Look how we have grown!
Reflection is the willingness to learn about yourself. What have I achieved and what else do I need to do?
Assembly Read Aloud:
The OK Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
OK is turned on its side, upside down, and right side up to show that being OK can really be quite great. Whether OK personifies an OK skipper, an OK climber, an OK lightning bug catcher, or an OK whatever there is to experience, ok is an OK place to be. And being OK just may lead to the discovery of what makes one great.
Be thankful! Appreciation is the quality of being thankful and the ability to appreciate and return kindness. Assembly Read Aloud: The Thankful Book by Todd Parr
I am thankful for music because it makes me want to dance.
I am thankful for my feet because they help me run and play.
I am thankful for kisses because they make me feel loved.
Books:
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss
The Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt
Audio only below Other Resources:
A simple ‘Thank You’ song:
Activities:
Thank You Circle: Using a talking stick, the leader thanks the person next to him/her for an act of kindness or a positive personality trait. That person says, “You’re welcome!” and thanks the next person for something, etc.
A-Z Gratitude Game: Students sit in a circle. Assign a leader (yourself, or one of the students) to start. The person starting should say something that he/she is grateful for that starts with the letter “A.” The next person should say something that he/she is grateful for, starting with the letter “B.” End the round when you have covered the entire alphabet. Variations: students use the first letter of their names; select a theme of gratitude (gratitude for people, things, ideas, etc.).
Today is Scrabble Day! It celebrates the popular board game on the birthday of it’s inventor, Alfred Mosher Butts. Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a gameboard marked with a 15×15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary.
This Scrabble online free game is great practice for the real thing. Combine the letters into high-value words on a timer for the most points. Sharpen your vocabulary and memory skills with this fun, fast-paced word game!
To begin, go here and click the Small | Medium | Large under the picture. This opens the game in a pop-up window.
Blogging is about sharing what you see in the world. It’s about teaching or sharing what you know and what you are learning. Our class decided to start adding to our blog every week with blog posts written by our class members!
Any student is welcome to contribute. We have a special basket in our class for those who would like to submit an article. Our article deadline is every Friday at 9:30 a.m.
We hope you will find yourself learning new things about our classroom!
This week in library we shared the book titled, The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns. Bored and dissatisfied with his life, a triangle visits a local shapeshifter to add another angle to his shape. Poof! He becomes a quadrilateral. But then he gets greedy and keeps adding angles until he’s completely transformed. We really enjoyed this review of shapes and basic math concepts!
Newt, we were challenged to build a 3 dimensional triangle with a partner using Stawbees. Strawbees is a construction kit based on one simple unit that lets you connect straws to each other. Mrs. Narciso says they remind her of Tinker Toys!
Be flexible! Flexibility is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Having a positive and hopeful attitude helps us to overcome challenges. When times are difficult or mistakes are made, it is important to stay motivated and be flexible. Being flexible helps us when we need to cope with changes. Flexibility helps us to think about problems in new, creative ways. This is also a great way to connect and understand growth mind-sets and fixed mind-sets. Being flexible is helpful in developing our true potential.
Assembly Read Aloud:But Excuse Me That is My Book by Lauren Child
In this funny “Charlie and Lola” adventure, Lola insists on going to the library to get her favorite book, the same one she has taken out over and over again. What will happen when she discovers that the book she loves is not on the library shelves? Will Lola be flexible and take an different book from the library shelves?
Books:
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
Zoom by Istvan Banyai
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
You might have had your hopes up that your mommy packed you a meatball hero with an ice cream sandwich on the side for lunch, but don’t get upset if it turns out to be a PB&J with some carrots. You’ve got to change the plan, and be flexible. Sing along with Ernie as he sings the Change The Plan Song!
Pride is the feeling of happiness that you get when you or someone you know does something good, difficult, etc. You can have pride in your country, school work or friends.
Assembly Read Aloud:Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Molly Lou Melon is short and clumsy and has buckteeth and a voice that sounds like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. But armed with the encouraging words of her grandmother, Molly Lou confidently confronts the class bully at her new school. A not-to-be missed story for the less-than-perfect part of everyone!
Books:
Crafty Chloe by Kelly DiPucchio and Heather Ross
Only One You by Linda Kranz
The Land of Many Colors by Rita Pocock
The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio
I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
Little Bear’s Little Boat by Eve Bunting
Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Me I Am! by Jack Prelutsky
Zero by Kathryn Otoshi
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy and Kimberly Shaw-Peterson
I’m Proud to be Natural Me! by Marlene Dillon
I’m Terrific by Marjorie Weinman Shar
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy and Kimberly Shaw-Peterson
How can Ralph be so mean? Lucy is one of a kind and Ralph loves to point that out. Lucy’s defining moment comes when Ralph truly needs help. Because she knows what she stands for, Lucy has the courage to make a good choice. This charming story empowers children to always do the right thing and be proud of themselves, even when they are faced with someone as challenging as Ralph.
Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Spoon has always been a happy little utensil who loves his family. But lately he’s been feeling down. He thinks his friends Knife, Fork, and Chopsticks have it so much better than him. He can’t cut like Knife, he’s not as useful as Fork, and no one thinks he’s cool and exotic like Chopsticks.
Below are five more facts about groundhogs and their special day!
A groundhog’s life span is usually six to eight years. Litters are normally born mid-April or May, and by July the young animals are able to go out in the wilderness by themselves. However, while in captivity, groundhogs have been known to live for up to 22 years. They can grow up to 3 feet in length and can weigh as much as 30 pounds.
Groundhogs are vegetarians. While they do sometimes eat insects, they mostly consume greens, fruits and vegetables. They also drink surprisingly little water. They get most of their liquid from the dewy leaves they eat.
Groundhogs are also known as “whistle pigs” because of their ability to sit up on their hind legs and make a loud, high-pitched whistle sound. They use this noise an alert about oncoming dangers, like coyotes or eagles. They also use this sound during the spring when they begin mating.
The tradition of Groundhog Day was brought over by German immigrants in the late 1800s. The town of Punxsutawney,Pennsylvania eventually became the center of the tradition. At the time, the “unburrowing” ceremony was planned by members of Groundhog Lodges, meant for socializing with others and enjoying meals.
The original custom never involved groundhogs. The Europeans originally used badgers or sometimes bears as their weather forecasters, as both animals hibernate and wake up when the days become longer and the sun’s angle becomes higher.
For even more facts about Groundhog Day…
Read: Groundhog Day by Gail Gibbons
Every February 2, people all across the country wonder about the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. Will he see his shadow on that day or won’t he? Will spring come early or late? Here is information about Groundhog Day, its origins, and the animal at the center of this delightful annual event.
Overview: Persistence is the continuous effort to do or achieve something even when faced with obstacles.
Assembly Read Aloud:The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
The girl has a wonderful idea! She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right.
A Visitor For Bear by Bonny Becker
Leo the Lightening Bug by Eric Drachman
Try and Stick With It by Cheri J. Meiners
Flight Schoolby Lita Judge
Long Shot: Never to Small to Dream Big
by Paul Chris
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
by Mo Willems
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
The Very Busy Spiderwritten and illustrated by Eric Carle
I Knew You Could! A Book For All The Stops In Your Life by Craig Dorfman
Below is a fun little animation that illustrates persistence!
Activities: Jigsaw Puzzles or Games: Students work together in small groups to complete puzzles of various difficulty and/or table-top games.
The OK Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
If Kids Ran the World by Leo & Diane Dillon
Cookies by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I Like Me! by Nancy Carlson
What I like About Me! by Allia Zobel Nolan
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
