Thursday Thrills!

Congratulations to the following students: Klara, Bradley, Sahithi, Elsa, Mallory, Haley, Branden, and Jacob. These students earned a free ticket to 6-Flags Great America and are bringing home their tickets today! All for just doing what we always do: READ!!!!! Be sure and check their STAR binder and save those tickets for some summer fun beginning June 14. Congratulations!!!!

Here's a photo album highlighting our day:

A free digital photo book by Smilebox

Tomorrow we have P.E. and music. It is Ms. Engelhardt's last day. Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ....READ...READ!

Wednesday Wonders!

Mallory read one of my favorite books: It's a FINE, FINE, School. Thanks, Mallory! You did a WONDERFUL job!


The BIG event of the day was our trip to the Hemmens Auditorium for Slim Goodbody and Bodyology! I couldn't take pictures but if you go to slimgoodbody.com you can read more about what we learned. Mia even got to go up on stage!!!! I wish I could have taken pictures but we'll never forget.

Before we left first graders began making their own polygons while 2nd graders learned more about fractions. After our late lunch and recess, 1st graders shared their polygons and 2nd graders completed a checking progress on fractions.

Tomorrow we have art and ELL enrichment time. Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ....READ....READ!!!

Busy Days!

Yesterday, Jacob was our child of the day and today, Leighton. Both did a GREAT job and we enjoyed listening to them read. Thanks!!!!



Monday, we had a visit from the Elgin Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet. They were FABULOUS!!! In the mail your student brought home today is information about how you can enjoy a concert by the entire ESO! I have heard them perform many times and you WILL enjoy it!!!! They are truly our own CSO!!!!

Enjoy a sneak peek:

This digital slideshow made with Smilebox

Because of the assembly yesterday and today, the 1st graders taking MAP for primary, we have had a very unusual schedule. Here are a few highlights:

Math: 1st graders are working on attributes.




2nd graders are working on equivalent fractions and fractions of collections:




And we have all worked on problem solving, number sense, and more!!!!



In reading, we continue to work on determining importance and summarizing. We are reading the book ROSA and identifying the 5W's: Who did it involve? Where did it happen? When did it happen? What happened? Why did it happen? We will use the answer to these questions to write a summary.

Tomorrow we will travel to Hemmens Auditorium to see Slim Goodbody and Bodyology. We will eat a late lunch upon our return. Before we leave we will work on math and finish up when we return.

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ....READ....READ!!!!

Friday Fun!

Hayden was our child of the day to start us off reading! Great reading, Hayden!



This was a catch up day. Students finished work from yesterday: story summary and weather activities. They also completed a Word Puzzle about nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

In the afternoon we had P.E. and music. We returned to the room to learn about the brain and complete an activity. We will finish that on Monday.

Have a GREAT weekend and don't forget to READ...READ...READ!!!

Wacky Weather Wednesday!

Bradley started our day off as our child of the day:




We anxiously awaited Nature Dan's arrival for Wacky Weather, but first we reviewed spelling patterns with long vowel sounds and the silent "e". We also did a quick exercise in categorizing facts. We wrote our summaries for our Time for Kids article on insects and then began our readers' workshop time. In writing, we read like writers The Honeybees by Gail Gibbons and wrote revisions for our stories about trees. And now....for the highlight of the day:

Nature Dan and Wacky Weather!

This free slideshow created with Smilebox

I will be out of the building tomorrow at a district meeting. Mrs. Naegle will be the teacher along with our student teacher Ms. Engelhardt. Please remind your student to follow the classroom promise and the 4C's as always.

There will be no blog posting again until Friday.

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ...READ...READ!!!

Tuesday Tales

Here are some pictures of Shivam as our Child of the Day:





Thanks, Shivam!

We began the day working on words then moved into determining importance. As part of our morning message, we categorized facts about horses. This will help us as we began our own writing.

We reviewed how to paraphrase information and write facts in our own words, then finished up an activity we began yesterday with Time for Kids. We will write our summary tomorrow.

During writers workshop we read as writers as we looked at several non fiction books to identify how the author grabbed the reader and how they wrote their books. We then took another look at our own writing to identify how we could write a non fiction piece as a narrative. (narrative non fiction)

After lunch and recess, 1st graders completed a checking progress and 2nd graders worked on identifying equivalent fractions.

Tomorrow we will go to the book fair to purchase books. If you wish your child to purchase a book, just put the order in a sealed envelope with the cash or check. Label the envelope with your child's name and what it is for. I will hold onto it until we go to the book fair. If you wish to attend, you can meet us in the library at 12.

We also will have a visit from Nature Dan tomorrow to talk to us about Wacky Weather! It will be a GREAT learning experience.

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ....READ...READ!

Monday Marvels!

Neha was our child of the day. Here are a few pictures of her in action:





After working on words and listening to Neha read, we reviewed how to Read, Cover, Remember, Retell in reading. Students then used a Time for Kids to practice the strategy.

2nd graders took their Math MAP test this morning while 1st graders remained in the room for readers' workshop. We were unable to have writers' workshop because of the MAP test.

After lunch and recess, we read about how our lungs help us to breathe. Then we went to the library to preview books in the book fair. We will return on Wednesday at 12:00 to make our purchases. Students took home information today about what they wish to purchase as well as the times families can come and take a look. If you wish to come with your child on Wednesday, you may. Meet us in the library at 12 o'clock.

When we returned to the room, we reviewed problem solving and writing out our thinking. 2nd graders worked on fractions and 1st graders worked on graphs and analyzing data.

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ...READ...READ!

Friday Fun!

We enjoyed listening to Sahithi read Cat and Dog...a very funny book. Thanks, Sahithi!!!! And...as usual...she did a WONDERFUL job with the calendar!



Today was a science and clean up day. We learned about healthy eating and making healthy choices and did a word sort using these categories. We then looked at our non fiction writing and related it to what we know about hooking the reader. We went back to revise our writing with a better lead.

We also learned about the Monster Who Came to School. We wrote our own classroom rule book to help remind us of NOT being a monster at school but "kids of character!"

After P.E. and music, we watched a video about the heart. We then completed a measurement activity to measure our fists and how that is the approximate size of our hearts. We learned that the heart is like a pump as it pumps blood throughout our body. We also worked on our "Bodyology" packet.

Monday, 2nd graders will take their math MAP test. Please get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. Eat BRAIN food!

We will also have a chance in the afternoon to preview books in the book fair. We will return to the library on Wednesday to make our purchases.

Have a GREAT weekend and don't forget to READ...READ....READ!!!!!

Thursday Thrills

We enjoyed listening to Chris read a biography of Waterhouse Hawkins. Ask your child if they can remember who he was.



We reviewed our vocabulary words and then worked more on taking notes. We reviewed what we learned yesterday and then wrote a mini-report about what we learned from re-reading our notes. We will review these tomorrow.

We talked about using our senses to make our non fiction writing come alive and how to show, not tell. We revised our writings about the seasons.

In the afternoon we had ELL enrichment time and art. Tomorrow we have P.E. and music. Be sure and wear appropriate shoes...not sandals.

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ....READ....READ!!!

Wednesday Wonders!

Our child of the day, Jefferson, read to us from a Magic Tree House book. He is really enjoying reading this series. He has read quite a few according to his reading log on the WIKI and he really likes them! Keep up the GREAT reading, Jefferson!



After working on our word wall words, we looked at non fiction or expository writing topics and brainstormed ways we could narrow the topic down. We will work on this tomorrow as well as it will help us when we write.

In reading, we looked at a Time for Kids and made notes of the facts we learned in our own words. Tomorrow we will review this and then write a summary. Here are a few pictures of our "researchers!":








We connected our reading with writing and reviewed writing an expository piece. I read Recess at 20 below and then students wrote about what one of the seasons was like here in Bartlett. We will review these tomorrow and add descriptive words.

After lunch and recess, 1st graders learned more about telling time and 2nd graders worked on fractions. All students worked on number sense and problem solving.

Tomorrow we have art and our ELL enrichment time.

Have a GREAT evening and don't forget to READ....READ....READ!!!!

Tales of Tuesday!

Thanks, Jason, for building our background knowledge about sharks. Chomp! was a GREAT book!



We worked on our new word wall words (well, place, such, here, even)to begin our day. We also began learning about how to take research notes as part of our reading lesson.

In writing, we wrote a non fiction piece about winter.

Math was spent working on problem solving and number sense. 1st graders learned more about telling time and 2nd graders completed a checking progress activity on unit 7.

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ...READ...READ!!!!

Monday Marvels!

Matthew read a very funny Tacky the Penguin story today. Thanks, Matthew!


It was a very busy day. First we had spring pictures. Then we worked on a matching activity for non fiction conventions. We also wrote thank you letters to our Junior Achievement representative.

While this was going on, 2nd graders took their reading MAP test. When they returned to the room, we learned our new vocabulary words: mandatory, pasture, velvet, scrap, tempting and provide.

In the afternoon, we went to the library, then reviewed how to write a math extended response. 1st graders worked on the function machine and 2nd graders learned about frequency tables.

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ....READ....READ!!!!

JA Friday!

The big event was Junior Achievement. Mr. Reid from the University of Phoenix taught us all about families, wants and needs, and more. Thank you!

Picture collage created with Smilebox

Branden ended our day reading...Thanks!


Monday is picture day...put on those great smiles. 2nd graders will take their spring MAP reading tests. Just get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast and you will do fine!

Thursday Thrills!

Joshua read Ben's Dad today. What a great job he did. Thanks, Joshua!



We began the day with a tornado drill practice. We also reviewed a cool tool rotation: zip, zap, zoom. By hallways we reviewed how we leave the lunch room (walking) and quickly and quietly get our coats on to go outside. We reviewed how to walk in the hallways as well. Please remind your child there is no running in school except in the gym under Coach S.'s direction. That's it! And in the hallway we aren't talking because other classes are in session and we do not want to interrupt the learning.

We learned more about determining importance and paraphrasing facts we learn during readers' and writers' workshop.

In the afternoon we had our ELL enrichment time and art.

Tomorrow we will have a very special morning. Junior Achievement will visit the classroom with a special program. More about that tomorrow.

We have P.E. and music in the afternoon. Be sure and wear appropriate shoes.

Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ...READ...READ!!!!

Wednesday Wonders!

Both Klara (today's child of the day) and Bela read to the class today. Bela really held our interest as she read Pocket Money. We learned that reading with fluency helps hold the audience's attention. Klara read a non fiction book, The Weather, and we learned more about retelling non fiction: paraphrasing the facts we learn in our own words. GREAT reading!



We worked some more on test taking strategies for MAP, then moved right in to our lessons on determining importance and how to paraphrase the facts we learn. In writing, we connected our learning and wrote facts down about Polar Animals that we were reading about.

After lunch and recess, 1st graders worked on a math exploration about geometry and 2nd graders worked on measurement and finding the middle value.

Tomorrow we have art.

Please sign and return report cards by Friday if possible. Have a GREAT night and don't forget to READ...READ....READ!!!!