Monday, December 1, 2008

Today, during math, we started thinking about different ways to make numbers. We talked about quilts and how a patchwork quilt is made up of different parts that belong together.
We started by creating the number 5 using two different colors. Zoe came up with 3 and 2 as one way of making 5. Next, we talked about the “rules” to making our number quilt. Ms. Stern corrected her work to go along with the directions before asking for help in finding another way to make the same number using the same 2 colors as before. Everyone went to their tables where the first task was to sort the tiles by color, then choosing 2 to work with. Everyone started off by showing 2 different number combinations forming the number 5. Some children were asked to create as many different combinations of 5 as possible. Others were given larger numbers to work with. After everyone had time to work, Ms. Stern called everyone back to the rug to reflect on their learning and give feedback in two ways: “I learned that…” and “I’m still not sure of…”

Meals on Wheels Covered Cupboards

Dear Parents,
We have enjoyed learning about the special families in our classroom through our reading and social studies activities in November. We have not only learned how families have fun together, but how they help each other to accomplish important jobs or work in their homes. In December, we would like to extend our discussion to include ways families can work together to help their community. There may be a problem in the community, but not enough money or people cooperating to solve the problem.

When we contacted Carissa Coslit, Supervisor of Volunteer Programs at Meals on Wheels, we learned of a problem in that important agency that we are inviting your family to volunteer and help solve. As you may know, the Meals on Wheels Program rely on many volunteers to cook and deliver meals to the elderly in our township. Early in winter, recipients are given a "Covered Cupboard" meal to use in an emergency situation, such as, when bad weather prohibits the delivery of a hot meal. The seniors are given a shoebox, or the cupboard, that contains nutritious ready to serve foods. The agency doesn't have enough "Cupboards" for all the Meals on Wheels recipients. Ms. Coslit is thrilled that our class has volunteered to help solve this problem in our community.

If your family would like to donate to the "Covered Cupboard Program", please refer to the list below for the specific foods Meals on Wheels provides in the shoebox cupboards. Please note that the foods requested are low in sodium and sugar. After packing the shoebox, Ms. Coslit requests we wrap the whole box with paper (i.e. grocery bag paper is fine) and decorate with only markers or crayons please. As the boxes must be stacked in delivery vans, any decorations glued on will be ruined. You may send in the "Covered Cupboards" anytime before Friday, December 19. Ms. Coslit has volunteered to visit WOS to receive your wonderful gifts.
We hope your family enjoys participating in this meaningful community service project.

With Sincere Thanks,
WOS Teachers

MEALS ON WHEELS OF ROCKLAND COUNTY, INC. COVERED CUPBOARD PROGRAM SUGGESTED FOOD LIST:
Each shoe box, or “Covered Cupboard” should contain the following suggested LOW
SODIUM AND LOW SUGAR food items:
1 item from each food group listed below: 1 Protein, 1 Vegetable, 1 Fruit, 1 Soup and 1 Starch
Welcome, but not necessary items: 1 Condiment, 1 Beverage and 1 Dessert

FOOD GROUP CHOICES

PROTEIN
low sodium canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines)
low sodium canned meat (chicken, no canned beef)
peanut butter
canned beans low sodium canned chili
Peanut butter sandwich crackers
low sodium ravioli

STARCH
Individual packets of oatmeal
Small boxes unsweetened cereal
Unsalted crackers (whole grain)
Peanut butter sandwich crackers
Cheese sandwich crackers
Rice
Small packages of pasta or noodles
Low sugar cereal bars or granola bars

VEGETABLES
Any canned vegetables (low sodium preferred)
Small cans of tomato sauce or tomato paste

FRUITS
Any canned fruit packed in own juice or water
Raisins or other dried fruits
Small portion packed applesauce

SOUP
Low sodium chunky soups
Low sodium beef stew
Low sodium vegetable soup (tomato, ministrone)
Low sodium broths

BEVERAGE
Juices (no sugar added)
Boxed milk
Instant packets of decaf coffee
Individually wrapped decaf tea bags
Unsweetened cocoa mixes
Small containers of tomato juice

CONDIMENTS
Jam/jelly (no sugar added)
Small containers of mustard, mayonnaise or honey
Small containers of light salad dressing

DESSERTS
Prepackaged low sugar, low fat pudding snacks
Low sugar jellow
(Please avoid candy!)

Friday, November 21, 2008

This week, we’ve been reading books about life long ago. Yesterday we read a story about two children who were aboard the Mayflower. One was a boy and one was a girl. The girl was a passenger. The boy was an apprentice. The Mayflower set sail from England because the Pilgrims couldn’t practice their religion. The king wouldn’t let them. We learned that the voyage took two months. It wasn’t easy being on the ship. There was a bad storm and people got very seasick. People had to stay below the deck, where it smelled bad and people ate cold food. We also learned that people long ago used chamber pots. Today we read Sarah Morton’s Day. We learned that kids long ago had to do a lot more work than kids do today!

Yesterday, Darren, Kevin, Rebecca, Sophia, and Michael made cranberry sauce with Kevin’s mom. Everyone washed their hands and then the cranberries. The cranberry sauce was made by mixing sugar and water. Then we added the cranberries and let it cook for a little while. The cranberries were popping and the liquid was starting to bubble. The liquid turned red. As it cooked, it started to get mushy.

Today, Zoe, Sammy, Gianluca, Kaitlyn, and Bartosz made pumpkin pie with Kaitlyn’s mom. The pie was made by mixing sugar, pumpkin, milk, pudding, and Cool Whip together. Then the filling was put into the graham cracker crust. Zoe thought it didn’t look that interesting in the beginning but at the end it looked delicious!

Yesterday morning, Ms. Stern, Sophia, and Nolan went to the computer lab to talk to parents at the Coffee Chat. They went to talk about the Smartboard and how we use it in the classroom. Nolan and Sophia did the talking. They did a fantastic job! Ms. Stern answered some questions that the parents had and explained how it helps the learning in our class. She was so proud of her star speakers! Later that morning, a few more children joined them in the library to be interviewed by students from TZE about what types of technology we use. They were filmed by the students while they spoke.

Lots of turkeys have arrived back in school, safe and sound. Here are our turkey disguises:
Isabella-owl
Mia-ballerina/cheerleader/superhero
Gianluca-spy
Axl-Jets player
Kevin-scuba diver
Joshua-Superman
Rebecca-gingerbread man
Sophia-artist
Darren-Mets player
Kaitlyn-Dorothy (from the Wizard of Oz)
Daniel-ninja
Anthony-snowman
Zoe-hula girl
Sammy-Indiana Jones
Michael-Santa Claus

It’s not too late to send them in, if you haven’t done so already!

Remember, we are going on our trip to Philipsburg Manor on Monday. Please make sure that your child has a labeled bagged lunch and is dressed appropriately. We will be outside for the trip. Thanks and have a great weekend!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

During Reader’s Workshop, Ms. Stern noticed that partnerships are getting stronger. People are sitting close to their partners, talking more about what they read and what they were thinking, and everyone was having discussions about their books. We want to improve the level of our voices both during private and partner time to help everyone concentrate. We’re also going to work on not looking at the script on the Smartboard. Instead, we’re trying to think about what good readers talk about and listen carefully to what our partners are saying. We’re even trying to come up with new questions and thoughts based on what is being discussed. Here is what our script looks like:

What did you read?
I read ______.
What was it about?
It was about ______.
What did you mark in your book today?
I _______ (got stuck on this word/was reminded of ____/thought this part was ____).
Did you use any strategies?
I ______
Which was the most useful?
_______ was most useful for me today (because..).
What did you learn from reading?

Ms. Stern recorded some people during their partnerships. We watched the videos and discussed what was good and how we might be able to help them make their time even more valuable.

We used hundred boards during math today. We worked with a partner to pick out the tiles numbered 1-20. After we found all of the tiles, we turned them over and played High Tile. In High Tile, each person selects one tile that is face down. The person with the higher tile is the winner.

When everyone had a chance to play for a while, we cleaned up and discussed our thinking and observations. This is what we came up with:

If you picked 20 you were automatically the winner. –Sean
If you chose 1, you lost! (Even if your partner chose the number 2). –Sammy
Sometimes the numbers were in order, which made it easier to know where the high tiles were. –Isabella
It’s like a guessing game, except with numbers. –Sophia and Mia
20, 19, 18, 17, 16 were numbers that would probably win. –Carly
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 meant I’d probably lose! -Rebecca

In P.E., we had centers to practice aiming at a target. Some were throwing, shooting, and rolling. Some people didn’t get to all of the stations.

We didn’t get to do Writer’s Workshop today because we had Library instead. Ms. Eyer showed us books written by Patricia Polacco (one of Ms. Stern’s favorite authors). We read My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother. She writes stories that are true and based on her life.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Today we had two special visitors: Miss Amy and Miss Robin. They were from United Water. First, discussed how water comes into our homes and school through pipes. Then we read a story called The Water Hole, by Graeme Base. It was about a water hole that was visited by lots of wild animals until there was no more water left. We learned that it’s called a drought. The only way to get more water is by having rain. After reading and discussing the story, we all wrote about “When I think of water, I think of…” People had lots of different ideas. Everyone got to share their ideas with the class. Some children had a sun in their pictures. Michael drew snow falling. We learned that these parts work together to form the water cycle. We learned a few big weather words that tell about the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Finally, before our United Water friends left, we acted out a thunderstorm using our hands, legs, and feet. It was so cool making the sounds of a storm! Miss Amy and Miss Robin gave us all gifts before they left. It was a very fun morning!

Friday, November 07, 2008

This week we focused on using strategies while we are reading. The new strategies that we learned were: skip the word and keep reading, “Does it make sense?” and “Do I understand?” and reading across a word. Today we reviewed how we use partnerships. Before partnerships, we mark pages with post its, make sure we understand what we read (and reread the book if we didn’t). During partner time we are discussing the books and talking about the pages that we marked. Partners are using whispering voices as they sit hip to hip. If children don’t know what to talk about, they look on the script. Next week we will be getting new partners!

During Writer’s Workshop, we have been continuing to work on our memoirs. We started by looking at pictures and talking about them with a partner. Next, we chose one memory to write about and used a graphic organizer to plan the “who, when, where, and what” of our stories. We learned that a good beginning includes who, when, and where to help the reader get their mind ready and understanding what it will be about. The rest of the week was spent adding the events and details.

On Monday, we voted for the presidential election. The final count in our class was 11-8 (in favor of Obama). The children at W.O.S. also chose to elect Obama as the president, 243-200. The next day, Barack Obama was elected to be the president. We read My Teacher for President and then wrote about what we would do if we were the president of the United States of America.

We went to RIF on Wednesday. Everyone got to choose one book from different tables, sorted by book category or type to keep. Some people had a really hard time making a decision on which one they most wanted. Others quickly made a decision and then quietly sat and browsed through their books while others continued searching.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Today we wrote a how-to list, telling the steps to follow in order to carve a pumpkin. This is our list:
1. Pick a pumpkin
2. Cut a circle around the stem
3. Take the top off
4. Scoop out the seeds and pulp
5. Decide on a face and draw it on the front of the pumpkin
6. Carve the mouth, nose, and eyes with a knife
7. Push out the pieces and take them out
8. Put a candle inside and light it
9. Enjoy!

During Reader’s Workshop, the Wednesday group got to shop for new books. This is our first time getting to shop for new books in our just right book bins. When we shop for new books, we remove our post its, put the books back in the proper bin(s), and then choose new ones. We reviewed the strategies that we learned (get your mouth ready, look for chunks, look at the pictures) and reviewed getting our minds ready before reading. (Getting our minds ready means that we look at the title, “read” the picture on the cover, take a picture walk, and think about what we already know about that topic. We’re all going to practice doing these things when we read at home just like we do at school!

We had a talk about the importance of good listening and following the directions the first time they are given, especially since that is our first class rule (always listen carefully and follow the directions). Ms. Stern gave recent examples where consequences were given because some children didn’t listen or follow the rules and asked what we as a class could do differently to improve. Here is what the children came up with:

Problem: “I already know what we’re talking about so I’m not going to pay attention. Oops…now I don’t know what to do.”
Solution: Kids ask more questions during class discussions---just to be sure.

Problem: Skipping problems on our papers
Solutions: Check over your work first before handing it in; Ms. Stern marks the problem as incorrect if we’re being careless.

Problem: Not listening after the first or second time directions are given
Solution: Silent snack for that person

Good listener
Solution: Earn free choice time; special treat; read/work in the reading corner; positive note sent home

Problem: Bad choices
Solution: Lose recess; negative note/call home

After snack we did math. We used pattern blocks to follow two rules. First, we worked alone. Ms. Stern gave us a number. Everyone had to show that number using the different pattern blocks. The second rule was that each alike shape had to be touching. After we worked alone, we worked with a partner to make larger numbers. Carly, Mia, and Axl liked working with a partner better. Darren, Nolan, Bartosz, and Isabella preferred working by themselves.

In Gym, we practiced using hula hoops. We danced as our Halloween costume characters. When the music stopped, people had to find a hula hoop. It was sort of like musical chairs. After the game, we had free time to play with the hula hoops.

We had Library. Ms. Eyer read How Many Seeds are in a Pumpkin? We talked about how the number of lines on the outside of a pumpkin gives a clue about the number of seeds on the inside. After the story we got to have book exchange.

A quick reminder: Friday will be our Halloween party and parade. The party begins at 9:00 and the parade follows at 10:30. Hope to see you there!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Today was Caps for Kids Day and School Spirit Day. We raised $15.25 in our class. The whole school raised over $400.

We did a listening activity where we made a pumpkin by coloring in squares to match the directions that Ms. Stern gave. We only used four colors: blue, yellow, orange, and green. Some children thought it was easy and some children thought it was difficult. The hardest part was figuring out how to color boxes that had diagonal lines.

During Reader’s Workshop, we reviewed strategies. Strategies are tools that we use to figure out tricky words. The strategies that we have learned so far are:
-look at the picture(s)
-get your mouth ready (looking at the beginning part to figure out the first sound)
-look for chunks or smaller words (ex. championship—amp and ship)

Sounding out is NOT a strategy!!!!!!!!

In Art we made 3-D skeletons. We made them by cutting, bending, gluing, and decorating our work. Ms. Stern thinks they look fantastic!

We read Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Patridge, by Mem Fox during Writer’s Workshop. We talked about what a memory is. Joshua knows that memories can be sad, happy, scary, or confusing. Nolan learned that they can be as precious as gold. Isabella learned that they can be as warm as an egg. Everyone had a chance to share a memory with a partner. On Monday we will be sharing our photographs. If you have not yet done so, please remember to send in 4 photographs for us to use with our writing. They should be pictures of the children in situations that they remember and can talk about.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

This morning we did a spelling review activity. It was sort of like a spelling test. Today we practiced short i, sight words, and a dictation. We are trying to remember to start sentences with upper case letters, end with punctuation marks, and have a finger space in between words.

Yesterday, we talked about using strategies to help us read. A strategy is like a plan to help us do things. During reading, we need strategies to help figure out tricky words. We learned to look at the picture. Today, we learned to get our mouths ready by looking at the beginning of the word. During private time, lots of children were able to figure out tricky words by using their strategies.

In P.E., we had stations. One station had balls to play with. Another station had rubber chickens that we threw up in the air and had to catch them before they hit the ground. At the football station, Darren practiced throwing the ball to his brother and to Sean. Nolan played with Joshua and Sammy. They were playing a game like jacks. The number that they picked up was the number of points that they got. Mia played with the beach and soccer balls. Isabella, Sophia, and Emily played soccer.

Today was our last day of “fancying up” our stories. People were working on coloring, creating a title and cover, fixing up spelling and handwriting, About the Author pages, and practicing rereading our stories to get ready for our Writer’s Celebration tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

This morning we had our first Reader’s Celebration during Reader’s Workshop! We signed a Reader’s Workshop Pledge. Zoe got to cut the tape to officially open our class library. Now we have another space for children to read, think, and handle books with care. We wrote about how we have grown as readers or what our goals are to continue to improve our reading skills. Sophia thought the best part was thinking and writing about her reading. Michael thinks he has gotten better at reading by doing it every day. Ms. Stern is so proud of everyone for working hard and sticking with it, even when reading felt frustrating or made people nervous.

In Music, we played with pink stretchy bands. We tugged on them to match the beat to music. Then, Mrs. Fox taught us a new song. It was called “Chihuahua.”

This afternoon, we reread EVERYTHING in our writing folders because we are getting ready to publish. We realized that we’ve done a lot of writing since the start of the year. Some pieces were better than others. In the middle of reading, the fire alarm went off. We had another fire drill! We came back inside after the drill was over. Our job was to choose the two best pieces. If people had time, they added on to their writing. We are really excited to start fancying up our writing and finish our first published piece of writing in first grade!