We continued our studies of Australia this week here in the first grade as we prepared for the International Festival. We have been having a great time!
In centers this week, Mrs. Waller continued guided writing as the children completed their Australian Animal Hunt stories. They are wonderful and will bring a smile to your faces! We have displayed them on the bulletin board just outside our classroom for everyone to see. Please stop by and take a peek. Tuesday, after we finished up our stories we learned about Australia's School of the Air for those students who live on sheep stations, or in other remote areas. You will have to ask your child for some interesting facts regarding this concept. Could you imagine never, as a young child, entering a classroom? You would receive your school work via the radio and have assignments graded and delivered by a small airplane!
Miss Fate taught the children several interesting facts about the Koala Bear. The children then helped decorated a Koala and wrote two interesting facts on its cute round tummy. She also guided the children in creating their very on Aboriginal bark art which is beautiful and now displayed outside on the wall around our door. Miss Fate has also been working with the children in the theme pages.
Wednesday, the children learned about the amazing Great Barrier Reef (GBR), one of the seven Wonders of the World. They then created their very own Jellyfish, from tissue paper, a plastic baggie, and a piece of string. In an independent center, they worked to make colorful fish out of torn construction paper and foil. Thanks to our parent helpers they are now hanging in our room and have helped transform our room into the GBR for the International Festival. Now if we could only figure out a way to add a little bit of WATER!Monday in Social Studies, the students created their very own Aboriginal Flag after learning about it last week. We are using them to decorate the Parish Hall for the International Festival as well as other props for our Australian dance. We have also been presenting our Australian animals and all the research the have done. Thank you so much for all the support and help you have provided in the completion of their animals. They look great and are up in the room. Please come and see them!
In Math, Miss Fate has been reviewing skills such as addition, subtraction and place value as they completed pages in their theme notebook. They are doing a great job with these essential skills. At this time in the first grade we are working hard to make sure the students have a deep understanding of these skills so they are very prepared to move on as they enter the second grade. Mrs. Waller walked the students through the March calendar. We will be getting ready to give a 3rd quarter assessment shortly after they return from Spring Break. We need to know that the students understand the calendar and can successfully navigate their way through the month. Mrs. Waller also worked more with the hundreds chart and increasing each students' awareness of basic number sense. The children have been continuing to write their numbers in their number scrolls!
In Math, Miss Fate has been reviewing skills such as addition, subtraction and place value as they completed pages in their theme notebook. They are doing a great job with these essential skills. At this time in the first grade we are working hard to make sure the students have a deep understanding of these skills so they are very prepared to move on as they enter the second grade. Mrs. Waller walked the students through the March calendar. We will be getting ready to give a 3rd quarter assessment shortly after they return from Spring Break. We need to know that the students understand the calendar and can successfully navigate their way through the month. Mrs. Waller also worked more with the hundreds chart and increasing each students' awareness of basic number sense. The children have been continuing to write their numbers in their number scrolls!
Thursday was a busy day full of fun activities. The morning started with chapel in the Parish
Hall with all of ECC and Primary. Our class performed their Australian dance and watched as others demonstrated their talents. We then returned to our classrooms, grabbed our passports and headed to Asia (2nd grade), Africa (Kindergarten) and Southern America (Pre-Kindergarten) to continue our exploration of the world. We had a blast as we explored the various artifacts of these countries and the hard work of our peers. The International Festival was so much fun!!
Hall with all of ECC and Primary. Our class performed their Australian dance and watched as others demonstrated their talents. We then returned to our classrooms, grabbed our passports and headed to Asia (2nd grade), Africa (Kindergarten) and Southern America (Pre-Kindergarten) to continue our exploration of the world. We had a blast as we explored the various artifacts of these countries and the hard work of our peers. The International Festival was so much fun!!
After this concluded, we were lucky enough to have Wendy and Paul Trainor (Nicholas, 2nd grade) visit us and talk to us about Australia. Having both grown up there, they were a wealth of knowledge and had a wonderful slide show presentation to show us. We learned so much more about Australia, the environment, its people and the amazing animals. Mrs. Trainor also made us her famous Australian Lamingtons for a special treat. They were delicious! Check out the picture above as Ella joins Mr. Trainor performing on the didgeridoo. WONDERFUL!
After lunch, Mrs. Chidlow (parent of a preschooler) surprised us and brought a few Australia's treats for our students to try and taste. One of them included a taste of their non-alcoholic Ginger Beer, which is equivalent to America's Root Beer. The students had a great time with this taste test. They tried soft eating mango Liquorice and Australian cookies.Later, after lunch we were able to view the Middle School's production of Annie. Many of our students' buddies were in the production. It was wonderful and the children enjoyed the show.
They got a glimpse of what there is to look forward to in middle school. The song "the sun will come out tomorrow"...obviously was true:)
What an eventful Thursday!
On Friday in Computer Lab with Miss Fate & Mrs. Taylor, the students worked with Kidspiration, a great computer program. They worked on strengthening their subtraction skills and worked more on fact families. Check out their work that they bring home. If they have some fact families that need to be finished they can do them at home for fun.
Griffin brought in his Smithsonian Institute Animal book to share with us. We looked at all sorts of amazing Australian animals! Thank you, Griffin!
HANDS-ON SCIENCE --with Waller & Wiedeman...
On Friday we completed our study of the Earth's rotation as we worked in pairs to trace our shadows outside. Before heading outside, we experimented with one piece of clay, a 2 inch straw, and a flashlight. We discussed shadows and moved the flashlight in an arch over the straw which was stuck upright in the clay. As the light moved from the side, to the top and over to the other side of the straw we observed the movement of the shadow. We watched as the shadow went from big, to small, and back to big again. We then predicted the movement of our own shadows outside. We traced our shadows in the morning, right after lunch and once again before we left school. This was a great way to end our discussion of the rotation of the earth and what happens as the earth moves towards and away from the sun! We had a blast!
***Please sign up for Miss Fate's summer Learning with Computers class. It is being offered three different weeks during the summer. They are June 6th-10th from 9:00-noon, June 20-24th from 9:00-noon, & July 11th through the 15th from 9:00-noon. All classes are for Incoming 1st & 2nd graders. A folder with details came home last week.***
***Please sign up for Miss Fate's summer Learning with Computers class. It is being offered three different weeks during the summer. They are June 6th-10th from 9:00-noon, June 20-24th from 9:00-noon, & July 11th through the 15th from 9:00-noon. All classes are for Incoming 1st & 2nd graders. A folder with details came home last week.***
***Please sign up at the St. Paul's Auction for Miss Fate & Mrs. Waller's pizza party/ playdate at Miss Fate's house & in the park. We have 30 spots available. Price is between $20-25 a person it is from 11-1pm. First come first serve and we would love to have your child join us!! The date is TBA but will be early on this summer.***
We hope you have a wonderful and safe Spring Break. Miss Fate will be at a wedding in Miami for part of the break and Mrs. Waller will be enjoying time with her husband and children. We will look forward to the return of your children. The plan is to finish up our study of Australia and being our look into Fairy Tales and Folktales soon after we get back.
We hope you have a wonderful and safe Spring Break. Miss Fate will be at a wedding in Miami for part of the break and Mrs. Waller will be enjoying time with her husband and children. We will look forward to the return of your children. The plan is to finish up our study of Australia and being our look into Fairy Tales and Folktales soon after we get back.
No HW or Spelling Packet over break! Just read and enjoy a book!
Love, Mrs. Waller and Miss Fate
No comments:
Post a Comment