Hello Lake Myra

Although I am longer teaching at Swift Creek, nor am I teaching in the classroom, I will continue to maintain this site for a little while longer for the devoted parents, like Mrs. Gelsinger, that I know continue to check it on a regular basis.   The format of this site will change soon, and after that I will no longer be adding any more updates.   

Does It Sink or Float?

Click here to watch a short taken during yesterday's science lesson during our unit of Solids and Liquids.   The students have primarily been working with 20 solid objects, discovering if they stack or roll, their hardness and yesterday they predicted and  experimented to see if the objects would float or sink.   Today we explored the objects with magnets.

Snow Days Make-Up

The first two days of spring break have been postponed to make up two snow days in February and March.   We are trying to make plans for lessons and assessments, and trying to get a head count of students that will be out of town on those two days due to prior plans or arrangements.   If your child will be out of school for those two days, please let me know by writing a note in your child's go folder. Thanks.

Goodbye Mr. Argent!

Valentine's Day Celebration

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

25 Compliments Party on Monday

The children are so excited to have finally earned another 25 compliments from teachers and staff outside our classroom and we are so proud of them.   They chose the have a hot cocoa and marshmellow celebration and winter movie - The Polar Express, a G rated movie that many teachers showed in December.    It is not a pajama day,  so regular warm clothes is what your child should wear.    Again, congratulate them for ROARing
 

First Grade Reading

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Tumblebooks

Our school now has a year's membership to an online library of books on computer called Tumblebooks.   The students have had a demonstration in class and as they rotate through the computer center, they will use it again.   Parents have access to this resource library from home, so email me with the username and password. 

Reader's Theatre

Make a Smilebox slideshow

3rd Quarter - Specials Schedule

Monday - Discovery

Tuesday - Art

Wednesday - Discovery

Thursday - P.E.

Friday - Music

Hands-On Math

One of the essential skills we work on in first grade is learning to count and group numbers.   Right now we are working on reading and writing tally marks and counting by 5's.  Students played Rock, Paper, Scissors with partners for a chance to practice their tally making skills.    We are working hard on making every 5th tally go diagonally across the bundle, we say "close the gate" to help us remember.   Ask your child to show you!

Exploring Science

Our first science unit is underway, and quite a hit.   We begin the year with a FOSS science kit called Pebbles, Sand and Silt.   Students will observe, communicate and discover about the properties of rocks, sand and soil.     All of the lessons are hands-on and students will record their scientific predictions, discoveries, observations and results in a Science Notebook that will come home at the end of the unit.    

Water Bottles

Your child may have come home last week asking for a water bottle to bring to school.   I have asked/given permission for all students to bring a water bottle to drink throughout the day.   Not only can students drink it with their snack and take it to recess, they may drink from their water bottle whenever they are thirsty.     Brain research shows that drinking water increases brain activity and it's healthy, too.    If you do not have a hard plastic water bottle, a clear plastic kind from the grocery store will also work.  

Homework

In first grade, we have monthly homework calendars...these will begin next week, which is first week of September.     The activities/tasks are varied between levels of difficulty and subject.   The details of the homework calendar and the directions for your child's completion of them are written on the Parent Connections page of this website.    The homework calendar is due at the end of the month with parent initials for activities completed.     We also have a Home Reading Program that will begin near the end of September, it is our nightly reading program that we will explain at Back to School Night.     I also need help from parent volunteers for Home Reading, so please let me know if you are available mornings between 9:30 and 11:00 at least one day a week.    Then, if you still want more homework for your child, I can create an enrichment packet in addition to the homework calendar and the home reading, but I will you let me know if that is something YOU want.    

Lunch Account

This year Wake County Public School System is enrolled in a new website called, www.mylunchmoney.com.     It is very convenient to load money onto your child's lunch account from a home or work computer.    You will need to fill in our school name, Swift Creek, and your child's student id number.   If you choose this handy option, please let me and I will provide you with your child's student id number, it's not their lunch number is their school id number.    Besides being able to add money from home or work, you can see all the purchases that your child is making throughout the week.    If you have any questions about it, you can call the school office, 233-4320.   

Classroom Snapshots

A little "behind-the-scenes" glimpse into my class in action.

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Tsunami Fish Slideshow

An all-time class hit, this slideshow is of unique fish that washed up after the tsunumi hit Sri Lanka a few years ago.   The students are fascinated by the all the unique features of these amazing creatures, and I show it every year after reading a story to the kids called Big Al, about a big, ugly, but nice fish in the sea.