Mrs. Darden

SPES First Grade

Our Virtual Classroom

Mrs. Darden Virtual Room

Welcome to 1st Grade!

MEET YOUR FIRST GRADE TEACHER

Hi and welcome to first grade in Room 209! My name is Christina Darden and I am so happy to be your child's first grade teacher this year. It is going to be a busy year full of engaging learning and exploration in literacy, math, science, and social studies. I can’t wait to learn more about your child and all they have to offer our classroom community.

Since you are going to share your child and your family with me, I think it is only fair you learn a little about me too. I had a great start in life with my parents (both educators) and my older brother. We spent my childhood first in Charlottesville and then went a little further north to Winchester, VA. I graduated from James Madison University in 2003 with a B.S. in Social Science and Early Childhood Education. Upon graduation, I moved to Richmond where I student taught in kindergarten with Mrs. Chisholm and then in first grade with Ms. Pitts. How lucky I was to be mentored by two great former SPES teachers!

In the fall of 2004, I taught my first kindergarten class, where we all adjusted to the change to full-day kindergarten in Henrico County. It was a great year and continued to be an amazing experience for six years. Then for two years I was given the opportunity to pursue a new path in education as the Math Teacher in Residence at SPES. The program was provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and gave K-5 teachers an in-house support teacher (coach) to help with deepening and enriching their mathematics instruction. I am so thankful for the chance to enrich my own knowledge of best practices in mathematics instruction through supporting other teachers. I enjoyed implementing these strategies as I reentered the kindergarten classroom for the 2012-2013 school year. In 2013, I experienced my biggest accomplishment in teaching when I achieved National Board Certification as an Early Childhood Generalist. During the 2015-2016 school year I made my way upstairs to first grade. I am excited to be part of such a great team as I begin my 20th year teaching at Short Pump Elementary. This year is sure to be filled with many moments of growing and learning. I hope you will join me in supporting your child in this endeavor. We can make a great team! Educating young children is my passion and it is important that I remain a lifelong learner in my field.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband Brad and our two children, Sumner and Rosslyn. I also love traveling, art, VCU basketball, reading, running, and spending time with friends over a great meal.

This is going to be an amazing year and please remember that I am here for you and your child as we make their school experience a huge success!

POST BELOW ARE FROM THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR

Hunting and Building our Number Sense

We have been working hard in math to develop a more concrete understanding of numbers (aka "Number Sense"). Recognizing and counting numbers is only the beginning to truly understanding how numbers work and break apart so that we can more accurately apply them into problem solving. Over the last couple of weeks we have been making/building numbers using 10s and 1s manipulatives. We have also been comparing numbers using the terms "greater than" and "less than." Finally, we have been putting random numbers in order with our deeper understanding of the value of a number. We did a culminating activity where we could apply all this knowledge. We began by listening to the story, A Fair Bear Share, by Stuart J. Murphy (check it out on YouTube). Then, students became the bears from the story and hunted for "berries" (really, just unifix cubes). Check out our video that shows our fun in action. Next, the students grouped their collection of food into groups of 10s and 1s. After they found the total value of their bag, we gallery walked around the desks to quickly count up how many berries our bear friends gathered. Now that we know how to quickly count groups of 10, it was easy for us. Finally, we got in groups of 3 to compare, order, and record our number sequences. What can you groups in 10s and 1s?

photos.app.goo.gl/xzHMUEEvUWmpQjwR8

What Can Martin Luther King Teach Us?

Teaching students about the life and holiday of Martin Luther King, Jr. can bring up a lot of emotions and confusion for students. Last week we began our studies by thinking of a time that we felt we had been treated unfairly and how that made us feel. Students wrote in their journals and then gathered together in small groups to communicate their experiences and try to have an understanding of the common emotions they felt. Then, we came together as a class and connected our writing to a famous American who worked hard to help all people be treated fairly, Martin Luther King, Jr. The children had such insight and I'm so impressed by their passion for justice for all. Thank goodness for the uncluttered minds of young children. They are the greatest teachers among us.

Mixing the Ancient with the Modern

This week we have been exploring the sun and learning how the Earth's rotation changes the position in the sky. We did this by creating an "ancient" sundial and tracing the shadow that was made 4 times during the day. It was exciting to see the sun's position in the sky changing. We also observed how our own shadows tilted and shrank.

On Wednesday, Mrs. Bernheart came in to teach us some basic coding using the Code and Go Mice to support the "Hour of Code." Students had to communicate and work cooperatively to code the mouse to reach the paperclip "cheese."

In math, we are busy collecting data and learning how to construct object and picture graphs. After graphing the data, we are learning the importance of analyzing the data. Here we are making an object graph out of our shoes and then we put ourselves into an object graph of boys and girls.

November Picture Recap

Here are some pictures for a glimpse into our learning in November. We started the month learning the importance of voting. We celebrated and recognized our military servicemen and women at the Veteran's assembly. We enjoyed a field trip to Meadow Farm and a visiting field trip from Jamestown to learn about life in the past. Finally, we collaborated with peers to create both a picture representation of a Powhatan village using the Seesaw App on iPads and a 3-D model of the Jamestown settlement.

Reading for Purpose Gives Ownership

"My mom/dad forgot......." are three words not allowed in room 206. As a working parent, I know the struggles of keeping all the chaos in some semblance of order. I was really struggling at the beginning of the year to remember all the things happening at the three schools my family attends. It hit me, my kid reads! Let's start putting that reading to good use and read for purpose. So, I went to my mom "best friend", Amazon for help. Now, this weekly refrigerator calendar puts the ownership in my son's hand. Plus, I think he is much happier knowing the schedule for the week. Each family member has their info in a different color which helps him focus on what he needs to do. It isn't perfect but I know I am not carrying all the responsibility either. How can you help your child take ownership of their school day?

A Busy "Buzzy" Week

We were excited to kick start our week with the first "Buzzy Bash" of the year. Six of our classmates were recognized for demonstrating "Responsibility" in our class. Then, we communicated and collaborated to construct a package to hold a pumpkin. We connected as global citizen as we thought about someone else that needed a pumpkin because they didn't have any pumpkins left to make their favorite dessert, pumpkin pie. The best part of these projects is being able to adapt and change our thinking to meet with success. On Thursday, we were given a look into some potential careers during "Touch-a-Truck" (Thanks goes to Mrs. Jones, School Counselor, for putting on this program). We sure how to mix fun into our learning at SPES!

Meet Your Teacher at Gayton Library

Symbols of Virginia

We have enjoyed learning about the symbols over the past week in social studies. Teaching students about the flag was a little abstract for young learners. So, we decided acting out the flag would be a fun way to remember what is on our state's flag. Check out these brave actors. Disclaimer: No actual students harmed in this reenactment :)

We are Growing

We are not just growing patterns but we are learning to grow our brains with inquiry based learning. Before discussing the names of the 4 symbols of Virginia, students were shown pictures of them and challenged to determine what they saw, what they thought, and what they wondered. Then after having some time to think and write independently, students shared their thinking with peers. We came together to weed out some common misconceptions such as thinking the cardinal was a red robin or our national bird or that the Capitol building in Richmond was the White House in Washington, DC. We had a lot of fun on Friday making cardinals and learning about their habitats and food choices. Did you know they like Dogwood tree berries?

We also had a visit from Mrs. Bernheart, our innovative learning coach. She helped the students on their first Seesaw activity. This is a fantastic program that allows the students to create and produce work that reflects their individual knowledge on many topics throughout the year. The best part, it saves an online portfolio parents will be able to access. Look for more information about this soon.

What's in Your Car?

I'm always thinking about how to help parents help their children become better readers. One of the things that I think has helped my own children is exposure to books. Ask yourself these questions: Where do you have books in your home? How accessible are the books? Do you care if they get used, worn or torn? How often do you provide new books? Are the books appropriate for your child's reading ability right now? Are they "Good Fit" books?

I have found that our car is a hot spot for reading. As much as I might want to use an electronic device to entertain and quiet the drive, reading can do both if you make it your norm. I put a basket of library books in between my children. The books are diverse; fiction/non-fiction, rich literature/popular character books, and board books/regular page books. A new basket of books is like a birthday gift that they can't wait to unwrap and see what is inside. Bonus for me-it's free! One book I encourage you to add to your book collection is Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman. The book is a perfect example to determine if your child is reading on grade level at the beginning of first grade. It is rich with sight words! So, I challenge you to find some books and pop them in your car. Make it the only choice and see the world that it opens for your child.

(Disclaimer: I get carsick myself, so I feel for parents that can't offer this option for their children. In that case, consider podcast stories and books on CD.)

Deciduous Tree Leaf Study

and Musical Patterns

We have really been enjoying our study of fall over the last couple of weeks. Another activity we were able to enjoy outside was looking for leaves that had fallen from deciduous trees. We then compared and contrasted those leaves with a partner. One of the books we read included a new vocabulary word we really locked on to: decompose. We decided to take some of the leaves that we collected and conduct an experiment to see if they could decompose inside our classroom over the coming weeks.

On Friday, we applied our knowledge of patterns to build a core of our choice and repeat it. Then, we turned on music and walked around the classroom until the music stopped, found a desk with a pattern, determined the core of that pattern and determined what would come next. What a fun way to reach visual, logical, social, solitary, kinesthetic, and auditory learners.

Some Animals Adapt and Prepare

Yesterday, students created their own migrating animals after we learned that some animals will use the fall season to migrate to warmer places. Today we learned some animals need to adapt and prepare for winter during the fall season. So, what better way to do that than to become an animal ourselves. We pretended to be squirrels as we hunted and gathered acorns to store up in preparation for the winter. How does your family prepare, change, and adapt as the seasons change? Enjoy watching nature and all the changes that are about to happen.

Walking in our Community

On Friday, we took a walk over to Short Pump Park to see some of the benefits of living in our community. We discussed how Henrico County provided parks as a way to contribute to our community. Within the park we talked about how we as residents contribute to the community. When we bring our dogs to the dog park for example, we clean up after them. When we take a picnic lunch and eat in the shelter, we clean up our trash. We also found the community garden that is maintained my members of our community and the Little Library that we could also contribute to as a way to help other community members enjoy reading. One of the "unplanned" learning events that happened was when a number of students noticed how the dog park "sorted" the dogs to keep them safe. Big dogs and little dogs, what an awesome connection made by our learners!

Making Connections as Global Citizens

This week we focused on observing how we are diverse and united. We read many books, including one of my favorites This is How We Do It which shows the lives of young children around the world. We were lucky to have three guest speakers talk about different cultures around the world. Mrs. Fitzpatrick (former SPES teacher and our substitute on Tuesday shared her trip to Tanzania. Mr. Kohle (dad) share about his life and the culture in India and Mrs. Sudarsky-Gleiser (grandmother) talked about life in Columbia. It was great to see the students enthusiastic and wondering about life outside of the United States. The students also shared with one another some of the interesting books they have been reading during Read-to-Self. If you haven't already heard, we reached our stamina goal of 20 minutes. You heard me right parents, your child should be able to sit in one spot and "read" for 20 minutes with a collection of books they are interested in reading. Encourage this lifelong habit starting today!

Real Life Research

On Friday, students applied their knowledge of ordinal numbers to research their favorite ice cream flavors from Gelati Celesti using iPads. They worked in teams to read the different flavors, record them in their math journal, create the flavors, and order them using ordinal numbers on an ice cream cone.

Maybe a trip to Gelati Celesti would be a great way to put their research into a sweet reward.

Writing Strategy

Along with learning to read independently, students are learning the skills necessary to write independently in class for 20 uninterrupted minutes. Young learners sometimes get stuck on being correct in their spelling. It can stifle their ideas. Today we learned to “sound out, underline, and move on.” The strategy allows the student to own their “mistake” and communicates to the teacher/parent which words to go back and help the student correct. Try using this strategy at home when your child tells you they can’t spell or needs help. Tell them to “sound out, underline, and move on” and you will help them when they are finished.

Starting our Reading Routines

It is often hard to get an idea of what is happening in school from a young learner. Try to ask specific probing questions that will elicit more than a yes or no answer.

Examples might be:

What was your favorite part of the day? Why?
How did you show kindness today?
How were you helpful in the classroom?
What work were you most proud of?
When did you feel like you struggled? (crossing the monkey bars, reading a new book, writing my numbers, opening a container in my lunch box, making a friend)

Sometimes a picture can help spark a conversation. Here is a picture after we completed our third day of "Read to Self." This is one of the stations of the Daily 5 reading instruction that is used in our classroom to promote reading and writing independence from the students. During the time students are working independently in these stations, I am able to pull leveled reading groups. We will begin those reading groups after I finish individual reading testing using Fountas and Pinnell.

At this time, we are working to build our reading stamina. Our overall goal is for students to read (read the pictures, read the words, or retell) for 20 uninterrupted minutes. They can do this by learning to select "Good Fit Books." We learned how to do this Friday by thinking about how we pick the right shoes for what we are doing and find a size that is not too big or small. This is the same mentality to use when selecting books. Does it fit our interest and purpose? Can I read most of the words on a page (not too hard/easy). You can use this strategy with your child when you go to the library or bookstore. Ask them, "Is this a good fit for you right now?" Our goal Monday is to read 6 minutes as a class. Encourage your child to help the class reach our goal using the rules on the chart.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE FIRST GRADE

I can't wait to see the students on Tuesday, September 3rd and have a great first day of learning.

Here are some reminder tips:

Any changes to transportation need to come to school in a written note if they are different from the "blue" transportation form you filled out at Open House. Changes will not be accepted over the phone or by email.
Send in a snack and water. Please do not send snacks with nut/peanuts.
Send a lunch or provide your child with money or add money to their account to purchase lunch.
Discuss with your child, your expectations of them for the day. Together we can encourage them to be successful.

Open House - August 29th from 2:00pm-4:00pm

I look forward to meeting all my students during this open house. If you are unable to bring your child, please contact me ASAP at ccdarden@henrico.k12.va.us so I can give you important information regarding the first day of school. It would also be helpful to drop off supplies or send with another family/student if you can't.

If you are attending, please bring your child's supplies so they can be organized and ready for the first day of school. To help, please have these items labeled ahead of time with your child's name:

composition books
folders
markers (on box)
crayons (on box)
colored pencils (on box)
scissors (please remove from packaging and label scissors)
glue sticks (please remove from packaging and label each glue stick)
earphones (please remove from packaging and label)
supply box
art shirt

All other supplies should be brought but do not need to be labeled because they are shared classroom items.

I would also ask that your child bring in one reusable shopping bag that we will use during the year to carry larger items (i.e. artwork, projects, etc) back and forth from school/home all year long. This bag should also be labeled.

MEET YOUR FIRST GRADE TEACHER

Hi and welcome to first grade in Room 206! My name is Christina Darden and I am so happy to be your child's first grade teacher this year. It is going to be a busy year full of engaging learning and exploration in literacy, math, science, and social studies. I can’t wait to learn more about your child and all they have to offer our classroom community.

Since you are going to share your child and your family with me, I think it is only fair you learn a little about me too. I had a great start in life with my parents (both educators) and my older brother. We spent my childhood first in Charlottesville and then went a little further north to Winchester, VA. I graduated from James Madison University in 2003 with a B.S. in Social Science and Early Childhood Education. Upon graduation, I moved to Richmond where I student taught with Mrs. Chisholm and then in first grade with Ms. Pitts. How lucky I was to be mentored by two great former SPES teachers!

In the fall of 2004, I taught my first kindergarten class, where we all adjusted to the change to full-day kindergarten in Henrico County. It was a great year and continued to be an amazing experience for six years. Then for two years I was given the opportunity to pursue a new path in education as the Math Teacher in Residence at SPES. The program was provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and gave K-5 teachers an in-house support teacher (coach) to help with deepening and enriching their mathematics instruction. I am so thankful for the chance to enrich my own knowledge of best practices in mathematics instruction through supporting other teachers. I enjoyed implementing these strategies as I reentered the kindergarten classroom for the 2012-2013 school year. In 2013, I experienced my biggest accomplishment in teaching when I achieved National Board Certification as an Early Childhood Generalist. The 2015-2016 school year gave me another new experience, when I was given the opportunity to take on new challenges and adventures in my teaching as I made my way upstairs to first grade. I am excited to be part of such a great team and start my 16th year teaching at Short Pump Elementary. Educating young children is my passion and it is important that I remain a lifelong learner in my field.

This is going to be an amazing year and please remember that I am here for you and your child as we make their school experience a huge success!

Our 1st Grade Team

From Left to Right: Mrs. Hofferbert, Mrs. Darden, Mrs. Bookbinder, Mrs. Golding, Mrs. Moore

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