April Birthdays and Warm Days 2024
Food Pantry Field Trip April 2024
April Mystery Reader Visits 2024
March Mystery Reader Visits 2024
Good Eats Visit - February 2024
Valentine's Day Party - February 2024
Mystery Reader Visits - January/February 2024
January Birthdays - 2024
Winter Projects - December 2023
Good Eats - November/December 2023 - Pumpkin and Popcorn
Mystery Reader Visits - November/December 2023
Gingerbread Fred - December 2023
Robin Brickman Illustrator Visit - November 2023
Thanksgiving Party - November 2023
Balloon Parade - November 2023
Halloween! October 2023
Boo Photos! October 2023
Field Trip to Ellm's Farm and Pumpkin Decorating - Oct. 2023
Pumpkin Investigation - October 2023
Good Eats - Carrots - October 2023
Pumpkin Elf Visit - October 2023
New Salem Fire Department Visit - October 2023
Mystery Reader Visits - October 2023
Science Experiments - September 2023
September/October Birthdays! 2023
Popsicles and Bus Drills - September 2023
First Day of First Grade! September 2023
Moving Up Day - June 2023
Visit to the Food Pantry - April 2023
Good Eats - Honey March 2023
St. Patrick's Day - March 2023
Our Adopted Emperor Penguin Chick - February 2023
Valentine's Day Party - February 2023
Gingerbread Fred - December/January 2022-2023
Winter Projects - December 2022
Small Moments Publishing Party - December 2022
Thanksgiving Feast - November 2022
Balloons Over Broadway - November 2022
Halloween! October 2022
Mystery Reader Visits 2022-2023
Pumpkin Decorating! - October 2022
Ellm's Family Farm Field Trip - October 2022
Our Pumpkin Investigation - October 2022
Boo Pics! October 2022
New Salem Fire Department Visit - October 2022
Spirit Group Activities - 2022-2023
Birthdays! 2022-2023
First Day of School! September 2022
Moving Up Day Photos - June 2022
May 2022 Mystery Reader Visits
April Birthdays Party - April 2022
Mystery Reader Visits - April 2022
Mo Willems Publishing Party - March 2022
Science Fair - March 2022
March Birthdays Party - 2022
Book Fair! March 2022
Good Eats - Maple Syrup - March 2022
March Mystery Reader Visits - March 2022
Crazy Hair Day! February 2022
100th Day Photos - February 2022
Mystery Reader Visits - February 2022
Nonfiction Teaching Books - Publishing Party - January 2022
Mystery Reader Visits - January 2022
Gingerbread Fred - December 2021
Winter Spirit Week - December 2021
Winter Projects - December 2021
Mystery Reader Visits - December 2021
November Birthday Party - November 2021
Mystery Reader - November 2021
Guest Visitor - Honey Bear - November 2021
Halloween! - October 2021
Small Moments Publishing Party - October 2021
Pumpkin Investigation - October 2021
Boo! Pics - October 2021
September Birthdays Dance Party and Yoga Breaks - September 2021
Back to School Assembly and Good Eats - September 2021
Birthdays! 2021-2022
Playground and Other Fun - September 2021
First Day of School - 9/8/21
ABC Countdown Days - May/June 2021
Hotaling Park - Hanging our Wishes - 5/26/21
Mo Willems Publishing Party - 4/30/21
Crazy Hair Days - March/April 2021
Publishing Party - Nonfiction Teaching Books - March 2021
Music Class - January 2021
Pajama, Hot Cocoa, and Stuffed Animal Marble Party - 12.18.20
Small Moments Publishing Party - 11.24.20
Halloween - 10.31.20
Ghost BOO Faces!
Phonics Partner Work!
Brain/Mask Breaks!
Birthdays!
Welcome back to school! 9.10 & 9.15
Pete the Cat - 3.11.20
Pete the Cat came to visit our classroom before heading to the Book Fair!
Opera Saratoga - 3.6.20
The students enjoyed a version of "Jack and the Beanstalk."
Happy Birthday, Mason and Mystery Reader! 3.6.20
How lucky for Mason to celebrate his birthday and have his mom come in as the mystery reader! Thank you to Mason's mom for sharing Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish with our class!
Happy Birthday, Madigan! 3.5.20
Nonfiction Teaching Book Publishing Party - 3.3.20
John Gray Guest Reader Visit - 3.2.20
What a great experience we got to have with John Gray visiting our school. John shared his personal story about his dog, Keller, and then read aloud Keller's Heart to the kids. It is a phenomenal book that everyone should read!
Good Eats - 2.28.20
The student learned about freeze dried fruit and got to try dried strawberries and dried Asian pears. They learned about sublimation and how fruits lose their water when they are freeze dried!
100th Day of School - 2.25.20
Valentine's Day Party - 2.14.20
January Birthdays Party - 1.31.20
Mystery Readers - 1.24.20
We want to say two big thank yous to Malin's mother and Nate's grandparents for giving us two mystery reader visits! Thank you for sharing some of your favorite books with us!
Joey's Birthday - 1.20.20
Mystery Reader - 1.10.20
Thank you to Addyson's sister, Aaliyah, for coming in and reading some great books to our class:)
Gingerbread Fred - December/January
Leo's Birthday - 1/3/20
Winter Projects - 12/13/19
Small Moments Publishing Party - 12/6/19
Mystery Reader Visit - 12/5/19
Thank you to Madigan's mother for coming in to read to our class. The students enjoyed listening to one of my favorite stories, Knuffle Bunny! We learned that Mo Willems is Madigan's favorite author and the kids had a great time!
Thankful Party - 11/26/19
The students worked very hard to make a thankful fruit salad, butter, and popcorn for our party! They also enjoyed making a fun turkey craft. Happy Thanksgiving!
November Birthdays Party - 11/22/19
Happy birthday to Dom and Lucy!!
Lucy's Birthday - 11/21/19
Dominic's Birthday - 11/19/19
Mystery Reader Visit - 11/15/19
Thank you to Dom's grandmother for coming in and reading to our class! The book Sam and Dave Dig a Hole left the class curious with a lot of questions and they loved The Ugly Pumpkin.
Jared Campbell Assembly - 11/7/19
Halloween! 10/31/19
October Birthdays Party - 10/25/19
Good Eats - 10/25/19
Mia's Birthday - 10/21/19
Mystery Reader - 10/19/19
Thank you to Dalya's mom for coming in to read to us! The kids just loved listening to I Need My Monster and learned some Turkish:)
Pumpkin Decorating - 10/18/19
Pumpkin Investigation - 10/17/19
Field trip to Stanton's Farm - 10/16/19
New Salem Fire Dept. Visit - 10/11/19
September Birthdays Party - 9/27/19
Good Eats - 9/27/19
Daily Five - Week of 9/23/19
Bike Ride for Missing Children - Assembly and Ride 9/16/19 & 9/20/19
Happy Birthday, James! 9/17/19
Happy Birthday, Addyson! 9/11/19
Happy Birthday, Emma! 9/4/19
First Day of School - 9/5/19
Moving Up Day - 6/25/19
Field Day - 6/14/19
Congratulations to Emmet, Salma, and Alex on completing the mile run race for Field Day! You worked so hard and I'm very proud of you! Despite the cold, windy weather, we had a great time at Field Day. Thank you to all the parents who came to help out.
June and Summer Birthdays 2019
Student Guest Readers - Week of 6/10/19
This week we had four guest readers! We got to enjoy Should I Share My Ice Cream? from Hailey, Leonardo the Terrible Monster from Alex, Waking Dragons from Emmett, and The Lion's Share from Salma. I love hearing such a variety of books. Thank you, guest readers!
Nature Day - Visit to the Stream - 6/10/19
Rocket Launching - 6/6/19
To end our unit on space, the students designed and launched rockets to "space." Although they didn't get too high, the students learned what makes a rocket important to get up high in the air!
Pine Hollow Arboretum - 6/6/19
On our trip to the arboretum, the students learned all about how Dr. John started the arboretum and learned about some of the plants and animals living there.
Student Guest Readers - Week of 6/3/19
This week we got to listen to Dear Girl from Lily O., I'm so Grumpy from Mateo, and Did you Take the B from my -ook from Veronica. All of these were new stories to me and I enjoyed listening to them all. Great job, friends!!
Good Eats - Honey - 5/31/19
The students were lucky to meet a beekeeper for Good Eats and learn all about how bees make honey. They even got to see some real bees in a hive. Afterwards, they enjoyed tasting honey.
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/27/19
Thank you to Ben, Matthew, and Logan O. for sharing their favorite stories with us! We enjoyed listening to We Are Growing from Ben, Biscuit Visits the Big City from Matthew, and Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray from Logan. The kids continue to impress me with their amazing reading!
Crazy Hair Day - 5/21/19
C day for the ABC countdown was crazy hair day!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/20/19
This week we listened to J.P. read My Best Friend is So Fun, Ashlynn read I am Invited to a Party, Emmet K. read I Don't Want to Be a Frog, and Azara read There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. They did a great job reading fluently and the whole class was engaged! Thank you for sharing your favorite stories with us!
Mo Willems Writing Workshop Publishing Party - 5/17/19
What great Mo Willems stories! The students had a blast sharing their published Mo Willems stories and I really enjoyed listening to them all. Congratulations on a job well done!
Guest Readers - Week of 5/13/19
This week we got to listen to Humu: The Little Fish Who Wished Away his Colors from Everly, I Really Like Slop from Alma, and Pete the Cat and Castiel's Magic Sunglasses from Castiel. The students did an AMAZING job reading their stories aloud and, once again, the class was silent as they listened. Thanks again for sharing some great stories:)
CMOST Field Trip - 5/15/19
Science Lab - 5/10/19
The students had fun comparing the weight and height of different penguins!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/6/19
Thank you to Andor and Olivia for kicking off our month of student guest readers. We listened to A Fish Out of Water from Andor and Can I Play, Too? from Olivia. The class was silent as they sat and listened to these great books. Thank you for sharing your favorites!
Pine Hollow Classroom Visit - 5/3/19
Mrs. Sanchez from the Pine Hollow Arboretum came to visit our classroom once again! On this visit, the students learned about two different types of soil, sand and dirt. Each student got a plate full of sand and dirt and used their senses to investigate how the two types of soil were the same and different. We're looking forward to visiting the preserve in June!
Emmett's Birthday - 4/30/19
Science Lab - 4/16/19
The students had fun singing and dancing in science lab! They learned that animals can move in so many different ways!
Happy Birthday to Emmet K., Ben, and Mateo!
Happy Birthday to Hailey! 4/12/19
Good Eats - Peas - 4/12/19
The students learned about and tasted sugar snap peas and snow peas. They were a hit!
Author Visit - Shaundra Bartlett - 4/9/19
The students loved listening to Shaundra's new book A Feather for Dill! After listening to the story, the students learned about the process of making a book through Shaundra's experiences and then worked as a group to draw a character from one of her books. It was a great time!
Nonfiction Publishing Party - 4/1/19
The students were very proud of their final stories and enjoyed sharing them with friends. We all learned a lot!!
J.P.'s Birthday Party - 3/21/19
The students had a great time at J.P.'s ninja dance party!
Good Eats - Rice Cakes - 3/15/19
Science Fair Projects - 3/13/19
100th Day of School Projects - 2/26/17
The students got creative and counted groups of ten to collect 100 of a unique object. Using five adjectives to describe their object, the kids had the class guess the mystery item in their bags.
Ashlynn (2/23/19) and Alex's (2/27/19) Birthdays
We celebrated Ashlynn and Alex's birthday parties with a stuffed animal pajama day and a reading beach party. The kids had a blast!
Good Eats - Brussel Sprouts - 2/15/19
I think it was a 50/50 split on this one! Not many of the students liked the brussel sprouts, but I'm proud that they tried them!
Lysenko Dental Visit - 2/15/19
The students got some extra practice today learning how to correctly floss and brush their teeth (and learn the importance of it, too!)and listened to a great story! Thanks, Lysenko Dental!
Science Lab - 2/15/19
The kids were intrigued to see real crickets in the science lab today! They made observations using their senses of sight and sound to write what they know about crickets. We realized how much we can tell just from observing for a few minutes. Hopefully this lab might give some of the students ideas for the science fair coming up!
Valentine's Day - 2/14/19
100th Day - 2/14/19
We are 100 days olders!
Science Lab - 2/7/19
Continuing to study penguins, the students learned how important feathers are in keeping penguins warm. They practiced reading thermometers and recording temperatures in degrees Celsius.
Happy Birthday, Veronica! - 2/7/19
Penguin Feathers Science Lab - 1/30/19
The students learned why penguins preen their feathers. They got to see what happens when water falls on feathers as well as the negative effects of oil on penguin feathers. They had a great time making their own feather fans at the end of class!
Moving Up Day - 6/21/18
Although I won't officially be back until January 28, 2019, I was fortunate enough to meet my class on Moving Up Day!
Happy Birthday, Alexia! 10/9/17
Science Lab - 10/4/17
For science lab, the students went on a scavenger hunt to find things that were "Nota" tree. Dr. Fiero talked about how nature can be changed by plants and animals and the students learned a lot. Thank you for a great class!
Daily Five Training - 10/4/17
One of the five blocks to Daily Five is listen-to-reading and the students were able to practice on the iPads exploring the TumbleBooks website. There are a lot of great books and they seemed to love the website!
Happy Birthday, Yuto! 10/3/17
Happy Birthday, Olivia! 10/1/17
September Birthday Party - 9/28/17
What a great first party celebrating Kathryn and Kira! The students had a great time playing darts with spiders and fall harvest Bingo. The party ended with a story and goodie bags. Happy birthday, girls!
Good Eats - Tomatoes - 9/28/17
For our first Good Eats, the students learned about and got to try a variety of tomatoes. They learned about lycopene and how many foods they love (pizza, pasta sauce, ketchup) actually have tomatoes! I'm proud of all the kiddos who took the chance to try this food. We're looking forward to next month!
Potato and Carrot Harvest - 9/26/17
Last year in kindergarten the students had the opportunity to plant carrots and potatoes in Blackbird Paradise. This week they were lucky enough to harvest the same vegetables they planted and had a great time!!
Mystery Reader Visit - 9/22/17
Thank you to Alexia's mom for coming in as our first mystery reader! The students had so much fun with the book Count the Monkeys, Alexia's favoriate book. I really enjoyed listening to it and I know the students did, too. Thank you, again!
Happy Birthday, Kira! 9/11/17
Happy Birthday, Kathryn! 9/8/17
First Day of School - 9/6/17
Moving Up Day - 6/22/17
Summer Birthdays Party - 6/19/17
Field Day - 6/15/17
Parents' Tea - 6/13/17
Pine Hollow Arboretum - 6/7/17
We had beautiful weather for our trip to the Pine Hollow Arboretum. We spent the morning touring the preserve and were able to see all the trees, plants, water, and animals. It was a lot of hiking but we had a great time!
Garden Planting - 6/5/17
As part of science lab, the students were able to go out to the garden to plant basil, cosmos, and kohlrabi. Luckily the weather held off so we could make it outside! If you're looking for something to do this summer, you could take your child to the garden to check out their plants!
Mystery Reader - 6/2/17
Harry and his dad took turns reading Duck for President. It was a silly story that everyone enjoyed! Thank you to Harry's dad for coming in as our last mystery reader of the year!
June and Summer Birthdays!
Final Week of Guest Readers - Week of 5/29
For our last week of guest readers, we got to listen to a variety of books from Marion (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus), Nicolas (Big Dog, Little Dog), Fionna (There's a Nightmare in my Closet), Adriana (Can I Play, Too?), and Tyler (Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete). I'm so proud of all of our readers!
May Birthday Party - 5/25/17
This week we celebrated Alex and Bella's birthdays! The students were able to plant spring flowers in peat pots and Bella's mom made everyone balloon animals. After the fun, the students got to eat "worms in dirt." A great time was had by all!
ABC Countdown - "D" Dance Day - 5/23/17
The students had a great time free dancing and playing freeze dance to celebrate the letter "d" of our ABC countdown!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/22/17
This week we had guest readers Annaliese (Clifford), Reed (The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog), Alex (Green Eggs and Ham), and Camryn (Please, Mr. Panda). Another great week of great readers with one more week left!
Happy Birthday, Bella! 5/22/17
Mystery Reader - 5/19/17
Thank you to Blayke's mom for sharing the book I Love You Forever (and Blayke did a great job reading with her mom)! The students loved the book and had a lot of questions about the mystery reader clues. There are only a couple more mystery readers left this year!
Good Eats - 5/18/17
Only one more Good Eats for the 2016-2017 school year is left after today! The students were able to taste edible flowers from the garden (and, of course, also enjoyed eating the chives). Once again I was impressed with the number of students who went outside their comfort zone to try the flowers. They enjoyed their time outside!
Mo Willems Publishing Party - 5/17/17
Our Mo Willems author study was probably the students favorite writing unit this year! The students were able to share their published stories in small groups, modeling Elephant and Piggie and the Pigeon series. They all did a fantastic job and worked very hard! Our next writing unit will be researching and writing mini-books on a planet in our Solar System.
Children's Museum of Science and Technology - 5/17/17
The students were able to spend the morning at the museum rotating through stations. They started in the exploration room where they used Riga-ma-jigs to create free standing structures, just like engineers! From there, the students were able to explore the museum and then learn about, move like, and touch some animals in the museum (snake, turtle, and Madagascar Hissing Cockroach). A lot of fun was had by all!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/15/17
The week of boys! This week we heard some more great stories from Logan (A Book), Judah (Yu-Gi-Oh), and Harry (If You Give a Pig a Pancake). I have learned a lot from the books the students are reading and everyone is really enjoying it! We're looking forward to another week coming up. Please see the schedule below.
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/8/17
It looks like Mo Willems is a favorite in our class! Thank you to our four friends who shared stories with us! We enjoyed listening to Go Dog Go from Devin, a Kofi Kingston biography from Lucas, Pigs Make Me Sneeze from Thomas, and I Will Take a Nap from Bella. I continue to be impressed with how well the students are reading fluently. We're looking forward to another week of readers!
Happy Birthday, Alex - 5/6/17
Today we celebrated Alex's birthday and we got to make her birthday book. We will get to have another celebration at the end of the month for the May birthday parties. Happy birthday, Alex!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/1/17
What a great first week of guest readers! The week started off with Ben sharing Knuffle Bunny Too followed by Eva's The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Blayke's Let's Go For a Drive!, and Savannah's book, Stars. All four friends did such a great job fluently reading their stories. I could tell they worked hard practicing! Thank you for a great first week of stories!
April Birthday Party - 4/28/17
What another creative birthday celebration in first grade! Eva and Ben's moms created a party for Eva, Ben, and Camryn that used healthy foods to make fun spring art. With marshmallows, pretzels, cream cheese, peanut butter, Nutella, and a variety of fruits, the students enjoyed making flowers and bugs. Thank you, again, for another fun birthday party!
Mystery Reader - 4/27/17
Thank you to Adriana's dad for coming in to be our mystery reader! The students enjoyed listening to The Day the Crayons Came Home. They also had fun looking at the drawings on the pages and asking Adriana's dad questions about his clues. Thanks again for coming in!
Good Eats - 4/27/17
With our April Good Eats, we learned about chia seeds and were able to try a chia pudding. Once again, I was proud of how many students tried the chia. Some of our favorite foods to put chia in include pudding, yogurt, and smoothies. We're already looking forward to the next Good Eats!
Food Pantry Visit - 4/26/17
Thank you to Mrs. Douglas for letting us come visit the food pantry at St. Matthew's Church. We learned all about the food pantry including where the food comes from, what kind of food/supplies are kept there, and who the food and supplies go to. The students each brought in something to donate on the shelves and then did a scavenger hunt finding foods from all the food groups. We hope to help out the pantry more in the future!
Happy Birthday, Ben and Eva! 4/7/17
It was the first time I've had two birthdays in one day! It was a fun day celebrating Eva and Ben. We're looking forward to their birthday party at the end of the month!
Mystery Reader Visit - 4/6/17
Thank you to Nick's mom for coming in as our mystery reader! We got to listen to two great stories, Giraffes Can't Dance and Snap. The books sent the messages to stand up for others and to be yourself. They are excellent books and definitely ones I would recommend if you haven't read them before! Thanks again to Nick's mom!
Happy Birthday, Camryn! - 4/4/17
It was great to be able to celebrate Camryn's birthday, just recently joining our class at Voorheesville! We are lucky to have her in our class and can't wait to celebrate her birthday with all the April birthdays at the end of the month!
Mystery Reader Visit - 3/30/17
Thank you to Thomas' dad for coming in as our mystery reader! He read one of my favorite silly books, Dragons Love Tacos. I think more students will be putting this book in their book bins after his visit! Thanks again!
Pine Hollow Arboretum Visit - 3/30/17
Ms. Sanchez came for her second visit to talk to the students about the Pine Hollow Preserve. With this visit she focused on birds and their feathers and we discussed the different things birds use their feathers for (warmth, flight, direction). The students also got to look at a handful of bird feathers. We are looking forward to our visit to the arboretum later in the spring!
Good Eats - 3/23/17
At this month's Good Eats we tried turnips. We learned that many of the students DID NOT like turnips! I was proud of them for trying! Only a few more left this year!
Pine Hollow Arboretum Visit - 3/23/17
Ms. Sanchez from the Pine Hollow Preserve in Slingerlands came to visit our classroom for one of two visits this week. She told us about how the arboretum started (in John Abbuhl's backyard where he has now planted over 3,300 trees) and the plants and animals we might see when we go visit the preserve in late spring. The students also got to observe different seeds that have come from the trees he has planted. We're looking forward to her next visit and our trip to the arboretum in the spring!
St. Patrick's Day Party - 3/17/17
Happy St. Patrick's Day! The day started out with a surprising visit from the leprechaun! The students noticed right away that all of our St. Patrick's Day books were out (and looked like they were read!), green markers, crayons, paper, and unifex cubes were all over the room, and the students even found green footprints (we had a laugh when we noticed they led into the bathroom where we found green water in the toilet!). We had a great afternoon listening to St. Patrick's Day stories, making a rainbow/shamrock/pot of gold craft, and eating some delicious snacks. Thank you to all the parents who made that possible!
Mystery Reader - 3/3/17
Thank you to Annaliese's mom for being our March mystery reader. We got to listen to two great read alouds; Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups and How to Catch a Leprechaun. I especially liked the little penguin book since I had never heard it before and it was very cute! Thank you, again!
100th Day Celebration - 2/28/17
To celebrate the 100th day of school, the students brought in 100 objects that they placed in a paper bag. They gave the rest of the class five clues describing the object in their bag and we had to guess. They had a lot of fun revealing their 100 items. We also did a test to see how many licks it would take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop (which we discovered was WAY more than 100) and we did many other fun 100th day activities!
Penguin Book Presentations - 2/17/17
The students worked very hard these last six weeks to put together their penguin books. Beginning with restating facts, the students learned how to put facts into their own words by taking notes onto note cards, organized data, wrote an introduction and conclusion, and then put everything together to make a book on the iPads; adding pictures, text, and audio. What an accomplishment!
February Birthday Party - 2/16/17
Thank you to Lucas' mom for planning a fun birthday! To celebrate Lucas and Logan, the students got to make a doorknob decoration for their bedroom and eat a chocolate lollipop. They had a great time! Happy birthday to Logan and Lucas!
Good Eats - 2/16/17
For Good Eats this month, the students learned about dried herbs and tea. They got to try chamomile tea (and learned how it's made!) and made an herb mix for a bean soup.
Valentine's Day Party - 2/14/17
Mystery Reader - 2/8/17
Thank you to Alex's mom for being our mystery reader this month! We heard two of Alex's favorite stories, There's Something in my Attic and The Paper Bag Princess. I always love seeing what books are favorites at home. As always, the students loved hearing and adding to the stories. Thank you, again, to Alex's mom!
Mystery Reader - 1/27/17
Thank you to Savannah's dad for being our next mystery reader! We had some great clues that helped Savannah figure out that her dad was the mystery reader. Her dad read one of her favorite books, 102 Dalmations: Where's Oddball as well as Splat the Cat. As always, the students had a great time. Thank you to Savannah's dad!
Penguin Research - Week of 1/23/17
The students have worked very hard researching their penguins. Using note cards, they scanned QR codes that brought them to two different research websites where they could read/listen to facts about their penguin. The students had to figure out what card to write their fact on (babies, appearance, habitat, diet, etc...) and then restate the fact in their own words. We are just about ready to start putting our storybooks together!
Good Eats (Barley) 1/19/17
The students got to try a new good eat, once again! Many of the students enjoyed the barley while playing a game that taught them about the three edible parts of a whole grain seed - the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Thank you for another fun Good Eats!
Comparing Lengths in Math - 1/12/17 & 1/19/17
To practice comparing lengths, the students made the tallest cup towers they could make before falling over and lined them up with their partner to see whose tower was tallest. They had a lot of fun! Next week we will do the same activity and the students will find out how many more cups (or how many fewer) one tower is compared to the other.
Mystery Reader Visit - 1/6/17
I was very sad to miss our mystery reader visit from Eva's mom! I heard the students had a great time and Eva shared that she loved hearing her mom read The Giving Tree. That was one of my favorite books growing up! We also learned a lot about Eva's mom from all of her great clues. Thank you for coming in to visit!
Writing Celebration - 12/23/16
I am so proud of the students for not only writing such great stories, but for also sharing their stories to all their family and friends! The students worked hard to draft small moment (narrative) stories in which they wrote brilliant beginnings, excellent endings, and detailed sentences in between. They published these pieces, which they shared today. Thank you to all the parents for writing little glows. The students were so happy to read all the great compliments you wrote about their stories. I believe this will motivate them to think about their audience when writing future stories! Great job, writers!
Mystery Reader - 12/21/16
Thank you to Tyler's mom for coming in to read two great stories to our class! The students listened to The Elf on the Shelf (a favorite this time of year!) and The Day the Crayons Came Home. It was nice to hear the sequel to The Day the Crayons Quit, which Mrs. Bruno read to us earlier in the year. Thank you for visiting our classroom, Mrs. Clift!
Winter Projects - 12/21/16
I love this time of year! The students had a great time making different holiday crafts this week. They were able to decorate holiday ornaments and make snow globes, handprint mittens, and candy cane reindeer. Thank you to our parent volunteers for organizing such fun holiday activities!
December Birthday Party - 12/16/16
Happy birthday to Devin and Judah!! We had a great time celebrating their December birthdays, decorating reindeer and playing a giant game of Kerplunk. We heard many laughs, which always means a great time! We hope they have wonderful birthdays over the holiday break!
Mystery Reader - 12/2/16
Thank you to Fionna's dad for stopping in as our mystery reader! We learned a lot about his job with the books he read, Keeping You Safe and Police. The students also asked some great questions. Thank you, again!
Thanksgiving Feast - 11/22/16
Wow! What a feast! Once again the students worked very hard to pop popcorn, set the tables, make trail mix, mix fruit salad, and make butter. After the work was done, we were able to dig in, and boy did we! We were all thankful to have a wonderful feast with some wonderful friends. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mystery Reader - 11/21/16
Thank you to Reed's grandmother for stopping in to read to our class! We enjoyed two more great books, Turkey Trouble and Stuck. The students were a great audience and loved both books. Thank you!
Thanksgiving Baking - 11/21/16
The students worked in teams to make banana bread, apple cake, pumpkin bread, and corn bread. It was hard work, but they did a great job (and the bread was very tasty)! Thank you to everyone who helped and brought in supplies to make it such a success!
Good Eats - Cranberries 11/17/16
This month's Good Eats was all about cranberries! We learned how farmers harvest cranberries in a bog and were able to try fresh cranberries, dried cranberries, and cranberry juice. All the flavors were very different! Our next Good Eats will be in January.
November Birthday Party - 11/16/16
The students had a great time at the November birthday party! They were able to make Thanksgiving turkeys, had a snack, and played "Pass the Parcel," ending with goodies. We hope you had a great birthday, Marion!
Happy Birthday, Marion! 11/16/16
Trooper Davis Visit - 11/8/16
We surprised the students with a mystery reader visit from Trooper Davis. We were able to learn a little about her job as a State Trooper and she brought in some favorite stories to share with us, The Lion Inside, The Places You'll Go, and The Book with No Pictures. Thank you, Trooper Davis!
Mystery Reader - 11/4/16
Thank you to Bella's mom for being our next mystery reader! Bella had an idea it was her mom right away, but it was still fun hearing the clues each day! We were able to hear a class favorite, The Book with No Pictures, and Monsters Love Underpants; such silly and fun books which made a great end to our Halloween week. Thank you for sharing your favorites!
Halloween Party and Parade - 10/31/16
What a great Halloween party! The students played ghost bowling, pin the nose on the pumpkin, and made slime! After enjoying some snacks, we ended our Halloween celebration with a school-wide parade for parents. Thank you, everyone, for putting this great event together!
Pumpkin Decorating - 10/28/16
Look at these silly pumpkins! We had so many fun supplies to decorate our pumpkins and the kids were very creative. It was fun to see all the crazy creations they came up with. Now it's officially time for Halloween!
Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch - 10/27/16
Wow! What a cold, snowy day! Although we had to leave the Pumpkin Patch early, we were able to fit in all the fun activities! We started with a hayride to the pumpkin field where the students got to pick a pumpkin and corn. After, we also got to play in the nursery rhyme village, listen to the history of the Pumpkin Patch, and explore the barn with animals and a maze. The kids had a great time!
October Birthday Party - 10/21/2016
Happy birthday, Annaliese! Thank you to Annaliese's mom and dad for bringing in a fun game and craft for the students! They played a witch's broom game and then made skeletons with Q-tips. Of course they enjoyed the candy, too!
Good Eats - Persimmon - 10/20/16
Another interesting Good Eats, with a new food for me to try, too! Most of the students tried and liked persimmon! The students thought that it would taste good with a fruit salad. We're looking forward to the next one!
Happy Birthday, Annaliese! - 10/19/16
Mystery Reader - 10/17/16
Thank you to Judah's mom for being our mystery reader! Not only did the students get to listen to one of Judah's favorite stories, Yoda, but they also got to learn some yoga, too!
Pumpkin Investigation - 10/13/16
The pumpkin investigation is always a favorite! The students worked in groups exploring pumpkins. We used our senses to describe the inside and outside of our pumpkins and then were able to weigh, measure, and test our pumpkins to see if they sink or float. The best part for many was to dig in, scoop out the pulp, and count how many pumpkin seeds there were. We learned that just because a pumpkin is big, that does not mean it will have the most seeds. How long a pumpkin grows on a vine (the longer it is on the vine, the darker it gets and the more seeds it will have) and the number of ribs on the outside of the pumpkin (each rib means a row of seeds on the inside) helped us make good guesses. What messy fun!
New Salem Fire Department Visit - 10/13/16
We were fortunate enough to have three female firefighters from the New Salem Fire Department come visit us to teach us about fire safety. We learned how important it is to check our smoke detectors monthly, know our address in case of an emergency, and have an emergency escape plan. At the end of the visit, the students got a tour of the fire truck and walked through the inside of the truck. We had a great time!
Science Lab - Describing Leaves - 10/4/16
In science lab, the students picked out a leaf and then used their senses (smell, touch, sight, sound) to describe the leaf. After, they placed all leaves back in the bags, dumped them out, and then had to find the leaf they described. The students did a great job!
September Birthday Party - 9/30/16
We definitely have a class of super dancers! We had a great time celebrating Adriana and Harry's birthday's today with a dance party! Each student brought their own dance moves as we listened to some fun songs. We're already looking forward to the next party! Happy birthday, Adriana and Harry!
Good Eats - 9/29/16
I have to be honest, I had never heard of a Husk Cherry before this Good Eats! I was very curious to learn about and try this new food. It was interesting to hear all the different thoughts from the students on what they thought it tasted like. What's even better, every single student tried it!
Mystery Reader - 9/26/16
Thank you, Mrs. Bruno, for being our first mystery reader! The students really enjoyed listening to The Day the Crayons Quit and How to Babysit a Grandpa. Thanks for sharing your favorite stories with us!
Happy Birthday, Adriana! 9/23/16
School Supply Pinata and Decorating Writing Portfolios - 9/12/16
Thanks to Ryan from my first grade class last year, the students were able to enjoy a pinata filled with school supplies! They had fun hitting the bat and watching everything fall. We have been sharing all the supplies!
The students also had fun decorating their writing portfolios. I love this project because it helps me to learn more about the students' interests and families. Their folders are all ready, now, for their first published piece!
The students also had fun decorating their writing portfolios. I love this project because it helps me to learn more about the students' interests and families. Their folders are all ready, now, for their first published piece!
Happy Birthday, Harry!
Our first birthday in first grade! We're looking forward to celebrating our September birthdays at the end of the month. We hope you had a great birthday, Harry!
First Day of School - 9/7/16
We had a very busy first day of school! I was so impressed with how hard the students worked today and how kind they were to each other. I look forward to learning more about each and every one of them and hope we can all learn new things from each other. What a great start to the year!
Moving Up Day - 6/22/16
It was a great day meeting our new first graders! I'm looking forward to an exciting year full of fun and learning come September. Have a great summer!
Parents' Tea - 6/10/16
The students worked so hard putting a celebration together for their parents and I am so proud of them. The slideshows, mommy and daddy plays, and poems were loved by all! Great job first graders and thank you, parents, for helping us through the year! Good luck in second grade!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 6/1/16
What a great ending to our student guest readers. It has been such a great experience listening to each other share and read our favorite books. Great job Ronan, Jaime, and Ericka!!
ABC Countdown - Ice Cold Treat - 5/25/16
The perfect day for some yummy Popsicles!
Author Visit - Jarrett Krosoczka - 5/25/16
What an entertaining visit from Jarrett. He taught us that we are all authors and illustrators and hard work pays off! We also got to listen to one of his great stories, Punk Farm, and saw how simple illustrations can be. Thank you for a great visit!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/23/16
It's hard to believe we only have one more week left of guest readers! We all enjoyed hearing some new stories from Ryan, Eric, and Sam. Great job, readers!!
Reading Buddies Memorial Day Project - 5/23/16
May Birthday Party - 5/20/16
For our May birthday party, we played an intense game of soccer! We have great athletes in our class! Thank you Mrs. Suits and Mrs. Willoughby for the fun treats, too! Happy birthday Sam and Adrian!!
Good Eats - Asparagus - 5/19/16
We were able to head out to the garden to learn all about asparagus. We learned that it is a perennial that takes 3 years to grow before actually getting asparagus to eat! Once it does start growing, it grows an inch an hour under the sun. Of course, we also got to eat some raw asparagus. Yum!
ABC Countdown - Crazy Hair Day - 5/10/16
Junior Achievement - 5/9/16
We had our first Junior Achievement lesson with Mr. Smith. The students learned all about communities. We're looking forward to next week's lesson!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/16
Another great week with more great readers! It was wonderful to hear some classic favorites as well as some new stories. Excellent reading Riley, Ethan B., Kaylee, Lily, and Lyla!!
Mo Willems Publishing Party - 5/13
We learned so much from our Mo Willems writing unit. The students read and modeled some of his most popular books including We Are in a Book, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Leonardo the Terrible Monster, and Knuffle Bunny. I am so proud of their hard work!!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/9
We had another week of great stories!! Thank you Artie, Cecelia, Gus, and Isla for sharing your favorites:)
Field Trip to the Children's Museum of Science and Technology - 5/12
What a great day at the children's museum! The students learned all about how animals move (different from humans!), were able to see and touch a snake and turtle, built structures with rigamajigs, and explored activities around the museum. We have a lot of future scientists in our class!
Spring Planting in the Garden - 5/10
For our science lab this week, the students were able to go to our Blackbird Paradise garden to plant a variety of vegetables. The weather was perfect for planting!
Mr. Thompson and Trooper Davis Visits - 5/4
Mr. Thompson and Trooper Davis came in to talk to us about their jobs. We learned about bridge engineering from Mr. Thompson and Trooper Davis explained her job as well as what she will be doing working in our school!
Mother's Day Craft - 5/3
The students worked very hard making projects for their moms! Happy Mother's Day!!
Student Guest Readers - Week of 5/2
We got to hear some great stories this week from Ethan R., Aaliyah, Gwen, and Adrian. Excellent job, readers!!
Field Trip to the Food Pantry - 4/22
To go along with our unit on healthy eating and nutrition, the students were able to visit the local food pantry at St. Matthew's Church. We learned about how the food pantry works, got to take a tour of the food pantry, and were also able to donate some of our own food. What a great Earth Day treat:)
Good Eats - Beets! 4/21
This was our favorite Good Eats, yet! The students learned about beets and their red, natural dye. Of course, the students wanted to try it out on themselves. We also learned about what a great Super Food they are. Yum!
Spring Birthday Party - 4/13
Happy April birthday to Artie!! Fortunately, it was a warm day and we were able to play kickball outside!
PARP Challenge Prize - Mr. Vivenzio on the Wall - 4/1
Great job to all our PARP readers!! Because of all the students who took part in the challenge, we were able to duct tape Mr. Vivenzio to the wall. What a funny experience!
Good Eats - 3/31
The students were able to try maple sugar, tapped from the our very own Sugar Maple tree at Voorheesville! We played a game and learned that maple syrup does not even have maple in it! What a very interesting lesson for us all!
Science Lab on Healthy Eating - 3/30
The students were given many different foods and had to sort them into all the food groups.
Spring Kickoff - 3/23
Thank you to Aaliyah's mom and dad for a fun kickoff to spring! We were able to play a challenging trivia game and enjoy some delicious lollipops. Happy spring!
Science Fair - 3/23
We visited the Science Fair and were able to see some great projects and learned how the experiments went. Great job to our little scientists, Cecelia, Lily, Lyla, Aaliyah, and Ryan!
St. Patrick's Day - 3/17
Lucky the Leprechaun stopped by our classroom on St. Patrick's Day! We were able to follow his footprints into the bathroom. What a funny surprise! In the afternoon we enjoyed some green fruits, veggies, and sweets. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Saratoga Opera - 3/16
The Saratoga Opera came to perform "Operation Superpower." The students all learned that each and every one of them has a super power whether it is helping a friend, playing soccer, or playing an instrument. They had a great time!
March Birthday Party - 3/11
Happy birthday, Ethan R.!!!
Leprechaun Traps - 3/10
In science lab, the students worked with a partner to build leprechaun traps. The students were very creative and they came out great!
Sugar Maple Tree - 3/9
We were able to make it out to the garden to taste the sap from the sugar maple tree, thanks to the Farm to School Program!!
100th Day Photos
To celebrate the 100th day of school, the students wrote about what they would look like and be doing when they are 100 years old.
Valentine's Day Party - 2/12
Penguin Book Creator Publishing Party - 2/12
The students worked very hard researching different types of penguins, took notes using their own words, and then turned their research into a published storybook. They turned out amazing!!
Reading for Ronald McDonald - 2/12
We had an assembly and learned how we will be able to read and raise money for the Ronald McDonald House in Albany.
Reading Buddies - 2/9
The students wrote about what their heart is full of for Valentine's Day with their reading buddy in Mrs. Rana's class.
January Birthday Party - 1/22
The students played an intense game of kickball! They had a lot of fun:) Happy birthday, Aaliyah!!
Good Eats - Cabbage - 1/21
Science Lab - Designing Umbrellas - 1/11
The students had to design an umbrella for pig Sir Oinks-a-lot using only a plastic bag, a piece of paper, straws, tape, and Popsicle sticks.
Writing Celebration - 12/23
As a conclusion to our small moment writing story unit, the students published their best small moment writing piece. We worked on editing for capitalization and punctuation, adding details, and writing brilliant beginnings and excellent endings. Their stories were excellent and they were all proud to share their stories with everyone. Congrats on a job well done!
Reading Buddies - 12/23
We met with our reading buddies in Mrs. Rana's class and made WINTER acrostic poems. We also listened to some holiday stories (our favorite was a winter pop-up book Mrs. Rana shared with us)!
Winter Projects - 12/22
The students rotated through stations including painting ceramic ornaments, decorating holidays masks, decorating holiday cookies, and making spiral snowmen ornaments. They had a great time!
Birthday Parties and Sing-Along Assembly - 12/14 week
Thanksgiving Feast - 11/25
Before enjoying all the food for our Thanksgiving feast, the students were divided into five stations where they made popcorn, trail mix, butter, a fruit salad, and set the tables.
Thanksgiving Baking - 11/24
To prepare for our Thanksgiving feast, the students worked to make banana bread, apple bread, pumpkin bread, and corn bread. They were delicious!!
Good Eats - 11/19
The students took spores from Shiitake mushrooms and using an inoculator, embedded them into logs. Hopefully in the springtime we will have some mushrooms growing in the logs!
Halloween Party - 10/30
After parading outside in the courtyard, the students came back to the classroom to play pin the mouth on the skeleton, made eyeball bracelets, and stuffed/decorated socks to make ghosts. Of course, we had yummy food, too! Happy Halloween!
Pumpkin Decorating - 10/29
The students decorated their pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. They came out great!!
Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch - 10/28
October Birthday Party - 10/23
Happy birthday, Gwen and Cecelia! The students got to listen to Scaredy Squirrel has a Birthday Party and then made tissue paper flowers!
Good Eats - Pears - 10/22
The Big Dig! - 10/15
In kindergarten, the students were able to plant potatoes in the Voorheesville garden. They were lucky enough to dig and find their potatoes from last year. What a great experience (and a TON of potatoes)!
Pumpkin Investigation - 10/14
In science we've been learning about pumpkins. The students did a pumpkin investigation where they were able to make observations of their pumpkin, pull out the pumpkin seeds and count by 10s to find the total, weigh their pumpkin, test their pumpkin for sinking or floating, and measure the length of their pumpkin. It was messy, but worth it!
Publishing Party - 10/9
The students have completed their first published writing story! This writing unit was self-selected writing stories and the students were able to share their final writing piece with a buddy. In this unit they worked on writing a complete sentence and remembering uppercase letters at the beginnings of sentences and punctuation at the ends of sentences. Many students even worked on adding interesting details to their writing. I enjoyed listening to such great stories!
New Salem Fire Department at Voorheesville - 10/6
It was a beautiful day! We learned about fire safety and got to see/learn about all the parts of the fire truck. The students even got to go on the truck!
Daily Five on the iPads
As a part of Daily Five, the students are practicing Listening to Reading. They have sustained 15 minutes of Read to Self and Read to Someone. They're having a great time!
|
|
Classroom Birthdays:)
Good Eats - Greens
September Birthday Party
Happy birthday, Kaylee! The students got to make party hats for Kaylee's birthday party!