Hey All,
I hope you are all ready for the temperatures to start feeling mighty fall-like. As a reminder, please be sure to send in your children with the appropriate seasonal clothing. We sometimes still go to recess on the misty mountain! Also, our AMAZING PTO is hosting a movie night tonight. I encourage you all to stop in and watch the movie, Hotel Transylvania. It should be a great time. Give a thanks and show some support for this amazing group of committed Rumney parents!
Thanks to all of you who have signed up for conferences. I am looking forward to meeting with you all to look at some of their work, talk about your hopes and dreams for the year and hear some observations from the classroom. It should go without saying that if you'd ever like to meet and discuss anything, any time, to let me know. I can carve out time most mornings to sit and chat.
Here is the conference link:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
In Writer's Workshop we are finishing up our ABC book drafts about themselves and we will be working on final products next week. We will then be working on some small moment writing which is essentially a personal narrative that will take readers through a special moment that our first and second grade writers will write about. It will have them use transition words as well as other writing conventions and show a beginning, problem/event and ending.
Today we read a book about kind words for friends, Jamaica and Brianna. The kids all did a great job talking about it and realizing that we might say something that we didn't mean as being unkind, but it sometimes just so We will be starting a longer read-aloud book next week, as per the request of the majority of kids in class. We have been reading a lot of short stories and practicing making movies in our minds while listening to them. We will now be working on that skill in a longer book.
We will also be starting our study of how things stay the same and how things change. An example that we look at is how animals stay the same and change from when they are babies to adults, for instance. They always have such a good time with this, as they are masters of same and different.
I think that's it for now. I hope you all have a great weekend!
~B
Friday, October 21, 2016
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Chili Cook-off and Our Great Week
Hello Folks,
We have had a great week in our class. I have all of our reading groups together and we all got to spend some time together this week. The kids are excited to be reading books with their peers and me in small groups instead of individually or on assessments. They all have individual skills they are working on, I hope you talk to your child about what they are reading with me and the skills they are working on. I look forward to chatting with you all about it at conferences.
Speaking of conferences... Here is the link to the conference sign up times:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
I have a couple of mornings per week and then the scheduled conference day (November 11th). I can't do after school meetings as part of regular scheduling but I can make exceptions, if needed.
In first grade math we have done a ton of work on the use of dot cluster cards, how to organize the order of building number sentences with rods (5+0=5, 4+1=5, 3+2=5, 2+3=5, 1+4=5, 0+5=5, for instance. By organizing the way they build the rods it helps them organize these numbers and their relationships in their heads.
In Writer's Workshop the kids are working on their "All About Me" books and their handwriting books. They are enjoying working on both. I also just did a brief show what you know about their handwriting in a reading response about The Minpins, the read-aloud book we just finished.
Wednesday, October 19th is picture re-take day. Talk to the front office with any questions about it.
Be in touch with any questions, concerns or celebrations.
That's about it for now, I hope you all had a great weekend!
~B
We have had a great week in our class. I have all of our reading groups together and we all got to spend some time together this week. The kids are excited to be reading books with their peers and me in small groups instead of individually or on assessments. They all have individual skills they are working on, I hope you talk to your child about what they are reading with me and the skills they are working on. I look forward to chatting with you all about it at conferences.
Speaking of conferences... Here is the link to the conference sign up times:
http://grades.wcsuonline.org/rumney/conference/
I have a couple of mornings per week and then the scheduled conference day (November 11th). I can't do after school meetings as part of regular scheduling but I can make exceptions, if needed.
In first grade math we have done a ton of work on the use of dot cluster cards, how to organize the order of building number sentences with rods (5+0=5, 4+1=5, 3+2=5, 2+3=5, 1+4=5, 0+5=5, for instance. By organizing the way they build the rods it helps them organize these numbers and their relationships in their heads.
In Writer's Workshop the kids are working on their "All About Me" books and their handwriting books. They are enjoying working on both. I also just did a brief show what you know about their handwriting in a reading response about The Minpins, the read-aloud book we just finished.
Wednesday, October 19th is picture re-take day. Talk to the front office with any questions about it.
Be in touch with any questions, concerns or celebrations.
That's about it for now, I hope you all had a great weekend!
~B
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Post Hike Week Update
Hello Wonderful Families!
I hope you all heard lots of great stories about the hike last week. I was sorry to miss it but I know the kids had a great time.
Sorry about the possibly perceived preachy/lecturey tone of what is going to follow, but recent events in class call for me to ask you for some assistance.
I talked about this some time ago is a previous blog post but many of you are new to my class so I'll reiterate a point I'd like to ask you to support. It is election season. The general public has some big feelings about the candidates one way or the other. I can't do anything about this. However, recently, kids have been coming in using some pretty hurtful language about candidates running for president, leading to some hurt feelings. It is my belief, and one that is emphasized at our school, that because we disagree doesn't make someone bad or good. It means we have something to learn from one another. This connects directly to our young ones, as they are always trying to see the world in black and white. They are too young and not ready to understand the immense amount of grey involved in the world, in this case presidential politics and policy. I ask you to please make sure that if you are choosing to discuss politics with your child that you make it clear that because you disagree with someone's views that it doesn't make them a bad person. People can disagree and still be friends.
On a another note, I have had kids coming in and asking about clowns at school. In case you haven't heard, there are people dressing as clowns and doing some pranks and scaring of people. It is one of those viral things that will pass with time. In the meantime, however, I would appreciate some filtering of this kind of information to kids. One student came in talking about his parent's Facebook messages about the clowns and it affected some kids in class. It scared them. Your help is appreciated in being the person discerning what information is appropriate for your child to know about.
Back to the other work at hand...
We have all been working hard in class and we have finished all of our reading assessments. The kids are going to be put in groups to start working on specific skills next week. Some groups will be primarily working on word-solving strategies, some working on reading fluency to build their reading rate, others will be working on comprehension. There is a lot to learn!
In Writer's Workshop we are working on books that are called "All About Me" ABC books. It has been a real blast reading about how kids see and describe themselves. They are concentrating on their handwriting as well as thinking about the words that best describe them. They are going to be looking at ways that they are same and different to other things as well. We will be using Venn Diagrams as one of the tools to do this work.
We have continued to work on our weather chart and next week will be charting the shortening of the days. We will work on our observation skills as well at our observation table. We will also be having a station where we can carry out an investigation, next week we will be weighing.
We are reading the Minpins in read-aloud. Ask your child about the story, it is a Roald Dahl classic. We are working on making a movie in our minds when a book is read to us. We stop and ask the kids what they are seeing in their movies in their heads and it has been a great exercise for them all.
I am having such a blast this year, and your children are to thank for it. It is a most wonderful group, indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend,
~B
I hope you all heard lots of great stories about the hike last week. I was sorry to miss it but I know the kids had a great time.
Sorry about the possibly perceived preachy/lecturey tone of what is going to follow, but recent events in class call for me to ask you for some assistance.
I talked about this some time ago is a previous blog post but many of you are new to my class so I'll reiterate a point I'd like to ask you to support. It is election season. The general public has some big feelings about the candidates one way or the other. I can't do anything about this. However, recently, kids have been coming in using some pretty hurtful language about candidates running for president, leading to some hurt feelings. It is my belief, and one that is emphasized at our school, that because we disagree doesn't make someone bad or good. It means we have something to learn from one another. This connects directly to our young ones, as they are always trying to see the world in black and white. They are too young and not ready to understand the immense amount of grey involved in the world, in this case presidential politics and policy. I ask you to please make sure that if you are choosing to discuss politics with your child that you make it clear that because you disagree with someone's views that it doesn't make them a bad person. People can disagree and still be friends.
On a another note, I have had kids coming in and asking about clowns at school. In case you haven't heard, there are people dressing as clowns and doing some pranks and scaring of people. It is one of those viral things that will pass with time. In the meantime, however, I would appreciate some filtering of this kind of information to kids. One student came in talking about his parent's Facebook messages about the clowns and it affected some kids in class. It scared them. Your help is appreciated in being the person discerning what information is appropriate for your child to know about.
Back to the other work at hand...
We have all been working hard in class and we have finished all of our reading assessments. The kids are going to be put in groups to start working on specific skills next week. Some groups will be primarily working on word-solving strategies, some working on reading fluency to build their reading rate, others will be working on comprehension. There is a lot to learn!
In Writer's Workshop we are working on books that are called "All About Me" ABC books. It has been a real blast reading about how kids see and describe themselves. They are concentrating on their handwriting as well as thinking about the words that best describe them. They are going to be looking at ways that they are same and different to other things as well. We will be using Venn Diagrams as one of the tools to do this work.
We have continued to work on our weather chart and next week will be charting the shortening of the days. We will work on our observation skills as well at our observation table. We will also be having a station where we can carry out an investigation, next week we will be weighing.
We are reading the Minpins in read-aloud. Ask your child about the story, it is a Roald Dahl classic. We are working on making a movie in our minds when a book is read to us. We stop and ask the kids what they are seeing in their movies in their heads and it has been a great exercise for them all.
I am having such a blast this year, and your children are to thank for it. It is a most wonderful group, indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend,
~B
Post Hike Week Update
Hello Wonderful Families!
I hope you all heard lots of great stories about the hike last week. I was sorry to miss it but I know the kids had a great time.
Sorry about the possibly perceived preachy/lecturey tone of what is going to follow, but recent events in class call for me to ask you for some assistance.
I talked about this some time ago is a previous blog post but many of you are new to my class so I'll reiterate a point I'd like to ask you to support. It is election season. The general public has some big feelings about the candidates one way or the other. I can't do anything about this. However, recently, kids have been coming in using some pretty hurtful language about candidates running for president, leading to some hurt feelings. It is my belief, and one that is emphasized at our school, that because we disagree doesn't make someone bad or good. It means we have something to learn from one another. This connects directly to our young ones, as they are always trying to see the world in black and white. They are too young and not ready to understand the immense amount of grey involved in the world, in this case presidential politics and policy. I ask you to please make sure that if you are choosing to discuss politics with your child that you make it clear that because you disagree with someone's views that it doesn't make them a bad person. People can disagree and still be friends.
On a another note, I have had kids coming in and asking about clowns at school. In case you haven't heard, there are people dressing as clowns and doing some pranks and scaring of people. It is one of those viral things that will pass with time. In the meantime, however, I would appreciate some filtering of this kind of information to kids. One student came in talking about his parent's Facebook messages about the clowns and it affected some kids in class. It scared them. Your help is appreciated in being the person discerning what information is appropriate for your child to know about.
Back to the other work at hand...
We have all been working hard in class and we have finished all of our reading assessments. The kids are going to be put in groups to start working on specific skills next week. Some groups will be primarily working on word-solving strategies, some working on reading fluency to build their reading rate, others will be working on comprehension. There is a lot to learn!
In Writer's Workshop we are working on books that are called "All About Me" ABC books. It has been a real blast reading about how kids see and describe themselves. They are concentrating on their handwriting as well as thinking about the words that best describe them. They are going to be looking at ways that they are same and different to other things as well. We will be using Venn Diagrams as one of the tools to do this work.
We have continued to work on our weather chart and next week will be charting the shortening of the days. We will work on our observation skills as well at our observation table. We will also be having a station where we can carry out an investigation, next week we will be weighing.
We are reading the Minpins in read-aloud. Ask your child about the story, it is a Roald Dahl classic. We are working on making a movie in our minds when a book is read to us. We stop and ask the kids what they are seeing in their movies in their heads and it has been a great exercise for them all.
I am having such a blast this year, and your children are to thank for it. It is a most wonderful group, indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend,
~B
I hope you all heard lots of great stories about the hike last week. I was sorry to miss it but I know the kids had a great time.
Sorry about the possibly perceived preachy/lecturey tone of what is going to follow, but recent events in class call for me to ask you for some assistance.
I talked about this some time ago is a previous blog post but many of you are new to my class so I'll reiterate a point I'd like to ask you to support. It is election season. The general public has some big feelings about the candidates one way or the other. I can't do anything about this. However, recently, kids have been coming in using some pretty hurtful language about candidates running for president, leading to some hurt feelings. It is my belief, and one that is emphasized at our school, that because we disagree doesn't make someone bad or good. It means we have something to learn from one another. This connects directly to our young ones, as they are always trying to see the world in black and white. They are too young and not ready to understand the immense amount of grey involved in the world, in this case presidential politics and policy. I ask you to please make sure that if you are choosing to discuss politics with your child that you make it clear that because you disagree with someone's views that it doesn't make them a bad person. People can disagree and still be friends.
On a another note, I have had kids coming in and asking about clowns at school. In case you haven't heard, there are people dressing as clowns and doing some pranks and scaring of people. It is one of those viral things that will pass with time. In the meantime, however, I would appreciate some filtering of this kind of information to kids. One student came in talking about his parent's Facebook messages about the clowns and it affected some kids in class. It scared them. Your help is appreciated in being the person discerning what information is appropriate for your child to know about.
Back to the other work at hand...
We have all been working hard in class and we have finished all of our reading assessments. The kids are going to be put in groups to start working on specific skills next week. Some groups will be primarily working on word-solving strategies, some working on reading fluency to build their reading rate, others will be working on comprehension. There is a lot to learn!
In Writer's Workshop we are working on books that are called "All About Me" ABC books. It has been a real blast reading about how kids see and describe themselves. They are concentrating on their handwriting as well as thinking about the words that best describe them. They are going to be looking at ways that they are same and different to other things as well. We will be using Venn Diagrams as one of the tools to do this work.
We have continued to work on our weather chart and next week will be charting the shortening of the days. We will work on our observation skills as well at our observation table. We will also be having a station where we can carry out an investigation, next week we will be weighing.
We are reading the Minpins in read-aloud. Ask your child about the story, it is a Roald Dahl classic. We are working on making a movie in our minds when a book is read to us. We stop and ask the kids what they are seeing in their movies in their heads and it has been a great exercise for them all.
I am having such a blast this year, and your children are to thank for it. It is a most wonderful group, indeed!
Have a wonderful weekend,
~B
Friday, September 23, 2016
Last week of summer, first week of fall!
Hey Fantastic Families!
I hope the last two weeks of summer have treated you well and it was wonderful seeing you all at Open House this week. It's not the best time to get information from me so if you'd like to continue any discussion anytime, let me know. I am available for before school meetings most any day of the week, should I get adequate heads-up. I'm always glad to sit and touch base.
In literacy, we have started partner reading and are working to get the hang of it. It can be tempting to chat about things other than books when sitting with a friend! We will also be introducing listening to reading on the computer as well. We use a program called Tumblebooks, should you want to investigate it. We will also be starting reading groups on a regular basis once we are finished our reading assessments, next week.
In Writer's Workshop we have begun our discussions about sentences and what they are. The kids are really getting the hang of noticing when a sentence does not make sense, which is the first step. You have to know that it doesn't sound right before you know it isn't written correctly. We are also continuing our hard work on our handwriting. It is our goal in the 1/2 this week to make sure that the kids are really solid on these foundational skills before embarking on formal writing pieces.
We will begin our study about light and sound waves in the coming weeks as well in science. We will also be starting to rotate through some science centers in the morning that involve the weather, investigating a physical science question and an observation station. The kids have been practicing reading a thermometer and graphing the weather each day. They are making some great progress!
I think that's about it for now. Again, never hesitate to get in touch about celebration, questions or concerns.
Enjoy the start of autumn,
~B
I hope the last two weeks of summer have treated you well and it was wonderful seeing you all at Open House this week. It's not the best time to get information from me so if you'd like to continue any discussion anytime, let me know. I am available for before school meetings most any day of the week, should I get adequate heads-up. I'm always glad to sit and touch base.
In literacy, we have started partner reading and are working to get the hang of it. It can be tempting to chat about things other than books when sitting with a friend! We will also be introducing listening to reading on the computer as well. We use a program called Tumblebooks, should you want to investigate it. We will also be starting reading groups on a regular basis once we are finished our reading assessments, next week.
In Writer's Workshop we have begun our discussions about sentences and what they are. The kids are really getting the hang of noticing when a sentence does not make sense, which is the first step. You have to know that it doesn't sound right before you know it isn't written correctly. We are also continuing our hard work on our handwriting. It is our goal in the 1/2 this week to make sure that the kids are really solid on these foundational skills before embarking on formal writing pieces.
We will begin our study about light and sound waves in the coming weeks as well in science. We will also be starting to rotate through some science centers in the morning that involve the weather, investigating a physical science question and an observation station. The kids have been practicing reading a thermometer and graphing the weather each day. They are making some great progress!
I think that's about it for now. Again, never hesitate to get in touch about celebration, questions or concerns.
Enjoy the start of autumn,
~B
Friday, September 9, 2016
Week 2 News
Happy Friday, everyone! We have continued to have a wonderful time in our class getting to know one another, getting familiar with our surroundings and schedule, and building great work habits. The kids and I are having a ball!
In literacy we have introduced two of our choices, reading-to-self and writing. We have been able to build up to 15 minutes of each and are working on transitions between choices. We are working our stamina up to 1 total hour. Next week we will be practicing partner reading.
We are about to kick off our annual fall assessments, so please try your best to make sure that your kids are rested and ready to go. We do a phonological assessment (for some students), a reading assessments, math assessments, an upper and lower case letter name/sound assessment and a spelling assessment. We make sure to spread these out so as not to tire the kids out and to avoid losing as much instructional time as possible. We will be able to talk about any of this information at any time after it is done, should you want to, as well as at parent/teacher conferences.
In Writer's workshop we are continuing our work on handwriting as well as responding to a choice of books that we have done for read-aloud. The kids are enjoying doing this work and are working hard at it. We will discussing and practicing sentence writing next week as well. The goal is to see kids making the connection between the work they are doing in their handwriting and their independent writing. I will be starting to differentiate during this time to work with smaller groups on more discreet skills that are germane to their current skills. Right now I am getting a read on their needs and ho best to meet them.
We will begin morning science tables next week. My plan is to have them rotate through three science tables, one per week and then resetting the activities after the third week. We will have a weather station, observation station and a inquiry/investigation table. They will do these jobs 2-3x per week. We will be learning how to do these stations one at a time and then splitting up the groups and rotating weekly.
Next week we will continue our work in building our class atmosphere, talking about Rumney CARES as well as activities that build our cohesion as a group and classroom expectations. I always find that giving the class a couple of weeks before getting into this work is helpful, as we need to know one another a bit before entering this work, as trust and knowledge of one another, albeit just a small bit, helps. Even without this work, the kids have been doing a great job. Chris and I have been so pleased with how these kids treat one another.
As always, be in touch with any celebrations, questions or concerns.
Enjoy your weekend!
~B
In literacy we have introduced two of our choices, reading-to-self and writing. We have been able to build up to 15 minutes of each and are working on transitions between choices. We are working our stamina up to 1 total hour. Next week we will be practicing partner reading.
We are about to kick off our annual fall assessments, so please try your best to make sure that your kids are rested and ready to go. We do a phonological assessment (for some students), a reading assessments, math assessments, an upper and lower case letter name/sound assessment and a spelling assessment. We make sure to spread these out so as not to tire the kids out and to avoid losing as much instructional time as possible. We will be able to talk about any of this information at any time after it is done, should you want to, as well as at parent/teacher conferences.
In Writer's workshop we are continuing our work on handwriting as well as responding to a choice of books that we have done for read-aloud. The kids are enjoying doing this work and are working hard at it. We will discussing and practicing sentence writing next week as well. The goal is to see kids making the connection between the work they are doing in their handwriting and their independent writing. I will be starting to differentiate during this time to work with smaller groups on more discreet skills that are germane to their current skills. Right now I am getting a read on their needs and ho best to meet them.
We will begin morning science tables next week. My plan is to have them rotate through three science tables, one per week and then resetting the activities after the third week. We will have a weather station, observation station and a inquiry/investigation table. They will do these jobs 2-3x per week. We will be learning how to do these stations one at a time and then splitting up the groups and rotating weekly.
Next week we will continue our work in building our class atmosphere, talking about Rumney CARES as well as activities that build our cohesion as a group and classroom expectations. I always find that giving the class a couple of weeks before getting into this work is helpful, as we need to know one another a bit before entering this work, as trust and knowledge of one another, albeit just a small bit, helps. Even without this work, the kids have been doing a great job. Chris and I have been so pleased with how these kids treat one another.
As always, be in touch with any celebrations, questions or concerns.
Enjoy your weekend!
~B
Friday, September 2, 2016
Week One News!
Hello, Everyone!
I hope you and your child have had many rich discussions about their first week in school. From my perspective, it has been such a wonderful, calm start to the year.
We are easing into our literacy block, revisiting expectations as well as practicing. We use a modified "Daily 5" model. You can find more information about the Daily 5 here:
https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5
We have been practicing read-to self time and the kids are doing a great job. We have discussed the concept of "good fit" books and where to find them in the room as well as how to know if they are indeed a "good fit". We will be introducing more and more components of the literacy structure over the next few weeks.
Rumney CARES is an important part of our school philosophy and we have begin to talk about the different components. We have introduced greetings and games during morning meeting and throughout the day to build the cohesion in the group. The kids are learning the names of their classmates and laughing together. This feels like a great place to start.
We will also be starting science stations in the morning. The kids will be beginner meteorologists, observers and experimenters. I look forward to slowly rolling these out and having kids practice these skills. Also, I will be bringing in clay from my house for the kids to start exploring. The cool part about this clay is that we can form it, let it dry and fire it. When it is fired, it turns orange due to the ferric nature of the clay on my property. If you are a potter at home, I welcome you to get some and try it out!
I teach first grade math and the kids have been settling into our schedule and working hard on counting, stretching their brain, and doing some work with dot cluster cards. We will be launching into using cuisenaire rods and place value/adding 1 in the coming weeks. I love watching their math skills emerge!
As always, folks, please get in touch with me about celebrations, questions or concerns. I always enjoy talking to you all! I also invite you to check out the new Rumney Website. Don't forget to do your Rumney Family Handbook scavenger hunt!
Thanks for a great week, and I look forward to many more!
~B
I hope you and your child have had many rich discussions about their first week in school. From my perspective, it has been such a wonderful, calm start to the year.
We are easing into our literacy block, revisiting expectations as well as practicing. We use a modified "Daily 5" model. You can find more information about the Daily 5 here:
https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5
We have been practicing read-to self time and the kids are doing a great job. We have discussed the concept of "good fit" books and where to find them in the room as well as how to know if they are indeed a "good fit". We will be introducing more and more components of the literacy structure over the next few weeks.
Rumney CARES is an important part of our school philosophy and we have begin to talk about the different components. We have introduced greetings and games during morning meeting and throughout the day to build the cohesion in the group. The kids are learning the names of their classmates and laughing together. This feels like a great place to start.
We will also be starting science stations in the morning. The kids will be beginner meteorologists, observers and experimenters. I look forward to slowly rolling these out and having kids practice these skills. Also, I will be bringing in clay from my house for the kids to start exploring. The cool part about this clay is that we can form it, let it dry and fire it. When it is fired, it turns orange due to the ferric nature of the clay on my property. If you are a potter at home, I welcome you to get some and try it out!
I teach first grade math and the kids have been settling into our schedule and working hard on counting, stretching their brain, and doing some work with dot cluster cards. We will be launching into using cuisenaire rods and place value/adding 1 in the coming weeks. I love watching their math skills emerge!
As always, folks, please get in touch with me about celebrations, questions or concerns. I always enjoy talking to you all! I also invite you to check out the new Rumney Website. Don't forget to do your Rumney Family Handbook scavenger hunt!
Thanks for a great week, and I look forward to many more!
~B
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