just need to spend more time reading. Luckily, almost everyone passed the word reading and spelling portion of the test. Tomorrow I will send home certificates of accomplishment for those satisfying the 1st grade reading fluency goal. I will send home certificates each time we take the battery to those who pass and who have not yet received a certificate. As I stated at Back-to-School, those that are passing the test and making the district goal at this point in the year are likely not to slip below a rubric score of 3 for the year and likely not to the following years either. High score fluency was 130 WPM low score was 8 WPM.

We told time to the half hour today and will continue for homework. You should find your child's 1st quarter progress report in their folder as well as a schedule for Thursday's performance.

Sixtieth Day

We now have all but one of the stanzas to our vowel poem. We blended through long-u spelled "'u' all alone...and 'u_e'" We reviewed doubling the consonant before adding suffixes.

We discussed the difference betweeen analog and digital time which is also our homework.

I will send home the first quarter's progress reports tomorrow; look for them in work folders. Do not sign and return. These are your copies to keep.

Fifty-Ninth Day

We have finished introducing all of the consonant sound cards. Today we blended with 'v'.

We seem to be in pretty good shape for the winter program this coming week.

We began telling time to the hour today.

FYI: I read a book about Santa Mouse (a treasury from my childhood) to the children. A child asked me after I finished story 2 today, "Are you sure that's true?" Hmm....So the legend goes, that if you should happen to find a small (tiny) gift tucked somewhere in your tree, perhaps tied with a yellow bow, then you will know that Santa Mouse has been to your house. *Shrugs* I don't know, it's just what I heard. Who knows how these stories get started?

Congratulations to table 2 for tipping the scale this week at 90 grams. Next week's standard will be 95 grams.

I hope everyone has a good weekend. I will be attending a GATE conference in Pasadena on a variety of topics including differentiated instruction.

Fifty-Eighth Day

Today we reviewed long vowel spellings and had our first dictation with 2 syllable long vowel words. Two students had a perfect paper; a few others only had one mistake.

In science we explored the behavior of small particles of matter.

We have another pattern page for homework.

Fifty-Seventh Day

Today we had a brief introduction to long-a spelled 'ai' and '_ay'. We discussed homographs and compound words at length and did a small project on compound words.

We worked some more with patterns and equivalencies in math. We have a homework sheet on patterns.

Fifty-Sixth Day

Today we blended with two long-o spellings: "'o' at the end of a syllable or 'o' all alone," and 'o_e'. we also fininshed our week 12 writing assessment. You should find a copy of the fourth stanza of our vowel poem for memorization.

We will soon be ending our unit on simple machines. Our next unit of study will be: Transportation. We will explore various types of transportation and how they are powered. We will also be learning how to incorporate sensory details into our writing to make our writing more interesting.

Homework is a pattern math page.

Fifty-Fifth Day

Thanks parents for the very quick folding. It's nice to be done for the year.

Today we blended with long 'i'. Our two spellings today were 'i_e' and 'i all alone or i at the end of a syllable.' We also learned the third stanza of our vowel poem; you should find a copy of the poem in backpacks. We began our second writing assessment by making a tree map for our community worker. Tomorrow we will complete the assessment by writing our essay.

We reviewed patterns in math. We attempted to isolate the repeated elements in a pattern (not always easy). Homework is to finish the folded lesson page as that's all we had time for.

We took a test in science to show how much we knew about matter.

Fifty-Fourth Day

Today we reviewed the spellings of the week.

We learned location and movement on a grid.

Congratulations to table 2 for acquiring enough points to weigh 85 grams. Next week's goal will be 90 grams.

P.S. I have more folding.

Fifty-Third Day

Today we rehearsed for the winter program again.

We examined two new spellings for /s/: 'ce' and 'ci_'. We also practiced punctuating with quotation marks.

We used prepositions, placement and location vocabulary, in conjunction with plane shapes. This is also our homework.

For our violence prevention training (Second Step) we discussed talking over feelings and problems with an adult you trust.

Fifty-Second Day

Busy day. We started with a discussion (review) of proper playground behavior followed by our first winter program rehearsal.

We blended with our first long-vowel spellings 'a_e' (make, made), and 'a all alone, or a at the end of a syllable' (April, baby). Ask your child to tell you the long vowel spellings from today and see what happens. We also took home a copy of the first stanza of our vowel poem, one side written from memory, the other side copied from the board. Once we've learned all 5 stanzas, we can stand in front of the class and say the poem to earn a star.

December's reading log was sent home today with the math homework.

I am updating the class calendar with date and time changes made by the School Site Council.

There will be an informational meeting for the GATE program on Monday, December 13th at 3:15pm in the library. I will likely be in attendance.

I am including the email for those interested in contacting the district with their opinions about the calendar change for the coming years. The LAUSD school year would begin on August 12 and end June 4th. More information is available on the LAUSD Website under News and Events. All suggestions are requested no later than Dec. 10th. I'm not including the link because (at least from my computer) it seems to be inaccessible with a damaged file message.

Zsuzanna.Vincze@lausd.net

Fifty-First Day

We reviewed all of our recently introduced spelling patterns today. Additionally, we learned to double consonants before adding the inflectional endings: '-ed', and '-ing' after short vowel (cvc) syllables. We took extra independent work time to continue worker reports. Four students have finished those reports.

We discussed faces and vertices as parts of solid shapes in math. This is also our homework.

Fiftieth Day

Today we blended through /y/ spelled 'y_'. We discussed some properties of various simple machines including the lever, wheel, and ramp (inclined plane).

We discussed many aspects of safety and ways of staying safe as part of our health standards.

We worked with solid shapes in math. Our homework is a math page and writing page on the /ar/ sound.

Forty-Ninth Day

Wow, long week.

Today we blended with /kw/ spelled 'qu-blank'. We discovered that not only does the 'w' before 'a' change its sound (eg: water, wash) but so does the /w/ sound in /kw/ as in 'quart' and 'squash'.

I'm hoping everyone has a good holiday week with family and friends.

Please understand our shortened year and this missing week will likely affect our holiday performance. The missing rehearsal time is unfortunate but this group will be lacking none of the heart.

Forty-Eighth Day

Today we unveiled the /ng/ sound with a spelling pattern of 'short vowel-ng'.

We opened topic 8 with plane shapes.

A math page and a writing page on /ar/ is for homework.

Our winter festivities will be upon us shortly and I've had a few questions which I thought I would take a minute to address. The district allows classroom time for 2 or 3 short classroom celebrations/year. I have chosen the last afternoon before winter break, the 100th day of school, and the very last day of school for these times. I did not choose October 29th for several reasons. It was not because (as some people thought) that I did not want "sweet" treats to be shared at school. It was largely because this day is already cut short and it is still an important instructional day.

As far as what to share for our celebrations. I leave that up to the parents to decide. Some guidelines/suggestions/comments:

• Treats shared in the classroom should meet district health and safety guidelines.
• Treats which are individually wrapped are easiest to deal with (with the exception of cupcakes and cookies-those are easy too.)
• Juice boxes/pouches do not spill.
• If you decide to share 24 of something, it would be appreciated if the 24 whatevers are of the same color/flavor. Assortments make things difficult.
• Please no cakes which need to be cut.

As for February 14th, we will not have a celebration; however, we will be taking time in the afternoon of this day to exchange Valentines or whatever else we decide to send to our classmates. This is an important day for 1st graders and we can not let it pass without letting our friends know how much we care about them.

Thank you again for your understanding. I want you to know I really have appreciated your support so far this year in all of the big and little things. Some years are made much easier just because of parent understanding and cooperation.

Forty-Seventh Day

Today was an interesting day, some of the reasons for which I can share here. We blended with and reviewed /k/ spelled k. So now we have 3 official spellings for /k/ plus /k/ blend spellings which have been added making this quite a complicated spelling sound. Please note I added some links to yesterday's post which includes child-friendly information on simple machines.

We also finished taking our district quarterly math test. A high percentage of us did very well including two perfect tests with 4's on the constructed response question. If you are interested in your child's individual results, please see me.

In science we took time to make observations on a liquid which has some properties of a solid. Some samples will be following our scientists home. The substance (gak) is non-toxic and cleans up fairly easily when dry, however it would be best if it is kept away from carpeting. It is water-based so it is best if not allowed to set on wood surfaces.

When we return from break I expect we will explore a substance called oobleck-fun!

Our homework is the story problem math page. There seemed to be some confusion with about 50% of the class on the algebra question from last night's homework. If a square plus a triangle equals a circle (or whatever), then we may conclude that a circle minus a triangle equals a square. And likewise, if a giraffe plus a lion equals an octopus, then an octopus minus giraffe equals lion.

Forty-Sixth Day

We stand at more than half of the class working on publishing their worker reports at this time. Today was spent reviewing many spellings previously introduced. In addition, we blended through /l/ spelled 'le', and 'el'. We began our unit on simple machines. We began today by cloming up with a class definition of machines: they help people do work, they make work faster and easier. We decided (for the time being) that tools were not machines. It was thought that tools were smaller than machines. We will see how our perceptions and definitions change over the course of the unit. Again, this unit is very specifically about simple machines.

We began the district quarterly math test today; we will try to complete it tomorrow. Math 7-3 is our homework tonight.

Forty-Fifth Day

On the Forty-Fifth day we blended through the /er/ sound spelled 'er', 'ir', and 'ur'. Eight students began publishing their worker reports. We brought the worker unit to a close even though we will still continue our learning about workers in the weeks ahead.

We had our last dance lesson with Ms. Marrin.

We continued with subtraction to 12 in math. We will take the district quaterly math exam this week. For homework complete the math and writing sheet.

Forty-Fourth Day

On our forty-fourth day we blended with /w/ spelled 'w_' and /hw/ spelled 'wh_'. A few more people completed seminar and one person started on their publishing.

Math was an easy lesson on subtracting with doubles facts.

Congratulations to table 2 finishing the week with enough grams; next week the goal will be 85 grams.

Forty-Third Day

Today we reviewed our diphthong and digraph spellings so far. Nine students have now completed seminar on worker reports.

Yesterday our emphasis in P.E. was balance, speed and endurance. Today we practiced returning a serve in handball. Help students stay fit and increase core strength by assisting them with stomach crunches and push-ups each day. We will repeat our strength test again before winter break.

The district has proposed a mid-August start date for the school year for 2011-12 ending the year earlier June. I don't know when the decision will be finalized, but if you have an opinion in the matter we will probably need to find out the right ear to which to tell it.

We began topic/chapter 7 in math, which teaches subtraction to 12. We subtracted 0, 1, and 2 by thinking so many less as opposed to using our fingers or counting backwards, a subtle difference. Another strategy to keep in mind for this skill is to think fact families. The homework is math sheet 7-1.

In case you weren't aware the animal-free Circus Vargas is performing in Torrance currently. Vouchers are available for military Veteran's and those who are unemployed. For tickets and show times

Enjoy your time together tomorrow.

Forty-Second Day

Thanks to all the parents who took time to meet with me to learn about their child's progress and goals for the remainder of the semester. I enjoyed getting to meet everyone. A few conferences remain and I look forward to meeting with those parents as well. My students are very lucky to have the great parents that they do.

Today we were introduced to r-controlled 'a' vowel card, /ar/ spelled 'ar'. These types of spelling patterns are sometimes refered to as "murmur diphthongs." Others of this type of diphthong will soon follow. One person completed seminar and moved on to revising. We will look forward to others moving on in the days to come.

More word problems in math today. That means we will be at the end of a math topic/chapter soon. There will not be a test for topic 6. Homework is the corresponding math sheet.

One homework aside: The "pig" card is named pig for "Giggles" the pig who says /i/ when you tickle her on the chin. I realize that sometimes the short vowel cards may cause some confusion at home. The short vowels are intentionally imbedded in cvc (consonant-vowel-consonant or "closed syllables", the final consonant being the most important) type spelling patterns: lamb, hen, pig,..etc., as that is usually how they appear in words and syllables. This is different than long vowels which are often either entirely alone in a syllable or otherwise only preceded by a consonant (open syllable) eg. the 'si' in silent. We have yet to introduce any long vowel spelling patterns; things will get tough.

Forty-First Day

Today we introduced our third digraph sound/spelling card /ch/ spelled 'ch' and 'short-vowel tch'. We continued working on our worker reports, writing from thinking map to rough draft.

We danced with Ms. Marrin today. We have one more lesson to go. Just a "heads-up," Ms. Marrin has asked if we would like to participate in her recital coming up shortly after break. I told her we would. Parents will be invited.

We continued with Second Step Violence Prevention. To update you, the feelings we've identified so far are happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust. Today we spoke about how aspects of the feelings affect our insides.

Today was an important lesson in math on using a ten-frame for sums greater than 10. Essentially this is eventually supposed to get children to see they can build tens to help them add and subtract.

Fortieth-Day

Today we began rough drafts working from our prewriting thinking maps. We discussed using commas for items in a series, stressing the idea of usually using only three items (eg. I like to eat burritos, tacos, and enchiladas.).

In math we used 5 as a constant in the 10's frame (five fingers) to add and then essentially find the difference to 10. You'll find the worksheet in our homework folders.

No table met the standard of 80 grams. So, the goal remains the same for next week.

Thirty-Ninth Day

Today we added our second consonant digraph sound spelling card /th/. We learned the difference between the vocalized and aspirated sounds of /th/. We applied both the 'sh' and 'th' spellings to dictation practice. We continued with Worksong and discovered a possible meaning to the "It" described in the selection. This involved some clever thinking and use of figurative language.

Building on our knowledge of doubles, we explored the idea of near doubles in addition to 12. Our homework is the near doubles math sheet and the writing page for /sh/.

Thirty-Eighth Day

Today we uncovered our first consonant digraph sound-spelling card /sh/. We began our last Community Workers selection Worksong by Gary Paulsen, which can be accessed here: http://books.google.com/books?id=paVXgb6udkQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=worksong&source=bl&ots=3Xcpy_yXBl&sig=8f8KScJem0mkAwhU8fH39TNlRvQ&hl=en&ei=SEXSTNqWBoq0sAORu92fCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&sqi=2&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false
I've reviewed a number of other Paulsen books (mostly for older readers) on my book review blog. We learned today that some workers work at night. Some of the children were very familiar with that concept already.

We discussed adding doubles which will lead us into another important strategy for remembering addition facts: "near doubles."

Only math for homework.

Thirty-Seventh Day

Today we practiced with double consonant endings. We used discussed and practiced possessives using an apostrophe 's'. We began our pre-writing for community helper report using a Tree Map.

We cast our ballots for class president.

The topic 4 math test has been graded. The minimum score for a 3 was a 17 out of 26. Out of 22 tests recorded, two students scored 26, 1 scored 24, 3 scored 22, 2 scored 21, 2 scored 20, 2 scored 19, 1 scored 18, 2 scored 17.

We began topic 6: adding on 0, 1, and 2. In this chapter we will be exploring other strategies for adding other than using fingers.

For homework, please complete the corresponding math page and the writing page for short vowel 'u'.

Please take a few minutes to fill out the yellow packet sent home today as these pages will replace the emergency cards which you returned earlier in the school year; they have been declared obsolete by the district.

Thirty-Sixth Day

Very difficult to fit everything in today. We cut our dance lesson short. We did manage to complete a math test. Results will be forthcoming.

Parts of 10 was the math topic today. We will begin adding and subtracting to 12 tomorrow.

We will also begin our pre-writing for our new topic tomorrow by applying out Tree Map skills to the topic of community workers.

New reading logs went home today due on the 30th. Please remember that decodable and "predictable" titles from me do not qualify for the monthly 10 titles.

Thirty-Fourth Day

See entry below for Friday schedule. Please no candy tomorrow, time to pass out any gifts or treats is not provided for in the short day schedule.

Today was a busy day. We discussed different voice inflection patterns for various punctuation marks (as they came up in our decodable Fred. Then we discussed inflectional endings and their meanings for words, in particular the past tense '-ed' suffix pronounced /d/ (as in 'called') and /t/ (as in licked). This led to a brief discussion of various homophones like 'past' and 'passed' and 'mist' and 'missed'. We reviewed our fourth thinking map, the Tree Map by subdividing our "favorites" (category) into subcategories. This thinking map is useful for categorizing parts of complex ideas into smaller manageable parts.

In P.E. we learned a base stealing game called Steal the Corner.

We are ready for our next math test. Today we reviewed math sentences for related numbers by having a math sentence relay race.

Homework for today is a writing sheet for /j/ spelled 'j' and 'short vowel -dge'.

Reminder: Reading logs are due tomorrow. You should have turned in 2 reading logs by tomorrow. Your child's homework grade depends on it.

Thirty-Third Day

Today we began our first reading selection on community workers. We generated questions about workers we were interested in learning more about. We wrote a journal entry about ourselves in as a community worker.

In science we observed 7 different liquids noting their behavior and then generated a list of properties for liquids.

In math we worked on family of facts, or using 3 related numbers came up with 2 addition sentences and 2 subtraction sentences for the same numbers. Homework is the corresponding math homework.

I just realized I forgot to post a more definite schedule for Friday. I will try and remember to post some times tomorrow.

Friday Schedule

Brunch for 1st grade will be 9:30-10:00
We will begin the speech ceremony shortly thereafter. We will change into costumes at 11:45 am. We are due to be on the playground at 12:20 for the parade which is set to begin at 12:30.

Feel free to add your thoughts as comments. If you are unable to attend Friday and would like it videoed, I will try that. Just get that flash drive to me so I can give you a copy.

Thirty-Second Day

A good portion of our day was consumed by IWT (independent work time) and the second portion of the writing assessment.

Fluency scores are now posted. The mean average score for this test was 50 WPM (words/minute). Those students scoring 60 WPM or greater on the next exam (in 6 weeks) will take home the reading achievement certificate. Please keep in mind that as the year progresses, not only are more WPM required but the reading selections become increasingly difficult.

Conference notifications go home tomorrow. Please locate them in backpacks, sign and return. The conferences should not take too long, especially as there is no report card to discuss. I will go over test scores with you as well as individual goals for your child.

The math homework for the evening is a review page from last week.

We will probably read election speeches on Thursday so that voting can take place next Tuesday.

Thirty-First Day

We completed all seminars for the first unit today. Thank you parents for your support. I've never completed an entire class before in the first unit. We are almost complete with our reading battery. I will post statistics tomorrow. If you would like to know your child's individual score you can come see me or wait for conferences. Fluency scores will be posted in the classroom.

We had our fifth dance lesson with Ms. Marrin. Today we learned some break dancing as well as its origins.

In past years the concept presented today in math has stumped many 1st graders. This publisher presented the material a bit differently and made it easier to teach and hopefully learn. With the notion that subtraction finds differences we compared different sized collections today. We discovered that if you subtract the smaller collection from the larger, you will find the difference. The question for the difference is presented in two different ways: how many less, and how many more. This can sound confusing. The answer however remains the same for both questions (thankfully). The homework is the math sheet on comparing.

If you received an unsatisfactory notice, please sign and detach the bottom portion and return it to school so that I know you have seen it.

If you would like a visual record of some of your child's classroom activities, send along a flash drive and I will try to record such things as oral reports. It just has never seemed right to me that I'm the only adult that gets to see all the things your students are doing. It would be helpful if there was some place to write your child's name on the outside of the drive or better yet, attach it to a lanyard with your child's name. You can also bring the flash drive along with you to parent conferences. I am at least hopeful I can get this to work.

Thirtieth Day

Nine reports are now completed and only one left to do seminar. Today we blended through the /j/ sound spelled 'j' and "short vowel, dge". We worked on our third thinking map: bubble map. The topic of our map was ourselves. The main idea is to describe yourself using 6 (or more) adjectives. This map is good for developing sensory detail in writing. Obviously we had to discuss and define the term 'adjective'.

We will be beginning a new unit on Monday as well as beginning our first reading tests. This next unit's topic will be workers in our neighborhood. We will be moving through the writing process again and completing a report on a worker of our choice.

In math we discussed word problems involving subtraction. There is no homework.

Congratulations to table 2 for beating the standard of 75 grams. Successful completion of a dictation exercise pushed them over the requirement. Next week's goal will be 80 grams.

Notices of Unsatisfactory Performance

As I mentioned earlier, unsatisfactory notices will go home today. From my perspective it would be counter-productive to discuss the content of these notices with your child. First-grade students at this point should not really understand the implication of this communication from teacher to parent. As I mentioned at Back-to-School Night, these are sent to parents a specified number of days before report cards in order to let parents know of the possibility their child may receive a mark of less than a three in reading, writing, or math as indicated in the notice. I will speak in greater detail to parents during conferences in November regarding these notices and other issues of concern. Also keep in mind that full assessments have yet to be administered in reading and writing.

Twenty- Ninth Day

Today we had our earthquake drill which took up most of our morning. We still managed to get through several seminars which means we've finished all but 3.

For social studies we discussed how rules were made which of course leads into how leaders are chosen. It was decided that students who are interested may work with their parents to design a simple campaign (poster and speech) in order to run for class president. We discussed how candidates highlight their personal characteristics which make them good for a leadership position. Candidates also tell their constituency (voters) what they may do once elected. We will present speeches and vote, hopefully, next week.

We began to transform missing parts ideas in math into subtraction sentences which brings us to reteach 4-4 for homework.

Twenty-Eighth Day

Today we drew conclusions as a comprehension strategy while reading our last animal selection on hermit crabs. We were able to conclude that hermit crabs used other animal shells for protection. Later we practiced drawing conclusions from pictures. We wrote our first sentence during dictation today. Up until now we had only written words. We also took some time to write a story which we will use to try and scare our classmates. We did this while individual fluency tests were conducted.

We found missing parts of nine for math. Our homework is the corresponding page and a writing page on the letter 'g'.

Twenty-Seventh Day

Today we blended through short vowel 'u'. A few more students completed seminar for a total now of 17. That leaves only 7. Two students completed the entire process through publishing.
Next week we will begin our first battery of language arts exams.

In math we continued to examine missing parts of wholes on our journey to understand subtraction.

The homework is finding missing parts of 8.

Unsatisfactory notices go home this week.

Twenty-Sixth Day

We discussed main idea/details and tried to find details for our own main idea. We still stand at 12 students completing seminar. Three students have begun the publishing step.

We had our fourth dance lesson with Ms. Marrin.

For math we found missing addends for parts of a whole.

A total 28 points were possible on the topic 3 math test with a score of 24 qualifying for a '3'. Of the 22 recorded test scores, 6 scored a 28, 3 scored a 27, 4 scored a 26, 3 scored a 25, 2 scored a 24, 3 scored 23.

For homework, complete math reteach topic 4-1 and writing/spelling page for Rr. Please label pictures.

Twenty-Fifth Day

We concentrated today on the spelling pattern 'short-vowel-ck'. This is the rule that will separate our snacks from our snakes. We discussed a selection on spiders (our favorite), and how they are hunters which set traps to catch their food.

We completed our topic 3 math test. Results will be posted soon. This test was somewhat easier than our first two.

To let you know, our schedule does not always allow for make-up testing. If your child is absent the day of the test, there may not be an opportunity for re-testing. This is also partially due to the nature of first grade tests requiring a proctor. They are not taken independently. I usually only administer a make-up test if I need to have a particular score.

Congratulations to table 1 for completing the week with enough grams to meet the standard and a balance left to begin next week.

Thanks to parents for consistently sending notes with your child when they are absent. Everyone has been really good so far about sending a note after an absence.

Twenty-Fourth Day

Today we finished up our animals-and-their-food story. We learned that some animals eat other animals, sometimes it isn't easy for animals to get their food, and that some animals eat the same foods as children. Exactly half the class has now made it through their first seminar and is working on the next steps of the writing process.

In P.E. we tested for strength. Two children were able to complete 5 pull-ups. Thirteen children were able to complete 10 leg lifts. Two children were able to accomplish both tasks successfully. Accomplishing these tasks has no bearing on the report card grade but is simply a Room 11 goal for earning a star on the star chart.

We started our topic 3 math test today. We will finish up tomorrow.

Please complete the short vowel 'o' writing paper for homework. Please remember to have your child label pictures.

Twenty-Third day

We got a lot done today. We learned what a homophone was during blending. Eight students were ready for seminar and moved successfully through the process into revising. The next step will be proofreading after which students will have a one-on-one writing conference with me before the publishing step.

We breezed through an uncomplicated math lesson. The homework is the reteach page 3-7.

In science we discussed which properties of matter would be most useful for building a bridge. I modeled building a bridge and making a diagram. We then had to construct towers with our objects and make our own diagram. Later we will answer the question: which properties were most useful in constructing a tower?

Twenty-Second Day

Today we blended with 'a' as the schwa sound. We continued with our animal report drafts. Five students have completed their drafts and tomorrow we will introduce seminar protocol. Those students completing seminar and revising will move on to proofreading.

In math we discussed the simple concept of reordering addends. Our homework is the corresponding reteach page.

Twenty-First Day

Today we blended through short vowel 'o'. We discussed homonyms. We continued work on our animal reports (essays). The next step will be to go to seminar and receive feedback from our peers regarding our work. We began the animal selection Munch Crunch. The main idea for today was: some animals only eat plants.

We danced again with Ms. Marrin. We created a Flow Map afterwards about our dance.

We examined word problems in math which led to addition for their solution.

For homework students will complete the corresponding reteach page for today's lesson (3-5) and the writing page for 'i'. Again, please have students label their pictures.

Twentieth Day

We've been in first grade for two tens already.

We finished up on Baby Animals. We began writing our first rough draft. This is our second stage of the writing process.

We practiced serving the ball for handball learning the reason for the lines on the ground.

We talked about addition math sentences.

We compared our two chosen objects from our table we made and shared a comparison orally with our partner using a sentence frame. Later we will contrast them using a another sentence frame.

Congratulations to table 1 for meeting the standard of 65 grams this week. Next week's goal will be 70 grams.

Nineteenth Day

Today we began the selection titled baby animals. The main ideas we learned are that some baby animals look like their parents and some do not (but when they grow they do look like their parents.). Discuss with your child whether their animal looks like its parents when it is young.

We worked on our report for parts of seven. Four people were able to complete their report in the alotted time of 45 minutes.

For homework please complete the math sheet on parts of 9.

We are scheduled to visit the bookfair Monday morning.

I sent a collection of predictable books home with everyone who was behind where I felt they should be with sight word vocabulary. If your child brought a bag of books home, have them read and practice the books. When they are able to read the books without errors, send the books back to school for a replacement set.

Additional Ideas

When discussing your child's research animal encourage answers in complete sentences. "Where do lions live?" Lions live on the savanah." Encourage pronoun substitution for the main subject. "They live on the savanah." A paper with patterend sentences such as: A lion has....A lion lives....A lion eats...., etc. will not ever earn more than a 3 on the 1st grade rubric.

Consider designating two flash drives for your child's school work. One can stay with them during the day for everyday school use (not necessary for 1st grade) and one which can be an at-home backup copy in case they lose the "traveling" drive. Projects can be scanned, filmed, or photographed for a continually growing digital portfolio so they can assess their own growth through their grade school career and beyond.

Every year your child will be producing 5 or more personal thinking maps (circle, bubble, tree, etc.) Consider saving these so they might compare their ideas about themselves as they grow older.

Eighteenth Day

We began our circle map for our chosen animal for research. Some of the suggested questions for the map included, what the animal looks like, eats, does, and where it lives. Please be aware of your child's choice of animal and be discussing it with them. As an update, six children have completed their personal double bubble maps. Six children have completed their personal circle maps.

We reviewed the concepts of antonym and synonym and applied the ideas orally and in writing.

In math we used logic to construct models for parts of seven. Tomorrow we will construct a report to record our models.

For homework children will complete the reading/writing page for "t".

Seventeenth Day

Today we blended through short vowel 'i'. We began our "animals" unit. we generated questions for the the Concept/Question Board. We read the first selection on raccoons. We learned that some animals eat the same food as us and that some baby animals get their own food (as opposed to humans who may rely on parents for 18 years or more). Each time we learn a general concept about animals, it would be a good idea if your child knew whether or not the general fact applied to their own specific animal for reporting and testing purposes. Discuss often.

The topic 2 math tests have been graded and returned. They should be in your child's homework folder. A score of 17 was considered passing with a rubric grade of 3. A score of 25 qualified as a rubric 4.This was decided before the tests were graded. There were 26 total points possible. Of the 24 children taking the test in room 11, 1 child scored 26, 1 child scored 24, 1 child scored 22, 3 children scored 21, 4 children scored 20, 4 children scored 19, 4 children scored 18, 3 children scored 17.

For homework, children will complete "making 8" math sheet and the reading/writing short vowel 'a' sheet. Please have your child draw and label with words containing the short 'a' sound.

Sixteenth Day

Today was picture day.

We had our second dance lesson with Ms. Marrin. We used objects/props to inspire dance moves.

We began topic 3 in math. There's still more work to be done before I can post our last math test (Friday) grades.

Homework is a writing page for "S". Please have your child label their "S" drawings as well as other letter drawings. Also for math please have your child complete the math homework sheet for parts of 6 & 7 (lesson 3/1).

Fifteenth Day

Congratulations tables 1 & 4! Both tables tipped the scale and had points to spare for next week. The goal next week is 65 grams.

We had our first citizenship assembly in the miserable heat. I tried my best to shade 24 kids, not very successfully, but they all behaved like troopers, drippy hot troopers. If the assembly is in the afternoon next month, I think we'll skip it.

No homework tonight.

Thanks to all the parents who came to Back-to-School night last night. I hope I wasn't too boring. I know there was a lot of information I threw at you. It's a lot for one sitting.

Fourteenth Day

We continued our discussion of comparing and contrasting. We discussed synonyms such as alike, different, difference, and similarity. We had our first blending lesson with the short vowel 'a'. We discussed proper protocol and behavior expectations for blending. We continued work in our All About Me Books and began work on our ABC books.

In Social Studies we discussed ideas for being a good friend. I have failed to mention previously that in our Second Step training (violence prevention program) we are learning how to identify people's feelings. We are on our 5th lesson.

We continued our sockball game.We will try to finish up tomorrow. Whew.

The first monthly reading log was due today. Not everyone turned one in. I will not mark them late if they are turned in tonight at Back-to-School. Please remember that all reading logs are required for a minimum of a 3 in homework on the report card. Late reading logs are accepted until grades for the semester are due.

Tonight is a free homework night unless you would like to review the practice math test with your child. Nothing has to be turned in tomorrow. I will explain what happened with the homework tonight.

When you or a designated adult comes to room 11 tonight, please make sure to sign in. Your attendance goes on your child's permanent record with me (essentially this is a non-optional meeting). I will try to begin talking as close to 5:oo pm as possible. I will probably stop talking at 6:30. I will pause frequently for questions. Pencils and paper will be provided for taking notes. This is not an informal meeting. Much information will be given. Children of parents who do not attend Back-to-School night are at a serious disadvantage to those whose parents do.

Thirteenth Day

Today we reviewed our second thinking map, the Double Bubble. This allowed us to compare and contrast ourselves with a friend. Four quick workers were able to satisfactorily complete this task. The date on which the first student completes a particular class assignment is the date in which I enter into the grade book. When parent conference time rolls around and a particular assignment is incomplete for your child you will be able to calculate the difference in time it takes your child to work on a task and the fastest child. Learning the Double Bubble will allow us to apply compare/contrast skills to other subjects as well. When we examine different forms of transportation both across time and by type of energy consumed the Double Bubble will be particularly handy. Additionally, we worked on another page of our All About Me books. Tomorrow we will begin our Alphabet Books.

By the way, one of the reasons I'm keeping you updated on our in-class projects is so that you can use very specific language when speaking to your child in the afternoons, for example: "How much were you able to get done on_________?"; "Have you completed your ________? "When do you think you'll reach completion on your ________?"; etc.

In science we continued our exploration of forms of matter by choosing two solids and a list of properties. We practiced recording our observations in table format. Again, about five children were able to complete this task satisfactorily. The next step will be to pair-share our findings by using sentence frames to compare and contrast the two objects by using the information from our table.

For P.E. we began a game of relay sockball. We will continue the game tomorrow until all have had an opportunity to sock.

In math we completed the topic sheets together as there was a considerable amount of reading to be done. We did not complete the "at home connection" front page. Parents may complete this at home and the page may stay at home. I won't be collecting it. For homework please have your child complete the math homework page 19 and 20 (I think that's the page I don't have it in front of me).

Twelfth Day

Today we read a poem with 1st grade style wordplay. We experimented a little with wordplay of our own and a couple of students were able extend some of the ideas. Still working on All About Me books.

We completed the math lesson in class today including the home extension because I wanted to send home the two corresponding homework sheets for at home work.

Please remember that Back-to-School night is Thursday for parents. I look forward to seeing a member from each family on that day. What I've done in past years is talk and answer questions through all 3 sessions because there has been so much material to cover. I feel a bit less constrained for time this year because I have this blog and the Website to fall back on in case I forget anything. I hope everyone will feel comfortable enough to ask questions as we go along, even if they are simply clarifying questions, because I have a tendancy to talk fast to try and get everything in.

Also, please remember that the citizenship assembly is Friday afternoon. The kids will be seated in the sun. I'm sure you are aware that even if it is overcast, it is still possible to get a sunburn. Please remember to send some protection with your child Friday to minimize sun exposure. The School Site Leadership Council is the body responsible for scheduling these types of events and takes feedback from parents if you have any opinions to express. They meet once per month.

Eleventh Day

I'm having to redo this post because believe it or not the school computer ate the first one-they are not that reliable.

Back-tracking a bit, we created our first circle map (thinking map-more on Thursday night). The topic of this map is ourselves.

Today we read the classic cummulative English nursery rhyme The House That Jack Built. We recalled another cummulative story: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. We created group presentation posters for The House....

We had our first VAPA dance lesson with Ms. Marrin. I was very impressed with Room 11's dancing ability.

In math, we ordered 3 values (mama, papa, and baby) from least to greatest. Homework is to finish the two math sheets. Some students did not follow directions and took a math sheet home on Friday, but most students still had both sheets which I stapled together.

Thank you to parents for your generous donations. We now have a complete set of mats for citizenship assemblies and a collection of resealable (ziploc) bags.

Just to remind you I am not allowed to release a child to a parent whose car is not parked against a curb.

Question 1

For those of you following the blog, was the test results information of any value in Friday's post? Would you like me to include similar information for future tests?

Tenth Day

We just love Fridays.
We used visualization while listening to a poem called Twinkle Twinkle Firefly. We then drew what we visualized in our heads. We then compared our visualization drawings to the artist's illustration of the poem.

Since today was the tenth day of school, that led to a conversation about the connection between the idea of ten and how ten is constructed in written form.
In math, we played the game of Towers. We took turns drawing a number tile (1-13), built the number, compared our tower to our neighbor's tower. If our tower was taller than our neighbor's tower we removed the difference and that was our winnings for the round. We repeated the steps until all numbers had been drawn. We then began the math chapter on comparing numbers.

Parents should find their child's math test in their homework folder. For comparison purposes here are a few facts. A score of 15 or more qualifies as passing this test. Consistent passing scores are signified by a mark of 3 on the report card. Of the 24 students taking this test from room 11, 3 scored 19, 7 scored 18, 6 scored 17, 3 scored 16, 3 scored 15, and 2 scored 14.

Congratulations to table 4 for accumulating 55 grams. The goal for next week will be 60 grams.

Ninth Day

I hope parents are finding this daily information useful. I realize it may not have been entirely scintillating reading as yet, but I'm feeling better about letting parents know things I think they should know on a daily basis. I love that the Internet provides this forum.

Anyway, we took our first publisher's (as opposed to district quarterly, or standardized) math test today. Comparing this to our last math program, the questions now allow for more open-ended response and really do reveal the difference between good understanding of the material and a mastered deeper understanding. I was pleased with the results overall and will provide a few statistics in tomorrow's post for your information.

In P.E. we did some fun two-person cooperative relays.

I'm sending home a family math game to begin the next unit as well as our last simple letter writing sheet. There are a few questions on the reverse of the math game. If your child returns it to school, I will look at it and send it back home so you'll have the game in case anyone wants to play it again.

Please keep in mind Back-to-School Night is coming up quickly. This is a good time to bring any general questions you may want to ask about 1st grade and for us to get to know each other a little better. My preference is that children not attend this meeting as it really is intended for parents/guardians to get deeper insight on how the year will unfold. I usually get 95%-100% attendance and room is limited in the classroom and often I find the parents are distracted by children being in the room. Having said that, though, I would rather that if both parents are interested in coming and there is no other way than to bring the kids, then by all means-bring the kids.

After working hard to get our citizenship assemblies moved back to mornings, this past year our leadership council decided to change most of them back to the afternoon. Because of this I suggest that on those days you send your child with some sort of sun protection, whether it be a hat or umbrella because we will be sitting in the afternoon sun for a time. I will have a sports umbrella myself. In years past I have just decided not to take my class out to the afternoon assemblies, but I guess I can play along this year if I have an umbrella. I will feel better if the kids have some protection themselves.

Eighth Day

Today we learned and practiced the important science concept observe or observation. We learned the different forms of matter (solid, liquid, and gas). We then observed a collection of 8 solids and came up with a list of properties to describe them. On another day we will choose two objects and record properties on a table.

Tomorrow or Friday (depending on attendance) we will have our first math test. The test questions will look very much like the questions on the math page that is going home today. That paper may stay at home. For homework have your child complete the letter writing page.

Seventh Day

We worked a lot with rhymes today. In our journals we completed the sentence frame: Let's make a rhyme for______, ______. (eg. hat, sat) and then illustrated our rhyme.

I have assessed all of the students in their sight-word vocabulary. Only four children scored exceptionally. This is considerably fewer than I would have expected and fewer than in past years. Twice that many were unable to pass the pre-primer or kindergarten level. Some students will be receiving sets of books to take home and practice which will highlight site word vocabulary. They will go home in ziplock bags. Please practice the set and return with your child.
The homework is light tonight. The basic idea was being able to represent various objects with one-to-one correspondance to math counters.

Sixth Day

No internet connection today, so posting from home.

We experimented with changing intitial consonants to create rhyming word families. We briefly discussed parenthetical marks and one of their purposes. We continued work on our All About Me books. We worked on balance in P.E. and discussed melody, words, and beat in music. We then identified recordings of random sounds and decided whether or not they had a beat. We discussed showing larger numbers using number patterns of two smaller numbers.

Our homework is the Home Connection for the last two math lessons and a letter writing sheet.

Fifth Day

Table 1 had enough points at the end of the day today to surpass the standard and win a premium prize with weight to spare for a good start next week. Sixty grams of points will be required to win next week.

Some interesting answers were offered for the open-ended response homework question: tell what you know about 12. Some remarked that 12 is an odd number, that it is made up of a whole ten and two left over (great answer), that 5+5+2=12, and that it is made up of two digits. Some students gave 3 responses which filled up their box. Some only gave one and a few responses I did not accept at all as they were factually incorrect. If a student was expected to know something notable about the number 12 as mentioned in the previous examples and they were able to record it in the box perhaps following a discussion with a parent, this might be considered a "3" response. A box filled with information with multiple significant ideas might be considered a "4" response to give you an example of how assessments might be graded. Something which parents may not know, but students will is that I often give a "Chance Ticket" (chance to win a raffle prize) for the "best homework in the world!" when a homework should happen to stand out.

There is no homework tonight. I do not collect or record homework on Mondays. Make-up homework is collected along with regular homework on Tuesday-Friday.
Enjoy your weekend.

Fourth Day

Today we discussed how every word needs to have at least one vowel sound and how it's possible to determine how many syllables a word has by counting the vowel sounds and vice-versa. We began our All About Me books. We created and drew a pattern using colored tiles and renamed elements of the pattern.

For homework there are two math pages similar to last night's and letter writing sheet.

Third Day

I apologize for the late posting yesterday; I simply ran short on time. I can't guarantee that won't happen again, but I will try to post as soon as I can every day.

Today we began discussing our plans for our first project which will be a book telling all about ourselves. This book will have a title page and a table of contents when complete. We will soon begin an alphabet book project which we will work on concurrently.

Thank you for your prompt return of all the many office information forms. Some students did not receive credit for their writing homework due to improper letter formation. Homework today is to complete the math pages. Please have them correct (rewrite below or above) the circled letters and return the page to school. Most lowercase letters are made without lifting the writing tool (eg. a, b, c, d, e, g,...).

Second Day

Today we discussed possible ways to communicate if spoken word or writing was not possible. As a result we learned the first 4 letters of the American Sign Language alphabet. We will continue to learn the entire alphabet as we review proper letter formation.

We very briefly began discussion on our Universal Theme of Patterns (more to be discussed at Back-to-School). Actually, it was a few observant students who turned the discussion in that direction. I suggested everyone be prepared to share a simple movement (eg.touch your head, lift your right foot) that could be added to a movement pattern tomorrow.

We used visualization to try and think of other reasons people read or write. A "field trip in our head" turned into after school errands with a parent which led us to add the suggestion of "writing to give instructions" to our list. We will be developing our abilities in visualization as the year progresses as a reading comprehension strategy.

For homework a 2-sided letter writing page was assigned as well as the remaining two pages of math. Please remember to read as well.

First Day

Whew! Busy day. Today we read a poem by Gilette Burgess called The Purple Cow. We brain-stormed reasons someone may need to communicate in written form. We will be exploring the idea of the written message in the next 10 days. Also during this time, we will be working on correct letter and number formation and the proper way to hold various writing implements.
Along with the math homework, I am asking that all families try to return the Emergency Cards to school as soon as possible. I have promised bonus table points to the table with 100% return Tuesday morning.

In order to win a table prize at the end of the week, tables will need to earn 55 grams of points.

Welcome to Room 11

This blog has been created to keep parents and guardians of the students in room 11 at Caroldale Learning Community informed about daily activities in our classroom and school. I will try to post every day before I leave campus to let parents know of our important activities of the day. Please discuss what you read here with your children when appropriate. Ask them clarifying questions. They don't necessarily need to know how you know what happened during their day, they should simply know that you are informed. Feel free to respond to what you read. Please remember the most efficient way to communicate with me on timely issues is to write a note on or attached to your child's homework. Try to avoid including students' names when responding to posts. General comments and questions are best in this arena. For convenience, you might consider linking to this page through an rss feed or through the google reader application.

Thank you,

Mr. B