Week 22

Please continue to visit your child's blog.  We have been posting a lot of learning blogs.

http://kidblog.org/MrsDeGrootsClass2012-2013/

Upcoming Events

Monday, February 4 --- 100th Day

Wednesday, February 6 --- Lakeside lab Field Trip

We are studying about the earth and its three components:  Air, land, and water.  To help students understand some of the properties of water, we will be taking a field trip to the Nature Center.  Charles Vigdal, the County Naturalist, has planned some fun activities for the students.  We will be going outside so please have your child bring their winter gear-snow pants, boots, hats, gloves, and coat.

Our Class will be going Wednesday, February 6 at 8:40.  We will be back by 11:00.

Week 21

To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day, we learned a lot of facts about segregation and works that Dr. King went through to make our country a better place for EVERYONE. After reading a book called "Martin's Big Words," we brainstormed his big words (below).  Then we wrote our own big words.  We created a poster on the iPad.  It was sent home through Box.com so please make sure to check it out.

We also read a story of Ruby Bridges.  We could not believe hardship that 6-year-old Ruby went through.  We wrote a letter to Ruby.  I was very touched by their compassion and sincere empathy that my students expressed in their letters.  I actually sent a link of this Little Bird Tales to Ms. Bridges' official site.  I hope she will have time to view it some day.

• Click to view my tale.
• 

Next Week

Water helper --- Tyler

Sight Word Test --- Friday (I haven't had time to test lately... I will make this happen!)

Upcoming Event

100th Day of School

We will be celebrating our 100^th day of school on Monday, February 4. Our first grade classrooms have many fun activities planned for that day. You can help by collecting 100 of something with your child. We have had children bring 100 popcorn kernels, 100 m&m’s, 100 paper clips, 100 raisins, 100 seeds, etc. Our goal is to see what 100 looks like. Please have your collection here by Friday, February 1st.

Lakeside Lab Field Trip

Our class is going on a field trip on Wednesday, February 6.  It will be there most of the morning.  I am looking for two chaperones.  We will be participating in activities in the lab as well as hiking down to the lake.  Please let me know if you are interested!  

Valentine's Day party will be on February 14.  If you are interested in organizing the party, please let me know.

Week 20

Have you visited your child's blog this week?  If you haven't, please do it first!!!

http://kidblog.org/MrsDeGrootsClass2012-2013/

On Monday we got to Face Time with Izzie's mom who was visiting India.  It was exciting to see her on a screen even though she was on the other side of the world!  We could hear her loud and clear.  We all had great questions to ask her.  It was interesting to see what people wear, the way they carry things (on their head), language they speak and write and a lot more!  Some students blogged about what they learned about India:)  Thanks Angie for taking time to talk to us!

We worked on fiction story writing.  We focused on including characters, setting, problem and solution  in our story.  We also improved our writing by adding "voice" such as sounds, noise, or what the character said.  Most of us chose to read the story and record our voice.  You can find the recording on your child's blog.

We spend more time exploring solids in science.  I was amazed to know all the thinking that my first graders are doing!  iPads and blogging are really giving us more opportunities to voice our thinking and learning.  Of course the best part is that we can share them with you also!

Next Week

NO SCHOOL on MONDAY, JANUARY 21

Water Helper --- Tavin

Sight Word Test on Friday

Show & Share on Friday

Week #19 & Revised January Calendar

We started learning about three states of matter in science.  Solid, liquid, gas... we spent a lot of time investigating objects in our classroom.  On Thursday Charles, the Dickinson County Naturalist, visited us to explain the water cycle.  It is a hard concept, but we will spend next few weeks to study more about the cycle.

We are also having a blast publishing and reading comments on our Kidblog.  If you haven't had a chance to visit your child's blog, please do so!

http://kidblog.org/MrsDeGrootsClass2012-2013/

Next Week

Water Helper --- Payten

Sight Word Test on Thursday

Important Date

NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 21 (Professional Development Day)

Revised Calendar

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful break.  I enjoyed listening to what everyone had to share about their Christmas.  We worked on building back stamina on Read to Self and Read to Someone during Daily 5.  We also did more work on iPad.  We wrote a math problem using an app called Educreation, recorded our voice and embed it onto their blog page.  YES, now we each have a blog page that we will be using to post our creation on iPad or simply write about what is happening in our lives.  Here is a link to the students' blog. http://kidblog.org/MrsDeGrootsClass2012-2013/  (You can also find the link on the sidebar.)  Please pass this address onto grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins and more!  It would be wonderful if everyone can leave comments on the students' posts.  The goals for having first graders blog is so that they can share their learning and thinking with people outside of their classroom. They will also learn that writing is another way of communication.  Kidblog is a very secure site.  All the posts and comments have to be approved by me before they appear on the web.

I will keep using the folder at Box.com as another sharing tool.  You should get an e-mail notification whenever we upload a new project.

Here is a January calendar. Please provide a case of water for the week your child name is posted on a calendar.  Thank you!