Happy Snow Days

I hope everyone is enjoying the days off--playing in the snow or inside staying warm.  I wanted to remind you of a few things too since you won't be getting the newsletter this week.  Our Chili Supper and Silent Auction is rescheduled for Monday evening, and the 4th grade Program will follow the Chili Supper at 7:00.  Six Flags reading logs are also due this week on February 27th.  This is the PERFECT weather to snuggle up and read a good book!  Have a good weekend, and stay safe!

~Ms. Brandt

Our 100th Day of School

January 23 marked our 100th Day of School!  Of course, this day is definitely a day to celebrate the number 100, as well as our hard work so far this year.  Students brought in 100 objects, and we used these objects to count by 2s, 5s, and 10s to 100.  This is a math goal for students in 1st Grade!  We also practiced writing to 100 and drawing 100 objects.

Of course, the 100th Day of School would not be complete without taking MORE pictures! 

Enjoy the video!  --Ms. Brandt

Measurement Maniacs!!!

We have been measuring up a storm in our classroom!  The Math Investigations Unit we are working on suggests introducing different units of measurement to kids in a way they understand....by using materials they are already familiar with.  We started with using connecting cubes, paper clips, and inch tiles.  After measuring several items with these "units," the students were able to conclude that the size of the unit affects the number of units long that item is.  For example, an object that was 3 paper clips long could also be 5 connecting cubes long.  The numbers were different because connecting cubes are smaller, and therefore, you have to use more cubes to measure the object.  

After measuring with smaller units, we moved into measuring longer distances or lengths with bigger units.  We measured using baby steps, kids steps, craft sticks, and basketball player steps. 

Students have really seemed to enjoy measurement and using the different units!

Our unit test will ask the student to explain why different units give different measurements for the same length.

--Ms. Brandt

Welcome Back!

Today, we spent much of the day getting "back into the swing of things." The students were very excited to tell all about their adventures over break.  They wrote very interesting stories, and we spent time sharing them with one another.  They also made New Year's resolutions for themselves.  Very fun and exciting!

JCPS is also making some changes.  We have a new website, and on the website, we have our own webpage.  You can see pictures, as well as find newsletters here.  Check it out here!

Tragedy has a way of changing us...

This photo is to ease some of your pain and worry...

Sometimes, words are not enough to describe how we feel or what we want to say.  I am posting this photo in hopes that you are reassured and more optimistic about what the future holds. --Ms. Brandt

I am THANKFUL for AMAZING PARENTS!

I can't thank you enough!  This has been a very busy school year, and as the holiday season has begun, it seems to be getting busier.  I just want to take this time to thank all the parents and families of the students in my class.  They are always willing to help and show their support.  I haven't updated the blog lately simply for lack of time, but I do want the students, parents, and other viewers to know that we have been very busy here at school.

Here are just a few of the things we have been doing:

THANKFUL TREES: I can't believe I didn't get a picture of our wonderful thankful trees, but they were nothing short of amazing.  For each school day during the month of November up until Thanksgiving, each student wrote one thing he/she was thankful for on a leaf and placed it on his/her tree.  We started with bare trees, and by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, our trees were FULL of leaves.  While it was all cutesy and fun, there was also a very heart-warming part of this project.  The students went above and beyond my expectations, expressing thanks for not only their toys and fun gadgets but also family members and teachers.  On the last school day before Thanksgiving the students took the trees home to (hopefully) share with their families. :)

VETERAN'S DAY: For Veteran's Day, I wanted the students to understand exactly who a Veteran is and why we honor them.  I thought the best way to do this would be to discover who Veterans are in our own families.  Therefore, (and here's the part that especially deserves a "thanks" to the parents) for homework, the students were sent home with a template of a soldier's body.  Each student was to talk with his/her family about Veterans--who they are and if they knew any veterans.  The students were to make the soldiers using the template and write 1 or 2 sentences to share about the Veteran with the class.  It was a HUGE success.  The students loved sharing their Veteran with our class, and it proved to be a great way to honor the Veterans in our own classroom.  The pictures below show a little more about what each soldier looked like, as well as the "end result" with all of the Veterans our class brought in.

Thanks again to all of the parents that play such an important part in their child's education!  The quote above is the honest truth--YOU are the KEY to a teacher's success! 

THANK YOU, 

Ms. Brandt