The Superheroes

As a class, we have been working on defining the Learner Profile.  Together we are deciding 

what it means to be a thinker or an inquirer.  At the end of our discovery, 

I found a new look for our Profile Man and the Superheroes were born! 

Ask us what power we used today!

Fun Friday

For our first Fun Friday, we did a hands-on activity with unifix cubes.  After reading the story, Chrysanthemum, the students tried to find out how much their name was worth.  We had to use an alphabet chart that gave each letter a value.  Here you can see the students working hard and working together to help each other!  After completing our own name, we went on a 'gallery walk" to see what others found out about their name.  We had a great time building towers and then counting all those unifix cubes!

Essential Agreements

One of the first jobs our new first grade community had to decide was the rules.  How were we going to operate among each other?  What attitudes should we exhibit?  The students worked in cooperative groups drawing pictures and using words to describe the rules that they felt were the most important.  In the end, our essential agreements were very simple: Be Kind, and Be Respectful!  

Our First Planner

Who We Are: 

Central Idea:  Attitudes and actions contribute to the community in which we live. 

Lines of Inquiry:  Ways attitudes affect our social behavior

Relationships within and among communities

Connecting kindness, citizenship with respect and responsibility. 

Who We Are

The Superheroes are taking a very close look at Who We Are.  First we read the story of Camille, a boy who lived long ago.  He made a friend who was a painter, but the townspeople didn't like the painter because he was different.  We learned that you should be kind to everyone.  Next, we took a very close look at ourselves and drew a self-portrait just like Van Gogh! 

Back to School Rumble

What an exciting day!  Meeting all my first graders for the first time!  Everyone had a great time looking around the room and finding things like a float, a dragon and a silver box with their very first homework assignment!  It was wonderful meeting all my students and exploring the room together.  So far, I think the reading float is the favorite!  Can't wait to see the students 'floating' away with a good book.

Officially ready for the first day of first grade!

I am excited and thrilled to be back in a first grade classroom!   I have missed so many things about it - the best part is watching the faces of students light up when they figure things out for the first time.  There is nothing else quite like it.  Or when they laugh out loud while you are reading a book.  LOVE THAT!!  Looking forward to many magical moments this year.

Evolution of a classroom

Next, comes the furniture and finally I start unpacking all those boxes! 

 Once that is complete I started to empty out the closet and to see what treasures I could find.  

Now, comes the hard part -

 figuring out how to put everything back!

  (It's also a lot of fun thinking about how the room is going to work with the first graders in it!)  

In the beginning...

August 2013.  

My new room in first grade!  So excited to get in there and start working, 

but the floor is not done and I can only imagine what will be.  

The Secret Ceremony

For our final Good-bye, The Navigators and I held a secret ceremony. 

 It is always bittersweet watching my students walk out the door for the last time.  

Farewell Navigators!!

And now... The Awards Ceremony

Awards Ceremony on PhotoPeach

End of Year Performances

The next part of our awards ceremony included performances!  My only regret this year is that I did not get these on tape.  They were amazing!!  The Navigators did a great job.  I was really surprised with the creativity and overall awesomeness of the performances.  

The Time has come...

to say good-bye.  All of a sudden, it's the last day of school.  How did that happen?  Where did the time go?  The Navigators had an amazing year and accomplished so much.  I am so proud of the work we did this year!  Here we are in our last Morning Meeting of third grade.  

Camping is over!

I think it was more fun transforming the room, then taking it apart.  But. the Navigators rose to the occasion and completed the task together.  The end of camp is a sad moment for me because it signals the end of the school year.  Our time together is quickly coming to an end.  What an amazing year we have had together.  We really did soar to the stars!

Camping in the Classroom?

Yes!  It has finally happened - what every third grader has been waiting for all year!  

Our classroom has been transformed into a campground!  

Time For Camp

Time for Camp! on PhotoPeach

That's right we are camping in our classroom!  There was so much work to do.  Thank you once again to my amazing parents for helping to make this happen.  Can you believe we are near the end of third grade?

Statesdemonium!

Statesdemonium - an original production by The Navigators.  Our performance ended in pandemonium when all the Navigators ran off the stage to find a designated spot to stand.  The audience had to move around and visit to learn more about a specific state.  It was like a museum about states!  Except each exhibit included a live conversation.  I am very impressed with the end result.  Navigators, you did an amazing job.  Your exhibits looked great, you knew a lot of information about your states, and you had interesting and creative ways to "turn on."  Way to go,  you really are blasting off!!!

This Land is Your Land

I especially enjoyed this performance.  Woody Guthrie's song:  This Land is Your Land is one of my favorites.  Each row performed one stanza of the song.  I love how they worked together to create movement for the words. 

Did You Know?

The Navigators wrote a poem about the United States that required audience participation!   Here it is:

Did You Know - The United States of America had 13 colonies ruled by the King of England.

Audience:  No, I didn't know

The thirteen colonies were established between 1607-1732.

Audience:  No, I didn't know

The USA has fifty states but only 48 are connected together. 

Audience:  No, I didn't know

The USA has a bunch of land forms such as:  mountains, rivers and valleys.

Audience:  No, I didn't know

The official flower of the United States is the rose and the official tree is the oak tree.

Audience:  No, I didn't know

There are monuments that represent the USA.  Two famous ones are the Washington Monument and the Statue of Liberty.

Audience:  No, I didn't know

America's flag has 50 stars to represent the 50 states.  The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies. 

Audience:  No, I didn't know

Did you know that NOW you are as smart as a Navigator!

Audience:  No, I didn't know

AMERICA!

In order to fit the whole program on the blog, I had to break it down by song.  I enjoy watching all of these and I know you will too.  I was so proud thinking about the hard work that went into this production! 

The Navigators did an awesome job!  We had some third grade classes come and watch our dress rehearsal and they were very impressed too!  I think everyone left with new knowledge!

Introducing...

Navigating the 50 States!  

 The Navigators are holding a states performance including: Poetry and Music.  

It will be followed by a Statesdemonium:  a museum that tells facts about the states. 

States Program

This idea of a states program started at the beginning of the year.  I think it was Gaby who has a relative who did something fun when learning about the states.  Little did I know that Ms. Bardin planned to use the Fifty Nifty United States song!  We had to regroup and come up with a new plan.  I think we did a pretty good job.  We did a dress rehearsal for some of the third grade classes and we were a hugh hit!   

Twain Track

Congratulations to our Twain Track participants!  This is the first year that Twain has competed and our team came back with a second place trophy!  Way to go Doran, Kelsey and Alex!

STAAR, Student Conferences, Stanford..OH My

The end of April and the beginning of May has been very busy in third grade!  We rearranged the room and covered any print for the STAAR test.  But then it was time for student conferences.  So, The Navigators got busy and reviewed the five planners we had studied and created a new bulletin board for each.  We used these during our student conferences to explain the learning that was taking place.  

Third Grade Music Program

Here are some clips from the program! Enjoy!

Third Grade Music Program

Congratulations to third grade and Ms. Bardin on a job well done!  The program was a huge success. 

 I don't know how Ms. Bardin does it!!

Teacher Appreciation Part III

Again, I can't thank everyone enough for all the thoughtful gifts and treats I received this week. 

 It was so thoughtful of everyone.  

Teacher Appreciation Part II

Here's a close up of what the Meteorites actually had to say! 

 I love it so much I am keeping it up as long as it will last!

Teacher Appreciaton

Wow! Look what I found on my door today!  The best part - it's on the inside!  So every time I close the door I see this wonderful reminder of how much I am appreciated.  Thank you everyone!