Happy Friday!

Hello! We had quite the interesting week! We had a little unexpected lesson in how it's important to be flexible...after taking our recently planted seedlings outside for some natural sunlight, we returned later that afternoon to find them blown all over the Wet Lands :( The students handled it all very well, and we hope to try planting again sometime soon in the upcoming weeks. Our science time will now be occupied with our recently arrived "organisms," including guppies, snails, and various marsh plants. Hopefully these won't blow away!! :)


The girls and boys have been doing a GREAT job with the more challenging spelling lists! Thank you for all your help at home! Our next list, digraph "th", is now available on http://www.spellingcity.com/ if you wish to start practicing over the weekend.


The students have begun their rough drafts of their "How to" projects. I'm really excited to see the final projects - we have everything from "How To Draw a Cube" to "How to Make Oobleck" - it's going to be great! This coming week we should be able to finish the writing portion of the assignment and hopefully start learning how to use the PhotoStory Program with Mrs. Cicerone.



To coordinate with the "how to" writing assignment, I am going to be putting various "how to" craft and drawing books in the art center for the students to use. If you have any craft books that you would like to share, or any old craft supplies that you would like to donate that would be most greatly appreciated! The craft supplies could be anything like scraps of tissue paper or wrapping paper, fabric scraps, water color paints, wall paper scraps, old crayons, paint brushes, sponges, etc. Thank you!!



We are finishing up division this coming week, and will be focusing more on some problem solving strategies. Thank you for your support at home with subject - I know it can be challenging! We've done a lot with using manipulatives (cubes are what we use in class, Cheerios, Legos, paper clips, anything along these lines works just as well at home!), drawing pictures, and using fact families. The students have really embraced the challenge of this - WAY TO GO KIDDOS!!



Finally, I think we have all been going through a bit of Spring Fever lately! We are all very excited about Spring - warm weather, spring sports, school being over soon, etc. Our behavior has been a little off because of it. I've been trying to be consistent with the language of "You know the good choices you need make, you need to choose to do them." We've also been reveiwing the good choices we need to make in the cafeteria, in the hallway, in specials, at recess, etc. If you could please continue conversations like these at home, I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much!



I hope everyone has a great weekend - enjoy the WONDERFUL weather!!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back! We've had another eventful week in first grade!

We planted our seeds! Thank you very much for the generous seed donations! Each student was able to plant 11 plants - pumpkin, squash, peas, mustard, grass, blankets of snow, royal blankets, columbines, daisies, tomatoes, and carrots. We took the plants outside today to expose them to some natural sunlight and water them. We were also able to spend some time in the Great Heron Wetlands - which look FABULOUS in full bloom! Some of the students observed frogs, toads - even a snake in the water! We also saw daffodils, forsythia, and hyacinth.

Division has been great! The students have been using manipulatives to help solve problems they were given in class. We discussed about what items could be used at home, and we came up with: paper clips, Cheerios, pennies, pieces of paper (cut into small pieces), Legos, toothpicks, straws and dried pasta. Another strategy the students have used to solve division is "inverse operations" which in this case, is multiplication! The students used what they knew about fact families from addition and subtraction and applied it to fact families with multiplication and division. Great job kiddos!

This week in writing we have been practicing writing ordered steps. Students were assigned index cards with simple tasks written on them. For example, brushing your teeth, making a PBJ, braiding hair, eating a banana, and so on. The students were able to use what they knew about the writing process to create a rough draft of the steps, and then transfer their draft onto sentence strips for their final copies. They're almost finished - looking good!!!

I've been hearing great feedback from the students about Frindle! I thought it was a great book, and the plot of the story coincides VERY well with our Language Arts curriculum! I hope you have been able to enjoy the book along with your child - it's a great story!

The "ch" word list was challenging, but a lot of fun! The students did really well with the various sounds of "ch" as well as with the spelling of some pretty complicated words. We have another batch of 30 for next week as well! The "SSSSHHH!!!" list is now available on SpellingCity.com - enjoy!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy the WONDERFUL weather!

Spring has SPRUNG!!

Well, we made it! I hope everyone has a great spring break!

When we return on Tuesday, April 14th we will be bridging from multiplication strategies to division strategies. The students have been doing a FANTASTIC job with multiplication, so I'm really excited to see what they can accomplish with division.

We are going to be starting our Organisms unit in science when we return as well! This is when those egg cartons you saved for us will come in handy! Also, if anyone has any flower/herb/vegetable seeds that they don't plan on using this year, we'd really appreciate it if you could send them in! Thank you! We will be starting with the life cycle of plants, and then moving on to the life cycle guppies!

Our next spelling pattern will be the "ch" consonant digraph. Digraphs are a combination of multiple letters that result in one sound, such as "ch" "ph" "wh" "th". The word list is available on Spelling City - there are 30 WORDS on this list. The purpose of this is to provide examples of the three primary sounds of "ch" - as we've learned - the English language is FULL of crazy exceptions!! For example, there's "ch" as in "chair," "ch" (sounding like "k") as in "chorus," and "ch" (sounding like "sh") as in "chic". We also have some more advanced words which we will be exploring more for vocabulary development purposes.

We are also going to be starting our "how to" writing. We will be taking a look at different examples of this type of writing next week, as well as taking a look at the different steps of this specific writing process. We will be beginning our individual "how to" projects the following week. I look forward to having Mrs. Cicerone (UES's technology specialist) show us how to use the PhotoStory program - it should be lots of fun!

Additionally, we will be starting to read the short novel, Frindle, by Andrew Clements. This will be an excellent story to follow along with our growing focus on vocabulary! Be on the lookout for questions in your child's Reading Response Journal.

With our constant efforts to try and keep the germs away, we have run out of cleaning wipes. I plan to go to Costco over break to pick up some to add to the supply, but if you could send a container in as well that would be most helpful!

Also, with our spring weather being so wacky, and our indoor climate being equally as wacky, please send in a light jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt for your child to keep here. Please have your child's name in the garment somewhere in case it should wander off. Thank you!

Finally, thank you all so very much for your help, support and communication! I hope you and your families have a wonderful spring break! Enjoy!

:) KP

The Best is Yet to Come!!

Happy Friday! It's hard to believe we're in the FOURTH QUARTER!! Thank you to all parents and students for a wonderful year so far - the best is yet to come!
Be on the lookout this week for the "Mystery Liquid" assignment that is coming home. We have been studying the various properties of liquids - and this will put our knowledge of those properties to the test! The information for this assignment will be included in the homework packet.
Thank you to all the students who submitted entries for the Economic Concepts poster contest! They all looked FABULOUS - I'll keep you posted as to the results!
We will be continuing multiplication this week, and leading into division next week. The students have done a very impressive job with the various skills of multiplication - way to go kiddos!
I hope everyone has a great weekend! If anyone goes to the Cherry Blossom Festival I'd love to see any pictures you take!
Thank you for all your continued support! :)

Happy Spring!!

Hello and happy Spring!! As I'm sure you've heard, our classroom was painted this week. The students were great with being flexible when it came to helping out, and understanding that things may be moved around due to the painters coming and going.

Next week will be a short week - we have an early release day on Thursday and no school for students on Friday. The students will not have a spelling list or mad minute quiz next week. The students will be taking the quarter 3 Math assessment - which we have been preparing for!

We have also started taking a closer look at multiplication this week, and the kids have had a BLAST with it! We've discussed different strategies that can be used to solve multiplication problems - including repeated addition and using arrays.

Next week will be the last week to turn in the economic concept poster contest entries! I included an attachment of the informational letter and a piece of paper that meets the requirements in the email that was sent with the blog. Can't wait to see all the results!

Have a great weekend! Enjoy the spring weather!

Friday the 13th...

Good afternoon! We've had another fantastic week in first grade! Seussical was a hit! If you've never been to the Weinberg Center, I highly recommend it! What a cool place! Thank you to the chaperones who were able to join us!

We've been reviewing time, temperature, and money - and finished up the week with a Jeopardy game with Mrs. Pangborn's class! TONS of fun! Our quarterly assessment for math will be coming up the week of the 23rd, this was a great way to prepare!

Thank you to all of you who have sent in egg cartons for our upcoming planting project! Our final science unit is titled "Organisms" and focuses quite a bit on various life cycles. For example, seed to plant, caterpillar to butterfly, tadpole to frog, etc. Either the cardboard OR Styrofoam cartons are acceptable! Thanks so much!

Coming up in April, our students will be focusing on "how to" writing, as well as persuasive writing. I plan to show the students how to use PowerPoint, and another new program we have called PhotoStory, to create their "how to" projects. Please be brainstorming some different ideas that your son/daughter could show others how to do. Some examples we've had in the past include "How to...make a paper football, draw a dinosaur, do a cartwheel, make a picture frame..." and so on. I'm really excited to see what the students decide to do! Please be mindful that the students will need to be able to show how to do this in five minutes or less. Their PowerPoint presentations will show the different steps of their process. PhotoStory will be put together of photos that I, or another teacher will take of the different steps of the process - and then the students read their directions into the computer! The finished product is like a "how to" video - narrated by them!!

Additionally, I've added a new prize to our classroom prize basket - No Homework Passes! Some of you have seen these come home already. The rules for these are as follows: 1. May only be used for one page of homework. 2. May not be used for book baggie homework. 3. Must be attached to the homework page the student chooses not to do. Thank you!

I have inserted the letter I received from the Magnet Department with a list of links for summer vacation programs.

Summer Program Options for Elementary and Middle School Students

Following is a list of summer program options for children in the Frederick area. The list certainly is not inclusive, but provides some possible options that address a wide variety of student interests. In providing the list, the Office of Gifted and Talented Education of Frederick County Public Schools is not endorsing or promoting the programs, but is simply offering information as a service to parents and children. The programs, phone numbers and web addresses are accurate as of March 2009, but subject to change without notice.

· Maryland Summer Centers for Gifted and Talented Students are sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education and are held in locations throughout the state. Information and online registration are available in February at www.marylandpublicschools.org/summercenters. Summary sheets about the programs are available in FCPS schools in mid-March. A limited number of brochures are available from FCPS Office of Gifted and Talented Education (301-696-6891).
· Center for Talented Youth (CTY) is sponsored by The Johns Hopkins University. Advanced screening process, including testing, is required. Information for this program is available at 1-410-516-0278 or at http://www.cty.jhu.edu/.
· Frederick Community College offers year round programs for students. Parents may call 301-624-2820 to be added to the mailing list or visit www.frederick.edu/courses_and_programs/children.aspx, Programs for Children.
· Summer Institute for the Gifted offers high quality summer programs for academically advanced students in grades 4-11 at prestigious institutions of higher learning. This two-week program is costly. For more information call 1-866-303-4744 or http://www.giftedstudy.com/.
· Rose Hill Manor offers history camps for students in the summer. Information is available at 301-600-1650 or visit http://www.rosehillmuseum.com/ .
· Delaplaine Visual Arts Center offers many classes for students in grades preschool through high school in the arts. Parents may call 301-698-0656 or visit http://www.delaplaine.org/ to request a brochure or to be added to the mailing list.
· YMCA offers summer programs for students. Information is available at 301-663-5131 or
at http://frederickymca.org/ .
· Hood Athletics Summer Camps for boys and girls of various ages in Basketball, Soccer, http://frederickymca.org/ Lacrosse, Volleyball and Field Hockey are available at www.hood.edu/athletics/athletics.cfm?pid=athletics_summercamps07.html.
· Hood College offers swimming classes. Information is available at the Aquatics Center at www.hoodathletics.com/aquatics/aqu-welcome.


· Mount St. Mary’s University Residential/Commuter Soccer Camp is sponsored by the Rob Ryerson Professional Soccer School and offers week long soccer camps for both boys and girls from ages 10-18. Information is available at 301-447-5383 or http://www.scoringoals.com/.
· Dream Catcher Farm, located in Adamstown, Maryland, offers summer riding camps for one or more weeks, with limited enrollment available. The farm features an indoor and outdoor riding rink. Camp includes riding instruction, training in horsemanship, horse care, trail rides and arts and crafts (1-301-607-4238).
· Frederick Arts Council sponsors programs (301-662-4190).
· West Winds All Sports Camp at 11411 Gas House Pike in New Market offers week long camps focusing on golf, tennis, swimming and other sports. Information is available at
1-800-627-2267 or at http://www.campchannel.com/.
· Clustered Spires Golf Course offers golf camps for students all summer (301-624-1295).
· The Frederick SportsPlex offers summer sport camps. Information is available at 301-662-6866 or at http://www.sportsplexent.com/.
· Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center is rich in natural and historical interest and offers many hands on programs for children. Information is available at 301-898-1460 or at www.byways.org/explore/byways/58845/places/73744/ .
· Life and Discovery is a learning institute for enrichment and discovery. Classes include math, Chinese studies, reading and writing. Information is available at 301-631-6838 or http://www.lifeanddiscovery.com/.
· Volunteer Frederick Inc., located at 31 West Patrick Street, offers summer opportunities for students from ages 11-17. Students can choose from three two-week programs called SummerServe Express or one five-week program called SummerServe. There is a charge for these programs, but scholarships are available. Free volunteer opportunities also are available. Students may consider any of these opportunities offered through Volunteer Frederick Inc. to fulfill their service learning requirements. Additional information is available at 301-663-5214 or at http://www.volunteerfrederick.org/.


Local magazines, published each spring, provide information about additional summer youth programs. These magazines, which usually may be obtained at no cost in grocery stores, doctor’s offices and real estate offices in Frederick County, are:
· Frederick County Guide, 301-662-6050 or www.thefrederickguide.com/thefrederickguide/ .
· Family, 301-662-8171 or http://www.fredmag.com/.
· The Recreator (a free brochure prepared by Frederick County Division of Parks and Recreation) 301-600-2936 or http://www.co.frederick.md.us/index.asp?nid=3034.
· Child Guide, 540-955-2004 or http://www.childguidemagazine.com/.



Summer Program Options for Elementary and Middle School Students

Following is a list of summer program options for children in the Frederick area. The list certainly is not inclusive, but provides some possible options that address a wide variety of student interests. In providing the list, the Office of Gifted and Talented Education of Frederick County Public Schools is not endorsing or promoting the programs, but is simply offering information as a service to parents and children. The programs, phone numbers and web addresses are accurate as of March 2009, but subject to change without notice.

· Maryland Summer Centers for Gifted and Talented Students are sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education and are held in locations throughout the state. Information and online registration are available in February at www.marylandpublicschools.org/summercenters. Summary sheets about the programs are available in FCPS schools in mid-March. A limited number of brochures are available from FCPS Office of Gifted and Talented Education (301-696-6891).
· Center for Talented Youth (CTY) is sponsored by The Johns Hopkins University. Advanced screening process, including testing, is required. Information for this program is available at 1-410-516-0278 or at http://www.cty.jhu.edu/.
· Frederick Community College offers year round programs for students. Parents may call 301-624-2820 to be added to the mailing list or visit www.frederick.edu/courses_and_programs/children.aspx, Programs for Children.
· Summer Institute for the Gifted offers high quality summer programs for academically advanced students in grades 4-11 at prestigious institutions of higher learning. This two-week program is costly. For more information call 1-866-303-4744 or http://www.giftedstudy.com/.
· Rose Hill Manor offers history camps for students in the summer. Information is available at 301-600-1650 or visit http://www.rosehillmuseum.com/ .
· Delaplaine Visual Arts Center offers many classes for students in grades preschool through high school in the arts. Parents may call 301-698-0656 or visit http://www.delaplaine.org/ to request a brochure or to be added to the mailing list.
· YMCA offers summer programs for students. Information is available at 301-663-5131 or
at http://frederickymca.org/ .
· Hood Athletics Summer Camps for boys and girls of various ages in Basketball, Soccer, http://frederickymca.org/ Lacrosse, Volleyball and Field Hockey are available at www.hood.edu/athletics/athletics.cfm?pid=athletics_summercamps07.html.
· Hood College offers swimming classes. Information is available at the Aquatics Center at www.hoodathletics.com/aquatics/aqu-welcome.


· Mount St. Mary’s University Residential/Commuter Soccer Camp is sponsored by the Rob Ryerson Professional Soccer School and offers week long soccer camps for both boys and girls from ages 10-18. Information is available at 301-447-5383 or http://www.scoringoals.com/.
· Dream Catcher Farm, located in Adamstown, Maryland, offers summer riding camps for one or more weeks, with limited enrollment available. The farm features an indoor and outdoor riding rink. Camp includes riding instruction, training in horsemanship, horse care, trail rides and arts and crafts (1-301-607-4238).
· Frederick Arts Council sponsors programs (301-662-4190).
· West Winds All Sports Camp at 11411 Gas House Pike in New Market offers week long camps focusing on golf, tennis, swimming and other sports. Information is available at
1-800-627-2267 or at http://www.campchannel.com/.
· Clustered Spires Golf Course offers golf camps for students all summer (301-624-1295).
· The Frederick SportsPlex offers summer sport camps. Information is available at 301-662-6866 or at http://www.sportsplexent.com/.
· Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center is rich in natural and historical interest and offers many hands on programs for children. Information is available at 301-898-1460 or at www.byways.org/explore/byways/58845/places/73744/ .
· Life and Discovery is a learning institute for enrichment and discovery. Classes include math, Chinese studies, reading and writing. Information is available at 301-631-6838 or http://www.lifeanddiscovery.com/.
· Volunteer Frederick Inc., located at 31 West Patrick Street, offers summer opportunities for students from ages 11-17. Students can choose from three two-week programs called SummerServe Express or one five-week program called SummerServe. There is a charge for these programs, but scholarships are available. Free volunteer opportunities also are available. Students may consider any of these opportunities offered through Volunteer Frederick Inc. to fulfill their service learning requirements. Additional information is available at 301-663-5214 or at http://www.volunteerfrederick.org/.


Local magazines, published each spring, provide information about additional summer youth programs. These magazines, which usually may be obtained at no cost in grocery stores, doctor’s offices and real estate offices in Frederick County, are:
· Frederick County Guide, 301-662-6050 or www.thefrederickguide.com/thefrederickguide/ .
· Family, 301-662-8171 or http://www.fredmag.com/.
· The Recreator (a free brochure prepared by Frederick County Division of Parks and Recreation) 301-600-2936 or http://www.co.frederick.md.us/index.asp?nid=3034.
· Child Guide, 540-955-2004 or http://www.childguidemagazine.com/.

Have a great weekend! Thank you for all your help and support!

:) KP

Monday, March 9th

Hello! I hope everyone had the opportunity to enjoy the FABULOUS weather we had over the weekend. We had another busy, successful week last week. Students were able to create town maps using what they learned about coordinate graphing, and we learned how to write limerick poetry! Keep an eye out for these assignments to come home - they turned out great!
Special thanks to Mrs. Phelps for coming in on Friday - the students had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the goodies she brought in for us.
Please remember that tomorrow is our field trip to the Weinberg Center!! We're all really looking forward to it.
Thank you to the parents who have sent in egg cartons! I'm realizing that the cardboard kind are more of a rare find than I thought! So, if you normally purchase the Styrofoam kind, those will work as well - thank you! Also, thank you to those who've sent in the disinfecting products. It's been really very helpful in keeping the classroom as clean as possible.
Have a great week! Let's hope this weather sticks around as long as possible :)