Settling In

Wow, it's hard to believe we've only just finished the third day of school. I feel like we are already beginning to settle into the new school year.

Today, we started practicing some things we are going to work on throughout the year. Yesterday, the kids had a chance to look through the books in the classroom library, so they were excited today to actually pick some books for their bookboxes. After practicing how to put books away and making a list of "Good" and "Bad" behaviors for silent reading, the kids had a chance to practice what we had talked about.
We took a break from silent reading to read one of my favorite picture books of all time, "The Wondeful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs," about a girl who sews pigs and plans to sell them to her friends. After reading, we made our own pigs. Tomorrow, we're going to use these pigs to practice writing "SUPER SENTENCES."


During math, we practiced going to different centers. We're going to be doing a LOT of small group work this year, sometimes independently, sometimes with a partner, and sometimes with a teacher. We practiced today by playing a math game on the computer, creating designs with pattern blocks, playing addition war with a partner, or playing addition Candyland with Mrs. Hardigree. Students rotated through two of the activities. Tomorrow, they will get to do the other two.

As an ending note, the students are working on how to do schoolwork with a bunny and a hamster running around the room (don't worry, the hamster is in her hamster ball). We went over the rules for Bailey:
1. Bailey's cage is her safe space. Don't poke things into her cage (this includes fingers).
2. Don't follow Bailey around. She will come to you.
3. Don't pick Bailey up.
4. Don't hold Bailey in one spot.

The kids seem to be doing really well with this! Bailey, on the other hand, looks ready for a break...