December Photo Fun wrapped up in one big post!

Hi everyone! Merry Christmas (or day after)! I hope everyone is enjoying their time with family and friends, and I hope Santa was good to you!  I'm sure all of the Firsties received many wonderful gifts from Santa- their hearts were definitely all ready for Jesus! I am sure I will get to hear all about their Christmas adventures when we return to school after the new year! In the meantime, I just wanted to share some photos from those extremely busy last few weeks of school... enjoy! 

We hope you enjoyed the beautiful "snow globes" that the Firsties worked hard making for you! There is a hole punch at the top so you can hang it somewhere special!

Here we have some students working hard on their "Math Mints"

Each "Math Mint" shows a fact family- fact families are sets of addition and subtraction problems that use the same three numbers.

 

Fact families help our Firsties memorize their addition and subtraction facts! 

 

 

Here's a close up of one... This fact family uses the numbers 6,4, and 10

And if you didn't hear, we had a special visitor one day...

The 8th Graders brought Santa with them while they sang carols for us! This is one of our favorite St. Jude School traditions = )

Before all of the Christmas chaos fun, we celebrated 12-12-12...

Our Hundreds Helper even helped us skip count by 12's on the fabulous interactive whiteboard!

Speaking of interactive whiteboard, here are some of our Firsties working on a Phonics workbook page projected on the board...

Finally, here are some students working on their financial skills... we will be working on counting with coins for a few more weeks, so practice counting at home! 

Future CPA's and Wall Street financiers...

Firsties learned that when we count a group of coins, we always S-O-C! (Sort (into like groups), Order (from greatest to least), then Count!)

Well, I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our First Grade classroom!  Please enjoy the rest of our wonderful Christmas Break- I know I will enjoy sleeping in, spending time with family and friends, and camping during the New Year's!  Speaking of New Year's, everyone has their own special traditions to do on New Year's Eve, and I thought I'd share with you my family's tradition.  According to the Japanese (if you didn't know, my mother is a quarter Japanese- born and raised there!), you must eat noodles -the longer, the better- on New Year's Eve.  This represents a "long" and healthy life in the new year!  So, grab some ramen, spaghetti, or whatever pasta you can, and enjoy some noodles on New Year's Eve!  Happy New Year everyone! 

Take care! 
~Ms. Hudson   

STOP! Firsty Parents Only- Not intended for Students!!!!

Don't worry parents- there is nothing inappropriate written in this post.  In fact, this will be one of my shortest posts ever. Some of you asked today if I discussed the horrible event that took place in Connecticut with the Firsties- absolutely not.  This is something that is really in your hands to discuss with your children.  However, in response to the tragic events that happened today in Connecticut, I am assigning one mandatory homework for you- the parents- for this weekend.  Hug your children. Hug them with the longest, biggest bear hug until they can't take being hugged any longer... and then hug them some more.  Life is precious- too precious- and we need to remember the importance of showering our children with love.  We are all too fortunate to be able to attend a school that promotes prayer, and we need to take advantage of that!  Please pray with your children every day.  And, if they are aware of what happened today, please pray with them for the students, victims, their families, teachers, first responders, and anyone affected by this tragedy.  

May you all have a peaceful weekend filled with love.

Take care
~Ms. Hudson  

Fedoras wanted!

Hi parents! Quick little blog post- to help with our Sinatra "look" during the Advent Program, I'm hoping that any kids with fedoras (any color, but blacks, greys, browns, or Christmas colors would be ideal) will wear them the night of the performance!  Something like this: 

 Some kids have expressed that they have this hat at home, so hopefully we can have as many Firsties as possible wearing these hats! Please don't feel the need to go out and buy one- it's just a little extra touch to our look! Thank you very much, and don't forget to send in a shoebox tomorrow for approval! ~Ms. Hudson

It's the Most Wonderful (and Excitable) Time of the Year!

Happy Saturday everyone!  What busy plans does your family have this weekend?  I'm just taking a wild, crazy guess that you are all busy... I know I am!  This time of year can definitely wear us all out, and I definitely noticed some wear and tear on our Firsties this week!  Periods of excitedness were immediately followed by periods of tiredness, and then sometimes even irritability!  But that was just the teachers!  = ) The Firsties were about the same, too... we are definitely noticing a few more tiffs between friends, a few more children feeling extra sensitive over small things, and a few more heads on the desks.  I know I have been trying to go to bed a little earlier, and that's not easy with all of these holiday parties on my calendar and holiday treats on my kitchen counter!  But let's all try to help each other out and remember how precious a little TLC can be this time of year... thank you!  And now I will step off of my Christmas soap box to talk about the many going's-on in our festive room...= ) 
(And again, I hope you all know me well enough by now to get my sense of humor in that last paragraph!) 

First of all, take a look at some of the decorations your fabulous kiddos put up around the room:

Glittery Christmas Light Bulbs

The stockings were decorated and hung by the "chimney" with care...

 The kids have been working on their fine motor skills with plenty of coloring and cutting... lots and lots of cutting!  Here are some students cutting out their reindeer.  They had to follow specific directions in order to color them, then, after cutting them out, they needed to use their knowledge of positional words to glue the legs on them correctly.  They even got to name their own reindeer... we just finished hanging them up in the room, so we'll be sure to post that picture soon! 

We even had some wrapped presents in our room, adding to the Christmas festiveness!  Thank you to everyone who was able to sign up and help out our Adopt-a-Family.  Your generosity exudes the Christmas Spirit! 

I'm not sure many of you know this, but every Monday during the Season of Advent, our whole school gathers outside of the First Grade classroom to say a special Advent prayer.  The Advent wreath hangs right outside our room (how lucky are we?!?!) and Sister Shawn leads us in prayer.  Please feel free to join us each Monday!  Here is a photo of the school gathered together last Monday:

Our Firsties are working diligently on their Advent Program songs.  We really have our Jingle Bells (the Frank Sinatra version) down!  Next up, we need to practice our Drummer Boy song... Speaking of which, I am on the lookout for some props and costumes for that song... Does anyone out there have something that might look like a Mary, Joseph, and (get ready for this) ox and lamb costume for a First Grader? If someone can donate these costumes (they will be returned to you), we were going to see which students would want to dress up as these people/animals for the song.  To be fair, I would need to pull names out of a hat of those interested in the part, but if any one is willing to donate the costumes, we would greatly appreciate it!  Obviously Mary and Joseph are fairly simple, but that ox and lamb... Please let me know as soon as possible via email if you can help out with this! Thank you!  

I am also looking for some crafty parents to help out with decorating some paper drums... hoping to make them look very "snazzy!" (read snazzy as glittery/decorative!) If you are available to help out with this, please let me know!

Finally, a quick academic update! Your Firsties will have a cumulative Sight Word test on Monday the 17th.  Remember to review those sight words a few more times before then! 

The Firsties have just completed their first big subtraction unit, and we will now go on to counting with money.  This is a great unit, especially because parents can easily reinforce this lesson at home.  I hope there is still some change left in your house to help them with their homework- I know some of these Firsties cleaned out their piggy banks to donate money to the poor!  Speaking of which, this amazingly generous group of children have donated well over...$200! Can you believe that?!?!?! I believe that is a record for any First Grade class that I've taught!  Unbelievable!  I definitely put popcorn in our popcorn jar when Mrs. Coulter announced our total.  I am so proud of these kiddos- way to go First Grade! 

Speaking of generous, thank you for another amazing bake sale!  We raised over $200 as well with this sale!  Our Christian Service project is good to go! Thank you to everyone who helped out, and a big thank you to Mrs. Vona and Mrs. Schultz for heading this project! 

One final note- this week we will begin collecting the shoe boxes for our Nativity Scenes- here is an example of a shoe box that is too skinny:

And here is an example of a shoe box that is just right:

Hope that helps! We'd like all boxes in by Wednesday for size approval, then we will return them to you to decorate the outside only at home over the weekend.  On Monday the 17th, we'd like them returned to school for the kids to work their magic on the interior of the boxes.  They really do turn out so beautifully, and we appreciate all of your help! Thank you! 

Have a wonderful weekend filled with family and friends! I'm off to bake some cookies, clean the house, rake the leaves, shop for presents, attend holiday parties, find a Christmas tree at the tree farm, etc, etc, etc... = )  I really do love this time of year!

Take care! 
 ~Ms. Hudson

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Advent...

Hi everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving break!  In case you were wondering, I try not to work on the blog (and other work-related items) over holiday breaks... as one of my seasoned professors once told me at my teacher credentialing ceremony, "Don't burn your candle at both ends- otherwise you will have nothing left to light the way for your students." This is so true!  And it seems so appropriate after watching the movie Race to Nowhere with the other teachers this past Monday.  If you didn't get a chance to see this movie, I definitely recommend it.  It makes us aware of some of the challenges of the youth today.  Things are definitely different today than they were ten, twenty, and thirty years ago.  It is so important for all of us to remember (adults and kids) that over-committing ourselves to activities can really be a detriment to our health.  As the wise saying goes, "Everything in moderation." With that said, I hope we all become very aware of our own limitations, and let us all keep a close eye on the children present in our lives, who sometimes take on too many activities themselves just so they don't disappoint the adults in their lives.  As the old saying goes, "Take time to smell the roses."

Well, enough with that topic... on to the fun stuff!  We are having another bake sale this Friday (the 7th) at noon to help raise more money for our class' Christian Service fundraiser. This time we are trying to have a Christmas themed bake sale.  An e-mail should be going out to all of you wonderful Firsty families on Monday with details.  Please contact Mrs. Vona or Mrs. Schultz with questions. Thank you!!!!

I'd also like to say a big thank you to the Firsties who have/are donating any amount of money to our Mission Collections.  Catholic Schools everywhere collect money for the poor in Advent and Lent.  We like to promote our students to just look around the house for loose change, or perhaps take some change from our piggy banks, to help make a huge difference in the lives of the less fortunate.  It is a great way to prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus.  The Firsties are learning that we need to get our hearts ready for Jesus, and we can do this by doing anything that Jesus might do himself if he were alive here on Earth today.  I am overwhelmed by the generosity of these fabulous Firsties.  We have already collected approximately $60 in change and only approximately ten children have donated money... amazing!!!! 

Academically your Firsties have been pretty busy this week!  We are wrapping up our unit on nouns and pronouns in English, and we will have a test covering that material this week.  We have finished receiving new sight word lists, and we will have a cumulative sight word test sometime before Christmas break (TBD).  Please take this time to review the sight word flash cards that your child has received over these past few weeks.  Make sure your child is able to quickly recognize and read each and every word.  This is a key component of your child's reading career, and we want to make sure they have a strong foundation.  When we return from the Christmas break, we will move on to Spelling lists. 

Speaking of academics, report cards will be going home this week!  Look for them in your child's backpack this WEDNESDAY.  Please go through the report card with your child.  Remember, E = well above the First Grade expectations; M= meeting the First Grade standards (this means your child is doing what a First Grader should be doing); T= your child needs to put extra time and effort into these subject areas.  Please read the comments on the back, sign and date the same box as the comments, and return the report card immediately in their Red folder.  If you feel the need to leave any notes for me in their report card, please feel free to do so using a post-it, or just e-mail me!  

Have you marked your calendars for our annual Advent Program?  This year it is taking place on the evening of Thursday December 20th.  If you are new to our school, you are in for a treat!  Every class participates in this wonderful Christmas program, singing two favorite Christmas carols in the Church.  This year the Firsties are singing Jingle Bells (We're going for the Frank Sinatra version- to listen to it, click on the play button located in the upper right-hand corner of this blog!) I'm sure your Firsty would love to sing it for you = )   We will also be singing Little Drummer Boy, but we haven't started officially practicing that just yet.  The Advent Program is one of my favorite events of the year, and I hope you get a kick out of their performance! You won't want to miss this!

Finally, please start looking around your home for a sturdy shoe box.  We prefer something that has a bottom with the approximate measurement of 8x11 inches.  Typically most adult shoe boxes will do.  The box should have the lid, but the lid should be unattached (The shoe box will be laying on its side, and the lid will become a sturdy base.)  The Firsties will be using these shoe boxes to create a diorama of a Nativity scene.  We will be creating the inside of the diorama in class on our own, but we need the Firsties to decorate the outside of the shoe box with the help of their parents at home.  In the past we have seen students cover the outside with Christmas wrapping paper, paint, glitter, popsicle sticks, twigs, hay, etc.  It is really your choice.  Our hope is that our Firsties will take pride in their work, enough pride that they will want to keep these Nativity Scenes for years to come, as a special reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.  Once the Nativity scenes are completed in class, we will display them on our desks and take a tour of our Nativity scene "gallery".  Don't worry- I will be sending home a sheet of paper describing these directions sometime this week.  I just thought those of you that read our blog might like a little head's up = )

 Well, off I go to put those last minute touches on those report cards!  I hope you all enjoy this rainy weekend, and don't forget that Advent begins this Sunday! Please try to make an extra effort to attend mass with your Firsty throughout the Advent Season. Thank you! 

Take care, and don't forget to smell the roses! 
~Ms. Hudson 




     

Short but "sweet" post...

Hi Everyone!  
     As I sit here on this rainy Saturday typing this blog post, I realize that I have done quite a bit of talking this week!  Over a period of four days, I have had 33 conferences!  And at 20 minutes a piece, that is eleven hours of talking time!  No wonder my friends and family noticed how quiet I've been this week! Now, don't get me wrong- I loved meeting with each and every one of you.  These conferences are so important- they give me a better idea of your precious children, and best of all, I get to know all of you a little more.  There's only so much we can talk about standing at the doorway of our classroom as I let your kids into the room in the morning = ) While all of our meetings were very unique, every one of you have something in common- you truly want the very best for your Firsty!  And, I will do my best to make sure your Firsty gets the best First Grade education possible.  

   Aside from our conferences, I need to say a huge thank you to everyone who made our First Grade Bake Sale a great success this week!  We made roughly $260! Mrs. Schulte and I were commenting that all of the items looked so delicious and even professional!  A lot of care went into those baked goods, and we appreciate every ounce of it!  Thank you with sugar on top! Another bake sale will take place sometime in December.  We can't wait to bake some delicious Christmas treats!  
    I'd also like to say thank you to everyone who donated canned or dried food to the Santa Comes to Agoura collection!  Your donation will make such a huge difference in a less fortunate family's holiday.  What a great way to live out WWJD! (What Would Jesus Do) 

    A few reminders about this week:

• Grandparents/Special Visitor Day is this Wednesday.  Your weekly parent envelope this past week had an itinerary for the day.  First Grade will be performing their famous turkey song and dance two, possibly three, times throughout the day.  Even if grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, or special friends are not able to make it, we hope you, their wonderful parents, will be able to stop by! 
• Grandparents Day is a half day- students will be dismissed from their classrooms, not from the church (there will be a special prayer service).
• Monday and Tuesday are full school days! There is no school Thursday, Friday, or the following Monday.  
•  First Grade will be helping out with the Adopt a Family Program this year.  Kinder, 1st, and 2nd Grade will be adopting one family together.  First Grade is in charge of purchasing clothing for the family.  I will be working with our room moms on creating a sign up for this wonderful cause- it is 100% voluntary.  Black Friday is a great day to shop for these less-fortunate families, and I'd like to get that sign up completed before then.  Thank you in advance for your generosity- more info on this will be sent home this week.   

Enjoy the weekend, and take care! 
~Ms. Hudson

Even our Firsties voted!

     Hi Firsty Families!  I hope everyone is enjoying their day off!  Has your Firsty talked to you about Veterans' Day yet?  While we didn't get a chance to delve too deeply into the history of Veterans' Day, our class learned that Veterans are special people who have fought for the wonderful rights of our country (like voting).  It turns out that a lot of our Firsties know a Veteran somewhere in their lives, and we learned that we should say thank you to those heroes!  I for one am very thankful for my cousin.  He is a retired sergeant of the 101st Airborne, and he has served several terms in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war-torn areas.  He signed up shortly after 9/11, feeling like he needed to contribute to our country.  Our whole family is so proud of him, as well as all of the veterans out there, and we say a heartfelt THANK YOU! 
     Speaking of rights, our Firsties had the chance to experience what it was like to vote on Tuesday!  Rather than have our class vote on the real presidential candidates, we decided to take a lighter approach and have them vote on... Muppets! The Firsties were able to vote for either the Grover/Cookie Monster Party, or the Gonzo/Rizzo Party: 

 

    We barely touched on the pro's and con's of each party, including if Cookie Monster could really provide excellent healthcare since he himself eats far too many sweet's.  And, do we really want a "rat" as our vice president?  Well, no surprise here, the Grover/Cookie Monster Party won the votes of our Firsties.  No, there was no electoral college here (I'm not even about to attempt to explain that to our class!), but about 2/3 of the popular votes went to those loveable blue monsters.   Here are some photos of the voting booths and a few responsible citizens voting:

 The kids had a blast, and hopefully, when they turn 18, they will be just as excited to get out there and vote, too!  
     This week is a week filled with half days! Yes, there will be daycare available.  The reason we are having half days is so that you, the parents, can sit down and chat with me about your fabulous little student!  Please take the time to think of any concerns or questions you might have to ask me about your Firsty and their time in First Grade.  Please remember that this is a parents only meeting.  Please also remember to try your best to be on time.  I can't extend our meeting times if you are late, so it just means we will have less time during our meeting = (  If you know you won't be able to make our meeting time, please call the school and let Ms. Charlotte know!  These meetings are mandatory at the primary level.  I still have a few slots open, so if you need to move your meeting time, call Ms. Charlotte and see when you can switch your meeting.   If you have forgotten when your meeting time was scheduled, please don't hesitate to email me and ask.  I will have our meeting times posted on our classroom doors each morning, so you can double check before school and after school.  Please remember that every time we have a half-day, it is automatically rainy day pick up.
    Finally, our wonderful Christian Service Room Mom's are putting together a bake sale this Wednesday, November 14th, at noon.  Volunteers are needed to bake items for the bake sale!  If every family donates a dozen items, then we will have 400 items to sell!  And, if we sold those 400 items at a dollar a piece, then we would make $400 for our Christian Service project!  Items can be dropped off that morning with your child.  The other option would be to drop them off around 11:30 when our Room Mom's will be setting up our bake sale table outside.  Please contact Mrs. Vona or Mrs. Schultz with any questions!  Thank you for your help everyone! 
    Well, that's going to be it for me on this Veterans' Day!  Don't forget that our school is collecting used clothing until Grandparents Day (Wednesday, November 21st).  

Take care!
~Ms. Hudson
 

Annnnnnd breathe!

     Wow! What a week! The Firsties and I have officially survived our first big holiday together! Hooray! I need to thank all of you wonderful parents for helping us out this week, between buying pumpkins for our science experiment (we didn't make it to the decorating part), sticking to the many guidelines for the costumes, volunteering to help us change the kiddos into their costumes, and donating everything for the carnival, I offer you my deepest gratitude!  I also owe a big thank you to the three families who carved, cleaned, and counted seeds in our three pumpkins for our Math estimation project, as well as the fabulous family that roasted the delicious pumpkin seeds for our class!  We are truly blessed here at St. Jude School with so many generous and talented families! Thank you, thank you, thank you!  What would I do without you? Wait, I can answer that- I'd probably go a little crazy! 

     So besides Halloween hoopla, what has your Firsty been up to?  Well, we had our second Meet the Masters lesson on Friday, which will be continued on Monday.  We are learning about the female artist Bonheur.  You can catch a quick glimpse into her life at this wikipedia site: Rosa Bonheur   


    Our Halloween Pumpkin Estimation project was a success!  The class was read a cute story first, seen here:

Then the class was shown three pumpkins, seen below: 

They then had to predict which pumpkin they believed had the most seeds.  You'd be fairly surprised to know that not all of them went with the Big pumpkin.  They remembered that the story informed them that darker pumpkins have been on the vine longer, and therefore have a longer time to grow more seeds.  They also learned that pumpkins usually have a row of seeds inside the pumpkin for every line visible on the outside of the pumpkin.  Using that knowledge they estimated which pumpkin they thought would have the most seeds.  The winner actually did end up being the biggest pumpkin, but the kids still had fun counting the seeds themselves with their group! 

 

After that excitement was over, the kids then had fun with their afternoon centers.  In case you haven't heard of something called the Tower of Power, well here's your glimpse into that fun game!  The Tower of Power is an addition fact game that involves building a tower with small plastic cups.  What's the catch?  The plastic cups have addition problems written on them.  The students must answer the addition problem correctly to add that plastic cup to their Tower of Power!  Then, the best part involves blowing the tower over once they have built it!  They aren't allowed to physically knock it over- they have to blow it down, much like the Big Bad Wolf!  

 
 The Firsties also enjoy some quiet reading time in the library during centers.  We even have special, cuddly reading buddies that just love being read to!  My personal favorite is our little class "owl" = )

Now you're pretty caught up with the fun stuff going on in First Grade!  Next week will be pretty neat, too!  Don't forget to get out there and vote!  We've been talking about government and laws in our Social Studies lessons, and this Tuesday the Firsties will be voting, too!  No, they won't be voting for Mr. Romney or Mr. Obama... they will be voting on two surprise candidates!  They can't wait to find out who the candidates will be... We will even have our own little voting booths set up, so they can experience something close to the real thing!  Parents, don't disappoint your little Firsty- please remember to vote!  

Here are a few items to think about this week:

• Monday is Mrs. Schulte's birthday! (I didn't tell you!)
• Please keep the East Coast in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.
• The school is having its bi-annual clothing drive now through November 19th for our parish Loaves and Fishes program.  All gently used clothing, including Halloween costumes, will be collected in the large black bins posted outside of First Grade and 7th Grade. Shoes, too!
• The following week, November 13th through the 16th, not this week, is Parent Teacher Conference Week! Mrs. Charlotte has informed me of all of our scheduled times.  I'm looking forward to meeting with all of you!  Please take the time to think about any questions or concerns you may have regarding your child's First Grade education, and please try to be on time... more info on that later this week! 

Thank you again for all of your help this week!  We're looking forward to a little bit of "calm" before the next big storm holiday!  

Have a fabulous weekend! 
Take care! 
~Ms. Hudson
 

A few photos and your weekly class update...

     Hi everyone! I know it has been a while since I've posted some photos on here.  I also know that I should have sent out a form asking you for your consent to post photos of your children on the blog.  Things have definitely been a little on the busy side, but that consent form will be heading out soon.  In the meantime, I will make sure no students' names are included in any photos, and I will try to stick to photos that are not so close-up.  Hope this works for everyone! If not, please email me and I will remove any photos at your request, or place a nice grey blur in front of your child's face = )

Here are a few photos from our visit from Paramedic Jeremy:

Jeremy talking to the kids about safety.

Jeremy getting volunteers to try out the EKG monitor.

     And here are some photos of the kids on Red Ribbon Week Pajama Day- they are working with their partner for a Math Lesson. Firsties always split up their daily Math lessons with time at their desks watching Ms. Hudson teach them the lesson for that day, then, if they listened really well, they get to partner up with a friend and complete the worksheet on the floor.  We finish our Math lessons by checking our answers with Ms. Hudson on the interactive whiteboard.   

 

And here is a group photo from Career Day on Red Ribbon Week (Sorry, it is a little blurry!) 

      This week was another exciting week in First Grade- we had a special visit from Father Jim.  The kids couldn't believe that he is the oldest of 11 children in his family!  They enjoyed meeting him, and I think they were pleasantly surprised that a priest could be that funny!  
 
      Now that Red Ribbon Week is over, we move on to the week of Halloween! Hooray! I hope you all checked your child's Green folder, because inside you will find a bright orange piece of paper with a nice reminder to purchase a small pumpkin.  The pumpkin will serve two purposes: provide us with a Science experiment and an art project!  Please have those pumpkins turned in on Monday! 

     We will be working with pumpkins during a Math activity, too.  It will involve some estimation and guessing, along with a little counting.  We will definitely post pictures of all of our pumpkin activities this week!

     Wednesday is Halloween, which means our annual costume parade and school carnival is upon us!  Please send your child to school on Wednesday in their school uniforms.  They will bring their chosen costumes with them in a separate bag.  Please follow the school guidelines for costumes- a flier should have been sent home in your parent envelope earlier this week.  No makeup, masks, weapons, short skirts (w/out leggins), etc.  They will still wear their school shoes with their costumes.  A good general guideline to use with your costume: if you are afraid you will lose it or ruin it, then we suggest you leave it at home for your trick-or-treating that evening! We also highly recommend writing your child's name on all of the pieces of their costumes... just in case! = )  Siblings and paparazzi = )parents are all welcome on the playground for the parade and the carnival, but only the parents who are signed up to help the children change into their costumes are permitted in the classrooms- otherwise it will be way too crowded in our already-crowded-classrooms! Thank you!

    Halloween also marks another special occasion in First Grade- at this point in your child's year, teachers will no longer tie your child's shoes (with a few occasional exceptions).  We know that tying their own shoes was something they needed to master in order to graduate from kindergarten (they earned that ice cream sundae!).  We have been warning them for quite some time now that by Halloween they need to re-train themselves to tie their own shoes.  On the same note, they also know that it is unsafe to run around at recess with untied shoe laces. So, if Mrs. Coulter or any other teacher/supervisor sees a Firsty running around with untied shoe laces, students beware! You will be asked to sit down and tie your shoes before going back out there and playing! Please help your child become a shoe-tying wiz by promoting this same behavior in your homes.  You may also consider purchasing shoe laces of a longer length than the laces that come with your child's shoes... we've noticed some very short laces, which obviously makes it very difficult to tie.  Together, we will help your child accomplish this challenge! 
In the meantime here are some helpful websites on shoe tying ideas:   

• Songs and poems created by teachers to help your child tie their shoes teacher hints     

• I can't tell you if these work or not, but here is a website with something called Tie Buddies

• And if those fail, here is a video of a lady with a lovely English accent showing you how to tie your shoes- Enjoy!  Video                                

     Now, despite all of the excitement from Halloween, there is still school on Thursday.  I know I will be there with my venti soy cinnamon dolce latte = )  Please remember that candy is not a healthy morning snack, especially after a long night of trick-or-treating!  We will be attending MASS on THURSDAY this week, since it is All Saints Day.  Please try to remember to send your child to school that day in mass attire (no shorts).  Please feel free to join us, too!

    Finally, did you know that tomorrow (SUNDAY) is the Feast Day of St. Jude?  If you are able to attend mass at St. Jude, Mrs. Schulte asks that the students wear their uniforms to show their school pride to the entire parish.  

Well, off I go now to rest up before another exciting week in First Grade! Wish us luck! 

Take care, and enjoy this gorgeous weekend!
~Ms. Hudson
    

     

Red Ribbon Week is coming!

     Well this week seemed a teeny bit less eventful compared to  last week's excitement!  While there was no inclement weather, the students still had a great visitor on Monday (Thanks Officer Coulter!), we still have a few cases around campus of the infamous head lice (thank you for keeping an eye on your child's hair and for putting the girls' hair up!), and we had a chance to show Mrs. Schulte the fabulous Tooty Ta dance!  Mrs. Coulter and I can definitely tell that Halloween is in the air... these students have been rather talkative and keyed up full of youthful energy these days! = )  It is very exhausting refreshing!* I am sure Red Ribbon Week will be just as exciting, too! *(Hopefully you all know my sense of humor well enough by now to know I am joking and I love my job!)

         Red Ribbon Week information should have been sent home to you via the Anchor Splash, but in case you missed it, here is a list of the days and how your child can help our class earn one Non-Uniform Day by dressing up this week as much as possible!

• Monday- Future Career Day- dress up as any career you may want to be when you grow up. Doctors, lawyers, soldiers, police, teachers, veterinarians, coaches, singer, actor, professional sports figures, you name it!
• Tuesday- Pajama Day- please remember no slippers, no tank tops (unless a shirt is worn underneath), and no short-shorts/skirts!  We still have to go to Mass! = )
• Wednesday- Jersey Day- Wear your favorite sports jersey. It could be your own jersey from your team, or a favorite professional or college jersey!  If the jersey is a tank top or slightly see-through, please wear something underneath.  
• Thursday- Red Day!- Anything and everything red! Please don't die your child's hair or wear nail polish.  Shoes may be red as long as they are tennis shoes- we have PE today!
• Friday- University Day- any university shirt... although I am partial to a few particular colleges (go Trojans!), your child can feel free to wear any university shirt today.

• The class with the highest percentage of students wearing Red Ribbon dress all week wins a day of non-uniform dress in the future! 

     In other news...this past week your Firsties have been wrapping up several units in many different subjects.  We are graduating from reviewing consonants to practicing our vowels.  We will begin with the short vowels and move on to the long vowel sounds.  In Science we have reviewed plants and their parts/functions so many times I think I may just be a plant for Halloween!  Finally, we reviewed the parts of complete sentences, as well as the differences between telling and asking sentences (a very tough concept for these kiddos).  They will be tested on sentences and plant parts this week.  
     Your child also took their first language arts theme test.  These tests occur approximately once a month and are relatively lengthy.  They cover everything from reading comprehension, sequencing, using inference, as well as sight word recognition.  They are a great way to prepare your young student for the important state testing that occurs at the beginning of the year for students in the 2nd grade and above.  Just so you're aware, I read practically 90% of the test to the students (typically two times per question).  There are parts of the test where I cannot help them read the three choices they are given to complete a sentence (because they are being tested on their ability to read those words on their own).  Let's just say that by the end of these tests, these kids (and I) have definitely earned their big wiggle break!  
     Halloween is only about ten days away now, and that means it is time for some pumpkin experiments in our class!  As I mentioned in an earlier post, each Firsty will be required to bring in one small pumpkin (no larger than a cantaloupe) to class on Monday October 29th.  Please start looking for one, but don't bring it into class until that Monday.  
     This week we will continue having special visitors to our class with a short meet and greet with our new pastor Father Jim!  He will be coming to our class on Monday to discuss the Mass and answer any questions the kids may have regarding the Mass.  He is looking forward to meeting all of our Firsties! We will also be meeting with our school families once again to make some posters of famous Saints to decorate our campus. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Take care! 
~Ms. Hudson

PS- I know I am a little behind on photos, but don't worry! They're coming!
           

Rain, thunder, lice, an ambulance, and a popcorn party!

     Wow! Another exciting week here in First Grade!  The kids had their first indoor lunch thanks to the rain and thunder on Thursday.  Mrs. Coulter and I learned that many of these Firsties have never really experienced thunder before... and we also learned that many of them would be just fine if they never heard thunder again!  We also had a lot of fun learning about safety and health with our paramedic visitor Jeremy. He brought a brand new ambulance to show the class, used an EKG monitor on one student, a neck brace on another student, and a long bandage on our Super Student.  Needless to say they had a great time!  The students had a chance to walk inside the ambulance, and sit on the gurney in groups of ten (as they let the gurney go up and down like a ride!)  Jeremy was hoping that if the kids became familiar with an ambulance and the tools paramedics need to use, our students will be less apprehensive if/when an emergency occurs.  A big thanks to our room parents who were able to help out at the last minute, as well as take some awesome photos for the year book! 
      As you have all heard by now, there have been a few instances of lice occurring around campus.  Thank you so much to the parents for donating lavender and rosemary for our classroom.  Let's hope the plants discourage any of those little buggers from entering our First Grade room!  Parents, it is a very good idea to keep your girls' hair up high in a bun or braid... apparently ponytails are not the best prevention (according to a former parent with some very wise advice thanks to some not-so-great experiences!)  Better safe than sorry!  Please note that Ms. Charlotte is not checking every single head for lice- only the siblings of anyone who has lice, or who has siblings in the classes affected.  Please help us out by checking your child's head regularly for nits and lice (even if they aren't complaining of feeling itchy).  Thank you so much! Mrs. Coulter and I really appreciate it!
     Our popcorn party was a hit! The kids enjoyed festive cupcakes or cookies (their choice) while watching It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!  I absolutely love this classic, especially Charlie Brown's amazing ghost costume.  The kids really enjoyed it based on their endless laughter! (Or maybe that was the direct result of the sugar...)
     Monday will be a special day with another special visitor- Officer Coulter of the Simi Valley Police Department.  We will also have our first Meet the Masters art lesson.  The class will be viewing artworks by Toulouse-Lautrec, and the following week they will be recreating one of his masterpieces.
     Finally, I have finally received the official list of children whose parents have requested that their photo not be shown on the internet.  I can only assume this means that the same parents do not want their child's face to appear on my blog.  To make sure, I will be sending home a separate sheet with all of my Firsty Families to fill out sometime in the next week.  I wouldn't want a child to think their photo hasn't been put up on the blog for some other reason, and I want to respect their privacy, too.  Feel free to e-mail me ahead of time if you know you absolutely never want your child's face to appear on our blog.
    Have a fabulous weekend, and we will see you next week!      
    Take care! 
    ~ Ms. Hudson 

Have you heard the news???

     In case your Firsty hasn't told you the big news yet, the class has hit their first big milestone in First Grade! They have filled their popcorn jar! If you could only hear them cheering when that final cup of popcorn kernels filled the jar to the brim... They are very excited! We will have their very first popcorn party this Friday, complete with a treat to eat and a short movie!  I already have a special Halloween themed movie in mind!  = ) Movies in First Grade are always rated G and we keep them in the 30 minute range.  I'm sure they will have a great time! 
     The Firsties also had a chance to visit the school library for the first time this week!  They each picked a Halloween or Clifford book.  At the beginning of the year, we like to guide the children to choose a book from special themed shelves based around that month's holiday.  Later on, after all of the Informal Reading Inventories have been completed, we will guide the children to choose books from their own reading level.  In general, when your child is trying to pick a book that's just right, we follow the five finger rule.  If there are five words within the first two pages that are too difficult to sound out or comprehend, then we put the book back and look for a different book.  This is only for independent reading.  When the children are reading books with an experienced reader available for guidance, then they can find a book that is a little bit more challenging.  
     This week the Firsties will be learning about community helpers in Social Studies.  If all goes according to plan, we will have two visitors this month that are community helpers.  This Wednesday we should be visited by Ms. Hudson's friend- Paramedic Trone and his ambulance!  He will talk to the kids about safety, staying healthy, and knowing what to do if there is ever an emergency.  Next week we should be visited by a local motorcycle police officer (who holds a special place in Mrs. Coulter's heart)... Officer Coulter!  He will bring his police motorcycle and talk to the kids about the importance of following rules and being safe.Who knows, he may even arrest a teacher or two! 
     Finally, the kids have been keeping a close eye on their seed experiments... some have grown faster than others, some have grown a little moldier than others, and some haven't grown too much at all!  The kids will be bringing these experiments home- please feel free to do whatever you'd like with them = ) Here are some photos of the final results:

Our Super Student's pinto bean on Wednesday

And on Friday! Check out those roots! I guess the lima bean is being a little shy...

    This week the students will continue learning about consonants (Phonics), addition (Math), plants and seeds (Science), and writing and identifying both telling and asking sentences (English).  They will begin learning about the way Jesus interacted with the community (Religion), the importance of community helpers (Social Studies), and they will be reading a story about pumpkins!  Speaking of pumpkins, be on the lookout for a small pumpkin- as small as you'd like, but no larger than a cantaloupe.  Each student will be bringing in their pumpkin on the last week of October to be used in a special Science experiment, and then we will be decorating them in class! Just thought you'd like a little head's up! 

Take care and have a wonderful weekend and week! 
~Ms. Hudson   

PS- I had a very fun time reading to everyone at the Barnes and Noble book fair! It was great to see such a wonderful turnout  = )   Thank you for supporting our school and promoting reading!