Merry Christmas from...

Mrs. Simpson's First Grade Class AND Santa!! 

Saying Good-Bye Is Hard To Do

So instead, we said, "See you later!"  Today was our student teacher, Mrs. Marks' last day!  It was a day of mixed emotions for all!  We laughed, cried, and enjoyed our last day with her!  We surprised her with a going away party this afternoon.  The party included the kids reading their class book, "Mrs. Marks is Amazing so Please Hire Her," presenting her with a gift to remember us by, and enjoying one last read aloud from Mrs. Marks.  We will miss Mrs. Marks and can't wait for her to visit us again!!

Dear Principal, You should hire Mrs. Marks because...

She is a nice teacher!

She teaches us math.

She makes us laugh!

Group hug for Mrs. Marks!

Mrs. Marks' first class of shining stars!

Thank you for all your hard work Mrs. Marks!!

Properties of Matter

The properties of matter discussed in class were solids, liquids, and gases.  We saw an example of a solid (ice), a liquid (water), and a gas (perfume).   We also discussed other examples of each property of matter.  Students had to sort different examples into the correct section on our Properties of Matter Chart.

IT IS BEGINNING TO SOUND A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

We were honored to have the AHS Jazz Band and Singers perform for us on Friday.  The AHS band started with wonderful Christmas music, including Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer!  The AHS Singers took the stage next and provided us with more beautiful Christmas songs and even some dancing!  It really helped us get in the holiday spirit for our own Christmas Program on Tuesday, December 13 at 7:30!

AHS Jazz Band

Enjoying the concert!

Dancing with our high school aid, Ms. Michayla!

Dancing into the Holiday season!

AHS Singers

Happy Veterans Day!

Two Veterans shared their experiences with us today.  We were honored to have an Army wheel mechanic and an Army aviation mechanic share with us their jobs, deployment stories, and thoughts about Veterans Day. 

They explained to us how the military is fighting for our Constitution and our freedom.  Veterans Day helps us to remember to honor the men and women that serve and do more for our country.  They also shared with us the "The Solider's Creed."  Students repeated the following lines and were able to connect the creed to what they do everyday.

I will always place the mission first.  

(I will always do my school work first.)

I will never accept defeat.  

(I will always do my best.)

I will never quit. 

(I will never give up.)

I will never leave a fallen comrade.  

(I will always help a friend.)

Remember on this Veterans Day and everyday to 

thank a Veteran!

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

Happy Halloween!

Thank you to the parents who provided us with a FUN Halloween party!  Our party was full of pajamas, book characters, candy corn games, spider cupcakes and yummy treats!  It was the perfect Halloween party!!  Enjoy some pictures of our Halloween party!

Introducing the candy corn race!

On your mark, get set, GO!

Concentrating on not dropping the candy corn!

Scooping up the candy corn WITHOUT using hands!  Trickier than they thought it would be!

Pumpkin Life Cycle

To help celebrate the Fall season, Mrs. Marks, our student teacher, taught the different stages of the pumpkin.  By creating a craft that represents the different stages, students learned how pumpkins grow. 

We also had the opportunity to taste pumpkin.  Surprisingly, all of the students tried the steamed pumpkin.  And not surprisingly, the students did not especially like the taste of plain pumpkin.  When we added the cinnamon and sugar, some of them actually liked the taste of the pumpkin.

The different stages of the pumpkin

Pumpkin Life Cycle

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trying steamed pumpkin

The aftermath of trying steamed pumpkin

Fire Safety

Last week, during Fire Prevention week, two firefighters from the Abilene Fire Department visited Kennedy.  The firefighters discussed how to prevent fires and what to do if there is a fire in your home or school.  A 'Home Fire Escape Plan' worksheet came home this week.  If you have not, please discuss, create, and practice a fire escape plan at home.  We practice the fire drill at school several times a year and are asking you to do the same at home! 

Discussing how to prevent fires.

Showing us all their gear!

Reminding us that firefighters are not scary; they are helpful!

Reminding us to not hide from firefighters during a fire.

Showing us how they crawl under the smoke.

Ladders help firefighters reach tall buildings.

Mrs. Hoffman taking in the view!

Thank you Abilene Fire Department for everything you do!

Operation Lifesaver

"Tracks are for trains, not for kids" is the message First Graders at Kennedy received this week.  Representatives from Operation Lifesaver, a program devoted to keeping America safe around railroads, came to talk to us about how to stay safe around train tracks.  Please help keep your child and our community safe by discussing and following the rules we learned:

-Do not walk on or near the railroad.  Always use the crosswalk when having to cross tracks.

-Always look both ways when crossing tracks.

-Do not put anything on the railroad or throw anything at a train.

-Do not climb on train cars, even if they are not moving.

-Stay Off, Stay Away, Stay Alive!

Please help your child understand the importance of staying safe around railroads!

Nocturnal Animals

Last week we learned about nocturnal animals and we specifically learned about owls, bats, moths, raccoons, and toads.  Mrs. Marks, our student teacher, had fun teaching the students about nocturnal animals and then the students had a BLAST teaching the rest of the class about the five animals listed above.  To end our nocturnal animal unit, a parent brought in an injured Nighthawk.  We noticed how large its eyes were and a lot of students were able to connect the large eyes with the keen eye sight needed to fly at night. 

Our KWL Chart - What we KNOW, WANT to know, and LEARNED

Our Nocturnal Animal Books

Taking a close look at the Nighthawk!

Nighthawks blend into the trees easily!

Small beak, but large mouth to catch insects!

Proud of her Nighthawk!

An Apple a Day...

Our apple unit is coming to a close.  We have spent several weeks discussing different aspect of the apples.  We learned about the life cycle of an apple tree, the different products made from apples, and how apples are a healthy snack.  We then had an apple taste test and discussed how to use adjectives to describe apples!  Enjoy our apple pictures and have an apple today!

Math Games

A large part of the Everyday Mathematics curriculum is math games.  Once a week, students will have the opportunity to practice their math skills by playing math games during our allotted math time.  These games can easily be played at home, so ask your child about these math games and incorporate them into your family game night!

If you have access to an iPad or iPod Touch, search for Everyday Math Games to find some of these games to provide another way for the children to practice their math skills.

Playing Penny Grab...

Counting Pennies

Writing down the amount of pennies

 

 

Comparing pennies