**We continue to be very busy in our last week. Pizza and Play End of the Year Family Picnic was absolutely fabulous! We had a great weather day! The pizza, veggies, fruit and pudding were very yummy. All students had a wonderful time interacting with their peers. Ms. Amanda and her service dog, Hunt, also attended to watch the students play and chat about her upcoming graduation from Oak Park High School. We wish her the best!! Thanks to all who attended. It was a great way to end our productive year!
**Our First Grade Tour and question and answer time was very cute. Ms. Solomon and Mr. Degman's classes wrote letters to us about what they do in First Grade. Ms. Massarello's class did a Reader's Theater for us. We wished her well in her retirement. Ms. Collins class was out and about but, she hug us all and we wished her well in her relocation to California. Many students asked pressing questions that had been on their minds. Do we still have recess? What is homework like? Do we have science? Is First Grade hard? Do we have to do lots of homework? Could we see our First Grade reading book? Do we do journals? All questions were answered with the utmost care and concern. They are ready!!!!
**Reading Grandma Mary also came to visit. The students had written letters of thanks to her and she responded by writing a letter to us and making a poster for us to hang up.
**ALL students received a large summer packet today. The packet contains your child's report card, activities and workbooks to use over the summer, summer tips, Spelling City updates with first grade words, information on logging on to LEXIA and XTRAMATH if you have not already done so and information on Summer Incentive Reading and Math Programs at Irving. There is lots to keep you busy over the summer along with keeping physically fit. Please keep active!
**The students went into the READING BUBBLE today! All 20 of us fit in to the bubble to listen to some stories. Ms. Noonan was kind enough to photograph us!
**Please join us today (Friday) from 1:30 on for Parent /Sibling Hour. The students will kick back, have some treats, sign autograph books they made and interact with each other. They will then turn into First Graders!!!!!!! Oh........It looks like Mr. Hodge is going to put on his DANCING SHOES!! Oh My!!!
We will all go out to the blacktop at 2:15 today to see what is up!!!!
**Our Line Soccer Game against Ms. Ricchio's class was fun. It was a close game!! Ms. Gullo's class won by a score of 10 to 7!! Good team work!
**Please join all of Irving for the Annual End of the Year Party at Barrie Park from 5-7 pm this evening. Pizza and drinks will be for sale.
**Garden Update....Everything is beginning to grow!!!! The students are so excited!! I will keep you updated throughout the summer with growth news and photos. When we are ready to harvest, I will do a group email so you can come and pick some zucchini, green onions and nasturtiums! Stop by over the summer to see it. If you have any recipes to share--email me and we can post them.
**Addresses for summer incentive programs--READING--www.scholastic.com/readingeveryday.
MATH--http://irvingsummermath.blogspot.com.
**I told the class that they can email me at my op97.org address over the summer and share summer news. I will be testing new kindergarten students, working as a one on one assistant to a special education student for 5 weeks and teaching a summer school class. This will be a working summer for me!
**A HUGE SHOUT OUT to my room parents--T. Naber, M. Chlebek, J. Brock, G. Garcia-Quionones and L.Waste for all of their help! Thanks also to my garden moms T. Naber and I. Henry and one more thanks to LEXIA moms M. Meagher and T. Naber and our honorary helper, Alexis! A HEARTFELT THANKS to all of our Station Day Helpers and helpers for parties. I would also like to acknowledge Hertha Orszula (Yaya"s grandma) for her support of our program and the WONDERFUL Ms. Applebey for her support and wisdom in our technology sessions. This year, my class has had 100% parent participation. You all are the best! You are the reason our program runs so well. It has been a great partnership. Thanks! Have an active and fun summer. First Grade----here we come!!!!
Reading/Social Studies: This week the students did a lot of independent reading. They chose their own stories and decided what assignments they would do as a follow up. They also showcased their reading to First Grade students during their tour.
Math: It was game week. The students revisited Monster Squeeze, It Takes 2 and 3 Place Value Game, Number Pop, Racing Addition and Subtraction Game, Coin Grab and creating 2-3 dimensional structures using straws, pipe cleaners and the magneetos. They used the whiteboards to write 2-3 digit numbers.
Writing: This week the students reworked their drafts and wrote their final copy for their paragraph on WORMS. You will find them in their summer packet along with their water color worm study.
Science: It was all about watching what is coming up in our garden! Our last zucchini plant sprouted on Tuesday. We also took out our wormy friends and check out compost. We will return the compost bin to Salome. We have found a home for most plants from our class garden. For those who have taken them in--keep us updated. The students are still bringing me seeds. I told them to try planting them at home.
Technology: All IPADS are being updated. I will send you a list of all of our apps next week.
Literature: "When It's the Last Day of School," "Why Do I Run," "Stella, Queen of the Forest," "Summer," "Summer Activities," "Ms. Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten," "The Best Teacher in the World."
Check out our end of the year movie below!!!!!! Let the summer begin!!!!
