Starting First Grade Off Right... Centers!!!

Room 11 First Graders walked in the room Monday morning ready to set new reading goals, ready for "challenging, fifth grade math," ready for recess on the "big playground," ready for science explorations, ready to see each other, but most of all ready for... CENTERS! Here are a few moments captured as the children explored new, "big kid" centers and old favorites...




This is Isaac checking out "Science" Center. We are collecting bones, feathers, rocks, minerals, and other items of interest to add to our collection. You can see Isaac is sketching the items in his science journal.

Kyle, Griffin, and Hadley tried their hands at the new 1st grade center, "No-Ends," aptly named because there is no end to the creations and buildings you can make!









James, Trigg, and Luke chose an old favorite, "Inventions!" In Inventions children create anything and everything with boxes, tape, string, ribbon, bottles... you name it! Parents, please don't throw away your cereal boxes! We will use them!










Ava and Nikki are storytelling with "Fairy Tales" center.













Another classic... Sand Center! Monique, Mandi, Jayden, and Bernadette are getting a little dirty!

Skylar and Honor (below) are at "Chalk" Center... using their best "teaching" voices!

Shelby Kate, Andrew, Isaac, and Mikas are making new versions of their old favorites from Marble Run.

Alex and Anthony are exploring with "Marble Tilt" and "City Center," respectively.

Life

Life Cycles Research

Anthony and Alex wanted to do extra research on the life cycle of an asp or a puss caterpillar. They researched information with Arthur, our math coach, and presented their research to the class on Tuesday. They wrote their information down, read it aloud, made models of the life cyles, and learned the names of the stages of the asp.

Ice Cream Party Purchased at ACALC Auction

Ice Cream Party at Meredith's House!

Summer has begun, at least at Meredith's house, anyway! A group of famillies purchased Meredith's Ice Cream Party at the Alice Carlson Auction a couple of weeks ago. Andrew, Luke, Trigg, and Mikas all participated in the sticky, wet, cool, yummy ice cream mess and sprinkler parade with Meredith and her dog, Miles. They blew bubbles, had four different flavors of ice cream with sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream, filled up water balloons, and ran through the sprinklers. It was a good time had by all!

Jayden's Seed Story

When we were in the Botanic Gardens we were giving presents. We went to the garden and we were giving. Honor was opening presents and we were having a good time. We went home. I said to Rylee, "It was a great day," and Rylee said, "Yeah."

Skylar's Seed Story

Skylar's Seed Story: One cold day I went to the Sharp's house for swimming. I almost drowned in the deep end. I was scared. I screamed hard as fast as I can. I felt scared but I was brave to not drown in the deep end. So I got on the raft. I said in my head, "I will get on the raft."

Mandi's Seed Story

Mandi's Seed Story: I went to a party that is skating party and it was fun skating. I said "I got it." It felt smooth.

Monique's Seed Story

Monique's Seed Story: When it was hot we went to a park that has swimming pools. Everywhere water was around me! When we got there we went to the bathroom... We put on our bathing suits. I felt water on me. I said, "Mom tomorrow can we go swimming again?" My mom said, "Yes." My grandma made my mom's swimsuit.

James' Seed Story

One cold day... I went out side. I raked leaves. It was fun. There was a lot of them. I earned two quarters. The end.

Isaac Z.'s Seed Story

Isaac Z.'s Seed Story: I went bike riding 4 miles with Jacob and Daddy. I see a dead bird. Daddy and Jacob said cool. I googled hot wheels. We got to play hot wheel games.

Griffin's Seed Story

This is Griffin's seed story: When it was my brother's birthday party it was fun. It was like it was and it was happy and at Main Event. My brother opened his presents, six presents: candy cane and an elephant, a bear.

Honor's Seed Story

A beautiful night I was sitting in my bathtub. And I forgot that I had my birthday party, so I got my Barbie and I played with it in my bathtub. I had my Little Mermaid and I said "Mom! Come look!"

Small Moment "Seed" Story by Isaac S.

The following is Isaac's seed story...

This is when I got a tomato plant and my dad and I carried the tomato plant to our house. And I said, "It is a heavy to me daddy." He said, "I agree."

More "Seed" Stories

The reason the children and I called the small moment stories "seed" stories is because we think of our stories as a watermelon seed, not a whole watermelon. We aren't writing stories that are lists, such as "I got up. I went to school. We did reading groups. We played on the playground. We went home." That is an example of a huge watermelon story. Instead, we choose only one topic, such as "playing the playground," a simple seed, and write about it. Here's anther "seed" story by Trigg...

When I got home there was duck! My mama called Animal Control. "We don't go in your house," they said. My mama got a ladder and got the duck. My mom called the exterminator too. The phone did not answer. We set the duck free.

Writing "Seed" Stories

Now the children have moved back to writing about "small moments" that happen in their lives. We are studying famous authors like Angela Johnson, author of Joshua's Night Whispers and The Leaving Morning, to learn how to write about small things that happen to us and add a lot of detail. The children are learning to add dialogue, feeling, and description to their stories. Many of the children are finishing their first stories, as you can see below. Here are the words from the first story by Luke...

When we got home my dad was watching football. I said, "Come on let's tackle." So we tackled. And my brother said, "You can't tackle me..." My dad throwed my brother in the air and he did a flip in the air. He landed on the bed. When my brother was flipping he said, "Wee! and Thump..." Then we got on his back. Then he started bucking and one time when we was bucking I let go. And I landed on the bed... My mommy said, "Time for dinner." I said, "What are we having?" "Pizza."

Look for more stories to be shared soon! If you would like to post a compliment or comment on one of our stories, please do!

Sharing Our All About Books

Last week the children finished writing their nonficition "all about" books. In writing the children "graduated" from just writing stories about their own lives. Although we are still writing personal memoirs in writing, we decided to begin writing books that teach other people about things we know. The children finished publishing their stories and shared them with Angela's class. Angela's class also wrote "all about" books and shared them with us. Some of the topics included "being a big sister," "dogs," "cars," "our classroom," and "dinosaurs." The published pieces will be choices for the childrens' portfolios.

Room 11 Celebrates the 100th Day of School!

On Wednesday, February 18th, Room 11 celebrated the 100th Day of Kindergarten by wearing shirts they decorated at home with 100 things on them. Classmates were seen with stickers, basketballs, jewels, eyeballs, stars, hearts, names, and other random items glued, sewn, and drawn on their clothing. They made a snack of 100 items to eat, stamped 100 things, colored in a 100s chart, and read fun 100th Day books. Thanks to all of the families for helping us celebrate our day by providing snacks and helping us decorate our shirts! Families, hold on to those shirts! We may need to celebrate again next year!

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