Open, free prize inside.

Scroll down for FREE PRIZE.

First set of news, we will start the last set of MAP testing this week. Make sure your student has had a good 8 hours of sleep and a healthy breakfast each morning. We will begin the Language Arts MAP on April 18th and Math MAP on April 27th.

Each student was given the chance to do an extra writing assignment at home. No one likes extra homework, but many of them did it! What was the secret ingredient? TOYS! The students had the opportunity to write a speech about their favorite toys and show the class their prized possessions. Everyone wants to bring their toys to school! Many students brought their cherished stuffed animal. Ryen brought a Minion, Sarah brought her favorite Shopkins. Mace brought a Storm Trooper, I think? Some guy from Star Wars. (Husband rolling his eyes.)


We finished our last lesson in science for the animal characteristics unit. Next week, we will start dissecting parts and functions of plants. This week, the students learned about how animals depend on each other and the ecosystem around them to survive. As a class, we did an activity with a simple ball of yarn to express an intricate food chain, including the decomposers that eat the top predators, such as the anaconda, of the food chain.  This model represented how intricate the chain of life can be. Dominic was the leaf cutter ant. When he pulled on his string, the students could feel their string pull and made them realize how the ant phases other animals and plants throughout the web. If one animal became extinct, it could effect the whole ecosystem in the jungle. Props to Lilou who took the picture of our web, and Makaela who controlled the PowerPoint with the animals,

We also created our own ecosystem. With the effort of all our first grade teachers gathering the supplies, we made a two-story terrarium. On the bottom story, we had fish eating the live moss. On the top story, we had worms, crickets, and potatoes. Unfortunately, we never named the goldfish. Their new home is right next to the gerbils. That poor cricket is trying so hard to get out of there alive.

FREE TREASURE BOX CHANCE!!!!
Zaption has been a great tool of technology that I have started to dabble in. The students have taken a Zaption quiz as a whole class, but now here is an opportunity for your child to show you what they know at home. Click on this website, and find an interactive Disney video that will quiz your student. At the end, it will ask for your child's name. I can see it on my Zaption account. If they take the quiz, they can get something out of the treasure box. Let them show off what they know!
 CLICK HERE FOR THE QUIZ

Last, but not least -my favorite moment as a teacher this last week.

With a little extra time, I introduced a logic game to my students called Four in a Row 3D. The students all played together against me. There is countless possibilities to make four-in-a-row: vertically, horizontally, diagonal vertically, etc. It was great to see the students communicate and think a few steps ahead to try to beat me. My kids can get competitive. So far, no one has beaten me yet. =] However, when they worked together, they game me a run for my money.