Weeks of May 20 and May 27, 2013 - Last Blog of the Year!

Dear Parents:

Even Dr. Bianco was amazed with the shark dissection!

This will be the last blog I post this school year.  It's long, but please read carefully. I still have a lot more pictures to add to our class shutterfly site. It will take me some time over  the next few weeks. So, be sure and check out the site even after school ends. If you have pictures to share from the year, PLEASE post them as well. Thank you to those of you that have posted pictures this year! There are SO MANY wonderful pictures of your children of many terrific memories of first grade! You can easily make a wonderful photo

album of your child's year in first grade! They often offer discounts up to 40 and 50% off as well. Remember that you can click the link on the right side of this blog.

Our last field trip will be tomorrow - Tuesday, May 21! We will be going to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. The children should wear their "Commotion in the Ocean" t-shirts with jean bottoms. I am so glad that so many of you are able to join us! It will be a lot of fun! Please remember that shopping at the gift shop or buying treats

Carson and Keith found a treasure... a piece of mulch shaped like a shark tooth!

for the children at the aquarium is not allowed. When one group gets to do that but not another, it causes hurt feelings and problems for parents and teachers. If you feel the need to shop, please do so after we leave the aquarium. Thank you for understanding.


Don't forget that next Monday, May 27,  is Memorial Day so there will be no school that day.

Mrs. Peck also brought a stingray and a skate!

This year has flown by! I can't believe there are only 8 1/2 days left! We still have so much to do! This week during Writing Workshop, the children will be finishing their All About books on their sea creatures and continuing to work on their projects. They are having a blast doing it and their creativity and problem solving skills amaze me! We will have a Project Share/Writing Celebration on Wednesday, May 29, at 2:00. I hope that you can all join us! We will be set up just like a science fair with the children posted at their

projects ready to teach you all about their sea creature, share with you the process of making their projects, and share the "All About" books they wrote on their sea creatures. If you were to visit with each child, you would be learning about 14 different sea animals! Wow!

In math, we'll be taking our unit 9 math assessment tomorrow so look for that to come home this week. Over the last two weeks of school, we'll review many of the skills introduced and learned this year and take our final math assessment.

In word work/reading workshop, we'll review words with long vowels as well as all of our sight words. I will be completing my final reading assessments with each child and they will be shopping for and enjoying more "just right" books of any genre they choose.

We'll also be doing a lot of partying during these final days! We'll be having a final compliment party on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30. Friday, we'll celebrate Kaja turning 7! The partying continues next Thursday afternoon, May 30, when we will have our end of the year party beginning at 1:15. Students, again, may wear their "Commotion in the Ocean" t-shirts with jean bottoms. We will rotate through the three first grade classrooms with different activities in each room. Parents are welcome to join us!

It doesn't seem possible, but the last day of school will be next Friday, May 31st. Dismissal will be at noon. Please be sure that your child brings the take-home folder and green bag to school

every day this week and next! We will be cleaning out cubbies, desks, and clearing walls. There will be a lot to send home so I will send a little home each day to try to avoid overwhelming you! 

I want to thank each of you for sharing your precious child with me. Each and every child has touched my heart in a special way. There have been many smiles and lots of laughter. I should write a book! They have grown in so many ways and amazed me each and every day. I am often asked, "how do you do this every day?" Exhausting

Can't get enough of Commotion in the Ocean!

as it can be, I can only say that I have the best job in the world! I love what I do! There is nothing like witnessing a child make new discoveries and gain knowledge. But, the BEST part of my job is the love I receive from the children. Their hugs, smiles, and laughter make my day every day!

Carson works on his project.

Sydney concentrates on making a pufferfish for her project.

Finally, I want to thank each of you for all of the support you have given me and the children each and every day. You have volunteered in countless ways. We could not have done everything that we did this year without you! I hope that each of you will stop in and/or email me from time to time to say hello and let me know how you and your child are doing.

Have a wonderful summer!
Susan



Final Volunteer Schedules:

• Thursday, May 23 - Math Game - 10:30 - Donna Main
• Friday, May 24 - Art - 9:15 - Kim Gross
• Thursday, May 30 - Math Game - 10:30 - David Richardson
• Friday, May 31 - Art - 9:15 - Mary Hind