In reading, students formulated questions and answers about different texts. Students practiced this skill after reading A Bottle Village and Cleversticks. Students created portraits which featured drawings of themselves asking and answering questions.

In math, students learned to create both addition and subtraction equations using the complements to 10.      Students played a card game and did speed rounds on the whiteboards to practice their fluency.

During centers, students raced in teams to complete addition and subtraction problems on a pocket chart. Partners read a story from Treasures together, and students created Space Alien Silent "E" words.

We also went to see a Junie B. Jones play this week! The play featured scenes from First Grader at Last and One Man Band. The trip was so much fun, and the kids really enjoyed seeing one of their favorite characters come to life.

On Friday, Mrs. Diehl visited the class to teach an introductory lesson about computer usage. Students learned the proper way to carry a laptop, and practiced entering their top secret usernames and passwords. 

Check out the Photo Gallery for more pictures from this week!

In reading, students identified text features in nonfiction books and explained how each feature helps you to understand the text. We read Floods! as a class, and students split into teams to become text feature experts. Students also became word investigators this week, determining the meaning of unknown words using context clues and pictures. Students read Masks! Masks! Masks! in partners to practice finding the meaning of unknown words.

In writer's workshop, students wrote persuasive pieces and shared them with the class. Students developed arguments to support their opinions on which was better, pizza or chicken nuggets.

In math, students learned to quickly solve subtraction problems using their knowledge of numbers that are 1 less and 2 less than the minuend (ex: 4 - 1 = ___, 4 - 2 = ___). We practiced this skill using Rekenrek bracelets, which allow students to easily visualize the two parts of any addition or subtraction problem.

Our Book Buddies came to visit on Thursday. Students worked together with their buddies to complete a literature packet all about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Lucy was our Can-Do Kid this week! We loved learning all the things that Lucy can do. Lucy has a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do, and she also can perform magic tricks. She read two of Aesop's Fables to the class, and also showed us a slideshow. 

Check out the Photo Gallery for more pictures from this week!

In reading, students developed their skills making connections between two ideas. Students practiced this skill with partners after reading How Kittens Grow, and then completed an independent assessment using the book One Big Baby. Students also continued to develop their skills identifying nonfiction text features. 

In writing, students practiced procedural writing. The class brainstormed the steps necessary to make a snowman, and then students used transitions in their writing to explain each step.

In math this week, students reviewed their addition and subtraction facts. Students completed math fluency books which they will use as a resource, and also played Math Memory. 

Due to the short week, there are no extra photos in the Photo Gallery. Have a great weekend! 

Happy Holidays!

Wow, what a fun week! This year each class was assigned a Secret Snowflake class. Throughout the week, students brainstormed good deeds we could do for our Secret Snowflakes (Mrs. Balicki's class). My class cleaned their room and desks, made the students holiday cards, and prepared treat bags for an after-concert snack.

We also got to meet our Secret Snowflakes: Mrs. Browning's class! They gave our class handmade snowflakes, candy canes, and finally treated us to hot cocoa while we made marshmallow snowmen together. 

 

This week students each presented their family's holiday traditions. From sushi-making to a backyard ice-rink, the variety of traditions was amazing! The kids really enjoyed hearing about the ways their classmates celebrate the season. 

 Ian was our Can-Do Kid this week! Ian told the class all about his favorite activities (soccer and mountain climbing), and he read his favorite book Art to the class. Ian also shared a slideshow with the class on Friday. 

 

On Friday, the students performed their Winter Concert.  Mrs. Hiolski did an amazing job with the kids, and I am really proud of all the students' hard work. 

Finally, students made gingerbread houses! Special thanks to the parents who volunteered to help with gingerbread construction. 

 

At the end of the day Friday the students surprised me with a card and a class gift. Thank you so much! I am so lucky and proud to be a part of Irving School. There are many more pictures in the Photo Gallery so please check them out. Have a happy and safe winter break!

In reading this week, students became Story Gurus! Students learned how to describe the elements of a story and how illustrations can help them to understand key details. Students read The Ugly Duckling and Lucille's Snowsuit and then discussed with partners how the illustrations helped them. Students also read a play and took turns voicing the different parts.

 Students put their new knowledge into practice creating Story Element Snowmen! Students created these graphic organizers which detail characters, setting, and problem/solution after reading Too Many Tamales, a Mexican Christmas story.

In math, students practiced solving "add to" and "take from" word problems. Students continued to develop their verbal reasoning skills by justifying their solutions and sharing their findings with the class. 

In social studies, students learned about how Christmas is celebrated in Mexico, England, and Germany. Mrs. Hiolski also had the students attend their first practice for the winter concert! There will be two Kindergarten - 1st Grade winter concert performances on Friday, December 20th: the first at  8:15 a.m. and the second at 9:45 a.m. Irving staff asks that families reserve the first performance for those who need to get to work afterward. If you are able to attend the second performance, please do so!

Next week students will present their own family's holiday traditions. I can't wait to hear about all the unique ways my students celebrate the holidays!

In reading, students learned to distinguish between fiction and nonfiction texts. We discussed how certain text features can indicate whether a book contains real information. Students practiced this skill by reading Bats and Stellaluna, and later in the week we read Velociraptors and If the Dinosaurs Came Back. Students then completed a Venn Diagram after reading Click, Clack, Moo and Let's Visit a Dairy Farm. Students also studied how to use illustrations and main ideas in a text to describe its key details. We read Pointy, Long, or Round as a class, then students read A Ladybug's Life with a partner and shared with the class what information they gathered from the pictures versus the text.

 In math, students learned to create simple picture representations to solve subtraction word problems. To practice this skill, students worked in teams to create word problems which they then read to the class. The students really enjoyed solving their classmates' creative story problems!

 

In social studies, students plotted their historical events on a giant timeline! I really enjoyed listening to the students' presentations, especially because each event was so different from the next. If you are in the building, swing by the classroom lockers to see out timeline display. 

We also began our unit studying Holidays Around the World. Students learned about how Christmas is celebrated in the Netherlands, and also learned about Hanukkah. 

Kiran was our Can-Do Kid this week! We loved learning about all the things Kiran can do. Kiran is a gymnast and a drummer, and his favorite book is The Snowy Day. 

There are lots of extra pictures in the Photo Gallery this week, so make sure to check them out!