JH Stars Have Fun Learning

October had been a busy month in our 1st grade class, and time is flying by!  In Writing we are working on a Persuasive piece, and we completed our Animal Acrostics.  We learned about Christopher Columbus and his explorations in Social Studies.  We continue to learn our Addition facts in Math, and are using the adding facts we know to learn about subtraction.  We have been reading and discussing how to show that we are Responsible at home and at school.  I enjoyed visiting with parents at Parent-Teacher Conferences.  My students are fortunate to have adults in their lives who care so much!  My students were VERY excited to start using i pads to practice their Sight Words.  The high school FFA provided a hay rack ride and pumpkin patch for the grade school classes.  We got to pick out a pumpkin for our class and decorate it.  We made a purr-fect cat. Another exciting time was our Halloween party and parade.  Thanks to all the parents who contributed to our fun party!  We also celebrated 2 birthdays in October-Mariah and Dillon.  As you can see, it has been a fun-filled month!

1st Grade Hollywood Stars

We are off to a great start in 1st grade!  On August 15th, 16 eager students walked through my door.  It is always so much fun for them to see their classmates again and open those new school supplies!  We had an assembly on the first day of school where teachers were given the Star Treatment! Students new to our school were also introduced.
We have had 2 Birthday Stars since the school year began-Jace and Katie.  We have also had individual pictures taken.  On September 18th, we took a Field Trip to Mrs. Baldridge's farm.  We got to see and pet many calves, lambs, goats, donkeys, rabbits, alpacas, and even a tortoise named Matilda!  Mrs. Baldridge also told us about their Aoudad who can jump an 8 foot fence.  We had a wonderful time "down on the farm"! 
I look forward to a great year with my Star Students!

Springtime at JH Ranch

We are so happy to have Spring arrive! My students also enjoyed Easter with family and friends. I heard many stories about Easter celebrations, get-togethers, and fun! During Spring Break, we were sad to have Ethan move to a different district. He was our friend and we miss him! On April 11, we got to experience Body Venture. It is a hands-on program designed to help students learn about their bodies so they can make healthy lifestyle choices. There were 9 Body Venture stations that students visited-- the Brain, Mouth, Stomach, Small Intestine, Heart, Lungs, Bones, Muscles, and Skin. JH High School students did an excellent job of leading each of the sessions. I know that my class learned a lot and had a great time! Many of my students were able to attend Literacy Night on April 16th and perform 3 Western-style Nursery Rhymes. After their performance, there were many activites families could choose to do including Western crafts, games, and stories. The evening ended with prize drawings! Yee-haw! We recently celebrated Dawson's birthday, and we have many more upcoming April birthdays in our class to enjoy. We are very excited about our upcoming Field Trip to the Kansas Museum of History!

J.H. 1st Graders Lasso a Lot of Learning

We have had a busy few weeks here at the JH 1st Grade Ranch. We celebrated Michaela's birthday on Feb. 27th. I have enjoyed visiting with my students' parents at Parent-Teacher Conferences. It is evident that the children in my class are very much loved. We have enjoyed helping the 4th graders get "pumped up" for their State Assessment tests by bringing them treats. In class lately we have- >been reading and learning about plants >passed more than 380 Accelerated Reading tests as a class with 92% accuracy >been participating in the Pizza Hut Book-It program since January >learned @130 Sight Words >been learning our Addition Facts to 18 and have started learning Subtraction >learned to tell time to the hour and half hour >written a biography >been studying American Indian Homes of the past in Kansas Of course, we are all looking forward to Spring Break!

More Winter 1st Grade Fun

January 28th was our 100th Day of School! My class started the day by making and decorating 100th Day hats to wear to lunch. They liked wearing them so much that many students wore them all afternoon! After counting to 100, we watched the clock for 100 seconds. Then my class answered as many adding flashcards as they could in 100 seconds. We also read the story "100 Hungry Ants". 1B finished the day by drawing wacky self-portraits of what they might look like when they are 100 years old. Our latest celebration came on February 14th, Valentine's Day. During the party the kids enjoyed playing Musical Chairs and relay races where they had to toss bean bags. They got to eat delicious refreshments and open their valentines. (They had been anxiously waiting to get into their Valentine pouches all week!) Thanks to Misty Hutfles, Gera Cochren, Candance Smith, and all the other parents who contributed to give my students a nice party.

Wintertime at 1B Ranch

< After a wonderful Christmas Break, we are settling into our 2nd Semester of 1st grade. We have celebrated 3 birthdays recently- Felicity's on Dec. 14th, Michael's on Dec.30th, and Lillian's on Jan. 9th. Lillian also has a new addition to her family, a baby brother born on Jan.3rd. Her Mom and Grandma brought little Mason to school for Show and Tell on Lillian's birthday. What a special Show and Tell that was! Before Christmas Break we celebrated Polar Express Day. Each student brought a decorated train car to wear in the Polar Express parade around the schools. All the train cars looked wonderful! Besides the parade we also read the story "The Polar Express" and watched the movie, while drinking hot cocoa and eating cookies. Yum! On December 17th we had a surprise visit from Santa Claus, and his helpers from the fire department! The kids enjoyed telling Santa their wishes and receiving treat bags. We are looking forward to our 100th day of school!