Funded!

The First Grade DonorsChoose project was fully funded in 7 days!  Thank you to the parents, friends, and families of everyone who supported this project. 

Before pictures from our Open House!

Kindergarten and First Grade had an Open House today in school.  Thank you to all of the families who attended!  The Open House was very well attended.  In First Grade, 75% of the families came.  Here are some pictures before the families came. 

Our principal bought new carpets for classrooms!

Here are some of our materials organized into freshly painted shelves.

Every room had a donated chrysanthem and vase of sunflowers. 

Here are some organized math materials.

Here is a meeting and calendar area. 

The bulletin boards were all bright and cheerful.

Fresh flowers and a small guided reading table.

Here is another bulletin board.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar in balloons!

A nice, welcoming entry way.

Thank you, also, to everyone who donated to the First Grade DonorsChoose grant.  We are almost finished filling it.   We now have all the materials we need to start the year including brand new carpets and listening centers with CDs.

In addition, all of the First Grade teachers were also given Store More Multi-Use Units from Really Good Stuff by our principal to help organize materials for guided reading groups.  This is a picture of the unit in my classroom.

DonorsChoose.org

The first grade team at my school needs magnetic plastic letters and magnetic whiteboards so that we can manipulate letters and build words.  We have a grant posted at DonorsChoose.org if you would like to donate! 

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/refrigerator-abcs/1276288/?rf=link-siteshare-2014-08-teacher_account-teacher_154310&challengeid=41713


Give to our classrooms by August 29, 2014 and your donation will be doubled thanks to DonorsChoose.org. Just enter the code INSPIRE on the payment page and you'll be matched dollar for dollar (up to $100).   You can certainly donate after August 29, but your donation will not be matched.

Happy Summer!

"Aaah, summer - that long anticipated stretch of lazy, lingering days, free of responsibility and rife with possibility. It's a time to hunt for insects, master handstands, practice swimming strokes, conquer trees, explore nooks and crannies, and make new friends." - Darell Hammond

And don't forget to read, read, read and write, write, write.

Happy Summer!

Is this amphibian a frog or a toad?

Today one of my students brought this amphibian to school.  He found it under the steps of his house.  They do not live near a pond or a lake.  Its skin was not dripping wet and had tiny bumps.

We have been comparing the physical features and habitats of frogs and toads in our study of ponds.  We voted 25 to 0 that it is a toad (21 students plus myself, Mrs. Johnstone, Mr. Powers, and Mrs. Watson all voted).  What do you think?

Back To The LOCAL Garden

We went back to the LOCAL to plant corn today. We are all listening to directions before we began.

We saw the garlic we had planted last fall!  It had really grown!

Our Bulbs Are Blooming!

We planted daffodil bulbs in the fall and they are up and beautiful!