Hello First Grade Families!  Sorry for the delay in getting my website going. Changing my name from Narciso to Rossi wasn’t so easy!  Lots of changes in usernames and URLs etc.  Hopefully, it will all go smoothly from here on in!

So, here they are!  Our first day of school together!  What a great group of kids! We are working hard on getting the routines down and having fun learning about each other!  I’m looking forward to a productive year! 

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.

Additional Titles:

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

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.).

By using plastic or metal reusable water bottles we help the earth because we throw less trash away. Plastic is made from oil which is a natural resource, so will we have more of the oil and earth to keep us alive. By using  plastic spring water, water bottles, we have more trash and less earth and oil.

This is why we recommend always using plastic or metal water bottles!

Be proud!

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.

The Goo Goo Dolls and Elmo Sing Pride​

Below are five more facts about groundhogs and their special day!

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

You can find more books about groundhogs @ 394.26

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Be persistent!

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.

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A Visitor For Bear by Bonny Becker	Leo the Lightening Bug by Eric Drachman	Try and Stick With It by Cheri J. Meiners
Flight School by 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 Spider written 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.​

Optimism

Be Positive!

Optimism is the ability to remain hopeful and confident about the future or successful outcome of something.

Assembly Read Aloud: Rain Brings Frogs: A Little Book of Hope by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Read Alouds:

Be Positive! A Book about Optimism by Cheri Meiners	Wanda’s Roses by Pat Brisson	Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin	When Pigs Fly by Valerie Coulman
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Kraus	Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen by Cari Best	The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper	I Think, I Am by Louise Hay

Good News Bad News by Jeff Mack

Today I Will Fly by Mo Willems

Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by James Dean

Activities:

Have a discussion on how to respond optimistically in each of the following scenarios:

• You lose a game of checkers.
• You get your new sneakers dirty.
• It’s a rainy day and you can’t go on the playground.

Additional Resources:

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Our class has been working hard with all types of writing: personal narrative, small moments and nonfiction how-to!

A classroom celebration will be held on Tuesday, December 22nd at 2:15pm. Students will share their writing piece, make a small winter craft and have a yummy snack!

Help us celebrate our Nonfiction “How To” writing by leaving a message for us in the comment section of this blog. To read our stories click on the red target on the bottom left of each child’s photograph!

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Please post to your blog in order to remind the community to give to Meals on Wheels this holiday season. Thank you.

December is the perfect month for families to consider helping others in need. For the fourteenth year, William O. Schaefer family’s are given the opportunity to share food with the home bound and elderly residents of South Orangetown by making Covered Cupboards for the Meals on Wheels Program.

Covered Cupboards are simply made by filling shoe boxes with nutritious foods. Do not wrap paper around the lid and box or glue 3-D decorations to lids. Please just loosely tape the lid to the box. Drawings on the lids or covers is welcomed! These Covered Cupboards are delivered to seniors for use when inclement weather prohibits delivery of a hot meal.

Please drop off your Covered Cupboards at William O. Schaefer (WOS), 140 Lester Drive, Tappan, New York. The Executive Director of Meals on Wheels, Jim Burton, will pick up the Covered Cupboards at WOS on Wednesday, December 23rd.

Thank you in advance for giving so generously to the seniors in our community during this winter season.

Please refer to Covered Cupboard Food List to find out all the details, including the suggested food list. Questions can be forwarded to mchaudoir@socsd.org.