Wow is this year flying by!!!  We have been extremely busy in room 117. We are learning and growing so much.  I am so proud of each and everyone of these kiddos.  I know I promised to have the Halloween Reader’s Theater posted.  I am working on it and hopefully will have it posted tomorrow for y’all to view.  It was adorable.

Please mark your calendar for our Thanksgiving reader’s theater coming up on Monday the 24th at 11:45.  The kids have been working hard and are looking forward to showing off their “acting” skills.  You may take your students with you afterwards if you sign them out in the classroom.  If you can’t make it, I will be a pro at adding video to our blog by then so it will be posted by the end of the day.

We have some very exciting news to share.  Today we were awarded a grant from the WOEF, along with a second grade classroom, to enhance our kiddos learning with a room full of new furniture, chairs and workstation areas.  There were many hours of research and collaboration that went into this grant over the summer and first part of the school year so I am extremely excited to get all of this ordered and in place for our Firsties.  They will be so excited when they actually get to see it.

We have a spelling test tomorrow over these words:  but, what, all, were, when, we, there, can, an, your

Phonics:  We have learned all about long and short vowels, consonant blends and digraphs, plural endings of s and es, and ed endings.  This week we will learn about “r” controlled vowels.

Math:  We are introducing the concept of subtraction and different methods that can be used to subtract.  Please help your kiddo understand the minus sign and to pay attention to signs when doing their math problems.  This will throw most of them for a loop when we begin mixing the two together.

Science/Social Studies:  Our research center is in full swing with a worm farm and pumpkin seeds growing.  We are studying the true meaning of Thanksgiving this week and having fun with some turkey stories.

Writing:  We continue to interactively write class books as a whole group.  The kids are getting really good at writing and are really starting to form awesome stories.  It will help if you will discuss the elements of the story in the book that your child reads to you every night.  Discuss the characters, problems, and solutions.  Also discuss beginning, middle, and end and what made this a good story.  Ask them if they could change one thing about the book what would it be and why.  This just really helps them to understand what makes a good story.

Thank you all for your support every day with you child’s education.  I love each of them so much!!!!