We are CREW, not passengers

We are CREW, not passengers.

This week we got to know each other even more by creating our norms as a class.  The kids brainstormed ideas on Monday and we discussed them each day.  By Thursday, we had come up with these norms that we recite many times a day.  We have worked so hard at following and practicing these norms and celebrated by making SLIME in class.  

Our learning target was:

I can show respect to my crew by following our classroom norms.

We will continue work on making good choices and practicing following our norms.

Everybody Has a Story

Grab your gear...We are going on an Expedition!  Our first learning expedition, "Everybody has a Story" started with a kickoff of the Storyteller Superheroes Save The Day!  In our first case study, Telling Our Story, we are busy telling our stories, listening to others' stories, producing a high quality self portrait and writing.

High Quality work is hard work!

We take our time to do our best!

Learning Targets:
~I can speak and write in complete sentences to tell about myself. 
~I can listen to others tell about themselves with care and ask questions.
~I can answer questions about myself.
~I can persevere through many drafts to produce a high quality self portrait.

We got introduced to our master story teller, Mrs. Judy Hill, from the Douglas County Library.  She will be visiting our classroom once a month.  It was so amazing to see the kids engaged and mesmerized by her beautiful stories!

First Week

This week, students got to explore our classroom and get to know the spaces and the materials available to them.  Students got use to their book box to find their reading books, writer's journals, song/poem folders and math books.  Students practiced sharing our table tub materials such as pencils, crayons and colored pencils.

*Classroom Organization - setting up the physical room in ways that encourage student's independence, cooperation and productivity.

We learned our classmates names and spent a lot of time in CREW circles through out the day to practice  communication skills and to discuss how our day was going.


*Collaborative Problem Solving—using conferencing, role playing, and other strategies to resolve problems with students

The first week of first grade was filled with lots of exploration and practice of our routines.  We investigated lots of our math manipulatives to learn how to use them and how to keep our classroom clean.

*Guided Discovery—introducing classroom materials using a format that encourages independence, creativity, and responsibility



*Responsive Classroom Routines

First Grade ROCKS!

First Grade Team (Ms. Rivera, Mrs. Lysinger, Ms. Chris, Mrs. Schumacher

Welcome to first grade crew!  It was so great to meet many of you at the Meet and Greet.  School starts Monday, August 10 at 8:25 am.  We will meet you at the black top for an all school assembly.  Mr. Rodda, along with other Fox Creek Staff, will be leading us in songs and chants to get us excited for this school year. 

This year in first grade we will be involved in 2 Learning Expeditions
~Everybody Has a Story (fall 2015) - a study of fiction English Language standards around oral story telling, reading stories, understanding stories and writing stories
~The World is our Garden (spring 2016) - a study of non-fiction English Language standards and science standards about earth's materials, soil, compost, garden organisms and garden plants.

Our first grade year will be filled with lots of reading, writing, math, science and social studies.  I look forward to building relationships with both you and your student.  

We are all ready!

The classroom is ready, new crayons are in their place and now all I need is my new CREW!  I am looking forward to a great year of learning, laughter and love.  Please come to the open house on Friday, August 7 between 3-4 pm in our classroom.  This is a time for your child to bring all of his/her school supplies, tour the classroom, meet me and check out all the places in Fox Creek.  I hope you can make it.