Where has Miss Lankey been?

I am so excited to be back in the classroom this week.  I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a regional NCTM Conference (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) in Atlantic City, NJ Wednesday-Saturday!

I met  Stuart J. Murphy, one of our favorite authors that writes books that teach math concepts.

I also had the opportunity to hear the author of many popular math books, Greg Tang, speak.

My absolute favorite part of the conference was getting to take two classes from Kim Sutton.  She is so enthusiastic and energizing! 

I am glad to be back and able to put to use all of the awesome ideas I got at the conference!

Sun and Earth Relationships- Being a Scientist!

Today we practiced using the Scientific Method to see "What Gets Hotter?"

1. We asked the question:  Which gets hotter in the sun?  Sand, soil, or water?
2. We made hypothesis by using our schema (what we already know).
3. In groups we gathered our materials and put one thermometer into each cup, careful to cover the bulb.
4. We took an initial temperature and recorded it.
5. Next, we took our cups outside and sat them in direct sunlight.  We left the cups for 20 minutes.
6. We went back outside and took another reading of the temperatures and recorded them.  (They had really risen!)
7. We came to the conclusion that the sun heats the earth.  The sun made the soil the hottest.  The water was the coolest.

We had fun being scientists today!

Each group got a cup of sand, water, and soil and three thermometers.

Sun and Earth Relationships

SOL 1.6 – Sun and Earth Relationships


For extra practice you can complete this webquest and other activities with your family and see if you are able to answer the following questions!

http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/WebLessons/AsTheEarthTurns/default.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/earth_sun_moon.shtml

http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/WebLessons/SunriseSunset/default.htm


1. What might be some things that the sun warms up on Earth?

2. Would you feel cooler on a very hot and sunny day if you stood in the sun or in the shade? Why do you think this way?

3. Do you think the sun warms things faster than others?

4. How could you discover whether or not the sun warms the land faster than water?


5. What do you notice about the location of the sun in the morning and in the late afternoon? Is the sun in the same place? Where does it rise? Where does it set?


Bring in the questions and answers for extra credit and a special treat!  :-)

AWESOME Online Resource for Math Review!

As you get our weekly updates look on the site IXL to practice math concepts we are learning!  If you are finding your child is having difficulty with first grade concepts check out the kindergarten skills.  If you find that first grade skills are too easy for your child- let them try the second grade skills!  You do not need to be a member to enjoy the skill practice!  Being a member only saves your data online!  What a great find!

Internet Games for Language Arts Review

Check out these sites to review:

Capitalization and punctuation skills

Syllables

Vowels

Comprehension

Word Wall Words

Word Families


Hope you enjoy!

We Read for the Record!

Today we wore our pajamas and read the book Llama Llama Red Pajama to support Jumpstart's Read for the Record!

Check out the website Llama Llama (<---Click!) to learn about the author and her other books and play games with the Llama!

Pattern Practice!

We've been working hard learning about repeating and growing patterns! 

Here are some games you can play to practice!

Number Cracker- See if you can crack the number pattern!

Musical Patterns

Pattern Making- What comes next?

Save the Date!

On October 18th we will be having a Reading Workshop at school in the evening!  Save the date!  Until then check out this for tips on Helping Your Child At Home! (<-----Click!)

Reading Comprehension Strategy of the Month

The first strategy that our class is currently practicing is called, “Making Connections.” This means students connect their background knowledge to the text they are reading.  We have been practicing making text-self connections.  We will work this week on text-text connections.

The Purpose of the Strategy:
Readers comprehend better when they actively think about and apply their knowledge of the book's topic, their own experiences, and the world around them. Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis in their
book, Strategies that Work (2000), state that, "When children understand how to connect the text they read to their lives, they begin to make connections between what they read and the larger world. This
nudges them into thinking about bigger, more expansive issues beyond their universe of home, school, and neighborhood."

How to help your child use this strategy:
To help your child make connections while they are reading, ask him/her the following questions:

􀁸 What does the book remind you of?
􀁸 What do you know about the book's
topic?
􀁸 Does this book remind you of another
book?

A peek into our classroom...

Our Wall of Families

Where I post my love notes and art!

Lazy susan with our supplies at the writing table

the "chunk wall" where we will post word families and a glimpse of one of many pompoms

Our check-out/in board

Our word wall and a pink pom!

Fuel up...Play 60!

We wore our orange and black for our first pep rally this year to kick off "Feul up to Play 60".  Our school received this grant this year that will help promote healthy eating and at least 60 minutes of active play a day.

We played trivia to learn about healthy food choices.

Chesterfield graduate Matt Farrior gives some motivation to the students and shows an inspirational  message sent from his brother James Farrior who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Dr. Hill accepted a $3,000 check from the dairy council!

Our superintendent Dr. Newsome gives some encouraging words to the Hopkins Family!

Internet Resources

Another great day in first grade!  We are still busy learning routines and procedures!  If you visit my portaportal site (Use guest access name for MissLankey)  you will find many resources and games for both students and parents!  I hope you find them beneficial!

First Night of First Grade Homework

Parents- don't fret!  The binder/homework procedures may take a while to get used to!  The words for this weeks homework are in your student's zipper pouch!  They are the words from kindergarten.  If your child has misplaced them you can go to:  http://www.spellingcity.com/ and search for my name (Ashley Lankey) for the current list!  They also have fun games you can play with the words, too!  They should complete the homework on looseleaf paper.  Choose any book you would like to complete your reading homework!  Make sure to include all of the components on the story map.  Don't forget to add your book to your reading log! I'll be checking homework Friday!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email!

Happy First Day of 1st Grade!

Whew!  We made it!  An earthquake, hurricane, or just plain old rain couldn't stop us from having an awesome first day!  I am so thankful I get to teach  most of the same students this year!  P.I.R.A.T.E notebooks came home today.  Don't expect to see the behavior calendar or any homework until next week. Please bring in a 4x6 family photo to add to our classroom as soon as you can!  Thanks!

These are just a few things we did the first day of school (and a few snapshots of our classroom incase you missed open house!)...



We read books by David Shannon and talked about the differences between a peace maker and a peace breaker.

In order to make our dreams and wishes for 1st grade happen, we promised to be peace makers!



 

We collected data about they ways we get home from school.



I already got my first pieces of art!  Sponge bob and Virginia Tech!  Go Hokies!

 We also enjoyed "Jitter Juice"!  Make sure to check your child's binder for the cute poem and graphing activity we did, too!



Engineering Day on the Web!

Check out Enginnering Day at Hopkins!  Be sure to look at "more photos"...there's a picture of our class.

Pictures from the zoo and other activities will be up shortly- I promise!  I've been vacationing and teaching summer school!  It's been a fun summer!

May and June Updates Are Coming!

Whew!  It's been a busy month and 1/2!  I'll be updating the blog next week with pictures and videos from Splash Day, the Zoo, Engineering Day, and other events. 

Report cards are coming home tomorrow.  Included is a summer reading log and a school supply list.  Because I was unable to have input into the first grade requests, I have included some changes I would like.  I will add them here and then do another update closer to the beginning of school.  Thank you so much for your support throughout the year.  I am looking forward to another fun filled year with my kindergarten babies! 


I am asking that you do NOT buy:

• a recipe card box
• Plastic Folders
• Gallon size bags
• Sandwich Size bags (We have plenty from this year left over)
• Brown bags
• White copy paper

I am requesting you add:

• a plastic travel soap dish. (This will be the easiest way to store word study pieces we will have weekly)
• a heavy duty (no plastic) zipper pouch that has three holes (to put in the 3 ring binder to hold word wall words and additional materials)
• make sure the 1” binder has a clear plastic pocket on the front and also pockets on the inside (This will replace the plastic take home folders and will contain behavior, homework, and additional items)
• Markers (one box and then replenish as needed)

*We will continue engineering next year. Please save plastic bottle tops, cardboard rolls, egg cartons, etc. over the summer.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Sorry for the delay in our Cinco de Mayo celebration post!  I was in Huntington, West Virginia this weekend for a college graduation! 

We made sombreros and did the Mexican Hat Dance!

 We took turns hitting the pinata!

 We enjoyed authentic Mexican cusine made by one of our amazing mothers! 

We had a fantastic day!