Upcoming events

Wow...what a busy few weeks it has been.  Thank you to everyone for supporting literacy night and the book fair.  I have heard that they were both huge successes.  My own daughter was sick the night of literacy night, so I do not have any pictures of this great event.  I was hoping to take my Kindergartner and unfortunately we didn't make it.  If anyone has pictures and would like to share I'd love them to add to our blog.  The book fair was a great hit with the students.  They love the book fair and so do I.  I just love how it gets the kids so excited about reading.  Thank you to all of you that purchased items from the book fair.  This money helps fund our school library.  Also a HUGE shout out to those of you that donated books to our classroom from the book fair.  Charlie and the Christmas Kitty and Junie B., First Grader:  Turkey's We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) were donated to our classroom.  I can't wait to share these books with the students!!!

This week marks our first quarter auction of the year.  It is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18th.  The proceeds will benefit the Fifth Grade Circle of Sharing Community Project.  Admission is $5 and gets you pizza, soda, and 1 paddle.  Each additional paddle is $1.  If you have never been to a quarter auction let me be the first to tell you how much fun it is!  Leave the children at home and enjoy a night out.  This event is a blast...especially when you are winning items!  ;) The money is going to a great cause.  So, if you can get a babysitter I invite you to join in on the fun!

Today I sent home highlighted lists of items that we need for our thanksgiving feast (if you volunteered to donate items or time.)  Please send those in by the end of the week or even Monday morning at the latest.  I apologize for not getting them home on Friday.  I had them ready to go and left them sitting on my desk!  Thank you so much for helping to put on such a great activity for our students.

Today I also sent home parts for our upcoming Christmas Program put on by the lovely and super talented Stacy Friedrich.  Please look over your child's part.  If he/she has a speaking or singing part, please practice with them daily.  If you have any questions about the music program itself, please contact Mrs. Friedrich.  I am so excited about their program.  I love that we get to do the Christmas program every year.  It truly is something I enjoy and look forward to every single year!!!!!!

I will be out of the classroom on Thursday and Friday of this week.  I am attending a conference at Tan Tar-A and I get to meet the author of the PETE THE CAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Can we say I am excited!!!!  That is an understatement!!!!!!!  I will not have the students do homework on Wednesday and Thursday night since I won't be here.  Please just remember to read nightly.  November book its will be due soon!  I didn't take many pictures this past week because I was so busy...but here is one of your first grade teachers.  We dressed up as a book character for the kick off to the book fair and family literacy night.  I was the coconut tree from the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

 

The Literary Work of Fabulous Firsties

We have spent the last two weeks learning about revision and editing.  Students chose their most favorite piece to publish.  Students worked with a partner to revise their piece through storytelling.  The writer would read a page of their story and the reader would then ask questions about the piece {who? what? when? where? why? how? questions}.  Next, the writer would answer the questions and add the information to their piece.

Afterwards, we looked at a piece together as a class and discussed editing.  Students were given an editing checklist and together, page by page, we went through a piece as a class and practiced our editing skills.  Next, the students worked on editing their writing on their own with a red pen.  Finally, the students got to work with their partners again.  Together they went through the editing checklist.  After completing the editing portion, students rewrote their pieces for publication.

I am so excited about sharing some of these great pieces once they are finished.  Students' books will be binded and shared with the class.  They will then be placed in the library for viewing {after we vote for Firstie Newberry Award and Hogan's Caldecott Award}.  In the meantime, please enjoy the pictures of our revising and editing and publishing process.

 

Students also visited the book fair at the library last Friday.  Here are a few of the students picking out their favorite books.  :) I absolutely LOVE Book Fair Week.  Thanks Mrs. Williams for making it so much fun.  Our class won the BINGO game and got $40 in books.  I was so thrilled!!!