Reading Logs

I'm noticing as I submit final marks for the year that eight students have 1 or more reading logs missing for this reporting period. In order to have a passing mark of 3 for homework on the report card all reading logs for March, April, and May need to be submitted by Tuesday.

All students from room 11 will be progressing on to 2nd grade this year. Congratulations!

One Hundred Sixty-Sixth Day

We have been continuing our Being Afraid unit as well as our reading battery.

In math we have been adding fractions with like denominators and finding equivalents for basic fractions. Today we subtracted fractions from a whole.

We will mark our final day of school with a class celebration. The last day of school is a minimum day so our celebration should begin shortly after 10:00. I will be preparing for the festivities at approximately 9:30.

One Hundred Sixtieth Day

Today we discussed things which may cause the emotion fear.

In backpack you should find a fraction report for the week which will show "cookies" cut into equal fractional pieces with corresponding equations. I would expect most students to have been able to complete at least 5 "fraction cookies" in the allotted time. Some students will have up to 7.

I did notice how quickly footwear changed after I made mention awhile back, thank you. Today, however, a child's P.E. performance was greatly limited/unsafe due to improper/inadequate footwear. A reminder: all children should wear secure (laced) shoes (sneaker or tennis style) for safety, comfort, and performance requirements. All children should wear socks every day.

Have a good weekend.

One Hundred Fifty-Ninth Day

We are approaching our final language arts battery for 1st grade. We have completed our unit study on "homes" and will begin our last unit on "fear."

We completed several rounds of timed math tests on addition facts and will do the same with subtraction facts. Each perfect score adds another star to the star chart. We are also continuing our introduction to fractions.

Next Thursday we will mark our 50 year anniversary of Caroldale's opening. The following Friday we will have our Spring Dance. We are breaking with tradition and having the dance in the afternoon this year. Afternoon assemblies tend towards warm and breezy. It would be advisable to keep this in mind when choosing your child's wardrobe for that afternoon. Light, bright colors are suggested. Black will more than likely be uncomfortable.

One Hundred Forty-Ninth Day

The topic 20 twenty tests went home today. Of the 23 students taking the test 21 students passed with a score of 11 or better; six students made a perfect score.

One Hundred Forty-Seventh Day

We took our last publisher's topic math test today. I am going to spend some time filling in holes we made while rushing through the year. Then I will spend some time on fractions, an important concept not covered by the new program in 1st grade. We will focus more heavily on parts of a whole, for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 equal parts. We will add fractions with common denominators and reduce some fractions to their simplest form.

One Hundred Forty-Sixth Day

Notices of unsatisfactory performance went home today. If your child received one, please sign and return the lower portion.

Thank you to the parents who volunteered to help with the field trip on Thursday.

Field Trip/Bus

There may be an issue in the morning with the number of seats on the bus. Supposedly the district may send a 65 seat bus for 67 passengers+chaperones. That was the last I was hearing when I left the school today.

New Unit

We've been working steadily on our new unit, Homes. We have learned that homes traditionally were built using materials from a people's immediate environment. We asked and learned why homes are important. We learned that they protect us from things like the natural elements and invaders.

In math we've been working on non-standard measurement.

Happy Mother's Day Weekend to all.

Field Trip

Our field trip this year will be to the Peterson Museum where we will learn about transportation from the past and present. The cost for each child is one dollar. The first grade teachers are asking for a dollar donation from each family to cover the cost. Although my suggestion is for each child to bring a sack lunch from home, the cafeteria will provide the sack lunch for those students wishing to purchase. I will need to turn in your child's lunch ticket for May 12 (or $1.00) on Thursday of this week (May 5th) so they will know how many lunches they need to order and prepare. Thank you for your timely cooperation in these matters. A permission slip will be forthcoming.

One Hundred-Thirty Fifth Day

Of 24 students taking the topic 20 math test 17 scored a passing score of 15 or better. There were 3 perfect scores.

One Hundred-Thirty Fourth Day

Topic 20 math test today. No Homework.

One Hundred-Thirty Second Day

We started the day working on individual projects. We reviewed many spelling patterns. We wrote journals about our vacation week. We re-read the selection The Way of an Ant and concluded that there may be times when we will need to give up on a goal or task because of new information we receive, or it just becomes inpractical to keep pursuing it.

In order to review a bit more for our topic 20 test we will likely postpone till Wednesday. I was at a meeting on the Friday before break and tonight's homework was inadvertantly already done. I sent the family review sheet home today. No homework will be due tomorrow.

Question 2 & 3

If you have an opinion in the matter I would like to hear, especially since most of our families were represented at Back-to School night and all but one were represented at Open House.

2) In retrospect was/is the information presented at Back-to-School and on the Web site sufficient for you and your child's 1st grade experience? Is there anything you would have liked to have seen which was not included?

3) Was what you saw at Open House what you you expected to see?

One Hundred-Thirtieth Day

Today we read Itsy Bitsy Spider's story as part of our perseverance unit, then wrote her a letter. The letters will be sent off to Story Book Lane. She will more than likely read the letters and respond to our inquiries and well wishes.

We have completed all formal lessons for topic 20 in math. If you practice the skills from this topic with your child occasionally during the break, then I will review when we return before giving the test. We also discussed in class how the truly complete answers to the math homework journal questions include full explanations as to why you know what you've stated. If "Jose" is wrong, 'we know he's wrong because when counting back __ 10's the answer is __ not __.' Or we prove him wrong using inverse operations. Just such a question came up on the District Quaterly Exam and the more complete answers received a '4'. I gave a Chance ticket to those more complete answers in order to encourage more thoughtful responses. Please remember that these tests are given in all subsequent grades in school. If a homework question has 3 or 4 lines for a student to respond, it is likely that we are looking for more than a 3 or 4 word response.

One Hundred-Twenty-Ninth Day

It was great to see all the families tonight. I feel so lucky to have worked this year with such nice families. Members from 23 out of 24 families attended.

Today we examined and enjoyed a poem about perseverance.

We explored the idea of rockets and propulsion. It took us awhile, but we came to an understanding about how the balloon created exhaust to propel our rocket set-up.

We took our final District Quarterly Math Exam today as well as continued our work with subtracting two-digit numbers.

One Hundred-Twenty-Eighth Day

Attended triple GATE meeting last night (coordinator's, SAS, and parent). Nice to visit with parents from past years.

We've been completing long-term projects, reading selections and drawing conclusions about perseverance, watching plays written and produced by our class members.

In math we continue working with double digit addition and subtraction.

I may begin to taper off with blog entries as your child's first-grade year draws to its finish and only add entries as necessary. Please feel free to add questions (as comments), if any arise and I will be sure to respond.

This Week's Tests

Topic 18 math test had 20 out of 22 people passing with a score of 12 or better. There were five bonus points possible on the performance assessment. Four students achieved a perfect score. For the first full reading battery with all 24 students tested, 6 students achieved a perfect score. Eighteen students passed all sections. Six students passed our first time-limit-math-fact test. The writing test is not fully graded yet. We will take the district quarterly math assessment this coming week.

One Hundred-Twenti-Somethingth Day

Almost complete with this round of testing. Last quaterly math assessment will be next week. Statistics regarding this week's tests will be posted soon.

We have been drawing conclusions and comparing and contrasting as comprehension skills for our perseverance selections.

We have been continuing with our visual art unit. We also began examining Marilyn Burn's icons of depth and complexity.

One Hundred-Twenty-Second Day

Writing test was postponed due to poor attendance. We'll have to start tomorrow without regard to attendance. We read The Little Red Hen from our perseverance unit. We spelled words with /er/ spelled 'ure'.

We took the topic 18 math test. We began topic 20: Adding Ones and Tens.

One Hundred-Twenty-First Day

Everyone should have a copy of their second-period progress report. A new reading log went home today. We have a full week of testing activities this coming week.

One-Hundred-Twentieth Day

Today we reviewed a variety of spellings and sounds in blending. In dictation we focused on short-o spelled 'a' and short-oo. We officially opened our new unit and a couple of knowledgeable students were able to tell us what perseverance meant, so we formed a definition. We brainstormed a few questions about perseverance, stories with the theme perseverance, and activities where we have shown the characteristic ourselves. We reviewed 'cause and effect' and came up with cause and effect scenarios in our groups in order to make a class game.

In math we continued with more coin counting activities.

For art we viewed line and stippled drawings incorporating tone. We also touched briefly on composition and subject emphasis.

One Hundred-Eighteenth Day

Today we took care of some loose ends from the previous unit. We went into depth with prefixes focusing on the meaning of 'un-', 're-', and 'pre-'. We continued working on projects for Open House during IWT. In math we spent a little time talking about fifty-cent pieces. All but two progress reports went home today in a white legal envelop. This is your copy it does not need to be signed or returned.

One Hundred-Seventeenth Day

Today we blended compound words and reviewed words with short-o spelled with an 'a'. We closed our Folktales unit and will move on to our unit on perserverence. We will soon take our first complete reading battery. This test will include the first of two formal comprehension assessments which will need to be passed with a score of 80% in order to pass the final reading grade with a score of 3.

For math we included quarters as a part of our coin value counting. We were visited by the principal today who observed us working on individual projects. He was pleased by those students who were able to articulate their task and relate their 'next step.' He was also "impressed by (our) finished samples."

One Hundred-Sixteenth Day

No Homework today.

We reviewed words with 'ough' spellings. We wrote a set of directions for a new journal entry. We performed our Reader's Theatre pieces.

We counted total value of groups of coins for up to 18 coins.

One Hundred-Fifteenth Day

Today we worked with irregular plurals. We used elements of folktales to come up with Reader's Theatre tales of our own.

We organized coins by value and counted totals. We worked on a quick math project for Open House display.

One Hundred-Fourteenth Day

Today we read The Three Billy Goats Gruff which taught us to not be greedy. We reviewed time-order words. Our blending lines led to a brief discussion of the words 'balk', 'butted', and 'diminutive' as a synonym for 'small'. We also raced to spell words with /shun/ and /zhun/ endings.

We added dimes to our coins for math.

One Hundred-Thirteenth Day

Seven students have had the opportunity to use the computer for word processing and have completed their long-term projects. One student is creating an electronic presentation to accompany her hard copy. Today we read an African folk tale about Anansi the spider. We used the comprehension strategy of clarification to clear up ambiguities and new ideas from the story. We reviewed common nouns and commas with items in a series.

We started a new topic (17) in math today about money. We worked with pennies and nickels today.

For Visual Art we practiced and discussed line as an element of art.

One Hundred-Eleventh Day

We reviewed words with double consonant spellings. We wrote two paragraphs about games using two thinking maps. Three students used the computer today to explore a little bit of word processing for long-term projects.

We explored the use of tally marks to record information and extended the idea a bit to discuss multiplication.

In science we began our weather journals where we will record weather statistics over the course of the next month. We will also use and learn about weather measuring instruments during this time.

For Second Step violence prevention, we discussed predicting other people's feelings as a result of their own or others' actions.

One Hundred-Tenth Day

Today we were treated to a performance of Alligator, Alligator by Harbor Community College
Theatre Arts. The performance was greatly enjoyed by the students. We then wrote reviews and thank-you notes to the company, especially the Clean Fairy and the Clock Hog.

We spent our afternoon sorting objects and shapes by characteristics.

For Health we discussed staying clean (hygiene) and fit.

One Hundred-Ninth Day

Today we practiced more with inflectional endings. We read The Bossy Gallito and learned that using manners can save a lot of time and effort. We created a Flow Map for one of the games we previously mapped.

We learned what a bar graph is. The total possible points for the math test yesterday was 23 including 3 bonus points making 14 a passing score. Of 21 students taking the test, 18 passed with a score of 14 or better. Three students scored perfectly, 1 scored 22, 2 a 21 and 2 a 20.

A note about shoes: I haven't said anything about appropriate foot wear for school, but I would feel remiss if I don't say something about it. The most appropriate shoe for daily first grade activities will be fastened by laces (or Velcro closure) with ALL eyelets being used finished with a bow which is double knotted. Students with this type of shoe not only have an advantage during P.E. activities but are also more likely not to fall, slip, or loose their shoes during class or recess. A laced shoe is also more likely to provide the proper support and insole protection.

One Hundred-Eighth Day

Today we wrote directions. We also generated sentences from our Tree Map for our long-term project.

We took a math test and worked with answering question with information in graphic form.

One Hundred-Seventh Day

Today we blended with short-oo and short-o spelled 'au'. We discussed the word 'haul'. We read our first selection of the Folktales unit and learned that folktales teach lessons and that animals often speak in them.

We began a new topic in math on graphic representation of information.

One Hundred-Sixth Day

We created a Tree Map for use with our long-term project. We began our next unit about and titled Folktales. We discussed the meaning of the word 'folktale'. We learned that long ago folktales were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. In days to come we will learn that folktales often have a lesson or moral.

In math we used related facts for word problems.

For science we drew a diagram and wrote what we had learned about air in the previous day's experiment.

One Hundred-Fifth Day

Today we spelled words with uncommon long-a spellings. We also began planning work for a long-term project which will incorporate several concepts we've learned over the course of the year.

In math we again solved subtraction problems using addition.

In science we worked with partners using plastic leur syringes and rubber tubing to demonstrate air pressure. We discovered that just a little bit of air can be stronger than 2 1st graders, that air can push, pull, cause sound, and create missile projectiles.

One Hundred-Fourth Day

Today we worked again with inflections. We continued with our reading of Matthew and Tilly using 'clarification' and 'making connections' as comprehension strategies. We then applied the comprehension skill of stating 'main ideas and details'. We learned that sometimes friends don't always get along and sometimes need to spend some time apart in order to better appreciate the friendship. We took dictation today with long /oo/ and long-u spellings with two syllable words.

In math we worked again with fact families. With 3 points of the score being bonus points from the performance assessment, a score of 17 was passing on Topic 15 test. Of the 23 students taking the test, 16 students passed with a score of 17 or better. One student scored 27 and 3 students scored 24, 3 a 23, and 4 a 22. On the social studies exam, again 16 students passed with a 3 or a 4.

One Hundred-Third Day

Today we blended and reviewed compound words. We used the comprehension strategies of "making connections" and "clarifying" for beginning our first reading of the friendship story Matthew and Tilly. We wrote about a time when we argued with a friend of ours and told how the problem was solved.

Topic 15 Test was handed back today. Results will be posted along with the social studies test tomorrow. Today we began Topic 16 which revisits the related facts ideas.

One Hundred-Second Day

Worked hard today. Again we reviewed inflectional endings. We then reviewed initial consonant clusters. Then we pantomimed the actions suggested by our Bath Flow Map. Together we used the Bath Brace Map and the Bath Flow Map to write an expository descriptive essay. We then wrote our own essay using our own Brace and Flow Maps.

We took our Topic 15 math test followed by our social studies map test.

One Hundred-First Day

We reviewed /ow/ spelled 'ou'. We discussed 'scout' as a verb. We reread Big Team Relay Race using the comprehension skill of cause and effect. We read the next selection, Mary Mack. We learned that "hand-games" is a sub-category of games without winners. We worked in groups of 3 to write our own hand game verse.

We used related facts to solve story problems. We took a while longer with math today so we used the rest of our time to do math problems in our head.

If time permits, we should have our social studies continent test and Topic 15 math test tomorrow.

One Hundredth Day of School

Not all days are created equal. "This is the best day ever!" remarked a student. Exactly what I wanted to hear. We worked hard to get here. Thanks to the parents who shared a special treat.

We started the day spelling words with embedded /er/ spellings which led later to alphabetizing to the fourth letter in some cases, no problem for some kids. We worked with time-order words and then combined time-order words with a Flow Map of a story of our own choice.

We then tally counted to 100 to make our 100th day headbands. The rest of our afternoon was consumed by 100th day activities endings with treat time. "This is the best day ever!"

Our homework is a review of related facts.

Ninety-Ninth Day

FWe are ready for our Birthday Celebration! Tomorrow's our big day.

Today we began The Big Team Relay Race. We will work on making predictions and summarizing as a comprehension strategies. Tomorrow we will work on comprehension skills. For this story we will focus on the idea of teamwork. We discussed the meaning of the word relay. A review of the /ow/ spellings for blending led to a discussion of the meaning of the words: fowl, stout, and louse. We created a Brace Map for the the noun 'bath'. We then made our first Flow Map and sequenced taking a bath. These prewriting steps will assist students in formulating ideas for explaining a process/activity to another person.

In math we used related addition facts to help with subtraction.

Hope to see you at Literacy Night tonight.

Ninety-Eighth Day

Today we finished reading Jafta. We reviewed doubling consonants before inflectional endings. We discussed and worked with some contractions. We created our second Brace Map together for a game we played today called Griddle Cakes. We then each created our own Brace Map for one of our favorite games, Four Corners.

In math we used addition to solve subtraction problems. We are almost ready to take our first timed addition fact test.

Reminder: we will likely have our social studies map test on Friday.

In science we discussed air resistance and pressure and made parachutes to demonstrate these ideas.

Hope to see you tomorrow evening at the literacy night. There will be 3 sessions following dinner. In my first session I will cover Thinking Maps for those parents who want to take a more detailed look at these ideas. The next 2 sessions I will show how to make accordian books which are quite useful for a number of purposes.

Ninety-Seventh Day

Today we began our second selection, Jafta, which led us to discuss an author choice to use vivid verbs to help create pictures in their reader's minds. We also learned that some games don't necessarily have rules but that most games do in order to make them more fun and to regulate behavior. We described a best imagination game in our journals.

We are all abuzz with 100th day anticipation!

We continued today with related facts in math. I have to say I've never had such a high number of students pass so many math tests before. On the Topic 14 math test, of the 23 students taking the test, 21 students passed with a score of 15 or better. Three students scored perfectly, 6 students scored 20, 2 students scored 19, and 3 students scored 18. Way to go!

The neighborhood maps I've received so far look good. The printouts were sized perfectly. One note: if you can, try not to mark your house on the printout or indicate your address. It would be best if you do not use the home-value style maps which tend to give too much information.

Please keep in mind that first graders should be going to bed no later than 8:00 p.m. on school nights no matter what happens to be on television.

Please remember that this Tuesday's dismissal is the regular 2:04 time.

Ninety-Sixth Day

We've been experimenting with rhyming sounds to a great extent this week. We recorded some of our best rhymes on a glog. We worked in pairs to start creating a board game.

We learned a new 4 person tag game which really gets the heart pumping.

We took the Topic 14 math test and began work on Unit 15. For homework students will work with related numbers.

Ninety-Fifth Day

We accomplished a lot today. We reviewed long-u and long-oo spellings. We read the first selection of our games unit entitled Piggle by Bonsall. We learned that not all games, while still fun, necessarily have a winner. Someone offered tag and jump rope as other examples of games without clear winners. We devised a list of rules for the game Piggle. Each table had the chance to play the game and then share out their results which were then posted on the concept/question board. We then made our first Brace Map, our fifth type of thinking map. While Tree Maps are used to classify various nouns, objects, words, etc. into categories, a Brace Map is used to break up one particular noun into its various parts.

In math we worked on two step problems which closes our current unit. We will take the test for this unit tomorrow.

For social studies we worked on neighborhood maps. At this point in the year I like to suggest that parents direct students to a mapping program on the Internet and locate your home's satellite photograph. Magnify the view to approximately 100ft/inch. Size to show their block and a portion of surrounding blocks. Have your child make a simple map with legend (key) under your direction but in their hand. On your child's map, buildings could be shown as simple rectangles. Print a view of the satellite picture and attach to the hand-drawn map and send with your child to class.

We will be breaking many years of tradition this year by changing our 100th day celebration activities. Hopefully we will still be able to make a memorable impact and we will still share treats in the afternoon.

Ninety-Fourth Day

We reviewed long and short vowel spellings along side each other today. We wrote about a game we like to play. In days to come we will go into into greater detail by examining rules and procedures for playing.

In math we found the sum of 3 numbers.

Ninety-Third Day

It was nice to meet with everyone this week. Enjoy your holiday weekend.

Today we started our "Games" unit. We will be discovering all things "games." Today we classified games, using a Tree Map, into the categories of inside and outside and then sub-categorized into ball, no ball, board, or no board.

Questions to which have been asked so far:

1. What types of games do people play in other countries?
2. How are games made?
3. How do you know how to play games?

Types of games: outside, inside, board, rope, ball, team, solitaire, imagination, strategy, luck, skill, video, traditional, hand, etc.

At the culmination of this unit, students will be required to explain how to play a game in detail.

In math we discussed making a ten to add with eight.

Ninety-Second Day

Today we reviewed our last official spelling-card spellings. We discussed the interesting word 'employ' as a synonym for 'use', or 'to make use of'. We deduced the spelling for schwa spelled 'ou' in a spelling game (e.g. trouble, couple). We completed work on our social studies world map and many went home today with a message to parents. Our test should occur the first Friday in March. Please remember that in order to pass social studies this semester, students are required to locate and name all 7 continents, 4 oceans, and Los Angeles on an unlabeled world map.

I have almost completed the fluency assessments for week 18. We now have 15 students reaching the district required fluency level for first grade. That is up 3 from the last test. Many other exciting gains have been made. Improvements have been made in writing across the board.

We continued work on topic 14 with adding with 9 for homework.

As an aside, thanks to all the parents for your participation in this forum. Our blog has received our two-thousandth page view today.

Ninety-First Day

Yesterday we blended with /f/ spelled 'ph'. We learned the word 'phase' as a synonym for the word 'stage'. We discussed othe useful words like graph and photo. We completed the writing portion of our district periodic language arts exam.

Our homework and math lesson was making a ten to add, a very useful skill to master, in my opinion.

Nintieth Day

The 100th day is fast approaching. The One-hundredth day has traditionally been celebrated as a special milestone for first grade. In lieu of celebrating individual birthdays throughout the year, we take this opportunity to mark our accomplishments and emphasize the idea of a 'hundreds' place in math.To end this day on a high note we ask parents to contribute treats that may be shared in the afternoon.

Today we blended with /r/ spelled 'wr'. We added N. America, S. America, and Antarctica to our world maps.

We worked with doubles plus two for class and homework. I've never used this "strategy" with first graders before. I'm not quite sure it will become a go-to strategy for a first grade mind. I tend to stress more the making a ten strategy which we will cover tomorrow.

Eighty-Ninth Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all.

We crushed in a lesson with /oi/ spelled 'oi', and '_oy' between a shortened day with brunch schedule, quaterly math exams, periodic reading assessments, and early dismissal. I honestly don't know how we did it. We will have testing for the rest of the week as well. Please make sure everyone comes to school on time and gets plenty of rest.

We discussed doubles again in math coupled with doubles plus one and took this for homework.

Eighty-Eighth Day

We are past the middle of the year.

Today we worked with adjectives, comparatives, and superlatives at length.

We also prepared for receiving our Valentine's notes. A list of names went home with the children today.

We began Topic 14 working on addition facts to 20. Of the 23 students who took Topic 13 math test, 21 students passed with a score of 16 or better. The main body of the test was worth 18 points while the performance assessment was worth 7. There was one perfect score. Three students scored 24.

Tables 2 and 4 won the week surpassing the standard. One table won this week surpassing the standard. Our new goal will be 110 grams. This will be a difficult task as all of the days are shorter next week. Please keep in mind the modified dismissal times for next week.

I would like to report at this time that the student with the most stars on the star chart has 16 stars. You are welcome to check how many stars your child has next week at your parent conference.

Hope to see some of you at Game Night tonight in he library. I am bringing a game I invented that 1st graders usually enjoy playing called Changing Gears.

Eighty-Seventh Day

We reviewed a variety of vowel spellings today. We reviewed possessive 's'. We started putting together our study maps for our social studies standard test.

We took Topic 13 math test today. We ran out of time for a new math lesson. Homework is a spelling sheet.

Parents please check your child's homework each night. I'm repeatedly sending back incomplete homework and homework with careless mistakes. Finding an error in your child's homework is the perfect time to have a discussion about your child's problem solving process.

Eighty-Sixth Day

Today we blended with /n/ spelled 'kn'. We discussed and used commas when writing dates and geographical locations.

In math we made estimates and compared to accurate counts (homework).

Parent Conferences

Parent conference notices will go home tomorrow (Wednesday). Please check backpacks for bright orange notice. Sign, tear off, and return bottom portion of sheet with an attendance response. If you are absolutely unable to attend your scheduled time, please indicate a time or day which would work better.

Eighty-Fifth Day

Today we reviewed the diphthong spellings of the last few days. We reviewed conjugations of short vowel verbs. We also talked thought of, identified, and used adjectives in sentences.

In math we made "organized lists" or subsets of larger sets to solve number riddles based on one or more clues. This is also our homework. That will leave one more lesson before having a test on this topic.

I forgot to mention that unsatisfactory notices went home yesterday. Please remember that these notices are required by the district to inform you that your child may be performing below standard in a particular subject (math or reading) at this point in the year. Please sign and return the bottom portion of the notice with your child. Conferences will be scheduled soon.

Eighty-Fourth Day

Today we blended with both spellings of the "Hawk" card, short-o spelled 'aw', and 'au_'. We used context clues to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words with these spellings in a reading selection. We discussed continents, oceans, seas, globes and atlases.

Our focus in math and homework is ordinal numbers.

For science we had a short introduction to water pressure action on a gas.

Eighty-Second Day

Today we blended with /ow/ spelled 'ou_'. We used our tree maps to write paragraphs about a place which we would not like to visit again. This exercise will be important for our future writing exams. Some children have completed the task independently. Some will take much longer while others need directed guidance.

In math we found numbers 'before', 'after', and 'between' other numbers which will be our homework.

For health we discussed staying well. Ideas for staying well included such things as coughing into your elbow, washing hands, eating a healthy diet, and partaking regularly in physical activities.

For our Second Step program we discussed impulsive behavior brought on by strong emotions. We discussed how to collect ourselves by: taking slow deep breaths, counting backward from five, talking to ourselves, and finally thinking calming thoughts.

Eighty-First Day

Today we blended with /ow/ spelled 'ow' (now, flower). We learned that a commitment is a powerful promise. One of the students in class even had a commitment of their own to share. We created a tree map listing sensory details for a place we have been but do not want to return. One at home project you may want to consider for this unit is to have your child share a presentation of some place they have been before. This could be a local experience or perhaps an adventure out of the country.

In math we estimated using a number number line. This is our homework as well as a spelling paper.

For social studies we started mapping our classroom.

Eightieth Day

We began the day today with a visit from a counselor from Carson's Family Center. At my request, the counselor took us through some exercises on asserting yourself when confronted with unreasonable or bothersome behavior from another child.

We also began discussing Captain Bill Pinkney's single-man journey around the world. Captain Pinkney was the first African American man to sail solo around the world via Cape Horn. He named his ship The Commitment. In this unit we will explore the meaning of the word commitment as well as delve into mapping skills and imagine what Capt. Bill saw as he visited many of the world's continents. During this unit we will memorize the names of the continents and oceans and learn to locate them on a map as well as where we live. At the end of the unit we will take a test to show what we have learned. In order to achieve a passing grade all continents, oceans, and the approximate location of Los Angeles needs to be located. Maps will be sent home in order for us to study with family.

In math and for homework we continued work on ordering numbers to 100. Our math scores have been tabulated. Twenty students passed the test with a score of 10 or better. A record 6 students achieved a perfect score. This was surprising as this proves to be one of our more challenging topics and one reason why I did not bother with a performance assessment piece.

Seventy-Ninth Day

We are done with the seventies, on to the eighties which means we are days away from the middle of first grade. Has it gone quickly?

Today we blended with the short-oo sound. We also had our dance off and I'm very glad that it was a closed performance, but hopefully everyone had fun at least.

We had a test on topic 12 today. Considering how fast we had to cover the material, I think we managed to keep our heads above water for the most part.

Seventy-Eighth Day

I forgot to remind the kids that we had agreed on boys wearing black shirts and girls wearing red shirts for our dance on Monday.

Today we blended with long-oo spelled 'oo', 'u_e', 'u', '_ew', and '_eu'. This is the vowel sound in 'soon' as opposed to short-oo as in 'book'.

I decided to postpone the math test as there were a number of students absent today. We began topic 13 and began comparing and ordering numbers to 100. In this unit students will have to find numbers one less and one more and ten less and ten more.

In science we recorded in our science journals what we have learned about air so far.

Congratulations to table 2 for having at least 95 grams of points this week and to table 4 for exceeding the standard this week. The next goal will be 100 grams.

Thanks again for your interest and today was not too late to turn in forms for Literacy Night.

Seventy-Seventh Day

Thank you to those who were able to turn in their Literacy Night reply forms so quickly. If you change your mind or plans just change one way or the other please let us know before the event.

I am able to publish this earlier from school today as our classroom computers have been fixed. Thanks to LAUSD ITD department.

Room 11 had the best attendance for the month of December. Congratulations! Unfortunately there is no tangible prize for this month. The actual contest will begin with January's attendance.

Today we blended with long-i spelled '_y' and '_ie'. We noticed that many words which end in the long-e sound spelled 'y' are two or more syllables and those with only one syllable ending with 'y' are long-i. We reviewed all that we had learned about transportation over t he course of the unit. It seemed like quite a bit.

In math we found all possible ways to make a number by manipulating ones and tens. We will do this for our homework as well. This brings us to the end of topic 12.

In science we began our weather unit in which we will observe the force of air pressure pushing on objects and materials, observe, describe and record changes in weather, and become familiar with some instruments used by meteorologists, among other things. Today we explored the interaction of air and other solids.

Seventy-Sixth Day

Today we reviewed long vowel spellings. We used quotation marks in dictation for the first time.

Today was perhaps one of the more difficult math lessons of first grade. We had to take the lesson very slowly. We built several numbers with physical models using ones and tens. We then moved tens to ones to create more ones and recorded new addition sentences to match. Our homework tonight will reflect these manipulations. At home you may consider using some type of manipulative to represent ones and tens in order to complete the work. Essentially, a student with a strong grasp of the concept and good money skills could use pennies and dimes to represent the ideas.

We used rhythm sticks to find the beat of a song for music.

Please return the orange Literacy Night attendance sheet as soon as possible even though the night is scheduled for the beginning of March. The reason for this is that one of the parents at our school has offered to donate the food for the evening and we would like to get as accurate a head count as possible to know what resources will be required.

Seventy-Fifth Day

Today we blended with long-u spelling '_ue' and '_ew'. This is to be distinguished from long-oo as in 'glue' and 'blew', but rather the vowel sound in 'cue' and 'pew'. The long-u sound can only follow the consonants 'b', '/k/', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'j', 'm', 'p', 'v' and 'y'; otherwise, it is beginning a syllable as in 'value'.

We skip counted by tens starting at numbers other than 10 as reflected in our homework. We also have a spelling sheet for homework today.

It turns out our dance teacher (due to scheduling conflicts this semester) has decided to have an informal culminating performance for students only. After considering our level of proficiency this may be a wise decision.

As a reminder, students are expected to return corrected homework to school for credit. Also, please look over your child's homework before they bring it to school.

Also, I was considering covering the use of thinking maps for parents during the literacy night coming up (more information to follow). If there is anything else you think would be helpful or if you think this would be a good use of the time please give your feedback.

Seventy-Fourth Day

Today we competed with other tables to be the quickest at listening for and categorizing short and long vowel sounds. We then blended with long-o spelled 'oa_' and '_ow'. We read our last transportation selection about trucks and discussed art selections with the theme transportation. We created the beginning of a tree map which categorized forms of transportation according to their sphere/mode: air, water, land, space.

We continued examining two digit numbers and the meaning of place value. Our homework is math.

We began working with maps and using our mind's eye to view from different perspectives. Using found objects we made a map for our desk. Our next task will be to create a simple map of the classroom. Much more will follow.

Seventy-Third Day

Today we blended with long-o spelled '_oe'.

We constructed numbers with 10's without any ones. Your child has their graded math test in hand (backpack). Nineteen students passed with a score of 15 or better. There were 2 perfect scores, 11 students with 20 points or better. The passing score was somewhat lower this test due to performance assessment being worth 7 points.

Seventy-Second Day

Today we reviewed several spelling concepts especially with inflected endings. and there will be more endings to come. Suffice it to say, we dropped a lot of y's changing them to i's.... We also went clear around the world talking about all forms of transportation in land, air, and water. We began comparing/contrasting two modes of choice with a double bubble thinking map. I have suggested to students in the past that if they wanted to construct a thinking map at home for transportation that this would be very appropriate.

We took our Topic 11 math test today. I have to say it was a learning experience for all of us. Do you know that 1st graders understandably think that starfish have only two arms? The problem here lies in trying to explain to 1st graders that Patrick's head is actually an arm. You have to be mistaken Mr. B. Say it's not so. Is that why whenever Patrick looses his "head" he's able to grow back a new one? Anyway, math scores will be forthcoming.

We began Topic 12 today and will be constructing and deconstructing numbers with ten's and one's. Homework is math 12-1.

Seventy-First Day

Today we blended with long-i spelled 'igh'.

We used a hundred chart to count backwards. There is math and a spelling sheet for homework. If you would like to increase the rigor of the homework, you might consider requiring your child to write a sentence to go with the pictures they draw which illustrate the words with the designated spelling.

Seventieth Day

We began the day with many students changing seats.

Today we blended with long-a spellings '_ai' and 'ay_'. We continued working with plural and inflected endings after long-e spelled '_y'. We have also been learning how to alphabetize to the second letter. We have been working with homophones and had a project assigned today with homophones. We began a reading selection which will help to answer the question: how is transportation different in different countries. If your child is interested in submitting a digital project, there are many free presentation platforms available on the Web. One which is very easy to learn is Glogster. You must be 14 years of age to open an account, so parent guidance will be necessary. Another good tool is Prezi but takes a little more time to learn.

We used skip counting to solve math problems today. Homework is in math.

Sixty-Ninth Day

Today we reviewed long vowel spellings in combination with consonant 'r'. We compared the genres of realistic fiction and fiction.

In math we used number patterns to solve story problems. Some students may need to review their work at home with parents.

Sixty-Eighth Day

Today we spent a while working with the long-e spellings '_y' and '_ie_'. This meant forming plurals for nouns like baby (babies). We "dropped the 'y', made it an 'i' and added 'es'. We read the poem Song of the Train. I then had the students recall the poem Work Song and then challenged them to write a poem called School Song in their writing journals.

In math we practiced skip counting and using a 100's board. We have two pages of math for homework.

We continued and concluded our work with small particles in science.

If anyone has mentioned possibly taking a trip to Balboa Island Fun Zone, it is because I may have mentioned that it would be an interesting experience to drive your car onto the ferry to get there. The ferry can be found by turning right onto Jamboree from PCH south and continuing until you reach the ferry dock. Once across the water you will find restaurants, rides, and arcade games. Students in years past have based their transportation project on their family's trip to Balboa.

Sixty-Seventh Day

We were introduced to long-e spelled 'ee' and 'ea'. We reviewed antonyms.

We used physical number models to compare numbers with minor differences using the terms 'fewer' and 'more'. Our homework reviews this concept.

Half of the class (tables 2 and 4) got a turn (working with partner pairs) to solve a science challenge using our knowledge of small particle solids. Tables 1 and 3 will have their turn tomorrow.

Sixty-Sixth Day

Today we reviewed long-e spelled 'e_e' and 'e at the end..." We worked on Tree Maps independently to record sensory details for riding in a car. Most students then used their maps to work on or complete a narrative essay.

We counted by tens in math and this is our homework.

If anyone received shoes for the holiday and still has the box, the third grade teachers are collecting shoe boxes for an upcoming project.

Sixty-Fifth Day

Welcome back.

Today we reviewed various long vowel spellings. We began working with adding sensory details to our writing to make our narratives more interesting. We also worked on beginning and closing statements. We used a Tree Map to organize our writing ideas. Tomorrow we will work independently to write narratives about an experience when we rode in a car. We discussed ideas about modes of transportation in times past. Several students used the phrase "in the day" to describe this time. To be specific we will be looking at transportation for approximately 100 years ago. This would be a good unit to work on at-home projects for the Concept/Question Board. As discussed in class, these projects help your child's homework grade (from a 3 to a 4) and possibly add to stars on the Star Chart. If you would like to a see samples of past projects please stop by after school as I have located my samples from previous years.

We continued conceptualizing numbers between 10 and 21. We hope to solidify our understanding and the meaning of the place values of numbers this year.

We had a brief introduction to music notation today with an emphasis on rhythm.

There is a spelling sheet and a math sheet for homework.

We practiced our dance which we helped to choreograph with Ms. Marrin and which may lead to a performance later this month.

For your information, we will be discussing:

• transportation in different parts of the world, how factors such as geography and economics can influence modes of transportation
• different sources of energy for transportation
• the impact of various forms of transportation on the environment