Solids, Liquids, and Gases - Oh My!

We spent the week learning about the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.  See if your child can find a solid, liquid, and gas at your house.  I'd love to hear about what he/she finds in the comments below.

On Monday we took two bags of ice and placed one in the sun for 10 minutes and the other in the shade for 10 minutes.  The students predicted which would melt faster, and then wrote about what really happened.

On Wednesday we mixed vinegar and baking soda to create the gas, carbon dioxide.  Our little scientists below were quite impressed with the results!

We also did an activity this week using cheerios as molecules to show how close together or far apart the molecules in a solid, liquid, and gas are. 

Great work this week, scientists! 

Pumpkin Party

Our pumpkin party was a HOOT!  The students played several games including Pin the Spider on the Web, Ring Toss, and Roll-a-Pumpkin!  They created paper plate ghosts and got to ice and decorate their very own cookies... right before scarfing them down, of course!

Top Entertainment Book Sellers!

Here are the top sellers from our classroom sporting their new do's!  

Thanks to all who sold an entertainment book to support Fairmount.

Field Trip Fun! (And pumpkins too!)

We had a great time at the Magic House on Wednesday.  The first hour of our time was spent in the Community area, where the students got to use their imaginations to shop at the market, change tires on a race car, get a bite to eat at the pizza parlor, go fishing in the pond, and help sick pets at the veterinarian clinic.  Ask your child what other areas they visited in the "mini community."  The remainder of our time was spent creating our own plan/map for a new community.  The students worked in groups to decide the name of their community and what important businesses and buildings their community needed.  Check out the pictures below!  

What a fun day!

On Thursday, it was back to the books!  We worked extra hard in the morning on 10-frames in math.  Then we read a book about force and motion in reading, while stopping to discuss important ideas and vocabulary.  In the afternoon, we had fun creating our own pumpkins and writing about them.  We hung all the pumpkins on the board and played a guessing game using our writing as the clues.  See if you can find the pumpkin that this first grade author is describing:

What about this one?  

Please comment below about your favorite activity from the field trip OR what makes your pumpkin unique.  Have a wonderful fall break!  See you in a week!  :)

Spelling, Sequencing, and Spilling the Beans!

Spelling: The students are really getting a good grasp on vowel teams: ai, ay, oa, ea.  Their spelling test scores are improving, and they are beginning to carry over the weekly skills into their writing assignments (which is the ultimate goal)!  I am proud of them!

Check out this video... when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking! 

The students love practicing their words by playing 

"Hang Mouse" on Spelling City. 

Sequencing: We've been working hard on finding the beginning, middle, and end of a story.  We've also been including "sequence words" into our own writing.  Using words such as first, next, then, and finally helps our writing make sense and have a better flow.

Making sequencing cards for the story, "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse"

More sequencing cards! 

Spilling the Beans: On a personal note, my husband and I feel so blessed and excited to be expecting our second child this spring!  Hooray!!!  The due date is March 27th.

Buddies

We have learned that the best way to become a better reader is to PRACTICE READING!  We take some time each day to do "Read to Self" where each student silently reads books that are at a just-right level for him or her.

One new way we practiced reading this week was reading to a buddy.  We realized that this would also help us become better readers, and reading to a friend is FUN!  Here are the rules that we came up with together.  (Ask your child what EEKK means!)  Students, in the comments below, please tell us the name of your favorite book from your Bag of Books that you enjoy reading to yourself and to a buddy.  

P.S. Check out the "Websites" tab at the top of this page... I added a new link to a "Busy Bees" math game.  This game reinforces what we've been learning in math this week.  

The students had a lot of fun with it!  :)  

Angry Verbs!

Yes, you read it right... the students made "Angry Verbs" this week instead of "Angry Birds."  We learned that verbs are words that show action.  Each student decorated their own Angry Bird and wrote a verb on the bird.  We acted out each verb in class.  If you can think of a verb we did not discuss in class, post it below and earn a pride ticket!

Math, Math, Math!

Our district is implementing a new math curriculum and math series this year.  One thing I LOVE about it is that it provides a lot of time for the students to work hands-on with manipulatives.  Many of the activities lend themselves to partner or cooperative group work as well.  As you can see, the students have been busy this week playing games and using counters to learn about part-part-whole number relationships.

Post in the comments below about two parts that make up 9.  Let's see how many ways we can make 9!

Tying and Trying

Well, another week of first grade has flown by!  Today the students published their narratives that they worked hard on all week long... ask your child what he/she wrote about.  There were some interesting characters in our classroom including Santa, a sugar glider, a wolf, and even a talking burrito!  What imaginations we have in our room!  

Please practice tying shoes at home if your child does not know how.  This is a great time to learn!  Check out this video for a fun way to learn how to tie your shoe.

It may be hard to tie your shoe the first time (and even the second and third time), but keep trying, and you'll be an expert in no time!   

Speaking of trying, putting forth great effort is one of the most important things we can do as individuals.  I am not just looking for my students to know the right answer in first grade... I think it is much more important for them to learn to work hard and try their best!  Please comment below about a time when you had to work hard or keep trying to accomplish a goal!  

Super Students and Super "e"

Wow, our first FULL week of school has ended, and I am so proud of my students!  (I am also SO exhausted... I see a long nap in my future!)  I am especially proud of my first graders for being such good friends to one another.  If a student drops their crayons, breaks their pencil lead, or can't find a folder, there will be a little swarm of helpers around the student-in-need in less than 5 seconds!  Awesome!

The students were great listeners this week for several read alouds, such as Wemberly Worried, The Dot, and Swimmy.  We discussed beginning, middle, and end and the characters and setting of the stories.  In the comments below, let us know which story your child enjoyed the most, and also list the characters and setting of that story.  

Next week our spelling words will all contain a silent e at the end.  Please practice these words at home with your child: chase, shine, rope, ate, cute tube, tune, cube, these, shade, vote, lime.
Check out the fun youtube video below for a great way to remember how to use "super e." 

Open House ~ Monday, August 4th

Wow, I can't believe it's that time of year again!  For me, the start of the school year brings excitement, nerves, new goals, and new beginnings - and most importantly, a new class of eager first graders!  I can't wait to get to know my sweet, new students!!!

The Back-to-School Open House is on Monday, August 4th.  Stop by anytime between 6:00 and 7:30pm and say hello, check out your child's new classroom, and drop off school supplies.  You can view the supply list by clicking  here.  One additional item that would be beneficial to your child is a whiteboard eraser.  You can buy one specifically meant to erase dry-erase markers, or an old sock works wonders as well!  It is extremely helpful to me if you have pencils already sharpened and everything labeled (yes, even individual markers and crayons, eeek!).

On Back-to-School Night, the students usually love getting a preview of their new room, sitting at their very own desks, and finding their names on the hallway bulletin board and around the classroom.  It also eases some anxiety prior to the first day of school.  I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the new school year on Monday evening, or you may email me anytime at jessalyn.dippold@fhsdschools.org.

I look forward to seeing you, and especially your wonderful first grader!

Extra! Extra! READ all about it!

As a teacher and a parent, I feel very strongly about READING!  It is so important for me to foster a love of reading in my first grade students and in my own child.  One of my favorite things in the world is when my toddler runs up to me with a book in hand saying, "Mama read!" Not only does my little one get to hear the rhythm of language and learn new words, we both get cuddles and quality time together!  Reading comes in many forms, and it opens the door to endless possibilities for your child.  The following 1 minute video has some at-home suggestions for encouraging a love of literacy in your young reader.

Welcome First Grade Families!

Welcome to our classroom blog: First Grade Marmalade! Often during the school day, I think to myself, "Wow! Look what amazing things the kids are accomplishing!  I wish the parents could see this!"  Well guess what?  Now you will get to see the wonderful things your child is doing at school! I hope you will check the blog often.  I'll post important news, special dates, what we are learning, the weekly spelling words, and lots of pictures of what's been happening in our classroom!

I am so excited to begin a new school year and to get to know my fabulous new group of students!   I JUST LOVE FIRST GRADERS!  They are so eager to learn, they are full of wonder, and they make me SMILE!

I love seeing the growth my students make over the course of the school year.  They become better readers, writers, and mathematicians.  The students also make great strides socially by showing responsibility, empathy, and respect for others.  They make me PROUD!

Here is the last group of students that made me so, so proud... now it's your child's turn!

This will be my fifth year teaching first grade at Fairmount Elementary, and my tenth year of teaching overall. My teaching career began at Our Savior Lutheran School, where I taught 4th grade for three years.  I then came to Fairmount to work with students with special needs.  Those students will always be very near and dear to my heart.  I learned so much from them, and that experience made me a better teacher.  Now I'm working with fabulous first graders, and I'm here to stay!

Happy Summer!  The real fun begins in 26 days! See you then. :)