February

I have updated the snack calendar.  Please check it by clicking on the link on the side.

February is filled with special holidays and activities.

Feb. 3 (Fri.) --- Reading Month Celebration/ Dragon Parade @8:30
Feb. 7 (Tues.) --- 100th Day of School*
Feb. 10 (Fri.) --- Reading Month Celebration/ Book Mark Craft
Feb. 14 (Tues.) --- Valentine's Day Party**
Feb. 24 (Fri.) --- Reading Month Celebration/ Fortune Cookies & Craft

Besides celebrating the 100th day of school and Valentine's Day, we will learn about the presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  We will also review dental health.  In math, we will start learning how to count coins.  Our goal for first grade is to count dimes, nickels and pennies mixed up to $1.00.  Any practice that your child can do at home will be very helpful.


*We will be celebrating our 100^th day of school on Tuesday, February 7.  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 Monday, February 6th.

**Are you interested in helping with the Valentine's Day party?  If so, please let me know!  It will be from 12:30 - 1:30.

Thank you for all your support!

Oobleck

As  we listened to "Bartholomew and the Oobleck" by Dr. Seuss, the first grade scientists started talking about whether the oobleck was solid or liquid (YES!!!!).

After the story, we had a chance to experiment with the REAL oobleck:)

We compared and contrasted the oobleck to water (liquid) and solid (play dough).

Here are our discovery:

When we tapped on the oobleck, it felt hard just like play dough.  Also, we could roll it to make a ball, which told us that it was solid.
When we put the oobleck into a cup, it lost its shape and filled the cup.  That told us that the oobleck was liquid!

After playing more with the oobleck...




Here are our findings:

The oobleck is liquid AND solid.
When we keep moving the oobleck (ex. rolling), it stays as solid.
When we do not move it, it looses its shape.

Everyone was begging me to post a recipe for the oobleck.
I have to warn you, it will leave a HUGE mess!  Sorry:(

Mix 2 parts of cornstarch with one part of water (ex. 1 cup of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water).
If you want a colored oobleck, mix food coloring with water before you pour it in the cornstarch.

Enjoy!

Solid & Liquid

We have been studying three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas.

We learned that solids have its own shape, and it stays unless we add some force to change it.  We cut, taped, bent and folded paper (our solid) to create new shapes.  Everyone came up with new creation.  Very creative bunch of scientists!

Discovery: Once you change the shape of an object, it will stay in its new form.



We also conducted an experiment with water (liquid).

Question 1: Which container has the most amount of water?

Answer:  18 students said C.  3 students said all the same.

Question 2: How can we find out?

Answer:  The students said, "Pour the water into the same containers (plastic cups)." :D

Please ask your child what the finding was!!

Discovery: Water (liquid) does not have its own shape (it fills up the container that liquid goes in).  If you want to compare the amount of liquid, you have to use the same size & shape containers.

Great job, scientists!

Labels Contest

Our wonderful PIE group is organizing a label contest to raise fund for our school.
It starts on January 16th and ends on February 10th.
Please read the following guidelines to submit the labels.  Thank you for your participation and support!

 PLEASE CLEARLY MARK THE NUMBER OF LABELS IN EACH BAGGIE/ENVELOPE.

Box Tops

Separate Bonus labels from standard Box Top labels. We do have to worry about expiration dates on bonus labels.

Bundle standard Box Top labels in groups of 50 labels in a PLASTIC baggie,  please mark with a 50 on each  baggie.  Don’t worry about the expiration dates.

If you have box tops not totaling 50 labels please clearly mark how many are in the baggies.

There will a red tub in the office in which you can find baggies if you need them.  

Campbell’s

Separate the following groups (DO NOT combine 1pt & 5pt labels): 

1. UPCs worth 1 point each 
2. UPCs worth 5 points each 
3. Beverage Caps 
4. Bonus Certificates 

Please clearly mark on the outside of each envelope how many you have of which label, examples;  500 1 pt UPCs, 500 5pt UPCs, 10 caps.  (For the 5pt UPC I need the number of labels NOT the point total.)  

Land O Lakes

The caps have to have the 5 cent Land O Lakes to count.  Please clearly mark the number of caps (not points) you have.  These caps can simply be placed in any kind of bag(Fareway, Hy-Vee etc).  If you find blank milk caps please through them away.  

Tyson

Please clearly mark the number of labels (not points) you have.  These labels can simply be placed in any kind of envelope or bag.

Pizza Ranch 

Please clearly mark on the outside of the envelope or baggie how many wagons.

Godfather’s

Please clearly mark on the outside of the envelope or baggie how many fedoras.

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays.
I enjoyed spending time with my family and friends.

I have updated the snack calendar for the month of January.  Please check it by clinking on the link to the left.

Here are the things that we will work on this month.
Math

• addition & subtraction using a number line
• data collection & graphing

Science

• properties of matter (solid, liquid, gas)
• water cycle
• importance of water

Social Studies

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Fairness

Language Arts

• reading with fluency, accuracy and comprehension
• writing with details
• exploring writing organization
• Word Journeys
• sight words