Science - Habitats!

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone! I hope you enjoy the extra day off and have some time to relax, or as close as you can come to relaxation. :)

After Labor Day we are starting a science unit on habitats. We just finished learning about the difference between living and non-living things, so we're moving on to studying where and how these living things live. Although we are going to study habitats in general, we are focusing on four: oceans, forests, wetlands, and deserts.

Here are some really neat websites to go along with our new unit. These are live web-cams of habitats around the world. All of these worked on my home computer, but I know for some of them you have to have updated versions of flash, or java, or some of those other programs. I hope you, and your student, enjoy them!

Beaches:
http://www.livebeachcams.com/

Around the world:
http://www.earthcam.com/network/

Rainforest:
http://www.wildlifefocus.org/webcam/index.shtml

Oceans:
http://www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/blogs_webcams_videos_and_more/webcams/giant_ocean_tank_webcam/index.php

I'll be adding more as I find them. Feel free to post any you have found as well! :)

-Miss Shelton

UPromise

Just a reminder to check out http://www.upromise.com. You can sign up, for FREE, to start saving for your child's future education just by shopping! If you buy qualifying products, a certain percentage of that will be put into an account just for your child. You can register your grocery cards, drug store cards, and gas cards to count towards these purchases. You can even register other family member's cards to your child's account! Another cool feature is there is a list of websites, like target.com and others, that are partnered with UPromise. If you access these sites through UPromise by going to upromise.com and clicking on the link first, instead of going directly to the website, these online purchases also count. This is a perfect and painless way to start saving now. There is a UPromise link to the left of the screen. Enjoy!

-Miss Shelton

PIN Night and Classroom Schedule

Good evening everyone!

Thanks to all who showed up for Parent Information Night tonight! If you couldn't make it, no worries; a 1st Grade Parent Information Packet will be sent home in your student's red folder with lots of helpful information.

I thought it would be a good idea to post a classroom schedule so you can get an idea of our day. The non-negotiables are lunch, recess, and specials. However, sometimes the day gets crazy and subject areas get switched around to better suit the kids. For the most part, here's what and when we'll be learning in our classroom:

7:50 - 8:20 a.m. - Breakfast, morning procedures

8:30 - 9:15 a.m. - Writer's Workshop

9:20 - 9:50 a.m. - Reader's Workshop: Reading Strategy

9:50 - 10:35 a.m. - Reader's Workshop: OYO routines

10:35 - 10:45 a.m. - Core Vocabulary, read aloud

10:50 - 11:35 a.m. - Lunch

11:35 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Recess

12:10 - 12:50 - Specials

12:50 - 1:30 p.m. - Mathematics

1:30 - 1:50 p.m. - Spelling / Word Work

1:50 - 2:15 p.m. - Social Studies

Have a wonderful and peaceful evening!

-Miss Shelton

Update on the first week!

The first 3 days of school are over, and I can't believe how fast they went!

The kids were really awesome this week. The first day is a crazy day in any school, so they were just as patient and understanding as I was. Things really calmed down the next couple of days and we were able to spend time in our own classroom.

Here are some things we did this week:

*We were introduced to our Classroom Library.
*We had our first community circle and Peacemakers lesson!
*We created the ABC chart that is going above the chalkboard.
*We created and signed our Classroom Constitution.
*We learned, had fun, and got to know each other.

Next week we will start into the more academic areas, like math, writing, and reading.

Be sure to remember Back to School night: Tuesday, August 18 from 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. I know we would have all had a long day by then, so I won't talk at you the whole time. It will be a time for me to introduce you to our classroom, and for you to ask me any questions. Hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful weekend!

*Welcome to Room 39!*

Hello everyone! Welcome to our classroom website. This will be a place where you can go to stay updated with the happenings and activities in Room 39 throughout the school year. There are also website resources to the left and I'll be adding some more fun stuff here and there, so check back often for updates!

Only 4 short days until school starts, and I hope my future students are as excited to meet me as I am to meet them. The classroom is ready, with the exception of a few small details here and there. I really think I have created a space that will allow my students to be excited and motivated to learn. I can't wait until they walk in the door Wednesday morning!

As I've spent more time in my classroom setting up, I realize there isn't a better place to be than this school. I haven't met a single teacher who hasn't welcomed me, helped me, and given me advice, and the same goes for the awesome administrators. I can promise you, this is the place to be.

Stay tuned for what's to come: Our first days of school, and a classroom tour!

With peace,
Miss Shelton