December Activities

Music Program:  The first grade music program is on December 15th at the High School Performing Arts Center at 7:00 p.m. 

Gingerbread Houses:  First grade will be making gingerbread houses on Friday, December 16th.  If you volunteered to bring in items for the gingerbread houses, please do so as soon as possible.
Food Pantry Donations:  This year we WILL NOT do a gift exchange.  Instead, we will be collecting canned goods throughout December to deliver to the food pantry at the Methodist Church.  You may bring in your nonperishable items anytime before December 19th.

Polar Express Day:  Wednesday, December 21st, the students will participate in a Polar Express Day.  We will read the book "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg and watch the movie to compare and contrast the two versions.  The students are allowed to dress in their pajamas for the day and bring in pillows, blankets, and/or sleeping bags.

Early Dismissal:  School will dismiss at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 22nd.  Enjoy your Christmas Break. 


FYI:  I am now on maternity leave.  Elly Sue Hogan was born on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 12:25 p.m.  She weighed 8 lbs 1oz and was 20 inches long.  She joins her big sister Lily Marie who is 2 1/2 years old.  Thank you for all of your well wishes.  I will return back in the classroom on February 1, 2012.  Until then, you may direct all questions to Mrs. Gaitlin, my long term substitute while I'm on maternity leave.  You may reach her by email at:  kristy.gaitlin@californiak12.org .

Thanksgiving Reminders

There will be NO HOMEWORK the week of Thanksgiving Break 11/21/11.  In addition, Friday folders will not go home on the week of 11/21 since it is only a 2 day week.  Additionally, there will be no student of the week on the week of 11/21.

The first grade annual Thanksgiving Feast will be held on Tuesday,  November 21, 2011.  If you volunteered to bring in an item and haven't done so, please bring the item to school by Monday, November 20th.  In addition, if you volunteered to help set up, serve, and clean up afterwards please arrive at school approximately at 10:30 a.m.  An extra special thank you to those of you who volunteered to bring in items for the feast or have volunteered your time the day of the feast.  Our annual feast could not take place without your kind generosity.

There will be NO SCHOOL on November 23-25th for Thanksgiving Break. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!  I am thankful for so many reasons.  One thing I am thankful for is my job as a first grade teacher.  I thank each and everyone of you for entrusting your children to me during the week.  It is such a blessing to teach young minds and prepare them for their subsequent years of schooling and for life. I truely love my job and couldn't think of anything else I'd rather be doing.  I am also thankful for my family and my health.  May you have a wonderful blessed holiday break.

The last day to turn in November Book It Logs is Wednesday, November 30th.

FYI:  Mrs. Kristy Gaitlin will be the students' long-term substitute teacher while I'm on maternity leave.  I ask that you be patient with her as she learns the procedures and routines of our classroom.

Upcoming Scholastic Book Fair

The elementary school librarian is hosting a Scholastic Book Fair at the elementary school during the week of November 14-18th.  This coming Saturday during the PTO Extravaganza she will have the book fair open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for those of you wishing to stop by and check out the wonderful display of books.  There will be an area designated for all classroom teacher's 'wish lists,' which contains a list of books that each teacher would like to have for their classroom.  Students will be able to visit the book fair during school hours throughout the week of November 14-18th.  Our class will also be making a special trip up to the book fair on the morning of Monday, November 14th.  If you would like your child to purchase a book during our class trip up to the book fair, please send your child's money in an enclosed envelope.  In addition, please write your child's name, the dollar amount in the envelope, and your child's teacher's name on the outside of the envelope.  All extra money your child has remaining after visiting the book fair will be sent back home in the same envelope.  Family night at the book fair will be held on Tuesday night, November 15th after school.  Please visit the book fair and support your local elementary school.

Happy Reading!

Happy Halloween

Parents,

There is no homework tonight, October 31st.  Enjoy trick-or-treating tonight and be safe.  Homework will resume tomorrow.  The homework packet was in your child's homework folders tonight along with the November Book It log. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the wonderful treats and drinks for our fall class party.  The students were so excited and enjoyed all of the treats that were shared.  We read Halloween related stories, watched a movie about a pumpkin, ate our treats, and played Halloween BINGO today. 

Trick or Treat on Pinto Street

FYI:  Trick or Treat on Pinto Street will be held in the High School Commons tomorrow night from 6-8:00 p.m. 

PTO Fall Carnival

Parents,

Remember that the PTO Fall Carnival is this Saturday, October 22, 2011 at the Elementary School.  The Carnival runs from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.  First grade games will be the Fish Pond, Lollipop Tree, and we will be selling glow-in-the-dark necklaces.  Tickets are only .25 cents and you can purchase them at the door when you come to the carnival.  You will also have the opportunity to purchase more raffle tickets.  All proceeds from the PTO Carnival go to support your local elementary school.  Grade level games/activity profits go to each individual grade level.  We have used our PTO Carnival money in the past to purchase books, equipment, games, etc. for the students in our grade level.  Please come support your local PTO and California Elementary School!

Hope to see you there!

Writer's Workshop...Preparing for a Celebration

The students have been writing about things that have happened to them all year.  They have been studying real authors such as:  Vera B. Williams, Donald Crews, Richard Scary, Don Freeman, Dav Pilkey, and Frane Lessac.  In addition, they have been introduced to various forms of writing.  Finally, it was time to choose a piece out of our writing folders that we wanted to publish.  We discussed how to choose a good piece to publish and what real authors do when preparing to publish their works.  The students chose their best pieces and then asked themselves:  "Does this make sense?" "Can I fix it?" and "Can I add to it?"  They used these questions to help guide them during the early stages of editing and revising.  Afterwards, we fancied up our pictures making them look like illustrations in real books.  We then created covers for our stories and shared them with our classmates.  The pieces we published will be added to our classroom library for students to check out and enjoy.  Currently, they are being displayed in the hallway for the school to enjoy.  Below you will see some pictures of student authors at work!

Books/Authors we studied:

                             

The Peach Tree Farm Pumpkin Patch

On Thursday, October 6th the students in first grade enjoyed a field trip to The Peach Tree Farm Pumpkin Patch in Boonville, MO.  Below are some pictures of our adventures.

Enjoying the hayride.

Searching for the best pumpkin.



Still searching...



Picking pumpkins.

Look at these great pumpkins we picked.

Feeding goats.

Beautiful sunflowers

Resting

Sharing a seat on a large pumpkin.

Looking for the strangest looking gourd.



Hay maze fun



Enjoying a nice lunch on the pic-nic tables.

REMINDER

Tomorrow is the first grade field trip to The Peach Tree Farm in Boonville, MO.  Buses will begin loading at the school at 9:45 a.m. and depart promptly at 10:00 a.m.  We will be eating lunch much later than normal, so I have given permission to the students to bring a snack and/or drink to consume before departing for the trip.  Please remember to have your child wear tennis shoes.  Students should not wear open toed shoes or sandals.  In addition, if you were planning on bringing a lunch for your child, please be sure to have a drink inside their lunch.  We will not be eating at the school for them to get a drink from the cafeteria.  We will eat lunch at The Peach Tree Farm after completing all of the activities planned.  We will then load the buses at approximately 1:30 p.m. and depart promptly at 1:45 p.m.  We should arrive back at the school at approximately 2:30 p.m.

FYI:  If you were chosen to be a chaperone, please arrive at the school between 9:30 - 9:45 a.m.  Thank you for coming on the trip with our class!

Apple Pickin Time

 In honor of John Chapman a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed here are some great sites for you to enjoy.  We studied the famous Johnny Appleseed and taste tested apples this week.  The students also learned the life cycle of the apple tree and read numerous poems and books about apples.

Story of Johnny Appleseed-Weekly Reader

Crispy's Applestand Stories and Activities

5 Red Apples-Song by Harry Kindergarten

Below are some of the picture books we enjoyed about apples.

Upcoming Field Trip

Please check out the "Field Trip" page at the top of this blog.  It will give you important information pertaining to our upcoming field trip to The Peach Tree Farm in Boonville, MO.  FYI:  All permission slips and forms for the field trip will be sent home in your child's Friday folder this Friday, September 23, 2011.  All permission slips and the cost for the field trip ($7.00) is due back by next Friday, September 30, 2011.  The cost includes admission into The Peach Tree Farm (pays for admission and food to feed the animals) and the cost of transportation.

http://hogansfirstgrade.blogspot.com/p/field-trip.html

Attention

School will be dismissing at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow Friday, September 16th for Staff Professional Development.  If your child will go home a different way than normal, you must bring in a note or call the elementary office.

Pictures of Learning

Take a peak at some of the learning activties from the past few weeks.



Surveying the class for Our Favorite Colors Bar Graph.



More math surveying...

Writer's Worskhop...The students using their workshop
time to write new stories.

Look at these fabulous pieces of work.

We read Joy Cowley's "The Farm Concert." 
We then discussed the difference between a word and a sentence.

Students cutting apart words and glueing them to
make a sentence from the story "The Farm Concert."



Completed sentences.  The illustrated sentences can be found
in the first grade hallway.



Scholastic Book Orders

Parents,
Don't forget that all See Saw Scholastic Book Order Forms are due back tomorrow, Friday, August 26, 2011.  When you place a Scholastic Order you are also helping out our classroom.  For every dollar amount spent, our classroom earns free bonus points towards new books for our classroom library. 

Getting Acquainted in First Grade

"Oh, The Places We Will Go!"

The first graders spent the past week getting to know their new first grade teacher and classmates.  In addition, we discussed the rules of the classroom, lunchroom, and recess.  I hope your child enjoyed the first two days as much as I did.  I am so excited about this school year and the amazing learning opportunites your child will be involved in throughout the year.

Please be sure to check our classroom blog frequently for class updates.  I will post our weekly homework under the homework tab. Homework will begin this week. There will be no homework on Fridays. You can also check your child's home folder on Monday nights for the weekly homework schedule. In addition, I will add pictures of our class, learning activities, and school events under the pictures tab.  You can also check the calendar tab for important dates throughout the school year.

Welcome Back to School

The beginning of a new school year is always exciting.  I am looking forward to meeting all of my students and parents.  I hope that you have all had a wonderful summer and are ready for an eventful year filled with new experiences.  Let me begin by sharing some information about myself.  I grew up in California, MO and graduated from CHS in 2001. I then obtained my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Central Missouri State University (currently known as UCM) in 2005.  I received my Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in May of 2011.  This is my sixth year teaching at California Elementary School.  My husband and I currently live in California with our 2 year old daughter Lily.  We are expecting our second child in December of 2011.