Reading/Language Arts• I followed the pacing guide provided by M-DCPS, as well as the

Common Core State Standards Initiative for First Grade.• Writing lessons incorporated prewriting, drafting, revising, editing,

and publishing. I often used the SmartBoard to write whole-class stories to demonstrate the writing process, as well as implement word choice and conventions skills. Students were then given the opportunity to write their own pieces on a similar topic.

• Daily lessons included phonics/word recognition, fluency, and comprehension activities. During guided reading time, students rotated among centers while I worked with small groups on various skills to promote literacy.

• I attended a professional development training for Common Core State Standards in Grade 2 last week to better understand how to direct/challenge my students who have demonstrated proficiency of the CCSS-Grade 1.

The amazing Field trip to outer spaceby Luke T.

It was a buitiful sunny day to go to outer space exclamied Sabastian I can’t wait to go I said so lets start making a space ship we made it out of aluminum cans. It took five hours to build the space ship and we had to sew our space clothes It was hard to sew by hand. So we sewed with a sewing machine it took Half an hour to sew the clothing after that we hopped on board we took Off like a bird we left a big black spot in my bakyard

…on neptune it looked like I was standing on top of an ocean but it was gases instead.

We wanted to collect different things so we got rocks and gases we started to leave by the corner of my Eye I saw an alien eeekk we screamed It was green as grass. Your not supposed to be here said the alien. We schreeched so loud the whole unuvurse could hear it. Then we sprinted to the space ship. We blasted off that planet and back to earth it took us 1000 miles to get back to earth we breathed heavy then I plopped to the ground.

Above is the typed version of Luke’s story (for ease of reading), errors intended. Throughout the year, students learned about the writing process, as well as the importance of incorporating adjectives, onomatopoeias, vivid verbs, dialogue, idioms, and description and elaboration in creative writing.

Learning Beyond the Textbook

I invited guest speakers, including a firefighter, dental hygienist, nutritionist, and SWAT officer to my class at different points in the year. They gave interesting presentations and helped the children learn through demonstrations and discussions about staying safe and healthy.

We studied life cycles by handling and observing mealworms, ladybugs, tadpoles, caterpillars, and chicks.

Students worked cooperatively to perform experiments. For example, they learned how sound travels through vibrations by making telephones from plastic cups and fishing line. We dissected lima beans, learned about the function of each part, then sprouted them in plastic bags for easy observation. Students also learned about controls and variables, as some seeds were placed in a sunny area, while others were left in a shady corner.

The SmartBoard was used daily to reinforce all subject areas. BrainPopJr.com and timeforkids.com/digital were favorite websites, along with many others that featured interactive math and language arts games.

In the area of math, students made 3-D models of shapes using clay and toothpicks. They used manipulatives to model and solve computation/word problems, and we also played addition and subtraction bingo for skills reinforcement.

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

“HELLO SUNSHINE, GOODBYE RAIN!”

My first graders danced to the song “Happy Days” in our school’s End of the Year Program. I was responsible for the choreography as well as practicing with them in preparation for the performance.

Looking Ahead – Week of October 17, 2011* After three weeks of learning about and observing ladybugs, we bid the last of our little red insects farewell on Friday. Students had fun handling them and setting them free. It’ll be fun to see how many remain on the school grounds. *We have a new group of tadpoles to observe.*Monday, October 31st, is Literature Day. We read the book, Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson. Students are to come dressed as one of the characters from the story (Witch, dog, cat, green bird, dragon) and participate in the parade. Parents are welcome to watch, just obtain a Visitor’s Pass at the office.*The Fall Festival is Thursday, October 27th, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Your support is greatly appreciated. Reading/Language Arts/WritingLibrary on Monday -- Students should be ready to take AR test

Phonics – beginning, middle, final sounds/ long a, silent e/ short oSpelling test on Friday (No vocabulary test this week.)Read & retell key details, central messageWrite a scary story - focus on vocabulary, details, attention grabbing introduction*Please continue to practice High Frequency WordsMathAddition to 18; drawing diagramsCh. 3 Test moved to WednesdayBegin Ch. 4 – SubtractionScienceCh. 3 – How Plants & Animals LiveSocial StudiesCh. 3

Communication between teachers and parents is a key component in a child’s education. This is an example of the weekly bulletin I e-mailed to parents in order to keep them apprised of upcoming events and focus on instruction. Parents were very appreciative, saying it helped them take an active part in their child’s learning.