12/10

Happy Holidays!!

This is the last week before Winter Break! Thank you so much for all the donations for the Moriah House our class only brought in so much!! You are so giving!!

In the classroom this week we are finishing the wonderful novel, December Secrets. The students are participating in their own secret friends. Below is the reminders for each day.

In unit study we are traveling around the world and learning all the wonderful things celebrated in December. Monday-Hanukkah; Tuesday-Kwanzaa; Wednesday-Las Posadas; Thursday-Christmas and Friday we will enjoy an amazing breakfast! Look on the wiki page to sign up!

In math the students will be reviewing skills and taking final assessments before the break.

Secret Friend!!
Monday: Design a bookmark for your secret person.
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Bring a sweet treat for your secret person.
Thursday: Create a holiday card for your secret person.
Friday: Bring a small gift ($10 maximum) for your secret person. Wrap the present and attach the riddle gift tag.



12.3

Hello Families,

Happy December! I hope everyone had a restful weekend because it is a very busy time! This week is Healthy Choices Week. Each day the students have the opportunity to wear something crazy to show they are making smart healthy choices. In addition to Healthy Choices, Campus School is collecting supplies all week for the Moriah house. Each day has specific items for the students to bring! What a great opportunity for the students to be apart of helping others.

In the classroom this week:

In language arts we are enjoying more adventures with Ms. Rooney's class by reading a nice holiday novel, December Secrets. The students will participate in choosing their own special friend like in December Secrets. Each day they will give special notes, drawings, ext to a friend. The spelling skill is consonant -le.

In math our weeks of two-digit addition and subtraction will combine and the students will practice both two-digit subtraction and addition.

In unit study the students will finish their study of economics and start holidays around the world. It is going to be a great study about how people all of the world celebrate during this time of year.

Enjoy the week and remember: Children make your life important.~Erma Bombeck

Holiday Giving:
Monday: Paper Products
Tuesday: Toiletry Items
Wednesday: Cleaning Products
Thursday: School Supplies
Friday: Non-Perishable Food

Healthy Choices:
Monday: Red Ribbon (received at school)
Tuesday: Crazy Socks
Wednesday: Red and Green Shirts
Thursday: Bring a teddy bear

11.26

Hello Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Eric and I enjoyed a nice family vacation to Gatlinburg! There was 28 of us!! We were able to laugh, eat, play, eat, and make memories. In addition to being with family I also missed  my Campus School family and ready to start a new week!

In the classroom:

The reading selection this week is Anansi Goes Fishing. Anansi is a crazy spider that is always getting in trouble but ends in a twist. The stories vocabulary: intend, weave, task, quarrels, disgrace. The comprehension skill is cause and effect and author's purpose. The language arts skill is a review of adjectives.

In math the students will be practicing their mental subtraction. Mental subtraction is a very important skill in subtraction and will help with solving problems more fluently.

In unit study we will be singing “Money, Money, Money, Money” as we explore economics.

It is going to be a great week!

11/19

Hello Families,

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We are going to have a great two day week filled with presentations and Thanksgiving festivities.

Monday and Tuesday morning the students will present their How-To Projects. I know everyone has been working really hard and I am very excited about seeing everyone's projects.

Monday afternoon we will be continuing our study on the three branches of government. The students will be making a "Governement Turkey" and taking a test.

Tuesday afternoon we will watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and enjoying a delicious Charlie Brown snack.

Wednesday through Friday, hopefully, everyone will be enjoying their families, delicious food, and thinking about all the wonderful things to be thankful for.

Here is some inspiration for the How-To:

11/12

Hello Families,

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Last week we finished the Candy Corn Contest and the winning guess from Clarence Robinson! There were 132 peices in the jar. Good job Clarence!!

This week in the classroom:

In language arts we will be reading A Turkey for Thanksgiving a thrilling story about how animals celebrate Thanksgiving! The spelling skill is long -a (a, ay and ai). The grammar skill for the week is adjectives.The students will also be working on their writing for the How-To-Projects.
In unit study the students will be working on the three branches of governement. What are the three branches??? Students will learn how each provides a check and balance for our government process as well as each branches function and the leaders.
In math the students will be continuing subtraction. The skills include using addition to check, rounding and estimating differences, as well as problem solving lessons where students will decide whether to add or subtract.


For How-To-Project reminders go to the class wiki!

Quote for the week:
Eventually, children learn to exercise self motivation as they see the needs around them. Embracing challenges and problems is a start toward taking on the role of a leader. Thoughtful and persistent parental involvement is needed to encourage children along this path. Life Skill: Responsibility



 

11/5

Hello Families,

Last week so great! We had the Pumpkin Party (thank you parents), Halloween, and a great Family Gathering with the Confusions Institute. Hopefully everyone was able to rest over the weekend

In the classroom this week we are reading The Candy Corn Contest! The comprehension skill cause and effect and drawing conclusions. Why did the milk spill?? The language arts skill is subject verb agreement. Correct the sentence: The girls plays volleyball.

In math the students regrouping with subtractions! ATTENTION: Please assist with homefun!
For unit study we are continuing learning about the government. The focus this week is elections and voting.  

Life Skill- Everything Speaks

10/29

Hello Families,

Hopefully everyone has recovered from our fabulous Fall Fest! I have heard a lot of great stories. This is also going to be a fun filled week with our Puckett Pumpkin Party, Trick or Treating, and all the learning that will take place in the classroom.

In reading the students will be reading the novel, The Candy Corn Contest. The students will be working in literacy groups and reading the story together. The spelling skill is long -o with out magic e!!! The comprehension skill for the first part of the story is cause and effect. The cause is _______ it happens and the effect is ______ happens.  The vocabulary is groaned, fished, and custodian. The language art skill is verbs! What is a verb?
In math the students will rounding and using estimation to solve problems.
In unit study the students will continue singing “Born in the USA" while learning about the laws and rules of government, our government leaders, and the importance of following the laws.

10/22

Hello Families,

I hope you have enjoyed the beautiful break we were able to have! I defiantly enjoyed the sunshine and amazing weather.

This week at Campus we are having a make-up picture day and the annual Fall Fun Fest! This week in the classroom we are going to dive right into new adventures!!

In language arts we are reading "Life Cycle of a Pumpkin" and learning about how a seed becomes a pumpkin! The comprehension skill is fact and opinion. Fact or opinion: Mrs. Puckett's students are the smartest class Mrs. Puckett has ever taught! The spelling skill is long i without magic e...what? How does that work? We will find out this week!! The grammar skill is possessive nouns. Do you own anything?

In math the students will continue their learning of addition with regrouping.

In unit study we will be beginning our study of citizenship and government. This week we will focus on citizenship and what it means to be a good citizen.

It is going to be a great week!

Hello Parents,

Happy October! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Here is a sneak peek at the lessons and skills we will be working on this week.

In reading the students are reading a play, The Bremen Town Musicians! Every student will have the opportunity to have a role in the story. The comprehension skill is author’s purpose! As you read books at home think about what is the  author trying to do through the writing?? Also do you remember PIE? The story's vocabulary is glee, startled, glum, and pleasant.
The language arts skill is possessive nouns. What is something you own?

In math we will take a test on adding two-digits. The students will also learn adding two-digits with regrouping.

In unit study we are starting our adventure with maps! We will be seeing “On the Road Again”!
Life Skill- Trustworthiness

Have a fantastic week and don't forget to come to your conference!!!

9/24

Hello Families,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Hopefully your child shared with you the delicious Igneous rocks w made in class in last week! I heard great stories about sharing. This week we will continue learning about rocks and the unique ways they are made.

In reading the students will be reading, Ronald Morgan Goes to Bat, a great story about teamwork and determination! The comprehension skill is sequence. The voabulary for our story is clutch. Can you use context clues in the following sentence to figure out the meaning of clutch: Ronald clutched the bat ready to hit. The grammar skill is singular and plural nouns. When do you use -es?

In math the students will be using their brains to solve addition problems. Here are some of the math examples they will be solving (24+35=?, 120+46=?, 72+34=?)
In unit study the students will review Igneous, Sedmentary, and Metamorphic rocks.
I hope you enjoy the week!

Parent Teacher Conferences


Parent Teacher Conferences will be the week of October 1-5. Make sure to visit the class wiki to sign up. Please complete and return the attached pre-conference questionnaire.

9/10

Hello Families!!!

Thank you for all the help for Grandparent's Day on Friday!! It was so great. I know everyone had a wonderful time. This week is another week of events. Please look at reminders for everything going on!!

In the classroom we will be reading, Tara and Tiree, a wonderful selection about dogs who come to the rescue!! The ccomprehension skill is plot and ssequence. For language arts will be exploring nouns.
Last week in math we discussed addition strategies. This week we will discuss and learn about addition strategies! By the end of the week the students will be mathematicians!

In unit study will be studying more of Earth's natural resources: rocks!! We will rock out all week!
It is going to be a great week!

9/4/2012

Hello Families,

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend! I heard skate night was a blast!!

This week in the classroom:

In reading we'll share the nonfiction story The Strongest One. Our comprehension focus is theme. In spelling our skill is consonant disgraphs: -ch, -sh, -th, -wh. The students will also be determining the difference between fantasy and reality.


In math this week the students will be reviewing addition stragtegies. They will learn about all the different tricks when adding. What strategy is used in 8+8=??


In unit study we'll continue our study of soil. In computer lab the students explored the differnt layers of soil and found multiple living organisms that live under our feet. This week the students will identify the layers of soil and their main differences.

It is going to be a great week.

8/27

Hello Families,

Hello families! Last week we went to see the Lady Tigers play volley ball. It was so much fun! Just one of the many perks we have being on Campus!!

This week in the classroom:
In reading we'll share the nonfiction story A Walk in the Desert. Our comprehension focus is main idea and details. In spelling our skill is inflected endings -ed and -ing. Students will learn to double the final consonant before adding these endings to short vowel words with the CVC (consonant vowel consonant) spelling pattern. In grammar we'll continue our unit on complete sentences and subjects and predicates.

In math this week we'll continue with place value. We'll be practicing value, expanded form, ordering and comparing numbers up to the thousands place. Some students will be working into the hundred thousands. Be sure to help your child check over their homefun this week.
In unit study we'll continue our study of natural resources and take a closer look at the renewable resource soil. This week we'll identify and compare 3 types of soil, test the absorption level of each and observe how plants grow in each.

8/13

Hello Families,

I have posted some new pictures for you to enjoy under "Say Cheese!" We had a special guest join us during mystery reader last Friday. She is an author of a book and also Mr. Puckett's mom! She read her book, Tummy Turner and brought crafts to make monsters. The students had a great time.

In unit study we are continuing our journey through the brain. The students have learned about the major parts, the lobes, the hemispheres, and the students will learn about neurons! What are the parts of a neuron??

In language arts we are finishing up Get Ready for Second Grade Amber Brown and complete grid activities where the students practice literacy skills. The spelling skill is short vowel review.

In math we are focusing on comparing and ordering numbers. The students have been reviewing number recognition. Can you fill in the missing numbers: 23, __, ___. ___. 27.

It is going to be an amazing week!!!

8/6

Hello Families,

Happy second week of second grade. I hope everyone had a great restful weekend!

Last week the students participated and learned about the Olympics! We had a great time enjoying the games, learning facts, and making goals. The students also learned about the procedures of the class and school.

This week we are going to journey through a novel study, place value, and our brain!
In language arts we are reading Get ready for Second Grade Amber Brown, a fun story about Amber Brown's adventure through the beginning of second grade. In unit study we will be exploring the parts of the brain. Last year we learned about the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem and by the end of this week the students will know about the different lobes of the brain. Do you know how many we have? In math we will be reviewing place value. What is the value of the 8 in 89? If you do not know you will by the end of the week.

We are going to have a great week!

7/31

Hello Families!!!

Welcome to second grade! I hope you had a wonderful summer. I have heard about some amazing summer trips and adventures. I was able to travel to the beach, go to seminars, and relax.

So far this week the students have been learning about the procedures and expectations of the classroom. In addition to the expectations, the students have been learning and participating in Campus School (second grade) Olympics. On Monday we made torches and had an opening ceremony. The students went around the school saying the Campus Motto: respectful, responsible, and ready. Each flame of the torch represented each part of the promise. On Tuesday we read Wilma Unlimted, a story about a young girl who reached her dream of being in the Olympics. The students brainstormed "Going for the Gold Goals" for second grade. On Wednesday the students participated in Olympic math activities. They used a variety of measuring tools to record their results. It was so fun watching them do their best and work so hard.  The rest of the week will be full of more Olympic activities.

5/21

Hello Families!

We are going to have a great last two weeks! Thank you for being amazing families and support throughout the year!

Here is what we will be doing in the classroom:

The students will be doing End-of-the-Year test and presenting their Country Projects. Friday will be the last Family Gathering and we will have Spring Fling!!!

Next week:

There is no school on Monday. Happy Memorial Day. We will have our class party on Wednesday. Please check the blog for more information! Friday is the last day of school. We will have the awards assembly and it will be a half day!

5/14

Hello First Grade Families,


I few more weeks and it will be second grade families! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and able to get some rest. Last week we had a wonderful time at the Redbirds game. Thank you to all the volunteers! Also thank you so much for my bucket of joy. I have been slowly enjoying all the treats.


Let's take a look in the classroom:

In language arts we are reading Mole and Baby Bird. A wonderful story about a mole who finds a hurt baby bird and restores it back to good health. Our grammar skill is pronouns! In spelling the pattern is -ou and -ow, like is brown, cow, ouch!

In math the students are reviewing fact families, adding three numbers, and double digit addition and subtraction.

In unit study we are continuing are exploration of the continents. This week we are going to Africa, Australia, and Antarctica!

4/29

Hello first grade families. We are only 5 weeks away from summer and this time of the year is extremely busy. Be sure to pay close attention to dates and events. Next week is the Redbirds field trip. Thanks so much for getting the paper mache' balloons together last week. I know they are a lot of work. We'll begin constructing our globes this week.

In reading this week we'll share the story Tippy Toe Chick, Go! It's a story about a chick that out smarts a dog. Our comprehension focus is problem/solution. In spelling we'll practice the final consonant  -le pattern like in the word dribble. In grammar we'll explore different types of sentences; commands, telling, questions and exclamations.

In math this week we test on 2 digit addition and begin 2 digit subtraction. We'll begin with mental math skills subtracting tens and skip counting by 10's backwards starting at any number.

In unit study we will begin our continent study. Students will be able to identify and locate the 7 continents on a world map and globe. We will also explore landforms found on each continent.

4/23

Hello Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Hopefully you enjoyed the beautiful weather and the sunshine.

In the classroom this week the students will continue reading Henry and Mudge! The spelling skill is suffixes -ly and -ful. The grammar skill is a review of homophones, antonyms, and synonyms.

In unit study the students will be exploring our world. They will learn about the many different forms our world can have. They will also learn about culture and how diverse our beautiful world is.

In math the students will be be adding double digits, starting with adding groups of ten.  

It is going to be a great week!

4/10

Hello Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful April Break! Mr. Puckett and I enjoyed our families and the beautiful sunshine.

In the classroom this week the students will continue their exploration with dinosaurs, making their own graphs, and finishing their project Me on the Map.

In language arts we will be reading Mister Bones, a wonderful biography about Barnum Brown the paleontologist. The spelling skill is long -i (-igh and -ie). The grammar skill for the week is antonyms and synonyms. The students will also be doing a research project on dinosaurs. We will be using laptops in the room to find important details and information on dinosaurs!

In unit study the students will be working on "Me on the Map." A project we started last week where we start in the classroom and end with the whole world.

In math the students will be continuing with graphs. They will be conducting surveys and making their own graphs!

It is going to be a great week!

3/26

Hello Families!

This week is our Family Gathering!! Please come watch all the hard work your child has done!

In addition to practicing for Family Gathering the students will be learning new words, more about fractions, and more about the world we live in!

In language arts the students are reading The Dot, a wonderful story about a young artist who discovers a hidden talent. The spelling skill is -ea. When two vowels go a walking the first one.....! In grammar the students will be exploring more adjectives. What do adjectives describe? The topic for unit study is maps! The students have made maps, studied maps, and now they will pull all of the maps together and discover exactly where we are! We will be reading Me on the Map. In math, fractions are on the brain. After we have mastered fractions the students will learn about probability!

It is going to be a great week!

3/19

Hello First Grade Families,

I hope everyone had a great Spring Break! I heard a lot of great vacations stories today about the mountains, parks, camping, the beach, and visiting family. I also enjoyed the break but was ready to come back and see everyone's shining faces!

In the classroom this week the students will be learning new and exciting material. In language arts the students will be reading Mama's Birthday Present, a story about a little boy planning a wonderful party for his mom. It is not until the end of the story he finds the best present!! The comprehension skill is drawing conclusions and the grammer skill for the week is adjectives: shapes and colors! In spelling thes students will discovery another way to spell long a (ai, ay). The students will become cartographers in unit study by exploring maps, globes, and even fishing our community map. Finally, in math the students will become fraction experts by learning numerator, demonator, and differnt types of fractions (1/2, 1/3, and 1/4)!

It is going to be a great week and I am excited about being back in school!

2/27

Hello Fmailies,

This is our last week before Spring Break and then only 10 more to go! I can not believe we have almost made it through 1st grade!

All week we will be working hard presenting and reviewing.

In spelling the students are reviewing contractions. What is the symbol we use? All of the spelling words are contractions for -not and -will. In language arts the students will explore the wonderful work of Dr. Seuss. We will read Green Eggs and Ham, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, If I ran a Zoo, and so many more! Friday we will celebrate Dr. Suess' birthday and enjoy a pizza party. In grammar the students will review all of the verbs! Here is a great link to explore Seussville!

In unit study the students will continue their project on community. They will make streets and begin construction on the big map!

In math the students will be reviewing facts families, place value, and skip counting.

2/21

Hello Families!

All ThinkShow Projects are due Monday, February 27. I am so excited to see them.

All week in literature the students will be celebrating Black History Month. We will read about the amazing people who have helped shaped America, famous authors, and poets. Next week some students will watch Ruby Bridges. The movie is about brave young girl who fights for equality and rights.

In unit study the students are going to be building a community map. Each child has a different place they will create and before Spring Break we will combine all of first grade to represent a big community!

In math the students will continue and explore measurement. They will learn about capacity and tools we use to measure capacity.

2/13

Hello Families!

We are going to have a wonderful week and have many exciting adventures to take!

Our reading selection this week is An Egg is an Egg, a story about the life cycle of a chicken. In grammar the students will continue to learn about being verbs (am, is, are, was, were). Our spelling skill er, ir, and ur.


In unit study will be learning about community. The students will learn about the community we live in and the different communities all around us. We will discuss the different parts of a community and how everyone has an important role to fill!

In math the students will explore the temperature and weight. They will start the week exploring the parts of a thermometer! Then the students will learn about pounds, grams, and kilograms!


It is going to be a great week!

1/30

Hello families, I hope everyone is having a great start to the week.

The adeventures for the week:

In reading we will be reading Where Are My Animal Friends? It is a play that I know the students are going to enjoy acting out! Our comprehension skill will be main idea. The main idea is what the story is mostly about. Our grammar focus will be past and present tense verbs as well as be verbs. The spelling skill is -dge as in edge. Make sure to see the spelling tab for a list of spelling words.

The first graders will continue to learn to tell time in math. The students will be using clocks to tell time on the hour and half hour. Then students will learn about elapsed time or how much time has passed. Next students will learn to use a schedule. By the end of the week we will review calendar skills.


For unit study your child is going to be researching a famous American. We are going to be doing this in class because they are learning about how to research. Attached is the list. There is no homework required for this project!

Have a wonderful week!!!

1/17-1/20

Hello families! I hope you all enjoyed the 3 day weekend. Here's what's happening in our classroom this week...
In reading we'll read biographies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Our comprehension skills are theme, main idea and sequence. Students will make a timeline of Dr. King's life. Students will also write about a dream of their own that would benefit all mankind. Our grammar skill is subject verb agreement. When the noun is singular we add an s to the verb. Our spelling focuses on that tricky /y/. When it comes at the end of the word it makes a long e or i sound. If the word is multisyllabic it typically has a long e sound, in one syllable words the y makes a long i sound.

This will be our last week of studying money in math! We will test on Friday. Students have learned to count mixed coins with amounts up to $1.00. This week we will make given amounts, show the same amount 2 different ways, and solve word problems involving money. Some students will learn how to make change by counting on from the cost to the amount paid. I am so proud of every students' effort with this unit. Counting money is no easy task.

In unit study we will finish up our study of US symbols. We have learned about the flag, bald eagle, and Statue of Liberty. This week we will discover the Liberty Bell and The Great Seal. I will allow students to bring home their symbols book to study before the test. Please be sure to return them the next day so I can display them in the classroom.

1/3

Hello Families! Welcome back to an exciting new year! I hope everyone enjoyed the long break. I had a wonderful time here in Memphis and was able to see lots of family.


We have new and exciting material for the next upcoming weeks, starting with:
We will move right back into the swing of things in the classroom. In reading we will be reading Ruby in Her Own Time. Our comprehension skill will be plot. Students will work on summarizing the plot by identifying the main events in the beginning, middle, and end of the story. In grammar we will review nouns and proper nouns before learning about verbs. Verbs are action words like jump or sing. The spelling pattern is -ng and -nk. Check out the spelling tab for a list of spelling words.
The first graders will be studying American symbols in unit study. Each student will make a book about American symbols. This week the students will add the flag and the bald eagle to their symbol book.

In math we will begin counting money. While counting money, students will also continue to use their skip counting skills. On Tuesday, we will begin by identifying the coins and their amounts. Then students will count like coins. At the end of the week, the first graders will be counting dimes and pennies as well as nickels and pennies. This is a wonderful opportunity to reinforce what we are learning at home by counting coins.