Make a Smilebox slideshow

 Just playing around and want to see if this works!

     We had another good week, a bit crazy, but good. Tuesday afternoon I had to attend an in-service at Central Office, so I had a sub (Mrs. Guthrie) for the afternoon. Unfortunately, I also got a cold this week and started losing my voice Wednesday. Thursday, it was gone, but I was determined that I would be fine. The kids were great! I had lots of little helpers and the room was very quiet! But, when it came time to teach a new addition strategy (math), I knew it would be hard to do with just a whisper. So, thankfully, Mrs. Guthrie was able to come in for the afternoon. I stayed home and rested, my voice and myself, today. Hopefully, by Tuesday, I'll be back to my old self!
     I worked with the kids this week to create a voice thread with their drawings and their voices telling you what they like best in first grade. I tried recording their voices, but couldn't get my computer to recognize the external microphone! (Technology!!!) So, I'll keep working on it, and hopefully, I'll have it up for you by the end of next week.
     Tuesday morning I will begin a formal language arts assessment, PALS. Every child will be tested on spelling, reading word lists, small reading passages, and letter/sound knowledge. Hopefully, the tests will be finished by the end of the week. Make sure your child is well-rested and has had a good breakfast so he/she will be able to do his/her best!
     Have a great Labor Day week end!

We had a GREAT first day! What a nice bunch of kids! I am looking forward to a wonderful year. Today we read some stories, sang some songs, played a name game, discussed rules and procedures, etc. (All those beginning of the year, get to know you, figure it all out things.)

This year our school is implementing lots of changes. I'm not sure how much of this Mrs. Wright discussed at Back to School Night, but one of the biggest changes for us is in our schedule. We have a very long morning packed full of important instruction. We're trying to find a good balance for our first graders. We know they need some "wiggle" time.

For the first couple of weeks we'll be getting familiar with new routines and procedures. Formal language arts assessments begin September 2nd. (More about that soon.) In the mean time, please know that we are getting to know each other and working our way into the schedule.

Helpful Hint: Don't ask your child, "What did you do today?" You'll get, "Nothing," as an answer. Try something more specific. "Tell me something fun you did today. Tell me about your friends. Tell me about music, pe, etc. What is your favorite thing about first grade?"

Also, I read LOTS of stories EVERYDAY. Ask your child to tell you about a story. Today I read "Little Little Dog" This was my favorite book when I was a child and was given to me by my mom when I was 1 1/2 years old! Ask about it!

This is me smiling after meeting so many nice families at Back to School Night! I know we only had a few minutes together, but I can tell this is going to be a wonderful group of children to work with. Thank you all for coming. See you next Tuesday!


 

This is me in first grade! When I went to first grade I had never been to school before. There was no kindergarten then! I didn't ride a bus. I walked to school and back home every day! My mom and dad didn't walk me to school. I walked with my neighbor who was in second grade.

I remember learning to read and sitting at my desk writing the letters of the alphabet. I remember playing on the playground. We didn't have playground equipment like you have at school today. We played on a big blacktop. We jumped rope, played hopscotch, tag, basketball, and kickball.

I have happy memories of two special teachers, Mrs. Holden and Mrs. Polly. Mrs. Holden was my second grade teacher. She made me feel special and smart. Girls got to celebrate their birthday in her class by wearing a tiara (a sparkly crown)! Mrs. Polly was my ninth grade English teacher. She taught me to love the play Romeo and Juliet. She also made me feel like I was special and smart.

I hope you will have happy memories of your year in first grade. See you soon!

Well, I didn't have time to add my special surprise post today. (I'll try again tomorrow.) I spent the afternoon with Peter at his new school!  He is going to college this year, so we went to visit, buy books, etc. Hopefully he is all set to go now. He will have new challenges, more freedom, and more responsibilities. (Kind of like first graders!)

This evening I went to dinner with two very special friends. You may know them. Mrs. Boothe and Mrs. Marston! That's one of the best things about going back to school...seeing your old friends again and making new ones.

Okay, day number two of my new experience. I have created a voice thread. If it works the way it's supposed to you will see some pictures and hear my voice as I tell you about my favorite things! You might even be able to comment on them. (I'm not sure exactly how that works yet, but we'll see!) If you have a microphone on your computer, you can speak your comments. If not, you can type them. Give it a try!

I am enjoying my last full week off. I've been reading and playing on the computer a lot this summer. I've also been working on church stuff. This week I'm trying to change my sleeping habits. I admit, I enjoy staying up late and sleeping in. I am not looking forward to getting up at six o'clock!

I hope that you will enjoy the last couple of weeks with your child before school starts. You may want to begin working on rearranging his/her schedule too! Start moving that bedtime back. Young children need more sleep than adults. (8:00 - 8:30 is a nice bedtime for first graders.)

Please visit again soon!