* Shadow or No Shadow?

Ground Hog Day is coming!
Wake up,
Wake up!
Furry little groundhog!
Your winter nap
is DONE!

Pop up from your hole
and take a look around.

Tell me, Tell me..
Do you see your shadow?
Check back with us on Monday and we will tell you the news.


Until then, visit these groundhog sites!
We'll be talking to you soon.
Click here
and here!

* These are the Months of the Year

We are learning the months of the year. We work together to arrange the names of the months in the correct order. Our school math specialist comes to help us learn more and more about math! She is awesome!
Our teacher says we are super smart!
We love learning.
We are learning that we can be anything we want to be when we grow up.
We are learning that there are many things to learn before we go on to 1st grade!

* Word Wall

Here is our Word Wall. We have been using this word wall all year long! We started by learning the letters and putting them up in order of the Alphabet Song. The letters and words are put onto the board with magnets. This way we can take the words or letters off the board and use them on the white board to make words, make sentences, or study words and letters. We learned that if we put the letters in order of the Alphabet Song, it will be easier for us to keep the words and letters organized. It will be easier for us to find the letters or words we are looking for when we read and write. We learned that this is how words are organized in a dictionary and other word learning books. Sometimes information is organized this way on the internet so that it is easier to find what we need.
In the beginning of the year, we put all of our names on the board. We took our names off to make room for the sight words we would be learning this year. The board is getting full of sight words, and we are getting to be super reader's and writer's because we are learning these words.
Thank you word wall for helping us learn!

* We Love Math Bag

We have a special bag in our class. We each take turns taking the bag home. It is called Math Exploration Bag. Our teacher is the creator of the bag and the explorations. The bag also has a math recording book in it.

When it is our turn to take the bag home, we work with our parents to choose something to put into the bag. We ask a question, present a problem or exploration for friends to solve.

Before we begin the exploration, we feel the bag and ask questions to discover what is in the bag. This helps us with our language and communication skills.

This day, our friend brought Star Burst candy. We sorted the candy by color to discover which color there was most and which was least. Before we sorted, we made several estimated guesses. What we discovered was that there were more pink and less red. Next, we made a pattern using the colors. Then we each picked our favorite flavor and used the wrapper to make a graph. We discovered that our the flavor most liked by our class was red.

If you would like a Math Exploration CD with lots of fun ways to explore math, you can email our teacher at jprobert@dsdmail.net.

* Look At Us

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do You See?
by Bill Martin Jr.
Eric Carle
Polar Bear, Polar Bear What do You Hear?
and more...
BABY BEAR, BABY BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE KITTY CAT, KITTY CAT, ARE YOU WAKING UP

We enjoy reading all of these books. We worked together to make our own version...
Teacher, teacher, what do you see?
I see friends looking at me!

* Literacy Centers & Social Learning Time

One of our favorite parts of the day is Social Choice Time. This is a time when we can use our imagination and creativity! During this time of the day we add literacy to our play. To learn more about Literacy Centers click here.

During this time of the day we learn to share and take turns. We learn about our community of friends.

We use these activities to build vocabulary and communication skills. We do lots of writing about this time of the day. We write before, during and after. We enjoy reading about our time together.

This is our teacher's favorite poem...

Just Play
By Anita Wadley
From Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul Copyright 1999 by Jack Canfield and Mark V Hansen
When I'm building in the block room, Please don't say I'm "just playing." For, you see, I'm learning as I play. About balance and shapes.
When I'm getting all dressed-up, Setting the table, caring for the babies. Don't get the idea I'm "just playing." For, you see, I'm learning as I play. I may be a mother or a father someday.
When you see me up to my elbows in paint, Or standing at an easel, or molding and shaping clay, Please don't let me hear you say "He's just playing." For you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm expressing myself and being creative. I may be an artist or an inventor someday.
When you see me sitting in a chair Reading to an imaginary audience, Please don't laugh and think I'm "just playing." For, you see, I'm learning as I play. I may be a teacher someday.
When you see me combing the bushes for bugs, Or packing my pockets with choice things I find, Don't pass it off as "just playing." For, you see, I'm learning as I play. I may be a scientist someday.
When you see me engrossed in a puzzle, Or some "plaything" at my school, Please don't feel the time is wasted in "play." For, you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm learning to solve problems and concentrate. I may be in business someday.
When you see me cooking or tasting foods, Please don't think that because I enjoy it, it is "just play." For, you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm learning to follow directions and see differences. I may be a chef someday.
When you see me learning to skip, hop, run and move my body, Please don't say I'm "just playing." For, you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm learning how my body works. I may be a doctor, nurse or athlete someday.
When you ask me what I've done at school today, And I say, "I played." Please don't misunderstand me. For, you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm learning to enjoy and be successful in work. I'm preparing for tomorrow. Today, I'm a child and my work is play.

* 3 D Snowpeople

We worked with our 4th grade buddies to create these 3 D Snowman creations.

We have had some great snow here at our school! We are looking forward to more snow days ahead... but for today we are in a January Thaw.

What kind of weather are you enjoying?

* We've Got Mail

This is our class "Motivation Mailbox." Our teacher made it out of a real mailbox. She painted it and put school stickers on it.

The mailbox is on a shelf in our classroom. It has a red flag on it. Sometimes the red flat is up, and sometimes it is down. If the flag is down, the mailbox is empty. If the flat is up, the mailbox has something in it.

We get very excited when the red flag is up because we know "We've got mail!" It is fun to open the box and see what is inside. These are just some of the things we have found in our mailbox:
* A letter from our teacher
* A letter from a friend
* A special book
* A music CD or learning DVD
* A class rule that we need to be reminded of
* Praise notes
* All about us pages
* A treat!
* An item that we get to talk or learn about (clocks, coins, etc.)

* M U S I C Fun!

Each Monday our Friend comes to our school to sing with us. He brings his Guitar and Banjo. We learn fun and silly songs!

We sing songs about Monster Goop, Beavers and even Bubble Gum. Songs help us learn.

Singing makes us smile.

Thank you Music Friend!

* Kid Letters

We are active learners. Here we are using our bodies to make letters. Letters are made from straight lines, slanted lines, and curvy lines. Some letters are just straight. Some letters are just curvy. Some letters are straight and curvy. We like learning about letters and their shapes and sounds. We are learning to read and write.

Learn Your ABC's

Act silly

Believe in Magic (or Believe in Yourself)

Create adventures

Daydream every chance you get

Enjoy life as much as possible (Or Enjoy the little things)

Find time for fun

Goof off (or Go to Unexplored places)

Hang upside down from trees or Hug Somebody)

Imagine...

Join clubs (or Join)

Keep it simple

Love all creatures

Make time for friends

Nap when you can

Open you mind to new ideas!!!

Play when you feel like it (or Play Every day)

Question the answers (or Quiet your mind)

Run with the wind

Sing favorite songs

Take days off

Uncover your talents

Venture out (or voice your opinion)

Walk on the wild side

X-pect the best Y

ield to the moment

Zzzz peacefully at night

* A Place to Show Our Best Work

To start the New Year out, our teacher is challenging us to do our Personal Best Work. We are learning to slow down and take pride in our work products.

To help us show off our Personal Best Work, our teacher created a special space in our classroom. She made a "Happy Kid" sign with our name on it. We each colored our Happy Kid, using our hair and skin color. We colored our Happy Kid's shirt with our favorite color.

Next we each were given a special tack to use to pin our Personal Best Work over our Happy Kid. We are excited to show pride in our work. Just watch us shine!