First Full Week

Hello again!  Thanks for checking out our blog again this week!  We usually post once or twice a week, so be sure you check in each weekend.  Here are a few highlights of our first full week in first grade...

We began our week with EIGHT Monarch caterpillars from a field near Mrs. Ferrell's home.  We have been recording their changes in a journal as they happen.  On the first day, all eight were eating the milkweed leaves.  By the end of that day, a few were 'heading for high ground' to create a chrysalis.

The Monarch caterpillars attach themselves and hang upside down in a "J" shape.
Soon the skin will split a final time and the chrysalis will emerge.

The above two pictures were taken when a chrysalis began to emerge with two of our caterpillars!

Sadly, we lost most of our caterpillars.  We found out that sometimes caterpillars kill other caterpillars, and also are infected with larva.  We even had two who we think died as their chrysalis' were forming! We all decided that we had to go hunting for more monarch caterpillars this weekend and would keep trying.   If you are fortunate enough to find some, please send them in along with milkweed leaves.

This week we also began Language Arts center time.  We do centers Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.   There are three rotations each day;  Reading group with Mrs. Ferrell followed by two practice papers, computers, and Learning Stations.

Maddie and Evan play Hi-Ho, Cherry-O along with some Beginning Sound board games
for their Learning Station.  They will go to the other two stations as well by the end of Wednesday's center time.

Josie, Abby, Keaton, Olivia, Isaac and Ethan are working on their
seat work papers following our Reading Group lesson.

Grayson, Vera, Keegan, Mackenzie, and Jaelene are playing
various learning games on our 'dinosaur' computers.

We also were able to use the laptop cart this week.  I introduced the kids to one of my favorite websites called Cool Math 4 Kids.   This week they played a game called Feed Fribbit Colors.  This website has a TON of cool math games!  The kids do not even realize how much they are learning when they play, plus they learn really cool computer skills too.

Feed Fribbit Colors was so much fun!   The next day, the kids used the laptops
to take the Delta Math Screener, which we take three times per year.

Check back again next weekend to see more action in our classroom!  You can also bookmark our blog and your child can click on the links to get to Xtra Math, Cool Math 4 Kids, Ms. Baker's InfoTech website, and other sites with cool games for first graders!