Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
UPDATES for 6/2-6/6 2014
**The students spent this week planning the activities for each day. The ABC Countdown continued with the sharing of special Treasures, a Watermelon break, Valentines Day revisited and Xtra this and that. We visited First Grade and met the teachers and saw the rooms. Some First Grade students read papers on what they did in First Grade. My students asked some really great questions. How much homework? Do you have choice time? Do you create things? Do you do Lexia Core 5? Where do you line up? What about iPads and the computer lab? What is your reading book like? Do you do lots of math? All questions were answered by the First Grade students. It's all good!
**The visit to the Gurgas/Chien residence was quite interesting. The students enjoyed hearing about the care of chickens, what they eat and how they live in their coop. The students were excited to have the opportunity to feed the chickens grass.
**Jalen's mom visited our class and read Jalen's favorite story for his birthday. We also celebrated Ms. Jack Day by writing her letters, making a crown for her and presenting her with a tee shirt decorated by the students. We wish Jalen the best of luck at his new school and Ms. Jack a happy retirement! We also celebrated all summer birthdays with treats galore!!!
**I was unable to attend the end of the year party at Barrie Park but heard it was awesome!!
**The PTO Fundraiser featuring Colin's Dad, Sean Flannery was loads of fun! Lots of laughs and great community with friends and parents.
**Our garden bed is planted!! The students worked to smooth and amend the soil and help plant the baby plants. We have a tomato plant from Gina's garden, parsley, oregano, 3 potato plants-2 of which were started in our classroom and 1 started by Jayden. To round it out, the students chose orange bell peppers for the kids and hot, jalapeno peppers for the grown ups. (Their exact words!) All the other classes will plant on Monday. I will update you throughout the summer on their growth and when to come and harvest items that are ready to be picked.
**Reminder--Field Trip to Chef Ashley's Studio at Constructive Chaos is Monday, June 9th. We will be going by bus and leaving promptly at 12:30 pm. We will return to school by 2:30 pm.
**Please join us for Family Hour on our last day of school--Tuesday, June 10th beginning at 1:00 pm. We will have refreshments, sign autographs, get report cards and summer packets and have a final story. At 2:30 pm, Mr Hodge is requesting that all students go to the playground for.....something special!!!! Hope you can stay for that!
**We will have our final get together with our Book Buddies on Tuesday morning and wish them well as they go on to the middle school.
**Please check your child's backpack for the remainder of their work portfolios, writing folders, journals and Pacer's bracelet.
**All students will receive a summer packet on Tuesday. Inside you will find information on Irving School's Summer Math Incentive and TenMarks Summer Math Program. These summer supplements are a great way to keep your math skills growing! Lexia Core 5 is also available all summer as well as Spelling City and Xtra Math. Check out the workbooks and summer journal too! These are totally optional......but a good idea to sit down with your child at least once or twice a week and pick out something to do from the packet. Don't forget to sign up for Maze Branch Library Reading incentive program, "Fizz, Boom, Read!"
This week:
It was all about chickens, gardens, independent work, first grade.....but most of all being together and interacting with each other. The students know that next year they will not all be in the same classroom. They will meet new classmates and teachers and will have opportunities to see each other. They have all worked so hard this year!
Reading/Social Studies: The students planned their own lessons this week. They chose their own literature and follow up activities and worked with a different group of peers each day.
Math: The students continued to work in their math process journals. This week, the students read their own story problem and completed the work by illustrating, showing it in a ten frame and writing the number sentence. I chose 1 student each day to share their work via the projector. Students worked on a variety of activities in small groups including addition games, adding and subtracting color the code, counting challenge, subitize challenge using the iPad app and number find.
Writing: The students continued to reflect in their journals on various topics. They shared their thoughts about Mr. Hodge and brought all their journals down to share with him. He got a real kick out of it!
Science: The students put their finishing touches on their science journals. I am beginning to give the plants in our indoor class garden to families. Gina's family has the baby corn plant and Emily's family will take the pumpkin, beans and watermelon plants. The students readied the outdoor planting bed and with assistance from myself and Mr. Packer planted the potatoes, peppers, parsley, tomatoes, oregano and nasturtium as the repellant plant. What a great unit! They have learned so much.
Technology: The students have finished their parts for our end of the year movie. They selected their "best part," practiced their dialogue and chose how they would "stage" it. Students helped hold the iPad while filming. "Lights, Ipad, Action!" They decided on the opening and closing parts. I did the editing. It will be your Tuesday surprise!!
Literature: "When It's the Last Day of School," "Summer," "If You Take a Mouse to School," Pete the Cat and His Groovy Buttons," "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "Celebrate Your Success," "Kindergarten Rocks."
**The visit to the Gurgas/Chien residence was quite interesting. The students enjoyed hearing about the care of chickens, what they eat and how they live in their coop. The students were excited to have the opportunity to feed the chickens grass.
**Jalen's mom visited our class and read Jalen's favorite story for his birthday. We also celebrated Ms. Jack Day by writing her letters, making a crown for her and presenting her with a tee shirt decorated by the students. We wish Jalen the best of luck at his new school and Ms. Jack a happy retirement! We also celebrated all summer birthdays with treats galore!!!
**I was unable to attend the end of the year party at Barrie Park but heard it was awesome!!
**The PTO Fundraiser featuring Colin's Dad, Sean Flannery was loads of fun! Lots of laughs and great community with friends and parents.
**Our garden bed is planted!! The students worked to smooth and amend the soil and help plant the baby plants. We have a tomato plant from Gina's garden, parsley, oregano, 3 potato plants-2 of which were started in our classroom and 1 started by Jayden. To round it out, the students chose orange bell peppers for the kids and hot, jalapeno peppers for the grown ups. (Their exact words!) All the other classes will plant on Monday. I will update you throughout the summer on their growth and when to come and harvest items that are ready to be picked.
**Reminder--Field Trip to Chef Ashley's Studio at Constructive Chaos is Monday, June 9th. We will be going by bus and leaving promptly at 12:30 pm. We will return to school by 2:30 pm.
**Please join us for Family Hour on our last day of school--Tuesday, June 10th beginning at 1:00 pm. We will have refreshments, sign autographs, get report cards and summer packets and have a final story. At 2:30 pm, Mr Hodge is requesting that all students go to the playground for.....something special!!!! Hope you can stay for that!
**We will have our final get together with our Book Buddies on Tuesday morning and wish them well as they go on to the middle school.
**Please check your child's backpack for the remainder of their work portfolios, writing folders, journals and Pacer's bracelet.
**All students will receive a summer packet on Tuesday. Inside you will find information on Irving School's Summer Math Incentive and TenMarks Summer Math Program. These summer supplements are a great way to keep your math skills growing! Lexia Core 5 is also available all summer as well as Spelling City and Xtra Math. Check out the workbooks and summer journal too! These are totally optional......but a good idea to sit down with your child at least once or twice a week and pick out something to do from the packet. Don't forget to sign up for Maze Branch Library Reading incentive program, "Fizz, Boom, Read!"
This week:
It was all about chickens, gardens, independent work, first grade.....but most of all being together and interacting with each other. The students know that next year they will not all be in the same classroom. They will meet new classmates and teachers and will have opportunities to see each other. They have all worked so hard this year!
Reading/Social Studies: The students planned their own lessons this week. They chose their own literature and follow up activities and worked with a different group of peers each day.
Math: The students continued to work in their math process journals. This week, the students read their own story problem and completed the work by illustrating, showing it in a ten frame and writing the number sentence. I chose 1 student each day to share their work via the projector. Students worked on a variety of activities in small groups including addition games, adding and subtracting color the code, counting challenge, subitize challenge using the iPad app and number find.
Writing: The students continued to reflect in their journals on various topics. They shared their thoughts about Mr. Hodge and brought all their journals down to share with him. He got a real kick out of it!
Science: The students put their finishing touches on their science journals. I am beginning to give the plants in our indoor class garden to families. Gina's family has the baby corn plant and Emily's family will take the pumpkin, beans and watermelon plants. The students readied the outdoor planting bed and with assistance from myself and Mr. Packer planted the potatoes, peppers, parsley, tomatoes, oregano and nasturtium as the repellant plant. What a great unit! They have learned so much.
Technology: The students have finished their parts for our end of the year movie. They selected their "best part," practiced their dialogue and chose how they would "stage" it. Students helped hold the iPad while filming. "Lights, Ipad, Action!" They decided on the opening and closing parts. I did the editing. It will be your Tuesday surprise!!
Literature: "When It's the Last Day of School," "Summer," "If You Take a Mouse to School," Pete the Cat and His Groovy Buttons," "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "Celebrate Your Success," "Kindergarten Rocks."
Sunday, June 1, 2014
UPDATES for 5/27-5/30 2014
**We are one week closer to the end of the school year. Everyone is feeling change in the air--students as well as teachers. We had queens gracing the room, a very wonderful picnic and get together at Rehm Park and lots of Super Heroes--The Super Hero of Ukraine, a number of Batman Super Heroes, Super Hero of Butterflies, Wonder Woman, Super Hero of Star Wars, Super Hero of Princesses and more! Kudos to our Sibling guests--Alec, Xander, Cora, James. Look for more work portfolios to come home this week including journal activity from the beginning of the year. Amazing!!!!!
**We will be visiting First Grades on Monday, June 2nd in the afternoon. If you or your child has a question about first grade that you want answered, write it down and we will take it to them. The first grade students are preparing some "notes" for us on going to First Grade. Very exciting!
**Reminder--Our walking Field Trip to the Gurgas/Chien Residence to learn about Chickens is Tuesday, June 3rd. We will be leaving school at 10:15 am. and returning to school by 11:15 am. T. Smyth and S. Hope are our volunteers for the trip. Thanks! I still need a couple of permission slips.
**Field Trip to Chef Ashley's studio, Constructive Chaos is Monday, June 9th. We will be traveling by bus and leaving school at 12:20 pm and returning by 2:30 pm. We will have a regular lunch hour. Our volunteers are S. Hope, G. Shelton and H. Lim. Thanks so much! Should be lots of fun!
**All hail to the "Queens!" They decreed extra recess, bubbles and playing Duck-Duck-Goose!
**Pizza and Play was awesome! The weather turned out fabulous! Thanks to everyone who made our morning very special!! Great students, Super parents, Fun siblings, Tasty pizza, veggies and fruit and a great venue!
**Student Council will continue to sell "Cook Books." They may be purchased in the office. They are $3.00 for one or $5.00 for two.
**Please note the change in time for our last day (Tuesday, June 10th) Family Hour. Our new time is 1:00-2:15 pm. Please join us for refreshments, autograph signing, summer packets, report cards and a closing story. Mr. Hodge has something up his sleeve!!!!! He has asked all students to join him on the playground around 2:30 pm. MMMMM.....what do you think he is up to????
**All LIBRARY BOOKS are now DUE to Ms. Noonan.
**All BUSY READERS are now DUE to Ms. Gullo.
**Calling all Grown ups age 21 and up!!!! Irving PTO fundraiser "Back Around the Way Comedy Jam" on Saturday, June 7th at 9:00 pm at the Wire (6815 W. Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn)
Come see and hear Sean Flannery (Colin's Dad!!!!!!) Jeanie Doogan and Joey Villagomez with your host, Irving's own, Mr. Williams! Proceeds from this event will benefit the Irving PTO.'
**Mr. Packer had his last session with our students. He finished up his lessons on 2D and 3D shapes using Geo Shapes. He let us keep the Geo Shapes in our classroom for choice time use!
**Our class will be weeding and smoothing out our outdoor garden bed on Wednesday, June 4th in the morning--weather permitting. Some students mentioned they had gardening tools--I have lots. They can bring them in that morning. Please do not sent your child in fancy clothes. We are going to play with the earth!
**On Friday, June 6th, Jalen's Mom is coming in the morning to read a special birthday story and pass out appropriate treats. We will celebrate all other SUMMER BIRTHDAYS that afternoon. Email me if you are sending anything. We also have a special send off to our beloved Ms.Jack who is retiring this year.
**We will have our final get together with our Book Buddies on Tuesday, June 10 at 10:30 am.
I think I gave Friday as the original date.....but they have a field trip.
This week:
It was all about independence and making choices. The students are planning more of their day and filling it with the topics and activities that they want to do. We continue observing growth in our class garden. The pumpkin is beginning to grow out of our box!! Our potatoes and nasturtiums are ready for outside planting. We will get our outside garden bed ready this week.
The students are finishing up their calendar books They are doing them at a much more independent level. They have begun to choose their number bond number, number pattern, addition and subtraction sentence and have figured out the number grid puzzle. They are recording the weather on their weather graph and making statements about what the graph is showing. They continue to work in their math process journal--but--I am no longer reading the problem first. They are working independently at reading the story problem and illustrating their work and writing their number sentence. A student will come up to be the teacher and go over the story problem. Students make corrections as needed. Station Day activities included number bond challenge, pattern block bird, and bottle stamp flowers.
Reading/Social Studies: The students continue their review of the skills taught this year. They continue to make choices on the type of literature they want to read, what activities they want to do to connect their reading and writing and choosing what iPad activities would best suit what they are studying in their workstation. I am loving hearing each student read as I make my way from small group to small group. I also love the great discussions and "elbow chats" the students are having with one another about story elements, main idea and key details and questions. There is also time set aside for independent reading using their literacy bags. The students reviewed all kindergarten sight words and lots of the First Grade words!! They worked with partners to create sentences using these words and pictures. They are also focusing in on what punctuation mark to use. Workstations this wee included writing about what you do at home and at school, writing a sentence using a word that has an "x" in it, leveled readers of your choice with sequencing events activity and writing a question and answering it about something in the story.
Math: The students worked in small groups on number bonding exercises to 10. They were able to use counting blocks, fingers or just thinking it out. Students made choices to either write their numbers 1-100, work with pattern blocks and geometric solids to create new shapes, work with the Geo Shapes to create 3D shapes and writing their own addition or subtraction story problem, illustrating it and writing the number sentence.
Writing: The students spent this week working on their final writing project, reviewing worm stories, creating a written list of facts, composing their draft paragraph, proofing it and then writing up their final copy. Our wormy friends were out of their home so the students could get up close and personal as they recorded their ideas and organized their sentences. They are posted in our hallway. Well done!!!!
Science: Plants abound in our classroom! They are ready to be given to a great family garden or planted in our outside class garden bed. The students are writing their final thoughts in their science journal on their science unit. The are reflecting on what they have discovered, learned and experienced. We did not have a chance to put a plant into a box with a small hole. We will do that this week in closing. Space stations will be recycled at the end of this week.
Technology: The students are putting the final touches on their end of the year movie. I have begun editing it. Stay tuned!!!! It's an end of the year extravaganza!!!
Literature: "If Dinosaurs Came Back," "Oh Say Can You Seed," "Planting a Rainbow," "The Seed Story," "A Reason for a Flower," "Counting in the Garden," "Bugs," "Chickens."
**We will be visiting First Grades on Monday, June 2nd in the afternoon. If you or your child has a question about first grade that you want answered, write it down and we will take it to them. The first grade students are preparing some "notes" for us on going to First Grade. Very exciting!
**Reminder--Our walking Field Trip to the Gurgas/Chien Residence to learn about Chickens is Tuesday, June 3rd. We will be leaving school at 10:15 am. and returning to school by 11:15 am. T. Smyth and S. Hope are our volunteers for the trip. Thanks! I still need a couple of permission slips.
**Field Trip to Chef Ashley's studio, Constructive Chaos is Monday, June 9th. We will be traveling by bus and leaving school at 12:20 pm and returning by 2:30 pm. We will have a regular lunch hour. Our volunteers are S. Hope, G. Shelton and H. Lim. Thanks so much! Should be lots of fun!
**All hail to the "Queens!" They decreed extra recess, bubbles and playing Duck-Duck-Goose!
**Pizza and Play was awesome! The weather turned out fabulous! Thanks to everyone who made our morning very special!! Great students, Super parents, Fun siblings, Tasty pizza, veggies and fruit and a great venue!
**Student Council will continue to sell "Cook Books." They may be purchased in the office. They are $3.00 for one or $5.00 for two.
**Please note the change in time for our last day (Tuesday, June 10th) Family Hour. Our new time is 1:00-2:15 pm. Please join us for refreshments, autograph signing, summer packets, report cards and a closing story. Mr. Hodge has something up his sleeve!!!!! He has asked all students to join him on the playground around 2:30 pm. MMMMM.....what do you think he is up to????
**All LIBRARY BOOKS are now DUE to Ms. Noonan.
**All BUSY READERS are now DUE to Ms. Gullo.
**Calling all Grown ups age 21 and up!!!! Irving PTO fundraiser "Back Around the Way Comedy Jam" on Saturday, June 7th at 9:00 pm at the Wire (6815 W. Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn)
Come see and hear Sean Flannery (Colin's Dad!!!!!!) Jeanie Doogan and Joey Villagomez with your host, Irving's own, Mr. Williams! Proceeds from this event will benefit the Irving PTO.'
**Mr. Packer had his last session with our students. He finished up his lessons on 2D and 3D shapes using Geo Shapes. He let us keep the Geo Shapes in our classroom for choice time use!
**Our class will be weeding and smoothing out our outdoor garden bed on Wednesday, June 4th in the morning--weather permitting. Some students mentioned they had gardening tools--I have lots. They can bring them in that morning. Please do not sent your child in fancy clothes. We are going to play with the earth!
**On Friday, June 6th, Jalen's Mom is coming in the morning to read a special birthday story and pass out appropriate treats. We will celebrate all other SUMMER BIRTHDAYS that afternoon. Email me if you are sending anything. We also have a special send off to our beloved Ms.Jack who is retiring this year.
**We will have our final get together with our Book Buddies on Tuesday, June 10 at 10:30 am.
I think I gave Friday as the original date.....but they have a field trip.
This week:
It was all about independence and making choices. The students are planning more of their day and filling it with the topics and activities that they want to do. We continue observing growth in our class garden. The pumpkin is beginning to grow out of our box!! Our potatoes and nasturtiums are ready for outside planting. We will get our outside garden bed ready this week.
The students are finishing up their calendar books They are doing them at a much more independent level. They have begun to choose their number bond number, number pattern, addition and subtraction sentence and have figured out the number grid puzzle. They are recording the weather on their weather graph and making statements about what the graph is showing. They continue to work in their math process journal--but--I am no longer reading the problem first. They are working independently at reading the story problem and illustrating their work and writing their number sentence. A student will come up to be the teacher and go over the story problem. Students make corrections as needed. Station Day activities included number bond challenge, pattern block bird, and bottle stamp flowers.
Reading/Social Studies: The students continue their review of the skills taught this year. They continue to make choices on the type of literature they want to read, what activities they want to do to connect their reading and writing and choosing what iPad activities would best suit what they are studying in their workstation. I am loving hearing each student read as I make my way from small group to small group. I also love the great discussions and "elbow chats" the students are having with one another about story elements, main idea and key details and questions. There is also time set aside for independent reading using their literacy bags. The students reviewed all kindergarten sight words and lots of the First Grade words!! They worked with partners to create sentences using these words and pictures. They are also focusing in on what punctuation mark to use. Workstations this wee included writing about what you do at home and at school, writing a sentence using a word that has an "x" in it, leveled readers of your choice with sequencing events activity and writing a question and answering it about something in the story.
Math: The students worked in small groups on number bonding exercises to 10. They were able to use counting blocks, fingers or just thinking it out. Students made choices to either write their numbers 1-100, work with pattern blocks and geometric solids to create new shapes, work with the Geo Shapes to create 3D shapes and writing their own addition or subtraction story problem, illustrating it and writing the number sentence.
Writing: The students spent this week working on their final writing project, reviewing worm stories, creating a written list of facts, composing their draft paragraph, proofing it and then writing up their final copy. Our wormy friends were out of their home so the students could get up close and personal as they recorded their ideas and organized their sentences. They are posted in our hallway. Well done!!!!
Science: Plants abound in our classroom! They are ready to be given to a great family garden or planted in our outside class garden bed. The students are writing their final thoughts in their science journal on their science unit. The are reflecting on what they have discovered, learned and experienced. We did not have a chance to put a plant into a box with a small hole. We will do that this week in closing. Space stations will be recycled at the end of this week.
Technology: The students are putting the final touches on their end of the year movie. I have begun editing it. Stay tuned!!!! It's an end of the year extravaganza!!!
Literature: "If Dinosaurs Came Back," "Oh Say Can You Seed," "Planting a Rainbow," "The Seed Story," "A Reason for a Flower," "Counting in the Garden," "Bugs," "Chickens."
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