Welcome to First Grade!

Here is our happy home for the next ten months, Room #111.

You are always welcome!

The students have their own space for their coats and backpacks and lunch kits.  We are not hanging our backpacks up because each child only has one hook and in the winter, it will be needed for snow pants!  The students are placing their backpacks onto the wooden ledge on the bottom.

Here is where their outdoor shoes (and all too soon, boots) are kept.  Our names are on the bottom.

Our classroom is right across from our school's chapel.  Many staff members meet before class every morning to begin our day in prayer.

As you enter into the classroom, you will see our 'Challenge Accepted' board.  This is the theme of our Catholic School District for the year.  We are focusing on knowing that we CAN, with the help of others and Our Lord, do great things!

Across one wall is this very important board that will be full of words as we learn to spell, our book bins that the students will choose books to take home and read nightly, once beginning assessments are complete and our book boxes where each student will keep books for reading during 'Read to Self' time.

This is my 'little group' table where small groups of children will gather for specific lessons to assist them in learning the way of letters and words and numbers.

Here in the front of the classroom is one of the carpets that I have for our group learning time.  The students are in desks that are placed in pods to allow for group interaction and small group learning.

From this angle, near the small round table you can see that we have two lovely windows to watch God's world go by.

The first thing I noticed when I came into this classroom is that we have a sink!

In this corner is another gathering spot, with benches, another rug and a variety of bins full of learning activities.

We gather in this area every morning to do our morning calendar activities.

Sometimes I get to sit (gasp) and read to the children!  Sometimes a very attentive and well mannered student gets to sit in this comfy chair.

Just keeping it real....I never get to sit at this desk....which I have not yet had the time to clear off even!

Near the end of our first day of class, we got to interact with this cool book.  It showed us that colours can appear and move about if we follow directions.

Each student got a small baggie full of white play dough and they found that if they pressed and squeezed and kneaded the dough, colours began to appear!

Here are our 'brag tag' necklaces.  More about these a little later.

Each day, one student becomes 'teacher's pet' and gets to do a variety of special helpful jobs for the class.  The day that the student is 'Teacher's Pet' that child will get a green cloth bag to take home.  It is the bag that the student uses to bring a special item from home for their sharing time.  The student should be able to give three clues to the others in the class and we will have a fun time guessing what might be in the bag.  Please remember that it should not be a food item, or alive!

Speaking of food, we do have a student who has an allergy to 'tree nuts'.  This means that to ensure this little person's safety, the following should not be brought to school in any foods.  Sadly this means that the product 'nutella' cannot be brought to school.  Although peanuts are not in this list, it is typical of all schools, that peanuts should be avoided as well.  Try 'wow butter' as an alternative.

Here is some information:

Tree nut allergy is the second most common allergy in infants and young children. Approximately 0.4- 0.5% of American children have a tree nut allergy. Tree nuts are a common allergen reported to cause fatal and near-fatal allergic reactions.

Almond
Beechnut
Brazil nut
Bush nut
Butternut
Cashew
Chestnut
Coconut*
Filbert
Ginko nut
Hazelnut
Hickory nut
Lichee nut
Macadamia nut
Nangai nut
Pecan
Pine nut
Pistachio
Shea nut
Walnut

Thank you to those families who have already sent back these important papers.  I need permission to have your child appear on the blog.  Please know that I never, ever use names to identify the students in my care.  As soon as I have them all, I will create a group e-mail list and will be sending home information this way.

Please consider 'following' this blog.  I believe that when you 'follow' an alert is sent to you each and every time I post on this blog.  

Thank you to my two dear friends who sent me these lovely flowers on the first day of school.  I will miss working with them but know that their friendship will endure!