Mother's Day - The Mall-ard's Way

Mother's Day is BIG in the Mall-ard's classroom. On Friday, students invited their mothers to a special "Mother's Day Breakfast". It started with a short video called "What I like best about my mom" where each child mentioned something he/she especially liked about his/her mom. This included her famous chocolate chip cookies, reading and playing games with them. The children sang three songs (one was done in sign language) and then a special slide show was presented (below). Mrs. Holtsman's special project for the last two years has been to take a picture of each child one day a month. The results were great and tear-jerker to many mothers as they watched their child growing before their eyes. We finished with breakfast and coffee punch. At the tables were specially made gifts including a beaded black and white necklace that each child made and a recipe book created by the children of the favorite things their moms make. It was a great way and kick-off off the Mother's Day weekend. Thank you Mall-ard Moms for a wonderful two years with your child...we enjoyed every minute with each of them.

Untitled from Melanie Holtsman on Vimeo.

Letter Writing and America's White Table

A friend asked if we could participate in a special "surprise" for some World War II veterans who will be visiting Europe this month. On the way home in the plane when they think the day is done, the Vets will have a "Mail Call" with letters from students and family members telling them how proud they are of their service and how much it means to all of us. Of course we were very excited to participate in this project. In an effort to explain how brave the men and women of the armed forces are, we read a previous book of the month called, "America's White Table" by Margot Theis Raven. The White Table is set in many mess halls as a symbol for and remembrance to service members fallen, missing, or held captive in the line of duty. Solitary and solemn, it is the table where no one will ever sit. This story is about a little girl's Uncle John and the white table they set for him. Each item placed on the table has a special significance.
Writing these letters couldn't have come at a better time. The students have been writing during our persuasive writing unit and writing to the servicemen came very naturally. Below is a sampling of the student's heartfelt gratitude of the remarkable job the armed forces has done for all of us. I am sure they will enjoy reading these notes from some very special first grade students.

Dear Sir,
How was your trip? My name is Grace. I'm in first grade in the Mall-ard's class. Thank you for serving our country. We just read a book called, "America's White Table." Thank you for letting us have freedom. you were fearless. And thanks for stopping the war. You did a good job! Have a great day sir.
Sincerely,
Grace E.

Dear Army men,
Thank you for risking your life for us. You are so brave and fearless. Thank you for saving our country.Thank you for freeing us.

Spring Fling and Egg Hunt

We had a great time at Ryan's house for our Spring Fling and Egg Hunt. We walked over to his house for our "field trip" into a backyard that was ready for 35 children to have a great time. This picture was taken right before the egg hunt began...and were they ready for it. Each child was assigned a number. In this way, it helped keep the egg hunt going for longer then two minutes. Each child had 12 eggs to find. Coach Hall was there for organized games and Mrs. Holtsman took great pictures. Thanks to Romy for inviting all of us to her house and to the parents who sent in the great food and extra treats for lunch. It was an Egg Hunt to remember!!

April Mystery Reader - Passover & Easter Bunny Books

We had a very special mystery reader last week. Not only was she a former student who is now in fifth grade but she is the sister of one our first grade students. Reading "The Matzah Man" by Naomi Howland and "The Easter Bunny is Missing" by Steve Metzger, S. had the students listening to every word. The "The Matzah Man" is basically the Passover version of "The Gingerbread Man" and all children love that book. In "The Easter Bunny is Missing" no one could really replace the bunny with his monumental job of delivering decorated eggs but several animals tried. "S" had special treats for the children after her reading. Each student received a sampling of Matzah and chocolate Kisses. "J." was very proud of his sister and the children loved hearing the books and of course the wonderful treats.

FCAT Spirit Week

In an effort to support our third, fourth and fifth grade students during their intensive week of FCAT, we had our first annual "Spirit Week." The FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) is the standardized test used in the primary and secondary public schools of Florida. The kindergarten, first and second grade students enjoyed getting dressed up each day last week. On Monday, they were farmers (because of our theme), Tuesday was mismatched clothes day. Wednesday was wild hair and sock day. For Thursday, we pulled out our oldest Chets Creek tee-shirts (we get one every year designed for the theme), and for the finale, on Friday the children came dressed as rock stars. At this age, our first graders know that the FCAT is a big test and that they will be taking it one day. But for now, they just enjoyed the excitement of Spirit Week and being a part of it all. Rock On!!

"Cheesy Little Stories" Bulletin Board

The April bulletin board boasts of writing big stories in little packages. Our "cheesy little stories" are fictional writings whereby the students wrote about themselves and Kevin Henkes' characters. These moments are wonderful displays of the children's imaginations running away with these whimsical characters. They include: "Wemberly's Dentist Trip", "Lilly Goes on a Cruise", "Lilly's Sleepover", "Lilly's Masterpiece", "Victor Meets Victor", and "Wemberly at the Dinosaur Exhibit"." This was a great way to extend the author study and have it even more meaningful for the class.

March Mystery Readers

It was March Madness for our Mystery Readers this month. Today we had Mr. & Mrs. S. dressed up as Vincent Van Dough and Leonardo Da Munchi for the book "The Great Pizza Contest" by Riley Roam. The contest is set in the town of Mozzarella where one thought the dough was more important and the other thought it was the sauce. This was a wonderful book with the theme of conflict resolution. They did an excellent job portraying these two characters.

Last week our Mystery Reader, Mr. M., came dressed as a baseball player and read two baseball books "Casey Back at the Bat" by Dan Gutman. The mighty Casey gets a second chance at bat...what will happen this time? The other book was called "Oliver's Game" by Matt Tavares. This is the story of grandfather who shares his love of baseball with his grandson...and a baseball secret from his past.

And of course, Mrs. R. was our "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" by Kevin Henkes imposter and entertained the students with her rendition of that story.
It was a great month for bringing books to life with our Mystery Readers!

Letter Combinations and Blends Chart

We have had several requests for the above "Letter Combination" chart. We alternate this chart with the below "Blends" chart every day. Students chant it as "ay, ey, ai See kids play, etc." They see these letter combinations in their reading and use them in their writing. These two charts are also kept in easy eye-sight for students to refer to as needed. Smaller charts are also put into their writing folders and reading bins earlier in the year to use as reference tools.

Kevin Henkes Celebration Day!

Well, the day finally came...and oh what a great one it was. We celebrated the end of our Kevin Henkes Author Study. Students were welcomed to four different centers by visiting other classrooms. There was "Fun at Lilly's" where they made purple purses, wallets, and ties like Mr. Slinger's. They brought in board games to play at "Chester and Wilson's House." The other two centers were Kevin Henkes bingo and a movie and "cheesy snacks". In the afternoon, they were treated to a mystery reader, "Lilly" who read her book "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse." Students wore black mouse t-shirts that they made earlier in the week. It was a festive author celebration that all the students thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to Melanie for the great pictures.

Reader's Theater: A Weekend with Wendell

The students have been practicing their Reader's Theater scripts during Reader's Workshop. Each week they rotate and practice a different story from the Kevin Henkes Author Study with a different group of children. This video is a sampling of the Reader's Theater performances that have been going on for the past few weeks. By acting out these scripts, student's fluency has been enhanced along with comprehension. Also, by knowing these stories so well, they have been writing quality Response to Literature pieces in Writer's Workshop. Enjoy the following performance of "A Weekend with Wendell."

Untitled from Cheryl Dillard on Vimeo.

Our Own "Box Full of Treats"

As our Kevin Henkes Author Study draws to a close, the last week has been devoted to utilizing the small moment stories in "A Box of Treats". This is a collection of five "small moment" stories: "Lilly's Chocolate Heart", "Owen's Marshmallow Chick", "Wemberly's Ice-Cream Star", "Julius's Candy Corn" and "Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick". In each short story, a treat of some kind is the focus, namely,an ice cream star, peppermint stick and chocolate heart. Each treat represents a different holiday or season. Using these books as our inspiration, students were invited to think of their own "small moment" story and include one of their favorite Kevin Henkes' character. They were reminded that even though this is a small book, it still needs to include a great beginning, details and events with a problem and solution, and an ending that "stays in the moment". The results have been amazing. We now have "Owen's Birthday", "Wemberly's Day @ Disney", "Lilly's Christmas", "Owen Lost His Blanket at the Zoo", "Lilly's Masterpiece" and "Wemberly's Dentist Trip".

The following story is Caroline's treat to all of us -- "Wemberly's Dentist Trip". It is delightful to see how author's craft is used in this piece especially reading the mouse's words in the pictures.

Wemberly's Dentist Trip


One hot sunny day, Wemberly went to the dentist.



Wemberly was worried that Petal won't get her teeth checked.



Miss Caroline called Wemberly in the dentist room. (Can Petal come?)



Then Wemberly forgot Petal. Wemberly was worried that she had cavities.



Miss Caroline said, "Open Wide" to Wemberly. Wemberly was trying to think about Petal. (When is Petal coming?")



Wemberly thought that Petal was lost forever. "I found her," said Miss Caroline.



But Miss Caroline said, "Wemberly has cavities." (What if Petal has cavities?)

Kevin Henkes Puppets for Retelling

Students had a wonderful time creating characters puppets from Kevin Henkes books for homework. They had the opportunity to pick their favorite characters and retell the story using the puppets they created at home. Children practiced with others for a short time before their presentations. The students know these stories inside out so having their puppets act out their lines was no problem at all. All of the practice with retelling the stories and Reader's Theater presentations have layed the ground work for excellent response to literature writing. There are a few shows we still have to see and are enjoying each of every minute of them.

Read Aloud with our Principal

Principal Phillips is "mad about books" by declaring "March Madness" as the time when she reads aloud to each class a past book of the month. She visited us this week and brought one of her favorite's called, "Apple Batter" by Deborah Turney Zagwyn. This book is a story of perseverance and optimism. The main character, Loretta loves apples and wants to grow them, and her son Delmore loves baseball and wants to become a hitter. The woman can grow many things but not apples and the boy can catch but not hit. Eventually, she plants apple seeds and he continues to practice. "One for the past, one for the present, and one for the future" is a repeated phrase said throughout the book. With time and patience, apples appear and the boy hits the ball. The students loved the book but especially loved seeing and hearing their principal read and make meaningful connections to the story. Mrs. Phillips hit a home run with her reading of "Apple Batter" in Hog Heaven!

Creating Bird Habitats in Science

In Science, we have been working on the 5 E's with the Big Idea "Interdependence".
The Essential Question was "What do animals need to survive?" The standard states,
"Through observation, recognize that all plants and animals, including humans, need the basic necessities of air, water, food, space and shelter." Over the course of a few weeks, student's became engaged and explored a number of animals that live in the air, land, and water. The unit culminated as our scientists made birdhouses that will help meet the needs of birds in our area. They used what they have learned about birdhouses to help guide them. The students worked in groups to create their birdhouses and had made sure their shelter included a water and food area. Their creations were innovative and thought out. Any bird would be proud to live in one of these houses!!

Reader's Theater - Kevin Henkes Stories

We are now in the middle of our Kevin Henkes Author Study and the students are becoming very comfortable with the characters from his books. They feel strong connections to Chrysanthemum, Lilly, and Owen together with the other very likable personalities in his books. The children have been practicing their parts in Reader's Theater plays for the past two weeks. In the first week, groups were set up and parts assigned for individuals in the play "Chrysanthemum." Each of the groups presented and did a fine job. This week, each group is practicing a different Kevin Henkes books. Groups practice their lines during Reader's Workshop. They are learning to read with fluency and intonation during the readings of these scripts and enjoying every minute of it. Students are learning the importance of following along and to not let the group down during their performance. These practices are taken very seriously and interesting to observe. In a Reader's Theater presentation, scripts are held by the readers and lines are not memorized. The focus is on reading the text with expressive voices and gestures. In this way, comprehending the text becomes more meaningful and fun for the students which is the most important thing!!

Kevin Henkes Author Study

Over the past few weeks, our Reader's and Writer's Workshops have been immersed in the works of Kevin Henkes. Characters such as Chrysanthemum who is named after a flower gets made fun of at school and Lilly who is asked several times by the teacher to put her items away during class, and Owen who loves his blanket so much but is getting ready to go to school and cannot take it with him - are all characters that the children are making meaningful text-to-self and text-to-text connections. Finding so much in common with these characters make them real and lovable to the students.

We have been working on story elements (the characters, setting, problem, order of events, etc.) using graphic organizers. They have also been comparing and contrasting books and characters using Venn Diagrams. By learning to use these organizers in Reader's Workshop, it helps to develop their stories in a Response to Literature in Writer's Workshop. A class developed Response to Literature rubric was created in order for students to gauge how their writing compares to a standard response. These responses include a great beginning that makes sure to have the author's name and in the first few lines of the response. They learn how to start with a question or statement. The response also has a short retelling or summary of the story with a connection and then a closing which can give a personal feeling from the book.

We can't wait to share these writing responses in future posts and we know your response will probably be like that of Mr. Slinger's in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse when all he could say was --"Wow"!

Computer Lab Time

Students had the opportunity to go to the Tech Lab with Mrs. Holtsman and get some practice on Apple Laptops. Mrs. Holtsman, our Technology Specialist, showed the students some specifics of the keyboard, such as using shift key, the colon and the backslashes. These are very important beginning lessons in learning how to log on specific sites. They had a lot of fun logging onto to a sight called http://www.buildyourwildself.com/.
We can not wait to go back and learn more about different learning sites.

Listening and watching how Mrs. Holtsman is logging onto the laptop.

Echoes Across the Day

We are very excited about our bulletin board this month. It features our Science space unit and also reflects on how we incorporated that theme throughout the day's lessons to make them more meaningful. It features Reader's and Writer's Workshops, Science and Math. In Reader's Workshop, students were learning about nonfiction conventions such as labeling, closeups, comparisons and cutaways. They made a book that sampled each of these major conventions. The piece chosen came from a book which compares Earth and Venus because they are just about the same size. In Writer's Workshop, another child chose to write a report on the stars and planets. In Math, we used star and planet word problems, and in Science, students created their own constellations and named them. These "Echoes Throughout the Day" unify the teaching and learning for the students. It is a wonderful way to bring cohesiveness to a unit and theme. Also, it worked out superbly with our "Sleepover Under the Stars" event!

100th Day of School for First Grade

On Thursday, we marked another milestone in First Grade - the 100th day of school! It is a very exciting day because we have been counting each day since the first day of school just waiting for the momentous 100th day event. Each day has been noted by affixing a dot sticker in a tens-grid. Students are taught place value using these tens-grids and also taught the base ten number system utilizing counting the days and marking the calendar. We enjoyed many activities that centered on the number of the day 100. In Reader's Workshop, every child read three or four books to equal 100. Afterward, they signed their names to the chart (above). In Writer's Workshop, each child was given "a hundred dollar bill" and asked to write about what they would buy with it which included cars, houses, and lots of animals!. They filled in numbers on a hundreds chart and stretched for 100 seconds. During lunch, we hid 100 Hershey Kisses around the classroom and when the children returned, they had a great time finding them and placing them on the big 100's chart (below). The day was capped off with "A Hundred Day Snack" whereby parents sent in in items such as Skittles, M&Ms, pretzel sticks, mini Oreos, crackers, red hots, and gummy bears. The children were given a big tens-grid and placed ten items in each section to create their own 100 day snack. Another great day...the hundredth day...in first grade!

"Make Way for Ducklings" Mystery Reader

Our very own Coach Hall was our mystery reader this week. Coach Hall reminisced about hearing her Grandmother T read her a favorite book called "May Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey. Coming from the Boston area, this book mentions familiar locales, from Beacon Hill to Louisburg Square, and over the Charles River--often from a duck's-eye view. This story is about Mr. and Mrs. Mallard Duck who need to find a safe place to raise their eight ducklings. It follows the adventures of the ducklings with a happy ending on a little island pond where they follow Swan boats for peanuts. Afterward, Coach Hall had the children acting out different animals, including ducks, lions, and snakes. Then she shared some Boston cream cakes with the children for another very happy ending!!