HAPPY BIRTHDAY TERRELL!!!!  THANK YOU FOR THE DOUGHNUTS!

Reminders:
Written Reading Test for Matthew and Tilly tomorrow
Spelling Test for Unit 8 Lessons 4-5 tomorrow.
Ch. 6 Math test on Monday

I just wanted to let you all know that I will not be here on Monday.  My daughter is having surgery to remove a tube from her ear, which hasn't fallen out and is giving her problems.  So far this year I have not had the best reports from substitute teachers after returning from an absence.  I really hope after the stress of dealing with my daughter's surgery that I can come back to an AWESOME report!!!  I will be stressing the importance of this with my students tomorrow before they leave.  Please discuss this with your child at home, as well.  Thank you, in advance, for your support!

High Fives & Hugs!  :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  I spent 7 hours working in the garden yesterday so I'm a little sore today.  I went to one of our first grade friend's basketball game on Saturday morning, as well as hosted my daughter's 6th birthday party that afternoon. Needless to say, it was a busy weekend!

Specials this week are the same as last week:
Monday-- Music
Tuesday-- Library
Wednesday--Computer
Thursday-- PE
Friday-- Art

We have been having some trouble with our printers and copiers at school the past couple of weeks.  We are all trying to deal with it the best we can but it makes certain tasks very difficult.  We were unable to do our STEM activity today because of it but I am hoping to be able to work it out to do it tomorrow instead.  Today we had a DANCE party after specials, thanks to James and Patrick for buying it for the class with their punch cards on Friday.  We have some talented dancers in here and my oh my do they love the song "Cheerleader!"

Congratulations to Landon and Alexis for making their AR goal!  

Congratulations to James for being the first person from our class to make the challenge goal this grading period.  Remember, in order to reach the challenge goal students have to earn 11 points with at least 80% accuracy by the end of the day on Thursday, May 19.  Those who do will be allowed to attend a PIZZA party!  We have several students who are getting very close!!!

Enjoy your evening!  :)

Happy Earth Day!  What a beautiful day it turned out to be!  We discussed different ways to take care of our Earth, one being recycling or reusing as much as we can in order to reduce waste.  We took a nature walk this afternoon and noted all the things we saw on a checklist and then made an extra list of things that we saw.  We were laughing about how long it took us to find flowers!!!  Then every flower we saw after that was like we saw the President!  "LOOK!!!!  It's a FLOWER, Ms. Bleich!"  A few of my students picked up some trash on the way inside in an attempt to "keep our Earth clean."

Spelling words for next week are: age, phone, write, jump, that, rode, wrist, wrong, photo, want

Bonus Words (worth 1 point each): sidewalk, sorry

Test Date: Friday, April 29

Reading Story next week: Matthew and Tilly

Test Dates:  Thursday, April 28-- multiple choice using activotes: comprehension, phonics- study blending lesson in reading homework journal, vocabulary- in reading homework journal, find misspelled spelling word

Friday, April 29-- Written comprehension questions and answers in a complete sentence.  

Congratulations to these friends who are the latest to make their AR goals: 

Tiara, Dasani, Maddox, Autumn

Way to go super readers!

Have a great weekend! :)

https://vimeo.com/163313870

I created a Vimeo account in order for you to view our "Exploding Lunch Bag" video.  Click on the link above.  This is my first "vimeo" so I hope it worked!  Fingers crossed!    

What a beautiful day!  My students were incredibly excited about learning today!  Especially during STEM!  Today we made an "Exploding Lunch Bag!"  We mixed together water, vinegar, and baking soda inside of a ziploc bag and sealed it.  When the baking soda dissolves it creates a chemical reaction (carbon dioxide) which then fills the bag, causing it to swell, and eventually EXPLODE!  I took a video but since it is so long I'm having trouble sharing it.  I will figure it out and share it with you this week!

Congratulations to Daylin and James for making their AR goals today!  Nice work, boys!

This week's spelling words are: family, saw, paw, purple, know, swing, rang, talk, walk, goes
The spelling test is Friday, April 22.

There are no bonus words this week!

Please remember to listen to your child read their decodable books and please sign the chart by Thursday.  Please remind your child to bring their decodable books to school every day.  We read them in class.

This week's reading story is Jafta.  We read A Game Called Piggle today. Your child should read it to you tonight.  Please sign and return the slip with the book tomorrow.  There will not be a test over this story.  We will test over Jafta on Thursday and Friday.   Please make sure your child is bringing their take home folder and their reading book to school every day.

I hope to see some of you at the Cardinals vs. Cubs game tonight!  I am so excited to watch some of my former students sing God Bless America on the field tonight at Busch Stadium.  My family and I will be cheering on Whiteside and the Cardinals!  (Sorry James and Daylin... ahem... Cubs fans... It's OK, I still love you)  LOL

:)

We can add Cadynne and Tyrie to our list of friends who have made their AR goal this grading period!  Great job!

We took our math test on place value yesterday.  I am SO proud of these kiddos!  We had 15 students earn an A+ or A!  We had 3 students earn a B!  Those are some AMAZING scores!  Keep it up!

Reminders:
Tomorrow-- Thursday, April 14-- Reading Homework Journals due, multiple choice tests for comprehension, vocabulary, phonics, and spelling The Hare and the Tortoise.
Friday, April 15-- spelling test, written test for comprehension questions for The Hare and the Tortoise.  (Use the comprehension wksht to practice and prepare at home!)

Next week:
Wednesday, April 20-- Early Dismissal 2pm

Have a wonderful second half of your week! :)

Congratulations to the following students who have already made their AR goal for this grading period:

Patrick, Micah, Colt, D'Mario

We have several students who are very close to making their goal!  The challenge goal for this grading period is 11 points.  The reward for reaching it (with at least 80% accuracy) is a PIZZA PARTY, which will be held on Friday, May 20.

This week's spelling words are:

draw, play, too, foot, soon, high, light, right, pause, of

Bonus words: slowpoke, tortoise

Spelling Test: Friday, April 15

Please listen to your child read "The Fox and the Grapes" on Monday.  There is no slip to sign.  There will not be a test on this fable.  

Our story this week is The Hare and the Tortoise.  Please listen to your child read it every night.  The reading slip will come home on Thursday, April 14.  Please sign it and return it on Friday.  The multiple choice tests over comprehension, vocabulary, phonics, and spelling will be on Thursday, April 14.  The written test will be on Friday, April 15.  Please review the comprehension question worksheet, which we complete together in class and bring home on Thursday afternoon.  

In math we are wrapping up our chapter on place value.  The test is tomorrow.  We will complete the review independently in class today.  As always, anyone who scores 100% on their review is exempt from taking the test tomorrow and will receive a 100% for their grade.  Anyone who does not score 100% today will correct their mistakes for homework and also complete a math homework worksheet tonight in order to help prepare for tomorrow's test.  

Specials this week:

Monday-- Music

Tuesday-- Library

Wednesday-- Computer (Due to PARCC testing taking place in the computer lab we will go to PE instead-- bring or wear tennis shoes)

Thursday-- PE

Friday-- Art

We have a bus evacuation drill on Tuesday, April 12.  We have these twice a year to prepare students on what to do in case there is ever an emergency situation on the bus.  

Have a great week!  Go Cardinals!  :)

Magic House Photos--First Grade-- March 2016

I want these stairs!  

In the pit

Learning about communities

Trying to kill time after lunch.  Why not start a Conga line?

A gigantic light bright!  My favorite childhood toy!

Getting ready to go down the BIG slide

Worn out

I always have one fall asleep on me.  My favorite part!  :)

The only time they were quiet all day!  Ha

Darth AW

Thank you, Micah for the yummy cupcakes!  We enjoyed them yesterday.  I guess the good part about Ms. Bleich forgetting to pass them out on your actual birthday is that we got to celebrate your birthday two days in a row!

I am moving the math test back to Tuesday, April 12 so we can review another day.

Happy 7th birthday, Micah!

We had a rather hectic day.  So hectic that I forgot to pass out Micah's cupcakes (we will do that tomorrow) AND I forgot to put math homework in mailboxes.  I am very sorry about both.  I will send the math homework tomorrow.

I am hoping that tomorrow is better for all of us!  :)

Hello first grade friends and families!  It has been a while since I posted but my, oh my, have we been busy little bees in first grade!

Our field trip to the Magic House last week was a huge success!  Thank you SO MUCH to all of the parent and grandparent chaperones!  We could not have done it without you!  The students had so much fun and learned a lot.  I will soon post some pictures from that day.

This week's spelling words are: ground, down, sour, grass, piece, raced, snail, say, day, stay
Bonus words are: sunflower, hilltop
The spelling test is Friday, April 8

Our reading story this week is The Way of an Ant.  Vocab words are: enormous, dandelion, gnarled, rushed
The multiple choice part of the reading test will be Thursday, April 7, and the written part will be Friday, April 8.

Today in math we had great fun playing place value games.  Ask your child which game they played and what they learned from it.  Ask them about what PacMan has to do with greater than and less than.  You will get a kick out of it!  There will be a math worksheet for homework on Tuesday night.  Please help your child with any questions they may have.
The Math Chapter 5 test on Place Value and Numbers to 120 will be on Monday, April 11.  On Friday I will send homework for anyone who needs the extra practice before the test.

As we wind down to the end of the school year things start to get a little hectic.  The weather changes, students are ready to be outside all day, and we start thinking about our summer plans.  A lot of students are having trouble remembering the rules.  We have reviewed the rules a lot this year, but especially in these past two weeks.  I have reminded them that they are going to be second graders soon.  With that promotion comes a big increase in responsibility.  I give SO many warnings in a day about what students should be doing.  We still have lots of firsties who have trouble even after multiple warnings.  The top three reoccurring problems are talking when the teacher is talking, not following directions, and staying seated when it's expected.  My daughter and I have both had quite a few doctor's appointments lately and every sub I have had has had the same issues.  Please reinforce at home what is expected at school. It will make the end of the school year go much more smoothly for all of us!  I appreciate your help!

Have a wonderful week and enjoy whatever nice weather we end up with!