First Post of the New Year

It was a great (albeit hot) first 2 days. The kids did really well adjusting to the longer day. It can be pretty hard getting back into any routine after the lazy days of summer, but we kept things simple so everyone could ease into the rigor of First Grade :) By day 2 we had already established some pretty important routines like bathroom procedures and where to put your lunch ticket and bus tag. Woo Hoo...success!

The most important thing for me at this point in the year is to establish ourselves as a classroom community. This begins simply by getting to know each others names. Today the morning meeting challenge was to name at least 3 people in our class.
Go ahead and challenge your child to name 3 new friends. Can they name even more??!

We also started learning about some of our classroom expectations. We'll spend more time next week working on class rules, but we did practice "whole body listening."
Ask your child what parts of their body are on and what parts are off during whole body listening.

During math we began to explore our math tools to ready us for math workshop. Children used pattern blocks, Geoblocks, Unifix cubes, and power polygons. I loved walking around and seeing their structures and creations!

 

We also did a little writing. Children worked on their first memory page of the year. As the year goes on we will be writing memory pages after each memorable event. At the end of the year there will be a whole book of their first grade memories. It will also be amazing to see the transformation in their writing from start to finish. Let me tell you...they will be just as impressed as you are!! But for today the expectation was 1 sentence and 5 colors ;)

We also made time for reading! Children were able to explore some of the buckets in our library. This was the beginning of what will turn into a reader's workshop where children will learn a skill or strategy and then have time to practice the skill during independent reading time. For now they are just learning where to find books, how to care for them, and where to return them. Baby steps!! 

This year we are so LUCKY to welcome Dr. Bilsborough to our school. She is an amazing addition! She came and talked to us about her job as principal and of course read the class a story. They were all totally engaged even though it was the end of the day and probably 95 degrees in our classroom! Bring on the fall....

We really had an amazing first 2 days. I hope your kiddos came home excited (albeit tired!) after our first days together. It seems like we have a great group and I'm really excited about the year to come!

Enjoy the long weekend with your family...I plan to!

Getting Ready for the BIG DAY

I've been pretty busy these last few days getting our room ready for the big day! Furniture...check, labels....check, meeting area...check, first graders....check! Of course nothing is quite complete until my new firsties arrive, but in the meanwhile check out a preview of room 27!

Our front door....21 shining stars!

Our word wall that we will fill with over 100 words!!

Our Classroom library....do you like books about animals, or space, fairy tales, or mysteries, famous people, or funny characters? Well we've got that and then some!

Mailboxes...you'll start and end the day here.

Meeting area...we'll spend lots of time here reading stories, solving math problems, sharing our writing, and having great class discussions.

Center stations like poem center, puzzles and games, and read around the room
to name just a few.

My little helper working on a book display.

And finally having lunch at Brother's Market Place after spending a long day helping me in the classroom. This was followed by a very yummy strawberry frappe by the way.

The first few days of school we'll get to know the room really well! You'll learn where you sit, how to make your lunch choice, and where to keep all of your important school work. Until then I hope this gives you an idea of what to expect. The count down is on...see you real soon!! Can't wait :)

Back to School Post for My New Firsties

The first few weeks of school are all about getting to know one another and getting comfortable in our new class. Learning all about my new first grader's is one of the things I love best about September. I thought it might fun for you all to learn a bit about me before the start of school.

At Home...

I have 2 boys; Ryan 5 and Cameron 18 months. Ryan is starting kindergarten this September so back to school has taken on a new meaning at the Elrick house.

I met Mr. Elrick at College ( we both went to Assumption).

We have a 7 year old chocolate lab named Cooper and an 11 year old cat named Blue.

A few of my favorites...

Hobbies: cooking, reading, and Pilates

Snacks: pita chips and hommus, green smoothies, homemade cookies

Places to visit: Nantucket

Colors: purple and green

Sport: hockey (Ryan plays!)

Children's Series: Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo (we'll read them together!)

Favorite subject when I was in school: writing ( I can't wait for us to write stories during writer's workshop!)

Favorite Animals: dog and pig :)

Favorite season: summer and fall

Favorite holidays: Christmas and The 4th of July
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: vanilla soft serve with butterscotch dip or cookie dough

Hope this gives you a sneak peak at who I am! Can't wait to get to know each other in person!

P.S. Check back for a few sneak peaks of our classroom as I get I get it ready for our big day!

Welcome

If this is your first time visiting my blog: welcome! I'm so happy to have you here.

The goal of this blog is to share with you all of the happenings that occur in my classroom. This is where you will find important updates, curriculum information, and get a first hand look at life in First Grade. If you'd like to know when I update the blog don't forget to follow me by email. "Follow by Email" is on the bottom right of the blog.

In addition to the blog, this year I have also created an Instagram account and a Twitter feed. These three social media outlets will serve as our home-school communication. Following me on all three accounts will be a convenient way to keep you up to date and stay connected!

Instagram Page

Twitter Page

Although summer vacation is not nearly over I have been seeing a lot of back to school sales advertised in our local papers. As you shop for the items on the Grade 1 Supply List 2014-2015 I wanted to add a few items specific to our classroom needs. Your child will need these items (in addition to those listed per grade):

One Red (preferably laminated or thick quality) two pocket folder such as this. These will be used daily as your child's home school folder so they need to last. I will be labeling the outside but please write your child's name somewhere on the inside as well.

Two Marble composition books (any colors) such as this. These will be used as math journals and a word study notebook. Again, I will be labeling the outside but please write your child's name somewhere on the inside as well.

As part of your child's classroom supplies I will be providing a pencil box so there's no need to purchase one. All other supplies (crayons, glue sticks, etc...) from the first grade supply list will be community so there is no need to label them. 

As we start the year I will be creating a wish list that you can view on this blog. If you are ever feeling generous, please check it out for ideas :).

Keep checking back for more back to school info!

Have a happy summer and see you soon!

Mrs. Elrick

Summer Vacation

Happy summer vacation! Hope you are having fun and making LOTS of memories! Check back in a few weeks for back to school info, but in the meantime here are a few highlights from my summer so far!

Getting sandy at the beach in Nantucket

The Fun Run at Gillette Stadium

Touching stingrays at Mystic Aquarium

Cheering on the Brockton Rox 

A family ferry ride

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! Check out the Memorial "Thursday Packet" for helpful info including supply lists and summer reading information. 

Open House

Thank you all SO much for making our open house so special. The children were beyond ecstatic to show off their work, our classroom, and all of their learning! It was such a proud moment for them, for me, and hopefully for you! I tried my best to get pictures of as many "tours" as I could...if your family is not in the mix it's probably because your child was so busy shuffling you around the room that I couldn't catch you!

It has been such an amazing year for me to watch your kiddos grow in countless ways. I am truly lucky to be their teacher! Just to note a few more upcoming days though...

June 12th Field Day

June 13th Flag Day starts promptly at 9:30

June 24th Transition Day and Class Picnic!
Our class will be having a picnic outside by the baseball field. Please send your child to school with a bag lunch that day. All Family members are welcome (and encouraged!!) to join us!Just bring your lunch and a blanket/towel to sit on! Lunch will begin around 11:30. We will also be having our book swap that afternoon. I'm asking children to bring in up to 5 gently used books from home.

June 25th Last day of school-11:40 dismissal

Enjoy the pictures!