Miss C.'s Blog

Heisman...

2012-02-13T07:49:00.002-06:00

Thanks so much to the O'Connor family for bringing in the Heisman trophy to share with us! This particular Heisman was won by Johnny Lattner, a graduate of Fenwick High School in Oak Park!

Here we are posing with it...

From 2011-2012 Randoms

Happy 100s Day!

2012-02-02T17:24:00.001-06:00

We did a plethora of activities to mark this exciting day. We drew a picture for 100 seconds. We took 100 steps down the hall. We saw how many times we could write our name in 100 seconds. There are just 100s of minutes of fun to be had in first grade! Here we are with our 100s day glasses!

From 2011-2012 Randoms

Snowflakes...

2012-01-26T10:12:00.000-06:00

Falling Snow

by anonymous

See the pretty snowflakes
Falling from the sky;
On the wall and housetops
Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges,
On the branches bare;
Now how fast they gather,
Filling all the air.

Look into the garden,
Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.

Now the bare black bushes

All look soft and white,

Every twig is laden,

What a pretty sight!

Each child is unique and beautiful...much like every snowflake. For our Mustang Motto celebration day in January, we gathered with our first and fourth grade friends and cut snowflakes out of scrap paper. The resulting snowflakes now adorn the halls of our school! Check us out...

showcase showdown...

2012-01-23T07:43:00.000-06:00

Order of things...

2012-01-17T06:44:00.000-06:00

In room 108's hallway we are practicing putting on our winter gear in an efficient and independent manner. Here is how we practice putting on and taking off. You may want to have the same routine at home for consistency. I also encourage each child to have an extra pair of socks in their locker, just in case we get wet socks as we are getting unbundled after recess play. In addition, you may want your child to keep their gym shoes in their locker so they are always at hand for gym days. (Mondays and Fridays).

Getting ready to go out and play...
1. shoes off
2. snowpants on
3. boots on
4. jacket on, zip all by myself
5. hat, scarf, and gloves

Coming in from playing...
1. gloves, hat, scarf off
2. jacket off
3. boots off
4. snowpants off
5. shoes on.
6. boots go on the bottom of our locker (so we don't get everything wet) and hang up our coat and snowpants

Happy New Year!

2012-01-09T09:46:00.003-06:00

As 2012 is upon us, we took time in room 108 to reflect on 2011 and how we can be the best student we can be in 2012. Not new years resolutions as much a reminder of the Mustang Motto (Be respectful! Be responsible! Be compassionate!) and our reminders and how it all applies to us both in school and at home. Some of our focus includes...

Use good manners! Please and thank you goes a long way. Raise your hand, and wait to be called on, before you talk in class. LISTEN while others are talking, don't just wait for your turn to say something. Walk quietly in the hallways at school.

Be responsible! Cooperate to get school work done. Tell the truth, even when it may be hard to do so. Basically, do your best work all the time!

Care about others! Ask your teacher and grown ups "how are you?" Smile at someone who looks sad or down. Read and share books with a friend.

Moving right along in December...

2011-12-12T10:01:00.000-06:00

We are moving right along with our first grade learning! We have completed two units of study with our Treasures reading series. As a part of our reading series, we have reading workshop daily. The "To-Do" list you see come home each week is the written contract the children must complete during reading workshop. I grade each section with my smiley grading scale, and then send it home on Mondays. I explained to the children today that now that we have been in school for 73 days, I have higher expectations for their independent reading workshop work. When they are not working with me at the teaching table, they know what they are to work on. If they do not complete each task with a grade of at least a smiley, they will be expected to do/re-do the work at home and bring it back to school. This will help teach responsibility and time management. Note: as last week was a review week in the reading series, there will not be a To-Do list that comes home today.

In math we are just about to take our unit 4 assessment! The assessments at the first grade level are a snapshot of skills, concepts, and topics we have covered in the unit of study. These assessments are a way of practicing test taking skills. There is no real preparation necessary for the first grade assessments. As long as your child has been participating and working hard, they will be successful.

Thank you so very much for ALL that you do!

2011-11-22T06:31:00.002-06:00

From Miss C.'s Blog

Happy Veteran's Day..

2011-11-09T06:39:00.000-06:00

We have an upcoming three day weekend in honor of Veteran's Day. I am including a picture of one of my heros...my cousin Seamus. He has been like a brother to me growing up, and has served 2 tours of duty overseas in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Thank you so much to those who serve this great country!

From Miss C.'s Blog

By request...

2011-11-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

Halloween party...

2011-11-01T09:57:00.003-05:00

Thank you so very much to the grown ups that made our party super fun! Here are some pictures of us enjoying our room 108 Halloween party!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-26T18:51:00.004-05:00

2011-10-20T09:55:00.000-05:00

Dear Grown Ups,

We are writing this together on the ELMO to tell you our exciting news! We did it! We caught 25 compliments! Every time we get a compliment on our manners or our behavior from another teacher, we earn a baseball. We earned our goal of 25! So our award is pajama day! Woohoo!

Thursday, October 20th we are permitted to roll out of bed and come to school in our pajamas! We are also permitted to bring one stuffed animal that must be able to fit in our backpack! It can't be electronic.

We are so proud of ourselves, and we hope you are proud of us too!

Love,
the first graders in room 108

From Miss C.'s Blog

Book Fair...

2011-10-14T07:56:00.001-05:00

Mann PTO Bookfair!

Quality Books + Help the PTO!

Mon. Oct. 17 & Tues. Oct. 18: 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Wed. Oct. 19: 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Thur. Oct. 20: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm

*** Special Parent Only Shopping Times***

Tues., Wed. & Thur.: 8:00 am – 9:00 am

Volunteer some time and get a jump on gift shopping!

Renee Haas @ 660-1476 – haas3304@sbcglobal.net

Marrey Picciotti – mpicciotti@sbglobal.net

Karen Anderson – srakka@aol.com

Book Buddies...

2011-10-04T09:38:00.000-05:00

We met with our book buddies for the first time today! We have been so eager to meet with our friends in Mrs. Lamb's third grade, but our schedules have been ever so busy. Today we met during our morning meeting time, and worked on our journals. The third graders were extremely impressed with our writing skills. We can't wait until we meet again to work on a Halloween project!

Here are a few pics of us with our third floor friends...

Walk to School Week 10/3-10/7....

2011-09-28T07:39:00.000-05:00

Monday: Students (and staff!) wear RED for transportation safety.

Tuesday: Students wear BLUE for water conservation.

Wednesday: (The official international walk to school day!) Students wear GREEN for reducing waste in landfills.

Thursday: Students wear YELLOW for energy conservation.

Friday: Students wear their favorite sports team attire. No Cubs gear as you will not be permitted in room 108. Just kidding! :) There will be a mini walk-a-thon at Field Park in the morning...be there or be square!

Author/Illustrator visit...

2011-09-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

The first graders in room 108 were treated to a delightful author/illustrator visit this morning! We learned about where Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman got her idea for the book Superhero Joe. She explained that she, like Joe, was afraid of lots when she was a child. We also learned that illustrator Ron Barret wanted to be an artists since he was our age growing up in the Bronx!

We learned that you can do anything if you put your mind to it!

From Miss C.'s Blog

Author & Illustrator visit...

2011-09-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

From Miss C.'s Blog

Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Ron Barret will be coming to Mann School! They will be speaking to the first graders about their careers as authors and illustrators and their newest book Superhero Joe!

Students who wish to purchase an autographed copy of their book may do so by returning the form sent home with your first grader. If you need another copy of the form, you can email me. It is not required to buy a book but it is required to enjoy their presentation! :)

I can...

2011-09-12T07:57:00.000-05:00

The first grade team will be working together each week to create learning targets. These targets are developed from the learning objectives from our first grade curriculum. As teachers, we are well aware of these objectives and use them in planning our lessons and instruction. We thought it would be most useful for parents AND the first graders to be made aware of these objectives. If you are looking for additional things you can work on at home, these targets will help guide you. I will discuss the targets at the beginning of the week with the children, and then we can assess our week as a classroom of learners as we review the targets at weeks end to see how we did. You will see that the language is positive ("I can...") and written in first person. The learning targets will be posted on this blog right above the spelling words starting next week. This week they are front and center. :)

Reading

I can…

-read and spell words with short a sounds.

-identify parts of a sentence.

-identify character and setting of a story.

Writing

I can…

-always start my sentences with a capital letter.

-always end my sentences with punctuation.

-brainstorm ideas.

-write a personal narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.

Math

I can…

-use a number grid.

-write my phone number and address.

-identify compliments of 10.

-label my answer.

-practice my math facts.

Social Studies

I can…

-perform my classroom job to the best of my ability.

Calling all new Mann families...

2011-09-06T13:12:00.000-05:00

Mann School PTO invites all families to:

What: New Family Potluck Night!
When: Thursday, September 15, 6:30pm

Where: Mann School Cafeteria

Why: Please join us for pizza and an opportunity to meet the principal, members of the PTO board and some Mann “veteran” families!

*Bring the whole family, your questions & if your last name begins with:

A-L: Please bring an appetizer

M-Z: Please bring a dessert

Please contact Kyla Lombardo at 708.763.9339 or kylalou@yahoo.com to R.S.V.P. on or before September 14th.

Volunteers needed too!

Pledge of Allegiance...

2011-08-30T10:35:00.000-05:00

Every morning we say the Pledge of Allegiance as a whole school! In room 116 we began a discussion about this important part of beginning our school day. There are some tremendously juicy words in The Pledge, and we spoke about what these words mean.

The following video is a classic, but a delightful way of describing the pledge so first graders understand!

School Year 2011-2012 is nearly here...

2011-08-21T19:02:00.003-05:00

Email will be the best and easiest way to contact me during the day...and night...my inbox is always open. I would also like to set up a classroom email list. To be added to the parent email list please email me. Feel free to provide home and work email if you would like my emails to go to both. I will also have a sign up sheet to be added to this list on curriculum night.

Be sure to stop by and say hello on the blacktop by door 7W the first day! Below is a slide-show of some pictures of my summer 2011 adventures...

Summer 2011...thus far...

2011-07-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

What are you up to this summer? Swimming, hiking, Camp Invention, fireworks, White Sox games, gazing at the stars, catching lightning bugs, listening to music, looking at new cars is what I have been up to thus far! When school begins always include a slideshow of my ventures over the summer. Here is a peek at CJ and I...

From Miss C.'s Blog

Cairns Cupcakes...

2011-06-03T13:00:00.002-05:00

From Miss C.'s Blog

Eric Carle Inspired Art...

2011-05-24T09:07:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Rolfes, Mann School's dynamite librarian, helped us to create an Eric Carle inspired art project. We learned how Mr. Carle creates his illustrations, and then got to work creating our own versions! Thanks Mrs. Rolfes for a delightful venture! :)

Umbrella art...

2011-05-23T07:57:00.000-05:00

We were treated to our final Art Appreciation activity of the school year! The children painted umbrellas, inspired by the work of Matt Lamb and his Umbrellas for Peace Project. After September 11th, Mr. Lamb worked with children processing what happened that day. He encouraged the children to paint all their hopes and dreams for world peace on the outside of the umbrella while on the inside they painted what was worrying them or what scared them. The Cupcakes each created their own umbrella, which we displayed on the tree outside our classroom for all to enjoy on Friday, May 20.

Here are some images that I captured from our venture into painting umbrellas...

FUNtastic Fridays...

2011-05-19T07:08:00.000-05:00

Happy Fridays are ahead...actually all Fridays are happy aren't they?! The student council has planned some FUNtastic Fridays to close out our 2010-2011 school year! They are as follows...

Friday, May 20...Pajama day

Friday, May 27....Hat day, although no Cubs ball caps please heehee :) This day is special as the student council requests each student donate $1 to be able to wear a hat to school. The money collected will go towards pediatric cancer awareness. This is a part of the Caps for Kids program. Additionally, the student council will be selling lemonade for $0.50 during the lunch hours to also donate to this extremely worthy cause. I also encourage our Cupcakes to make a theme out of it and wear their sports jerseys!

Friday, June 3...Beach-wear Day. This will require you to get creative as the school dress code will still be enforced: no flip flops, straps must be 3 fingers wide, and no short shorts/skirts. Beach towels will be allowed, but if become a distraction they will spend the day in the locker.

Presenting...

2011-05-17T12:47:00.000-05:00

Cairns Cupcakes reader's theater performance of The Great Ball Game! We each had an important part to the production and created a puppet to represent our bird or animal. We worked on scenery for both day and night. Finally, and most importantly, we practiced reading our parts with feeling, emotion, and excitement!

Enjoy...

Around town...

2011-05-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

A few things will be happening around town...

The Village of Oak Park is recycling old electronic items on Saturdays May 28 and June 25 from 9 - 1 at the Public Works Center (201 South Blvd.). They will take computers, monitors, TVs, cell phones, rechargeable batteries, printers, fax machines, MP3 players, PDAs, video game consoles, video cassette recorders/ players, zip drives, scanners, etc. For more info call 708 358 5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us

Earth Fest 2011 is Sat., May 21 from 10 - 3 at the Public Works Building (201 South Blvd.).
This year's event will have vendor booths and kid-friendly activities. Vendors will feature goods / services for healthy and sustainable living: gardening items, books, clothing, and personal care items. The Open House will feature the LEED certified building and the Village owned equipment. For more information please call 708 358 5778 or email sustainability@oak-park.us

Wonderworks...

2011-04-20T07:40:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what a first grade field trip to Wonderworks looks like?

Arthur author...

2011-04-14T07:19:00.001-05:00

That's right, Marc Brown the author of the award winning Arthur series came to OUR school, MANN SCHOOL to speak! The children (and adults in the audience as well!) were thoroughly riveted as he conversed with us! He spoke of how he got started as an author/illustrator (was fired from MANY jobs before he began this one). He explained how Arthur the character was born (after being fired, came home and his young son asked to hear a story)! He shared pictures of his studio, of his adventures meeting presidents and traveling on Air Force One, and of his inspirations for the beloved characters. Marc Brown also shared some tales that were inspiration for Arthur stories. It was interesting to see the evolution of how Arthur looks today. He read his latest book, Arthur Turns Green. Overall it was a delightful and extremely special visit!

From Miss C.'s Blog

Froebel blocks...

2011-04-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

We had our in-school field trip visit! We had a workshop with the Froebel blocks. These blocks taught the children to use their spacial thinking, much like architectural genius Frank Lloyd Wright did as a youth! Perhaps in the future we will see designs created by a former room 116 first grader inspired by their work with the blocks! Here are some images of us hard at work...

It's TV Turn Off Week!

2011-04-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

That's right, you are challenged to turn off the TV and video games...all week! This runs from April 11-April 15th. First graders are encouraged to brainstorm with their families things they can do instead of watching TV. Get outside and play a game of baseball, go for a bike ride, read a comic book, play a card game, ride your bike to the library, build a fort out of old boxes and blankets are just some suggestions! I have encouraged room 116 children to participate and turn off their TVs AND video games. If they log zero TV/gaming hours this week, the cupcakes are to bring in a signed note on Friday, April 15th. They will get a firm hand shake and a Horseshoe Hooray! Additionally their name will be added to a all-school display created by Mrs. Rolfes in the Mann School lobby!

Some interesting (frightening!) TV facts...

Number of 30-second commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 38.5
Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
Percentage of children ages 6-17 who have TV's in their bedrooms: 50
Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66

Happy Spring Break!

2011-04-03T14:47:00.000-05:00

I hope you all have enjoyed your 9 days off from first grade! I can't wait to hear about your ventures! Here are some pics that have been shared with me thus far. Happy to add more as you return home to Oak Park. :)

Spirit Week!

2011-03-17T09:54:00.003-05:00

Here is the schedule for spirit week 2011! :)

Monday, March 21... Crazy hair day! Do you like the messy look? Maybe you like 37 barrettes in your hair? Perhaps silly pig tails are your style. Today's the day to show off just how crazy you can make your hair!

Tuesday, March 22...Opposite day! Is that hoodie on backwards? Why do you have your argyle socks on your ears? Today is the day to dress opposite!

Wednesday, March 23...Wacky Outfit day! Are you into wearing pajama bottoms with a skirt over them? This is the day to make your outfit as wacky as possible!

Thursday, March 24...Decades day! Have you always wanted to wear saddle shoes and a poodle skirt to school? Today's your day! Any decade is fair game...the more leg warmers, the better!

Friday, March 25...Sports day! Want to show off your White Sox pride? Today's the day to wear your sports attire! No Cubs attire will be allowed...just kidding! :) You may wear hats to school on this day!

light painting...

2011-03-14T10:35:00.001-05:00

We had a sensational art appreciation activity on Friday, March 11th. The children light painted! Our activity involved a camera (connected to ELMO), some small and differently colored flash lights, and NO lights. The camera captured the images, and with the help of ELMO, the children were able to see their art instantaneously! It was thoroughly engaging and each light painting is truly unique!

Try and guess which light painting masterpiece is the work of your first grader! :)

P.A.C.K. week is coming...

2011-03-09T13:22:00.002-06:00

What does P.A.C.K stand for anyway? Pack Assorted Colors for Kids!

Pack Week is intended to help introduce children to new fruits and vegetables that they might enjoy. The food service is participating and I hope that all those kiddos that bring a cold lunch from home will join us!

Monday, March 14 - Pack Purple / Blue

Plums
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raisins
Purple grapes

Tuesday, March 15 - Pack White / Tan / Brown

Pears
White peaches
Dates
Cauliflower florets

Wednesday, March 16 - Pack Red

Cherries
Raspberries (yummy! My favorite!)
Strawberries
Red pepper slices
Tomato wedges

Thursday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - Pack Green

Celery sticks
Green pepper slices
Cabbage
Sugar snap peas
Broccoli florets
Kiwi slices

Friday, March 18 - Pack Yellow/Orange Day

Baby carrots
Nectarines
Peaches
Yellow pears
Dried apricots
Pineapple chunks

Happy 100th Day of School!

2011-02-07T14:25:00.001-06:00

Happy 100th day of school! It took us a few tries to get here (thanks to Blizzard 2011!) but we made it! The children have been working on 100s day activities all day! We plan to extend our 100s day study into tomorrow as there are just hundreds of minutes of fun to be had!

Here we are about to parade for our Kindergarten friends...

From Miss C.'s Blog

Here we are with our 100th day crowns...

From Miss C.'s Blog

and here we are with our 100th day crowns...and silly faces!

From Miss C.'s Blog

Snow DayS 2011...

2011-02-02T15:36:00.005-06:00

Here are some very interesting facts from Mrs. Siegel (Thanks!) regarding snow days at Oak Park River Forest High School...

OPRFHS has had four closings due to snow since the District's founding in 1873:

March 25, 1930 - 19.2 in.
Jan. 9, 1939 - 14.9 in.
Jan. 27, 1967 - 24 in.
Jan. 25, 1979 -20.7 in.
and Feb. 2, 2011 20.2 in.

Keep the pics from your snow dayS adventures coming!

MannKind pencil project...

2011-01-31T12:40:00.003-06:00

Your first grader will tell you more, but we are on the hunt for new or gently used pencils! We have been paired with a school in Arkansas that is not as fortunate as us. All of Mann School is collecting pencils to send to them just in time for Valentine's Day! The children have chosen our classroom goal as 875...that's collecting 875 pencils to send to our new friends! We have been having conversations about creative ways to gather pencils. We encourage them to think "outside the box" in order to fill our pencil box! Running to Staples to buy a pack is easy, but not a worthwhile way to get this needed school supply to our partner school.

Click here to visit the website that paired MannKind with the school in Arkansas. Further more, there is an under-construction MannKind website that you can visit to learn more about our school service club! If you have further questions please email MannKind mannkind1@gmail.com

If your child comes home eager to do chores, and be paid in pencils, now you know why :)

P.S. On the right of this post I will have a tally of how many pencils we have gathered thus far. In the classroom we will be creating a pencil graph! :)

Phew...what a day...

2011-01-21T13:04:00.002-06:00

From Miss C.'s Blog

Snowflakes and Hot Chocolate...

2011-01-19T20:43:00.000-06:00

Our Mustang Motto celebration for the month of January was pretty sweet. Get it...pretty snowflakes and sweet hot chocolate! :) We were treated to a cup of yummy hot chocolate (with marshmallows!) as we cut out snowflakes from paper scraps. The resulting snowflakes now adorn the halls of the first floor.

Falling Snow
by anonymous

See the pretty snowflakes
Falling from the sky;
On the wall and housetops
Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges,
On the branches bare;
Now how fast they gather,
Filling all the air.

Look into the garden,
Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.

Now the bare black bushes
All look soft and white,
Every twig is laden,
What a pretty sight!

Homework menu...

2011-01-10T12:32:00.001-06:00

We have sent home the first homework packet menu for first grade. These packets will go home on Fridays and are not due until the following Friday. If it is finished early, of course your child may turn it in. This packet is useful in teaching responsibility as each student will only be provided with one. When it comes home each week, help your first grader find a safe place to put it. Please go over each homework packet with your child and sign the cover page before returning it to school. Your child will have a menu of choices of what assignments to complete from the menu, but the handwriting portion is not optional. Of course for added enrichment your child may choose to do all the of the selections. These packets are designed as a reinforcement of skills being taught in school or as a fun mind stretcher. The math HomeLinks will also come home, but they will not be a part of the packet. As always, your child should continue to read to or with you for 20 minutes a night, and fill out the reading log. If you have any questions once you have received the packet and read it over, please feel free to ask away.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T12:23:00.000-06:00

As 2011 is upon us, we took time in room 116 to reflect on 2010 and how we can be the best student we can be in 2011. Not new years resolutions as much a reminder of the Mustang Motto (Be respectful! Be responsible! Be compassionate!) and how it applies to us both in school and at home. Some of our focus includes...

Use good manners! Please and thank you goes a long way. Raise your hand, and wait to be called on, before you talk in class. LISTEN while others are talking, don't just wait for your turn to say something. Walk quietly in the hallways at school.

Be responsible! Cooperate to get school work done. Tell the truth, even when it may be hard to do so. Basically, do your best work all the time!

Care about others! Ask your teacher and grown ups "how are you?" Smile at someone who looks sad or down. Read and share books with a friend.

Board Game Bonanza 2010...

2010-12-02T08:32:00.001-06:00

Our Mustang Motto celebration for the month of November was Board Game Bonanaza! The children enjoyed the game play with Mrs. Poteracki's first grade class in the auditorium! We even decided that this activity should be a reward next time we spell a hallway compliment word! (At present we are working on terrific, thus far we have t-e-r-r-i)

Here are some pics I snapped of the children enjoying their board games...

Art Appreciation 2.0...

2010-11-22T12:59:00.000-06:00

So we all had a moment of "EEK!" when we first received the email regarding pets to be brought home from school...but then we learned they were created with clay, beads, feathers, toothpicks, and our imagination. The art appreciation activity explored the world of animals through the eyes of Dr. Seuss! It was a delightful activity. The children's work is on display for all to see in the lobby display case. Make sure you come and take a peek! Thanks so much the grown ups that came to play with us!

Here are some pictures of the children hard at work...

Moving right along...

2010-11-15T12:32:00.000-06:00

Our work in room 116 has been diligent; we have now completed three units of study in Open Court Reading and Everyday Mathematics. We had our game face on and tackled our Unit 3 Math assessment on Friday. The assessments at the first grade level are a snapshot of skills, concepts, and topics we have covered in the unit of study. These assessments are a way of practicing test taking skills. There is no real preparation necessary for the first grade assessments. As long as your child has been participating and working hard, they will be successful.

Remember to check our learning targets each week. They are intended to inform you of what we will be working on in school and a suggestion of topics you can practice at home. Reading nightly and having great family conversation are always encouraged.

In closing, we enjoyed a three day weekend in honor of Veteran's Day earlier this month. I am including a picture of one of my heros...my cousin Seamus. He has been like a brother to me growing up, and he just came home from his second tour of duty overseas in Iraq. He will be deployed for his third tour overseas sometime next year. Thank you so much to those who serve this great country!

From Miss C.'s Blog

Art Appreciation...

2010-11-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

Today we had some fantastic grown ups come and do an art appreciation activity for the kiddos in room 116! The children examined the works of HC Westerman. The first graders then created their own self portrait sculptures out of shoe boxes and special items.

Here we are hard at work...

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-02T09:57:00.001-05:00

Thank you to all the grown ups (so that means all of you!) who made this exciting day possible. Every costume looked amazing and as unique and wonderful as the children are!

From Miss C.'s Blog

Read to Feed...

2010-10-27T15:43:00.001-05:00

The Heifer International Read to Feed campaign deadline has been extended to November 12th. We have been so impressed with the kids and their enthusiasm for this cause! Thanks to all that have already submitted contributions and we look forward to hearing from those making a final push to read, read, read...to feed! If you have any questions, please contact Molly Meierhoff or Kathy Rolfes.

exercising...mind and body...

2010-10-17T22:03:00.000-05:00

The routines of our first grade classroom are becoming more routine, and with two units of math and reading study under our belt, many of you are beginning to ask what you can be working on at home with your first grader. Of course I am going to say RAZzle Dazzle! Give RAZ a try! Daily reading is also of most importance. Make it fun and interesting. You read a page, your child read a page. Start a chapter book and read a chapter a night with your child. Read a non-fiction book. Have your child read to his/her pet. Remember that even if your child has memorized the book, they are still gaining practice with sight words, letter sounds, and fluency by reading it again with finger pointing.

That said, I have pulled together a list of some of the skills/concepts we are focusing on in the classroom during the months of September/October. This list is by no means extensive, just a taste. You can use the list as a buffet, pick and choose what you would like to help reinforce at home.

shoe tying!!!
writes first and last name (capital and lowercase letters where appropriate)
can recognize and identify the letters a-z, capitals and lowercase
writes letters a-z, capital and lowercase
can count 1-50
count by 2's to 50
count by 5's to 50
count by 10's to 50
knows the days of the week
knows the months of the year
knows address and phone number(s)
writes numbers 1-10
can recognize various parts of a map
compares pairs of numbers less than 16
counts 20 or more objects
writes and counts tallies
can identify rhyming words
can identify when to use capitals letters (proper nouns and beginning of sentences)
can identify the number of syllables in a word
practices the Mustang Motto of respect, responsibility, and compassion

The warm summer months are drawing to a close, and the chilly fall weather is around the corner. Time to put on a hooded sweatshirt, your favorite White Sox or Bears cap, and get out and play. I encourage the children to exercise their bodies, in addition to their minds. Fresh crisp air and time to play is of great importance. Organized sports are a wonderful way for your child to learn so many life skills. Additionally, just getting out with the neighborhood kids and inventing their own game for an hour in the afternoon is a delightful right of childhood passage.

I can...

2010-10-12T07:25:00.000-05:00

I can identify long and short O sounds
I can identify things that go.
I can tell the difference between j and g sounds.

Writing:

I can start sentences with a capital letter.
I can use end marks at the end of sentences.
I can list items with commas.

Math:

I can identify a pattern.
I can tell the difference between even and odd numbers.
I can find number patterns on a grid.

Science:

I can compare two solids.
I can name properties of solids.

Walk to School Week 2010!

2010-10-03T13:01:00.004-05:00

It is once again time for walk to school week! Walking to school is good for your health and good for the enviornment! Did you know that the average car produces 5.5 tons of pollution (carbon dioxide) a year?! To absorb that pollution caused by a single car, a forest of about 4.5 acres is required! That is bigger than the size of Field Park, right next to Mann School!

There are a whole host of activities going on at Mann Elementary this week. I encourage everyone to take part! One way to show your support for this event is to wear a specific color each day. Here is our schedule...

Monday: Students (and staff!) wear RED for transportation safety. This day the children will also be asked to sign a pledge to walk or ride to school. These pledges will be collected for a chance for a child to win a "Walk and Roll" t-shirt! :)

Tuesday: Students wear BLUE for water conservation.

Wednesday: Students wear GREEN for reducing waste in landfills.

Thursday: Students wear YELLOW for energy conservation. We took a tally of who walked, rode bikes and scooters, or got a ride in a car to school last week. This day we will take a tally again to see who walked or rode bikes to school instead of riding in a car. The classroom with the biggest percentage increase will win a popcorn party! Woohoo!

Friday: Students wear their favorite sports team attire! Children with Cubs gear will not be permitted entry into my classroom. Heehee, just kidding! :)

As an added incentive this year, parents are invited to sign up online for the Walk to School

Challenge on www.facebook.com/greenworks (click right here on this link) and log their families' walking or bicycling trips on behalf of our school.

The five schools with the highest levels of participation will be eligible to win a $5,000 grant. Frequent walkers and bicyclists can also earn individual prizes, ranging from green shoelaces to reusable water bottles.

Green Works® by Clorox has partnered with the Sierra Club to

sponsor this exciting challenge.

Meet...

2010-09-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

Our new class pets!!! The two African Dwarf Frogs arrived today! The children are so excited...and so is their teacher! :) We will be learning all about our new darlings as the weeks progress.

Thanks so much to Thomas and his family for donating such a special gift!

From 2010-11

Last bit of summer weather...

2010-09-27T08:09:00.000-05:00

In celebration of our Mustang Motto (ask your first grader if they know it...they should!) the children were treated to a popsicle party on the blacktop on Thursday! We shouted "Be respectful, be responsible, and be compassionate" as we enjoyed our melty treats on a day that had weather as warm as any day in July!

Here are some pictures of the kiddos in first grade enjoying their treats...

Author visits and Obama speeches...

2010-09-19T09:35:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

The children were treated to two special events this week! First we enjoyed a delightful (and v hysterical) visit with the author Mr. Peter Brown. He shared pictures with us (including art work from when he was the first graders age!) as well as his first story he wrote (with the help of his mom) and illustrated. His message of working hard and following your passion was inspiring for the children. They particularlly enjoyed seeing his live illustration of one of his characters, Squeak! Delightful fun was had by all!

Here are some pictures from Peter Brown's visit...

From 2010-11

Additionally we went to Mrs. Lamb's classroom to view President Barack Obama's Back to School Speech given in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There was some advanced language in the speech, but the children enjoyed the enthusiasm of the students who were able to see the President live. After the speech we discussed the importance of always doing your best in school!

Pictures of 1C and 1L viewing the speech...

From 2010-11

Read to Feed...

2010-09-08T15:24:00.002-05:00

Kathy Rolfes, teacher librarian, and Molly Meierhoff, reading specialist, were very excited to launch Heifer International's Read to Feed program to our Mann kids today. This program will be the first of our initiatives this year to introduce and reinforce our understanding of the plight of those less fortunate than us while aligning with certain curriculum goals. Through this reading program, kids will collect pledges and find ways to collect funds (like book swaps) to benefit Heifer International which gives animals to communities in dire need. Each grade will learn of a country that Heifer supports (China, Armenia, Rwanda, USA) and lesson plans are available for all teachers and in the media center to support learning about these various communities. We will also learn about the animals that Heifer donates and how they are used to help the communities to which they are sent (bees/honey). Kids will be reading and learning about how animals help communities through the end of October.

We will impress upon the kids that even by reading and not financially supporting the program, they are contributing by learning about a program that helps others and the communities that it supports..

Look for a information packed to come home with you child! To learn more about this initiative, please visit www.readtofeed.org.

Our First Day...

2010-08-24T23:11:00.000-05:00

I present to you room 116 on their first day of school...

From 2010-11

and here we are with silly faces :)

From 2010-11

School Year 2010-2011 is almost under way...

2010-08-17T20:17:00.002-05:00

It is almost time for a new school year! I am so eager to meet all of you! Did you go school supply shopping? Don't forget the crayons...they are my favorite art tool! Did you pick out your first day of school outfit? I did a little shopping (well, maybe more than a little) at Camden Town market in London over the summer and am excited about my back to school outfit! :)

Email will be the best and easiest way to contact me during the day...and night...my inbox is always open. I would also like to set up a classroom email list. To be added to the parent email list please email me. Feel free to provide home and work email if you would like my emails to go to both. I will also have a sign up sheet to be added to this list on curriculum night.

Be sure to stop by and say hello on the blacktop by door 7W the first day!

Summer...

2010-06-08T23:37:00.001-05:00

Hi there! Well summer break is officially upon us! I know I plan to travel, enjoy a good book on the couch when it's rainy out, go to the beach, and go to White Sox games! I thought I'd pull together a list of some things you may want to tackle over the summer.

Read, read, read. Join the Oak Park Public Library summer reading program! Try reading a genre you normally wouldn't. If you like realistic fiction, try a fantasy book. If you like dinosaur books, try a book of poetry. Read a magazine or newspaper! Look for the weather section in the newspaper! :)
Keep a journal about what you read. What did you like about the book? What didn't you like? What would you change? What questions do you have about the book? If you could meet the author, what would you ask? What were some interesting new words you read? What do they mean? What book that we read in class does the book remind you of?
Play board games. On rainy summer days, these are great activities to keep getting wrinkles in your brain.
Get a deck of cards and invent a new game and teach it to your friends.
Write a story and illustrate it.
Research a topic that interests you, create a 4-square with illustrations and sentences to show what you learned during your research.
Keep a daily journal about your summer break. Remember good 2nd grade writers use capital letters, end marks, best guess spelling, and detailed sentences!
Build a sand castle.
Write a summer acrostic poem. Here's mine so far...

Sensational sunny days at the beach
Using my time off from school to travel to London
My favorite summertime food is a hot dog!

Do addition flash cards.
Ask your family and friends a question, and create a graph of the results.

What is your favorite summertime food?
What do you like to do at the beach?
White Sox or Cubs?

Continue your number scroll.
Email Miss Cairns! :)

Don't try this at home...

2010-05-11T10:15:00.002-05:00

We had a fantastic special event this morning! The kids in room 116 were treated to a visit from pro-biker and XGames gold medal winner Matt Wilhelm! He made these incredible tricks look easy, but we learned it took lots of practice. He wow-ed the audience with his amazing tricks and energy but also had some fantastic things to say about bike safety. He did an outstanding example of why it is quicker (and safer) to walk your bike across the street as opposed to riding. He also reminded kids the most important piece of equipment (aside from the bike) is a helmet!

This athlete also reminded the kiddos that you should never give up. It took him years to learn some of the tricks he did for us!

P.S. Mr.Wilhelm even did a trick in which he jumped over Mr. Reynolds, Ms. Meierhoff, and myself while on his bike!

From bmx

Peggy Notebaert 2010...

2010-05-01T19:14:00.003-05:00

The weather was beautiful, Cairns Comets yellow tye dyed t-shirts clean and bright, and the Peggy Notebaert Museum was ready for our visit! Here are a plethora of pics from our venture into the big city to explore what this amazing museum has to offer. Enjoy the slideshow below...

P.S. Note on said slideshow that we found the Cairns Birdwing butterfly in PN"s butterfly garden! :)

It's TV turn off week!

2010-04-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

That's right, you are challenged to turn off the TV and video games...all week! First graders are encouraged to brainstorm with their families things they can do instead of watching TV. Get outside and play a game of baseball, go for a bike ride, read a comic book, play a card game, build a fort out of old boxes and blankets are just some suggestions! I have encouraged room 116 children to participate and turn off their TVs AND video games. If they log zero TV/gaming hours this week, my first graders are to bring in a signed note (or you can send me an email) on Friday, April 16th. They will get a firm hand shake and a Horseshoe Hooray!

April Skills Checklist...

2010-04-05T11:03:00.000-05:00

April showers bring May flowers! April is one of my favorite months; baseball season begins, flowers begin to bloom, and the THUNDERSTORMS! So if you are looking for something to do with your first graders during a White Sox game rain delay, here are some suggestions...

solve addition facts to 12
identify attributes of shapes and polygons
identify symmetrical objects
identify fractions 1/2, 1/3, 1/4
make change using dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies
identify place value
add two digit numbers, using 100s chart
make largest and smallest numbers using 2 or 3 digits (example: 4, 5, 6-largest 654 & smallest 456)
order objects by weight from lighter to heavier
use capital letters and punctuation appropriately
correctly apply the weekly spelling words to writing
read a book then demonstrate a comprehension skill (visualize, ask questions, summarize)
make up a new game to play
practice Mustang Motto of being respectful, responsible and compassionate!
get outside and enjoy some Vitamin D from the warm sunshine

Mann Elementary School Spirit Week!

2010-03-19T21:44:00.001-05:00

Show your Mustang pride the week of March 22nd - 26th!

Monday...PJ day! Do you wear footie jammies or a bears jersey to bed? This is when you get to roll out of bed and come to school without changing!

Tuesday...twin day! Have you ever come to school and been wearing the same outfit as your friend? Now you can do it on purpose! You and a friend (or two to make triplets) can wear the same clothes to school and be a twins for the day!

Wednesday...crazy hair day! Do you like the messy look? Maybe you like 37 barrettes in your hair? Today's the day to show off just how crazy you can make your hair!

Thursday...decades day! Have you always wanted to wear saddle shoes and a poodle skirt to school? Today's your day! Any decade is fair game...the more leg warmers, the better!

Friday...sports day! Want to show off your White Sox pride? Today's the day to wear your sports attire! No Cubs attire will be allowed...just kidding! :) You may wear hats to school on this day!

Art appreciation 3.10

2010-03-19T21:29:00.000-05:00

We were treated to a fantastic art appreciation activity with Mrs. Hyman this month. She introduced us to the artist Marc Chagall. One of his mediums was creating stained glass windows for churches, synagogues, and even the United Nations building in New York City. The children in room 116 were then given the opportunity to create their own stained glass windows. Each window pane came out as unique and special as the child that created it!

As we have no outside windows in our classroom...we are going to hang these creations in the front lobby windows for the whole school (and passers by to Mann Elementary School) to enjoy.

A big THANK YOU to Mrs. Hyman for putting together such a delightful art project! Here are some pictures of the room 116 resident artists hard at work...

Let It Snow!

2010-02-21T13:25:00.002-06:00

While I know many in Chicago are ready for the winter weather to be over, the children in room 116 are extremely eager to have a large amount of snow fall..the sooner the better! We were treated to an activity by Ethan B.'s mom (Mrs. Burdin) and grandma (Mrs. Carol Fialkowski) in which we created snow crystal catchers! We learned about the many varieties of snow crystals, and what the conditions are like outside when we would typically see each variety of snow crystal. Discussion also included which snow crystals would be best for a plethora of activities including building snowmen, forming snowballs, and skiing. The children then matched the names to the shapes and constructed the durable snow crystal catcher in which to clearly see the shapes when it snows. These snow catchers are going to remain at school until we have an opportunity to use them, then your young scientist will be able to take them home to share with you. Fingers crossed for snow!

From Miss C.'s Blog

February Skills Checklist...

2010-02-01T09:57:00.000-06:00

I want to thank all of you for your extra help and working with your child at home. The homework packets are a great opportunity for the children to learn responsibility while reinforcing skills we are working on in class.

Here is my February skills checklist if you are looking for additional suggestions for what to work on at home.

compare numbers using <, >, =
name even and odd numbers
write dictated 2 and 3 digit numbers, add even more digits for added challenge
place numbers correctly on a hundreds chart
practice addition facts
count to 300+ by 1's, 5's, and 10's
identify place value for hundreds, tens, and ones
solve addition and subtraction number stories
count backwards from 100
calculate values of combinations of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters
measure objects to the nearest centimeter and inch
identify compound words, adjectives, nouns, and verbs
correct usage of capitals and punctuation
identify properties of solids, liquids, and gases
identify city, county, state, country, continent in which they live
name all of the continents and oceans
practice tying shoes
practice the Mustang Motto of being respectful, responsible, and compassionate

harmonica 101 @ mann...

2010-01-24T20:53:00.000-06:00

Harmonica 101 with Mr. John Milan has begun at Mann! The children thoroughly enjoy their hour lesson with the musician each week. Mr. Milan is an artist that has taught harmonica and drums locally for over 30 years. He also works with the ArtStart program in the Oak Park District 97 schools. Previously, the youngest children that he has worked with as a part of the ArtStart program have been 2nd graders...until our first graders at Mann! Thus far, his work with us has been met with great success, and enthusiasm!

Mark your calendars for February 12th, this is the date for our harmonica recital, with piano accompaniment! The children will showcase favorites such as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, When the Saints Go Marching In, and even the Star Wars theme song!

From harmonica 101 @mann

Happy New Year!

2010-01-11T07:32:00.000-06:00

As 2010 is upon us, we took time in room 116 to reflect on 2009 and how we can be the best student we can be in 2010. Not new years resolutions as much a reminder of the Mustang Motto (Be respectful! Be responsible! Be compassionate!) and how it applies to us both in school and at home. Some of our focus includes...

Use good manners! Please and thank you goes a long way. Raise your hand, and wait to be called on, before you talk in class. LISTEN while others are talking, don't just wait for your turn to say something. Walk quietly in the hallways at school.

Be responsible! Cooperate to get school work done. Tell the truth, even when it may be hard to do so. Basically, do your best work all the time!

Care about others! Ask your teacher and grown ups "how are you?" Smile at someone who looks sad or down. Read and share books with a friend.

Is it December already?

2009-12-13T14:24:00.001-06:00

We took our first field trip as first graders this week. We went to take in the sights and sounds of Ballet Legere's performance of Peter Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker at the historic Chodl Auditorium in Cicero. The children were captivated as the production was riveting! The costumes, the scenery, the music captured all of our senses. Prior to the trip, we read a plethora of renditions of the Nutcracker, including a delightful tale entitled Nutquacker. Therefore the children were familiar with the storyline. Mrs. Beck, during music class, and myself, in the classroom, also shared classic sounds of the Nutcracker ballet. We left with 23 and returned with 23, so the trip was a rousing success! :)

Here is a picture of room 116 looking quite dapper in their ballet finest...

And here is a picture of room 116 looking quite dapper in their ballet finest...and making silly faces :)

We have one week remaining of school in 2009. So hard to believe 2010 is quickly upon us! Here is a buffet of skills you can work on over winter break...

tell time on analog clock to the hour, half hour, quarter past, and quarter until
measure using inches with the aid of ruler and tape measure
use a number grid or number line to solve addition and subtraction problems (simple and complex 2 digit problems)
solve number stories
calculate value of coin combinations
order and compare numbers to 22
continue work with possessive, singular, plural, and proper nouns
continue to practice capitalization and punctuation
identify main idea and supporting details of a story
identify sequence of main events of a story
continue to work on mechanics of friendly letter writing (have your kiddo email me, but it must have the proper form and spacing of a friendly letter: date, greeting, body, closing, signature)
sort materials according to properties
keep up the mustang motto!
practice zipping coat and bundling up independently
practice shoe tying
read, read, read
and most importantly...practice building snowmen, building snowforts, and snowballs! :)

art appreciation 2.0...

2009-11-22T15:31:00.002-06:00

This week the 1st graders in room 116 were treated to another amazing art appreciation venture. This activity was led by Mrs. Robbins, with the help of Mrs. Bromley and Mr. Gale. The children were first introduced to Dancing Girl by Paul Klee. There was a fantastic discussion regarding the piece and what letters, numbers, and images were contained within the work. They then created their own sketches in which they drew some letters and numbers on paper and then created pictures out of these shapes. Next, the children moved to a different medium, black paper. Again, drawing letters and numbers and seeing what images could take shape. They then added texture and color.

This was an excellent activity. The children were so focused as they created their art. The best part is the children learned that Klee's Dancing Girl can be found in the New Modern wing at Chicago's Art Institute. They are all eager to take a venture to see the work in person and try to find the monogramed "PK", as Klee used a handkerchief as his canvas for Dancing Girl.

I want to thank Mrs. Robbins for a wonderful project as well as Mrs. Bromely and Mr. Gale for their help making this so successful!!! I have created a slideshow to capture the budding artists of room 116.

Pictures in our minds...

2009-11-15T20:57:00.011-06:00

We have begun a new unit in our Open Court reading series, Our Neighborhood at Work. This unit explores a plethora of occupations and how the workers help their surrounding community. This mirrors nicely our unit on community in social studies we are concurrently studying.

Each unit in Open Court begins with a read aloud connected to the theme. During this opening story, I do not show the children the illustrations. The children are instead encouraged to draw a picture while I read out loud to them. Their picture may be an illustration inspired by the story, a personal connection to the story, or even a picture about the unit's theme. The children then add the read aloud's title to their creation (remembering to capitalize the beginning letter of each word and underlining said title) and take turns sharing their picture on the ELMO with the class. We thoroughly enjoy this activity!

This unit's initial read aloud is called Wake Up, City! by Alvin Tresselt. Here are some pictures the children created while they enjoyed this reading selection about a city coming to life in the morning.

From Miss C.'s Blog

November Skills Checklist...

2009-11-08T12:19:00.002-06:00

Our work in room 116 has been diligent; we have now completed three units of study in Open Court Reading and Everyday Mathematics. Monday will be a review day and we will have our game face on to tackle the assessments of unit three on Tuesday. The assessments at the first grade level are a snapshot of skills, concepts, and topics we have covered in the unit of study. These assessments are a way of practicing test taking skills. There is no real preparation necessary for the first grade assessments. As long as your child has been participating and working hard, they will be successful.

That said, I'll share with you my November skills checklist. Again, these skills checklists are intended to inform you of what we will be working on in school and a suggestion of topics you can practice at home. Reading nightly and having great family conversation are always encouraged.

can tell time on an analog clock to the hour and half hour
can count backwards from 100
can count by 2's to 100
can count and exchange pennies, nickels, and dimes
can read 2 and 3 digit numbers
names even and odd numbers
identifies before and after a specific number
can write a complete sentence using correct capitalization and punctuation
can identify and complete a pattern
can solve addition and subtraction number stories
can use standard units for measuring length
completes frames and arrows diagrams
can recognize the Dolch high frequency words 1-100
can identify the main idea and details of a story
can identify nouns, verbs, adjectives and compound words
can recognize singular, plural, and possessive nouns
can recognize and identify letter and sounds (j, dge, f, e, x, z, sh, th, ch, tch, ar, mb, ir, wh, ur, w, er, ng, k, qu, ce, ci, y)
can identify living and non-living organisms
can define and provide examples of habitats and organisms
can identify address and phone number
practices the Mustang Motto of respect, responsibility, and compassion

In closing, we enjoyed a three day (beautiful!) weekend in honor of Veteran's Day. I am including a picture of one of my heros...my cousin Seamus. He has been like a brother to me growing up, and he is currently serving his second tour of duty overseas. My thoughts are with him every day! Thank you so much to those who serve this great country!

From Miss C.'s Blog

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T19:05:00.004-06:00

It was a dark and rainy afternoon...

Our Halloween party and parade day began like that of a spooky story, but we made the best of it! The costumes looked fantastic, the party activities were engaging, and the indoor parade was a rousing success! The children were grinning from ear to ear at their moment to shine as they marched down the hall. They thoroughly enjoyed watching the other classes parade by. Thank you so very much to ALL the parents that made our day a success!

From Miss C.'s Blog

Our first art appreciation venture...

2009-10-26T19:48:00.004-05:00

This week the children in room 116 were treated to an amazing art appreciation activity! Mr. Gale with the assistance of Mrs. Robbins and Mrs. Gale, helped the children to discover their inner artist. First, the children were given a brief introduction of Picasso and his works, in print and plate sculpture. Then, the children completed a four square drawing. In each square, the children sketched a different face. Next, the young artists were shown a piece and encouraged to sketch each of the four faces depicted. Finally, they took their art to sculpture, and drew their own four faces sculpture. A BIG thank you to the parents that made this activity such a success! Enjoy the slide show below of the artistic venture we took!

Is that pink in your hair?

2009-10-26T19:46:00.001-05:00

I have a surprise in my hair. If you do not know you are looking for it you miss it. It is a teeny sliver of a dark pink hair extension in the back, on my left. The color pink is my favorite, but I would never put it in my hair...that is until this opportunity came about that I couldn't pass up.

I was at a local salon and spa with friends getting manicures and pedicures. The discussion came up that it was the month of October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of this, the salon was offering pink hair extensions, with all the procedees going towards a breast cancer charity. I couldn't pass the opportunity up!

So if you look closely, you might see a sliver of dark pink in my hair, but know that while I am nothing but the professional, I couldn't pass up the chance to give a little bit for the fight against the devastating disease that is cancer.

From pink

October Skills Checklist...

2009-10-12T18:02:00.004-05:00

I just adore this time of year! Apple picking and pumpkin carving, world series and football, hoodies and scarves! The school year is moving right along. It is already mid-October! The children are diligently working in room 116. We have already tackled two units of Everyday Math and Open Court Reading. I look forward to sitting down with you face-to-face at upcoming conference time to discuss in detail your child's academic and social progress for the beginning months of 1st grade.

As I sit here drinking my pumpkin spice latte and snacking on a taffy apple, I have some suggestions of things you can work on at home through the month of October.

tell time on an analog clock to the hour/half hour
count 1-100
write a complete sentence using correct punctuation and capitalization
add or subtract using a number line or hundreds chart (no finger counting or calculators)
knows phone number with area code
knows street address
knows birthday month, day, and year
knows city and state (and how to spell them with correct capitalization)
can write first and last name (with correct capitalization)
can count by 2's to 50
can count by 5's to 50
can sort the same objects into two different groups using and identifying different sorting criteria
can find and name dates on the calendar
name places in a local community
can identify main idea and details of a story
recognizes an antonym and a synonym
can identify a noun, proper noun, and adjective
calculates the values of combinations of pennies and nickels
finds compliments of 10 (6+4,5+5,9+1, etc.)
solves simple addition and subtraction story problems

Walk to school week!

2009-10-05T11:23:00.002-05:00

It is once again time for walk to school week! This year's theme is WALKtoberfest! Walking to school is good for your health and good for the enviornment! Did you know that the average car produces 5.5 tons of pollution (carbon dioxide) a year?! To absorb that pollution caused by a single car, a forest of about 4.5 acres is required! That is bigger than the size of Field Park, right next to Mann School!

There are a whole host of activities going on at Mann Elementary this week. I encourage everyone to take part! One way to show your support for this event is to wear a specific color each day. Here is our schedule...

Monday: Students (and staff!) wear RED for transportation safety and receive a hand stamp if they walk to school.

Tuesday: Students wear BLUE for water conservation and receive a book mark if they walk to school. (Perfect for our practice books in our desks!)

Wednesday: (The official international walk to school day!) Students wear GREEN and come to school in "walking school buses." The children will also receive a treat from Active Transportation Alliance and Whole Foods. Additionally, a 6 foot evergreen tree will be planted behind the school during lunch.

Thursday: Students wear YELLOW for energy conservation and will receive a Mann Moolah for smoothies served after school. Additionally, students will receive a hand stamp at lunch if they have a ZERO waste lunch. This means using recyclable containers and nothing ends up in a landfill!

Friday: Students wear their favorite sports team attire and receive a special reusable container with a treat inside for walking to school.

Math and Science...

2009-10-04T17:29:00.000-05:00

We have started our new science unit! I hope your child came home this week with perhaps some soil under their finger nails, a huge grin on their face, and filled with excitement that we planted seeds in our terrariums! I am excited about our new science series. We had extensive training in the district and now it's time to get our hands dirty...literally! We will be working with two publishers: Houghton Mifflin and Carolina's STC. I have created a link in this post in addition to adding these websites in my "useful websites" section of this blog. Feel free to explore the websites. Our units of study in first grade will be solids and liquids, weather, and organisms.

Mrs. Picciotti shared a fantastic article with me about young women and the importance of encouraging them to pursue math and science. Mrs. Picciotti coordinates the math lab that runs here at Mann Elementary during the children's lunch hour. I encourage you to take a peek at the article. I know that my fasination with math and science stems from an accountant mother and a father who was active in the boy scouts and always encouraging me to study science. I was very fortunate and hope my passion for math and science (and writing and literature too, after all I did major in English Literature in college) comes out in my teaching! :)

Mustang Motto Day!

2009-09-27T19:56:00.000-05:00

We had our first Mustang Motto day of the school year! If the children could state the mustang motto (be respectful, be responsible, be compassionate!) they received a delicious popsicle treat. The children have been working hard since the beginning of the school year to understand what the motto means and how it applies to them.

Here are some pictures of our yummy day!

Exercising...mind and body...

2009-09-20T14:25:00.002-05:00

The routines of our first grade classroom are becoming more routine, and with a unit of math and reading study under our belt, many of you are beginning to ask what you can be working on at home with your first grader. Daily reading is of most importance. Make it fun and interesting. You read a page, your child read a page. Start a chapter book and read a chapter a night with your child. Read a non-fiction book. Have your child read to his/her pet. Remember that even if your child has memorized the book, they are still gaining practice with sight words, letter sounds, and fluency by reading it again with finger pointing.

That said, I have pulled together a list of some of the skills/concepts we are focusing on in the classroom during the month of September. This list is by no means extensive, just a taste. You can use the list as a buffet, pick and choose what you would like to help reinforce at home.

shoe tying
writes first and last name (capital and lowercase letters where appropriate)
can recognize & identify the letters a-z, capitals and lowercase
writes letters a-z, capital and lowercase
can count 1-50
count by 2's to 50
count by 5's to 50
count by 10's to 50
knows the days of the week
knows the months of the year
knows address and phone number(s)
writes numbers 1-10
can recognize various parts of a map
compares pairs of numbers less than 16
counts 20 or more objects
writes and counts tallies
can identify rhyming words
can identify when to use capitals letters (proper nouns and beginning of sentences)
can identify the number of syllables in a word
practices the Mustang Motto of respect, responsibility, and compassion

Day 10...and couting!

2009-09-08T13:20:00.000-05:00

Hello! We have officially been in school for 10 days! The children are doing a wonderful job learning the routines of room 116. As we are more and more comfortable with how things run in our classroom, we are able to do more and more with the academics.

Wednesday is our 2nd visit to the school library. Many of your first graders may have discussed our first library visit with you. The children are allowed to check out two books. One book is for them to take and enjoy at home. (Perhaps add to the reading log!) While the 2nd book is to be kept at school, in their desk. I refer to this book as their "practice book." Once the books are finished (and remember books can and should be read for enjoyment more than once) they can come back to school and go in our red library crate.

A big THANK YOU to those of you who were able to attend our Curriculum Night. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm for school. I look forward to our one-on-one conferences in October.

Welcome to a new school year!

2009-08-29T16:09:00.000-05:00

Our new school year is under way! The children are eager and excited. As is their teacher :) The first few weeks of school includes a great deal of routine practice. An efficient classroom is an effective classroom, so we have been working on the mechanics of first grade in room 116. The children are doing a fantastic job thus far!

This is an exciting time for Mann School as there is much emphasis on "going green!" It is still important to check your child's "mail" folder each night, and if you have important notes for school this is the place to put them. That said, we are striving to reduce paper flow and encouraging you to use our blogs and the virtual backpack to find out pertinent information.

I look forward to meeting all of you on curriculum night. This will be an opportunity for you to meet me and get to know a bit about how 1st grade will work. Additionally, you will have a chance to sign up for fall parent/teacher conferences. So bring your calendar! :)

I would also like to set up a classroom email list. To be added to the parent email list please email me. I will also have a sign up sheet to be added to this list on curriculum night.