Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sunday, October 3, 2010

A New Month

Hello Everyone,
  Wow it's been a long time since I updated what's going on in our classroom.  Well we have been very busy getting smarter.  All of our caterpillars transformed into butterflies and have started their journey to Mexico.  We had our Open House.  It was terrific to meet so many parents.  I hope you got a good look at where your child spends most of his/her day.  Our hallway display is loaded with products from our classroom.  I hope you got to see all the pictures on the bulletin board.
    We have been very busy reading, reading, reading.  Everyday we are engaged with books during our Daily 5.  During math time we are working on our number sense.  We play games, count, fill-in pattern block shapes, then count some more.   We have also been to the computer lab a couple of times and are enjoying some drawing projects in Paint and have learned how to login to Study Island.  We also watched a great video of a caterpillar changing into a chryalis and a butterfly emerging from a chryalis. Truely an amazing sight.  Time really flies in our first grade classroom.
     I just changed over all of our classroom books.  There's a pumpkin theme happening.  I'm sure that there will be some great reading going on this week.  Thanks for stopping by for a peek into our classroom.  Leave us a comment.
Mrs. Dietsche

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Weekend News

Well Boys and Girls,
    Our first chrysalis has emerged as a butterfly and has started his migration journey to Mexico.  Bobbie and I let him go Saturday afternoon.  We now have 5 chrysalis working their magic.  Hopefully we will get to see them emerge next week.
      I have to say I'm really liking this nice cool air.  I had all of my windows open in my house and it was nice to feel the crisp air.
      I finished a book I was reading.  Have you been reading this weekend?  Don't forget to pick up a book or magazine or even the Sunday comics the think about the 3 ways you can read.  1. Read the pictures.  2. Read the words.  3.Retell the story in your own words.
      Please check out our class web site @  http://www.fnwsu.org/highgate/dietsche/diethomepage.htm  I updated everything.  I have added pictures and the beautiful apple trees you made in the computer lab on Friday morning.  Great job everyone.
      Have a peaceful weekend.
Mrs. Dietsche
PS Don't forget to vote in my polls.
  

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Thirsty Thursday

Another hot day in first grade.  All we seem to want to do was drink water.  Lots of kids brought in water bottles and we took lots of water breaks to help keep us cool.
    Our class has been practicing our Daily 5 skills.  We are up to 15 minutes with our read to self.  We have been learning how to use all of the materials for working with words.  We have been writing in our journals every day concentrating on spaces and periods and putting the date at the top of our pages.
    Last night we had another caterpillar move into the chrysalis stage so now we have 5 in chrysalis.  I'm sure this long weekend they will come out and spread their wings.
    It's been a very hot week.  I wish we had air conditioning for our classroom.  Maybe some day.
   In math we have been counting counting counting.

Mrs. Dietsche

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Wet Wednesday

Hello Everyone,
    We have had a very good start to our school year.  We are into our 2nd week and it's a hot one.  We are all sweating in this 90 degree heat.  We have taken lots of water breaks and tried to keep the lights off as much as we can.  It's a good thing that we have 2 fans blowing the hot air around our room.
     Some exciting news is that we seem to have a monarch caterpillar farm in our room.  Mrs. Hansen brought in several jars with caterpillars chomping on milkweeds to our classroom.  One went into a chrysalis on the 2nd day and will emerge this week sometime.  We came in one morning to find all the leaves in one jar gone (all eaten) and  one caterpillar in chrysalis stage and 3 more on the sides of the glass.  2 were just little tiny babies.  We didn't realize that there were eggs on the leaves.  As the morning progress one child saw another baby  in another jar.  We moved all active caterpillars to our butterfly netted box.  I put some fresh milkweed leaves in for them to munch on.  At the end of that day I just happened to look at the ziplock bag with our extra leaves and noticed some "caterpillar poop" in it.  When I looked inside there was another caterpillar munching away.  So we are loaded we caterpillars and chrysalis'.  We have been observing the changes everyday.  It has been very exciting for our class.  We can't wait for them to emerge from their chrysalis'.  We hope it happens while we are in school and not over a weekend but Mother Nature may have different ideas.
    We have been checking out lots of books for butterfly life cycle information.  We have about 10 books with lots of pictures.  Many pictures match what we are doing in class.
    This year our school is studying the country of Mexico.  Our monarch butterfly project is a great tie-in.  Our butterflies will be making the long journey to Mexico as part of their migration track.  We will be participating with other classes in an internet project on the Butterfly migration.  I am so glad our class can experience this first hand.
     I'm glad you stopped by to check out what's happening in first grade.  Leave us a comment below and be sure to vote in our butterfly survey.
Mrs. Dietsche

Sunday, August 22, 2010

School Starts Tuesday

Yippee,
    I can't wait for school to start.  I am very excited to see all my new students again.  I met most of you on the last day of school in June.  Our classroom is all ready for us to start.  I can't wait to read you my favorite first day of school books.  I've picked out my outfit so I can look spiffy.  What will you be wearing that first day? 

     Did you get some school supplies?  Here's what you need:  1 red folder, 1 green folder, 1 small glue stick, 1 regular sized pencil box, 8 classic colored markers, pack of crayons and 2 pencils.  No erasers, no pencil sharpeners, no liquid glue, no colored pencils, no notebooks.  Just the basics.  Keep all the extras at home to use for your homework throughout the year.

Check out all of my questions on the left of this page.  Everyone please vote!  It's fun!

      I am looking forward to seeing on Tuesday morning.  Don't forget to go to the art room on our first day when you get to school.  Remember that our classroom is right beside the kindergarten rooms.  I be looking for your smiling face at 8:00 am.  Don't be late!

Sincerely, Mrs. Dietsche

P.S.  Leave me a comment.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Terrific Tuesday

Wow! What a day! We had fun playing games out on the playground. We stacked sand buckets and delivered pizza. We flipped chickens into a fry pan (frizbees). It was a blast! We learned all about Windbags and the Bronnooli effect. Check out windbags and Steve Spangler online. Shaggy's Pizza was yummy along with PB&J sandwiches and brownies was a treat. Mrs. Caswell came in to help out and she forgot her coat and lunch box. They are hanging in our classroom for her to come get. Tell me about our day.
Love, Mrs. Dietsche