Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Meissner Empowering the Future

100 Day of School!

2012-02-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

Today is the 100th Day of School. We have been counting the days since the very first day and it is finally here. The students had a special homework assignment this week. The students were challenged to create "something" to wear that had 100 things on it. We had a belt with 100 buttons, we had a shirt with 100 candy hearts, and a shirt with 100 bows. The kids looked and felt terrific. In class we made a 100 day trail mix with exactly 100 treats in each bag. Each student made a 100 Day of School Hat and a 100 Day book. We read books about the 100th day. We counted to 100 by one's fives and tens as well as other fun activities based on the number 100. We finished the day with a visit from "Zero the Hero", who made the day extra special.

Potting Day!!!

2012-02-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

What a Great Day!! We were so very lucky to have Chloe's Dad come to our room for "Potting Day"! He and his co-worker Ms. Smith brought, soil, seeds and all of the other supplies that we needed to plant plants. We planted radishes in the room. We learned all about what plants need, and where food comes from. Each student received a large pot, a bag of soil and seeds to take home. Now our Super Smart students can share what they have learned with their parents and start their home garden. Thank you Mr. Jones and Ms. Smith.

Polar Express Day!

2011-12-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the Polar Express last Friday. The children came to school in their jammies. We then read the book The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. The students then made golden tickets so that they could get on board. The students had their tickets stamped as they began the incredible journey. The kids watched the movie based on the book while they enjoyed freshly made homemade doughnuts and hot cocoa. We had several moms and dads join us for this super fun day. Some of them even wore their pajamas. A great time was had by all.

Santa Clause, Old St. Nick, Pere Noel.

2011-12-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

We are continuing to read with our Fifth grade friends each week. We have been reading previous December Books of the Month. We noticed that in many of these texts, Santa Clause is a character. This led to a discussion about the history of the Santa Clause and his many different names. We discussed several different names for him.
* Santa Clause
* Santa
* St. Nicholas
* Kris Kringle
We then challenged the children to find out any other names they could find for Santa. One Fifth grader, Sarah came back the following week with this list.
* French - Pere Noel
* Welsh - Sion Corn
* Italian - Babbo Natale
* Turkish - Noel Baba
* Vietnamese - ong gia Noel
* Portuguese - Papai Noel
* Romanian - Mos Craciun
* Slovenian - kaledu Senelis
* Latvian - Santa Klauss

Pow Wow 2011

2011-11-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

Pow Wow 2011 from Chet the Eagle on Vimeo.

The annual Pow Wow event is spectacular! Take a look at the video and see a small glimpse of our amazing Pow Wow.

Morning Message

2011-11-29T07:49:00.001-08:00

Each morning during Skills Block, we participate in a Shared Writing experience. We call it the Morning Message. We start with something that the teachers have written on the board with just a few things missing. The students then figure out what should be there and are invited to fill in the blanks. This is a wonderful daily tool. As the year progresses and our literacy skills become more vast, the students written participation increases. We love Morning Message, because we can cover so many different skills in so many fun ways!

Apples. Apples Apples

2011-10-13T09:55:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful day filled with APPLES! We have been reading many fiction and non-fiction books based on apples. We have also learned a great deal about Johnny Appleseed. Our culminating day of apples was filled with learning and fun. We began the day with a survey of who likes apples and who does not. The children were then given the opportunity to taste both a red apple and a green apple. The children then discussed the similarities and differences between the two. We also participated in shared reading of some poems about apples and songs about apples. The children were able to watch Mrs. Meissner use a special machine that peels and cores the apples with a twist of the handle, this was a highlight for all of the kids. We then made homemade applesauce. Each child was given the opportunity to taste the homemade applesauce, Every child took a bite. We would like to say a special thanks to the mom's of Brooke and Emily, and the dad of Mrs. Brown for making this super fun day such a super success!

Reading with Fifth Graders, what the Fifth Graders said.

2011-10-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

After the first few sessions of reading with the fifth graders, we wanted to know what they had to say. This is what a few of them had to say about the experience.

"Whenever I got to an exciting part, they predict and they usually get it right." Katherine

"Where there were bolded words, the kindergartners repeated after me." Katie

"We used the cut-outs from The Three Billy Goats Gruff and we acted out the story." Sarah

"I think we should bring in our favorite books from when we were little." Ben

"I think we should change partners so we get to know everyone." Jaden

Reading with Fifth Graders

2011-09-11T09:56:00.001-07:00

We are super excited about a new idea we are implementing this school year. We have partnered with Mrs. Shannon's Fifth grade class for some shared learning. The fifth graders will be joining us each Thursday morning to read and learn with our class. In the beginning the Fifth graders will read to the kindergartners and then the kindergartners will retell the story back to the fifth graders. As the kindergartners progress in their reading, they will begin to read to their fifth grade partners and the older students will share their knowledge about the reading strategies that they know and use. We are excited about this new project. We know that it will continue to change and grow throughout the school year. look for a post this week, from the children in our class. They will be sharing their thoughts about their first meeting with their new buddies.

The Beginning!

2011-08-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 19th at 8:00 a.m. is our Kindergarten Orientation. We look forward to meeting our new class of kindergartners and their families. It is a wonderful time to meet the teachers, see the classroom and find out all of the information that you need to know for the first day of school and the rest of the year. Kindergarten is an exciting time for the children and the families alike. We look forward to meeting you all and getting to know the precious little ones that are being entrusted into our care. Get ready for the Super Powers of Chets Creek and the Super Powers your children will learn in kindergarten. Looking forward to a "Super" year.

Empowering the Future!! Welcome to Kindergarten 2011-2012

2011-07-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

Chets Creek Elementary – Empowering the Future! from Melanie Holtsman on Vimeo.

Please take a look at our video to introduce you to our theme for the upcoming school year. We look forward to a new group of Super Kindergartners and an exciting school year!

The End of the Year is Approaching

2011-05-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

As we approach the end of Kindergarten, we must think about what it will be like to be a rising First Grader. In First Grade, students will be expected to be more independent in school. So here are some things you can try to take some steps toward helping your child be more independent.

* Let your child walk to the classroom alone in the morning.

* Make your child responsible for his/her lunch, money, and backpack.

* Make sure your child can tie their own shoes.

* Make sure that your child knows your home telephone number and address.

We are so proud of how much our class has learned and how independent they can be. Let them show you how grown up they can be.

Arts Extravagana Week

2011-05-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

One of the many wonderful traditions at Chets Creek is Arts Extravaganza. It is a week to celebrate the arts. The walls are filled with artwork created by the students throughout the school year. Each day offers a new experience for the children. Tuesday we attended a concert given by the Fletcher Middle school band, there were a few Chets Creek Alums in the band. They did a fantastic job. On Wednesday we were able to see the Chets Creek Gifted students perform in a musical. It was a treat for the students to see their friends perform. Thursday brought the wonderful Sandalwood Chorus. They performed a variety of music from many different genres. They were a very talented group. Friday we had a storyteller who captured the children's attention and imagination. Friday night was the culminating event. The families were invited to Chets Creek in the evening to participate in a wonderful family centered evening of Arts and Crafts and a performance. Each year each class creates a theme basket filled with goodies to be auctioned off. The proceeds from each basket go to continue to fund the arts at Chets Creek Elementary. Thank you to the many amazing people that made this week so much fun and such a success.

Spirit Week at Chets Creek

2011-04-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

This week is Spirit Week at Chets Creek Elementary. Each student and teacher has been invited to dress in a fun and silly way each day this week. Monday was "Dress like a Farmer" day. We had some great and cute farmers show up for the first day back from Spring Break. Tuesday was Mismatch Day. Take a look at our mismatched outfits. Wednesday is silly sock day and crazy hair day. Keep checking in to see pictures of our Super Silly Socks and Wacky Hair!

St. Patrick's Day

2011-04-05T10:40:00.001-07:00

St. Patrick's Day was a wonderful day of learning and fun! The children spent the week prior to St. Patrick's day working on a special homework assignment of making a Leprechaun Trap. The children came to school dressed in green. The children explained how they made their traps and how the trap was supposed to work. We spent the day listening to Irish music and participating in many crafts and learning activities. The children decorated "green cupcakes". There was a station where the children were able to taste a variety of "green foods". The children made fun hats and patterned beaded necklaces. The children made a cute Shamrock Man and decorated a rainbow with a pot of gold. It was a great day.

A Special Visit!

2011-03-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Phillips (Our Awesome Principal) came to our class to read a book. The book was called The Leprechaun's Gold, written by Pamela Duncan Edwards and illustrated by Henry Cole. Mrs. Phillips told us that they had both been visitors to Chets Creek Elementary. It is one of Mrs. Phillips' favorite books. The book was a former Book of the Month. The book was addressed to "Susan",(Mrs. Phillips)and was autographed by the author and illustrator. She asked us questions as she read the story to us. Madeline says,"near the end of the book, the man (Old Pat) went away and the leprechauns made him a new harp out of the gold." Taryn says, "They made him a new harp because on his old one the other strings were broken." During the story Mrs. Phillips helped us learn the meaning of a new Vocabulary word. The word was "weary". "We now know that the word weary means,tired",says Yezen. Mrs. Phillips is a GREAT reader. "She also told us that she used to teach in our very own classroom",says Shane. Mrs Phillips admitted that our room is her favorite classroom in the building. She also stated that she loves to visit kindergarten. She used to be a kindergarten teacher. We loved having her in our room. We hope she will come back to read with us again.

This post written and created by the students in Mrs. Brown's and Mrs. Meissner's Class

Harry the Dirty Dog

2011-03-04T10:11:00.001-08:00

Our excited class of Kindergartners went to the Wilson Center for Performing Arts to see a play. The play was based on one of our favorite books. The play was based on the book, Harry the Dirty Dog written by Gene Zion.

This is one of our "Star Books". A "Star Book" is a book that the children have heard several times as a read aloud. The children then have the opportunity to "read" the books, by retelling themselves the story. Due to the fact that the students were very familiar with the book they noticed many differences between the play and the original text. The children loved seeing a live action version of one of their favorite books. The play included singing and dancing, which the students loved. A great time was had by all.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome Valentine's Day! We were able to do so many fun things, like "We decorated cupcakes," said Taryn. "We made hats that were called crowns, because we were either the King of Hearts or the Queen of Hearts." We went on a parade. We put on our crowns, we went through the front office and spread the love by blowing kisses at everyone. "We made Valentine Cards," said Brandon. "We even made Valentine puzzles," said Ethan. "We made beaded necklaces with Valentine colored beads," said Kiera. "We made a sign language I Love You heart," said Fiona. We all agree that it was a fun day. We do not agree on our favorite part of the day. Noah and Shane said, "We passed out candy and valentines and put them in the boxes." Kylie says her favorite part was, "We ate cupcakes." "We drank ice cream floats with a cherry on top," says Dominic. We were able to choose between strawberry and Root Beer for our floats. Nina said, "We ate jello and rice crispy treats." "We had some special guests, some moms came to the party," Kaya pointed out. It was a heart filled day.
The love was felt by all.

This post was written and posted by the students in Mrs. Brown's and Mrs. Meissner's Kindergarten Class

Me and My Shadow

2011-02-15T13:37:00.001-08:00

The students spent a day learning about Shadows. We also learned about the position of the sun in the sky and how it affects how we see our shadow. The students went outside first thing in the morning. Mrs. Smith's fourth grade class helped by tracing each of the children's shadows on to the sidewalk, and writing the name of the student on the outline of their shadow so the child could find theirs again later in the day. The children then came back to the room and documented their observations about their shadows and their observations about the sun. After lunch we went back outside and the children stood in the same spot. They made new observations and documented them in their Science Journals. We repeated the process at the end of the day. Ask your child what they learned and please leave their response as a comment. We would love to hear what they learned that day. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Reading Strategies

2011-01-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

Our students have come so far in their reading this year. Many of our students have "officially" become conventional readers and the rest are so close. We have spent a considerable amount of time working on a variety of Reading Strategies that the children can use when they come to an unfamiliar word so that they can figure out the word for themselves. Some of the strategies that we have been working on are:
1. Looking at the Picture Clues
2. Looking for Word Family words
3. Looking for words within words
4. Skip it and read to the end of the sentence
5. S-T-R-E-T-C-H the word.
6. Ask yourself, "Does that make sense?"

Ask your child to show you how they are using these strategies in their nightly reading.

Season of Giving

2010-12-26T06:27:00.001-08:00

The Kindergarten students at Chets Creek this year decided that our Season of Giving project would be to collect diapers for Helping Hands Diaper Center. We were amazed by the outpouring of support to all of the families who chose to donate to this worthy cause. We were so proud of the amount that we were able to collect and the workers at Helping Hands were amazed by the number of diapers that we were able to donate. As always the families at Chets Creek are always willing to assist in helping those in need. What a wonderful way to celebrate the Season of Giving. Happy Holidays!

Long Time No See

2010-12-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness. It has been a long time since we have posted. There have been so many exciting things that we have been doing. We have participated in the Literary Parade at the end of October. Each of the children dressed up as their favorite literary character. We spent all of November studying the Seminole Tribe and learning about their traditions and culture. We culminated that unit of study with all of Kindergarten as we celebrated Pow Wow. The children performed Native American Dances and sang Native American songs. The children spent the rest of the day traveling from station to station, learning, playing, singing tasting and listening. It was an amazing day.

We are quickly approaching Winter Break. Many exciting activities to come. We will be celebrating Polar Express day with our jammies and making home made doughnuts.

Diamond D Ranch

2010-10-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

We had our first field trip to the Diamond D Ranch. It was a terrific day. We had bautiful weather lots of fun and we learned a lot as well. The children were able to ride on the drum roll. A ride that spun them around and around. We went on a hayride and were allowed to feed some very large cows. The children saw a buffalo and fed the goats. We were given the opportunity to meet and brush a miniature horse and were given the opportunity to ride a horse as well. We had many moms, a dad and a grandmother join us for this wonderful day. A great time was had by all. Can't wat for the next new adventure in kindergarten!

The First Day of School!

2010-08-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

What a terrific first day. Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Meissner welcomed a terrific group of kindergartners. We spent some time in the classroom establishing some of the class routines. We then went to the Media Center for an assembly where we learned a new song. After lunch the students went outside for a Wow experience. The students visited a petting zoo filled with sheep, a pig, bunnies, chickens a pony and more. The children were able to see an enclosed bee hive up close and taste fresh honey. Each child was also able to plant a seed. They were able to choose between broccoli, cabbage and collard greens. Wow what a first day and this is just the beginning! We are all looking forward to 179 more exciting and learning filled days.

Welcome to Kindergarten

2010-08-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

We would like to welcome our new class of Kindergartners. We were so pleased to see such a great turnout at Orientation. Please remember to fill out all of the forms that you received at Orientation. We are looking forward to an exciting year filled with a great deal of learning, growing and fun. We will see you Monday morning for the first day of school. Be prepared for a Wow experience!

African Storytellers

2010-04-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday was another day of wonder and excitement as we entered the dining room for another wonderful performance to celebrate Cultural Arts week at Chets Creek. We were greeted by two wonderful performers, with a variety of African Musical instruments. They sang beautiful songs, told wonderful African Folk tales and spoke to the children about respect and character. There were many children invited to the stage with some very lucky teachers to perform and play the many instruments. Wow it has been an exciting week so far with many lessons learned and great exposure to a variety of performing art forms. Who knows this may be the week that one of our very own students becomes inspired to create beauty as an adult and become an artist.

Mrs. Poetry

2010-04-22T08:26:00.001-07:00

We had a poet come to us. She started with a cool poem about hats. That certainly got our attention. She did lots of voices and movement as she recited the poetry. She asked teachers to come up and act out her poems with her and she invited Mrs. Brown to participate. Mrs. Brown had to talk and act like a monster. Alexis says that Mrs. Brown was very silly. Nolan declared that Mrs. Brown was "very funny". Kiersten liked the part when Mrs. Brown was acting like she was stirring the pudding. When asked what they thought of the poetry lady the students comments were, Nidhi says, "She was funny." Nino says "She was silly." Daphinie says "She was funny because she acted like a beetle coming out of a box." Gabby says, "She did a Beach poem that was funny." The last thing we did was recite altogether one of Mrs. Poetry's poems that she wrote. It was called NERDS RULE! Mrs. Poetry said herself, "I don't just write poetry, I don't just read poetry I LOVE poetry" and so do we!

Posted and written together by Mrs. Brown's students

Two Drummer's Drumming

2010-04-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

We had two gentlemen from the Percussion Section of the Jacksonville Symphony with us on Tuesday. They were terrific! They introduced us to many different instruments. Some of these were, Bongos, glockenspiel, tambourine, xylophones,cymbals and the cow bell. They played a few pieces of music. One of the pieces of music was like how they used to communicate in the army before there were radios and walkie talkies. We clapped with them and they told us about different genres of music.

Posted by the students in Mrs. Brown's class

IT"S ARTS EXTRAVAGANZA WEEK!!!!

2010-04-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

This week is Arts Extravaganza week at Chets Creek. This is an annual tradition. This week is for experiencing and appreciating a variety of Art Forms. Each day the children will be able to go to an assembly to enjoy and learn. Monday's assembly was a Puppet Troupe with lots of silliness, music and a great message at the end. "Don't judge someone by their outside but it is what is inside that counts." Stay tuned for what new experience Tuesday's assembly brings.

Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole

2010-03-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Chets Creek had the great pleasure to have a visiting author and illustrator with us.Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole were at the Creek. They are the author and Illustrator of our new Book of the Month, Princess Pigtoria and the Pea. Our class had the great fortune to go and listen to Mrs. Edwards read the book Livingstone Mouse. We also enjoyed directing Mr. Cole as he drew a new character based on the directions of the children. They were very entertaining for the children as well as a wealth of information for the budding authors and illustrators in First Grade.

Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole are Coming!

2010-03-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

The Author Pamela Duncan Edwards and her collaborator Henry Cole an illustrator are coming to Chets Creek to share their knowledge, and their books. We have been reading and enjoying their books in class. Yesterday, we went to Henry Cole's website and explored the site. We as a class sent him an e-mail, and when we arrived at school this morning, he had written us back! He also included a link for us to see the Trailer of his newest work.
Here is what he wrote to us...

Mrs. brown and first graders!

i am so looking forward to seeing you next week. i think chet's creek is one amazing fabulous school and i can't wait to spend the day there.
i have several new books coming out... one in particular i want you to know about. you can watch a little trailer for it (i'm sending the link). i think 'nest for celeste' is my favorite-ever book... and yes i just love my job!

thanks for the great email and see you soon,
henry cole

http://email.hample.com/t/y/l/uuium/ujliijlii/r

Groundhog Day

2010-02-19T07:35:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful opportunity to work with a Kindergarten class on their Groundhog's Day Science. The kindergartners were learning about their shadow, and the way the sun is in a different part of the sky at different times of the day. Our class had just finished our study of the Solar System so we had plenty of information to share with the kindergartners.

In the morning the kindergarten students stood on a line and found their own shadow. The first graders traced the shadow so that the the kindergartners would be able to compare there shadow throughout the day. The kindergarten class went back out at midday and at the end of the school day to make observations about their shadows.

After assisting the kindergartners we came in and our class wrote in their Science Journals. They drew what they observed when we were outside and made predictions about what they expected the kindergartners to see throughout the day. Our learning of the Solar System for Sleepover really payed off. All of our students were able to make accurate predictions.

Sleepover Under the Stars.

2010-02-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

One of the amazing traditions at Chets Creek Elementary is the annual First Grade Sleepover. Traditionally the first grade has done a series of lessons and activities centered around narrative stories about sleepovers. The "Grand Finale" of the study was on Sleepover Day when the children come to school wearing their pajamas and carrying their homemade Teddy Bears that they had made for homework. They then spent the day participating in many different sleepover related activities.

This year the First Grade Teachers decided to shake things up a bit. The new tradition includes a great deal of focus on Science. The theme focuses on the night sky! The children learned about stars, planets, and the sun. Science was Incorporated throughout the day. The children read non-fiction texts about space and wrote about what they were learning. The children also participated in a series of labs surrounding the study of Space.

There was an amazing family night where first graders and their families came to Chets Creek to watch a movie under the stars. The following Friday was the culminating day! The children paraded through the building in their pajamas holding their homemade pillows which included Venus, the sun, stars, Jupiter and many more "Spacey" themed pillows. Immediately after the parade the children enjoyed a donut and juice breakfast, in the dining room. There was a slide show presentation where each first grader was represented. There was loud music and even line dancing by the teachers and our Fearless Principal Mrs. Phillips.

After breakfast, the children traveled through several different stations , they sang Unearthly songs in the Music Station. They made super cool picture frames in Art, an indescribable experience in a very large bag where the children could watch the earth and moon move, and They were able to play intergalactic games on the Smart Board. The end of the day was held in the media center where the children watched a shadow story on the ceiling! They watched a space movie and then they cranked the music and everybody danced! It was a fun filled day and a great way to celebrate all the learning that the children did about Space. What a great "new" sleepover tradition.

IT"S A BOY!

2009-12-07T12:11:00.001-08:00

Our very own Jordan Flores is going to be a big brother in a few months. Jordan shared his wonderful news with the class today, that he and his family will be having a boy! Congratulations to the entire Flores family, we are so happy for you. We know that Jordan is going to be a great big brother. We are pretty sure that Mom, Dad and sister will be pretty good too!

Non-Fiction Reading and Writing

2009-11-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Brown's class has begun some exciting new things in Readers' and Writers' Workshops. We are beginning a study of Non-fiction. In Reader's Workshop we are studying a wide variety of Non-fiction texts and learning about the various Non-fiction conventions and how to read non-fiction. Some of the conventions that we will be working on include, The Table of Contents, Appendix, Glossary, Maps, Variations in Texts, Photographs, labels, close ups and cutaways. Look for these when you and your child are reading non-fiction at home.

In Writers' Workshop we are studying and writing question and answer books. These are a continuation on our study of Pattern Books. The books being written by the children will include the pattern of asking a question about a topic that the child knows a great deal about and then answering their own question with facts. This is a terrific way for young writers to begin report writing. Ask your child what topic they are working on now.

Open House

2009-09-27T17:33:00.001-07:00

Thursday night was great, thank you to all of our families that were able to spend the evening in our classroom. The children were so excited to show you their classroom and the wonderful things that go on in these walls. We had a very full evening. The parents went through Volunteer Training with our very own Principal Phillips. We discussed the inner workings of Reader's, Writer's and Math Workshops. We discussed the Science expectations and Homework expectations. The parents were forced to listen to me rave (one of our vocabulary words) about how fortunate we at Chets Creek are to have so many resources available to us and even more fortunate to have the ridiculously talented resource team that we have. A great night was had by all, it is always so fun for me to see the children in the evenings as they proudly show their parents around the room. Thanks again to our wonderful families, it will certainly be a great year.

Field Trips!!!!! FUN FUN FUN

2009-09-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Today our students received permission slips for the first Field trip of the year. We will be going to Regal Cinemas to see the movie adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are based on the Award wining children's book by Maurice Sendak, which as some of you know is my all time favorite book, and the first Read Aloud we had in this school year. The students will have the thrilling adventure of seeing the movie on the opening day! This is a book that most of our students know very well. It will be exciting to get their reactions to the movie and have the students compare and contrast the movie and the book.

I am very excited about this upcoming field trip. We have some Field Trip Guidelines for all of Mrs. Brown's students and the family members that join them on our trip. Please see the Field Trip Guidelines below so that we can all be prepared for a great first trip!

1. Each class will need a few parent chaperones to accompany us on field trips. If you would like to go please let your child’s teacher know. You must have completed the volunteer training and have received your Chets Creek Volunteer Badge. Since you will be supervising a small group of children, no siblings may accompany you on the trip. Parents are not able to ride the bus, so you will need to provide your own transportation.
2. All field trip money must be turned in promptly. This is to ensure that there is enough money to cover the cost of the trip. On each field trip permission slip there is a date given when the money is due. Late money may result in your child missing the trip.
3. Lunches for the trips must be brought in paper bags. (No lunch boxes or thermos containers) Please do not end drinks in glass containers or other food items in sealable containers that must be returned. If your child brings a food item that requires a spoon or fork please provide a disposable one. No food containers will be brought back to school.
4. If your child goes to Extended Day, please supply a snack for him or her in a separate container to avoid confusion.
5. Please dress your child appropriately for the activity and the weather.

What is a Scientist?

2009-09-02T10:23:00.001-07:00

In Mrs. Brown's class today. We have been talking about what we believe Scientists are. The First Graders at Chets Creek were invited to share their ideas about what Scientists are on a Google Doc. A google doc is a document that is online and shared by a group of people and all of the people that are sharing the document are able to add on to the document.

This is what Mrs. Brown's class added to the First Grade Google Doc

Mrs. Brown's Class

We think scientists are ...

* A scientist is a guy that learns stuff about like volcanoes and
tornadoes, and see what the tornado can do, and they take the
pictures and stuff.
* A scientist is somone who mixes up chemicals
* Scientists do experiments
* Scientists do projects, like they can do plastic volcanoes
* They do the things that they are supposed to and there has to
be tons of scientists all over the world.
* A Scientist is someone who looks at the earth, like astronauts
* Scientists like to dig for dinosaur bones

We can't wait to be scientists ourselves this school year! It will be great.

The Fourth Day of School.

2009-08-27T06:25:00.000-07:00

The class is looking at our class blog. We just read the first two posts, and decided to write a post together. We are working on completing our Math Diagnostics. Some of us think they are easy, some of us think they are hard a few of us think they are fun. We are having a great time in First Grade. Today is our first day of resource. We will be having Art 2 in the classroom. We can't wait. This post was created by the students in Mrs. Brown's class. Have a great fourth day of school!

The First Day of First Grade

2009-08-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a great day! I had the privilege of welcoming 24 smiling faces this morning. We read my Favorite book from my childhood, Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. The children then wrote about their impressions of the book. The children were able to go to a concert, great music and little bit of dancing ensued. Thanks Mrs. Phillips for the awesome concert. After lunch we went out to the playground, always fun. We took a tour of the school, so that everyone knows their way around and knew where to go for dismissal. The children also received a gift from the PTA. Each child received a new T-shirt, designed by our very own Mrs. Willet. What a terrific first day. I look forward to really diving into Readers' and Writer's Workshops, as well as Math Investigations and Science experiments. It is sure to be a year filled with learning and fun. Here's to great beginnings.

School Starts!

2009-08-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

Friday was an exciting day. We had orientation and had the opportunity to meet our classmates. I was thrilled to see so many happy and excited faces. The children were well behaved for their short visit to their new classroom, and enjoyed exploring their new surroundings. The parents were able to see the inside of the classroom where the children will be spending so much of there time, and were able to get a preview as to what to expect in First Grade. I am thrilled to have such a great new class. Tomorrow is the first day. I can't wait. It will be a year filled with a great deal of learning and fun. It's only beginning!