March 22nd Update

This is the first week that the ENTIRE CLASS is helping me write this blog!  Here's what we have to say:

This week in literacy we practiced contractions using the word "not."  For example, do + not = don't.  This week we also read our first play and are writing our own plays!  We're excited to read more plays after Easter.

In math, we are learning about money!  Money is fun.  So far we have practiced counting quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies.  Next week we are going to practice using our money skills in a "store" in our classroom!

We just finished learning about Ireland in Social Studies.  Mrs. Klitzke came in and talked to us about her home country!  She brought us Irish Brown Soda Bread.  It was so yummy!  Here is the recipe she sent me:

Irish Soda Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup self raising flour (any white flour will do) plus extra for rolling out dough

1 level teaspoon baking soda

½ stick butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg (beaten)

¼ cup of  milk (warmed up cream will yield softer bread )

Mix flour & baking soda.

Add in sugar & mix

Mix in butter to breadcrumb consistency

Mix in beaten egg and add enough milk (or cream) to make soft doughy consistency

Roll out to ¼ inch height (approx) cut out scones or use cookie cutter to cut out

Bake at 425 for approx 10 mins – just a very light golden brown.

This yields approx 15 cookie size “scones":

We also used some new skills on the website prezi.com to create a presentation about Ireland.  I already put up the url, but here it is again as a link:  Ireland Prezi  We can finally find it if we search!  We found that it just took a few days, and some patience.

Speaking of patience, we are finishing up our unit in religion class on the Fruit of the Spirit!  We are completing this unit by making collages of all the fruits.  We are finding pictures in magazines that show examples of the different fruits.

AND speaking of fruits, in Spanish we are working with food words!  We have been playing "vaya a la pesca" (Go Fish) and our favorite game, matamoscas (Kill Flies - the Flyswatter game).  Soon we will be putting together our own menus using the words we have learned.

Just like every spring in Wisconsin, the weather has been CRAZY!  It is the perfect time to study weather in science class!  We enjoyed making kites to observe the wind, and learning about the water cycle.  We also made a cloud in a jar!

We loved flying our kites!

It was a beautiful afternoon to be outside!

Ireland Prezi!

Our class has been using a new website called prezi.com.  They are really excited!  We can use it to make presentations.  We made one together in social studies about Ireland.  Soon I'd like us all to be able to use the program.  It's amazing how many steps they can remember to help me make it!  Here is a link to the one we made about Ireland:

http://prezi.com/zhs_p_gzprtj/ireland/

I'm sorry if you have problems connecting to it.  I'm having trouble finding it while searching, but I'm working on that right now.  The kids are so excited for all of you to see it, though, so I wanted to get it out here in case it worked!

I apologize for the lack of blue folders last Friday.  I had all the work corrected, but I ran out of time to get the work in the folders.  That work will go home this Friday with this week's work. 

This week we are going out of our reading books and doing a short unit on Dr. Seuss!  Dr. Seuss's birthday is Friday, March 2nd.  This year he would be 108 years old!  We started off the week by reading Fox in Socks and finding rhyming words.  We made lists of rhyming words and are using those to write poems.  Another book we've read is Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!  This book was started by Dr. Seuss, then finished by Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith after he passed away.  The pictures are wonderful mixes of Dr. Seuss's own illustrations and Lane Smith's wonderful paintings.  In the same style, we are cutting out pictures from magazines and drawing pictures around them.  They look wonderful!

We are running low on dry erase markers.  The ones I use on the board last me about half a year, since I use many different colors on the board.  The students each have one in their desks, though, for use each day, and those run dry faster.  We could use about twelve more dry erase markers to get us through the year.  If anyone can do that, please let me know. 

Happy Catholic Schools Week!

Jack, McKenna, and Tayten work hard on a Birthday Box

Happy Catholic Schools Week everyone!  It has been a week packed full of activity!  On Monday we had Hawaiian Day and did the Leukemia Hop and made Birthday Boxes.

Tayten in Action!

On Tuesday we went roller skating at Skaters' Edge.  We weren't all sure of our skating skills, but we did a great job!

Reid dressed Michael as a snowman!

On Wednesday we dressed as some of our favorite book characters, played Minute to Win It, and had a read-in!

A wonderfully behaved first grade class!

On Thursday we dressed in our St. Edward clothing to show our school spirit!

A very SILLY first grade class!

Upcoming Events Update

I recently realized that I haven't updated the "Upcoming Events" part of the page recently.  I have now fixed that.  It is up-to-date!

Welcome Back!

We have started a new calendar year, and we've already been having a lot of fun being back at school!


Instead of our usual literacy work, we have been doing a unit about Jan Brett.  We have used her books The Hat and The Mitten to compare and contrast using a Venn Diagram, and we have made text to text connections between her books, such a the fact that they usually have drawings in the side panels that hint to what is going to happen, there are often animals, and many take place during the winter.  We also wrote a book ourselves called The Pants, which we wrote in a Jan Brett-style.  We modeled it after The Mitten and will soon have it displayed in the hallway.  Each student took a page and illustrated it, using strategies such as the side panels to tell not only what is going on in the story now, but what is to come.

While watching an interview with Jan Brett we got the idea to draw pictures for her and send them to her.  We are very excited to see if she writes back!

Jack and Michael work hard on their pictures for Jan Brett.

We continue with our subtraction work in math.  We learned that we can use a number line to add as well as subtract.  We just have to count the other way!

Since we returned to school we have been talking about Scandinavia in social studies.  We have learned that Denmark, Sweden, and Norway are the three main countries in Scandinavia, and that although they have different languages, they are very similar!  Next week we will learn a little about the Vikings.

First and Second Grade playing the Danish game "Whales" in Social Studies.

We have started a unit on the Fruits of the Spirit in religion class.  We had a lot of fun using Kool-Aid to paint scratch and sniff pictures!  We are talking about "love" right now, and how we know that others love us and how we show our love for others.

We have been learning about sound in science class.  We had fun experimenting with different types of materials to see how well sound could pass through them.  We also started talking about shadows, and enjoyed the last day of "spring" weather outside finding shadows on the playground!

We are learning about clothing in Spanish.  Today I told the students to put certain items of clothing on paper dolls, and they did a wonderful job!

Thank you!

Thank you Woelfel Family for taking Tailey the frog home over Christmas Break!

Last Week's Update

What a crazy time of year!  Things are going by very quickly now that we are heading toward Christmas and Christmas break!

Last week the entire K-5 practiced together for the Christmas program for the first time.  It is wonderful!  It is very touching and funny at the same time.

Last week we spent time writing Christmas descriptions, reading, and working on editing in Literacy.  I saw some great writing, and I had the chance to read one-on-one with each student!  This week we are focusing on giving things to others, instead of receiving gifts, so we are writing about three things we want to GIVE people and why.


We have been working on adding three numbers together in math!  This means we're doing problems such as 6+2+4=12.  First, we look to see if there are two numbers that add up to make 10.  If there aren't, then we look for a double, like 4+4.  If not, then we just chose two numbers to add together first, then add the third number to that to find our answer!  We've been enjoying this very much!

We are doing a mix of Germany and Christmas traditions in Social Studies right now.  We have been talking about Christmas trees, and Mrs. Smith brought in a Stollen for us to try!  It is somewhat like cake, but it is different than what we're used to.  Some of us really liked it, and some of us didn't.  We are currently doing a sheet where we are looking for different facts about Christmas trees on a few websites that I found.  What is great is that through my sqworl (see the link at the top of the page) I could set aside websites that I had checked so I knew they would be safe, and the kids could easily go on that site and use them!

This week in religion we are reading the book "Mary's First Christmas."  It's a wonderful book I found at a used book sale earlier this year.  It's the story for Christmas from Mary's perspective.  What is neat is that Mary is telling the story to Jesus when he's a little boy, so it gives us a chance to see what Jesus' life may have been like when he was little!

We just finished our chapter in science about types of matter.  When Christmas Break is over we will be working on sound.  I have a few science experiments set aside to do, including listening to spoons!

I am looking for a home for Tailey for Christmas break.  He doesn't need much.  Just about 4 pellets a day.  Please let me know if you can take him!

No Blue Folder

Hello,

As you probably heard from your students, I was gone for a day and a half this week.  I tried to get caught up today, but just didn't have the time to put the blue folders together.  I apologize for this, and will send them home on Monday so they are not overloaded next time they go home. 

Thank you,

Ms. Hermus

Weekly Update!

In literacy we have been focusing on the long o and long u sounds, as well as different digraphs (ch, sh, wh,etc).  We have also touched on contractions, and will continue to do so.  Our descriptions of our classmates are just about finished, and those who have finished are going on to describe something about Christmas!  I'm very excited to read these!

We finished our chapter on subtraction in math, and so we are back to addition.  This time, though, we are going into higher numbers.  We concentrated on the sums of 10 for a few days so we could use those to help us with 11s and 9s.  If we know that 5+5=10, then we can use that to tell us that 5+6=11 and 5+4=9!

We have been learning about Germany in Social Studies.  This week we are making small window boxes.  Many Germans have window boxes in their windows because their yards are either too small or they do not have one in which to garden.  We are using milk cartons and popsicle sticks to make the outside, and soon we will make flowers to put inside!

This month in religion we are talking about Advent, Christmas, and Angels.  Yesterday we watched a video about St. Nicholas.  Did you know that he was originally from Greece?  His parents were very generous people and he learned his generosity from them!

We have been talking about water and different types of matter in science.  We talked about water in all three states, and we also did an observation about sinking and floating.  Our favorite activity was making bubbles!

During Advent, one of our bulletin boards is an Advent Calendar.  Each day we put up a new Christmas symbol and learn the Spanish word.  Toward the end of the month, we will play Advent Bingo with these words!


It is wonderful that the students are coming with their snow pants and boots already.  We do not have snow on the ground, but it is getting cold and those extra layers help keep them warm at recess!  As a reminder, students who take the bus should wear their snow clothes to and from school.  It is easier for those who ride in cars as well, since it's less to carry.

I hope you are having a blessed Advent season!

Just a note...

There will be NO blue folders going home this week with student work.  I will send them home next Friday, with next week's work.

I have added a Book Recommendations page to the site.  You can find it on the left panel.  These are books that I've read that have helped me work with the students in my classroom not academically, but as individual people.  I wanted to share them with you!

Ms. Hermus

Weekly Update November 18th

We have had another action-packed week in First Grade!!!  We continue to work on our long vowel sounds in reading, and this week we focused on the long i sound using the "sneaky e" that we learned last week!  Along with the long i, we worked on ch and wh words.  We also wrote descriptive paragraphs.  We each wrote about one other friend in the classroom, first making a web of information, then writing a paragraph with the information!

We have been working on subtraction in math and expanded our knowledge of "related facts."  Now we not only know that 2+3=5 and 3+2=5, but 5-3=2, and 5-2=3!  We will soon be putting this together to learn about entire fact families!  We are also practicing deciding whether a problem requires adding or subtracting!

We just finished our unit on Australia, and our books will come home tonight.  We played a game called Down, Down, Down, in which we have to try to catch a ball, and if we don't catch it, we have to put a different body part on the ground until we are on our bottoms.  We also made bullroarers, which are an Australian instrument (although they aren't made with spoons in real life) and we tried ANZAC cookies.

Here we are playing "Sheep Dog Trials."  The balloons were sheep, and we had to "herd" them into their "pens" on the other side and back to their teammates.  They could only use their cardboard paddle to move the ballroom!  They did a great job!

In religion we have been talking about the new mass parts, and we have been reading a few books.  One was "If I Only Had a Green Nose".  This one is about being happy with yourself, without trying to fit in to the newest fad.  God made us the way we are because that's how he WANTED us.  We shouldn't try to change how we look just because others are doing so.

We took our animal test in science, and we have been studying habitats.  We are having a great time making dioramas of habitats!  They are looking fantastic, and I am very excited to display them! 

Ms. Hermus

Weekly Update

As you can see, I am still figuring out when is the best place to post, so keep watch and I will do the Weekly Update sometime during the week.  I'm sure I will find the right time soon!


We have been working on our long a sound in literacy.  We learned about the "sneaky e" that makes our vowels say their name.  Grace's name is a perfect example of this!  The sneaky, silent e changes the a from a short a sound to a long a sound. 

We have started our first subtraction unit in math.  They are doing a wonderful job!  I will continue to send home the addition flashcards for the next few weeks, then start sending home subtraction flashcards.  They are doing a great job of keeping the addition and subtraction separate.  They have even been asking to practice flashcards!  I like to do them when we get in line, or when one or two students are ready to start before the others.  If you'd like, make a game of them at home.  Do a few before having dinner, or before going outside to play.  Also, a game could be timing your student against themself.  Time how long it takes them to get all the cards right, and keep timing and keeping track of that time, and watch the number go lower and lower!  The students love to see their progress that way.

We have been studying Australia in social studies.  We learned that it is in the Southern Hemisphere, so not only is it night there when it is day here because they are on the opposite side of the world, but it is summer there when it is winter here!  They also see different stars than we do. 

We have been talking about the Order of Mass in religion class.  We discovered that there are many, many things that happen in one mass, and it is exciting to go to mass and see what we can catch!

We are almost done with our animal unit in science.  Remember to send in your shoe boxes by Wednesday!  We need them for a project soon in science class!

Have a wonderful three-day weekend,

Ta!  (Aussie for goodbye)

Ms. Hermus

Shoeboxes Needed!

Please send a shoebox to school with your student by Wednesday November 16th.  We will be starting a class project late that week that requires a shoebox for each student.

Thank you!

Ms. Hermus

Weekly Update

Last week was a short week, so we did some Halloween projects as well as our usual work.  In Literacy we wrote Halloween stories, and practiced using some editing symbols and re-writing so we have a "good copy."

In math we are continuing to work on our math facts.  We will be finishing up our first unit on adding next week and starting our first unit on subtracting.  Next week flashcards with +3 and +4 facts will be coming home in addition to the cards that are already in your students' bags.  These should be practiced in addition to the ones they are already practicing.

Last week we enjoyed some fun Halloween activities in Social Studies that went with our Egypt unit!  We made mummies by using paper mache and dolls.  We also learned that a version of Mancala is called "Wari" and is an Egyptian game.  We played it using some colorful glass stones and egg cartons.  We didn't get a chance to play very long, so we will be playing again next week!  Check out some pictures below of our paper mache adventures!

In religion we finished up our unit on Spookley the Square Pumpkin and talking about how everyone has stronger and weaker gifts, and how we work together to fill in each others' weaknesses.  We also started talking about the Order of Mass.  We made a big list of everything we see happening during the Mass and next week we will be putting them in order and reading some books to go along with what we're learning!  We will also be starting to use the small book that was sent home at the beginning of the year.  I will send an email letting parents know which pages need to be read at home next week.

Science class has been a zoo!  We continue to learn about animals.  It is really fun to take a break once in a while and practice moving like animals!

Last week in Spanish we figured out some Halloween words together.  Next week we will be using some of those words again as we learn some words for fall and harvest time.  We will also be learning some of the many Spanish games I have!

Make sure to take a look at the "Upcoming Events" section.  I will be updating that as often as my weekly update.

Ms. Hermus

October 21st Newsletter

Click here to see our October 21st Newsletter

Please Subscribe!

This blog will soon replace our bi-weekly newsletter.  I will be updating the blog itself each week, and I will continue to update features such as "Upcoming Events."  One great feature is the ability to subscribe to the blog.  Even if you do not have a blog yourself, you can subscribe to this blog by typing in your email in the box underneath the words "Click here to receive alerts by email!"  This way, each time I update the blog you will receive and email, and you do not need to check the blog daily.  What an easy way to stay informed!

Ms. Hermus

New Site, New Start!

I have decided to follow Mrs. Look at start my blog on blogspot.com.  According to her recommendation, it is easier to use, and I agree!  I will be working to get this website set up and will hopefully be able to transfer what I have from the other site to this site.  There is no need to look at the old site anymore, and I will be closing it by the end of October.

Thank you,
Ms. Hermus