Welcome back to school!

Welcome back to a new school year!  I just couldn't wait until next Friday to post these wonderful pictures showcasing our first three days together!  We are working hard to establish a community within our classroom where everyone will feel respected, listened to, valued and safe.  This takes time and using the first few weeks of school to establish this type of community for ALL learners is NEVER a waste of time.  They are learning and practicing skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.  Throughout the week I will be snapping pictures of our learning and on Fridays the children will be helping me to write about our week on the blog.  Instead of a paper newsletter, you will need to check out our blog each weekend to view our week of learning in pictures and in words.  My contribution to the blog will always be in blue text.  The children's contribution will always be in green.  Their words and how they've viewed the week of learning is always priceless:)

Just a reminder about the healthy snack...the children are allowed to bring a healthy snack from home to eat around 10:00 every morning.  It helps to get them through the long morning and they love eating their snack along with me.  We've already had great conversations about healthy eating because of this small part of our day.  If possible, try to keep all snacks nut-free as we do have a couple of allergies in our room this year and I want all to be safe.

I hope that all of you are enjoying your weekend!  I miss my little ones and can't wait to see them in the morning!

Learning the value of teamwork while trying to keep a balloon in the air using only a straw to blow the balloon into the air.

We read Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes and then made our own pet.  Wemberly had one and she rubbed it's ears whenever she worried.  This sweet, little guy was so proud of his pet that he just had to have a picture taken:)

A little friendship-building through free-exploration time.

More friendships being established through free-exploration time.

We read My Teacher Is A Monster on the first day of school and as a follow-up activity the children could either draw me as I am or draw me as a monster:)  A few students noticed that the main character kept getting in trouble for making paper airplanes so some of the students asked if they could make them too.  One little boy in our class was especially good at making them and he taught a few others.  What leadership!

Making new friends!

What a great first day of first grade and they all truly ROCKED the first day!

We compared Wemberly's worries with some of our own.  The little girl that shared the last one on the list was giggling when she shared it and said that it was a silly worry but it was still a worry she had.  I'm just so proud of them for sharing out loud!  By the way, I've enjoyed reading all of your worries that you've shared through the test email blast that I sent out last week!  Mostly snakes!!!

Sitting next to me on the reading bench has become a prime spot:)  I love having little ones so engaged in the books that I'm sharing that they just can't help themselves but hop up onto the bench to get a closer look:)