Exploring Air - 4/22

We began our unit of gases and weather by exploring what we could do with air and how we could prove that it really was there, even though we can't see it.  We used some common tools like feathers, straws, balloons, and bags to help prove that air was present in the classroom.  More fun and learning will be had again this week as we discover ways in which we can work and play with air.

2D Shape Pic Collage

After learning about defining attributes of shapes, we took our tablets out into the halls of school to hunt down shapes.  Once we found them, we took photos and then added the defining attributes that make all shapes like those chosen.  We will try this again next week with 3D shapes around school, once we get to know them better.

Minute to Win It! 4-15-16

We enjoyed a culmination of great events this week with a Minute to Win It celebration that honored the hard work that we put in to be so well behaved.  Color teams earned Class CLAWs in order to score points with great behavior choices for the first two weeks of the month. After all children in class participated in our own game of Marshmallow Bounce, Brayden and Jeremy represented our team very well at the assembly. It was fun to cheer on our friends in all the different games.

Just In Time for Unit 6

As we begin our final unit of study for math, we're also getting ready for our final round of MAP testing later this month. While one test is not the true measure of what your child has to offer, we know that we've made a great deal of growth all year long.  This week kicked off our study of telling time. A pre-test and post-test were administered, and you will be very pleased with the results and growth! (Just take a look in the binder this weekend)  While we are required to take standardized tests, you can believe in the growth that you see and hear each week as your child contributes new items to the Seesaw digital portfolio, each week.  Remember that our unit tests for reading and math demonstrate their abilities as a first grader, using the Common Core State Standards.

Sink or Float? - 3/18/16

Finding out more about the properties of solids, we explored forming hypotheses and testing them. The children rotated responsibilities in our study of different, familiar solids, to test whether or not the items would float. We made connections to familiar items used at swim lessons when we tested to see if Mr. Clarey's shoe would float. The fish and Mr. C were thankful that it did!

Oobleck: Is it a Solid or a Liquid??? - 3-11-16

We spent the week learning about properties of solids and then liquids, in science. We found that solids have their own specific shape, and that they can be hard, soft, rigid, flexible, pointy, rough, smooth, or other properties.  The students observed liquids with different properties, including: colored, sticky, foamy, bubbly, transparent, translucent and viscous.

Our week ended after we had read Bartholomew and the Oobleck, by Dr. Seuss. By mixing equal parts of corn starch and water, then mixing in blue and yellow to make it green, the children explored the properties of this mysterious goo.  At the conclusion, we found Oobleck to have properties of both solids and liquids.  Seven students thought Oobleck was a solid, while 10 believed it to be a liquid. Two students said it was both!  Make some at home, and decide for yourselves.

We are Respectful, Responsible, and Really AWESOME!

The children of 1C earned ANOTHER week as the Class of the Week. They earned the honor by  being CLAWed (Caught Learning And Working Appropriately) in the halls or other classrooms. It's great to see their good behavior is recognized by other staff members.

Pajama Party at the BFAC - March 8, 2016

We entertained our families with a show led by Mrs. VanMersbergen, singing and stomping on the stage at the  Batavia Fine Arts Center. Performing with second graders was a fun conclusion to a memorable night. Parents, feel free to holler, "Pick up, yer toys!" They already know what you expect.

Abe or George?

If you're wondering which President your child liked best, be sure to stop by the classroom to see. OR you can simply check in with your child's Seesaw account where the secret is revealed.

QR Codes on Pirate Day

Our Pirates were using QR codes to check their work during MATH Workshop. We use QR codes to help us complete Scoot activities, as they allow for us to check our answers or even lead us to the next step on our scavenger hunts. We are most thankful for our technology, as it gives us more ways to actively participate in learning.

Radio Station Podcasting

Room 104.1C Batavia is back on the air! The students co-wrote and recorded their latest news broadcasts, and recorded them on Spreaker. This podcasting activity allows the children to mimic a radio station newscast, while teaming up to work on their own writing goals and that of their partners.

The separate podcasts:
 Our Musical, Puppet Pals, Spirit Week, Goal Setting, Author Letters

  President's Day, IXL, Fairy Tale Day, Specials

Thanks to Twitter, the technical difficulties were resolved. You can follow me on Twitter @clareychad or @coachclarey

HERE'S A DISTRICT E-NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT THE PROJECT

Watch for Missions Accomplished!

As we continue our work with student goal setting, the children will earn opportunities to celebrate their accomplishments. They can post for any or all of the following reasons:

1. Meet their final sight word goal.
2. Complete three consecutive rounds of successful use of writing goal skills.
3. Complete one of the folders of reading skills as prescribed on iTooch.

These are all good reasons to celebrate. When you see these posts, don't forget to show your appreciation and encouragement!

Valentines for the Elderly

An annual project that Mrs. Foster's 5th grade buddies complete with 1C students is this loving contribution to the grandmas and grandpas at the local nursing homes. This year, we created more than 100 valentines (along with creations from the children in 1V and 4S) to share with those who might not receive valentines from children any longer. The children created "heart animals" and then added special messages to spread the love on the eve of the big day.

AREN'T THESE KIDS CUTE?!?!?

Award Letters are in the Mail - 2/12/16

The children wrote letters of congratulations to authors and illustrators from across the country this week. After choosing books that they felt were worthy of awards, the boys and girls made awards, wrote letters to the authors and illustrators to share what they like about their work, and then mailed them off.  We also studied how the stamp "works" to get our mail from school to the authors. This was a fun extension of the spelling word "mail," from our list.

Class of the Week: Part 2

Our boys and girls were awarded the Class of the Week honor again this year. By being respectful, responsible and really safe in school, the children earned Class CLAWs. We were chosen this past week, likely because of our outstanding hallway behaviors, impressing other staff members. Way to go, Grizzlies.

Cats and Dogs: Compare and Contrast

We had a lot of great ideas for how they are the same and different. Exciting to see them jump at the chance to participate.

Award Winning Books: Phase 1

Our fifth grade buddies shared some award winning books with the first graders. Our goal is to see award winning literature, and determine which books we feel are worthy of our own special awards. The first graders will write a letter to the author, illustrator, or publisher, to notify them of the award the children are sharing. Hopefully, we might hear back from one of those folks!

Mrs. Foster's class read books that were awarded Caldecott Honors (best illustrations), Newberry Awards (best children's books), Theo Geisel Awards (awarded to an early reader author) and more. Seeing and hearing why these books were award winners will give us a chance to brainstorm reasons why we think more books are deserving of awards. We'll write those letters this week.

Fairy Tale Day - A Big Hit 1/29/16

We concluded our study of the genre on Friday with our first ever, Fairy Tale Day. Children dressed in character for the day, and we spent time in writing, reading, and math lessons, sharing our enthusiasm. The children enjoyed showing off their outfits, writing opinion pieces, reading stories, and graphing about fairy tales.

Beginning with Base Ten

The children explored the beginning concepts of place value by using Base Ten blocks, and showing how to make larger numbers quickly using "tens" and "ones." This will enhance our abilities to compare numbers, add them and even subtract them, later in Unit 4.