Classroom Highlights from 2016-2017!
HTePL
June 16, 2017
Well, I can't believe we finished the last week of school... and it was a busy one!
We started the week with a mini-exhibition of the learning we did as scientists with light and sound. We shared our investigations with our 3rd Grade Buddies and that was a lot of fun! Then they shared the work they've been doing with us. They shared their research and the biodomes they created ... very interesting!
We started the week with a mini-exhibition of the learning we did as scientists with light and sound. We shared our investigations with our 3rd Grade Buddies and that was a lot of fun! Then they shared the work they've been doing with us. They shared their research and the biodomes they created ... very interesting!
Next, we had our Engineering Exhibition with Mr. Riley. The Engineers were all so excited to share
the Novel Engineering process with all of you! We hope you enjoyed planning, building, and
testing out your snow (ice cube) container! Remember, this is something you and your child can do
with the stories you read together at home too!
the Novel Engineering process with all of you! We hope you enjoyed planning, building, and
testing out your snow (ice cube) container! Remember, this is something you and your child can do
with the stories you read together at home too!
Then, we had a great time at our 1st Grade Celebration Picnic! It was so lovely to have so many families
join us at the park. It warmed my heart to see all the kids happily engaged in activities and families
chatting with each other. I found myself reflecting on how far we've come as a community and
feeling really proud to be a part of it!
join us at the park. It warmed my heart to see all the kids happily engaged in activities and families
chatting with each other. I found myself reflecting on how far we've come as a community and
feeling really proud to be a part of it!
Finally, we enjoyed our last day of school together. I hope everyone has a great summer and
I will look forward to seeing you all around school again at the end of August! :)
I will look forward to seeing you all around school again at the end of August! :)
June 9, 2017
We were soooo excited when our books from our "Tell Me a Story" project finally arrived from the publisher! They are so beautiful! We hope everyone will enjoy reading them regularly and that they will become
a treasured part of your home libraries!
a treasured part of your home libraries!
The 1st Graders had the pleasure of listening to books written by Middle Schoolers. Then the big kids became the audience for the 1st Graders as they read their stories out loud to them! |
As a special treat, all of our storytellers also shared their stories with other members of the community....therapy dogs and their owners from the organization, "Love on a Leash"! The kids, dogs, and adults all enjoyed themselves!
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Now that our "Tell Me a Story" project is finished, students have spent the last few weeks of school becoming scientists! They have been exploring light and sound waves by conducting several investigations. They experimented with light tubes to illuminate objects, created string instruments, experimented with flashlights and different types of materials to see if light could pass through them, and built their own telephones! Through these investigations they have learned these key ideas:
*Sound can make things vibrate, and vibrating material can make sound.
*Objects can be seen if light is available to illuminate them or if they give off their own light.
*Some materials allow light to pass through them (transparent ), others allow only some light through (translucent), and others block all the light and create a dark shadow (opaque).
*People can use light or sound to communicate over long distances.
Check out these scientists in action...investigating, making observations, and recording their findings!
(and having a lot of fun doing it!)
*Sound can make things vibrate, and vibrating material can make sound.
*Objects can be seen if light is available to illuminate them or if they give off their own light.
*Some materials allow light to pass through them (transparent ), others allow only some light through (translucent), and others block all the light and create a dark shadow (opaque).
*People can use light or sound to communicate over long distances.
Check out these scientists in action...investigating, making observations, and recording their findings!
(and having a lot of fun doing it!)
May 19, 2017
The last few weeks have been filled with 1st Graders sharing their learning.
First, they worked hard to prepare for our Tell Me a Story Project Exhibition. It was fantastic to see the kids interacting with so many different visitors, not just their own families!
Then, they completed their final round of SLCs for the year. This time, students spoke most of the time and did not need as much prompting to know what to talk about!
They are really becoming more confident and independent, which makes me so proud of them!
First, they worked hard to prepare for our Tell Me a Story Project Exhibition. It was fantastic to see the kids interacting with so many different visitors, not just their own families!
Then, they completed their final round of SLCs for the year. This time, students spoke most of the time and did not need as much prompting to know what to talk about!
They are really becoming more confident and independent, which makes me so proud of them!
Pajama Day is always a nice way to spend a relaxing day together after all the
hard work leading up to Exhibition (plus, there's nothing cuter than kids in their jammies!) :)
hard work leading up to Exhibition (plus, there's nothing cuter than kids in their jammies!) :)
All of our Storytellers had a great time touring ClearStory Publishers, where our books are being produced! The kids were amazed at the big machines, fascinated to learn the process that a book goes through to get made, and thrilled to see their very own books being printed, bound, and covered right in front of them! At Reflection time, a few kids said they were "inspired to become publishers one day!" and many others commented that they have an even greater appreciation for books now that they now how much work goes into making each one! What a great experience!
We are really looking forward to getting our books when they are finished!
We are really looking forward to getting our books when they are finished!
April 24 , 2017
First Grade Storytellers have been very busy these last couple weeks!
They completed their design for our Little Free Library by consulting with two expert visitors! Mr. Paul, an architect and head of our facilities department, answered students' questions about design choices.
Then Mr. Shawn, an engineer and builder, helped us make our final decisions about our design.
Now, he is starting the building for us! We are SUPER excited about this!
They completed their design for our Little Free Library by consulting with two expert visitors! Mr. Paul, an architect and head of our facilities department, answered students' questions about design choices.
Then Mr. Shawn, an engineer and builder, helped us make our final decisions about our design.
Now, he is starting the building for us! We are SUPER excited about this!
All 1st graders also had an exciting trip to the San Diego Central Library! There, they participated in several fun activities: they created bookmarks; took a very interesting tour of the library, experiencing the rooftop view and going behind the scenes to see how returned books are sorted; and they browsed the thousands of books in the children's section until they found one to check out with their very own library card!
They all had such a great time ... we hope you will continue to visit libraries as a family!
They all had such a great time ... we hope you will continue to visit libraries as a family!
Finally, students have worked very hard to finish writing and illustrating their own stories! They have
created multiple drafts, critiqued, revised, and edited. Now their work is ready to publish! We have sent
all their final drafts to Clearstory, a local publisher who will create our anthology - one book full of all
the 1st grade stories! Our authors and illustrators are very proud of themselves and eager to see
their finished product.Soon, we will be taking a trip to the publisher's to see our books being assembled!
So exciting! Stay tuned for more info on that later...
created multiple drafts, critiqued, revised, and edited. Now their work is ready to publish! We have sent
all their final drafts to Clearstory, a local publisher who will create our anthology - one book full of all
the 1st grade stories! Our authors and illustrators are very proud of themselves and eager to see
their finished product.Soon, we will be taking a trip to the publisher's to see our books being assembled!
So exciting! Stay tuned for more info on that later...
March 17, 2017
Our 1st graders have continued their investigation into stories and the way stories can be told by going on a fun trip to the puppet theater in Balboa Park! There, we watched the actors put on a show, called "Circus Hilarious", that combined live action and puppeteering to tell their story of a pilot who landed in a circus, and the interesting characters who live there! The kids really enjoyed the interactive nature of the show!
Our 1st grade storytellers have also begun to write their own stories! Although we have been writing all year, writing a fictional story is new for us and is quite challenging. We have read several books about writing, like The Plot Chickens (a favorite!) and it has given us some great tips on creating characters, using our 5 senses to help the story come alive, and creating suspense before the character solves their problem. We are trying to use these ideas as we work on drafting our stories. There is much excitement around creating our stories and hopefully publishing them into a book to share with all of you! |
Another exciting thing that is happening with our storytellers is that we discovered Little Free Libraries! Only a couple kids had seen these before, so we took a short walk to look at one at our elementary school down the street (HTeX). We borrowed a book and read a story there, and talked about how people use these cool little libraries. (If you are not familiar with these, make sure to ask your kids - they are experts now!).
The kids were so excited, they chatted about it all the way back to school and wanted to know more.. so we looked online and found a map of all the Little Free Libraries in San Diego. Then, Nadia said, "We should build a Little Free Library for our school!" Well, everyone agreed that would be terrific...then the ideas started flying! Since then, our storytellers have become engineers, as well, who have worked with partners to research Little Free Libraries, observing and recording what they notice (ie. # of doors, # of shelves, Roof types, shape, etc). We named the "design elements" that were common to all the libraries we observed. Then they worked to make a design plan for their idea of what our Little Free Library should look like. Now, they are in the process of building a prototype (or model) of their design!
They are super excited about this process and can't wait to finish their prototypes. They are also looking forward to getting some feedback on their designs from experts! (that was one of their great ideas!)
I love how they are thinking!
They are super excited about this process and can't wait to finish their prototypes. They are also looking forward to getting some feedback on their designs from experts! (that was one of their great ideas!)
I love how they are thinking!
Stay tuned ... we will keep you posted on the progress of our stories and our Little Free Library!
February 24, 2017
What an exciting few weeks we have had in first grade!
We have celebrated our 100th day of school with some fun activities. Then Valentines Day came and we shared cards and treats with our friends and created a fun craft. We have also continued our exploration of storytelling by practicing telling stories ourselves, and expert storytellers have come into our
classroom to work with us!
Ms. Tiffany, one of our HTe staff members, used a technique called "interactive storytelling" to help us create our own story inspired by the book, The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle. That was a lot of fun! Then, we also had an incredible Native American storyteller, Ms. Cathleen, who shared tales and
objects from her Luiseño tribe. She shared about the importance of oral storytelling in Native culture and told three stories: "Rattlesnake and North Star," "Grasshopper and Coyote," and "Cricket and Mountain Lion." Please ask your child to tell you about their favorite story. Ms. Cathleen also showed us a willow bark skirt, yucca sandals, baskets, abalone shells, a rabbit skin blanket, musical instruments, and deer antlers. First graders learned about how these items were made and what they were used for in the Luiseño culture. We even had the opportunity to touch and feel some of these special objects. We had
lots of questions for Ms. Cathleen!
Finally, first graders became snow adventurers when we took a field trip to Palm Springs and San Jacinto State Park. Our charter buses brought us to the Palm Spring Aerial Tramway. After some stories and games from Mr. Scott, we boarded the tram and rode up to the Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 feet). In just minutes, we traveled two and a half miles along the cliffs to the top! The view was incredible as we traveled from the dry desert up to the snowy mountains. Make sure you ask your child about the rotating floor in the tram! Once we were in San Jacinto State Park, we hiked to a meadow and started exploring
the snow. First graders had a snowball fight, built snowmen, and used magnifying glasses to investigate snowflakes. What a blast! After our snow adventure, we hiked back to the Mountain Station and took the tram back down. The trip down was just as exciting as the one up! Our bus ride home was full of snacks, naps, movies, and games.
Take a look below for pictures from our busy and exciting last few weeks ...
We have celebrated our 100th day of school with some fun activities. Then Valentines Day came and we shared cards and treats with our friends and created a fun craft. We have also continued our exploration of storytelling by practicing telling stories ourselves, and expert storytellers have come into our
classroom to work with us!
Ms. Tiffany, one of our HTe staff members, used a technique called "interactive storytelling" to help us create our own story inspired by the book, The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle. That was a lot of fun! Then, we also had an incredible Native American storyteller, Ms. Cathleen, who shared tales and
objects from her Luiseño tribe. She shared about the importance of oral storytelling in Native culture and told three stories: "Rattlesnake and North Star," "Grasshopper and Coyote," and "Cricket and Mountain Lion." Please ask your child to tell you about their favorite story. Ms. Cathleen also showed us a willow bark skirt, yucca sandals, baskets, abalone shells, a rabbit skin blanket, musical instruments, and deer antlers. First graders learned about how these items were made and what they were used for in the Luiseño culture. We even had the opportunity to touch and feel some of these special objects. We had
lots of questions for Ms. Cathleen!
Finally, first graders became snow adventurers when we took a field trip to Palm Springs and San Jacinto State Park. Our charter buses brought us to the Palm Spring Aerial Tramway. After some stories and games from Mr. Scott, we boarded the tram and rode up to the Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 feet). In just minutes, we traveled two and a half miles along the cliffs to the top! The view was incredible as we traveled from the dry desert up to the snowy mountains. Make sure you ask your child about the rotating floor in the tram! Once we were in San Jacinto State Park, we hiked to a meadow and started exploring
the snow. First graders had a snowball fight, built snowmen, and used magnifying glasses to investigate snowflakes. What a blast! After our snow adventure, we hiked back to the Mountain Station and took the tram back down. The trip down was just as exciting as the one up! Our bus ride home was full of snacks, naps, movies, and games.
Take a look below for pictures from our busy and exciting last few weeks ...
February 10, 2017
First graders have been exploring all about story elements these past two weeks. As we thought about why a setting is an important piece of the story puzzle, we decided to make backdrops to depict different settings. Students got into groups to plan, trace, and paint beautiful backdrops of... under the sea, outer space, a forest, the beach, and a cozy home! We are excited to use these backdrops throughout our project as we act out stories! |
First graders also investigated the story elements of problem and solution through "novel engineering". In novel engineering, students read a story and identify the problem the characters are facing. Then, they engage in the engineering design process [identify a problem, brainstorm solutions, create a plan, build a design, test their design, and revise] to come up with their own solutions to the problem. In our first book, Peter's Chair, the main character discovered he was too big for his old baby chair so students worked
with a partner to build Peter a bigger chair! They used a stuffed animal as Peter to help test out their designs. In our second book, Muncha Muncha Muncha, they discovered very creative ways to keep
some sneaky bunnies out of Mr. McGreely's garden. They built security cameras, locks with pass codes, alarm systems with laser beams, high-walled fortresses, and more to solve the problem. Make sure you
ask your child about their designs!
Take a look at some pictures of first graders getting creative!
with a partner to build Peter a bigger chair! They used a stuffed animal as Peter to help test out their designs. In our second book, Muncha Muncha Muncha, they discovered very creative ways to keep
some sneaky bunnies out of Mr. McGreely's garden. They built security cameras, locks with pass codes, alarm systems with laser beams, high-walled fortresses, and more to solve the problem. Make sure you
ask your child about their designs!
Take a look at some pictures of first graders getting creative!
January 27, 2017
The big news in 1st grade is that we have just launched our new project called, "Tell Me A Story!"
On launch day, students experienced a great story, Horton Hears A Who - by Dr. Seuss, in multiple ways...
*we read the book
*they made props from the story - Horton masks and noise makers (kazoos and shakers)
*they watched the animated version of the story
*they made the story come alive by acting out part of it with their props
*they watched the movie version of the story (and enjoyed popcorn with all the other 1st graders!)
We had such a great time with this story, we decided that we would like to explore more stories and
found ourselves wondering these questions...
*What makes a story?
*Why do people tell stories?
*How can we share our stories?
So, these are the questions we will be investigating throughout our project,
where we will explore other peoples' stories and create, tell , and write our own stories, too!
We've already discovered that stories are made of "story elements" - characters, setting, problem,
and solution - and are staring to focus in on character traits!
Stay tuned to find out more as our project continues!
On launch day, students experienced a great story, Horton Hears A Who - by Dr. Seuss, in multiple ways...
*we read the book
*they made props from the story - Horton masks and noise makers (kazoos and shakers)
*they watched the animated version of the story
*they made the story come alive by acting out part of it with their props
*they watched the movie version of the story (and enjoyed popcorn with all the other 1st graders!)
We had such a great time with this story, we decided that we would like to explore more stories and
found ourselves wondering these questions...
*What makes a story?
*Why do people tell stories?
*How can we share our stories?
So, these are the questions we will be investigating throughout our project,
where we will explore other peoples' stories and create, tell , and write our own stories, too!
We've already discovered that stories are made of "story elements" - characters, setting, problem,
and solution - and are staring to focus in on character traits!
Stay tuned to find out more as our project continues!
January 13, 2017
First graders have been hard at work since returning from Winter Break!
Here's a peek at some of the things they have been working on:
Here's a peek at some of the things they have been working on:
* Reading: Some Readers are focussing on recognizing sight words quickly, some on comprehension, and some (like the ones seen here) are using special "reading phones" to help them with their fluency and expression...they enjoy these tools!
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* Writing: Our Writers have just been introduced to the idea of "beginning, middle, and end" in stories. Make sure to ask them how thinking of a delicious hamburger can help them write a good story!
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* Math: Mathematicians have been working on expanding their strategies for adding and
subtracting more quickly. To help with this, they have been introduced to a new math tool called an "arithmetic rack" (they also know it as a "bead bus") and are learning new math games to help them become more efficient counters!
subtracting more quickly. To help with this, they have been introduced to a new math tool called an "arithmetic rack" (they also know it as a "bead bus") and are learning new math games to help them become more efficient counters!
* Art and Dance: Our class loves the time they spend with Ms. Araceli twice a week as Artists and Dancers! Sorry, I don't have any pictures of them in her class...you'll have to wait for their Exhibition to see their beautiful work! So mark your calendars, their Arte y Danza Exhibition is scheduled for
March 8 from 5pm to 7pm and everyone is expected to attend!
March 8 from 5pm to 7pm and everyone is expected to attend!
*Collaboration with High School Students: All of our 1st Graders were fortunate enough to participate in a project with students in an Intersession class at HTH! The high-schoolers met with our students nearly every day for 2 weeks. They read stories to our students and asked them for ideas to help them create stories of their own. They also worked together to illustrate these very creative stories. The high-schoolers put everything together and published beautiful books that were given to each 1st Grader! The kids were all so excited to work with their High School Buddy each day and to receive their finished book ... this was a fantastic collaboration for all learners!
We look forward to launching our own project very soon! Stay tuned...
November 17, 2016
We had such a fantastic 1st Exhibition of the year!!! It was so great to see all our families and other visitors
enjoying all the hard work kids exhibited, Kinder-5th grade! All of our 1st Grade Health Experts
were so excited to share their healthy plates and workout videos...I hope you all enjoyed seeing
them excitedly and confidently sharing their learning as much as I did!
enjoying all the hard work kids exhibited, Kinder-5th grade! All of our 1st Grade Health Experts
were so excited to share their healthy plates and workout videos...I hope you all enjoyed seeing
them excitedly and confidently sharing their learning as much as I did!
Click here to see a short video clip of the
kids leading the exercising at Exhibition! |
Click here to see the video we showed at the beginning of Exhibition highlighting the process of our project!
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Thanks for all your support!
October 28, 2016
As 1st Grade Health Experts have been investigating the essential question: How can we keep our bodies healthy?, they have discovered that eating a balanced meal with a variety of foods from each food group is an important way to get the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need to be healthy. To help them (and their families) remember how to make a balanced meal, 1st graders decided to create an actual plate with their own artwork showing examples of what a healthy plate might look like! They have drafted, critiqued, and drafted some more, then sent off their final artwork to a company that will put it onto real plates! They are very excited about this! You will get to see them (and take them home) at Exhibition!
Our Health Experts have also discovered that exercise is another important way to keep our bodies healthy! They have found that there are lots of different ways to exercise and that it can be so much fun!
They even worked with an organization called 2nd Recess where professional runners taught
them fun games and got them moving for nearly an hour!
Since we are also investigating this essential question: How can we help our families stay healthy too?...
1st Graders brainstormed different ways to help their families exercise at home. They decided that videotaping their own workout routines (similar to ones we use in the classroom) would be really helpful, especially for those times when going outside to be active is not an option. So, each class will choreograph and perform a workout routine, set to music, that we will record on DVDs! Our Health Experts are super excited about this and can't wait to share more about it soon!
They even worked with an organization called 2nd Recess where professional runners taught
them fun games and got them moving for nearly an hour!
Since we are also investigating this essential question: How can we help our families stay healthy too?...
1st Graders brainstormed different ways to help their families exercise at home. They decided that videotaping their own workout routines (similar to ones we use in the classroom) would be really helpful, especially for those times when going outside to be active is not an option. So, each class will choreograph and perform a workout routine, set to music, that we will record on DVDs! Our Health Experts are super excited about this and can't wait to share more about it soon!
We also had a great time celebrating Halloween together! The day started with a costume parade - so much fun to see everyone dressed up! Then we ended the day by making some fun and tasty Halloween snacks! We even used healthy ingredients like whole wheat crackers, raisins, and bananas to make them!
October 13, 2016
First Grade health experts have been hard at work exploring the 5 food groups! They have learned...
1) to identify which foods are in each food group; 2) about a tool called MyPlate to help know how much of each food group they should put on their plate to create a balanced meal; and 3) how each food group helps our bodies. They have conducted surveys to see which fruits and vegetables their classmates and 3rd Grade Buddies like, then recorded that information on graphs. They have also performed taste tests to see which foods they liked or disliked from each of the food groups! Some were foods they had never tried before, or thought they wouldn't like, but everyone at least tried everything before deciding. Then we recorded our findings on class graphs. |
We also had a great time exploring Suzie's Farm...
picking and tasting delicious organic veggies right from the soil, and feeding chickens!
Some things we learned from our guide at the farm about the parts of plants:
*when we eat lettuce, we're eating the leaves
*when we eat broccoli, we're eating the flower
*when we eat celery, we're eating the stem
*when we eat beets, we're eating the root
picking and tasting delicious organic veggies right from the soil, and feeding chickens!
Some things we learned from our guide at the farm about the parts of plants:
*when we eat lettuce, we're eating the leaves
*when we eat broccoli, we're eating the flower
*when we eat celery, we're eating the stem
*when we eat beets, we're eating the root
Make sure to ask your nutrition expert questions about the 5 food groups, creating a balanced meal,
and their experience at the farm!
and their experience at the farm!
September 30, 2016
We launched our first project for the year! Students were surprised by a "Move-a-Palooza" at the park where they explored six different movement stations. As music played, they were challenged to keep their bodies moving until the music stopped, then they rotated to the next station. They were all so excited!
Later in the day, they enjoyed special snacks together, with choices from all the food groups.
After all this, we asked First Graders what they thought their project was going to be about.
They decided it must be about being healthy...and they were right!!
Throughout this project we will be investigating these essential questions:
*How can we keep our bodies healthy?
*How can we help our families stay healthy too?
We look forward to sharing more about our project in the coming weeks!
Later in the day, they enjoyed special snacks together, with choices from all the food groups.
After all this, we asked First Graders what they thought their project was going to be about.
They decided it must be about being healthy...and they were right!!
Throughout this project we will be investigating these essential questions:
*How can we keep our bodies healthy?
*How can we help our families stay healthy too?
We look forward to sharing more about our project in the coming weeks!
Enjoy some photos from our project launch!
September 16, 2016
Here's just a peek into some of the things First Graders have been up to the last couple weeks:
They have...
* continued to share about themselves so we can learn about each other
* written and illustrated their "Hope for 1st Grade"
* created several drafts of their self portrait after critiquing and getting feedback from a partner (you won't believe the improvements... look for them to be posted soon!)
* learned a new math game they play with a partner
* met with their 3rd Grade Buddies, getting to know them better
* enjoyed fun outdoor activities with the other 1st grade classes
* worked together to help create classroom expectations (we will share those with you soon!)
* worked with Mr. Scott in Outdoor Leadership class
* explored "Creation Stations" where their job is to be creative and practice working as a team. The stations include: art, puzzles, blocks, gears, and tinker toys.
* worked on writing - picking a topic to write about and stretching out the sounds in words
* listened to many great stories and spent lots of time exploring the books in our library
Enjoy some pictures from the last couple weeks!
They have...
* continued to share about themselves so we can learn about each other
* written and illustrated their "Hope for 1st Grade"
* created several drafts of their self portrait after critiquing and getting feedback from a partner (you won't believe the improvements... look for them to be posted soon!)
* learned a new math game they play with a partner
* met with their 3rd Grade Buddies, getting to know them better
* enjoyed fun outdoor activities with the other 1st grade classes
* worked together to help create classroom expectations (we will share those with you soon!)
* worked with Mr. Scott in Outdoor Leadership class
* explored "Creation Stations" where their job is to be creative and practice working as a team. The stations include: art, puzzles, blocks, gears, and tinker toys.
* worked on writing - picking a topic to write about and stretching out the sounds in words
* listened to many great stories and spent lots of time exploring the books in our library
Enjoy some pictures from the last couple weeks!
September 2, 2016
First graders have spent the first week of school connecting with old friends and making new friends.
We have also begun to establish routines and expectations, and are starting to build a
classroom community!
We have also begun to establish routines and expectations, and are starting to build a
classroom community!
We're playing fun games like "Musical Handshakes" and "A Warm Wind Blows" to help us get to know each other.
We met our 3rd grade buddies from Ms. Kucia's class - we will see them weekly to do fun activities together!
We created "heart words" that we can use to let others know we care about and respect them - I've already heard many of our 1st graders using these words on their own!
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We started exploring our classroom library (all the kids were excited to dig in to those book baskets!)...
I love to see them enjoying books! |
We ended the week with a fun team-building activity with all 1st graders - we had to hold hands and pass hula hoops around the big circle of 60 kids without letting go of our neighbor's hands...it was challenging and fun!
We are all looking forward to a fantastic year of exploring and learning together!