• Nov152009
    Thankful for friends

    POSTED AT 06:57 PM

    This week we will be continuing our unit on the pilgrims. We are going to make our own Plimoth Plantation (Yes that is how it is spelled.) and learn about the Wampanoag Native Americans who helped the Pilgrims.
    If you have not returned your child's report card response and envelope, pleas do so.
     
    We are learning:
    Reading: decoding strategies (Learning other ways than sounding out words - Sounding out is the least efficient strategy there is)
    Writing: writing workshop, making complete sentences
    Math: shapes, patterns, graphs
    Social Studies: map of Plimoth Plantations, Squanto and Samoset, Wampanoag Native Americans
     
    I hope you had a wonderful weekend - can't believe that it is the middle of November and it has been so wonderful!!!
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    Nov082009
    P is for Pilgrims

    POSTED AT 08:09 PM

    I hope you enjoyed seeing your child's growth as it was reflected in their grades. The boys and girls have made so much progress already. I am very proud of them and I know you are as well.
    Please remember to sign the comment section of the report card and send it back to school in the envelope that was sent home.
    The children are really enjoying learning about the pilgrims. Last week we learned some vocabulary words - England, Pilgrim and Mayflower. We put these words onto our word card ring. The children need to recognize these words but they do not need to know how to spell them.
     
    This week we are learning about:
    Reading: summarizing, decoding (We are really working on learning other strategies besides sounding words out - please encourage your child to use other strategies )
    Writing: writing about small moments in our lives
    Phonics: wh, v, x, z
    Math: Shapes - defining triangles and quadrilaterals
    Social Studies: voyage of the Mayflower, pilgrim life (especially the children)
     
    I will be out of the classroom on Monday for a meeting. I value all your comments that you have about your child's report card. I look forward to reading them on Tuesday and will respond promptly if needed.
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    Nov012009
    Thank you

    POSTED AT 07:29 PM

    Thanks to all the parents who organized our Halloween Party. We had a great time!
     
    We will start learning about the pilgrims this week as we start our Thanksgiving unit.  I really enjoy making history real to the students.
     
    Reminder, there is no school on Tuesday - Election Day.
     
    My mind is a little frazzled right now. I was working on report cards today and am having problems thinking clearly. I will do better next week.
     
    Reading: summarizing
    Writing: adding details into our writing
    Math: shapes
    Social Studies: the "mean" king of England, packing for our voyage, map of England and Atlantic Ocean

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    Oct252009
    Pumpkins and Halloween Party

    POSTED AT 07:12 PM

    Now that our class is healthy - it's time for us to start learning about pumpkins. We each got a pumpkin after our trip to the apple orchard and we will be using them to learn this week.
    Parent volunteers have started coming in. We are so enjoying getting to know each other. 
    Friday is a very busy day for our classroom. At 10:30 we will have our Halloween party and parade. Thank you to Mrs. Pratt for organizing the fun and to all the room parents who are supplying the fun!!! Please have your child bring in their costumes in a separate bag. We will change into our costumes before the parade and then change back into our clothes for lunch. After all that fun, we have early dismissal. Children will start being dismissed at 1:15 (or whenever their buses or parents arrive). If you want to take your child home after our parade/party, I will have a sign out sheet in the classroom.
     
    We are learning:
    Reading: cause and effect, decoding strategies, prediction
    Writing: nouns and verbs, telling and asking sentences, publishing a book
    Phonics: ch, sh, e, k 
    Math:  2-D shapes - square, rectangle, triangle, rhombus, trapezoid, hexagon, ellipse, circle (In first grade we call a diamond a rhombus and an oval is an ellipse.)
    Science: pumpkin life cycles, comparing apples and pumpkins, pumpkin activities
     
    Have a Boo-tiful week!

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    Oct192009
    Take 2 and Apple Orchard

    POSTED AT 06:25 PM

    We had a lot of absences last week (at least 7 students out each day). Due to this we will be learning what I had planned for last week. (With a third of the class out, we spent most of the week reviewing and using Study Island.)
     
    Please remember that we are going to the Apple Orchard on Thursday. If you have not sent in your $5.00 please do so ASAP. We will be going to the orchard in rain or in sunshine (Let's hope for the last one). Every child needs to bring in a bagged lunched for Thursday. (We might get back after lunch has occurred so we will be eating in our classrooms.)
     
    Mrs. Toburen, Mrs./Mr. Zemanski, Mrs. Pratt, Mrs. Gage, Mrs. Lane and Mrs./Mr. Taylor are our lucky parents who get to go the orchard with us.  (Please send in $4.00 to cover your cost of the trip). Thanks for volunteering to help us end our apple unit on such a fun note.
     
    Halloween parties are coming up soon. If you have any questions about costumes, please email me.  Reminder our Halloween party will take place on Friday, October 30 at 10:30ish with early dismissal occurring at 1:30.
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    Oct112009
    Conferences, Apple Orchard, and Fevers :(

    POSTED AT 08:12 PM

    I really enjoyed meeting with the parents who had conferences with me last week. I can't wait to meet with the rest of you this week. I love being able to show the progress your child has already made.
     
    Unfortunately, our classroom has been hit by illness, particularly fevers. If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home from school. Your child must be fever free (without medication) for 24 hours before they can return to school.
     
    You should have received the note about the apple orchard trip that we will be taking on October 22. If you would like to join us on the field trip, please send in your name by Monday, October 12. We can only have 6 chaperons per classroom. If we have more volunteers than 6, I will pull names from a hat. Each child needs to send in $5 to cover the cost of the field trip. Please send in your money in by Thursday, October 15.
     
    Reminder there is no school on Friday, October 16 and Monday, October 19. Enjoy the long weekend.
     
    This week we are learning:
    Reading: decoding strategies, summary
    Writing: editing our writing
    Phonics: ch, k, sh, e
    Math: patterns, addition and subtraction
    Social Studies: Columbus
    Science: Apple Review and test
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    Oct042009
    Applesauce and Conferences

    POSTED AT 07:40 PM

    Conferences begin this week. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child's progress. (Yes they have made progress already this year.) I hope you will share with me one goal that you would like to see your child accomplish this year at school.
    I apologize for not getting the parent volunteer schedule up and running yet. I know that I originally said volunteers would start in late September - I held off because we were taking longer to adjust to our all day schedule especially the afternoons, which is when most of you wanted to come in. Volunteers will start after conferences have ended. Please check the schedule to make sure it works with you. If not, please let me know so that we can find a time that will work for us both.

    This week we will be cooking! It is a great way to teach states of matter. (solid, liquid, gas) We are still learning about apples and will cook our apples.
     
    Reading: small group reading, sequence, retelling
    Writing: writing workshop, sentences, finger tapping
    Phonics: s, ch, b, f, k
    Math: addition and subtraction math games
    Science: states of matter
     
    Happy cooking!

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    Sep272009
    The Life and Times of ...

    POSTED AT 02:18 PM

    Apples.
    Just when you thought we had learned about apples, it just keeps going and going.
    The students are really interested in the apples and loved tasting the apples to celebrate Johnny Appleseed's birthday. Thank you to the Gage and Zemanski families for donating apples.
    Conferences are quickly approaching. I am looking forward to discussing with your your child's academic progress already.
    We will start reading groups this week and with that, Book Buddy bags will be coming home. The books in the Book Buddy bags are "just right books" - books that are on your child's level. (We will discuss this more at conference time.) Please read these books with your child (They should read them to you). Book Buddy bags will only be sent home on days when I meet with your child (hopefully at least 2 times a week).
     
    This week we are learning:
    Reading: daily five stations, responding to reading
    Writing: learning how to put words in our writing (Finger tapping)
    Phonics: r, p, u, j
    Math: addition games, story problems
    Science: life cycle of apples, review of apple tree seasons, factors of production
    Social Studies: maps
     

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    Sep212009
    A note from Miss Borrelli

    POSTED AT 09:19 AM


    Miss Borrelli will be having Meet and Greet Sessions on Monday, October 12 during Parent Teacher Conferences. There will be one at 5:00 pm,  and one at 7:00 pm. Conversation topics will include: How student art is evaluated and the role Visual Arts play in a child's education.
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    Sep202009
    There was a man

    POSTED AT 01:36 PM

    named Johnny Applesseed and we will be learning about Johnny this week. Johnny's birthday is Saturday and we will be having a little apple party on Friday. We could use donations of apples for taste testing on Friday. If you are interested in donating apples, please send in a note by Thursday and I will let you know the quantity needed.
    We are continuing to adjust to our routines. We are having some difficulty knowing appropriate times to socialize with friends. When I give them time to talk to their friends, they get quiet but when we are working they start talking to friends. Please encourage your child to socialize at times when it doesn't cause a problem with our learning.
    Thank you for all you help with reminding your child to bring home and back their green folder every day. Thanks also for sending back their red portfolio folders. I hope you enjoyed going through the work with your child.
     I am beginning to work on the parent volunteer schedule. Please let me know if you would like to volunteer and the days and times you can help (if you have not done so already.)
     
    Just a reminder our schedule is
    Monday: Physical Education
    Tuesday: Art
    Wednesday: Physical Education
    Thursday: Library (Please help your child remember to return library books this day)
    Friday: Music
     
    A look at our learning this week:
    Reading: non-fiction stories, getting facts from books, tall tales, daily 5 stations
    Writing: using words when we write during writing workshop
    Phonics: h, n, l, i
    Math: addition and number games
    Social studies: Maps, Johnny Appleseed
    Science: how apples grow (just an intro), taste testing apples

     If you have any questions, please let me know.
     
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