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!

Fall Happenings

It is a busy time in the JH 1st Grade Ranch!  It is hard to believe that we are almost halfway through the school year.  Here are some of our recent activities.

• A school-wide Change War was held to benefit the local Christmas Bureau.  Almost $2,000 was raised in one week!  Jackson Heights patrons are VERY generous folks!
• Our smiles should be healthier now because Dental Screenings were held recently.  Those who chose to participate were also able to receive a Flouride treatment. 
• The cooks prepared a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for us on Nov. 15th.  We wanted to "dress up" for this special meal.  We created a Pilgrim boy, Pilgrim girl, or Indian hat to wear to lunch.  We liked them so much that we wore them all afternoon, too.

As the holidays approach, we are looking forward to these events.

• Our Christmas Concert will be held on Dec. 13th in the high school gym.  All the beautiful music should bring us some Christmas cheer.
• On Dec. 14th is Polar Express Day.  We look forward to parading in our train cars, watching the movie, and enjoying refreshments.
• Christmas break begins on Dec. 21st and continues through Jan. 2, 2013.  May your holidays be merry!

  

 

October Fun at the J.H. Ranch

October was a fun month in the 1st Grade class!  We were able to share what we have been learning and doing with our parents during Parent-Teacher Conferences.  Each student told their parents what their strengths were and where they needed to work harder using Voice Thread.  (Students also had a 4-day weekend due to conferences!)  I really enjoyed meeting with the parents and was so happy to have 100% participation! 
October 30th was a busy day in our class as we attended Mrs. Hufford's 3rd grade plays, and were given a Hay Rack Ride to the Pumpkin Patch by the high school F.F.A.  We were able to pick out a pumpkin to bring back to our class.  We had a super time at both activities!
The students of my class had a different look on Halloween.  Instead of children I saw Spidermen, a raccoon, Army men, Cleopatria, George Washington, and others in my class!  We paraded around the school, then returned to our room for a fun Halloween party.  We played a game and had delicious snacks.  Thanks to all who helped and sent refreshments. 

It is exciting for me to see my students turning into Readers!  This past month we have been talking about what it means to be Responsible, and continue to learn our Addition facts.  Learning is fun!