Class Lego Building

   Legos and Building Beulah is are our themes this school year.  During the summer, teachers decided it would be fun to have a huge tub of Legos that would move between classrooms each week.  When your classroom is chosen, you get to keep the Legos for the week and create!  Your class creations will be showcased in the trophy case the following week for everyone to admire.  

   This morning, at our Monday morning assembly, our class was chosen to start this tradition!  The kids were more than excited to get started, so we did just that.  Students were able to work with a partner or chose to work individually.  All week they will be creating a structure to be displayed.  I was so impressed with what they have already started.   

I will keep you updated with our final creations!!  

Short Week Full of Lots of Fun

Most mornings, students have to answer a fun question on our whiteboard.  After a long three day weekend, we had a fun activity Tuesday morning!  Who doesn't love compliments?

Show and Tell was a hit!  I LOVE hearing stories about what is important to them.

And today?!  We got our iPads!  Lots of fun is going to be had!  

I know it's only been a couple of weeks, but I LOVE your kiddos!!

Coming Next Week

Reading
It has been so fun to get reading groups started this past week!  Students have learned the routines and are now waiting anxiously to start book clubs.  Their stamina in reading is all the way to 25 minutes!  They are also mildly obsessed with our new read aloud book, Zach's Lie.  This past week students have been working on noticing physical and character traits of characters in our book.  Next week we are going to be talking about setting.

Math
Students did a great job on the Topic 1 Math test over place value, rounding and money.  We will continue to hit these topics the rest of the year.  Be looking for these graded tests to come home next week!  Next week we will be starting our next unit in math, adding and subtracting whole numbers.

Writing
I am so impressed with the ideas these students have about personal narratives.  Sounds like your families have some awesome memories and stories to tell.  (Don't worry, I only believe about 80% of some of these tall tales.)  :)  Students have finished collecting possible topics and ideas and now are writing!  Next week they will pick their topic and we will talk about the story elements that make up quality personal narratives.  Students will then revise their writing piece to include all the components of a personal narrative.

Social Studies
We are still trudging through learning the continents, oceans, states and large cites in Missouri.  Next week we will finish our study and there will be a quiz the following week.  Be watching for those maps to start coming home in Take Home Folders to study.

Dates to Remember

• September 5th -NO SCHOOL- Labor Day
• September 14th- PTA Meeting at 6:30
• September 26th- NO SCHOOL- teacher work day
• October 4th- Picture Day
• October 19th- Early Out
• October 31st-  NO SCHOOL- teacher work day

Recess, Indoor Recess and Library Check-Out...Finally!!

I LOVE that we take an extra recess in the mornings.  Students work so hard because they know they are getting an extra break.  During recess they challenge me in knock-out, four square and tether ball.  We love this time! 

Indoor recess isn't so bad either...

And the big news of the day??  We FINALLY got to go to library check-out.   This was a moment they have been (not so patiently) waiting for.  

Collecting Ideas in Writing and Stamina Work

This week in writing we have been collecting.  This means we think about memories we have that might make a great story.  Students have been sketching, writing and brainstorming lots of ideas.   

By far their favorite time is share time!!  I love their memories. 

We have also been working on stamina.  This means working the entire time.  We have been reading and writing and trying to keep increasing our stamina.  So far we read for 21 minutes with no interruptions!  That's huge!

And don't worry, math has been fun too.  They LOVE making change and counting money!