Pumpkin Gate STEM Challenge

Our First Graders have been learning all about pumpkin farms, but that is only the beginning of our discoveries.  Today we learned the song 5 Little Pumpkins and added the song to our song and poem binder.  As the day went on we discussed what kind of gate you would need to hold those 5 pumpkins so they don't roll out of sight like in the song.  We decided to find out.  Students could work in teams, pairs or on their own to create a gate that would hold all 5 pumpkins.  Their gate had to fit on a 9"x6" piece of tag.  They could only use supplies found in our Makerspace.  Once again I was more than impressed by the creativity of our learners.  We had so many different gate designs.  Some included arches and trusses, while others went for a more solid brick and mortar (aka cardboard and tape) type approach.  Every student was successful at designing a gate to support their pumpkins.  Then as a special treat we sampled a few of our leftover over pumpkin candies. 

First Friday Letter is Coming Your Way!

Today our first graders wrote their first Friday Letters to their families.  These letters tell a little snippet about our week.  They are a great way for families to learn more about our week and watch our learners progress as writers throughout the year.  Sometimes our Friday Letters might be a bit tough to read. If you can't read your child's letter, just ask them to tell you about their week.  Please write a note back to them, they love to read your letters! Help your learner remember to return the notebook by next Friday so they can write back to you. 

Exploring Apple Farms

Miss Virginia was back today to teach us all about fruit and vegetable farms.  We learned about the variety of fruits and vegetables that grow on Vermont farms.  Our class is taking a closer look at apple farming this week.  We learned all the work farmers have to do to keep their trees healthy. We even had a student seed demonstration!

 We are also learning how farmers sell their products to earn money to support their family and farm.  Our focus for our farming unit is the economic cycle of Buy, Produce, Sell!  Today we tried our hand at making a product from apples.  We used the apple peeler to prep our apples for homemade applesauce!  Tomorrow we will put our apples in the crockpot and make our own applesauce!  Yum!

Writer's Workshop

First Graders are really working hard to stay focused and build stamina during our Writer's Workshop.  Today all students got right to work.  I was so impressed!  I took the video and then we watched it together as a class.  We talked about how amazing it was to see all students so engaged in their work!  

Ishi- A Friend When You Need It

To wrap up our unit on rocks, our first graders read the book Ishi by Akiko Yabuki today.  This is an amazing book about friendship, kindness and how to spread a little happiness.  Our learners are working on appreciating our differences and searching for things we all have in common.  We learned how a simple act of kindness can change how a person feels.  In the story of Ishi, rock in Japanese, a little stone shows how simple things can help bring happiness.  Ishis are being spread all over the world.  Today we worked to make Ishis to spread around our school.  We hope these little bits of love will bring happiness to those who find them.  Next time you are at RES keep your eyes open for a Ishi.  We hope they bring a smile to your face and heart.