Embedded Files
Week 26 - February 28
Week 26 - February 28
Happy Saturday!
Please see some pictures below from our 120th Day Mystery Celebration! I'm so sad to have missed it but it looks like everyone had a blast :) Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help out!
And thank you for the well wishes for our family and sweet Margot! We are so happy to have her here and Stella is loving life as a big sister. I am planning on stopping by to say hi to the kids sometime soon and will eventually bring in Margot to meet them as well.
Have a great weekend!
Week 25 - February 20
Week 25 - February 20
Happy Friday! We had a fun time today during Contraction Surgery - creating contractions from two different words :) See above for photos.
This week in literacy we learned a few more contractions! We practiced reading them in our Superkids text.
In math this week we started Unit 9 on addition within 100. It will be fun getting back into bigger numbers!
For writing, we are beginning our work on our When I Grow Up book. If you have had a first grader in recent years, you may remember this! We will be using a company, Studentreasures, to help us publish our very own class book, all about what we want to be when we grow up! Check for info in blue folders this week! If you want to order a book, our class code is 56674013.
A Few Things to Note:
Our 120th Day Celebration is coming up! I still need a few volunteers to help out! Take a look at our Sign Up Genius for ways you can help us celebrate the 120th Day of School.
You should have received an email from me this morning in place of a spring conference. Please be sure to read it and learn about the amazing things your student has been up to! You can also check their blue folder for some things I may reference in my email. If you feel you need to talk further please see the following Sign Up Genius to schedule a time. As I have already shared with you what I would say during a conference, the slots I have available are only 15 minutes long. Please note that these slots are open assuming I am still at work and haven’t started maternity leave yet. This slot could be in person or a phone call/Google Meet if that is easier.
Our class was able to meet our long term sub, Mrs. Ericka McDaniel, on Tuesday! We have been communicating the last few months and she is eager and ready to take over our class when I am out on leave! Please give her grace as she gets into the swing of things at the beginning. With the kids, we have been talking about how things may be a little different, and Mrs. McDaniel may do things differently than I do, but know they will be in good hands!
We are publishing a book through Studentreasures all about When I Grow Up. If you would like to purchase a book, there is an order form in your student's blue folder! You do not need to purchase a book if you don't want to, however I do ask that you mark this on the order form and return anyway because if we get back the majority of the order forms our class gets a free copy of the book! If you want to order a book, our class code is 56674013.
Check out information for Yearbooks, including a place to share pictures, here.
Upcoming Dates:
February 27: 120th Day Celebration - Sign up to volunteer here!
February 28: Wilder Auction - The auction is always a fun time! I am planning on being there pending baby news and would love to see you all 😉
March 2-5: Conferences Sign ups will be on an as-needed basis, different from how conferences were in the fall
March 5-6: Non student Days
Star Student: Carter is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Art T: Art W: PE Th: PE F: Music
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 24 - February 13
Week 24 - February 13
We had such a fun Valentine's Party! Thank you to everyone who planned, contributed, and came in to celebrate with us :)
In literacy this week we continued with our sound spelling patterns from last week and learned that when we want to add an ending to a word that ends in y like happy, we have to change the y to an i and add our ending like in happier. We also read a fun Super Smart about storms!
In math we finished up Unit 8 on subtraction word problems. We have done a great job with word problems this year! Our next unit will focus on adding groups of ten so we will be getting back into bigger numbers. You can see what Unit 9 looks like by reading the letter on my Math tab!
In writing we are working on finishing up our how to books. We chose something we are an expert at and published a book teaching others how to do it! These will be coming home soon.
In science we are finishing up our Patterns in the Sky unit by talking about the patterns of the Moon. We also learned about a few more important people in American history to celebrate Black History Month, including Maya Angelou and Genesis Butler.
A Few Things to Note:
Conferences are coming up in March. For our class, they will be a bit different this time around. Because of my due date, I will be sending out an email sharing all the information I would share with you at conferences on February 20th. You will still get to hear about your student's progress from me before I go on maternity leave. If you feel, after reading my email, that you still need to meet, I will provide a few openings during the week of conferences, assuming I am still at school. I am planning on working until my due date on March 7th as long as baby cooperates :) I know most teachers will be sending out a conference sign up next week on February 13th but since we are doing things a little different for my class this time around, look out for a conference email from me no later than February 20th. Thank you for your understanding!
Check out information for Yearbooks, including a place to share pictures, here.
Our 120th Day Celebration is coming up! If you have had a 1st grader in the past few years you know how fun this is! Take a look at our Sign Up Genius for ways you can help us celebrate the 120th Day of School.
Upcoming Dates:
February 13: Non Student Day
February 16: President's Day No School
February 27: 120th Day Celebration - Sign up to volunteer here!
February 28: Wilder Auction - The auction is always a fun time! I am planning on being there pending baby news and would love to see you all 😉
March 2-5: Conferences Sign ups will be on an as-needed basis, different from how conferences were in the fall
March 5-6: Non student Days
Star Student: Elliana is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: T: Music W: Music Th: Art F: Art
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 23 - February 6
Week 23 - February 6
Happy February! We had a BLAST on our field trip yesterday! Thank you to the parents who volunteered and joined us at the museum.
This week in literacy we learned that y can be a vowel, when it makes certain sounds. Y says the long i sound when it is at the end and is the only vowel in a word like fry. Y says the long e sound when it is at the end of a word and is the second vowel like in puppy. We also learned that ay makes the long a sound like in play. As a reminder, you can see all the patterns we are learning, as well as sheet that shows patterns we will work on mastering by the end of first grade, in my Literacy Tab!
In math this week we have continued work with subtraction word problems. We have practiced problems with the unknown in all different positions and worked hard this week to determine how to solve different types of word problems. We will have our test next week!
In science we are beginning to finish our unit on Patterns in the Sky and enjoyed the planetarium show yesterday as a fun activity to go along with our unit! In social studies this week we talked about some important people in American history to celebrate Black History Month, including Jackie Robinson and Mae Jemison.
In writing we worked on our how to writing! We are working to provide specific instructions for how to do things that we consider ourselves an expert at. I will share these with you all in the coming weeks for 'conferences' (more on that below).
A Few Things to Note:
Conferences are coming up in March. For our class, they will be a bit different this time around. Because of my due date, I will be sending out an email sharing all the information I would share with you at conferences on February 20th. You will still get to hear about your student's progress from me before I go on maternity leave. If you feel, after reading my email, that you still need to meet, I will provide a few openings during the week of conferences, assuming I am still at school. I am planning on working until my due date on March 7th as long as baby cooperates :) I know most teachers will be sending out a conference sign up next week on February 13th but since we are doing things a little different for my class this time around, look out for a conference email from me no later than February 20th. Thank you for your understanding!
Valentine's Day is coming up! As you prepare, please know there are 24 kids in our class. I do ask that when creating valentines, you do not address the valentines to anyone in our class - just fill in the 'from' section. It takes a while for everyone to pass out valentines, and the process is much smoother when we can just drop our valentines in each box and not worry about figuring out whose box is whose.
That being said, on February 12th (when we will celebrate), please send your child to school with some sort of container for the valentines their friends will be passing out. Keep in mind that they will most likely be receiving 24 valentines of differing sizes - tiny mailboxes or Kleenex size boxes typically aren't large enough. I suggest sending a paper or reusable grocery bag in addition to any cute box your child may want to bring. If your child just wants to bring a paper or reusable grocery bag, that is ok too :)
Our 120th Day Celebration is coming up! If you have had a 1st grader in the past few years you know how fun this is! Take a look at our Sign Up Genius for ways you can help us celebrate the 120th Day of School.
Upcoming Dates:
February 12: Valentine's Day Parties
February 13: Non Student Day
February 16: President's Day No School
February 27: 120th Day Celebration - Sign up to volunteer here!
February 28: Wilder Auction - The auction is always a fun time! I am planning on being there pending baby news and would love to see you all 😉
March 2-5: Conferences Sign ups will be on an as-needed basis, different from how conferences were in the fall
March 5-6: Non student Days
Star Student: Gus is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Smart Lab T: Smart Lab W: PE Th: PE
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 22 - January 30
Week 22 - January 30
What a fun Friday! We started today with singing the Friday Song for the whole school over the intercom! Mrs. Gonzales was very impressed with us :)
In literacy this week we did more practice with adding suffixes to the end of base words. Sometimes we need a bodyguard, like when we add er to big to make it bigger. Sometimes we don't change anything, like when we add est to fast to make it fastest. The bodyguard (doubled consonant) protects our vowel.
In math we have been hard at work with our subtraction word problems. We have talked about how you can have an unknown in any position in a word problem, total (?-5=3), change (8-?=3), or difference (8-5=?). We are doing well with these concepts!
In science this week we talked about the changing seasons and how some of these changes take place due to the Earth's position to the Sun. Next week we will close out our Patterns in the Sky unit with our Planetarium visit!
In writing we finished up our personal narratives and while I was out yesterday afternoon, the kids got to provide me with some advice for our baby, as well as make predictions on whether we will have a boy or girl and give name suggestions :) I can't wait to read what they wrote!
A Few Things to Note:
Artists can submit work for the Yearbook Cover Art Contest until February 5th!
Valentine's Day is coming up! As you prepare, please know there are 24 kids in our class. I do ask that when creating valentines, you do not address the valentines to anyone in our class - just fill in the 'from' section. It takes a while for everyone to pass out valentines, and the process is much smoother when we can just drop our valentines in each box and not worry about figuring out whose box is whose.
That being said, on February 12th (when we will celebrate), please send your child to school with some sort of container for the valentines their friends will be passing out. Keep in mind that they will most likely be receiving 24 valentines of differing sizes - tiny mailboxes or Kleenex size boxes typically aren't large enough. I suggest sending a paper or reusable grocery bag in addition to any cute box your child may want to bring. If your child just wants to bring a paper or reusable grocery bag, that is ok too :)
Please see this information about the Wilder Auction coming up in February!
Dear 1st Grade Families,
Our school auction is coming up soon, and the 1st Grade class is excited to contribute a themed auction wagon this year!
Our theme is: “Jet, Set, Go!”
This wagon will be filled with fun and practical items for trips near and far—think travel essentials, adventure gear, and items that make traveling easier and more enjoyable.
We’ve created a SignUpGenius where you can select an item (or items) to donate toward our wagon. Any contribution—big or small—is greatly appreciated and helps make our auction a success. First Grade: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054CA8AB2FA3F58-60264756-copy
If you prefer us to do the shopping for you, we are happy to do that as well! Just Venmo @ksaari67370 (x1513). In the Venmo comments, please specify that this donation will be used for the 1st Grade Wagon.
Important Dates:
Donation deadline: February 8th
School Auction: February 28th
Once items are collected, we’ll assemble them into a beautiful wagon for the auction. Thank you for your generosity and support of our school community!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you!
Katie Saari and Mckenzie Bolduc
Wilder Wagon Co-Chairs
Upcoming Dates:
February 5: Planetarium Field Trip
February 12: Valentine's Day Parties
February 13: Non Student Day
February 16: President's Day No School
February 28: Wilder Auction - The auction is always a fun time! I am planning on being there pending baby news and would love to see you all 😉
Star Student: Parker is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: PE T: Music W: Music Th: Smart Lab F: Smart Lab
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 21 - January 23
Week 21 - January 23
We had a great week! In literacy we learned about contractions. We focused on words that form contractions with not - would not becomes wouldn't, is not becomes isn't, and so forth. We talked about how we usually use contractions in our speech all the time, but might not know how to spell them.
In math we took our Unit 7 assessment and did a great job! We also got to show off our word problem skills with a fun collaborative activity shown above - we worked around the room to solve different word problems in different ways! We will start Unit 8 next week.
In science we talked more about different patterns in the sky and created a model to show how the sun seems to move through the sky each day.
In writing we began work on new personal narratives, focusing on adding a lot of interesting details to make our writing more like 2nd grade writing (can you believe 2nd grade will be here before you know it?!). We talked about wanting to bulk up our stories and make them even better than they are by telling the reader interesting things that happened to us. We are still always focusing on capitalization, punctuation, and grammar as well.
A Few Things to Note:
Artists can submit work for the Yearbook Cover Art Contest until February 5th!
Please see this information about the Wilder Auction coming up in February!
Dear 1st Grade Families,
Our school auction is coming up soon, and the 1st Grade class is excited to contribute a themed auction wagon this year!
Our theme is: “Jet, Set, Go!”
This wagon will be filled with fun and practical items for trips near and far—think travel essentials, adventure gear, and items that make traveling easier and more enjoyable.
We’ve created a SignUpGenius where you can select an item (or items) to donate toward our wagon. Any contribution—big or small—is greatly appreciated and helps make our auction a success. First Grade: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054CA8AB2FA3F58-60264756-copy
If you prefer us to do the shopping for you, we are happy to do that as well! Just Venmo @ksaari67370 (x1513). In the Venmo comments, please specify that this donation will be used for the 1st Grade Wagon.
Important Dates:
Donation deadline: February 8th
School Auction: February 28th
Once items are collected, we’ll assemble them into a beautiful wagon for the auction. Thank you for your generosity and support of our school community!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you!
Katie Saari and Mckenzie Bolduc
Wilder Wagon Co-Chairs
Upcoming Dates:
February 5: Planetarium Field Trip
February 12: Valentine's Day Parties
February 13: Non Student Day
February 16: President's Day No School
February 28: Wilder Auction - The auction is always a fun time! I am planning on being there pending baby news and would love to see you all 😉
Star Student: Grey is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Art T: Art W: Art Th: Art F: PE
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 20 - January 16
Week 20 - January 16
This week in literacy we continued learning about vowel teams! As a reminder, our literacy concepts and memory words can be found on my Literacy Tab so you can keep up with us a home if you would like! We will be starting Unit 9 next week.
In math we finished up Unit 7 and will take our assessment next week. We have been working so hard at solving addition word problems and doing a great job! Our next unit will be on subtraction word problems.
In social studies we learned more about Martin Luther King Jr. and in science we started our next unit, Patterns in the Sky! We learned about the Earth, Moon, Sun, and stars.
In writing we finished up our opinion books so be on the lookout for those in blue folders soon!
A Few Things to Note:
I still have one slot left for a chaperone! We will be going to the Planetarium at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on February 5th. If you would like to chaperone, please sign up here!
Artists can submit work for the Yearbook Cover Art Contest until February 5th!
Upcoming Dates:
January 19: Martin Luther King Day No School
January 21: View House Restaurant Night
February 5: Planetarium Field Trip
Star Student: Ronan is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: T: PE W: PE Th: Music F: Music
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 19 - January 9
Week 19 - January 9
Happy 2026! We have had a great first week back! We have taken it slow, getting back into routines and setting ourselves up for success for second semester.
In literacy this week we learned about vowel teams! When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking - like in boat when you hear the o but not the a. Our vowel teams are ai, oa, ee, and ea. We are practicing applying this in both spelling/writing and reading!
In math we started Unit 7 on addition word problems. We are working to read a word problem, gather the information we need, and solve for the unknown, whether that be the sum or one of the addends. We have done a great job with this this week!
In social studies this week we set new years resolutions and learned a little bit about Martin Luther King Jr.
In writing we are back working on opinion writing, giving both reasons and details for why we think or feel the way we do.
A Few Things to Note:
Please keep in mind we go outside for recess as long as the 'feels like' temperature is above 20*. Send warm coats to school so kids stay warm at recess! Names are helpful in hats, gloves, etc.
I have set up some new volunteer dates on our Sign Up Genius! Please choose a day that works for you.
We will be going to the Planetarium at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on February 5th. If you would like to chaperone, please sign up here!
I will be sending out information soon regarding my maternity leave. For your reference, my due date is March 7th. We have a great sub lined up who has been in and around Wilder for years so rest assured your students will be in good hands 😉
Upcoming Dates:
January 19: Martin Luther King Day No School
January 21: View House Restaurant Night
February 5: Planetarium Field Trip
Star Student: Charity is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Music T: Smart Lab W: Smart Lab Th: Smart Lab F: Smart Lab
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 18 - December 19
Week 18 - December 19
Happy Winter Break! Thank you all so much for the yummy birthday cookies, and all the cards, treats, gift cards, snacks and more! I feel so loved :) I think I was able to hand out thank you cards for everything but if you somehow got missed, please know I appreciate your kindness!
I hope you all have a great break and are able to spend some time together as a family! Be sure to take a look at your student's grandparent letters if you haven't - they are very special!
If you don't receive a present from your student by the end of Hanukkah or Christmas, check their backpack as well 😉 They should have something for you!
Upcoming Dates:
December 22 - January 5: Winter Break
Star Student: We will come back to Star Student after Winter Break!
Specials: M: Art T: PE W: PE Th: Music F: Music
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 17 - December 12th
Week 17 - December 12th
This week in literacy we learned that with some magic e words we have to add -es when making it plural. Words that end in ch, s, x, sh need an -es to become plural (boxes, brushes). We also read a fun informational text about fast animals to talk about comparing fast, faster, fastest.
In math we finished up Unit 6 on 2D and 3D shapes. We will take our test next week! We know a lot about 2D and 3D shapes and their attributes. We also finished up our math iReady testing.
In social studies your students got to travel around first grade to visit Mrs. McNicholas and learn about Las Posadas in Mexico, and visit Mrs. Barnes to learn about Diwali in India. We have one more stop to make next week!
In writing we are back into informational writing teaching others about polar bears! Our challenge was to add more detail to our writing and try and combine facts when creating our sentences.
A Few Things to Note:
Please know it is always helpful to know when your family is going to be out of town ahead of time - especially if it leads up to a break. When we have tests and things that need to get done it can be easier to try and get it done ahead of time than catch up when you are back. That being said, if your child will not be here toward the end of next week please let me know so I can be sure to give them their holiday gift and make sure they have the gift we have made for you :)
We are missing a few of our classroom stuffy friends - if a frog, zebra, or cow beanie baby has made it to your house, please send them on a field trip back to school 😉
Upcoming Dates:
December 15 - 19: Spirit Week
December 18: Reindeer Day - nothing to do, just something fun to look forward to :)
December 19: Grinch Day - nothing to do, just something fun to look forward to :)
December 22 - January 5: Winter Break
Star Student: We will come back to Star Student after Winter Break!
Specials: M: Music T: Music W: Art Th: Art F: Art
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 16 - December 5
Week 16 - December 5
Happy December!
In literacy this week we spent time on iReady but also got into some Superkids work :) We talked about making magic e words plural by adding s - cake to cakes, bone to bones.
In math we started our unit on geometry! This week we have been talking about 2D shapes and their attributes. It is always fun to get a little break from addition and subtraction :) We will start iReady Math next week.
In social studies we started our Holidays Around the World unit where we talk about different traditions and customs from around the world. We have had fun reading our grandparent letters that have come in - as I read them in class I do send them home so be sure to ask your student if we have read theirs yet! These are such a treasure that I hope you enjoy this season. We have traveled to the USA to learn about Christmas, Jordan to learn about Eid Al Fitr, and Israel to learn about Hanukkah. The travels will continue next week!
A Few Things to Note:
Please keep in mind we go outside for recess as long as the 'feels like' temperature is above 20*. Send warm coats to school so kids stay warm at recess! Names are helpful in hats, gloves, etc.
Upcoming Dates:
December 15 - 19: Spirit Week
December 18: Reindeer Day - nothing to do, just something fun to look forward to :)
December 19: Grinch Day - nothing to do, just something fun to look forward to :)
December 22 - January 5: Winter Break
Star Student: Bryan is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Smart Lab T: Smart Lab W: Smart Lab Th: PE F: PE
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 15 - November 21
Week 15 - November 21
Happy Thanksgiving Break! We made it 😉
We had a great week this week. Thank you to everyone who came in and helped with Grandparent letters! I sent those home yesterday so please be sure to pass them along! There is a note from me in there asking grandparents to mail us a letter back talking about their holiday traditions. We will be sharing these in class throughout December!
In literacy this week we learned all about magic e - it makes short vowels say their name like it cake, flute, and rope. Without the e, the vowel would stay short.
In math we finished up Unit 5 on subtraction. We all did a great job on our assessment! I am so proud of our hard work. We will start up with shapes in December.
In writing this week we focused on descriptive writing, describing turkeys and also just having some Thanksgiving fun. We also got to write about how to make applesauce! Thank you for your apple donations!
In social studies we finished up learning about Native American Heritage Month as well as talking about important American symbols like the White House, the bald eagle, the American Flag, and the Statue of Liberty. We also read the book Balloons Over Broadway and worked together to create our very own Thanksgiving Day floats! Check out our pictures above :)
A Few Things to Note:
Thank you to everyone who purchased books for our class from the Book Fair! We so appreciate your generosity in helping our library grow.
Upcoming Dates:
November 24 - 28: Thanksgiving Break
December 18: Reindeer Day - nothing to do, just something fun to look forward to :)
December 19: Grinch Day - nothing to do, just something fun to look forward to :)
December 22 - January 5: Winter Break
Star Student: Bryan is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: PE T: PE W: Music Th: Music F: Smart Lab
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 14 - November 14
Week 14 - November 14
What a fun week! Thank you so much to all our chaperones and the family members who joined us at the Zoo yesterday. It was a beautiful day and we had the best time! For more Zoo pictures, please check out our album here.
In literacy this week we learned all about open syllables! When a word (or syllable) has one vowel and the vowel is at the end, the vowel is usually long like in go, she, and hi. A vowel says its name when it is long in an open syllable word. We did a GREAT job on our spell check this week with these words! We also read an interesting informational text about castles this week.
In math we talked about fact families and learned how to solve subtraction equations with an unknown (like 12 - __ = 4 ). These problems can be tricky but we have learned so many strategies to help us! We will have our Unit 5 test on subtraction next week.
In writing we have been hard at work with descriptive writing. We described our backpacks and this week we created turkeys to describe in writing next week.
In science we finished up our unit on Shadow Town! We learned about reflective surfaces and solved the mystery of Rjukan, Norway. Ask your student how they get sunlight on their town during the winter!
A Few Things to Note:
Earlier this week I sent home information about grandparent letters. Please see the information sheet here, and fill out the Google Form with names and addresses here. If I have not received an address from you, I will send the letter home in an envelope for you to address on your own.
If you would like to help out with our grandparent letters, please let me know you are available to volunteer! I am looking for help on Monday from 12:10 - 1:05 and probably also on Wednesday from 12:10 - 1:20. This is during our writing time - you will pull students to help them finish/address their grandparent letters. (Wednesday would be pending what does not get done on Monday, but it usually takes at least 2 days of work!)
We will be making applesauce on Friday, November 21st to celebrate Thanksgiving, learn about How To writing, and just to enjoy a yummy treat :) If you could please send a cut, peeled apple with your student on Friday morning we would appreciate it! I'll send home a note about this next week as well.
The Book Fair starts next week. Kids will be able to shop before and after school with a parent/guardian. I will let kids shop on their own during recess time with any cash they bring in. If you have put money in an E-Wallet, please be sure your child knows this and also knows how much money they have to spend! They can also spend E-Wallet money during recess, but it helps when they fully understand what this means :)
Upcoming Dates:
November 17 - 21 - Fall Book Fair
November 24 - 28 - Thanksgiving Break
Star Student: Haley is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Music T: Art W: Art Th: Art F: Art
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 13 - November 7
Week 13 - November 7
Another great week!
In literacy this week we continued our practice with ing, ed, and er suffixes. We are getting better at knowing our doubling rule!
In math we are hard at work learning different subtraction strategies to subtract within 20. We have done great so far!
In writing we worked on our grandparent letters as well as worked on writing to our 3rd grade buddies, and writing a response to a letter. Check out more on grandparent letters below!
In social studies we learned a bit about Native American Heritage Month. We will continue this learning over the next couple weeks! In science we talked about transparent, translucent, opaque, and reflective materials.
A Few Things to Note:
Earlier this week I sent home information about grandparent letters. Please see the information sheet here, and fill out the Google Form with names and addresses here. Next week I will ask for volunteer help with addressing our letters to our family members!
Please please please talk to your children about their belongings. We have had multiple instances recently where a coat will 'appear' in our classroom at the beginning of the day and when we try and figure out who's it is, no one claims it. These are things like your very nice winter jackets! They then end up in the lost and found when no one claims it day after day. It does help if there is a name in the coat! Then at least I know who it belongs to :)
Please check the weather on Thursday, November 13th. We are heading to the Denver Zoo, rain (or snow..?) or shine! Help your child dress accordingly :) Please pack a lunch. If you will need a sack lunch from the school, I need to know that ASAP!A
Upcoming Dates:
November 11 - Veterans Day Performance 6:00 PM
November 13 - Zoo Field Trip
November 17 - 21 - Fall Book Fair
November 24 - 28 - Thanksgiving Break
Star Student: Ariella is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Smart Lab T: Smart Lab W: PE Th: PE F: Music
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 12 - October 31
Week 12 - October 31
We had the BEST Halloween! We started the day with a Steve Spangler assembly which was a literal BLAST! Our parade and party were so fun as well. Thank you to everyone who helped make our party a hit!
In literacy this week we talked about adding the suffixes ed and ing to the end of words. If a word only has one consonant after the vowel, you have to double to consonant to protect the vowel like in hugging. If there are two consonants after the vowel, you can just add the suffix like in checked. We also read a very fun informational text on planets!
In math this week we learned about fact families! We did a lot of work with these and you will see some of it come home today or next week :)
In writing we finished up our personal narratives and began work on our next unit, correspondence. We will practice writing letters soon!
A Few Things to Note:
Please please please talk to your children about their belongings. We have had multiple instances recently where a coat will 'appear' in our classroom at the beginning of the day and when we try and figure out who's it is, no one claims it. These are things like your very nice winter jackets! They then end up in the lost and found when no one claims it day after day. It does help if there is a name in the coat! Then at least I know who it belongs to :)
Upcoming Dates:
November 11 - Veterans Day Performance 6:00 PM
November 13 - Zoo Field Trip
November 17 - 21 - Fall Book Fair
November 24 - 28 - Thanksgiving Break
Star Student: Cora is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: PE T: Music W: Music Th: Smart Lab F: Smart Lab
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 11 - October 24
Week 11 - October 24
Happy Friday!
In literacy this week we learned that ed can make three different sounds: /ed/ like in melted, /d/ like in spilled, and /t/ like in cracked. We practiced reading and writing words using this suffix all week! It can be tricky to remember this pattern, especially in words like cracked, but we are doing our best :)
In math this week we finished up Unit 4 on addition within 20. Overall we did a great job on our assessments! We are moving on to Unit 5, subtraction within 20 next.
In science we continued our work with shadow investigations. We made shadow puppets and talked about how to have a shadow, you need an object, a light source, and a surface.
In writing we are back to writing personal narratives and we are focusing on adding lots of details to our writing. We can't wait to share our books with you soon!
A Few Things to Note:
Our room parents will soon be sending out info for our Halloween party through Membership Toolkit. Please sign up for Membership Toolkit if you would like to receive information throughout the year from our lovely room parents!
We will be going on our first field trip to the Denver Zoo on Thursday November 13th. If you would like to chaperone, please sign up here! Please note you must pass our background check to attend.
Upcoming Dates:
October 31 - Halloween Parade and Party Parade at 1:15 Party at 1:45
November 11 - Veterans Day Performance 6:00 PM
November 13 - Zoo Field Trip
Star Student: Maddie is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Art T: Art W: Art Th: Art F: PE
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 10 - October 16
Week 10 - October 16
Thank you all so much for coming in to meet with me this week! It is always so fun to share about all the progress your kids are making in first grade. I hope you have a great weekend!
A Few Things to Note:
Our room parents will soon be sending out info for our Halloween party through Membership Toolkit. Please sign up for Membership Toolkit if you would like to receive information throughout the year from our lovely room parents!
Upcoming Dates:
October 16, 17, 20 - No School Conferences, teacher comp day, and teacher work day
October 22 - Chick Fil A Restaurant Night Aspen Grove
October 24 - Picture Retakes
October 31 - Halloween Parade and Party Info coming from Room Parents soon
November 11 - Veterans Day Performance 6:00 PM
Star Student: Matthew is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: T: PE W: PE Th: Music F: Music
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 9 - October 9
Week 9 - October 9
Happy Thursday! I will be out of town tomorrow so I am sharing our update a day early.
In literacy this week we learned the spelling pattern le. We can hear this sound at the end of words like candle and bubble. When we use le in words, we either need to have two consonants after the vowel like in candle, or we need to double the single consonant like in bubble.
In math we learned that the commutative property allows us to add addends in any order. 4+5 is the same as 5+4!. We also practiced using the many addition strategies we have learned - adding on a number line, making ten, using doubles facts, and counting on.
In writing we worked on finishing up our opinion writing. I am hoping to have these to share at conferences!
In science we finished up our Animal Reporters unit and started our new unit on Shadow Town - a real town in Norway that spends 6 months out of the year in a shadow. We will be investigating light and shadows for the next few weeks.
A Few Things to Note:
Conference sign ups are live! Please be sure to write down your time. Conferences will last for 20 minutes to respect everyone's time.
Our room parents will soon be sending out info for our Halloween party through Membership Toolkit. Please sign up for Membership Toolkit if you would like to receive information throughout the year from our lovely room parents!
We are also ready to start inviting volunteers into our classroom! Please sign up for a time that works for you. I will post more days as they become available! Before you come in to volunteer you must be registered as a volunteer through LPS.
Upcoming Dates:
October 13 - 16 - Conferences Sign up here!
October 13 - October 15 - Totally Terrific Teacher Information came home in blue folders on Monday!
October 16, 17, 20 - No School Conferences, teacher comp day, and teacher work day
October 24 - Picture Retakes
October 31 - Halloween Parade and Party Info coming from Room Parents soon
November 11 - Veterans Day Performance 6:00 PM
Star Student: No Star Student for our short conference week
Specials: M: Smart Lab T: Smart Lab W: Smart Lab
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 8 - October 3
Week 8 - October 3
I can't believe it is already October! We had a great week this week. Thanks to everyone who came out to cheer us on in the Fun Run! We had a BLAST! Many students were also spreading joy and filling buckets this week by passing out notes to all the classmates. It was very fun to see :)
In literacy this week we learned that ng makes the /ng/ sound like in king, sung, and song. This is a trickier sound that is made in the back of your throat. We also read a fun informational text about taking care of zoo animals!
In math we learned many strategies to help us add: count on, use a number line, use doubles facts, and make ten! We are filling our tool boxes with a lot of learning.
In science this week we talked about how animals communicate and how animals make sounds with different pitches and volumes to share what they need!
In writing we began work on our opinion writing. We are sharing who our favorite Superkid is and WHY. It is important when we give our opinion to give reasons why we feel the way we do.
Our new word of the month for October is integrity. Mrs. Hauser talked to us about how integrity can be telling the truth even when we might get in trouble. We will continue exploring this word throughout the month!
A Few Things to Note:
Conference sign ups are live! Please choose a time that works for your family - one slot per student. I can't wait to share all the wonderful things your child has been doing in school!
Our Direct Giving Campaign is underway. Thank you for any donations you are able to make!
We are also ready to start inviting volunteers into our classroom! Please sign up for a time that works for you. I will post more days as they become available! Before you come in to volunteer you must be registered as a volunteer through LPS.
Upcoming Dates:
October 13 - 16 - Conferences Sign up here!
October 13 - October 15 - Totally Terrific Teacher More info coming soon
October 16, 17, 20 - No School Conferences, teacher comp day, and teacher work day
October 24 - Picture Retakes
November 11 - Veterans Day Performance 6:00 PM
Star Student: Emma is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: PE T: PE W: Music Th: Music F: Smart Lab
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 7 - September 26
Week 7 - September 26
This week in literacy we learned about the naughty brothers th- they always stick their tongues out when they make the /th/ sound in words like this and moth! This little secret story helps us remember that th is different from the /f/ or /v/ sound. Overall we did great on our spell check practicing this phonics pattern!
In math we took our Unit 3 test on place value. I will share these with you at conferences! We also started Unit 4 on addition within 20. We are learning different strategies to help us add.
In writing this week we finished up informational writing. We all published a book on sharks and many of us also wrote a second book on an animal we researched on our own! I can't wait to share these books at conferences!
In social studies this week we learned about more Central and South American countries for Hispanic Heritage Month - Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama!
A Few Things to Note:
Conference sign ups are live! Please choose a time that works for your family - one slot per student. I can't wait to share all the wonderful things your child has been doing in school!
Our Direct Giving Campaign is underway. Thank you for any donations you are able to make!
We are also ready to start inviting volunteers into our classroom! Please sign up for a time that works for you. I will post more days as they become available! Before you come in to volunteer you must be registered as a volunteer through LPS.
Upcoming Dates:
October 3 - Fun Run during Specials (1:05 - 1:50)
October 13 - 16 - Conferences Sign up here!
October 13 - October 15 - Totally Terrific Teacher More info coming soon
October 16, 17, 20 - No School Conferences, teacher comp day, and teacher work day
October 24 - Picture Retakes
Star Student: Madison is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Music T: Art W: Art Th: Art F: Art
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 6 - September 19
Week 6 - September 19
We had another great week! In literacy this week we learned that wh makes the /wh/ sound like in what and whack. It can be tricky to know if you use w or wh in some words, but we do know that they make the same sound! We read an informational text about Money today and talked about wants vs. needs and saving vs. spending.
In math this week we learned how to compare two digit numbers using >, <, =. We are very good at this skill! We know that when you compare two digit numbers, you first look at the tens place and then move to the ones place. Next week we will finish Unit 3 and move on to addition within 20 for Unit 4!
In social studies this week we learned that it is Hispanic Heritage Month! We learned a bit about Colombia and will be learning more about other Hispanic and Latin American countries as the month goes on.
In science we began observing what similarities and differences adult animals have with their young! Some animal babies look like their parents while others do not.
In writing we started working on informational writing to teach something new! We are working on publishing a book about sharks.
We also started talking about empathy in our morning meetings this week. It is important to understand how other people feel, especially if we dip in their bucket!
A Few Things to Note:
Conference sign ups will go out on September 26 at 12:00 pm. Please sign up - one spot per student.
Our Direct Giving Campaign is underway. Thank you for any donations you are able to make!
Upcoming Dates:
September 23 - Restaurant Night Don Juans
September 26 - Non Student Day Teacher Planning Day | Conference Sign Ups
Star Student: Levi is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Smart Lab T:PE W: PE Th: Music
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 5 - September 12
Week 5 - September 12
What a great week! We had a PJ day (or two 😉) for our full bucket party, we met our 3rd grade buddies and we all published our first independent book! If it doesn't come home today, look out for it next week!
In literacy this week we learned that sh makes the /sh/ sound like in shell. We read different Superkids stories that incorporated this sound spelling pattern. If you are ever curious what patterns we are working on, or what words may be on our weekly spell checks, please take a look at my Literacy Tab. We are currently in Unit 1 of Superkids. Our weekly spell checks are a way for me to see if kids are applying the patterns we are learning. The practice in class should suffice for weekly spell checks but again, if you are looking for more work to do at home you can practice reading the words on my Literacy tab.
In math we did a lot with base 10 this week. We know that you can trade out 10 loose ones for a group of 10. This can help us identify and count big 2-digit numbers like 87: it has 8 groups of 10 and 7 loose ones. My Math Tab has information for each unit under the Family Letters (these letters typically come home as well).
In science this week we talked about how animals use their body parts to survive. We also got to design our own animal!
A Few Things to Note:
I hope to see you at the Fall Festival this afternoon! It is free and fun for the whole family.
Please check blue folders when they come home! Some folders are stuffed full of work from the past few weeks :)
Remember to send library books back at least every Tuesday so kids can check out new ones.
Upcoming Dates:
September 12 - Fall Festival 4:30 - 6:30
September 19 - Picture Day
September 23 - Restaurant Night Don Juans
September 26 - Non Student Day Teacher Planning Day
Star Student: Piper is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Music T:Music W: Smart Lab Th: Smart Lab F: Smart Lab
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 4 - September 4
Week 4 - September 4
Happy Friday! We had another great week. Thank you so much for your kind notes about my big news - Tyler, Stella, and I are very excited!
This week Mrs. Hauser came in to talk to us about our word of the month: belonging! We did a fun activity to show that everyone belongs. In our morning meetings we also talked about our brains and how our brain has 3 important parts: the lizard brain (brain stem) that regulates our safety, our dog brain (amygdala) which regulates our emotions, and our owl brain (cortex) which helps us think!
In literacy this week we started Superkids Unit 1 and learned that ch and tch both make the same sound! You can hear this sound in words like crunch and catch. We read some fun Superkids stories and also sent one home - Cass's Cat came home earlier this week. Each week you will receive a Super Short story - a 1 page passage you can practice reading throughout the week. The goal is by the end of the week we are gaining more confidence with the passage (or some sentences from the passage). Feel free to keep these as the weeks go on! You'll have a great set of decodable stories your student can access.
In math we finished Unit 2 on number patterns. We have so much knowledge in this area! Please know as tests come home, I always read all the directions to students and when problems are missed, we pull small groups to rework missed concepts.
In science we observed many different animals and talked about how animals move and how they defend themselves.
In writing we are working on publishing our very first personal narrative! We can't wait to share these stories with you.
A Few Things to Note:
If you missed Back to School Night, check out my BTSN tab for the presentation and Mrs. Reinert's message.
Blue folders typically will come home each night but there are days I don't get a chance to pass them back. If it doesn't come home one day, it should come home the next :)
Upcoming Dates:
September 12 - Fall Festival Free for all! I hope to see you there!
September 19 - Picture Day
Star Student: Loyal is up next! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M: Art T:Art W: Art Th: PE F: PE
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 3 - August 29
Week 3 - August 29
Happy Labor Day weekend! I know many of you are off on adventures - we can't wait to see you back next week!
This week in literacy we finished up our Superkids review unit - look for Superkids workbooks in backpacks today! Next week we will start Unit 1. In writing this week we learned all about the writing process and worked on publishing our first book! They will come home next week - we wrote about the first day of school.
In math we worked on Unit 2 which looks at number patterns up to 120. We built number lines as a class (take a look at our pictures above!) and used manipulatives to help us learn.
We started our first science unit - Animal Reporters! We will be observing elephants, learning about animal body coverings and how they communicate, and more! In October we will be heading to the zoo to celebrate this unit so be on the lookout for more information soon!
We had our PAWS Assembly today to learn more about PAWS expectations as a school. It was so fun!
I have to say our class is doing a WONDERFUL job at our routines, following expectations, and fitting in to first grade! What a fun way to start the year :)
A Few Things to Note:
If you missed Back to School Night, check out my BTSN tab for the presentation and Mrs. Reinert's message.
Library books should come back every Tuesday to prepare for checking out a new set :)
We have already had a few birthdays and have more coming up this month. I will talk about this at Back to School Night but in first grade, if you choose to send in something for your child's birthday, we ask that it not be edible (with allergies, removing food from the equation makes everything easier for everyone!). Again, this is not an expectation but I know many families like to celebrate with a little birthday goody - something like a sticker, bracelet, pencil, bookmark is a fun way to share a birthday with the class. We do also celebrate the birthday student in class with a little goody bag and a Happy Birthday song.
Upcoming Dates:
September 1 - Labor Day No School
September 12 - Fall Festival Free for all!
September 19 - Picture Day
Star Student: Emery is up first! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: T:PE W: Music Th: Music F: Art
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 2 - August 22
Week 2 - August 22
Happy Friday! What a great first full week of learning.
In literacy this week we have still been reviewing letter names and sounds from our Superkids review unit. We have also been getting into some CVC words like jump and hit as well as memory words from Kindergarten!
In math we finished up Unit 1 which was helping us get into math routines and also setting us up for learning in Units 2 and 3. I have sent home all the Unit 1 Exit Tickets and Unit 1 test if you want to take a look at how your student did! This work was all a preview for what is coming and is more data for my knowledge than a grade for report cards.
In writing this week we have been learning about the steps in the writing process. We started by talking about illustrations and today brainstormed some ideas for a personal narrative we will start next week.
We are working on finishing up iReady so we can get things really going in small groups! We use this data (along with other data throughout the year) to help us create groups in the classroom.
We have talked a lot about belonging, PAWS expectations, and class rules the past two weeks. We also read one of my favorite books, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? If you haven't read it, click on the link and listen to the story. We use this language in our class all the time to talk about being kind. Ask your student what it means to have a full bucket!
We will have library next week on Tuesday! Every Tuesday we will head to the library to check out books. While you can keep books for up to 2 weeks, there is a limit to how many books students can check out so send them back to school for return when you are done reading them!
A Few Things to Note:
Please please please have your child practice their lunch number at home! I sent home a practice sheet at the Meet and Greet. Memorizing the number helps our lunch line go much faster when we only have 20 minutes to eat lunch!
We have already had a few birthdays and have more coming up this month. I will talk about this at Back to School Night but in first grade, if you choose to send in something for your child's birthday, we ask that it not be edible (with allergies, removing food from the equation makes everything easier for everyone!). Again, this is not an expectation but I know many families like to celebrate with a little birthday goody - something like a sticker, bracelet, pencil, bookmark is a fun way to share a birthday with the class. We do also celebrate the birthday student in class with a little goody bag and a Happy Birthday song.
Upcoming Dates:
August 28 - Back to School Night 6:00 - 6:30 for First Grade
September 1 - Labor Day No School
September 19 - Picture Day
Star Student: Cole is up first! Don't forget to check out the info sheet to see what to bring each day. (The first day is your poster!)
Specials: M:Smart Lab T:Smart Lab W: Smart Lab Th: Smart Lab F: PE
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
Week 1 - August 15
Week 1 - August 15
Happy Friday! We had a GREAT first week!
We have had SUCH a fun week getting to know each other, learning the routines and expectations of school, and having FUN! Your kids might be tired when they come home (and I know because I feel it too!).
You can expect a weekly email on Fridays at about this time directing you here, to my website, to update you on what is coming up, what we did this week, and sometimes, photos of our fun activities!
We got started with our Reveal Math and Superkids Literacy curriculum this week. We are doing some kindergarten alphabet review and also learning about place value to get us ready for what is coming up in math.
So you are aware, blue backpack folders will come back and forth each day. Students are tasked with reflecting on their day and making a note on the behavior calendar: green for a great day, yellow for 'I have a few things to work on or needed a few reminders' and red for parent contact. At times, I may make a note on their sheet, but typically if something big has come up you will also receive either an email or phone call about it as well. This is usually student directed - I let them decide what color to choose!
I have also sent home a reading record sheet - this is not mandatory but a fun way to encourage reading at home! I do not need these back but will send home new sheets each month.
A Few Things to Note:
We have already had a few birthdays and have more coming up this month. I will talk about this at Back to School Night but in first grade, if you choose to send in something for your child's birthday, we ask that it not be edible (with allergies, removing food from the equation makes everything easier for everyone!). Again, this is not an expectation but I know many families like to celebrate with a little birthday goody - something like a sticker, bracelet, pencil, bookmark is a fun way to share a birthday with the class. We do also celebrate the birthday student in class with a little goody bag and a Happy Birthday song.
iReady testing is coming up on Monday. Please send your child to school with headphones if they do not have a pair. We practiced getting on our computers today and it went very well! But we still have about 8 friends that do not have headphones. They will not be able to test on Monday without headphones and I do not have 8 extra pairs.
Please please please have your child practice their lunch number at home! I sent home a practice sheet at the Meet and Greet. Memorizing the number helps our lunch line go much faster when we only have 20 minutes to eat lunch!
I usually post photos of our activities on this website. If you do not want your child's face posted on my website, please let me know but also be sure to change the setting on their Infinite Campus portal - you will need to mark NO on the permission page for photos.
Upcoming Dates:
August 28 - Back to School Night 6:00 - 6:30 for First Grade
September 1 - Labor Day No School
Specials: M:Art T:PE W: PE Th: Music F: Music
Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
-Mrs. Lira
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