Lots and Lots of Post!!!

I have added lots of posts and school has not even started! My intention is not to overwhelm any visitors, but to give you a feel for our year and a place to return for information when you need it.

This is my main form of communication so it is a great place to visit each week to find out what is going on in Room 103. I often update it on the weekend and will send out an email to let you know that I have added posts.

Some families love to sit down with their child and use the blog to talk about what they have been doing each week. Other families like to skim it to stay informed while they are at work or after the kids go to bed. Still others use it to review and support their child's work at home. Some parents confess that they love it, but don't get to read it as much as they would like. Yikes!

Please use our blog in any way that works for you. It is here to support life with a first grader, not make life harder.  Thank you!

Happy Birthday in First Grade!

Since we have some birthday coming up I wanted to let you know the policy in First Grade. Since instruction is so important and with students allergies that we will not be passing out birthday treats or snacks. I suggest that you come to eat lunch at 11:20, with your child for his/her birthday or you can come into the class and read your child's favorite book to the class.

Specials....

This year, our school specials schedule will be different from the kindergarten. Students will still go to Art, Music, PE, and the Media Center (Library). We will use a four day rotation system, so days will be labeled as A, B, C, and D. Students from each class will belong to a "house". This means that first grade students from each class will join other students from each first grade class to go to specials. They may be in specials with friends from kindergarten class! They will probably love that!

The houses are named after famous aviators and share a name and color. A first grade teacher will escort a "house" to and from their special each day.

Students will bring a folder home each day. It will have their specials schedule on it. There will be an asterisk by the name of the house they are in!

Shh....Magic Playdough.....

Shhhhhh.....Keep it a secret!  This is how I mix up a mysterious concoction in my kitchen for the first day of school.  Not really...it is just homemade play dough.  I make it and roll it into individual balls for each student. Then I use my thumb to poke a hole into the play dough and put food coloring in each one.  I carefully close up the holes so no first grader can see the color.  I place each ball into a small ziploc bag.

We have a poem we recite.  It is about how our magic play dough will change colors if we are going to have a great year together! I say some kind of magical words and wave my hands...then everyone takes a bag and kneads it. We keep it in the bag while we mix it...and yes, the first year I did not leave the play dough in the bags and everyone went home with stained hands...I'm sure it did not instill a lot of faith in my teaching abilities!  Try it at home...but not until we do it at school!  Shhhhh...keep it a secret!

First, mix the dry ingredients

Add the wet ingredients over medium heat

Stir while heating

Poke a hole and add food coloring.

Place in baggie and refrigerate overnight!  

1st Grade Supply List

MD SUPPLY LIST

Not sure why it won't become any bigger... So here is the link for the supply list: First Grade Supply List