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In April we are learning life science concepts in first grade and many of our reading and writing activities this month will also focus on these science concepts. The children have participated in science experiments involving seeds and plants. We soaked lima bean seeds overnight in water and then dissected them to discover the plant embryo hidden inside. The plant embryo includes the tiny root and shoot that will develop into the bean plant after it is planted. Each child made a greenhouse and planted beans, corn and sunflower seeds inside of it. We are observing as the seeds germinate and the roots and shoots begin to grow inside the plastic baggies. It is interesting that the seeds receive enough moisture and light inside the sealed bag to grow.

We used our green thumbs to plant two cups with lima bean seeds. We are keeping a journal and writing down the changes and growth that we observe in our bean cups. Soon the bean plants will be big enough for the kidoos to bring them home. You can plant these in a large pot or transplant them into your garden soil. If you give them TLC, you may be rewarded with a lima bean crop later this summer!

Our little caterpillars have finally arrived. They are busy eating, eating and eating some more. We have decided that caterpillars are really "eating machines"! As we study about the life cycle in class, we will watch our caterpillars grow bigger, create their chrysalids and eventually hatch out into Painted Lady butterflies. This amazing life cycle takes only a few weeks from start to finish! Some science vocabulary that we are learning includes: insect, head, thorax, abdomen, wings, chrysalis, proboscis, caterpillar, nectar, and metamorphosis.

After spring break we learned about animals that lay eggs, and more specifically, the life cycles of a baby chicken and a tadpole. An animal that lays eggs is "oviparous". In our lesson we discovered that many kinds of animals hatch from eggs including birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Although most mammals are born alive, there are two exceptions to the rule that do hatch from eggs: the spiny anteater and the platypus.

Your child brought home a mystery egg project. Please help your child choose a small object to put inside of the plastic egg. Then he/she will write three clues to describe the object. An example of a clue for a marble might be "It is round and made of glass." Each child can read the 3 clues in class and the other children will try to guess what the object could be. Since we are currently studying about describing words in writing, this is good practice using some of those words. The clues might describe the mystery object's shape, color, size, what it is used for or what it is made of (glass, wood, plastic, etc.) Please return the mystery egg and the clue sheet on Monday, March 31st. We will play the Mystery Egg Game in class during the week of March 31st - April 4th.

The week of March 31st through April 4th is Buckalew's Reading Week. We have many special events planned to highlight reading. On March 28th, Julian Franklin will present Book Bash to the kiddos in the library. Ms. Crews will be reading a favorite story to the children each morning during announcements on TV. The Klutz Build-A-Book party will be in the gym on April 1st from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Space for this is limited and you must return the order form for the book supplies in order to attend this activity after school. Students are encouraged to read for 30 minutes at least 3 times during Reading Week. If you return the reading coupon that Mrs. Johnson sent home by April 4th, your child's name will be entered into a drawing for one of five Bookfair gift certificates. On Friday, April 4th we will wear our pajamas and "cuddle up" with good books in class. Our class is having a "Read-In" and the children can bring a pillow and some favorite books from home. We will get comfortable and enjoy reading and sharing our books with friends.

Please be sure to practice the new sight word list for the fourth nine weeks with your child. Each first grader will be tested on this word list at the end of the next grading period in May. These basic words are commonly used in our reading textbooks. Your first grader should be able to read these words without sounding them out. Recognizing these words in print improves reading fluency and enables early readers to focus more on the meaning of the story rather than naming each word. The sight words are listed below under "Homework Information" for your reference and practice at home.

Thank you for helping your little buckaroo make a "wild bronc" stick horse for our Rodeo Roundup. The corral in first grade was full of horses by Rodeo Day and the children enjoyed the fun rodeo events at the park. I really appreciate having so many parents come to help us with our bean bag toss and also donating snacks and taking class photos during the activities. It was a neat way to wrap up our Texas social studies unit and get ready for spring break.

Dust off your boots and shine up that belt buckle! First grade's Rodeo Roundup will be here before we know it. On Friday, March 14th all of the first graders will "ride" their stick horses over to Lakeside Park to participate in the rodeo roundup activities. There will be eight centers set up with fun learning activities for the children to participate in and enjoy. Our Rodeo Roundup will be from 8:30 - 10:45 a.m. on Friday morning. We encourage children and parent helpers to dress in western clothes for this special first grade event.

Since Friday, March 14th is an early release day, we will not go to the cafeteria for lunch. Please send a sack lunch and a drink with your child. After the conclusion of the Rodeo Roundup, our class will sit together outside and have a picnic lunch. Dismissal from school will begin at 12:00 noon that day.

Our class is studying about the history, symbols and culture of Texas. We are learning to recite the Texas pledge, and sing the Texas anthem "Texas Our Texas" and also the popular song "Deep In the Heart of Texas". We studied about Sam Houston, the history of the Alamo and the struggle for freedom and independence in Texas. Some of the important state symbols we have studied include: the bluebonnet, the Texas flag, longhorn cattle, the pecan tree, the armadillo, the State Seal of Texas and the Alamo. Ask your child to recall what we learned about these important state symbols.

We hope you enjoyed the grand opening of Wean's Cuisine on Thursday, February 28th. It was wonderful to have so many special guests at our restaurant. The Reading Restaurant is a highlight of our first grade year because it showcases the wonderful progress that the children are making in their reading. Our class has been very busy during the last several weeks of February preparing appetizing riddles, tasty stories and delicious dessert poems just for you. Thank you for attending our Reading Restaurant.

On Tuesday, February 5th we celebrated the 100th day of school. We have been counting the school days up to 100 hundred all year on our calendar and have anticipated this special day for quite awhile. To celebrate this day all the first graders participated in the "One Hundred Year Old Parade". Students wore hats, wigs, or costumes that made them look like they were 100 years old. We had quite a few senior citizens in our class that day! Each child also brought a collection of 100 small objects that we used for fun math activities in class that day. We grouped and counted our collections by twos, fives and tens. The kids were surprised to discover all of the different ways that we could count and group our collections.

We are "Reading Across America" in first grade. Many students in our class have already made great progress as acquire points to travel across the U.S. map. Your child earns a small chart sticker for each 15 minutes that they read and we place the stickers on an United States map chart. As the student reads "across America", he/she reaches special destination cities such as New York City or Washington D.C. Each time the student reaches one of these cities, a special collector's card is earned that shows pictures of that city and has special facts about it. There are approximately 25 collector's cards that can be earned. The children will get to bring home their map charts and collector's cards at the end of the year to keep. Please send in your reading log sheets each Friday so that I can check them and then help the children update their map charts in class. Thanks for encouraging your child to read at home. This is a fun way to learn about the United States and practice reading at the same time.

Thank you for spreading the word about our Postcard Project to your friends and family. At last count, we have received approximately 100 postcards and we are busy reading the postcards, adding them to our maps and hanging them up on display. We color in the states and countries as we receive postcards from the corresponding locations. So far we have located the following states: North Carolina, Illinois, Massachusetts, Georgia, California, Maryland, Indiana, New York, Alaska, Montana, Michigan, Washington, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. We have colored in the following countries: Portugal, Germany, France, England, Mexico, Venezuela and Spain. Due to the number of cards that have arrived, we have not finished locating all of the postcards in our map folders yet. It is one of the kids' favorite things that we do and they look forward to seeing what new places we will learn about with each mail delivery.

The kids are looking forward to being the "Star of the Week" in our class. Each child will have the opportunity to bask in the limelight during a special week in first grade. Your child will get to decorate a poster so that we can learn more about him/her, interests, hobbies and family. The posters are placed on display in our first grade hallway for everyone to enjoy during that week. It is a fun way to get to know each other better and the kids cannot wait to be the star! Your child will bring home a note explaining this activity in more detail when it is his/her turn to be the Star of the Week in our class.

The children are enjoying reading group time and have settled into the daily routine. Your first grader meets with his/her reading group teacher and class for an hour each day, Monday through Thursday. When there is a Monday holiday, we meet on Friday to make up the lesson. Please expect the reading contract and reading practice books or reading activities to come home each night in the reading bag. These reading books and other assigned activities are used to reinforce reading skills at home through daily practice. After your child finishes the homework, please initial in the small circle for that day on the reading contract. It is important to return the reading bag each day since the practice books are used daily in class. Our reading groups are flexible and changes in groups may be made as children's levels fluctuate throughout the school year. Thank you for supporting your child's reading progress at home.

Your child will have a reading group assignment each night on Mondays through Thursdays. If there is a Monday holiday, we will make up that lesson on Friday. Please check the backpack for the daily reading group homework. It will be inside your child's reading group zip bag. Be sure to initial on the daily square of the reading contract to indicate that your child has completed the assignment for that day. A sticker/stamp is earned each day that the contract and homework are returned. Send back the reading group bag each day inside of your child's backpack.

Your child's spelling grades were averaged into the language/writing grade on the report card for the second grading period of school. Beginning in March, students receive a separate spelling grade on the report card. On Friday your child brings home a list of ten words and spelling practice pages that correspond to the words for the following week. We have a weekly spelling test that covers the ten words and includes two dictation sentences each Friday. Please return the completed spelling practice pages on Friday in your child's yellow folder.

Each Friday your child will bring home a homework packet and it will include practice activities that focus on phonics (making words), reading and math concepts. Homework offers a time for skill practice and encourages your child to become a more independent learner. Please return the completed homework packet on the following Friday in the yellow folder. Students earn a sticker if they bring back their finished homework on Friday.