Hopes and Dreams for First Grade

The first day of school it is fun to ask the children what they might have as a hope or dream for their first grade year.  Enjoy looking at the writing samples and listening to the crew read their thoughts by clicking on the presentation above!

Our School's New Web Page!

Our school has so many unique characteristics.  I've only been a part of this school for three years although I've been a Douglas County Teacher for 20,  and it has  taken a while to realize all of the amazing things we are and how teach and learn.

We are Renaissance Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound School.
No longer will we call ourselves REMS.  We want the community to know who we are.
Please go to the brand new school web page at http://www.wearecrew.org/ to check out the details and to get all of the latest school-wide information.

I have added this link to my blog as well.  You can find it on the right hand side along with the Ms. Deborah's principal blog and a link to Thursday folders.

Ms. Mary Beth

Read/ Write/ Explore

  

One of our favorite times of the day is Read/ Write/ Explore Time.  
During this time the children work in areas of interest or areas of needed growth.

Many of the children get excited about exploring the Crew Library or writing stories and making books.

Many of the children are working in groups on areas important to early readers and writers.  Things like making words with letters, working with upper/lower case letters, alphabet cards and books, and sorting.

Working in these groups also builds children who know how to communicate, collaborate, and use critical thinking skills, all of which we call 21st Century Skills, those skills needed to excel in our world.  

We are getting to know each other as people and learners.  It's an exciting journey!

Author Study!

First we chose authors we wanted to study and then we began reading lots of books by that author.  We worked with a partner.

Next we began noticing similarities and differences between the authors books.

We used a Venn Diagram to compare two of our authors books.

Then we began to research our authors.  We looked at book jackets and covers of books.  We went to our authors websites to read more about our authors.  

Here is a list of the authors we studied:

• Steven Kellog
• Don and Audrey Wood
• Tedd Arnold
• Kevin Henkes
• Nancy Carlson
• Marla Frazee
• Ezra Jack Keets
• Eric Carle
• Mem Fox
• Robert Munch

 Our in-house illustrator Carter took things one step further.  He studied how Eric Carle uses tissue paper to create his drawings and he created this caterpillar at home using the same process.  We are proud of his work!

Spring Climbing 2013

I am always so proud of my crew children as I watch them take on climbing challenges with a new sense of confidence come April.
They make me tear up as they cheer each other on to new heights!
Soon we will take our climbing talents outside on our trip to Castlewood Canyon!

Winter Voyage 2013

Camp Elim in the winter!  What fun...especially the sledding!

Readers are Thinkers...1st Grade Book Clubs!

Check us out...marking the text, taking turns sharing our thoughts,  questions,  and connections.  And having a ball doing it!

This is our first round of book clubs.  Many of us chose rich picture books that I had read to the crew.  Some of us chose to share a chapter book together, like Frog and Toad.  

After watching book clubs done in a fishbowl fashion last month, the children knew what they looked like and how they sounded. 
This really helped them give it a go on their own.  

One day they will be great additions to adult book clubs!

I'm so proud of my readers!