Mystery Guest Readers in November

Thank you to our wonderful Mystery Guest Readers!  We loved listening to your stories!

 

Contraction Surgery

Last week I introduced contractions. Contractions are the abbreviated version of a word or words.  An apostrophe is used to replace the missing letters in a word.  The first graders performed contraction surgery and had a blast!

Using latex free gloves for the first time

Gluing the words parts together and using bandaids

Our surgical team of contraction experts

It's the little things..

Enjoy
 the little things in life
for one day
you'll look back
and realize they were the BIG things.(author unknown)

It's eating fresh snowflakes

It's losing a tooth

Gratitude

Dear Families,

This month, we introduced a brand new Life is Good Superpower, GRATITUDE! November is a perfect month to think about all of the parts of our life and our world that we are thankful for. With Thanksgiving and Winter holidays and traditions right around the corner, we are going to make sure we have “Attitudes of Graditude” inside and outside of our classroom.

WHAT IS GRATITUDE?

After brainstorming with the students what gratitude truly is, we came to the understanding that gratitude is about focusing on what’s good in our lives and being thankful for the things we have.

Gratitude is stopping to think about the things that we often take for granted, like having a place to live, food, clean water, friends, family, even technology. We also said that being “thankful” is very similar to feeling “grateful”, “blessed” or “lucky”.

WHY IS GRATITUDE GOOD FOR US?

• Positive emotions open us up to see more possibilities and take in more information.
• Positive emotions balance out negative emotions.
• One positive emotion often leads to another.
• Gratitude can lead to positive actions and “bucket filling behavior”.
• Gratitude helps us build better relationships.

…this means that, having a mindset of GRATITUDE makes a positive and better YOU!

We will continue to talk about gratitude and ways to show and feel it throughout December as well. Keep an eye out for activities, lessons and crafts that teach us about being grateful!

HOW CAN YOU PRACTICE GRATITUDE AT HOME?

Each member of our classroom is incredible. I am so grateful for such kind, hard working and creative students. Uma, a first grader in our classroom, practices gratitude at home with her parents each night before bed. Uma shared her Gratitude Journal that she writes with her family each night. Before bed, they list things that they felt grateful for that day. I was blown away by the thoughtfulness shown in that journal! Way to go Uma.

The website Happy Heart Kid shared ways to show Thankfulness and Gratitude beyond Thanksgiving and the holidays. Here are 9 ways they described below.

ACTIVITY #1: HOMELESS BLESSING BAGS

Put together care packages to be donated a local food bank or homeless shelter. Fill gallon-sized zip-top bags with items like granola bars, crackers, peanut butter, nuts, applesauce, bottled water, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, wash clothes, soap, deodorant, socks, lotion, and chapstick. Explain to your child who the care packages are going to and drop them off for donation together.

ACTIVITY #2: CRAFT KITS FOR SICK CHILDREN

Fill gallon-sized zip-top bags with craft items: coloring books, markers, stickers, stickers, paint, pipe cleaners, pom poms, etc. Then, visit a local hospital and donate the kits to sick children.

ACTIVITY #3: A BANNER FULL OF THANKS

Using some colored paper, cut out large leaf shapes, one for each sheet of paper. Then, ask your child to tell you what they’re thankful for. Write each item down on a leaf. Then tell your child what you’re thankful for. Again, write each down on a leaf. Let them decorate the leaves with stickers, markers and glitter (if you can brave the mess). Last but not least, using clothespins, attach the leaves to some string. Then, hang the entire banner somewhere visible, like over a doorway.

ACTIVITY #4: THANK YOU CARDS

Writing cards of appreciation is a way for kids to take the time to think about the people around them and the contributions they make towards their family or community. Our Thank You Card Kit gives your child the opportunity to create and decorate their own cards.

ACTIVITY #5: A GRATITUDE JAR

Decorate a mason jar together with stickers and ribbon. Then, tell your child that every day, you want them to write one thing they are thankful for and stick it in the jar. If you want, you can even review all the gratitude notes out loud at the end of each month.

ACTIVITY #6: FELT FLOWERS

This hands-on activity encourages both gratitude and generosity. Using our Felt Flower Kit, your child will create 5 beautiful flowers with the materials provided. Before they start, instruct them to create the flowers for people they’re thankful for. Ask them who the recipients will be and why.

ACTIVITY #7: BOOK DONATIONS

Sit with your child and review all the books in their bookcase. Ask them to pick out books, in good condition, that they have outgrown. Then, together, take them to your local church or library, explain who the books are going to, and make a donation.

ACTIVITY #8: FAMILY THANKFULNESS

Grab some sheets of colored paper, one for each member of your family. At the top, write “I’m thankful for [first name] because…”. Then ask your child to list the reasons why they’re grateful for that individual. If they aren’t old enough to write it down for themselves, do it for them. Then, create a list for your child as well and explain all the reasons you’re thankful for them. Post the final lists somewhere visible your child will see regular, like on the kitchen fridge or in their bathroom, so it serves as a constant reminder.

ACTIVITY #9: A GRATITUDE WALK

This activity is free and oh-so-easy to incorporate into a regular routine. Take your children on a walk around the neighborhood or to the local park. Ask them to point out everything they see on the walk that they are thankful for. Take it a step further by asking them why they are grateful for each thing they mention.

In our classroom we will be practicing some of these great activities described above, and will be making a Gratitude Journal and playing a Gratitude Game!

Have fun exploring Gratitude with your First Grader!

We are Bucket Fillers! 

When we fill our classroom bucket, we have a special day!  The kids chose Pajama day! YAY!

Look at our Mystery Guest Readers for October!

One of our favorites THE GREAT PUMPKIN

Another favorite story There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves

Toys that Teach

Toy: Play-Doh Teach: Buried Treasure

Andrea Knight 2012, TPT 

Lesson: This writing lesson is about creating ideas and making the realization that our lives are important enough to write about.  This lesson is one of the first lessons that first graders learn in Narrative Writing.  First Step: I showed the students a plain lump of Play-Doh and asked them to share what they've made with it before.  

Second Step: I asked them to turn and talk, all while I was fiddling with the Play-Doh.  Step Three: After they finished sharing, I showed them what I made.  I explained how I started with just something plain and that I wasn't sure what I would make but I like the way it turned out.  Step Four:  We discussed how writers do the same thing with paper and pencil.  We start with plain paper and we play with WORDS, and we uncover a TREASURE---their story!  

Writing treasured stories

Students creating ideas to write about

 

Spreading the Power of Optimism

Life is not perfect.  Life is not easy.  Life is good.

This year we are exploring the themes presented in the book, Life is Good, written by Bert and John Jacobs.

As Bert and John Jacobs write, "Each one of us has a choice:  to focus our energy on obstacles or opportunities.  To fixate on our problems, or focus on solutions.  We can harp on what's wrong with the world (see most news media), or we can cultivate what's right with the world.  What we focus on grows.  

That's why the Life is Good community shares one simple, unifying mission:  to spread the power of optimism.

Optimism is not irrational cheerfulness or "blind" positivity.  It's a pragmatic strategy for approaching life.  Optimism empowers us to explore the world with open arms and an eye toward solutions, progress, and growth.  It also makes life a lot more fun!

Optimism enables us to access the ten most important tools we have for living a happy and fulfilling life.  We call them the Life is Good Superpowers.  But unlike X-ray vision, bullet speed, or Herculean strength, they are accessible to us all.  The Life is Good Superpowers can help you overcome obstacles, drive forward with greater purpose, and enjoy the ride of life."

                                    

During the month of September we introduced Superpower #1, Openness.

Openness is a conscious effort to step outside of your comfort zone to experience new things.   

Three Ways to Stay Open

The following suggestions are taken from the Life is Good book, which I highly recommend putting on your reading list:

Follow the Leader-  The next time you sit down with your child, imagine your child is your teacher.  Let her tell you about the drawing or the toy, or where the story goes next.  Let her show you her view of the world, in her own words.  Follow her lead.  Be willing to be silly, and let go of trying to direct.  You ask the "Whys?" and discover the world as she directs the kid in you.

"Yes, And."-  Try using this phrase wherever you work or meet in groups.  Invite people to share their wildest ideas up front and encourage the group to take each one for a spin, accepting and building on it.  The filtering and editing down can happen later, but this first crucial step creates an open environment of collaboration that sparks innovation.  In your personal life, "Yes, and" will help foster a more adventurous, creative approach as well.

Everything is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience- Get out and see the world!  We're not necessarily talking adventure travel or long road trips.  If you don't go, you don't see can also apply to your neighbor's home, a live show, a place you've been meaning to volunteer at, or the contemporary art exhibit you're not quite sure is for you.  Changing up your routine and physical surroundings will help open your mind to fresh perspectives.

The bottom line is that it takes a conscious effort to step outside of your comfort zone to experience new things.  Whenever you take that step, you're good to grow!

In the month of October we will continue to foster Openness while introducing

 the Superpower of Creativity!

Today your child watched the World Record Holder and 10 time X Games Medalist BMX biker, Kevin Robinson known as K-Rob to the kids!  He performed amazing T.R.I.C.K.s!  T.R.I.C.K. stands for Teamwork, Respect, Inspiration,Confidence, and Kindness.  The students were amazed by his stunts and his personal message of Believe and Achieve!  Thank you TESPTO for making this possibly for us to experience!

K-Rob and I greeting each other in a respectful way!

K-Rob performs the trick of riding over teachers!

The Daily Five

The Daily Five is a reading structure that fosters literacy and independence in reading.  The Daily Five was created by Gail Boushey & Joan Moser, known as "the sisters".  The Daily Five is a series of five literacy tasks (reading to self, reading with someone, writing, word work, and listening to reading) which students complete daily while I meet with small groups.  Here we are in action today!

listen to reading: Here Comes T-Rex Cottontail

read to self: rhyming words & sight words

read to someone: Students are reading "just right books" using E.E.K.K.

E.E.K.K. Poem

Elbow to elbow,

Knee to knee,

I'll read to you,

And you read to me

Elbow to elbow,

Knee to knee

word work: rhyming picture sort

writing: ALL ABOUT ME books

Dr. Seuss's The Lorax. We're MARCHing in with our love of reading!

Flat Stanley sends us a care package from San Diego! We all received sand and sea shells.

Our Valentine's Day party gets a boost of energy when Miss C pops in for a visit!

Mr. Prazar introduced us to a new predator prey game.

Warmer weather and its effect on plants and animals

Groundhog's Day

After reading the story...

The students were asked to predict and decide if they would prefer 6 more weeks of winter or 6 weeks till spring. 

A conversation with a 6 year

Our Snow Castle

This week, I am reminded again why I love teaching First Grade!  This is a snippet of a conversation I had with a blooming first grader after they read a story to me about plants.
  Me: Based on the book What Comes From Plants, how are green plants different from other living things?   Child's response: That's an easy one... they're green and they don't talk! Me:  Name three things that plants need to make their own food. Child's response: Mint, strawberries, and oranges!   Me: I was looking for water, air, and sunlight. Child's response: Ugh! I'm not good with trivia!!!  Me: We eat carrots. What part of the plant is the part of the carrot that we eat? Child's response: um the bottom, not the top ah you know...the yummy part. Me: You're amazing and bright!  I love being your teacher! 

Snowy Literacy Centers for Daily Five Reading

The winter weather has not been cooperative, so we decided to bring the snow indoors.  The last five days the students have been focused on components of the Daily Five.  Word Work: learning syllables, blend identification,  matching compound words, and winter weather poetry.  Work on Writing: Students have been reading the fairy tale: The Three Billy Goats Gruff,and writing a narrative re-tell of the story.   Listen to reading:listening to fairy tales. 

Clapping syllables like a penguin

Scooping up snowy blends

Writing wintry words

Making hot chocolate compound words

I Love Winter poem

Listening and reading fairy taleshttp://safeshare.tv/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F42385213 together

The OREO writing Check

Using this graphic organizer students are learning to persuade in writing. First graders wrote about why their house is  better than any other house in Topsfield, MA.

Check out the K-1 halls for OREO writing