Poem in Your Pocket

Today Mrs. Williams gave each student a poem to keep in their pocket to help celebrate National Poetry month. Check out THIS site to learn more about the Poem in Your Pocket program. We'll be writing poems with our 4th grade buddies this afternoon!

Three Billy Goats

Today we listened to THIS version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff and did an activity that gave the students a chance to retell the story.  Click the butterfly in the lower right hand corner to hear the story. 

On a completely unrelated note, here's the trailer for Where The Wild Things Are.  Is anyone else eager for the wild rumpus to begin???

Earth Day

Schedule for 4/20 - 4/24

M - Music
T - Art
W - Gym & Computer & Earth Day
Th - Music, Statewide tornado drill @ 1:45
F - Art & Media
S - Shirley Hills Spring Carnival!!!

Due to testing in 3rd and 4th grade, our Media time will be switched to Friday this week. So you have one extra day to enjoy the current book you have! This week we are working on the letter N, our sight word is it, and word family is -ip. We will continue to practice measurement in math this week.

The carnival will be this Saturday from 11:00 - 3:00. Please come and enjoy the food, fun, and games. Also, be sure to check out the silent auction in the Media Center. All proceeds from the carnival will directly benefit Shirley Hills. Thanks to everyone for bringing in coffee and tea items for our classroom basket!

This Wednesday is Earth Day. K-1 students made a pledge to Mrs. Swanson to do something on Wednesday to make a difference. The students decided to spend the day without using electricity in our classroom! No lights, no listening center, no SmartBoard. We'll be hand delivering our attendance to the office and I will be giving up the use of my computer for the day! Check back later in the week for more about Earth Day!

Hindsight

Thought I'd share a poem that I came across in another teacher's blog that I read.  This time of year is typically somewhat stressful for me as I try to fit everything in before the year is over.  This poem serves as a good reminder that I need to slow down and enjoy the 20 little ones that I get to spend my days with!

Hindsight

If I had my children to raise all over again,

I'd finger-paint more, and point the fingers less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.

I'd teach less about the love of power,

And more about the power of love.

Schedule for 4/13 - 4/17

M - Art
T - Gym
W - Music & Computer
Th - Art & Media
F - Gym

This week we will be working on the letter V, our new sight word is that, and our word family is -it. We will be starting our measurement chapter in math this week. The students will be sorting objects by length, measuring using nonstandard units (paper clips, yarn, pencils), and comparing the different objects by weight.

Schedule for 4/7 - 4/10

M - No school
T - Music
W - Art & Computer
Th - Gym & Media
F - Music

This week our new letter is L, our sight word is your, and word family is -im.

We started a new science unit yesterday - goldfish and guppies. Yesterday the students had a chance to observe the three goldfish in our room. Today we will be working on labeling the different parts of a fish and later we will be introducing a couple of guppies to see the similarities and differences. The students love the new "class pets" and even drew little pictures to set next to the aquarium for the fish to look at!

Maps

On Monday, we read a book about different jobs that people have. Today we made maps of our school and drew pictures of the people that work here. Click the picture to enlarge the image!

A.W

A. M.

A. T.

A. R.

A. S.

B. J.

B. K.

C. N.

C. W.

D. F.

D. J. H.

D. K. H.

G. B.

J. W.

J. P.

M. K.

S. R.

T. F.

T. S.