Make Way For Anderson's Ducklings

Hello! Remember Us?

2011-05-02T20:33:00.006-06:00

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post. I feel badly. Perhaps it could have been because we are so busy reviewing for end-of-level testing. Or, it could be because of the fact that Miss Bush (our student teacher) was in charge for about a month. But, whatever it is, we are back.

Lets start with our zoo trip! On April 26th, we went to the Hogle Zoo! Oh what fun. This is the earliest we have ever attended the zoo in all the years that Amelia Earhart has been around. As we had worried about the weather being chilly, we really had no idea what was in store. I believe the high was 46 degrees!! We had snow! It was freezing! It was FABULOUS! The children were absolute troopers. I was so proud of them and their awesome attitudes.

So, here are some pictures of the day. Unfortunately, they are mostly of the students who were in my group. If any of you have any other photos you would like to share, please send them to me and I will gladly post them for all to enjoy.

This was a very exciting part of the day. While in the bat cave, we found this abandoned bunny rabbit. We felt like absolute humanitarian rescue workers. Just see for yourself...

We loved this day so much. Thank you to all of the chaperones who came along for the very chilly ride!

Braids and Two More Journals

2011-03-25T23:31:00.008-06:00

One day this past week, one of our friends was having a rough day. She was having a hard time getting to her assignment. I kept reminding her to "get busy". Then she cried great big crocodile tears and told me she missed her mommy. I'm a sucker when it comes to my first graders. I have to wipe away the tears and make everything all right. No sad faces in Room 5!

I had her come behind my desk to sit on a stool that I keep back there for these types of "emergencies". I gave her a clipboard, pencil, and writing page and told her to get to work. Then...I braided her hair! When she stopped writing, I stopped braiding. By the end, she was smiling and so was I!!

GUESS WHO???

GUESS AGAIN...

...and one more guess

BAILEY!

(Look at that sweet little happy face!)

On another note...

Alex finished his first journal.

And so did EMMA!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T20:22:00.004-06:00

Honest Abe/More Journals!

2011-03-11T10:07:00.004-07:00

Oh, how I love this annual activity in my classroom.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was a very disorganized president?

Did you know he kept his important papers inside his hat?

He was.

He did.

You can read all about it here:

So after reading this to the children,

they all wrote about what they would keep in

their own individual hat.

I wish I would have taken a picture of some of the writing.

It was fantastic.

Some of the items mentioned: cookies, paper, money, pets, blankies, and even a scooter.

(Wow! That's some hat!)

Then, they made a hat with a little replica of Abe's face

at the bottom.

The result is always a hit.

See for yourselves:

On another note:

Here are Heston and Grant.

My little authors who have worked hard to finish their first journal.

I'm very proud of these children.

Dear Journal:

2011-02-22T21:42:00.002-07:00

I finished my First Grade journal! It was a lot of hard work and I had to think of lots and lots of ideas. I'm getting to be a pretty good author. In fact, I love to write. I also love the awesome bow I'm wearing. I hope you can see it there on the side of my head. You would never miss ME in a crowd!

Love,

Princess Janey

2011-02-21T14:16:00.005-07:00

A couple of months ago, we made a list of about 10 different parties we could use as rewards for good classroom behavior. We came up with: a fancy party, a pizza party, a beach party, a pj party, a popcorn party, etc... My very favorite party they (Marley came up with the idea) came up with was a cereal party. HONESTLY this was one of the best parties in the history of my teaching career!! It was a blast. You can read below about all the details. Following the note, you will find some photos of the event! I will definitely make this an annual event.

Casey, Bailey, and Grant

Who doesn't like Fruit Loops??

I never would have imagined that some children do not

like cereal! So, this little one brought a lovely,

coconut covered donut! It looked elegant of her doily.

And some children aren't really sure what to do with

their cereal bowls or lids!

Silly Bryan!

The end of a lovely little party.

A VERY Sweet Valentine Celebration!

2011-02-15T20:31:00.006-07:00

We had a fantastic Valentine's Day party yesterday. Dylan's family brought some amazing cupcakes with tons of frosting. Aurora's mom brought some brownie bites. Grant's mom came along to help with "crowd control". And Mrs. Houghton organized the entire thing. I love our moms and dads! What would I do without them??

I'm pretty sure that Rebeca LOVED her

cupcake.

What do YOU think?

Brieanna's Valentine

Valentine Vomit!

(Valentine treats rival Halloween!)

I can't figure out if Ryan likes his cupcake or not!

Just look at Bayley's loot!

I admit...I had two of these puppies!

So yummy!

Aurora's loot bag.

Here is a short video of Rebeca showing us her beating heart ring.

Another Journal Completed!

2011-02-09T20:55:00.002-07:00

Look how happy little Miss Tayla is about the journal she just finished!

I love to read my little friends' writing!

I love this little girl!

Happy 100th Day of School!

2011-02-01T17:40:00.008-07:00

Can you believe that today was the 100th day of school?? We have been counting down for, well, 100 days! As you can see, we made glasses and headbands. We drew a picture of how we look today and then a picture of what we would look like in 100 years...lots of canes, gray hair, and one-toothed people.

We wrote 100 words. We made a little booklet that answered such statements as, "I could never eat 100__________", and "Having 100 _________ could really be a problem!" We jumped up and down 100 times, which was really 200 because they were double jumping...I didn't bother telling them any differently. :)

It was an awesome day. Enjoy the pictures! Who is YOUR favorite?

Ryan and Zoe

Emma and Janey

Brieanna and Lucas

Bryan and Marley

Casey and Aurora

Tayla and Anthony

Alan and Bailey

Heston and Dylan

Chloe and Rebeca

Alex and Grant

Mrs. Anderson wearing Chloe's glasses

and Alan's headband! Zoe took the picture

for me. She did a good job!

Two More...

2011-01-29T20:48:00.005-07:00

All it takes is for that first student to finish

his/her journal to start the ball rolling.

Now all of the students

are scrambling to finish

their own journals so they can get a brand new one.

Here are our newest Jounalists...so to speak!

Aurora and Casey

Whoops!

I handed them the wrong journal.

But, they are such cuties,

I had to post all four photos!

"My Mom Will Be So Proud of Me!"

2011-01-25T21:47:00.003-07:00

Today was a big day in Room 6. Why? Because Lucas and Marley were the first ones in the class to finish writing their first First Grade Journal!!! Several children are close but these two were the first.

My favorite thing about teaching first grade is reading the students journals. It just tickles me pink to read their sweet musings. To read what they are thinking about. To hear what they like (families) and do not like (bullies).

As Marley was putting her finished journal in her "cubby" she shared an exciting moment with herself. She didn't realize that anyone was listening as she stood in front of her cubby and looked lovingly at her journal. Then she said aloud with a gigantic smile on her face:

"Oh my gosh!! My mom will be soooooo proud of me!"

No doubt about it Marley, your mom is proud of you...so is your teacher!

Here it is: Barb and Bob Humbug...The Musical

2010-12-27T16:13:00.001-07:00

After many tries, I think I have it! I had to shorten it quite a bit...like by about five minutes. Enjoy!

Christmas In Our Classroom!

2010-12-25T21:00:00.005-07:00

I know! I know! I'm a slacker with the blog. But, after all, it IS Christmas and super busy for all. I have many pictures to share. FIRST, I want my readers to know that I am working diligently to post my copy of our Christmas play, Barb and Bob Humbug. I WILL figure it out and post it. It may take a few tries but I'm fairly certain that I can do it. Even if it takes me all the way to February, it will be here. Patience is a virtue, after all.

So, for now, I'll post some pictures from our class Christmas party last Tuesday. Once again, thank you to Mrs. Lillico for organizing the treats and such. Mrs. Yergensen brought some delicious hot (VERY hot) chocolate, and Mrs. Stuver sent cheese and crackers.

We played a little gift exchange game. Everyone sat in a circle. The first child chose a present from the stack and opened it. The next child could either take the present that the first person opened OR choose another unknown gift to unwrap. And, so on around the circle. It was great fun and everyone was happy with their end product. I was AMAZED that some moms even sewed the gifts! Overachievers! (and, I loved it)

I also LOVE my students. Each and every one of them has individual traits that I just adore so much. It is such a pleasure and privilege to GET to spend five days a week with these children.

Merry Christmas!

Tayla ended up with this set of ceramic thingys and paint.

Rebeca traded for this HUGE art set but eventually

lost it to clever Alex who ended up with the set by "stealing" it from Rebeca.

He loved it. I've never seen him so happy.

Casey deciding what to do with his gift.

Janey picked her own gift which was three books.

Bryan ended up with the game,

Don't Break the Ice.

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!

When all of the gifts were open, Alex went around the room

and picked up all of the trash.

Then he posed for this adorable picture.

Soon, others followed suit performing their own little Santa moment:

Janey

Anthony

Marley

Here is the hot chocolate and cheese and crackers I told you about earlier.

The children each received a little bag from Aurora

filled with a notebook, a pencil, and some candy.

Two little friends: Alex and Anthony

...and the best little present around, Anthony!

Morning Parent Party

2010-12-08T20:22:00.006-07:00

My first graders are the luckiest children in the land! That's because they all have great families. Today we had our first annual Parent Party/read-a-thon/pajama/donut/Provo mayor visiting/ticket drawing/all round FUN DAY! We had great attendance. Thank you to all of you who attended this morning. It was so much fun and very successful. We had the privilege of having Mayor Curtis spend the entire time in our classroom. We also had a camera man from the local channel.

Please enjoy these many, many photos I took of the morning. I tried so hard to get a picture of everyone. When I went to post them here, I realized that I missed a couple of you. So sorry. (If you are reading this and you took pictures with your own camera, please send them to me...pretty please?"

Mrs. Anderson with Mayor Curtis

(If you look closely, it looks like he has two small horns! Haha!)

Emma with her mother

Lucky Rebeca with her reading buddy, Mayor Curtis.

Ryan and him mom

(I love this picture!)

Mayor Curtis shaking hands with Lucas.

Dylan with his grandma who drove all the way from the

far off land of Spanish Fork!

Marley with her mom and little brother

Janey is the Aviator this week so she had the privilege of reading in the bathtub!

That's her dad with her.

Lucas with his mother

Casey with his mom

Chloe and her mother

(I got to babysit for a couple of minutes by holding Chloe's new

baby brother, Truman.)

Alan with his mom and little Kindergarten sister

Grant with his mom AND Heston too!

Bryan with his little sister and his papa

Alex with his grandma

Aurora with her mom, brother and sister

Bailey and her mom

Reflecting...

2010-11-30T20:06:00.004-07:00

The day before Thanksgiving Break, we had our annual Reflections winner's assembly. I was very proud of all our students who entered the contest. The theme this year was "Together We Can". The projects were wonderful. Everyone who entered got a doughnut. This was a BIG hit with the children. I swear they will do anything for a doughnut. (hmmmm....me too, now that I think of it!) That was worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears!

Aurora's mother was one of the PTA mothers who were assigned to making Reflections successful. The teachers and students loved the Powerpoint presentation which featured every single child in the school who entered Reflections. My favorite part was the classes response whenever one of our own appeared on the screen. They cheered and shouted out that child's name. I felt the cohesion of our class. I really believe that the children like each other. You can rest assured as a parent that your child has 19 good friends at school.

That's always good to know, right??

All of the projects for the entire school on display.

Brian, Zoe, Casey, and Chloe

showing off their EXCELLENT assembly behavior.

Miss Tayla contemplating life! :)

Emma, Aurora, and Zoe

with their projects and doughnuts.

Yum!

Darling Miss Chloe with hers.

Lucas's project is almost as big as he is.

Very cute!

I'm not sure what Casey's project looked like

but...

at least he has his doughnut!

*****Janey and Bailey also entered but were absent on the day of the rewards.***

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2010-11-29T20:37:00.002-07:00

Boots!

Hats!

Gloves!

Mittens!

Snow Suits!

Snow Pants!

Socks!

(please?)

Thanksgiving Recipes Part 2

2010-11-24T21:06:00.002-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T17:50:00.004-07:00

You may, or may not, want to try these recipes for your Thanksgiving feast. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Meet My Dining Companions

2010-11-15T17:56:00.005-07:00

If your child is in my class then you know ALL about tickets. The children earn tickets for good behavior, kind acts, etc. Then each day, I draw out two names and those two get to pick a prize from the prize box.

Have you ever wondered what happens to all those tickets??? Hundreds of them!

Well, they go in a special lunch bucket. At the end of each month I draw five names from the bucket. Then, I get to eat lunch with those five children. Lucky me, eh?? The only thing I insist upon is that I get to pick the day (translation: the school lunch menu of the day). Last Wednesday was our Thanksgiving Dinner, so I picked that one.

Here are my friends who had me giggling the entire time. I love these children.

Marley

the dolphin fanatic.

Chloe

the giggler.

Heston

the sharpest dresser around.

Dylan and Lucas

the two crazy fellas.

The menu:

turkey (of course)

gravy (made with thousands of pounds of butter!)

Mashed Potatoes (from a box)

stuffing (very tasty)

roll (whole wheat no less)

cranberries (at least I think that's what they were)

baby carrots (yum...just kidding)

pears (nothing says "Thanksgiving" like "pears")

pumpkin pie (not as good as it looks)

Oh, and chocolate milk.

Just a Little Reminder...

2010-11-11T14:30:00.003-07:00

"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall."

— Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

If you've read aloud to a young child night after night, one of the picture books has probably been by Mem Fox.
You may not recognize the name, though. She's a writer, not an illustrator, and a lot of different artists have illustrated her books. So they often have wildly different looks (unlike, say, books by Eric Carle which are easy to identify).
She has been a university professor for 24 years, she's an expert in early literacy. So she knows that repetition is one of the keys to learning to read.
Here are Fox's 10 "commandments" for reading aloud to children, borrowed from here:
1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.
2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.
3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don't be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.
4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners.
5. Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune' for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.
6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games.
7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.
8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child's name and yours, remembering that it's never work, it's always a fabulous game.
9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.
10. Please read aloud every day, mums and dads, because you just love being with your child, not because it's the right thing to do.

I will be presenting a class about this very topic of Read Aloud at the coming Parent Party at Amelia Earhart. I feel very strongly about this topic. I know that the parents of the children in our class are the best parents around! Keep up the great work of reading aloud to your child.

My Favorite Spot In The Classroom!

2010-11-06T19:56:00.005-06:00

A few years ago, I moonlighted at the amazing retail store Bath and Body Works. I was there for three years and even made it to a management position. However, teaching and being at school for 9-10 hours a day and then spending four more at the mall each night really took its toll on this ole body of mine.

One of the perks (if not THE perk) of working at such a store was the opportunity of purchasing the props for dirt cheap. This little number, the bright red bathtub, was worth all the days of sore feet, rude customers, and lost weekends.

Guess how much I bought it for? FIVE DOLLARS! Yup! Just $5.00. It is made of solid plastic that is about two inches thick. It fits a first grader perfectly! I bought a body pillow which also fits perfectly. I rounded up a comfy pillow for the head. A grandmother of one of my last year's students made a blanket with a crocheted edge just for the tub. (Don't worry, I take them home and wash them frequently!) This cute tub was what sparked my love of rubber ducks. It's a whole package you know!

Each week, we have an Aviator of the Week. As part of the "honor", the Aviator gets to read in the tub at any time during the day. The children LOVE it. So do I.

I sometimes secretly wish I were the size of a first grader so that I could read in the tub.

Don't lie...you wish you could try it too don't you?

Chloe reading to Arthur!

Look at the sweet child!

How did I get to be so lucky?

Casey enjoying the book "Dem Bones".

Oh How I Love Halloween At School!

2010-10-31T17:17:00.007-06:00

I don't even mind that the children are out of control excited about the day. Nor that I can't get their attention no matter what I do. It is just pure fun. I love it. I love the costumes. I love the games. I love the candy.

We have some outstanding mothers in our class. Mrs. Lillico, Mrs. Fischer, and Mrs. Houghton came to school and put on a Halloween party like no other. Here is a list of the little center's rotations we did for our party:

Center 1: FOOD! We had a lovely Krispy Kreme donut with chocolate and sprinkles. Then there was a choice of apple juice or orange juice. While at this table, the children got to pick a spider ring, a glow stick, and some fangs!

Center 2: GAMES! There were three games. One was "Stick The Nose On Frankenstein". One was "Pumpkin Bowling" and the third was "Hang The Witch" (hangman) Of course, there was candy for all of the winners...which was everyone!

Center 3: ART! At this table, there were three Halloween poems that students illustrated with markers and foam stickers (I was quite taken with them and may or may not have kept a few for myself...if you need them back let me know, I didn't mean to 'steal' them!). Of course, there were a couple of candies there as well.

Center 4: MAKE A BOOKMARK! The children used foam sticks and toppers to make a spooky Halloween bookmark. So cute.

Thank you so much to the parents who helped us with this party. I believe you have warmed me up to the idea of a "big" party! Thanks so much.

Enjoy these fun pictures of the day!

Grant, Heston, and Tayla from the back and the front!

The first grade teachers: Mrs. Drumm, Me, Mrs. Reimschussel, and Miss Aurich.

Pin the nose on Frankenstein!

The Art Center

I love this picture of the discarded hats, bouquets, and wands from

hands that were to busy to tote them around.

Alex at the Bookmark center.

Pretty little Aurora at the Art Center.

Yummy!

Mrs. Fischer with Marley and Ryan Alan looking mighty scary

playing "Put the nose on with his fangs!

Frankenstein".

Here's the snack center. I love The making of bookmarks.

Anthony's face as he takes his

first bite!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I Saw A Ghost!

2010-10-27T21:45:00.009-06:00

(OOPS! I've tried several times to upload the video to this post and it's running way faster than the audio. I've already spent WAYYYY too long trying to figure out what I've done wrong...does anyone know?? So, for now, just enjoy their cute faces moving much too quickly for the adorable recitation of our weekly poem. So sorry!)

Casey, Brieanna, Chloe, Zoe, and Aurora

I saw a ghost one night last week,

All long and lean and slinky.

When I stepped outside my house,

In darkness black and inky.

He waved his arms and legs at me.

The moon began to shine.

Awe SHUCKS!!!

Just daddy's underwear hangin' on the line!

The whole concept of long underwear was a mystery to the children. As was the "line" business. I was shocked I tell you. They were definitely giggling by the end of my explanation though. Each Friday we have "Performance Friday" where whoever has memorized the weekly poem gets to perform it for the rest of the class. It's my favorite time of the week.

I realize this performance was very quiet. Don't worry...these performances will improve with time! I'm hoping that I'LL manage to stay out of the video next time!

Don't you just love these little shavers???

I do.

Birthdays In Room 6

2010-10-26T18:11:00.005-06:00

Birthday's are a BIG deal in First Grade. We have a very specific routine in our classroom for whenever one of our friends has a birthday.

STEP 1: The birthday friend sits in the middle of the rug with the rest of us sitting around the edge.

STEP 2: Mrs. Anderson brings a special duck to the rug with writing on the bottom that usually says: Happy Birthday _________(insert birthday friend's name)! First Grade 2010-2011.

STEP 3: Each student in the class holds the duck and says what they like best about their birthday friend. I must say, this class is so amazing at coming up with original reasons. I love it!! But, then again, this IS an extraordinary class.

Dylan in the middle with his birthday duck.

You can't see it (or hear it :) ) but Chloe is holding the duck and saying

something VERY nice about her friend,

Dylan.

STEP 4: After the rug activities, the birthday friend gets to stand on a table while everyone sings "Happy Birthday" complete with a loud "Quack! Quack! Quack!" at the end of each line.

STEP 5: (This part is optional) If a child brings a birthday treat from home, this is where we all get to eat it.

Treats from Zoe's birthday celebration!

RULE: No one may take a bite or drink of the treat until the

birthday friend takes one first.

NO exceptions!

If a child's birthday is in the summer, never fear, we will celebrate the child's HALF birthday.

The Amelia Earhart Fun Run 2010!

2010-10-24T13:42:00.004-06:00

Here they are in action: Zoe and her mom; Miss Aurich with a few first graders; Dylan cracks me up; and finally, little Chloe.

After the race eating otter pops: Ryan; Dylan, Casey, Ryan, and Bailey; Rebeca; and Chloe!

At the Fun Run awards assembly: Lucas won a brand new football; the best class in the universe; Janey won a $15.oo gift card to Barnes and Noble (jealous!)

WaCkY hAiR dAy!!

2010-10-20T21:23:00.003-06:00

I'm Sorry!

2010-10-14T19:46:00.004-06:00

Dear Rebeca:

I'm so sorry that I worked you (and the rest of the first graders) so hard yesterday. I'm just trying to help you learn all the things I have in mind for you to learn each day. Sometimes I forget how tiring it must be to be six years old and to be filling my head with information all day. I'll try to keep that in mind. I'll try harder not to wear you out EVERY day.

I love you (and your classmates too!),

Mrs. Anderson

...at 4:30 pm, I looked at little Rebeca and it hit me how tired and disheveled she looked. Poor little thing! Look at that hair! I love how messy it gets throughout the day. Rebeca teaches me patience all day long. I love to secretly watch her to keep a pulse on the rest of the class. Have they reached their mental capacity for the day? Have I taught them enough?

Teaching is so hard sometimes. But, I suppose, that's why I love it so!

One last little story about Rebeca. During each day, children have chances to earn tickets for great behavior, working hard, returning homework, going the extra mile, and being kind to others. These tickets are added together in a container from which I draw out two names. The two children's tickets I draw get to pick from the awesome prize box.

On Monday as I mixed up the tickets, I noticed that Rebeca had her fingers laced in front of her under her chin, her eyes closed, and she was muttering something. First I drew out Aurora's name. Then, it was Rebeca's. She jumped up and down. Pumped her fists in the air and shouted "Yay! Prayer works!"

So cute!

How do they do that??

2010-10-14T00:53:00.003-06:00

Casey in the middle.

Alex on the right.

Tayla The Truly Terrific

2010-10-04T19:35:00.005-06:00

Our very first Aviator Of The Week

for this year is our sweet friend

TAYLA MEYER!

Tayla is such a happy little girl. It seems that she is always smiling. She LOVES

life and socializing with all of her classmates.

She loves to read and to write.

iIt makes me smile and my heart overflows

whenever she reads to me.

Most of all, we love her for being such an important part

of our classroom.

WE LOVE TAYLA!!

More From Wednesday

2010-10-01T17:13:00.007-06:00

Here's a smidgen of our Wednesday (the other part of the day that didn't make it to the previous apple post...

Everyone printed the apple he/she brought to school!

Printing is one of my favorite

Art medium.

Anthony brought his new baby sister

Alia

for Show and Tell.

She is a beautiful baby who reminded me of my own little girls.

(They are now 22 and 23 years old mind you!)

Mr. Anthony is pretty cute himself.

WARNING: soapbox moment ahead...

Right after Show and Tell, our school had a "Lockdown Drill". I hate those things. I do realize that they are important but it seems we practice doing things that we most likely WOULDN'T really do in an actual emergency. What I AM sure of is, in an actual emergency, I will do everything possible to protect those children and they will be safe with me...even if I haven't practiced it before!

Having said that, there are some things I can't protect my little ducklings from...

Poor little Janey!

This is how her forehead looked when I picked her up from PE.

Apparently she was playing some serious cat and mouse game and

"took a header" into the gym floor.

She is one tough cookie.

She didn't cry.

She didn't complain.

She was actually kind of giddy.

I want to be like her when I grow up.

Now, I'm ready to do it all again next week.

Playing With Apples!

2010-09-29T20:26:00.003-06:00

What fun! Today we read a story about finding a star inside of an apple. It's like magic! We made a small book about apples, ate apples, drew apples, and made apple prints. Watch for additional blog posts about what else we do with apples at school.

I love these children!

My Two Favorite Pictures From Last Week

2010-09-27T16:59:00.004-06:00

There is nothing better than losing a tooth.

No...wait...actually, there is.

It's losing a tooth AT SCHOOL!

Here is Chloe with her treasured tooth necklace with HER tooth inside!

I can't stop looking at this picture!

He is just so adorable.

Here's Alan bearing gifts.

I would love him even if he weren't holding an entire 12 pack for me!

(Alan is now sporting some mighty handsome glasses!)

The Wheels On The Bus Go Round and Round...

2010-09-19T22:23:00.004-06:00

Mr. Bus Driver Man

One of the necessary evils of school...Bus Saftey Presentation. I do realize how very important it is to relay the message of what is expected when the children ride the bus. HOWEVER...bus drivers are not teachers and do not have basic child development training. This stuff went WAYYYYY over their heads. Eyes glassed over as the bus driver said things like "Stay at least 50 feet away from the bus" "This bus weighs more than two tons" "This is a confined space where people must stay seated at all times with no strolling up and down the aisleway"...I could almost see the words flying over the children's heads.

We did learn (most likely through osmosis) how to behave on the bus. But, mostly, I think the students just had a lot of fun pretending to be evacuation the bus.

At least they all looked cute doing it!!

The sweet little faces of Zoe, Cloe, and Rory.
Such good listeners.

There's Emma, Anthony, and Rebeca on the back seat
behind
Marley, Brieanna, and Dylan's knees!

Just look at those faces!
So adorable.

This picture is just for YOU Rachel!

And, doesn't Alan look so cute with his eyes peeping over the top of the seat?

I PROMISE I'm Not Bribing Your Children!

2010-09-16T18:33:00.006-06:00

I have the most amazingly "aware" children in my class this year. They listen to everything I say. They notice their surroundings. I don't think I've had a group of children who have had so many little ones pay attention like this one. I love it! When we ran low on pencils I simply said "I can't believe we are already out of pencils! You are such good writers that you're using up all the writing utensils!" Next thing I knew...the very next day, in walks a student with a pack of pencils to donate to our diminishing class supply.

See what I mean?

I'm guessing that everyone knows of my Diet Coke love. Last year when the Coke machine stockers arrived at school, one of the first graders yelled "Look Mrs. Anderson, your truck is here!" I loved it. Probably too much. I can't help it.

Last week I was tickled pink to be greeted by not one, not two, not three, but FOUR mornings with a Diet Coke. It totally made my day! I love these children! One mother told me that she has to check her daughter's backpack every morning as her Diet Cokes have come up missing from her refrigerator!! Soooooory! :)

So, to all of you who brought me the wonderful treats last week...thank you! I think I'm in love with these 19 darling first graders!

Aurora brought two cans one morning.

One can was nicely chilled!

Heston showed up with a fountain drink.

When I told him how much I appreciated it he truly made

this statement:

So cute.

And, finally, how could I NOT have a good day

after these two beauties from Casey and Zoe.

Thank you! Thank you! And remember...I am NOT bribing the children. They are just super darling and generous. I love you all.

My Little Writers

2010-09-10T17:21:00.003-06:00

My favorite thing to read in all the world is my students' journals! It's true! The writing is open and honest. The pictures are awesome and with the picture's help I can always (usually?) tell exactly what was written. I encourage the little ones to "guess and go" when writing in their journals. It is so important for them to get those fun ideas down on paper without worry about how to spell it correctly...we'll get to that later. But, for now, just WRITE!

I tell them I have "magic teacher eyes" that can read anything they write. I think I may have been given a gift to do so because, I sometimes amaze myself! Over the years I have read some pretty amazing journal entries. Every year I am every bit as excited over the things they say and how much their writing improves. That's one reason I love my job so very much!

There is always that first journal entry where a student writes about his/her teacher.

This is Aurora. This was her entry about me.

I encourage the students to ask me a question for me to answer right in the book.

My answer was: Green Eggs and Ham

Now, look closely at my outfit Aurora drew in her picture!

Now look at what I was wearing that day:

Pretty good job eh?

This is Emma working very hard on her picture.

So cute!

Alex did a fantastic job!

Alan drew the cutest ant. The ant was yelling "get out!"

This is Janey.

She really WAS writing.

This was her writer's thinking time! :)

That was a very LONG (but fun!) week!

2010-09-03T18:00:00.006-06:00

I love these sticks!

These little faces announce who is helping with

which jobs.

We have the very best, most supportive parents in the land!!

I had to clean out our huge PE Equipment drawer to fit

all of our classroom donated items.

Thank you!

And, as you can see, they even added to our Box Top collection!

We received a new addition to our class this week...

This is Grandma Eliza. She is a volunteer from The United Way

Foster Grandparent Program.

We love her already!

She speaks Spanish and has a beautiful English accent. She will be in charge

of reading all of the Take Home books with the children.

She is very good at making sure that I don't make any mistakes.

Mistakes like trying to tell the class that it was the 10th month when we changed

our calendars to September.

"Um...Teacher...are you sure it isn't the 9th month?"

Thank you Grandma Eliza!

And, finally, just to prove how exhausted we were...

Take a look at this "POWER NAP!"

(we do whatever works!)

Look at how peaceful Casey and Brieanna look!

But, I think that Dylan might be having a funny dream. :)

Cutie Chloe

Tayla even looks adorable while she "naps".

Bryan was the most convincing!

What an awesome, long, fun, new, crazy, amazing week!

We loved it.

We Love Our Librarian!

2010-08-30T18:44:00.004-06:00

Today was your first day of Library. Every Monday we have the privilege of going to the library. We get to pick out a book to keep in our classroom for the week. But wait, that's not the best part. The best part is our librarian Mrs. Hinkley. Oh how we love her. She tells us stories, shares interesting facts about authors, and instills a love of reading...what could be better??

There's always a book for everyone.

Here is Mrs. Hinkley in action.

What an adorable bunch! Don't you think so?

(fyi Mrs. Hinkley and Mrs. Anderson have the same hairstylist)

The First Day of First Grade 2010-2011

2010-08-25T18:49:00.003-06:00

Oh what a day! We were so completely busy the entire day that I was only able to snap a couple of pictures. This is a darling class. I'm very lucky. We took tours of the school and our classroom, drew pictures of ourselves, read books, listened to stories, memorized lunch numbers, practiced eating lunch at school, then actually DID eat lunch at school.

{Note to self: these children need snacks!}

The end of a wonderful day!

Back To School Night!

2010-08-24T19:46:00.006-06:00

Last night was our Amelia Earhart Elementary Back to School Night.

I love this evening and look forward to it all Summer long.

This night didn't disappoint in the least.

Right away I could tell what amazing families my students belong to.

The children are adorable.

The parents are supportive,

I'm one lucky teacher.

Milling around!

Miss Janey

Dylan (and his parents)

Mrs. Reimschussel, Me

Miss Aurich, and Mrs. Drumm

My fellow first grade teachers.

Amazing teachers I might add!

Oh Dear!

2010-08-08T12:12:00.003-06:00

Am I going to be ready for my new little flock of ducklings on August 24th??

I hope so! Just look at this mess!

...I cannot lie...I'm getting kind of excited for the new year!

Our last day...

2010-05-29T22:04:00.004-06:00

Friday, May 28th was our last day of first grade. It was happy and sad at the same time. I will certainly miss these little ducklings. Each one has taught me something new. I love them all.

One of our final activities was a huge bubble party. I gave each child a fun bubble blower. We took them to the large field by Amelia Earhart. It was a beautiful day. The perfect amount of wind for blowing bubbles.

Check out the blue sky, green grass, and happy children:

The whole gang.

My favorite photo.

Look closely.

LOVE

2010-05-28T19:35:00.003-06:00

I am feeling all kinds of profound love for my 24 ducklings tonight. They made me very proud today as they performed their Opera for their parents. It was a joy to watch my those proud parents as they watched their children. And...I KNOW they are the best parents of the best children in the best Provo school. BUT, nothing compares to my pride and pure joy and love for my little actors and actresses as they sang and danced their hearts out today.

Silly teacher that I am, I didn't take any pictures...guess I was too busy directing their performance. I did get pictures of the scenery though. Anyone who has pictures OR (especially) a video of the performance, please send them to me!

Field Day 2010

2010-05-25T19:51:00.005-06:00

For one hour today we left the classroom behind and headed outside.

With Mrs. Walton, we played with the parachute.

With Mrs. Reimschussel, we played

throw-the-ball-and-catch-it-with-a-velcro-flat-paddle-thingy

(for lack of the right term!)

During Mrs. Anderson's time, we pulled out our creative juices and covered the sidewalks

in front of the school with sidewalk chalk.

We all had a great time.

The weather was beautiful...NO snow at all!

Enjoy the pictures:

We were all amazed at Samuel's amazing artwork of

a shark in the ocean.

Samuel and Bryant

Brooklynn and Kate

Melany and Kyara

After the festivities, we had delicious Otterpops that turned our tongues

all sorts of colors.

Brooklynn

Melany and Lizbeth

So cute:

Gage, Dallin, Kaysen, Bryant, Jon, and Samuel

Yum!

The Rope's Course that wasn"t...

2010-05-18T20:23:00.004-06:00

It's a sad day when bad weather thwarts our best laid plans. Yesterday (Tuesday) we had to forgo our much anticipated class trip to the CLAS Ropes Course. It was a very tough call to make as a teacher. We all wanted to go, yet, we didn't want to be caught in a down pour on our walk (1.4 miles one way) to the course.

So, we stayed at the school and made it into a special day here. It was a good thing too. It turned into a very cold and rainy day.

Outside our classroom window at 8 am.

We got all of the math manipulatives out and rotated around to each one.

This was the domino center. We also had pattern blocks, Kinex, lego-type toys, and linking cubes.

Tristan (above) and Kyara (below)

started the trend of spelling their names with the dominos.

I love it!

We went to the gym and I got the jump ropes out. Man, those children can move!! Check out the videos at the end of this post. PLUS...we got the big rope out and had a tug 0' war. What fun! Everyone agreed that Kaysen was the strongest. That video is also included. I think you'll love it.

We also reserved the computer cart to have a great time visiting the www.pbskids.org site as well as taking in a little Photo Booth. One of my favorite sounds in all the world is the sound of children giggling. There was no shortage of those during Photo Booth time!

The very BEST part of the day though, was our delicious lunch! Our class has THE BEST moms in the entire school. Mrs. Parke organized the lunch (which was scheduled to be delivered at the Ropes Course) that was brought in to the class. A special thanks to: Samuel's mom for the carrots and oranges; Kyara and Tristan B.'s moms for the Capri Sun drinks; Dallin's mom for the pizza, Rice Krispie treats, plates, and napkins; and Jon's mom for the gigantic box of potato chips. Also, thanks to Katja's mom and Zack's grandma for taking time out of their busy day to come and spend it with us!

James eating dessert first!

That child is brilliant I tell you!

Tristan is the only child I have ever met who doesn't like pizza.

That's okay, we still love her.

Ashley with her loot!

Yum!

Brooklynn, Lizbeth, Katja, and Chloe (Katja's little sister)

In the afternoon, we watched Madagascar 2 (courtesy of Kyara's mom) and then went to Music.

So...all in all...we had a very enjoyable day.

Don't miss out on viewing these cute/short videos.

Friday Night's School Carnival!

2010-05-15T21:28:00.003-06:00

A good time was had by ALL! Here are a few pictures of some of our classmates. These were taken between 5:30 and closing time (7:00). So...if you came earlier, I'm sorry to say, I missed you! I hope you all had fun.

Melany

Isn't she lovely?

Face painting at its finest.

Hoping to win the drawing

for fabulous prizes.

Silver taking a shot at the basket.

He was AWESOME!!!

Sisters!

Katja with her little sister Chloe.

More face painting

Above: Katja

Below: Eden

The most popular attraction at the carnival.

The giant slide!

But...I just liked seeing all of the children I love so much.

Like, Ethan.

So handsome, don't you think??

Our Wonderful Day!

2010-05-03T19:27:00.002-06:00

2010-04-26T20:11:00.002-06:00

This is just a quick little update on our class goal to reach 1000 Box Tops this year. As most of you know, we surpassed that goal and currently have 2231 Box Tops in our collection. When we reached our 1000 goal, we decided that if we got 2000 Box Tops we would go bowling.

HERE IS OUR DILEMMA:

Getting to the bowling alley costs the big bucks. Provo School District charges an arm and a leg to rent, especially with only one class going. It would cost around $250 just for the bus. In the past, we have been able to have parent volunteer drivers. That wouldn't cost us anything. But, of course, our district has instituted stringent regulations that make it way too much paperwork for our dear parents.

SOOOO.....we talked it over and have decided on a different 2000 Box Top reward.

We will be going to the Provo Ropes Course. It is perfect. Why?

1. The owner's son, James, is in our class.

2. We will have pizza (part of the original goal) delivered to the course.

3. We are able to walk there. It is about a mile. We'll take it slow and it won't cost us a dime to walk.

If you are reading this and you are a parent of one of our students AND you would like to take a nice long on May 18th, let me know!

NOW...to thank you for saving your Box Tops for us all year. I think you'll like this video. It's cute, just like your kids!

Our Friend From Louisiana!

2010-04-21T21:04:00.007-06:00

Anyone who is familiar with our class knows our obsession with Box Tops.

Our mission this year was to collect at least one Box Top from every

state in the union.

Well....

we have done pretty well. We still need several more states.

Mrs. Anderson has several friends (about 100) that she met on a favorite

website where they gather to visit and share stories.

She happened to mention our class goal while chatting one day.

Let me tell you that things have gotten out of hand!

Many of these lovely friends have sent postcards, letters, coins, pictures, cards, stickers, toys, and (of course) Box Tops!

On Monday, we received a large package from our new friend named Barbara. She lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

She sent us all kinds of information about her state. She sent each child a Mardi Gras flag and a rubber alligator to match the ones found in the swamps of Louisiana.

She also sent pictures along

with a very nice letter telling us

all about Louisiana.

Here we are in these pictures waving our Mardi Gras flags and giving a smooch to our rubber alligator.

It's nice to know that there are such wonderful people in this world.

Our BYU Student Teacher

2010-04-07T12:04:00.002-06:00

I feel badly that it has taken so long to introduce you to our student teacher. Her name is Ms. Brooke Bergeson. SHE IS FANTASTIC! We love her. She has done a lot for the children. They adore her

The worst part is this...she is all finished next Friday. We will be sad to let her go but know that she will make an outstanding teacher to many lucky children in the future.

A Turn In The Money Machine!

2010-03-21T20:37:00.003-06:00

Recently, Amelia Earhart Elementary School took part in a school wide fund raiser. We all tried to sell mounds of cookie dough to friends of our family. It was a great success. Many children in our class were able to gather generous donations to help our school financially...that's ALWAYS an exciting and necessary part of running a school.

As a reward, if a child sold at least 15 containers of cookie dough, he/she got to take a turn in the money grabber. Oh what FUN!!! Our own little Katja was the only first grader who sold enough cookie dough to get the "dough".

So, here she is in the money booth. And, once again, Mrs. Anderson forgot that she shouldn't turn her camera because there is no way to switch the direction once it's downloaded. SO SORRY! And, I'm very sorry for any sore necks resulting in tilting your head sideways to watch this little video.

She reaped $5.00! I have never seen a more elated child! ENJOY!

Our Class Really Measures Up!

2010-03-13T21:51:00.006-07:00

This past week we learned about the importance of measuring items accurately. We first used one inch tiles to learn the concept that when measuring, the inches (tile) must be aligned perfectly to gather the right information. Later in the week we switched over to authentic rulers and went to town measuring everything in sight.

Meet the Twins

2010-02-27T12:35:00.002-07:00

These two little cuties showed up yesterday dressed the same. Thanks to my BFF Kathe, and her quick camera skills, we were able to capture the blessed event. Thanks.

I remember when I was a third grader and we would trade shoes with all the other girls. We would LOVE dressing alike and usually planned for the whole dress alike events. This one, however, was totally unplanned. I'm pretty sure that they didn't even know they had the same little frock.

I only wish I had been there to see it for myself. I missed it because of a bit of toe surgery I had that day.

Aren't they adorable? Katja and Chloe adorable!

Radkids: A Photo Journal

2010-02-24T20:34:00.005-07:00

A few weeks ago, our class was privileged to receive instruction about Radkids. What is Radkids? Well...

A National Leader
radKIDS^® is the national leader in children's safety education and provides the only holistic, practical and realistic life skills safety program available for children and parents today. radKIDS^® teaches children individually in an activity based hands-on training classroom, which means every child participates in all activities.

The children loved it. They are still talking about it. Here are a bunch (and I do mean "a bunch") of photos from the week. Thanks to Samuel's mom for taking the pictures and for leaving her camera for me to try out! :)

The children listening intently.

"Peppering"

Kyara is so cute, but I can't resist this picture of Ethan!

This one is even better.

(Kaysen, Zack, and Ethan)

Our favorite four-year-old, Chloe, Katja's sister.

A Day In The Life...

2010-02-14T17:51:00.005-07:00

February 2 Was Our 100th Day of School

2010-02-04T22:07:00.006-07:00

All the students are in disguise! Can you find your first grader??

Pajama Day 2010!

2010-01-31T19:54:00.003-07:00

Do you remember before Christmas we had a canned food drive? Well, one of the goals was to fill at least eight of these round bins. If we did, we earned a pajama day.

Well, we did. And...we did:

Best buds: Silver, Chloe, and Samuel

Table friends: Eden and Melany

Sweet little Jose

The "yellow table": Gage, Zack, Tristan, Lizbeth, and Ashley

What birthdays are like in our class:

2010-01-25T18:43:00.003-07:00

Last Friday we celebrated Gage's birthday. I realized then that I hadn't written about out tradition of celebrating birthdays. It is one of my very favorite things we do in class. Here's how it goes:

• The birthday student sits in the center of the rug.

• Everyone else sits around the rug looking at the birthday student.

• As you know, our class mascot is the ever loving rubber ducky. I begin the celebration by holding the duck and telling one thing I like/love about the birthday student.

• Then, I give the duck a squeeze and pass it to the next person who says what they like about the birthday student...squeeze it...pass it on.

• OPTIONAL: if the birthday student has brought a treat for the class, they pass it out to their fellow classmate after receiving the comment.

• Once the duck makes it around the circle, I wipe off the germs with a Clorox wipe and give it to the birthday student.

• Next, The birthday student gets to stand on top of the table while we all sing Happy Birthday complete with the whole "cha cha cha".

Voila! That's how it happens. We all love it. And, it only takes about 15 minutes.

Something Fishy in Class Today!

2010-01-21T19:07:00.002-07:00

I didn't even realize that these things were still around. Cute little Lizbeth brought the singing bass for show and tell. These things always make me smile.

Why we don't make snowflakes at school...

2010-01-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

We're BAAAACCCCCKKKKKKK!

2010-01-05T18:49:00.001-07:00

(We're just kidding with the frowns of course! We were just fooling!)

Patiently awaiting...

2009-12-26T23:44:00.004-07:00

for a video to match these pictures:

Somebody? Anybody?

(hoping everyone is having a wonderful Christmas)

A Little Blast From the Past (well, TWO actually!)

2009-12-15T19:28:00.004-07:00

One of my very favorite things in the whole wide world is having students from classes I've previously taught drop by my classroom. I had these two darling girls in my first grade class two years ago. Man, I miss these girls. They are twins. They made my life so rich when I got to spend 6 1/2 hours with them every day.

Yesterday I pulled Emily's top front tooth. I'm not sure how many of her teeth I've pulled but I know it's a substantial amount. I LOVE these two. I'm jealous of their third grade teacher! Maybe I'll have to teach fourth grade next year!

Well, little Emily got some new glasses. I asked her if I could try them on. When I did, I realized that I probably need glasses because I could see perfectly! We took the opportunity to be a little silly and try on those glasses.

See how cute they are?? Plus, they are super smart. I expect all of my little ducklings this year to come back and visit me when the year is through!

Mrs. Anderson wearing Emily's little glasses with toothless Emily.

Mrs. Anderson with Emily wearing her perfectly sized glasses.

I need some glasses like these...only bigger.

Mrs. Anderson with beautiful Lizzy...no glasses but still darling.

Crazy Mrs. Anderson with Lizzy in Emily's perfectly sized glasses.

I love these two little gals.

'Tis The Season...

2009-12-10T18:45:00.005-07:00

...for donating to the local food bank.

All week long, the children have been bringing their cans, toilet paper

laundry detergent, peanut butter, baby food, Kool-aide, and more

to donate to the Utah County food bank.

Today, we decided to haul it down the hallway and put

it in one of the 15 barrels our school is trying to fill.

We divided up all the items so that each child carried 2-3 items to put in the barrel...very impressive!

We still have one more day (tomorrow) to donate.

Take a look at the canned fun!

Principal Cox came out of his office to check on all the "raucous" going on in the hall.

He was VERY impressed.

Thank you, parents, for sending your donations.

Your children will be better citizens for it.

10 Degrees

2009-12-04T18:51:00.003-07:00

Dear Utah Valley University:

2009-12-03T14:36:00.004-07:00

I would just like to thank you for bringing your wild, raucous, outrageous, crazy, fun, (did I say "wild"?), and highly entertaining assembly to our school this morning. The kids learned a ton from the No Greater Hero message. Some valuable information was received by our entire school about drug awareness. For this I am very, very thankful.

However, an assembly of this magnitude at 9:45 in the morning was more than these little bodies could handle. The rest of the day was SHOT! I cannot do a backflip, stand on someone else's shoulders, nor sing like Maria Carey. For this, I am not so thankful.

I still love you though. Get ready. Because in about 12 years, some of these little first graders will be sitting in your classes! You're welcome.

With admiration,

Mrs. Anderson who happens to look forward to your assembly every year and loves the Wolverine mascot

Box Tops Make Me Happy

2009-11-23T18:28:00.002-07:00

I cannot let another blog go by without talking about Box tops. People think I'm crazy. Maybe I am. I do know that I'm crazy about Box tops! For those who aren't familiar with Box Tops, it is a wonderful program that helps schools raise money for projects, field trips, supplies, etc. In our school, the earnings from the Box Tops go directly to the classroom that collects them.

Though it doesn't seem like much, each Box Top is worth 10 cents. It adds up. Our class set a goal to collect 1000 Box Tops by May. Well, guess what? We are almost there!! Already! We keep track of each Box Top on our whiteboard. (See below)

So, as of November 23, 2009, we have 921!! We will reach our goal by CHRISTMAS!! It is so much fun to see the children squeal with delight as they count tallies (one of our first grade curriculum standards) getting closer to 1000.

We had a class meeting and adjusted our goal. We want to add another 1000 Box tops by May. Do you think we can do it?? I do. I've even set up a Facebook group so that all my friends from around the United States can send us their Box tops. With each envelope full of Box tops, I show the class which state they came from. One of the students said "I bet we could get a Box Top from every state!" Hmmmmm.....

So...that is NOW our goal. We'd love to get envelopes from every state. If you have friends and family around the country, please have them collect their Boxtops for us. Even sending one would count.

Here's our list of states so far:

• Georgia

• New York

• Texas

• Utah

• Illinois

Here is a pile that Kaysen brought in today.

42!!!

Wow! He's been saving for a long time...thanks Kaysen's grandma!

(I really can't believe that I did an entire post about Box Tops!

Can you see how passionate our class is about reaching our goal?)

Rap A Tap Tap...What's Your Passion?

2009-11-17T20:56:00.005-07:00

On Monday, I read this book to the class. It has become one of my very favorites. If you haven't seen it or read it, you ought to. It is a lovely book about Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. He was one of America's most talented tap dancers. He was amazing. As the book says, "He made art with his feet".

The class really took to this story. We read it again and again. One student even checked it out of the school library! We found out that dance was Bojangle's PASSION. Then talked about what our passions were. WOW! Our class has a lot of interesting passions. Football. Singing. Dancing. Joking. Riding bikes. Quilting (that was mine!)

I thought it would be fun to show the students what Bill Robinson looked like and how talented he was. I found the following two video clips. The children were MESMERIZED. I watched pure joy in their faces. Their comments made me proud of them for recognizing talent such as Bill possessed and for gathering so much information from this little biography.

Here is a short video of a performance he did with Miss Shirley Temple:

And...this one is my favorite. I would be winded after the second time over the steps. Take some time to talk to your first grader about these videos. I hope they give you an earful of information.

First Grade Logic

2009-11-16T11:41:00.003-07:00

Today's math lesson was all about doubles. We made a chart:

We painted dots and folded them in half to make a double:
After teaching my AMAZING lesson about making a double, one sweet little thinker came to me so excited saying: "Hey, if you fold a clock in half you can get two lunches!"

Ummm.....yummy!

This is why I teach first grade.

Stellaluna

2009-11-13T18:31:00.004-07:00

A few weeks ago, our class took a field trip to the Scera Theatre in Orem, Utah. We attended the play "Stellaluna". I was deathly ill that day and wasn't able to be there. The children were in capable hands with our student teacher, Mrs. Spencer as well as one of our favorite subs, Mrs. Heil. I was so sad that I couldn't be there but I heard it was amazing. Once again, Mr. Blanchard took care of the pictures for us.

OH...and the hair? It was wacky hair day at Amelia Earhart Elementary.

Veteran's Day!

2009-11-11T20:07:00.006-07:00

We had a wonderful Veteran's Day assembly today. Children who had a relative who was a veteran was invited to attend. Each student read a nice introduction about his/her guest. Then, cards and letters were delivered.

The very best part...in my humble opinion...was the MUSIC!

In particular, the four darling children singing on the very front row.

Four sweeties from our class. We were very proud of them.

Take a look:

Tristan, ?, Kate, Chloe, and Melany...our glorious stars of the day.

(Pictures are courtesy of Mr. Blanchard! Thank you so much. My camera is on the fritz! I really need this one! :)

Power Naps...

2009-11-07T17:50:00.005-07:00

Just a 90 second "Power Nap"...

...helped us all endure another Friday!!

Oh What a Halloween!

2009-11-04T11:37:00.009-07:00

Just look at these cuties. (sorry the hula teacher had to be in every one of these but, well, you know!)

Enjoy!

Ninja Samuel was sooooo quiet, I barely heard him

come up to my chair.

What a great great ninja.

Mr. Jose Firefighter

Firefighters must always be serious.

Here's what they were watching.

The King Toot video.

Darth Jon Vader

"The Parade"

Witch Kate in her gorgeous home sewn costume!

The good little Kyara witch.

Look at all of those muscles on Kaysen Favre!

Gabriel has keen "spidey-senses".

Future Heisman trophy winner, Dallin.

Go BYU!

I always feel safe with Bryant around.

He's super.

Eden took my breath away with her beautiful hooped skirt

vampire gown.

Perfect angel Melany...as usual.

Zack packs a lot of power. That's all I know about that.

Princess Ashley is pretty in pink.

The "good" little witch Tristan.

The force was with him.

Obi Wan James

Cute little Brooklynn fairy.

Those wings poked me in the eye several times.

The precious little witch Katja.

I love the orange.

Green-faced Chloe witch.

That make up was SCARY!

(but, her grandmas was even scarier!)

Daniela the Sleeping Beauty.

Surprisingly she stayed awake ALL day!

Ethan Potter

He cast a spell on me.

Plus, he can spell just about everything.

Hannah Mon-Lizbeth-Tana!

Zombie Gage

Honestly, the scariest costume ever.

I'm glad he came back to us!

PS. We missed our friend Silver who was vacationing in Disneyland!

Beware of the Blogger Ghost!

2009-10-31T15:09:00.001-06:00

All I asked Tristan to do was tell a spooky story for our Halloween blog. Wow! This girl is amazing!

More photos to come of our party.....tomorrow......

The Fun Run at Amelia Earhart!

2009-10-23T19:31:00.009-06:00

OH WHAT FUN!

Today was the annual "Fun Run" at Amelia Earhart Elementary.

Each year students collect pledges from parents, grandparents, and coworkers of

said parents and grandparents who sponsor their sweet

child in a 5K (approximately) run through the school fields and neighborhood.

For each $5.oo that is pledged, the student collecting the pledge receives a special

ticket. These tickets are then drawn from a gigantic cauldron (in keeping with the Halloween season of course) and lucky winners win all kinds of fabulous prizes.

So...everybody wins.

Runners have FUN.

Cheering fans have FUN.

Parents have FUN.

Prize winners have FUN.

Recipients of the fundraiser (all students) get to go on awesome fieldtrips with the money, and that is super FUN!!

See why it's called the "Fun Run"?

Enjoy the fun photos from the morning...there are several!

Getting ready for the start of the race.

Kyara, Melany, and Ashley.

Sooooooo, cute!

"Whew! That was tough!"

Jon and Ethan

"We're tired too!"

Daniela and Chloe

A happy group of runners.

L to R: Gage, Dallin, Kate, Bryant,

Kyara, and Eden

My AWESOME co-first grade-teachers.

Me, Mrs. Walton, and Mrs. Reimschussel

I LOVE this picture.

Me with Katya

It's a family affair.

Katja, Katja's mom, and Katja's little sister Chloe.

Cutest smile EVER!

Gabriel (oh, and that's Silver in the red shirt!)

Zack Attack!

Dallin pondering the fun run.

Mr. James

(Jame's mother did the run with us too.)

Darling little Brooklynn.

Ethan in his best "fake" running pose.

That's his mom and his little sister in the stroller.

This is a huge cooler full of decliciousness.

Icee's popcicles.

Our amazing PE teacher at the VERY busy first aid station.

Luckily this wasn't needed for anything serious.

Do you think she's having fun yet?

Some of our "cheering station".

Kate, Eden, Grandpa Cliff (our super foster grandparent), and Bryant.

And NOW for the extra, super,

FUN!

The exciting awards/prizes assembly.

Here we are waiting patiently for the prizes to be given out.

Are you ready???

This is pretty exciting news.

Our friend and fellow classmate

ETHAN

won this...

a genuine Nike football personally signed by

the entire BYU football game.

AND

this...

a brand new i-pod shuffle!

Can you believe it? He won twice!

It was awesome and very exciting and fun for our class.

He was such a great winner. And bless his generous little heart.

Here's why:

Ethan: Mrs. Anderson, I was noticing that we don't really have any balls or jump ropes, or any sports equipment for our class to take out to recess.

Me: Well, we have them, I just keep forgetting to put them out for everyone to use.

Ethan: I think I should put this football (yup, the signed one) in with that stuff so that everyone can play with it.

Me: [explaining the one-of-a-kind signed football he just won] No!

Ethan: Oh. Okay.

What a nice little boy.

The FUN RUN was a smashing success!

I can't wait for it again next year.

ps...can you find the 16 "fun" words in this post??

TEACHER DOWN!!!

2009-10-21T11:41:00.002-06:00

This has NOT been a great week for me. Last Thursday (during Fall Break of all times) I came down with some kind of flu bug. NOT H1N1, but nasty just the same.

I missed Pajama Day (I love that day)

I missed the class field trip to the play Stellaluna.

Most of all...I've missed my darling first graders.

I can't live without them.

I am determined not to miss any more days.

I'll be back tomorrow...

I hope!

Monday is a Special Day

2009-10-18T19:13:00.001-06:00

Hi my friends: I forgot to send home a note explaining about Red Ribbon Week activities. On Monday it is Pajama Day. Please allow your child to wear slippers, robes, and/or slippers to school that day. I know I will be wearing!

The Nino, the Pinto, and the Sanda Marina

2009-10-13T14:37:00.003-06:00

Ahhhh Columbus Day in First Grade! What a fun but kind of meaningless day. Though everyone knows that the story about Columbus "discovering" America is a bit shady, teachers all across this country feel an obligation to recount the story of our favorite Italian. And why not? He makes a really great looking paper bag puppet!

Here, for your enjoyment, are two accounts of the whole Christopher Columbus story.

(Disclaimer: The following may or may not be actual facts.)

PS:

In case you are worried that this educator doesn't really know the names of the three ships...she does!

Fall Prints

2009-10-11T19:50:00.002-06:00

Many teachers fear using paint in their classrooms.

Not me!

I love the challenge of a possible spill,

a smudge on new clothes,

tears when someone thinks she missed her turn,

someone licking his fingers,

an accidental step in a pile of orange paint.

(all of which have happened in my classroom over the years by the way!)

I welcome this because I believe that, in an educational world of testing and drilling,

children need a creative outlet.

To tell you the truth, making these apple prints was fun, easy, and super fast.

Then we used it as the border for our fall bulletin board.

The children loved it. I loved it.

You should pop in to the school and check it out.

Dallin workin' the yellow.

James, Dallin, and Eden

printing away!