Incredible First Day of Kindergarten

It was an "Incredible" first day of kindergarten. We started the day with two of our favorite books. "LLama, Llama Misses Mama" by Anna Dewdney and the classic "Corduroy" by Don Freeman. After "Llama, Llama" each child had the opportunity to hold the stuffed animal llama and we played "Hickity, Pickity." This is where we chant, "Hickity, Pickity bumble bee, won't you say your name for me?" Then the child says his/her name and we clap out the syllables and then whisper his/her name. Then the llama was passed to the next person and that person was introduced. We stretched with "The Freeze Dance" and then we noticed that Corduroy had lost his button. We read the book and then went searching the school looking for his lost button. We went to the Art room, Media Center, and playground which is where we finally found it!! In this way, the students received a mini tour of the school and we were so glad to find that button!!

After lunch, we decorated our very own super hero capes and couldn't wait to put them on. There was so much more in store for our first day kindergarteners. A special assembly was prepared to "WOW" the students.

"Omega Man" put on a show for the children where he bent iron, ripped a telephone book in half, and lifted two children on a bar. He told them they can be whatever they wanted and not to let anyone keep them from their dreams. He spoke of bullies and how we have the super power to be dream-makers and stay away from those dream-breakers.

All of our dream-makers will be back tomorrow with their incredible super powers to enjoy the second day of kindergarten. "Oh the places we will go..."

New School Theme: Empowering the Future

We are so excited with our new theme "Empowering the Future"! Our Kindergarten students will be "The Incredible Kindergarten Class" and we will be discovering lots of superhero strengths among each individual student. We can not wait to get started!

Chets Creek Elementary – Empowering the Future! from Melanie Holtsman on Vimeo.

Goodbye Hog Heaven - Returning to Kindergarten

It was the last day of school and you would think a happy day but not for our Hog Heaven students. The realization of moving on to a new grade...being big second graders was a bit much. As the students were in the hall saying goodbye to the fifth graders, they were overcome with emotion as they too are moving on. We are confident that they will love the rest of their years at Chets Creek and visit us often. The "Hog Heaven" banner is coming down and we are getting ready for a new group of Kindergarten students in a few weeks. We will be known as "The Mall-ard's Incredible Kindergarten" utilizing our new "Superheros" theme. Thank you so much parents and friends of Hog Heaven. The joy we shared with your children is priceless. And now, we can't wait to greet our new batch of incredible students!!

Work Over Time Bulletin Board - From K to First

The last bulletin board for the year is called the "Work Over Time" bulletin board. Because we have looped these students from Kindergarten to First Grade, we have kept writing samples from each child. The title "Turning the Page to a New Chapter" is appropriate in that these children are now moving from "The Mall-ards Hog Heaven" to the second grade. Included on this board is a monthly writing sample from kindergarten and then varying genre samples throughout their first grade year. These samples represent the excellent gains in confidence and ability to write in multiple genres. Going on to second grade, the students are equipped with the tools necessary to build on their solid foundation. Congrats to R & H for their representative samples for this board and we will be looking for their writing on future bulletin boards in the years to come.

End of the Year with Our Dads "Dads & Dogs"

At the end of first grade, we have a celebration called "Dads & Dogs". Our dads are invited into the classroom for a slide show and song and then we have a BBQ lunch with hot dogs (not family dogs)! It is a real treat for the dads to come in an be the focus of our celebration. They are the unsung heroes of our student's learning success and it is our pleasure to give them the attention they deserve. The children made up their own acrostic poem using the letters FATHER to think of words that represent what their father means to them. After the slide show, we went over to the Wilkenings (who live next door to the school) and had a BBQ hot dogs with all the trimmings supplied by the moms. It was a great day for some wonderful dads, uncles, grandpas and other family reps that made this so memorable for their kids!
Thanks to Romy, Chip, Melanie and all who have helped us make "Dads and Dogs" a special day.

Yoga Class in Hog Heaven

The Mall-ard students were very fortunate to have one of our parents teach a children's yoga class this week. Mrs. Leigh CJ teaches yoga and thought it would be fun to have the children learn some techniques. They were so excited and really got into the moment. Yoga is known for building confidence and self-esteem. It can improve concentration and focus. It is excellent for bodies and health and it promotes balance, flexibility, coordination and strength. The students had a wonderful time learning from Mrs. L and we appreciate the experience you gave them...we are now centered!!

Science of Plants

In Science, students have been learning about the parts of a plant and the specific function of each part. We employ the 5 E's when starting a new science unit. First we engage the learner. In other words, getting the student interested in the subject matter. Exploring gives the child the chance to have hands-on experience and to start forming questions. Questions are answered during the "Explain" part of science. Extending and then Evaluating their knowledge are the last of the 5 E's. Children had two different kinds of plants at each table. They listed what was the same and different about each plant. For instance, they both had leaves but they were different in size and shape. They shared their findings and then posed questions. "What do plants need to survive?" and "What are the functions of the leaves, stems, and roots?" were discussed. Our pre-intern Mrs. D.S. was wonderful in explaining the parts of plant. Their knowledge was then evaluated by having them label and list the plants parts and why the plant needs them to survive.

Mystery Reader - Fireman Chris Gets Fired Up About Fire Safety

We had a very special mystery reader this week - it was our old friend Fireman Chris. Fireman Chris shared a slide show stressing fire prevention and safety with the students. He talked about the importance of a safety ladder if you are on the second floor, staying low to the ground to get air, and having a meeting place for the family outside the home if there is a fire. Students learned tips such as touching the door with the back of their hand to feel if it is hot. Of course, he reviewed "Stop, drop and roll" with them. He read the "Magic School Bus Gets All Fired Up" to the children and had a question/answer session afterward. Thank you Fireman Chris for coming to our class during your off time to discuss fire safety with our class. They learned a lot and enjoyed your visit.

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!!