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Thursday, December 16, 2010
Homework Information
There will be no more written homework until 2011! Keep reading and enjoy some great books with your families! Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Please Note:
12/14 Family ornament project due. This assignment will be sent home on 12/7.
12/17 Christmas Show for grades 1-4. Students will report to the main lobby at 6:30pm. The show begins at 7:00pm. We would like to have the children wear festive dress clothes for the show. (Avoid jeans and sneakers, please!)
12/22 Half day of school. Our class Christmas Party will begin at 9:30. Thanks to Mrs. Conners and Mrs. Martin for coordinating this special time for us! Noon dismissal.
12/17 Christmas Show for grades 1-4. Students will report to the main lobby at 6:30pm. The show begins at 7:00pm. We would like to have the children wear festive dress clothes for the show. (Avoid jeans and sneakers, please!)
12/22 Half day of school. Our class Christmas Party will begin at 9:30. Thanks to Mrs. Conners and Mrs. Martin for coordinating this special time for us! Noon dismissal.
A Peek at the End of 2010!
SUPERKIDS: Our class is finishing unit 6 and will be focusing on reviewing spelling and memory words. We will also be having an assessment on reading skills, comprehension, and spelling. Please see the information below which outlines the skills covered in our units for this SUPERKIDS booklet.
Religion: This is best time of the school year for us! We are having fun with seasonal stories and projects. We have also been reading the Advent chapter in our book. Thank you all for your articipation in the Advent Angel project! Our class was able to purchase 50.00 in grocery store gift cards to go towards the St. Bernadette Parish Giving Tree. The children were very proud of their efforts when I told them all about their gifts.
Math: In class we are continue to work on addition facts as well as story problems, patterns, symmetry and graphing. We are also enjoying using the "Extended and Challenge" software from Saxon Math on the Smartboard. This provides fun hands on learning for our class.
Science: We are working on our trees unit. We will continue to do so after the New Year.
Social Studies: We are working on a mini unit about Christmas Around the World!
Dear Family,
In Units 5 and 6 of Adventures of the Superkids, your child made a big leap in reading.
We learned that the vowels a, e, i, o, and u can have two different sounds: a short sound (as
in cat or bed) and a long sound (as in go or be). We also learned how to add the endings ing
and ed to words to spell words like jumping and jumped.
The Reader stories “The Monster Under the Bus” and “The Foolish Giant” and the
poem “When I Am a Princess” helped us think about the difference between what is real
and what is make-believe. When you are reading or watching TV with your child, pause
now and then to ask, “Could this really happen, or is this just pretend?”
As you look through the Student Book for Units 5–6, try some of these activities with
your child:
• Ask your child to read aloud The Blob stories on pages 3–5. Have your child tell
you why Tic and Tac were afraid The Blob monster was under the Superkids’ bus.
• Look at page 15 and have your child identify the pictures in each row that have a
long-vowel sound in their name. Remind your child that long vowels say their own
name.
• Turn to page 24 and have your child read aloud the sentences she wrote about
being a princess, knight, or a giant. Discuss which character you would want to
be and why. Make up a story with your child about the characters you each chose
to be.
• Ask your child to describe the character she made up for a story she wrote. Then
think of a family member or close friend and brainstorm with your child words that
describe the person. Have your child draw a picture and write a sentence or two
about the real, live “character.”
Reproducible Page © 2009 by Rowland Reading Foundation
Religion: This is best time of the school year for us! We are having fun with seasonal stories and projects. We have also been reading the Advent chapter in our book. Thank you all for your articipation in the Advent Angel project! Our class was able to purchase 50.00 in grocery store gift cards to go towards the St. Bernadette Parish Giving Tree. The children were very proud of their efforts when I told them all about their gifts.
Math: In class we are continue to work on addition facts as well as story problems, patterns, symmetry and graphing. We are also enjoying using the "Extended and Challenge" software from Saxon Math on the Smartboard. This provides fun hands on learning for our class.
Science: We are working on our trees unit. We will continue to do so after the New Year.
Social Studies: We are working on a mini unit about Christmas Around the World!
Dear Family,
In Units 5 and 6 of Adventures of the Superkids, your child made a big leap in reading.
We learned that the vowels a, e, i, o, and u can have two different sounds: a short sound (as
in cat or bed) and a long sound (as in go or be). We also learned how to add the endings ing
and ed to words to spell words like jumping and jumped.
The Reader stories “The Monster Under the Bus” and “The Foolish Giant” and the
poem “When I Am a Princess” helped us think about the difference between what is real
and what is make-believe. When you are reading or watching TV with your child, pause
now and then to ask, “Could this really happen, or is this just pretend?”
As you look through the Student Book for Units 5–6, try some of these activities with
your child:
• Ask your child to read aloud The Blob stories on pages 3–5. Have your child tell
you why Tic and Tac were afraid The Blob monster was under the Superkids’ bus.
• Look at page 15 and have your child identify the pictures in each row that have a
long-vowel sound in their name. Remind your child that long vowels say their own
name.
• Turn to page 24 and have your child read aloud the sentences she wrote about
being a princess, knight, or a giant. Discuss which character you would want to
be and why. Make up a story with your child about the characters you each chose
to be.
• Ask your child to describe the character she made up for a story she wrote. Then
think of a family member or close friend and brainstorm with your child words that
describe the person. Have your child draw a picture and write a sentence or two
about the real, live “character.”
Reproducible Page © 2009 by Rowland Reading Foundation
Monday, December 6, 2010
News from 1C!
Important Dates for December
12/8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass celebrated at 10:00.
12/9 Advent Angels are due with $2.00 donation towards the Giving Tree gift
12/10 PAJAMA DAY for 1C! Our latest secret message revealed that a "SPECIAL EVENT" was coming! Please be sure that your child is wearing warm pajamas and their sneakers.
12/10 Half day of school
12/14 Family ornament project due. This assignment will be sent home on 12/7.
12/17 Christmas Show for grades 1-4. Students will report to the main lobby at 6:30pm. The show begins at 7:00pm. We would like to have the children wear festive dress clothes for the show. (Avoid jeans and sneakers, please!)
12/22 Half day of school. Our class Christmas Party will begin at 9:30. Thanks to Mrs. Conners and Mrs. Martin for coordinating this special time for us! Noon dismissal.
Christmas vacation begins at noon on 12/22 and students return to school on 1/3/11!
12/8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass celebrated at 10:00.
12/9 Advent Angels are due with $2.00 donation towards the Giving Tree gift
12/10 PAJAMA DAY for 1C! Our latest secret message revealed that a "SPECIAL EVENT" was coming! Please be sure that your child is wearing warm pajamas and their sneakers.
12/10 Half day of school
12/14 Family ornament project due. This assignment will be sent home on 12/7.
12/17 Christmas Show for grades 1-4. Students will report to the main lobby at 6:30pm. The show begins at 7:00pm. We would like to have the children wear festive dress clothes for the show. (Avoid jeans and sneakers, please!)
12/22 Half day of school. Our class Christmas Party will begin at 9:30. Thanks to Mrs. Conners and Mrs. Martin for coordinating this special time for us! Noon dismissal.
Christmas vacation begins at noon on 12/22 and students return to school on 1/3/11!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you to all of our helpers and for the bead donations!
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| This digital greeting card generated with Smilebox |
Sunday, November 14, 2010
A Sneak Preview of A Special Thanksgiving Event
Our class will participating in a live webcast from Plimouth Plantation on Tuesday, 11/16!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Latest and Greatest in 1C
The class has done a wonderful job on their Saint Portraits. We worked with Mrs. Lapolito to draw our saints and paint them with watercolors! I will post a Smilebox with the paintings! I am sure that you will agree that they are adorable!
SUPERKIDS: We are starting unit 5. We are learning how to read and spell words with ed and ing endings. We know that sometimes we have to double consonants before adding endings, and sometimes we do not. We are learning to check how many consonants follow the vowels in words. For example, the word work would be working with the ing ending. The reason is that there are consonants following the vowel. The word sit would need a double t when adding the ing ending. Sitting has "tt" because there is only one consonant after the vowel. Memory words for this unit are: there, from, to, be, or, we!
Math: In class we are starting fact practice and making flash cards. We have been enoying dice addition games on the smartboard as well as using pattern blocks. We are also working on sequencing, measuring weight, sorting, and skip counting by 2,3,4,5, and even 6!
Science: In class we are starting a new unit about trees and plants. Important words for the unit are: deciduous, seasons, conifer, fruit, sed, cone, seedling, sapling, evergreen, woody stems, broad leaves, evergreen and needles.
Social Studies: We are preparing for our Veterans' Day Program on 11/10. We are making cards for the Veterans and learning patriotic songs. We have also been learning about needs and wants, goods and services, and basic needs.
Religion: We are wrapping our first section of our religion book. We have been reviewing Caring and Sharing,Church Decorations, Ministries, and vocabulary review.
Many thanks to all of the families who helped to make Pumpkin Day so fun! We also had a nice All Saints' Day celebration. Thank you for sending in the goodies!
SUPERKIDS: We are starting unit 5. We are learning how to read and spell words with ed and ing endings. We know that sometimes we have to double consonants before adding endings, and sometimes we do not. We are learning to check how many consonants follow the vowels in words. For example, the word work would be working with the ing ending. The reason is that there are consonants following the vowel. The word sit would need a double t when adding the ing ending. Sitting has "tt" because there is only one consonant after the vowel. Memory words for this unit are: there, from, to, be, or, we!
Math: In class we are starting fact practice and making flash cards. We have been enoying dice addition games on the smartboard as well as using pattern blocks. We are also working on sequencing, measuring weight, sorting, and skip counting by 2,3,4,5, and even 6!
Science: In class we are starting a new unit about trees and plants. Important words for the unit are: deciduous, seasons, conifer, fruit, sed, cone, seedling, sapling, evergreen, woody stems, broad leaves, evergreen and needles.
Social Studies: We are preparing for our Veterans' Day Program on 11/10. We are making cards for the Veterans and learning patriotic songs. We have also been learning about needs and wants, goods and services, and basic needs.
Religion: We are wrapping our first section of our religion book. We have been reviewing Caring and Sharing,Church Decorations, Ministries, and vocabulary review.
Many thanks to all of the families who helped to make Pumpkin Day so fun! We also had a nice All Saints' Day celebration. Thank you for sending in the goodies!
Important Dates
Monday, 11/8 Turkey Project Due
Wednesday, 11/10 Veterans' Day Program 1:30
Tuesday, 11/30 Apple Tree Reading Bookmark Due
Wednesday, 11/10 Veterans' Day Program 1:30
Tuesday, 11/30 Apple Tree Reading Bookmark Due
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
A Peek at the Week of 10/18/10 (and catch up, too!
Hello 1C Families!
We have been very busy in our class. Please note that the All Saints' Day information sheet and Saint pictures are due in class on this Friday, Oct. 22. The children will be working in class and in Art with Mrs. Lapolito to make saint portraits to have on display for All Saints' Day.
Many thanks to our homeroom parents for coordinating our small party on 11/1 and Pumpkin Math activities on Oct. 29. I am grateful to the parents who have volunteered to send in items and to come in to help out. Dr. DeFazio is also coordinating Mystery Readers for our class starting later this month.
We have loved having our SMARTBOARD in class! Each day we send some time using it in our subject areas. In reading we can see our stories on the big screen while we listen to them. We have been playing religion games, and have had fun vocabulary quizzes for review. We are fortunate that all of our academic programs have a variety of interactive learning material available online to us.
In Religion we are starting chapter 4 this week, " We Give Praise to God". In this chapter we will be learning about praise, prayer, and the Gloria. We will be writing a class prayer of praise this week.
In SUPERKIDS we are starting unit 4. We are learning about the sounds of /ed/ at the ends of words. Depending on the words, they can say "d", "ed", or "t". We are continuing to work on words with the sounds of "le" and "ng". As of this part of the program we have mastered reading and spelling these Memory Words: I, my, she, her, he, his, where, what, why, when, which, who, do, have, show, me, and a. This week we are starting to work on look, your, the, as, are, for. We have also been working on sequencing events, summarizing, comparing and contrasting, problems and solutions, and reading with expression.
In Math we are working on story problems that incorporate basic addition and subtraction facts. We are paying attention to the words which suggest if we are to be adding more, or taking away. We are reviewing angles, sides, ordinal numbers, practicing writing numbers, and doubles which are addition facts to the sum of 18. The children will be starting to make flash cards for the current math facts starting this week.
In Science we have just completed our unit about Life Stages of People. We learned about our habitats as people and living things around us. Our upcoming Science unit is "Observing Trees" where the children will become Botanists! Important vocabulary will be : air, water, light, nutrients, trunk, bark, branch, twig, broad leaves, needles, seedling, sapling, and seasons.
In Social Studies we are learning about needs and wants, basic needs, goods and services, and neighborhood workers. We will be using our atlases to read for information and be classifying pictures of items in the above categories.
We have been very busy in our class. Please note that the All Saints' Day information sheet and Saint pictures are due in class on this Friday, Oct. 22. The children will be working in class and in Art with Mrs. Lapolito to make saint portraits to have on display for All Saints' Day.
Many thanks to our homeroom parents for coordinating our small party on 11/1 and Pumpkin Math activities on Oct. 29. I am grateful to the parents who have volunteered to send in items and to come in to help out. Dr. DeFazio is also coordinating Mystery Readers for our class starting later this month.
We have loved having our SMARTBOARD in class! Each day we send some time using it in our subject areas. In reading we can see our stories on the big screen while we listen to them. We have been playing religion games, and have had fun vocabulary quizzes for review. We are fortunate that all of our academic programs have a variety of interactive learning material available online to us.
In Religion we are starting chapter 4 this week, " We Give Praise to God". In this chapter we will be learning about praise, prayer, and the Gloria. We will be writing a class prayer of praise this week.
In SUPERKIDS we are starting unit 4. We are learning about the sounds of /ed/ at the ends of words. Depending on the words, they can say "d", "ed", or "t". We are continuing to work on words with the sounds of "le" and "ng". As of this part of the program we have mastered reading and spelling these Memory Words: I, my, she, her, he, his, where, what, why, when, which, who, do, have, show, me, and a. This week we are starting to work on look, your, the, as, are, for. We have also been working on sequencing events, summarizing, comparing and contrasting, problems and solutions, and reading with expression.
In Math we are working on story problems that incorporate basic addition and subtraction facts. We are paying attention to the words which suggest if we are to be adding more, or taking away. We are reviewing angles, sides, ordinal numbers, practicing writing numbers, and doubles which are addition facts to the sum of 18. The children will be starting to make flash cards for the current math facts starting this week.
In Science we have just completed our unit about Life Stages of People. We learned about our habitats as people and living things around us. Our upcoming Science unit is "Observing Trees" where the children will become Botanists! Important vocabulary will be : air, water, light, nutrients, trunk, bark, branch, twig, broad leaves, needles, seedling, sapling, and seasons.
In Social Studies we are learning about needs and wants, basic needs, goods and services, and neighborhood workers. We will be using our atlases to read for information and be classifying pictures of items in the above categories.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Family Fun Magazine Link
Here is a link for some nice school related printables and other fun things.
http://familyfun.go.com/back-to-school/back-to-school-printables/
http://familyfun.go.com/back-to-school/back-to-school-printables/
A Peek at the Week of 9/27/10
Superkids: In class we are working on unit 2. We are reading and spelling question words. We have had fun practicing memory words by using play dough! During the week I will be meeting with each student. I will be assessing them on skills we have worked on thus far. It is always such a pleasure to hear the children read aloud. They are so proud of themselves! In addition to our reading and language work we are loving songs and poems. We are even making a big book of the poem "Apple Happy" to give to Mrs. Dalbec's class. This year we will be making many big books for all three of the kindergarten classes.
Math: In math we are having our first assessment on skills that we have worked on thus far. We are also starting word problems. We will be talking about having "Some, some more" and "Some, some went away" for addition and subtraction. We are sorting by one attribute such as color, size, number of sides, and angles.
Social Studies: We will be spending another week on the same skills as last week. From now on we will work on science for two weeks and follow with social studies for two weeks.
Religion: We are continuing to learn about the Mass. We will be practicing responses and be creating our own class Blessings Prayer. Last week we had a wonderful time as we had a chance to look closely at our church.We drew pictures of things that we thought were important. The children really enjoyed getting a close look at the altar. I am so happy to report that while we were exploring and drawing the children showed great respect and self control in this sacred space.
This and That
Please be sure that you child brings a water bottle to school each day to reduce the spread of germs.
Also, be sure that your child has a school sweater in their back pack each day. The temperature fluctuates throughout the building. Sweatshirts and other types of sweaters are not to be worn with the school uniform in the building.
Please be certain to label your child's lunchbox and all of their sweaters and clothing!
Next week we will have a special guest from the Northboro Fire Department to teach us about Fire Safety.
As we approach the half way point of the first quarter I am so happy to tell you that the children are really getting into good routines and enjoying first grade. The days are flying by and as you can imagine, there is never a dull moment!
Have a great week! Pray for sunshine!
sunshine +outdoor recess= happy kids and teachers :)
Math: In math we are having our first assessment on skills that we have worked on thus far. We are also starting word problems. We will be talking about having "Some, some more" and "Some, some went away" for addition and subtraction. We are sorting by one attribute such as color, size, number of sides, and angles.
Social Studies: We will be spending another week on the same skills as last week. From now on we will work on science for two weeks and follow with social studies for two weeks.
Religion: We are continuing to learn about the Mass. We will be practicing responses and be creating our own class Blessings Prayer. Last week we had a wonderful time as we had a chance to look closely at our church.We drew pictures of things that we thought were important. The children really enjoyed getting a close look at the altar. I am so happy to report that while we were exploring and drawing the children showed great respect and self control in this sacred space.
This and That
Please be sure that you child brings a water bottle to school each day to reduce the spread of germs.
Also, be sure that your child has a school sweater in their back pack each day. The temperature fluctuates throughout the building. Sweatshirts and other types of sweaters are not to be worn with the school uniform in the building.
Please be certain to label your child's lunchbox and all of their sweaters and clothing!
Next week we will have a special guest from the Northboro Fire Department to teach us about Fire Safety.
As we approach the half way point of the first quarter I am so happy to tell you that the children are really getting into good routines and enjoying first grade. The days are flying by and as you can imagine, there is never a dull moment!
Have a great week! Pray for sunshine!
sunshine +outdoor recess= happy kids and teachers :)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Fun Fall Food
From cranberries to pumpkins, celebrate the abundance of the harvest season with these kid-friendly recipes.
By Sally Jo O'Brien
Glorious colors; crisp, fragrant air; an energized bounce in your step. At this time of year, fall's magic is everywhere. As you and your child savor the season, you can soak up the learning, too. When you visit a farmers' market or pumpkin patch, check out the names of the pumpkin and squash varieties. (Baby Boo, spaghetti, and Sweet Mama are sure to win a chuckle!) See how many different kinds of vegetables you and your child can identify. Try to taste the difference among apple varieties. Ask your child to help weigh your picks on the hanging scale. When you return home, showcase your delicious bounty with these easy recipes.
Baked Apples with Gingersnaps
What you need:
•4 large apples
•½ cup crumbled gingersnaps (about 8 small cookies; to crumble with no mess, place cookies into a zip-sealed plastic bag and carefully crush with a rolling pin.)
•¼ cup brown sugar
•¼ cup raisins
•¼ teaspoon cinnamon
•1 fresh lemon, halved
•2 tablespoons honey
•1 cup apple cider
•1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces (if desired)
What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel apples halfway down from top. Remove core, leaving the bottom intact. Place in a shallow 1- to 1½-quart baking dish large enough to hold apples without touching.
2. In a small bowl, combine gingersnaps, brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and juice from one-half lemon. Fill apples with mixture. Pour cider into baking dish. Squeeze remaining lemon over apples, dot with butter (if desired), drizzle honey over each, and cover tightly with foil.
3. Bake 30 minutes, uncover, and baste with syrupy pan juices. Bake uncovered 10-15 minutes more or until tender (but still intact) when pierced with a knife. Serve with vanilla ice cream and warm pan juices.
Your child can help by:
•crushing cookies
•squeezing lemon
•drizzling honey
•filling apples and pouring cider
Acorn Squash Canoes
What you need:
•2 medium acorn squash
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•Salt and pepper to taste
•2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (chopped if desired)
•½ cup maple syrup or brown sugar
•½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
•2 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 cubes
What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking pan with foil.
2. With a large, sharp knife, cut squash in quarters through the stem or "blossom" end to resemble a canoe shape and remove seeds. Brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast cut-side up for 20 minutes.
3. Combine cranberries, maple syrup or brown sugar, and walnuts. Set aside.
4. Remove squash from oven and fill each quarter with cranberry mixture. Dot with butter and roast 15-20 minutes longer or until squash is tender when pierced with a knife. (To save time by microwaving.: Place squash in one layer in a dish. Fill with cranberry mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; cook on high 8-12 minutes.)
5. Drizzle with extra maple syrup, if desired, and serve.
Your child can help by:
•removing squash seeds
•lining pan with foil
•brushing with oil and seasoning
•combining cranberry mixture
•spooning mixture into squash
Pumpkin Tartlets
What you need:
•12 mini graham cracker pie shells
•1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
•½ cup packed brown sugar
•2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
•2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened
•Whipped cream, toffee candy bits, and fresh mint (optional)
What to do:
1. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Blend in softened ice cream. If mixture is too soft to mound, refreeze until it reaches the desired consistency.
2. Pour ice cream mixture into each pie shell and freeze until firm. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped cream, toffee bits, and fresh mint or cinnamon, if desired.
Crazy-for-Cranberry Cream Cheese
What you need:
•1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
•zest of one orange
•2 tablespoons orange juice
•¼ cup vanilla yogurt
•½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
•¼ cup finely chopped dry cranberries (coat the blades of your knife or food processor with a bit of oil for easy clean-up)
What to do:
1. In an electric mixer or food processor, combine the cream cheese, zest, juice, yogurt, and cranberry sauce until smooth. Add more orange juice if you prefer a looser consistency.
2. Fold in dried cranberries and zest. Chill well before serving. Serve up a side of this creamy pink spread with veggies and apple slices or try it on a turkey wrap or sandwich.
By Sally Jo O'Brien
Glorious colors; crisp, fragrant air; an energized bounce in your step. At this time of year, fall's magic is everywhere. As you and your child savor the season, you can soak up the learning, too. When you visit a farmers' market or pumpkin patch, check out the names of the pumpkin and squash varieties. (Baby Boo, spaghetti, and Sweet Mama are sure to win a chuckle!) See how many different kinds of vegetables you and your child can identify. Try to taste the difference among apple varieties. Ask your child to help weigh your picks on the hanging scale. When you return home, showcase your delicious bounty with these easy recipes.
Baked Apples with Gingersnaps
What you need:
•4 large apples
•½ cup crumbled gingersnaps (about 8 small cookies; to crumble with no mess, place cookies into a zip-sealed plastic bag and carefully crush with a rolling pin.)
•¼ cup brown sugar
•¼ cup raisins
•¼ teaspoon cinnamon
•1 fresh lemon, halved
•2 tablespoons honey
•1 cup apple cider
•1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces (if desired)
What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel apples halfway down from top. Remove core, leaving the bottom intact. Place in a shallow 1- to 1½-quart baking dish large enough to hold apples without touching.
2. In a small bowl, combine gingersnaps, brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and juice from one-half lemon. Fill apples with mixture. Pour cider into baking dish. Squeeze remaining lemon over apples, dot with butter (if desired), drizzle honey over each, and cover tightly with foil.
3. Bake 30 minutes, uncover, and baste with syrupy pan juices. Bake uncovered 10-15 minutes more or until tender (but still intact) when pierced with a knife. Serve with vanilla ice cream and warm pan juices.
Your child can help by:
•crushing cookies
•squeezing lemon
•drizzling honey
•filling apples and pouring cider
Acorn Squash Canoes
What you need:
•2 medium acorn squash
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•Salt and pepper to taste
•2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (chopped if desired)
•½ cup maple syrup or brown sugar
•½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
•2 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 cubes
What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking pan with foil.
2. With a large, sharp knife, cut squash in quarters through the stem or "blossom" end to resemble a canoe shape and remove seeds. Brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast cut-side up for 20 minutes.
3. Combine cranberries, maple syrup or brown sugar, and walnuts. Set aside.
4. Remove squash from oven and fill each quarter with cranberry mixture. Dot with butter and roast 15-20 minutes longer or until squash is tender when pierced with a knife. (To save time by microwaving.: Place squash in one layer in a dish. Fill with cranberry mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; cook on high 8-12 minutes.)
5. Drizzle with extra maple syrup, if desired, and serve.
Your child can help by:
•removing squash seeds
•lining pan with foil
•brushing with oil and seasoning
•combining cranberry mixture
•spooning mixture into squash
Pumpkin Tartlets
What you need:
•12 mini graham cracker pie shells
•1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
•½ cup packed brown sugar
•2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
•2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened
•Whipped cream, toffee candy bits, and fresh mint (optional)
What to do:
1. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Blend in softened ice cream. If mixture is too soft to mound, refreeze until it reaches the desired consistency.
2. Pour ice cream mixture into each pie shell and freeze until firm. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped cream, toffee bits, and fresh mint or cinnamon, if desired.
Crazy-for-Cranberry Cream Cheese
What you need:
•1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
•zest of one orange
•2 tablespoons orange juice
•¼ cup vanilla yogurt
•½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
•¼ cup finely chopped dry cranberries (coat the blades of your knife or food processor with a bit of oil for easy clean-up)
What to do:
1. In an electric mixer or food processor, combine the cream cheese, zest, juice, yogurt, and cranberry sauce until smooth. Add more orange juice if you prefer a looser consistency.
2. Fold in dried cranberries and zest. Chill well before serving. Serve up a side of this creamy pink spread with veggies and apple slices or try it on a turkey wrap or sandwich.
A Peek at the Week of 9/20/10
This week will be working on...
In SUPERKIDS we are beginning Unit 2.In this unit we will be focusing on the new sounds of /th/ and /wh/ when reading and spelling. We will be working with the following Memory Words: where, what, why, when, which, who. We will be understanding characters, question words, and story vocabulary. We will also continue to work on reading with expression when we pay close attention to punctuation marks.
In MATH we will continue to practice writing numbers correctly. We are learning about pictographs and creating our own in class. We are reviewing left and right. Our class is also going to be working on addition facts which will begin with the doubles.
In RELIGION we have begun working in our very special books! The first unit is Our Church Community. We are now working on the chapter review for chapter one. We are focusing on vocabulary and the Sign of the Cross.
In SOCIAL STUDIES this week we are starting Unit One: Looking at Our Neighborhood. Important words for this unit are social studies, community, citizens, atlas, maps, globes. This week we will use our great hands on materials and learn how to care for them. We will also have a fun time with an Atlas Scavenger Hunt.
Important Dates:
Thursday, 9/23 Fall for a Good Book activity due.
Friday, 9/24 Early release day for students at noon.
Have a wonderful week!
In SUPERKIDS we are beginning Unit 2.In this unit we will be focusing on the new sounds of /th/ and /wh/ when reading and spelling. We will be working with the following Memory Words: where, what, why, when, which, who. We will be understanding characters, question words, and story vocabulary. We will also continue to work on reading with expression when we pay close attention to punctuation marks.
In MATH we will continue to practice writing numbers correctly. We are learning about pictographs and creating our own in class. We are reviewing left and right. Our class is also going to be working on addition facts which will begin with the doubles.
In RELIGION we have begun working in our very special books! The first unit is Our Church Community. We are now working on the chapter review for chapter one. We are focusing on vocabulary and the Sign of the Cross.
In SOCIAL STUDIES this week we are starting Unit One: Looking at Our Neighborhood. Important words for this unit are social studies, community, citizens, atlas, maps, globes. This week we will use our great hands on materials and learn how to care for them. We will also have a fun time with an Atlas Scavenger Hunt.
Important Dates:
Thursday, 9/23 Fall for a Good Book activity due.
Friday, 9/24 Early release day for students at noon.
Have a wonderful week!
Friday, September 17, 2010
6 Hands on Activities for Reluctant Readers
Got a reluctant reader? Rather than battling over books, try a few of these activities together to make reading less of a chore.
By Amanda Farah
•Word searches. Improve recognition by hunting for words in a jumble. For an added challenge, have him define each of the words in the word bank.
•Word of the day. Teach your child a new word every day. Define the word and encourage her to use it in a sentence throughout the day.
•Listen to audio books. Reading may not appeal, but chances are your child still enjoys a story. Find one that will appeal to your child and is above his reading level. Discuss plot and characters to test comprehension.
•Make flashcards. This is an opportunity to play to your child’s strengths while playing a game. Make up flashcards using different vocabulary words. If your child is artistic, she can draw what’s written on the card. If she’s dramatic, she can act it out. A memory game can also be made to match a word on the card to a definition written on another card.
•Mad Libs. A perfect opportunity for you child to get creative and silly while thinking about sentence structure and how to tell a complete story.
•Scavenger hunts. Kids can burn off energy looking for clues, but will have to read the descriptions first.
Scholastic.com
By Amanda Farah
•Word searches. Improve recognition by hunting for words in a jumble. For an added challenge, have him define each of the words in the word bank.
•Word of the day. Teach your child a new word every day. Define the word and encourage her to use it in a sentence throughout the day.
•Listen to audio books. Reading may not appeal, but chances are your child still enjoys a story. Find one that will appeal to your child and is above his reading level. Discuss plot and characters to test comprehension.
•Make flashcards. This is an opportunity to play to your child’s strengths while playing a game. Make up flashcards using different vocabulary words. If your child is artistic, she can draw what’s written on the card. If she’s dramatic, she can act it out. A memory game can also be made to match a word on the card to a definition written on another card.
•Mad Libs. A perfect opportunity for you child to get creative and silly while thinking about sentence structure and how to tell a complete story.
•Scavenger hunts. Kids can burn off energy looking for clues, but will have to read the descriptions first.
Scholastic.com
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A Peek at the Week 9/13/10
This week will be working on...
In SUPERKIDS we will be finishing up unit one. We will be reading a poem and a story. The skills which we will be working on are problem/ solution, oral comprehension, synonyms, pronouns, and guided reading in small groups. We will practice reading aloud with rhythm and be writing our very own poems. We will continue to work on reading and writing words with ch, tch, and sh.
In MATH we will be reviewing writing 0-9 correctly. We will be ordering numbers, comparing numbers, reviewing sides and angles, and starting work on graph skills.
In RELIGION will begin working in our very special books! The first unit is Our Church Community. We will be learning about the following concepts: Jesus' Church is like a family. We show that we belong to God's family with the Sign of the Cross. We will create a fun project that will remind us that Jesus is a good shepherd and He calls us all by name.
In SCIENCE this week we will continue our new unit all about Life Stages of People. We will be working in our new lab booklets and learning about what scientists do. Important words for our unit are: infant, toddler, adolescent, child, adult, elderly adult, and developmental.
We have also started with our very first "Apple of My Eye"! The Apple of My Eye is a special person of the week! I am sure that you will be hearing all about this big honor at home! Every child will have a chance to be the "Apple"!
Scholastic Book club orders will be sent home this week. If you wish to order please be sure to complete the form and include a check made payable to Scholastic Book Club. Orders are due Tuesday, September 20th! The books purchased allow me to earn free books for our class. There is no obligation to buy.
In SUPERKIDS we will be finishing up unit one. We will be reading a poem and a story. The skills which we will be working on are problem/ solution, oral comprehension, synonyms, pronouns, and guided reading in small groups. We will practice reading aloud with rhythm and be writing our very own poems. We will continue to work on reading and writing words with ch, tch, and sh.
In MATH we will be reviewing writing 0-9 correctly. We will be ordering numbers, comparing numbers, reviewing sides and angles, and starting work on graph skills.
In RELIGION will begin working in our very special books! The first unit is Our Church Community. We will be learning about the following concepts: Jesus' Church is like a family. We show that we belong to God's family with the Sign of the Cross. We will create a fun project that will remind us that Jesus is a good shepherd and He calls us all by name.
In SCIENCE this week we will continue our new unit all about Life Stages of People. We will be working in our new lab booklets and learning about what scientists do. Important words for our unit are: infant, toddler, adolescent, child, adult, elderly adult, and developmental.
We have also started with our very first "Apple of My Eye"! The Apple of My Eye is a special person of the week! I am sure that you will be hearing all about this big honor at home! Every child will have a chance to be the "Apple"!
Scholastic Book club orders will be sent home this week. If you wish to order please be sure to complete the form and include a check made payable to Scholastic Book Club. Orders are due Tuesday, September 20th! The books purchased allow me to earn free books for our class. There is no obligation to buy.
A HUGE thanks to all who have sent in donations for our classroom. It is so appreciated! :)
Have a wonderful week!
Have a wonderful week!
Hello!
Here we go! It's the first full week of school for everyone! Yippeee!
I was so happy with the turnout for Back to School Night. I am proud to tell you all that it was my first Back to School Night in 14 years that every single child was represented by a grown up in my class! That is impressive! I would certainly say that is a good indicator or a productive school year.
Each week I will be posting the weekly spelling words in the list on the right. We will be having quizzes every Friday!
I will also be posting my "Peek at the Week" where I will fill you in on what we will be learning about this coming week and classroom news.
As I mentioned at Back to School Night please be sure to bookmark this blog, or even better subscribe to receive updates automatically through email.
I was so happy with the turnout for Back to School Night. I am proud to tell you all that it was my first Back to School Night in 14 years that every single child was represented by a grown up in my class! That is impressive! I would certainly say that is a good indicator or a productive school year.
Each week I will be posting the weekly spelling words in the list on the right. We will be having quizzes every Friday!
I will also be posting my "Peek at the Week" where I will fill you in on what we will be learning about this coming week and classroom news.
As I mentioned at Back to School Night please be sure to bookmark this blog, or even better subscribe to receive updates automatically through email.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thank you!
Many thanks to all of the parents who helped with our class party yesterday!The children had a great time and it was nice to see so many of you! My summer basket is awesome! I will enjoy all of the goodies!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Math Day Number Activity
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Today we enjoyed the story One Million Dots by Andrew Clements. It is a great book which helps children understand just how HUGE one million is! Our class colored 40 grids with 300 centimeter squares on each. We then calculated that all together we would have a big banner with a total of 12,000 centimeter squares! It was a great visual for the class.
We learned: 20 x 300= 6,000 and that 6,000 x 2= 12,000!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
More Adventures of the SUPERKIDS- Units 3 and 4 Wrap Up
Dear Family,
Your child just completed Units 3 and 4 of the More Adventures of the
Superkids reading program. In Unit 3, your child learned about contractions
that can be made with are, is, am, and will and how to read words when
they are not sure of the vowel sounds.
In Unit 4, your child learned to read and spell words with aw and all,
such as draw and call, In the Reader, we read three exciting stories about
the Superkids: “A Super Day at Happy Land,” “Play Ball!” and “Rex King’s Visit.”
Ask your child what happens when theSuperkids visit Happy Land; watch the
Super Hawks play basketball; and meet their favorite TV star, Rex King.
As you look through the Student Book for Units 3–4, try some of these
activities with your child:
• Have your child read aloud the contractions on pages 1–3 and tell the two
words that were put together to make each contraction. Then ask your
child to explain how to read tricky words like the ones circled on pages 6–7.
• Look at the pink words on page 12. See how many other words your child
can come up with that mean the same as terrific or tiny.
• Have your child read aloud some of the words with aw and all on pages 13–15
and 17. Then ask your child to name some words that rhyme with saw and words
that rhyme with wall.
• Ask your child to tell you about the words on page 23 that have opposite meanings,
such as awful and grand. Play a game where you say a word and your child names a
word that means the opposite, such as up and down, good and bad, happy and sad.
• Look at the directions your child followed on page 24 and give directions for other
things your child might like to draw.
• Read what your child wrote about a TV show on page 25 and discuss why your child
likes this show. Tell about a TV show or book you like and explain why you like it.
Your child just completed Units 3 and 4 of the More Adventures of the
Superkids reading program. In Unit 3, your child learned about contractions
that can be made with are, is, am, and will and how to read words when
they are not sure of the vowel sounds.
In Unit 4, your child learned to read and spell words with aw and all,
such as draw and call, In the Reader, we read three exciting stories about
the Superkids: “A Super Day at Happy Land,” “Play Ball!” and “Rex King’s Visit.”
Ask your child what happens when theSuperkids visit Happy Land; watch the
Super Hawks play basketball; and meet their favorite TV star, Rex King.
As you look through the Student Book for Units 3–4, try some of these
activities with your child:
• Have your child read aloud the contractions on pages 1–3 and tell the two
words that were put together to make each contraction. Then ask your
child to explain how to read tricky words like the ones circled on pages 6–7.
• Look at the pink words on page 12. See how many other words your child
can come up with that mean the same as terrific or tiny.
• Have your child read aloud some of the words with aw and all on pages 13–15
and 17. Then ask your child to name some words that rhyme with saw and words
that rhyme with wall.
• Ask your child to tell you about the words on page 23 that have opposite meanings,
such as awful and grand. Play a game where you say a word and your child names a
word that means the opposite, such as up and down, good and bad, happy and sad.
• Look at the directions your child followed on page 24 and give directions for other
things your child might like to draw.
• Read what your child wrote about a TV show on page 25 and discuss why your child
likes this show. Tell about a TV show or book you like and explain why you like it.
June Activities for 1C
June 2- Spring concert in the Activity Center for the families of students in grades 1-3 at 1:30.
June 7- Social Studies Day for grade one. Students may wear red, white and blue today. We will be having special patriotic activities in class.
June 8- Math Day for grade one. Special math games and projects today!
June 9- First Grade Field Study at the Ecotarium. Students may wear their gym uniforms. Please bring a bag lunch and a snack. The first grade teachers would appreciate it if the children did not bring peanut products or other foods containing peanuts.
June 10- Science Day for grade one. Wait until you see what we are exploring!
June 11- Reading Day for grade one. We will all enjoy our tradition of celebrating the SUPERKIDS! All first graders are invited to dress as their favorite SUPERKID today!
June 16- End of the Year First Grade Party- The first graders will have an outdoor celebration on the playground at 2:00 pm. Parents are invited to join us! Thank you all for your generous donations and support.
June 17- Field Day for all grades- Please wear a hat, sunscreen, and your gym uniform today. Please be sure that your child brings a water bottle with their name clearly marked.
June 18- Last Day of first grade. Noon dismissal.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Crazy Hat Day Reminder
Tomorrow is Crazy Hat Day! The children may wear a hat of their choice for a one dollar donation. The funds raised will be donated to the Leukemia/ Lymphoma Society.
Friday, May 14, 2010
St. Bernadette Outreach Announcement
Fourth of July Barbecue Bags for the Food Pantry
We are asking each classroom to put together one bag
to help support local needy
families enjoy the Fourth of July holiday.
Items needed for bags…
Hot Dogs
Hot Dog Rolls
Boxed Pasta Salad
Potato Chips
Mustard, Relish, Ketchup
Freeze Pops (The unfrozen kind)
$10 Gift cards to Hannaford
*It would be belpful to have a reusable grocery
bag to put the donated items in.
Please send in your donation next week!
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
SUPERKIDS Units 1 and 2 Wrap Up
Dear Family,
Your child just completed Units 1 and 2 of the More Adventures of the Superkids
reading program. In our first Student Book, your child learned that the letter y is a vowel
when it comes at the end of words, such as cry, penny, and play. Your child also learned that
when you add an ending to a word that ends with y, you change the y to i before adding the
ending.
We are continuing to read stories about the Superkids in our More Adventures of the
Superkids Reader. Ask your child to tell about the rainy day projects in the story “In Case of
Rain” and the surprising way Oswald’s wish came true in “The Wish.”
As you look through the Student Book for Units 1–2, try some of these activities with
your child:
• Have your child read aloud the words on pages 1–4. See if your child can think of
other words that end with y or ay.
• Look at the directions on page 14. Play a game where you say a simple direction,
such as: “Clap your hands.” Have your child do what you say. Let your child give
directions for you to follow, too!
• Talk about the list your child wrote on page 16. Discuss things your child would like
to do on a rainy day and choose one idea to do for the next rainy day.
• Your child read about Oswald’s luckiest day. Ask your child about the luckiest
thing that has ever happened to him or her. Share the luckiest thing that has ever
happened to you.
Your child is learning to read, write, and understand new words every day. Home is a
great place for your child to share and practice new skills and get encouragement to keep up
the good work!
Your child just completed Units 1 and 2 of the More Adventures of the Superkids
reading program. In our first Student Book, your child learned that the letter y is a vowel
when it comes at the end of words, such as cry, penny, and play. Your child also learned that
when you add an ending to a word that ends with y, you change the y to i before adding the
ending.
We are continuing to read stories about the Superkids in our More Adventures of the
Superkids Reader. Ask your child to tell about the rainy day projects in the story “In Case of
Rain” and the surprising way Oswald’s wish came true in “The Wish.”
As you look through the Student Book for Units 1–2, try some of these activities with
your child:
• Have your child read aloud the words on pages 1–4. See if your child can think of
other words that end with y or ay.
• Look at the directions on page 14. Play a game where you say a simple direction,
such as: “Clap your hands.” Have your child do what you say. Let your child give
directions for you to follow, too!
• Talk about the list your child wrote on page 16. Discuss things your child would like
to do on a rainy day and choose one idea to do for the next rainy day.
• Your child read about Oswald’s luckiest day. Ask your child about the luckiest
thing that has ever happened to him or her. Share the luckiest thing that has ever
happened to you.
Your child is learning to read, write, and understand new words every day. Home is a
great place for your child to share and practice new skills and get encouragement to keep up
the good work!
Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Weeks
SUPERKIDS: Over the past week, our class has been writing about "Wishes" that they have for themselves or for someone special. It is wonderful to see improvements in spelling, use of punctuation, and sentence writing. The children focused on Wishes that do not include "things", just hopes for something good to happen someday. In class we have been focusing on contractions and vowel "trickers" which are words that have vowel sounds that do not follow the rules of reading which we have been learning about. We are also learning about homonyms, story structure and comprehension.
Math: In math we have been spending time with fact review, counting change, and measurement. We have been learning about congruent shapes and will be using the geoboards for geometry this week. Please note that we often check math homework in the morning as a whole class. I do not always mark the homework and I encourage the children to make corrections if necessary. This is used as a tool to reinforce what we are working on in class.
Science: As we begin to move away from our weather unit we will be focusing on the life cycles of plants and flowers. We will be planting seeds this week. It will be great to watch the life cycle. We will even have a control group and a test group. The test group will have a dark cover on their seed cups which will prevent light and water from helping the seed to grow.
Social Studies: The children have been very excited to learn about the oceans and continents of the world. We have been working on world map puzzle posters. We will also be learning about the names of some countries on each continent as well as a little bit about living things found on the continents. On Friday the children will be bringing home an assignment about this topic which will be due on Wednesday, May 19th.
Religion: In class we have continued to write scripture passages each week with our handwriting program. We have been learning about the Ascension and are starting to learn about Pentecost. The children will be attending an all school Mass on Thursday afternoon at 1:30.
Important Notes:
First Grade Field Trip to the Ecotarium: June 9 9:30- 2:00
**I am in need of two adult chaperones for the field trip. Please let me know ASAP if you are able to join us!
Spring Concert for grades 1-3: June 2 at 1:30 in the Church
Move Up Day to Visit Grade 2: June 15 in the afternoon
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week
The Week of April 27, 2010
I hope that you all had a great April vacation! All of the children came back rested and ready to get started on their last quarter of first grade. Where does the time go? I am so happy with the progress that they are making. In addition to the academics it is a joy to see how well this class works together everyday. They are kind and helpful to one another. I sure have been blessed this school year!
This week's spelling words: hay, day, play, spray, way, pay and ***geography***
SUPERKIDS: This week we are starting unit 2. The skills that we will be working on are reviewing ai/ ay, words ending in -y, -ier, and -iest. We will be working on the following Memory Words: their, now, always, because, and been. We will also be working on following written and oral directions.
Math: This week we will be adding 10 to double digit numbers, counting change, ordering numbers from least to greatest and measuring line segments using inches.
Social Studies: Over the next two weeks we will continue our work with map skills. This week we will be learning about and using map keys. We will then move on to using globes as they are models that represent our Earth.
Science: We are continuing to share our daily weather reports. We have really enjoyed this! We will also be working on weather projects in the coming weeks. I will let you know about the details at the beginning of May.
Religion: We are starting a new chapter "Jesus Sends Us the Holy Spirit".
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Friday, 4/9 is Red Sox Day
Tomorrow will be Red Sox Spirit Day. The children may wear Red Sox shirts with their school pants or gym pants. (If you wish to wear another baseball team shirt, you may.) Please consider sending in a 1.00 donation for the Mercy Center School if you wish to participate.
Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week 4/8/10
SUPERKIDS: This week our class has started "More Adventures of the SUPERKIDS". This is the fourth level of the program. We are learning about the sounds that "Y" can make when it is at the end of a word, the sound of "AY", new memory words, practicing reading fluency, and sequencing events. We also are practicing dictation when we review memory words and recent spelling patterns. The children really are focusing on sounds, word placement, capitals, and punctuation.
This weeks spelling words: down, many, too, first, work...BONUS: daffodils
Math- In math we have been learning about fractions and their parts, pairs, reviewing counting change, and telling time. Our next group of math facts will review sums of ten with missing addends.
Science- We are reviewing the the water cycle and learning all about weather! Our first weather reporter will make her report on Friday Morning. Your children brought home a blue packet with information about the Weather Reporter Project. They are all so very excited about wearing our weather apron and using the microphone for the big broadcast! Please be sure to note your child's assigned day to be the weather reporter at some point this month or next month.
Religion- Our class has learned a great deal about Holy Week and Lent. We are currently sharing Easter stories and we are making paintings of the Risen Jesus this week. They are working hard to show this important part of the liturgical year.
Social Studies- This week we will be reviewing many types of maps and changes in a community over time.
PLEASE NOTE:
1. The children need to bring water bottles to school each day. The sure love to run around on the playground at recess time!
2. Please be certain to mark the inside tags of sweatshirts and sweaters with your child's name. It can be hard to read names that have faded from being washed.
3. Please be sure that your child has a morning snack every day. My Busy Bees need to keep their energy up throughout the day!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Cell Tower
I am happy to report that there will not be a cell tower built at 265 Main Street in the near future!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Be on the lookout!
The first grade classes are collecting cardboard egg cartons. The children will be making a special project during our annual Retreat Day, which is scheduled for 4/1/10. Please be sure to send in your cartons by 3/30/10. Thank you!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Weeks- 3/8- 3/19
What busy days we have been having this month! Our class is working very hard. We finishing the first half of the Superkids first grade program. It is so exciting to see how much all of the children have grown thus far.
This week's spelling words: eat, coat, week, rain, read, clean **BONUS*** shamrock
SUPERKIDS- As we wrap up the first half of the program we are working on reading and spelling words with long vowel sounds. The children are learning to add -ed and - ing endings to words with long vowel sounds. We are also working on contractions, compound words, and nouns with "er" endings such as skater and painter.
Math- In math we are reviewing counting and identifying coins, adding doubles plus one more, and patterns.
Science- In class we have been learning about types of clouds and the water cycle. As we wrap this part of our water unit we will be moving on to floating and sinking.
Social Studies- We are going to be working on map skills and types of maps. The children really enjoy using the class maps and the Nystrom first grade atlases.
Religion- Our class continues to count the days of Lent. We have been enjoying bible stories with seasonal themes. Many of the bible stories have helped to reinforce our learning about bullying. The first grade is focusing on kindness and including others.
Looking Ahead: Arts Night is Friday evening, 3/19
Walk A Thon- March 24th
School Wide Retreat Day- Holy Thursday
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week March 1, 2010
Today we celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday! We had fun reading favorite stories and writing activities. We even shared a wonderful, touching book by Dr.Seuss. Audrey Geisel ('Mrs. Seuss") published an unfinished story titled My Many Colored Days. The book was published in 1996 after Dr. Seuss' passing.
SUPERKIDS: This week we have started our Unit 9 and 10 Book. We will be working with words that have double vowels and adding ending such as -ed and -ing. We will also be focusing on creating a character using a web, comprehension, sequencing, and using adjectives in our writing. This week's spelling words are new Memory Words: would, could, some, one, new, were.
Math- This week we are writing money using dollars and cents, tallies, subrtacting 2 and drawing line segments.
Religion- We have been counting the days of Lent on our Lenten journey calendar in our classroom. We will be reading our book chapter about Lent as well. SBS is collecting spare change for Visitation House in Worcester. For those of you who are not familiar, Visitation House in shelter for pregnant women in need. We will be collecting change all week. Please send in your spare change to help us fill up our baby bottle by Friday.
Sicence- This month we will be learning all about "Weather". We are kicking off our unit with a study about clouds this week.
Social Studies- This week we will be learning about perspectives using maps: eye level view, birds-eye view, and map views.
***BIG NEWS!!!**** Our class has earned a class reward! It will be PAJAMA DAY on Friday, March 5th! Children need to wear pj pants and long sleeved tops. They may bring slippers to school to wear indoors. GREAT JOB, 1C!!!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Units 7 and 8 SUPERKIDS Home Letter
Dear Family,
Like Hot Rod, who said “Oh! What a good day to race,” your child has been racing
along on the road of reading! In Units 7 and 8 of Adventures of the Superkids, your child learned a powerful skill—how to read and spell words ending in a silent e, such as bake and smile, and how to read those words with added endings, such as baking and smiled.
The stories we read in the Reader had the common theme of helping others. Ask your
child how the Superkids helped Hot Rod win the race in “Kites” and whether Golly was
actually helpful in “Golly Helps.”
As you look through the Student Book for Units 7/8, try some of these activities with your child:
• Play a Super e game. Ask your child to read aloud the first word on page 1. Use a
black pen to add a silent e to the end of the word and have your child read the new
word aloud. Repeat with all the words on pages 1 and 2.
• Have your child read aloud the list of words on page 16 or 18 several times.
Encourage her to read the words faster and more smoothly each time.
• Turn to page 4 and ask your child to sing Hot Rod’s song. Together, make up a song
about a good day your child has had.
• Have your child read aloud the poem on page 12. Then discuss gifts that you each
think would be great, awful, or funny.
• The Superkids wrote an important message on several kites. Help your child write
messages or reminders on sticky notes to post around the house. For example, write
and post the message, “Brush your teeth.”
Reproducible Page © 2009 by Rowland Reading Foundation
Like Hot Rod, who said “Oh! What a good day to race,” your child has been racing
along on the road of reading! In Units 7 and 8 of Adventures of the Superkids, your child learned a powerful skill—how to read and spell words ending in a silent e, such as bake and smile, and how to read those words with added endings, such as baking and smiled.
The stories we read in the Reader had the common theme of helping others. Ask your
child how the Superkids helped Hot Rod win the race in “Kites” and whether Golly was
actually helpful in “Golly Helps.”
As you look through the Student Book for Units 7/8, try some of these activities with your child:
• Play a Super e game. Ask your child to read aloud the first word on page 1. Use a
black pen to add a silent e to the end of the word and have your child read the new
word aloud. Repeat with all the words on pages 1 and 2.
• Have your child read aloud the list of words on page 16 or 18 several times.
Encourage her to read the words faster and more smoothly each time.
• Turn to page 4 and ask your child to sing Hot Rod’s song. Together, make up a song
about a good day your child has had.
• Have your child read aloud the poem on page 12. Then discuss gifts that you each
think would be great, awful, or funny.
• The Superkids wrote an important message on several kites. Help your child write
messages or reminders on sticky notes to post around the house. For example, write
and post the message, “Brush your teeth.”
Reproducible Page © 2009 by Rowland Reading Foundation
Hello!
What a wacky week it has been! A three day week with a field trip right in the middle of it all! We had a WONDERFUL time at the Charlotte's Web performance at the Hanover Theater yesterday. If you have not had a chance to visit the Theater add it to your list of things to do this year.
The children were outstanding listeners and audience members. Today we will watch parts of the movie and compare and contrast the play and the movie.
This week we have been focusing on the season of Lent. Each child has created a Lenten calendar to keep track of the 40 day season. We have also created a large Lenten calendar for our classroom. Our own footprints have been placed along the path from Ash Wednesday to Holy Week, and ending on Easter Sunday.
We have also started our next SUPERKIDS lesson booklet. We are now working with double vowel words such as seal, boat, and pie. To help the children recalling which vowel is heard we are remembering that most often, "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking and the second one zips its lips!"
Next week we will (hopefully) be back into the swing of things with a regular schedule...and 5 school days!!! :) Stay tuned for Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week on Monday!
The children were outstanding listeners and audience members. Today we will watch parts of the movie and compare and contrast the play and the movie.
This week we have been focusing on the season of Lent. Each child has created a Lenten calendar to keep track of the 40 day season. We have also created a large Lenten calendar for our classroom. Our own footprints have been placed along the path from Ash Wednesday to Holy Week, and ending on Easter Sunday.
We have also started our next SUPERKIDS lesson booklet. We are now working with double vowel words such as seal, boat, and pie. To help the children recalling which vowel is heard we are remembering that most often, "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking and the second one zips its lips!"
Next week we will (hopefully) be back into the swing of things with a regular schedule...and 5 school days!!! :) Stay tuned for Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week on Monday!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week- Feb. 4- 12
We will be making valentine mailboxes on Wednesday. Please send in an empty cereal box for your child to use by Wednesday morning.
Valentine's Day Party- February 11th Our Homeroom parents will be coordinating our snack and such. Children have been given a class list for valentines. As I mentioned on the list, the children may pass out a small trinkets to their classmates if they wish. Thank you for following the candy/food guidelines.
100th Day Celebration: February 12th Students will be bringing a collection of 100 things for our Hundreds Museum. Please pick something that you can bring to school that you have 100 of. Please be sure that the collection of 100 things is about the size of a shoebox. The children should bring their 100 Collection to school on Wednesday. We will be setting up a Hundreds Museum on 2/12/10!
Last week and this week we have been working on the following:
SUPERKIDS: We have been finishing up units 7 and 8 and are having assessments which will take us into Tuesday. We are working on our Special Gift writing projects and will have them completed next week! Over the next week enjoying stories and literature- based projects for the 100th Day and Valentine's Day.
Religion- Catholic Schools Week was lots of fun for all! We will learn about St. Valentine and begin learning about Lent.
Math- We will be reviewing skills this week with a valentine and 100th day twist! On Thursday we will be having some math fun with Necco Brand Sweetheart candies. (Please let me know asap if you have any objection to this activity.
Science- We are wrapping up our Matter unit. Last week we had a ball with our science experiment involving water drops on the surface of a penny. We were amazed by how many tiny drops actually would fit!
Social Studies- This week will be learning more about Honest Abe and Our First President!
Valentine's Day Party- February 11th Our Homeroom parents will be coordinating our snack and such. Children have been given a class list for valentines. As I mentioned on the list, the children may pass out a small trinkets to their classmates if they wish. Thank you for following the candy/food guidelines.
100th Day Celebration: February 12th Students will be bringing a collection of 100 things for our Hundreds Museum. Please pick something that you can bring to school that you have 100 of. Please be sure that the collection of 100 things is about the size of a shoebox. The children should bring their 100 Collection to school on Wednesday. We will be setting up a Hundreds Museum on 2/12/10!
Last week and this week we have been working on the following:
SUPERKIDS: We have been finishing up units 7 and 8 and are having assessments which will take us into Tuesday. We are working on our Special Gift writing projects and will have them completed next week! Over the next week enjoying stories and literature- based projects for the 100th Day and Valentine's Day.
Religion- Catholic Schools Week was lots of fun for all! We will learn about St. Valentine and begin learning about Lent.
Math- We will be reviewing skills this week with a valentine and 100th day twist! On Thursday we will be having some math fun with Necco Brand Sweetheart candies. (Please let me know asap if you have any objection to this activity.
Science- We are wrapping up our Matter unit. Last week we had a ball with our science experiment involving water drops on the surface of a penny. We were amazed by how many tiny drops actually would fit!
Social Studies- This week will be learning more about Honest Abe and Our First President!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Northborough school raising funds for Haiti - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
Northborough school raising funds for Haiti - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
Posted using ShareThis
***Click on the link above to read about this great project which our class is involved in!
If you would like to buy your child's pin/ magnet please send in a 5.00 donation this week. Thanks very much!
Posted using ShareThis
***Click on the link above to read about this great project which our class is involved in!
If you would like to buy your child's pin/ magnet please send in a 5.00 donation this week. Thanks very much!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week
What a busy week it has been!!! Here is what we have been up to this week!
Religion- Our class has been enjoying Bible stories about Moses very much. We also have been working on first grade projects for Catholic Schools Week next week. It has been lots of fun for us.
SUPERKIDS- This week we have been working on sentence dictation, reviewing blends, and focusing on adding -ed and -ing ending to short and long vowel words. We are still working writing projects, main idea, and sequencing. The children have also been assessed on reading the first half of the memory words for the program. This week's spelling words: boy, girl, two, about, over, before
Math- We have had lots of fun working with measurement using nonstandard units. We are also practicing addition facts +2, telling time to the hour, half hour, and quarter hour.
Social Studies- We have been talking about what a community is and learning about how communities change over time. The class created a time line using pictures that were from a story which was read to them.
Science- Our unit about the states of matter is keeping us busy. We are now going to be exploring how states of matter can be changed.
News to Know
Valentine's Day Party- February 11th Our Homeroom parents will be coordinating our snack and such. Children have been given a class list for valentines. As I mentioned on the list, the children may pass out a small trinkets to their classmates if they wish. Thank you for following the candy/food guidelines.
100th Day Celebration: February 12th Students will be bringing a collection of 100 things for our Hundreds Museum. More info will be sent out next week.
****Each child needs to bring an empty cereal box for a project. Please send yours in by Feb.8 th at the latest!****
Thank you for sending in a few games and such for indoor recess! It is so appreciated.
Religion- Our class has been enjoying Bible stories about Moses very much. We also have been working on first grade projects for Catholic Schools Week next week. It has been lots of fun for us.
SUPERKIDS- This week we have been working on sentence dictation, reviewing blends, and focusing on adding -ed and -ing ending to short and long vowel words. We are still working writing projects, main idea, and sequencing. The children have also been assessed on reading the first half of the memory words for the program. This week's spelling words: boy, girl, two, about, over, before
Math- We have had lots of fun working with measurement using nonstandard units. We are also practicing addition facts +2, telling time to the hour, half hour, and quarter hour.
Social Studies- We have been talking about what a community is and learning about how communities change over time. The class created a time line using pictures that were from a story which was read to them.
Science- Our unit about the states of matter is keeping us busy. We are now going to be exploring how states of matter can be changed.
News to Know
Valentine's Day Party- February 11th Our Homeroom parents will be coordinating our snack and such. Children have been given a class list for valentines. As I mentioned on the list, the children may pass out a small trinkets to their classmates if they wish. Thank you for following the candy/food guidelines.
100th Day Celebration: February 12th Students will be bringing a collection of 100 things for our Hundreds Museum. More info will be sent out next week.
****Each child needs to bring an empty cereal box for a project. Please send yours in by Feb.8 th at the latest!****
Thank you for sending in a few games and such for indoor recess! It is so appreciated.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Technology Tickets- Parenting Idea
I saw this neat idea online and wanted to share it with you all. The tickets and clipboard with pockets are a fancy project, but the concept sounded interesting.
My kids love TV, DVDs, video games - you name it. And there have been many times (probably too many) that I have been so grateful that they will sit and devour a show while I do something. BUT . . . . there has been some bickering lately. Too much bickering. When all else fails, and I feel like throwing my hands up in the air, I usually buckle down and dig down to my elementary school teaching roots. We come up with systems.
I read on Ashley Ann Photography blog about Wii tickets. At first it seemed like a lot of effort, but as the crying and stomping of feet increased, I went back to this. I just used plain old tags as tickets. I think a pack of 25 cost me $1. I stamped their names on them. They each get 10 and Tom and I get 5 labeled "reward." We can pass them out as rewards. Perhaps my favorite part of Ashley's idea was that chalkboard clipboard. I had chalkboard paint, and old clipboards . . . . so that was easy.
Here is our system. Each ticket represents 1/2 hour of technology. On Sundays after church, they receive 10 tickets. They give me a ticket, I set the timer. Tom and I reserve the right to say "no" even if they have a ticket, though. That's for when they bust out the ticket at 8:00 at night, or they have already used several tickets in a row. When they are out, they're out and no amount of crying will get them more tickets. I sure hope this works. I'm crossing my fingers. At least if it is another system that doesn't really meet our needs, it was a cute system!
This idea was found on:
http://themacdougallfamily.blogspot.com/2010/01/technology-tickets.html
Friday, January 22, 2010
OOPS!
Hello! For some strange reason the computer system sent out a Busy Bees Blog message from last year regarding glue sticks. I am not sure why the message was sent out....but, I can reassure you that we have plenty of glue sticks!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week- 1/19/10
News to Know
- Our class will be heading to the Hanover Theater for a Charlotte's Web play on February 25! One chaperone is needed for our class. Please let me know if you are interested in joining us. If several people volunteer then I will pick a name at random. Permission slips will be sent home later this month. As of today I have had one volunteer. Please let me know if you are interested by tomorrow, 1/21/10.
- Our class is very happy to have Mrs. Lapolito for their new Art teacher on Friday afternoons! Please send in an old oversized tshirt for your child to wear as an art smock labeled with their name inside. I would appreciate it if we could have all smocks in by this Friday's art class.
- January Scholastic Book Club orders were due yesterday. I have extended the due date to this Friday. This is a great way to help us earn books for our classroom. There are many great selections for a dollar this month. Please make your checks payable to Scholastic Book Clubs.
Help Wanted
**We are looking for empty cardboard toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes! Please send yours in for upcoming projects.
Class Wish List items: 6 regular sized clipboards and Wet Ones Wipes. Thank you for donating 2 clip boards and two canister of Wet Ones.
We have been having many indoor recess days recently. If you would like to donate any of the following for our class it would be appreciated: coloring books, age level board games, card games, puzzle books or jigsaw puzzles.
Thank you very much!
Religion: This week we will read the story of Zacchaeus, make cards and notes for our seminarian, Michael, and start or new chapter, "Jesus Teaches Us About Love".
Spelling: Our spelling words are long vowel words which are also plurals: grapes, games, notes, whales, stones, planes
- Reading: In SUPERKIDS we are continuing to work on long vowel sounds, plurals with silent e, and sequencing events in a story. We are also working in reading groups 3 times a week where we are working with word games, reading mini books, and having extra time to read aloud in small groups.In addition we are starting a writing project about a special gift. We will be brainstorming, writing a first draft, editing, and writing a final draft of our descriptive paragraphs. We are really working on adding details to our writing.
- Math: In math this week we will continue our work with even and odd numbers, basic addition and subtraction facts, telling time to the hour and half hour, as well as counting change.
- Science: This week we will begin a new unit about solids, liquids, and gasses. We will read all about them, classify, and make projects in class throughout the rest of January.
- Social Studies: This week we will focus on goods and services. We will be learning about places in our communities where goods and services come from, too.The children were very much into our study of Martin Luther King, Jr last week and were happy to spend extra time learning about his life. I was very proud of the children as I heard them speak about diversity. Our class enjoyed the story The Crayon Box that Talked which really connects with the Dr. King's message in a simple way for children.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy 2010!
Happy New Year! I am looking forward to welcoming the Busy Bees back to school tomorrow.Yes, really I am. Vacation was great but it is time to get back into the routine! (I say this as a teacher and a mom!)
Each week I will now be updating the blog with my new posts: Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week. The peek will give a brief overview of an academic update, reminders, and of course the spelling words!
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