No Lexia on the Blog :(

I have tried to add Lexia into the Links section of the blog, but have recently found out that I will not be able to add it.  Lexia is a "closed-link" program and cannot be accessed from another server without downloading and signing up for access to the program.  I was hoping to have it under the blog to make it easier for students to sign in and use this program, but it appears you will have to download the program to your computer and use the sign-in code to register at home for the program.  Since the school purchased the licence for Lexia and your children already have a login code and password, there is not additional cost or concerns regarding using this program at home.  I know many of the students have been waiting to get on and use it, and now that we have had our computers updated at school, I can give all of you the information needed to start using it at home.  I will be sending the startup sheet with your child on Friday, so that you can begin using Lexia at home over the holidays if you choose.  For those who want to start now, you can login at:  http://www.lexialearning.com/products/mylexia/faqs/school_to_home.html

You will be redirected to another document that walks you through the process of checking your computer for compatibility, downloading and installing the server, then setting up the link for your child to use.

Our schools customer code will be given to you with the handout (I don't want to put it on the blog where anyone can access it), and your child's username and password will also be given at this time. 

Please remember that your child is NOT to receive any help when they are logged on to Lexia.  It is a learning based program, that progresses based upon the success or struggles of your child.  It will not be useful if other people are helping them through the program.  A good block of time if important to allow your child enough time to use the program (I suggest 15-20 minutes each session).  But make it work for your child.  I hope this information is helpful, and that this program finds itself useful and a welcomed addition to your child's academic efforts at home.

Happy Holidays to all and be safe over the long vacation!!
-Mr. Linnet

Our Kids are SUPERHEROES!!!

Did you see their masks?  Some were animals, some were ninjas, all were AWESOME!!  We read a book in class last week with the 1st Graders about different kinds of masks.  We learned that masks are made in all cultures around the world.  Some groups of people have been making masks for thousands of years.  Some are used to tell stories, some are used as symbols of strength or achievement, all are really cool!!  We decided after reading about masks, that what better way to truly understand the mystique and creativity of a mask, then to make one ourselves.  So last week we cut and decorated our mask, let them dry over the weekend, then finished them in class today.  The results were astonishing.  Everyone made their mask unique and special.  Some were small and elegant, others were large and gaudy.  Some had interesting points leading off in different directions, others were designed to resemble animals found in nature.  If you haven't seen your child's mask, ask to see it, they were really fun to make and definitely drove home the importance masks can have on a culture of people (I especially liked hearing the students talk so kindly with one another about the masks!!).  Great Job EVERYBODY!!!
-Mr. Linnet

Check out the Elephant Art!

We had a great time last Friday making our Elephant Art.  After reading the story "Elephants can Paint, Too!", we decided that we should give it a try and see just how difficult it would be to paint with a trunk.  So we strapped tube socks to our arms and tried to paint using our newly formed trunks.  Turns out that it is actually pretty difficult balancing a paintbrush without hands and fingers.  Those Asian Elephants are pretty talented!!  Thanks to all the parents who came and helped out, we had a lot of fun and walked away with a greater appreciation for the amazing work these elephants are able to produce!!

Old Socks Wanted!!!

Hello everyone.  Welcome back to school from the nice week off for Thanksgiving.  It sounds like everyone had a wonderful time at home with good food and family!  Today I read a book to the class about Elephants that can paint.  It was an interesting nonfiction book about these amazing Asian Elephants who are being taught to paint as a way to raise money to protect them.  The Asian Elephants have been dying off due to changes in their climate.  Many Asian Elephants used to be a crucial member of the labor force in many asian communities, helping with the transportation and hauling of lumber.  As the human population increased in these countries however, the Asian Elephants were finding themselves without enough land to survive.  So the governments in these countries stopped the lumber companies from cutting down the trees.  This left thousands of Asian Elephants without work, and unfortunately without land to live on.  Many were dying and some artists stepped in with the idea that if they gave the elephants a new job, that could create some income to help protect these special animals.  After reading the book we went to the website (www.elephantart.com) and checked out some of the artwork the elephants made, as well as watched a couple videos about the organization and the elephants at work.  It was truly remarkable to see the abilities and talents of these large creatures. 

After we were finished the students were very excited and wanted to immediately jump into an art project of their own.  I thought about it the rest of the day and decided that I too, want to make some art inspired by the Asian Elephants.  But I want the students to EXPERIENCE what it would be like to create art as an elephant would.  That is where the socks come in.  If you can send an old pair of socks (the bigger the better) that you would not need back, I would greatly appreciate it.  I plan on using them to restrain the student's arms together like an elephants trunk.  Then with the hands stuffed inside the bottom of the sock, they will have to try and navigate the end like an elephant does as it tries to hold and use a paintbrush.  I'm sure it will be very silly and messy, but it should also be a lot of fun and a great learning experience for the class.  I am hoping to do this project on Friday, so if any of you would like to come and help (between 10:30 and 11:30am) that would be great.  It would be fun to take some pictures of the "sock-trunks" hard at work making their art!!  Ask your children about the story, and check out the website, it's really fascinating!!
-Mr. Linnet

What a great Thanksgiving Feast!!!

Friday was the best Thanksgiving Feast our Kinder classes have had yet.  Due to the District cutting PE this year, we were afforded the opportunity to use the Cafeteria for our feast, and that made everything so nice.  We had plenty of space to set up all the yummy food the families brought, we had enough tables for all of the students and their families to sit and enjoy their meals, and everything just ran smoothly.  Ms. Dawson, Mrs. Laurie, and myself want to extend a very sincere thank you to all of the families that helped in making this Feast so amazing!!  You all outdid yourselves with the great food, and the extra work you put in setting things up, serving the dishes, and cleaning up.  Without all of your dedication and support, we would never be able to pull something like this off.  I am confident that the children learned a little something about the First Thanksgiving, the meaning of Thanksgiving, and now have had a personal connection with the spirit of giving thanks and sharing in the holiday tradition (outside of their family).  It brings me great joy as a teacher to share these experiences with my students and hopefully leave some memories that will stay with them throughout their academic futures.

A few of you went above and beyond to give me gifts for the holidays.  I want to say thank you for you incredible generosity and thoughtfulness.  The gift cards will be shared for happy outings with my family, and the cards were also very nice.  You didn't have to do this to show your appreciation.  The support and warm words you share with me each school day are thanks enough for a job I am blessed to have.

I hope that you are all enjoying your long Thanksgiving Vacation with your family, and look forward to seeing all of you after the break.
-Mr. Linnet

What are you most thankful for this year??

Thanksgiving is approaching and I want to know what each of you are most thankful for.  Please take a moment and comment on this post.  Let us know what is special to you and what you will be giving thanks for this year around the Thanksgiving Table.  It's always nice to take a moment out to share warm thoughts and feelings with others!!

Thanksgiving Feast this Friday!!

Hello Everyone, I hope that you all enjoyed Veteran's Day and a nice 4-day weekend with your family.  As you know, we are having Report Card Conferences this week.  There will be no school on Wednesday for the conferences, and then two half-days on Thursday and Friday as we finish our conferences.  Students will again get out at 11:40am and the Kinders will be waiting at the front of the school, either under the flagpole with me, or inside the gate at the Kinder playground with Mrs. Laurie ( I have afterschool yard duty by the bus area). 

On Friday, we will be learning about and celebrating the great american holiday known at Thanksgiving.  We will do some Thanksgiving activities, watch a video about the Pilgrims coming to the "New World", and end with a nice feast in our classroom.  I hope that you have all thought about helping your child participate in this activity by bringing something yummy to share at the feast.

According to traditional legend, the First Thanksgiving brought the Pilgrims and the Native Americans together to celebrate the harvest.  The Pilgrims shared with the Native Americans their hunting and fishing skills (mainly the tools the "White Man" used to help with hunting and fishing), and the Native Americans shared their knowledge of farming and gathering (using fish to help enrich the soil when growing corn, identifying which plants/berries were edible, etc.). 

I know that our class feast won't be as monumental as the first Thanksgiving was, but I do believe it is a great way for the students in our class to make stronger connections with their classmates and learn about other cultures.  We've discussed the idea of America being a "melting pot", where many different people come to live and share in the ideals of freedom and equality.  I try and use the Thanksgiving Feast as an opportunity to expand your child's views of what Thanksgiving means in today's America by allowing families to bring their favorite family dish to the feast.  We can stick with tradition (turkey, gravy, corn, etc.), but we can also introduce new ideas that our students may have never had (lumpia, foh, sushi, paella, etc.).  If your family has an authentic dish that is special to your family's culture and heritage, please consider sharing it with our class on Friday at the Feast!!

Signups have been up on the door in front of the classroom, you do not need to feel obligated to bring only what is listed, talk with me and we can work out arrangements for other ideas not already mentioned.

*Please note anything in your dish that may cause allergies.  We have 4-5 students in our class with food allergies, mainly nuts, but I want to be careful with everything we serve so we don't have any unfortunate reactions.  Also talking to your child if they have allergies about what to stay away from will greatly help.  You know their condition more than I do, and would be better prepared to remind them what foods they can and cannot eat.  Thanks again!!

Have a wonderful week and I will see all of you at the Conferences!!
-Mr. Linnet

Do Your Children Truly Know Why They Are Out of School???

Veteran's Day is upon us, and in our District, that means a nice LONG weekend to celebrate.  We're not sure why this holiday has grown in popularity within our District, rewarding not one, but two days off, but we are happy to receive it.  Our class took some time out today to learn about Veteran's Day (or Armistice Day as it was formerly called).  A short video helped us learn about the origin of this holiday (the end of WWI on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month in 1918), as well as what a Veteran, or Vet, is (no, not the people that take care of pets, as a couple of students thought).  We learned about the sacred gift these individuals gave protecting our freedoms and defending our country.  We learned about various ways Veteran's Day is celebrated across our country.  And we ended our lesson on Veteran's Day by making our own Veteran's Day posters and cards.  If your child hasn't shown it to you yet, please take a moment to look at it and discuss the importance of this holiday.  It's not about religion, or beliefs, or politics, or sides.  It is about people, extraordinary people who offered up their lives to give all of us the freedom to make our own choices and celebrate life in our own ways.  Help your children realize the significance of this holiday, and the people being honored on this day, and use the extra time off to allow them opportunities to see you honor Veteran's this holiday in the manner you see fit.  Remember holidays are not just about taking time off from school or work, it's about taking time out of our routines to honor and celebrate the people and things that we hold dear in life!!  Please pass on the traditions your family holds dear in this and all other holidays.
-Mr. Linnet

Sorry for the extra noise...

...I'm sure by now you have been introduced to the "maracas" or "shakers" that we made in class today.  It was a following directions activity that followed one of the stories in the 1st grade unit where children made instruments to be in a band.  We read the story as a class and discussed how you can make instruments from everyday materials.  Following the story was a nonfiction piece on instruments and rattles from various parts of the world.  After that, we followed the directions in the book to make our own fun rattles.  The kids had a lot of fun making and decorating their rattle, then when everyone was finished we danced around the room singing songs and shaking our "maracas".  We glued the lid to hopefully avoid any unnecessary messes arising from beans flying all over the room while your child dances and sings.  I know they can get loud, but please take an interest in their creativity and use it as a discussion to retell the story we read in class.  Ask your child what the story was about (kids in a band), what special characteristics did the children have (Beth was in a wheelchair), what kinds of instruments did they make (drum, symbols, shakers), etc.  Use the activity as a teaching tool and help your child see the relevance the project had to their learning (it's not just for fun!!).  Thanks again to all who brought in water bottles, and for all your continued help in and out of the classroom.
-Mr. Linnet

Get Ready for a CRAZY MONTH!!!

Well, we made it through Halloween and all the fun that comes with it.  The kids looked great in their costumes and were very busy with Halloween-themed activities at school.  The Kindergarten class got to eat pretzels hanging on string at recess, and the 1st grade class got to make their own caramel apples.  Despite missing two days of school this past week, I was able to complete assessments of all my students in preparation for the 1st Trimester Report Cards, which we will start putting together in 2 weeks.  Which brings me to my main revelation:  WHAT IS OUR DISTRICT DOING WITH CALENDARS????

I don't know if any of you have taken the time to look at the new calendar for this year, or if you are playing it week-to-week, but this next month makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE!  The first week is normal, then the next week we only have 1 full day and 2 half-days for Report Card Planning and Veteran's Day (2 days off of school for this?).  The third week consists of 2 full days, 2 half days, and another day off for Report Card Conferences.  Then there is no school for the whole week of Thanksgiving.  For those of you keeping track at home that is only 10 teaching days the entire month (8 full days and 4 half days = 10 full days of instruction). 

Now I am not unhappy with the extra time with family, I love my family and look forward to spending more time with them.  But seriously, 10 days in the month of November, and probably less in December (we get 3 weeks off for Winter Break).  How does all this extra time off during the school year make education better for kids (or help their families who now have to pay for extra daycare or make changes to their work schedules)?  This crazy schedule adoption with the weird breaks is the reason we start school in mid-August and get out in late-June.  Why can't "Traditional" schedules mean what it used to mean?  Was there really anything wrong with starting school the week after Labor Day and getting out the first week of June?  Maybe it is just me, but I've felt that has been a pretty "tried and true" schedule for most of America.  I guess I just like simple routines too much!!

Anyway, now that I've shared my thoughts on this matter, I would love to hear from all of you reading this.  How will the schedule effect your family over November and December?  This is not a request made by the district, just something I personally would like more insight on.
*Does your family like the new schedule?
*What academic/personal benefits does the extended breaks in Nov/Dec have for your family?
*What changes, if any, would you like made for future school calendars?
*Does your family welcome the trade-off of more time with family in the winter rather than more time together in the summer?

As your child's teacher, I am a voice for you and I want to best serve your family's needs.  I do what I can in the classroom for your child, and if I know your feelings on matters like this, I will be your voice in conferences and meetings where these kinds of decisions are made.

Stay warm and healthy this month.  Enjoy the time with your family.  And take some time out to tell the people in your life what they mean to you.  That is the spirit of Thanksgiving!!

-Mr. Linnet
(I am thankful for my beautiful family, kind friends, and all my amazing students who inspire me and fill my heart with joy!!)

HALLOWEEN THIS FRIDAY!!!

Okay all you ghouls and goblins, witches and vampires, princesses and super-heroes, get your costume together for a spooky good time in Mr. Linnet's class on Friday!!  Both Kinder and 1st Graders may dress up in our combo class, or if they prefer, just come to school with some crazy hair.  We will have some ghostly games, ghastly stories, and haunted activities to make your bones chill.  We will make some books, do some art, and maybe even eat some halloween treats.  So don't miss out.  Parent helpers are welcome to dress up and help out throughout the day, and we will have a Halloween Costume Parade through the school with the Kindergarten classes at 11am.  Hope to see you there!!
-Mr. Linnet

New Link!! Book Club Orders Online!!

Check it out on the right, you can now order books through Scholastic from our Blog!!  Simply click the tab, create a family account, put in the activation code provided, and start shopping!!  This should make things much easier for all.  You pick what you want, purchase them online, and they are mailed directly to the school.  I will do my best to stay on top of this new feature and I hope it helps!!!
-Mr. Linnet

Comments are working now!!!

Please feel free to leave comments.  I have fixed the filter so anyone can leave a comment now.  If you do not wish to use your email address, just post as anonymous.  It shouldn't block anyone out anymore.  Thanks for all the feedback and your endless work at home.
-Mr. Linnet

How are we doing???

Hello to all my families and students.  I'm curious what your thoughts are about how this year is going so far.  We've had many changes this past year, and have had a couple months adjust to those changes.  So now I'm wanting to hear from you:
 
How are the routines?
How is the homework going in your home?
Are your children still happy and excited about school?
Are the Book Bags proving helpful?
What are you hearing from your children that maybe I am not?

Please take the time to respond, even if you don't have much to say, a simple "Things are Great!" will work.  I'm wanting to make this blog a collaborative process to better my practices and best meet the needs of your children.  I hope you are satisfied with the structure and pace of my class.  I'm feeling very confident in the direction of our class, and feel like I am keeping pace with the expectations of both Kindergarten and 1st Grade standards as I learn the new curriculum, however any input you have will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks to all who have been helping in the classroom, and to all of you who have been putting in the extra effort with your children at home.  I see it in their homework as well as what they produce in the classroom.  Keep up the great work!

PROGRESS REPORTS

As you now know, your child has received their first Progress Report for the 2010-11 school year.  In the envelope you will find your child's academic and behavior report, with some comments suggesting goals for the rest of the trimester; a letter/sound sheet you can use as a study guide to work on any letters/sounds your child does not know/remember; and a High-Frequency Word List for your child's grade.  It is not expected of them to know all of the letters, sounds, and sight words by the 1st Report Card.  I just like to give you the information as a collective so you can adjust to meet your child's specific needs.  Some families put them on index cards to use as flash-cards, some families give their child a whiteboard and work on 3 or 4 specific letters/words at a time, some choose to only work on the specific letters/sounds we are coving in class that week.  Feel free to adjust the pace of your practice to best challenge your child.

You will receive a reminder on the coversheet of Monday's homework, but please remove all papers from the Progress Report envelope, sign by the "x" on 1st Reporting Period, and return the envelope next week.  I'd like to get them back on Monday if possible, but anytime during the week is okay.  We have to keep them on file all year, so it is important they not be misplaced or thrown away. 

Overall the class is performing exceptionally well considering all the changes made this year.  30 students in a K/1 classroom is no small order, and they have all risen to meet the challenges.  They have adjusted to my routines, are becoming better independent workers, and are still conveying a passion and enjoyment for learning.  I couldn't ask for more as a teacher.  Keep up the great work and enjoy your weekends!!

-Mr. Linnet

Book Bags went home today!

Many of you have been asking for more challenging books, and today you get them.  I have finished assessments for the First Progress Report of the year, and have also leveled the students for Reading.  I factored in their initial reading proficiency level, their ability to track words 1-to-1, and their knowledge of Sight Words.  The children were "buddied" up in groups of 3 or 4, and given a set of 5 books to begin with.  Each time they can read the book by themselves, they will sign off on their record sheet.  When they can read to you without any errors, and can answer comprehension questions correctly, then you sign them off.  Finally they read to me, and when I sign them off they get new books.  When a team can finish all of their books, then they each get a prize from the prize box.  The book bags are to stay in their backpacks when they are not in use, that way they can read the books at school and at home.  I started this program last year and had great success with it. 

Thank you for all the continued support and happy reading!!
-Mr. Linnet

Fun Project: Sports Collage

Some of the parents asked me about the project we did in class this past week, because the children came home excited about their creations.  What we made were Sports Collages focusing on identifying pictures related to specific sports.  Our 1st Graders were reading sports stories relating to non-fiction and author's purpose.  Kindergarten has been comparing/contrasting elements of stories by looking at what was the same/different in various stories.  We have also been doing picture sorts based upon beg. letter sounds.  I decided to blend the multiple learning objectives and allow the class to have some fun working in groups to identify similar elements of a specific sport (ie. football players have helmets, pads, footballs, etc.).  I sorted the class into groups of 4-5, and gave each group a different sport to search for.  They had to scour through various ESPN magazines to find pictures that matched their specific sport.  Then they cut out the pictures and glued them to their poster.  The class had 30 minutes to try and fill their poster with as many pictures as they could on the specific sport they were given.  When time was over, we cleaned up the class and shared our posters.  The class worked very well together and created some wonderful collages.  The nice thing about this project, is that it can be duplicated at home with simple ease.  You can use the Sunday newspaper to make a collage about everyday things (clothes, food, toys, etc.). You can use old magazines to identify story elements (heroes, villians, animals, places, etc.).  You can even use old books or magazines to identify specific letters or words (find the sight word "like", find the letter "p", etc.).  It can be used to help reinforce learning objectives from school, or can be played for fun on a rainy day.  If your child liked this activity, and you have the resources to allow them to repeat it at home, I encourage your family to go for it.  They can even bring in their creations to share with the class.  Have Fun!!!

Welcome to Autumn!!

Fall has finally arrived, at least according to the calendar.  The weather has been rather unpredictable so far, with Summer unusually cool and Autumn rather hot!!  Hopefully things will change soon, as fall is generally a wonderful season to enjoy family and nature.  Playing in the leaves, watching football, and enjoying the festive holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving with family and friends. 

At school, fall is also a time to celebrate.  We have just reached the halfway point of the first trimester.  Progress Reports will be sent home later this week, bringing with it the stress of reaching learning goals.  Some students are making great progress, while others are just settling in to the routines of school.  Parents are eager to know how their children are doing, and what they need to do to help their child meet these 1st Trimester goals.  In Kindergarten, the goals are simple, while in 1st Grade they can be a little surprising.

Kindergarten families should expect reports that reflect their child's understanding of letters and sounds.  We have also been monitoring student's abilities to read/write some simple sight words, as well as numbers 0-5.  We've spent the early weeks of school identifying parts of a book, sentence structure, colors, patterns, and examples of good behavior.  If your child still does not know all of the letters/colors/sounds, then I would focus attention here.  I have added two more sites to our list to help in these categories.  Anytime you can have your child identify/say/create/etc. the letters and sounds, the easier it will be for them to transfer the knowledge from short to long term memory.  In all, the class has been performing very well on all learning objectives, and I credit this to the time and effort all of you have put in with your children.  Thank you!

1st Grade families should expect reports that reflect their child's understanding of reading and writing, math and science skills.  When they left Kindergarten, they were expected to read between a level 3 and 4 on the DRA assessment.  Now at the end of the first trimester they need to read between a level 6 and 8 on the DRA.  Writing has advanced from 2-3 sentences on a topic with phonetic spelling, to 5-6 sentences on a topic with correct spelling of sight words, capital letters at the start of each sentence, and proper ending marks to identify statements from questions.  Writing is also moving away from simple sentence patterns (ie. I like the ..., I see the..., I can..., etc.) to more complex writing (ie. The ... is..., It can... and ..., It is special for... but not for..., etc.).  If your child is not reading simple paragraphs or stories with ease (only pausing for new/difficult words), or is having trouble writing w/o sentence frames or having the story make sense, please make this the focus and practice these skills daily.  Math has been focused on Addition, and we will be moving into Subtraction before the end of the Trimester, so please make opportunities for your child to practice these skills at home whenever possible.  I will be linking addition/subtraction games to our Sites of the Month to help your child with extra practice at home.  In Science, we have be learning about Weather and tools for understanding weather.  Most of the class understood basic concepts like the Water Cycle, and Wind is moving air, but struggled with relating to weather tools like wind vanes, rain gauges, and thermometers.  If your family has any of these tools at home, now would be a good time to introduce them to your child, and maybe even let them keep a journal monitoring them during the fall (wind vane) and winter (rain gauge).  They might have fun with it, and it would greatly help them create a personal connection to their learning.

Overall, we've had a great start to the school year, and I feel extremely blessed to have the class that I have.  All of my students are pleasant, hard-working, and passionate to learn.  Thank you again to all the parents that put in the extra work, both inside and away from the classroom, and I wish all of you a positive and fun-filled fall!!

What a BUSY WEEK!!!

Is it Friday yet!?!?  If your children didn't tell you, we've had a busy week this week (and it is only Wednesday).  Monday I was out sick, Tuesday I came back to find out that the School District had Benchmark Math Assessments (due Friday), and then today we had visitors from a partner with the District named West Ed. that walked around the school with clipboards to verify that all teachers are providing the highest quality of instruction to the students.  I was pulled out to attend a walkthrough this morning, which meant the students were left in the hands of a "guest" teacher for the second time this week.  As important as these things may be to keeping and maintaining a positive and academically sound learning environment here at Cordelia Hills, eventually they have to stop and give everyone a break.  The teachers are also expected to turn in Progress Reports at the end of this week as well.  I don't know about you, but this kind of feels like a lot of things to put into one week.  How are the students expected to maintain and function routinely with all of the "disorder" they've been asked to endure this week??  Please note, I am not complaining about all of these extra activities, I just wish someone higher up the "educational ladder" than I would have the common sense to see that pacing all of these "important" things over the course of the month, rather than in one week, might provide better results to all involved.

Moving away from that comment, I would like to tell all of you how proud I am of my class this year.  They are working very hard and maintaining a strong commitment to achieving their learning goals.  Both Kinders and 1st Graders are showing tremendous growth in Reading and Writing, and continue to excel in proving their knowledge of math objectives.  They received high praise from both "guest" teachers, and that is a reflection of the work all of you parents are doing with your children at home.  THANK YOU!!!

Next week I truly hope to begin book bags, as well as Guided Reading in the classroom, to help motivate and fulfill the reading desires of our hungry little book worms.  It's been a very busy week for all of us at school though, so please understand if it's not up and running on Monday.  I'm still working out the Reading Groups for the class so that the students are best paired by ability level.  I want to make sure these Reading Groups are effective and beneficial to all of my students.

Thanks again for all of you who provided sports pics to the class.  We should have a lot of fun making our Sports collages later this week.  I've been reminding the class, but they may not have relayed the message home, if you wish to be a part of our school's Recipe Book, please send in a family recipe with your child by Monday, so that I can submit it to the PTA for you. 

-Mr. Linnet

Send pictures in with your children...

...hey everybody, we will be focusing on "Sports" next week in 1st Grade, and continuing with the theme of "Friends" in Kindergarten.  If any of you have cool sports magazines, or pictures that you can donate to the classroom, we will use them to make colages.  Also any sports pictures of your child that you want to send in we can use for a mural in the classroom, as well as inspiration for a writing topic.  Only send what you are willing to lose, you know how 5-7 year olds can be when they are excited.  I'd hate to have a cherished family picture cut-up, glued-on, or massacred in some other creative way.  Copies printed off the computer are fine, or you can email them to me and I will upload them in the classroom.

My work email is: nicl@fsusd.k12.ca.us

Looking forward to seeing all the great photos.

"He could go all  the wayyyyyyyyy!!!"

"He shoots, he scores!!  GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"It's a deep fly ball, it's going, going, going, back, back, back, back, it could be, IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!!"

-Mr. Linnet

P.S.  Feel free to comment back with your favorite sport's quotes.  Maybe they will end up on the mural.

Welcome Parents...

...I hope you found this site easy enough.  Please take the time to read my messages and feel free to add comments of your own.  I'd love to get input from you as well.  You can choose to "follow" this blog and then you should receive an email announcement any time I update with a new "post".

I may tinker with the visuals from time to time, but I am going to try to keep the basic display the same.  My intention with this project is to use the "social network" to relay information with all of you.  I may also share thoughts or ideas with other teachers that check it out.  If you like the site and want to share it with other teachers, friends, etc., then please feel free.  I want this site to be useful to people, so if it is not then I would like to know. 

Have a great day and I'll see you later.

Mr. Linnet

We've made it through the 1st Month of School...

...and it has been a busy one.  We started out with 30 students in my class, then reduced it down to 28.  The students have been working really hard, and I feel like I never stop working.  19 Kinders and 9 First Graders in one room is A LOT!!!  As you may have already noticed, the students have become comfortable with my routines, and are learning how to work together in the classroom.  We do seatwork skills (writing/ identifying syllables/ reading/ etc.), do some activities at the carpet (attendance/ calendar/ stories/ sight-word practice/ etc.), then return to our tables for more skill work.  After recess we do Center activities (computers/ books/ word sorts/ writing/ manipulatives/ art/ etc.), return to the carpet for another story, and then do math while the First Graders are at lunch.  After the Kinders leave, we do writing practice, have PE, then end the day with some Math and the occasional History or Science lesson.  I try to keep the routine set, as I have found it keeps my students motivated and willing to work hard and stay on task.  The homework packets are thoughtfully prepared each week based on the skills we have practiced in class.  They go home each week on Monday and are returned by Friday.  I check them in myself each weekend, offering any comments I think are relevant, then start the cycle over again.  This detailed account might sound a little boring, but I do try to have fun in my class whenever possible with my students.  Now that the busy work is out of the way, let me leave you all with my favorite lesson of the week:  Apple Muffins!!

We have been reviewing the letters and sounds for Aa and Mm.  As a culmination for the 3 week focus, I decided to surprise my students with a culinary lesson making (A)pple (M)uffins.  We mixed up all the ingredients together in class, set them in muffin cups, and baked them during lunch at the staff room.  While the muffins cooled, the students made little flags labeling their "phonetic morsels".  They wrote an (a) on the apple flag and colored it, then wrote an (m) on the muffin flag and colored it.  We put the flags on the muffins with toothpicks, then they brought the muffin home to share their edible lesson with the family.  Everyone had a great time and walked away with a personal connection to the letters "Aa" and "Mm".  To all you teachers reading this, I definitely recommend adding cooking to your Educational Arsenal.  The kids love it and you know they will remember your intended learning objective while they "eat it"!!

Progress Reports will be going home early in October, so if I don't post again for a couple weeks, please understand how busy I am getting them prepared.  Please comment and let me know what you would like to hear about, or what you think of my little blog.  Not really sure how this works, but am giving it my best!!

*P.S.  - Please don't put names on the site.  I am trying to be vague on individual names until I create some alternate names for my students.  I want to be considerate of privacy laws and respectful of my families.  Photos will come in the future when I learn how to post some w/o actually putting my students on (maybe examples of student work or pics of my empty room, not sure yet).  Thank you for respecting the privacy of others!!