Jan. 7

Here is a the link address to make an online donation for Pasta for Pennies.

http://sctx.sy.llsevent.org/GattisElementarySchool

Today a great day we had a shoe-less day, because of our behavior yesterday.  They were talkative, but we managed to complete all activities. We began our day off with reading the story Gingerbread Friends by, Jan Brett.  We thought it was excellent how she is taking a popular story and changing the elements to create a whole new story line.  We even discussed writing our own versions in our writing because we our study mentors as a writer.  We are looking at published authors and looking at the books in the eyes of a writer.  We are trying to write our stories and do as they did.  We have discovered many new elements in our writing.  During math we started regrouping with two and three digit numbers using the computation addition.  Please ask them to model what we are learning.  They will also bring home a CGI problem tomorrow.  Then finally we headed to the library to check out new books.

Top Banana is Kash

We learned he has a brother who is graduating High School this year and will be attending Texas Tech, YEEHAW!!  I am proud to announce I love this. His brother was in my first class when I came to Gattis nine years ago.  We also heard from Kash that he loves to play with his dog Lance.  His dog Lance is three in a half, "Which is about twenty-two in Dogie years,"Kash stated.  We discovered at Christmas he took a picture with his family and had a great time opening his presents and he wished the break could have lasted longer.  I have to agree with Kash it did go by quick.

Welcome Back

I am happy to report the class was excellent. I rewarded them all with NO SPELLING. We will start next week, this is a short week and I want them to be successful. I decided to not give them CGI, in math either.  I just want them to get back in routine, so only reading.We will have CGIon Thursday and next week I will add spelling.  We began our day off tired and not wanting to be back at school.  I felt they needed to clean up and change seats.  Some are sitting at their same table, but there are different students with them.  We started off in reading meeting Jan Brett, an author.  We read the Gingerbread Man, by a different author and tomorrow we will begin to study Jan Brett. She wrote many books and I look forward to hearing what the students have to say and write about her.  We then started writing and we are looking at how to use writers as a mentor.  We are studying authors to try to write like our authors, we have studied.  During math we started to discus addition with regrouping and why we need to regroup.  Then it was time to clean up the class for specials.

Dec. 17

The day before our Christmas party, sorry I have not posted.  I have just returned from being ill.  I run out of school to go to bed.  I thought I would update about our party tomorrow.  We made reindeer and elf ornaments for your trees, at home.  Then we traveled around the world to China.  Ask them what they have been learning about?

The students in second grade will have their party at 12 and we will wrap up by about 1:15-1:20.  I will read a story at the end before specials at 1:45.  The upper grades and younger usually have their parties at the end of the day.

Science Night

Dec. 2 Hope to see you all at Science Night!

Today was a fantastic day of learning we managed to get through all activities.  We discussed main idea and finding the supporting details in our reading.  We practiced locating them in our article about red ants today.  Ask your child what they discovered and learned.  Then we wrote procedural texts in writing; we learned how to plan out our text by drawing the steps. Then writing out the specific details to teach someone how to do something.  Please ask them what they feel they're an expert at.  We also measured in non-standard units of measure today and discussing how to use a paper clip.  We also received our goal sticks from the forms which we returned.


Top Banana Ragan
We learned she traveled to Hershey Peninsula to the candy factor, and was one lucky girl.  She made and got to eat a candy bar.  She showed us a family picture and she was not clear was her dad was, maybe getting ready for a conference?  We learned she has a sister in fifth grade Grace and another sister too.  she attended the color run and the Army was there handing out water bottles.  She also has been to Washington DC. and her picture looks like she is holding the Washington Monument.

First day back, from Thanksgiving

Today was a fantastic day we learned a lot.  We made it through our first day back.  I hope all of you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and enjoyed your time off.  I had a blast seeing family and cooking my meal with my best friend, Mrs. Schoss. We are learning about main idea and supporting details, in reading.  We are discussing and writing procedural texts these next few weeks, so please ask them what they are writing about.  Make sure they can explain to you the difference between a narrative and procedural text?  During math we are learning about measurement and today we measured using a non-standard unit of measure inch worm ruler. Please ask them about what they did and how they measured using their inch worm.  Last, we worked on Geography in Social Studies and we discussed how this is the study of places and regions in our community, state, nation, and world.


Top Banana this week is Ragan and we did not have time to share her poster.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's update.

Veterans Day

We had a lovely time singing in the assembly, it was emotional for me.  I love this day and who it Honors. I met my husband while he was in Iraq and having him be deployed, stirs up a lot of old feelings.  His best friend has been away, and it was a special treat to have my students write and create letters for soldiers.  We, well I will make sure all their cards and letters get mailed to soldiers, and I hope some will write back. My students asked and I told them this is how Mike and I found each other.  My class six years ago wrote to soldiers and he was one of many who wrote back.  We also read procedural texts and began discussing notes to write about, in Reading.  Then in Math we began our unit on Subtracting two and three digit numbers.  We are reviewing addition with two and three digit numbers in stations. During Science we discussed how sound and light can change matter and we had a blast in the Science lab.  Please ask them to explain?

Top Banana:

We had such a busy day I forgot to ask her to share please stay tuned for tomorrow's update.

Wacky Weather Wednesday

Parents - We need donations of McDonalds Happy Meal toys or any other small trinkets for an upcoming Family Night on November 18.

If you have any you're willing to spare, please send the items to your child's teacher no later than Monday, Nov. 17th.  It would be helpful if the bag was labeled "Family Math Night."

Thanks so much!

  

Kristal Shanahan

Counselor

Gattis Elementary

I am sorry I have not posted, I have been busy in personal life and here on campus.  Today I had to post because it was one of those days where the kids were different do to weather.  We had a social meeting group today about being polite. We discussed text features in class and had a scavenger hunt with text features. During writing we continued writing small moments in our life and had a blast with our quick write.  Math was interesting because we were adding to the tens place, by 10 more or ten less.  However, they were using 3 digit numbers.  Please review with them, some had trouble.  The bonus problems were four digit and still adding or subtracting ten or twenty.  We did have indoor recess and the kids were able to jog around my room to let off energy.  We then headed to the library where we listen to a book about energy from the sun.  Please ask them about their day and I hope all is well?