Back in action!

Monday= B Tuesday= C Wednesday= D Thursday=A Friday= B Hi families! We are back and running! I am so sorry for the delay in posts, I was having a hard time with my website. Not to fear, it looks as though the problem has been fixed (or fixed itself!). Thank you for your patience! WOW! What a start to 2013 we have had. Has your child come home and told you about Matter? What about Oobleck? We've gotten down to business in science this semester learning all about Matter and its different phases. Be sure to ask your child to name and give an example of each phase of matter (solid, liquid and gas). They should also be able to identify a trait of each phase. Last week, we read the Dr. Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck and then we did an experiment where we made our own (did you notice some dried green slime on your child's hands?). We learned that Oobleck was actually a "soliquid", or a substance that has traits of both a solid and a liquid. They LOVED this experiment! Have them tell you all about it. I will post pictures later...it was a mess, but what fun! In math we have been trying something new with our Math Clubs. Last week we were focusing on Place Value (10's and 1's). This week we are using our knowledge from last week and transferring it over to learn about Greater Than and Less Than numbers. We have learned that Mr. Munch, a very hungry alligator always eats the bigger (oops, I mean "GREATER") number. Test your first grader and see if they can complete some number comparisons by adding the correct symbol. I have just added some new games to the math portion of our blog that focus on this skill. Have your child try them out at home! We are working on Main Idea in our reading groups this week. You can carry over this skill at home, but asking your child to tell you the main idea of a television show they may have watched or a story that you read at bedtime. Have them give you the main idea of our story from class called "A Perfect Lunch". This is a critical skill for improving our comprehension and becoming better readers. Make it into a game by giving main ideas of familiar stories and seeing if your first grader can name the story! Last Friday we sent hom an envelope for our TIME for Kids sponsors. If your child fills out 7 of the postcards with names and addresses of friends and family, they get to turn in their envelope for a plastic penguin! Tomorrow is the last day to return the envelopes, so be sure to help your child earn their penguin. We love our TIME for kids magazines and this activity ensures that your child will continue to receive these awesome resources! Looking ahead: No school next Monday for Dr. King Day, First grade sponsered movie night is Friday January 25. Please help your child get plenty of sleep to help them stay healthy during this cold winter season. Let me know if you need anything! Have a cozy night!