Winding Down and Busy as Ever!

We are winding down to the end of the year and as always, we are becoming super busy here in first grade! Our end of the year experiences always prove to be exciting and eventful and this year will certainly not disappoint! We have spent some time recently in science learning about sound and light and have had a lot of fun experimenting with how to create sound and tell how sound is made. You can see below a fun activity we completed where everyone made small guitars out of cups and rubber bands, which all produced various sounds depending on the size and level of resistance put on each rubber band. It was so fun getting to watch the concepts we were learning about get put into practice.

In math we have been focusing on telling time, describing shapes as well as learning what it means to measure/compare lengths of objects. We spent one math lesson working in pairs to create paper chains using cut up pieces of paper and after a set amount of time we compared each other's chains and ordered them from shortest to longest. It was so fun watching them work and listening to them determine the best way to make their chains. Some found out that if they made long, thin strips of paper then their chains would end up much longer than if they made shorter, thicker pieces to put together.

In the end we agreed that it did not matter who's paper chain was the longest, but rather that we could take any object and measure/compare it's size to other objects as well. We have also had fun getting to measure our friends' heights with shoes as well as the distance between come classrooms using cubes. These have been some awesome collaborative learning experiences!

The last couple of weeks have been spent learning all about animal habitats (this has led perfectly into our upcoming animal research projects)! We have had an absolute blast learning about various habitats including the Arctic tundra, Arctic ocean, Sonoran Desert, African Savanna, Temperate Deciduous Forest, Tropical Rainforest, as well as both Fresh- and Saltwater habitats. In addition, we have learned a ton about how the animals in these habitats have adapted over time in order to survive.

We have now moved full force into animal research and are so excited about it. We are looking in a variety of books from the library as well as online to find information about each of our animals' animal group, habitats, diets, predators, parents and babies, as well as some interesting facts.

I cannot wait to see the creative costumes that you come up with at home for your child's chosen animal, which they will present at our annual Talking Zoo! Make sure to refer back to the specific details here. We will send more information home soon about our exciting Museum of Learning, where you will be able to see both Kindergarten and First Grade exhibits!

This week Wednesday we took our learning outside for Social Studies. We are learning about places and maps right now. Wednesday's lesson talked about the compass rose and how it helps us tell which direction is North, East, South or West. To help with this concept, we took our work outside to the playground and drew pictures of the things we could see in each direction. We then played a fun directional game - running/walking/skipping/etc. in every direction called!

We have had a lot of fun getting to spend more time out in the sunshine this week. We have been awaiting the time we can go outside with so much excitement! With that being said, we have a few things that we need to think about as a reminder for being outside:

*Jackets/sweatshirts should still be sent as it is still chilly in the morning and during some of our morning recesses.

*We should be wearing shoes/sandals that strap and no flip flips or sandals that will easily fall off.

*We should not be bringing toys from home to play with outside at recess. This often results in toys getting lots/broken or unnecessary arguments. Please keep toys at home, there are plenty of things to do and toys provided for outside play!

*Please come dressed for the day. It is becoming quite a hassle already as students are trying to change their outfits during the day when the temps change. I understand that by the afternoon it can get quite warm and long pants/sleeves get quite warm. If your child is wants shorts, please have them wear them under their pants and then have a conversation with them (we have the same conversations at school) about appropriate times to change - i.e. at recess time and not during work time.

This week we were short a sub for gym so we all went in and did a little cardio drumming....it was so fun getting to exercise with everyone and have a super fun time doing it! Check out some of the fun below!

Next week Friday is our annual Amy Hutton Scholarship Event. This year we are tying something new and having a fun Triathlon where all classes will be participating in reading, physical activity as well as a super fun STEM station. We are looking forward to an afternoon packed with fun (we are also going to be having a fun STEM assembly at the end of the day)!! We are asking students to try and collect pledges for the event. These pledges help support former Forest View students with college scholarships as well as help support classroom libraries. Please bring in your pledges by next week Friday! Here are the prizes available for different amounts of pledges:

As always, our much anticipated Center Lake trip is coming up fast. We have so much fun on our trip every year and have so many experiences to choose from to enjoy that day. We are looking for 2 parent volunteers per classroom to go along and help run stations/take groups around. Volunteers will be assigned on a first come-first serve basis. Please let me know ASAP if you are willing and able to help out! We do ask that you drive separately as bus space is limited and that you pay $5 to cover the cost of lunch, which will be served picnic style at camp. Center Lake day is Monday, June 10th!

If you have a child who will be preschool age this fall or know of someone who has a child ready to enroll in preschool, CAPS is taking applications for the coming year now!