Dennis Lee Was in the House!

Clearly, I'm not going to win any photo contests for these pictures from our performance by ventroliquist Dennis Lee last week, but you can at least get an idea of the fun we had. Our fantastic PTO has sponsored this show for many years. This is a great example of the Write a Check program hard at work. Thank you parents!

He always has a positive message and entertains both the students and the teachers with his witty banter. This year he talked about being a "STAR" and not "RATS" -- get it -- that's star, backwards! Just look at how they are hanging on his every word. If I couldn't be a teacher, I'd try to run off and join his show!

Daily 5 in Action

Two of the activities during our Daily 5 rotations are Read to Self and Read to Someone. We have learned all about how to do both of these to help our reading fluency and stamina and show how INDEPENDENT we can be! Students learned 3 ways to read a book with someone:

1. Check for Understanding: take turns reading the same book and stop to explain what you heard your partner read

2. You read, I read: take turns beginning with the most fluent reader, reading the same passage (This is great for fluency!)

3. Read 2 different books: Students take turns reading aloud from different selections and continue to check for understanding

We learned how to sit EEKK! Ask your child what that stands for! They should say ...

Elbow to Elbow and Knee to Knee!

Check out these kids ... they KNOW how to be independent!

Math Investigations

As part of our math Investigations program we worked in small groups to explore some of the manipulatives we will use this year. Then we charted our observations. Manipulatives we used included pattern blocks, power polygons, attribute blocks and connecting cubes.

Meet 1A 2011-2012

First Day of School

The First Day of School

I don't know who was more excited....the parents or the kids!