Speaking of authors....

Meet one of Primary's authors, Isabella.  Isabella is a petite bundle of pep and creativity.  Recently she penned a wonderful fairytale.  Enjoy!

Hey Miss D, whats new in Primary?

What's new in Primary? Well so much! We, as you can imagine, are full steam ahead! Lately my class is a buzz with writing and I have room full of inspiring authors.  We are now working on our Poetry Unit study in which we have studied and written in nine (thats right, NINE) different poetry forms! By the end of our unit we will have learned about twelve different styles of poetry and written at least twelve poems (one for each style).  The class favorite so far has been the Rebus poem and Cinquain.  I think I have a class of future Poet Laureates.
We also recently had our Biography presentations.  Student's dressed up on the person they learned about and then spoke to the class as that person telling them about their life.  We learned about so many people! Babe Ruth, Helen Keller, Walt Disney, Ab Lincoln just to name a few.
We have been learning a lot, and we have no plans to slow down.  We will continue to tackle new challenges and experiences with joy and vigor till the very last day in school.

Keep checking in to see what we will be up to next!
Happy Learning!

Right In Line With Our Peace Theme...

My precious primary's have been working on being more peaceful people for last 20 days or so.  I had issued them a challenge "35 Days of Peace", in which we had to try our hardest to live the examples of some of the peaceful people we had been learning about.  

Just this week I received an email with a peaceful reflection that went so well with our theme I thought I would share:

"Peace is a necessary condition of spirituality, no less than an inevitable result of it." -Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

Peace is reason enough for each of us to pursue our spirituality, and to encourage and support others who wish to do so, also.  We experience inner peace through prayer, meditation, and spiritual activity.  And that peace radiates outwards to affect our homes and communities.  The more of us who live spiritually, the more peace there will be in the world! -Lissa Coffey

Stations of the Cross

I am so excited for my primary darlings. Tomorrow is the BIG day! We will be leading the school in the Stations of the Cross prayer service.  We have been practicing so hard for this moment. I can't wait!

Lent For Kids

Here are some resources I use in the classroom when we learn about Lent.
Stations of the Cross prayer service is a great activity to do with your child during the Lenten season.

History Lesson on Lent...

"Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter. In the desire to renew the liturgical practices of the Church, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican Council II stated, "The two elements which are especially characteristic of Lent -- the recalling of baptism or the preparation for it, and penance -- should be given greater emphasis in the liturgy and in liturgical catechesis. It is by means of them that the Church prepares the faithful for the celebration of Easter, while they hear God's word more frequently and devote more time to prayer" (no. 109). The word Lent itself is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning "Spring," and lenctentid, which literally means not only "Springtide" but also was the word for "March," the month in which the majority of Lent falls.

Since the earliest times of the Church, there is evidence of some kind of Lenten preparation for Easter. For instance, St. Irenaeus (d. 203) wrote to Pope St. Victor I, commenting on the celebration of Easter and the differences between practices in the East and the West: "The dispute is not only about the day, but also about the actual character of the fast. Some think that they ought to fast for one day, some for two, others for still more; some make their 'day' last 40 hours on end. Such variation in the observance did not originate in our own day, but very much earlier, in the time of our forefathers" (Eusebius, History of the Church, V, 24). When Rufinus translated this passage from Greek into Latin, the punctuation made between "40" and "hours" made the meaning to appear to be "40 days, twenty-four hours a day." The importance of the passage, nevertheless, remains that since the time of "our forefathers" -- always an expression for the apostles -- a 40-day period of Lenten preparation existed. However, the actual practices and duration of Lent were still not homogenous throughout the Church.

Lent becomes more regularized after the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313. The Council of Nicea (325), in its disciplinary canons, noted that two provincial synods should be held each year, "one before the 40 days of Lent." St. Athanasius (d. 373) in this "Festal Letters" implored his congregation to make a 40-day fast prior to the more intense fasting of Holy Week. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386) in his Catechectical Lectures, which are the paradigm for our current RCIA programs, had 18 pre-baptismal instructions given to the catechumens during Lent. St. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444) in his series of "Festal Letters" also noted the practices and duration of Lent, emphasizing the 40-day period of fasting. Finally, Pope St. Leo (d. 461) preached that the faithful must "fulfill with their fasts the Apostolic institution of the 40 days," again noting the apostolic origins of Lent. One can safely conclude that by the end of the fourth century, the 40-day period of Easter preparation known as Lent existed, and that prayer and fasting constituted its primary spiritual exercises.

Of course, the number "40" has always had special spiritual significance regarding preparation. On Mount Sinai, preparing to receive the Ten Commandments, "Moses stayed there with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights, without eating any food or drinking any water" (Ex 34:28). Elijah walked "40 days and 40 nights" to the mountain of the Lord, Mount Horeb (another name for Sinai) (I Kgs 19:8). Most importantly, Jesus fasted and prayed for "40 days and 40 nights" in the desert before He began His public ministry (Mt 4:2).

Once the 40 days of Lent were established, the next development concerned how much fasting was to be done. In Jerusalem, for instance, people fasted for 40 days, Monday through Friday, but not on Saturday or Sunday, thereby making Lent last for eight weeks. In Rome and in the West, people fasted for six weeks, Monday through Saturday, thereby making Lent last for six weeks. Eventually, the practice prevailed of fasting for six days a week over the course of six weeks, and Ash Wednesday was instituted to bring the number of fast days before Easter to 40. The rules of fasting varied. First, some areas of the Church abstained from all forms of meat and animal products, while others made exceptions for food like fish. For example, Pope St. Gregory (d. 604), writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury, issued the following rule: "We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs."

These Lenten fasting rules also evolved. Eventually, a smaller repast was allowed during the day to keep up one's strength from manual labor. Eating fish was allowed, and later eating meat was also allowed through the week except on Ash Wednesday and Friday. Dispensations were given for eating dairy products if a pious work was performed, and eventually this rule was relaxed totally. (However, the abstinence from even dairy products led to the practice of blessing Easter eggs and eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.)

Over the years, modifications have been made to the Lenten observances, making our practices not only simple but also easy. Ash Wednesday still marks the beginning of Lent, which lasts for 40 days, not including Sundays. The present fasting and abstinence laws are very simple: On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the faithful fast (having only one full meal a day and smaller snacks to keep up one's strength) and abstain from meat; on the other Fridays of Lent, the faithful abstain from meat. People are still encouraged "to give up something" for Lent as a sacrifice. (An interesting note is that technically on Sundays and solemnities like St. Joseph's Day (March 19) and the Annunciation (March 25), one is exempt and can partake of whatever has been offered up for Lent.

Nevertheless, I was always taught, "If you gave something up for the Lord, tough it out. Don't act like a Pharisee looking for a loophole." Moreover, an emphasis must be placed on performing spiritual works, like attending the Stations of the Cross, attending Mass, making a weekly holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament, taking time for personal prayer and spiritual reading and most especially making a good confession and receiving sacramental absolution. Although the practices may have evolved over the centuries, the focus remains the same: to repent of sin, to renew our faith and to prepare to celebrate joyfully the mysteries of our salvation".

Written by FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS and information found on www.catholiceducation.org

Copyright © 2002 Arlington Catholic Herald

Very Interesting!

This is a post from one of my favorite graduate teachers. I always find the most interesting information related to education and technology on her blog. Thank you Judy! "Monday, February 9, 2015 The Power of Play Last night on Twitter, California Ed Chat, aka #caedchat, had a wonderful chat on "The Power of Play." People shared so many encouraging thoughts and suggestions for ways to integrate play into the school setting in a variety of grade levels and subject areas. I love the California Ed Chat. People from all over the world join in to share ideas, and the chat is always interactive and highly engaging. Although I live on the East Coast, and California Ed Chat starts late Sunday night for an East Coast person, I make it a point to stay up and join each week, as my schedule permits. Here is the archive for the dynamic chat, Feb. 8, 2015, on "The Power of Play.""

Extra Extra Read All About It!!!

So here we are again, time has just flown by and so much has happened in our Primary classroom... this time around I asked my students about what some of their favorite things that we have done and learned about.  Here is what they had to say:

"We read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together.  It was really funny and I want us to read Charlie and the Glass Elevator next!"

"We did peaceful doves for the board and are writing about being peaceful"

"We are doing 35 days of peace and writing in our journals.  Some mornings we share our writing in circle"

"We had a lot of snow days"

"We learned about germs and making sure to catch our sneezes and clean our hands"

"We learned about Presidents.  You have to be old to be President"


"We read about living things.  We saw a body with 'juicy parts' [major organs and veins]"

"We finished reading Mr. Popper's Penguins and made penguins"

"We learned about maps"

We have done so much more in Primary, that was just a glimpse. In math we have moved on from graphing to place value and regrouping, in Religion our older students received the Sacrament of First Penance and are preparing for Holy Communion, students also finished two in class book reports AND have been making excellent strides in working in their different skills groups.  We are busy, busy, busy and having so much fun learning together!

Every Primary Classroom Needs....

Journals! There are such a great way to incorporate writing into every content area.  I love journaling with my classes. It is such a great way for student's to demonstrate learning and strengthen fine motor, spelling, reading, and writing skills.  I have used journaling from K to 8th grade, if you haven't tried it you must!

A Prayer for Thanksgiving Day

Found on wordpress.com

Some Needed Words of Wisdom...

 "Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment."

  -Lao-tzu

Reflection: 

"There are so many things to learn in this life.  We spend years in school studying algebra and history, science and literature.  All of this is fascinating, and helps us to grow.  And yet, when you know yourself, you know everything.  It all becomes so simple.  We can see the connections, we can feel the balance of it all.  Garner wisdom from books and teachings, and also, look within". 

By: Lissa Coffey

   

What's Going On In Primary?!

NO WAY! They have done ALL that?!

I have been very remiss in my blogging as of late, so wrapped up in my classroom that I felt it was time to pause and summarize some of the great things that we have been doing here...

August and September (in a glance)...
We started the year off at a running pace.  Reviewing all the skills we had learned and practiced over the summer.  We covered our first chapter in Math which had us practicing ordinal numbers and addition. In reading we read Junie B. Jones First Grader At Last and Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth.  We compared and contrasted how the character of Junie B. evolved (or didn't).  We also examined story structure discussing plot, problem/conflicts, and main idea.  In small groups we read more and worked on character charts and problem/solution graphs.  Science and Social Studies we accomplished a lot as well, learning about the scientific method and Citizenship, Laws, and Rights.

        

October...
We continued right on learning at lightening speed, nothing can slow these bright little owls down! We read stories One, Zero, Ivy and Bean, Spookley the Square Pumpkin, and Alvin Ho to name a few.  While reading we examined author's purpose, the moral of a story, and how to be GREAT friends. 
In Math we began adding with multiple addends and double digit numbers.  We continued to work on word problems and then moved on to subtraction and graphing.  
In Science we learned more about the weather and clouds.  Social Studies we learned more about the United States and our founding fathers.   

    
  





November...
This month is proving to be just as busy, fun, and productive as the others.  We finished the chapter book Alvin Ho which we had started at the end of October.  For the last week few days of November we will be reading books with a theme of gratitude and giving.  We will be making art to demonstrate our learning and continue using the many graphic organizers we have already been introduced to to demonstrate our learning.  
Math we are wrapping up with Subtraction with subtraction word problems while other students are continuing to work on graphing, tallying, and data collection.
Social Studies we have been learning all about the Wampanoag and Pilgrims.  We have been lucky enough to take virtual field trips of the Mayflower,  a Wampanoag Village and a Pilgrim community.  We have been discussing the differences of each group of people and their struggles.  It makes us truly appreciate all that we have now!
Science we have been learning about our planets.  We have recently concluded our study of the Sun, and before that we had been learning about our Moon.  
It will continue to be a learning adventure that both excites and enriches us.

A Little Math Humor...

Out of the mouth of babes...

This morning during our Morning Math Maintenance we were in the process of correcting our work. While writing the answers on chart paper for class my marker ran out of ink.  Not thinking I said out loud to myself, "well this marker is dead." Without skipping a beat on of my students hands shot up.  I called on him thinking that he had the answer to the next problem, but no, he had a question: "Miss D is the marker going to Heaven?"

At that moment my only though was how much I love my job and the little ones I am so blessed to teach. 

Integrating Technology and Literacy: Another Easy-to-Use Digital Story App

A major THANK YOU to my professor at USJ for continuing to post amazing new technologies to use in the classroom. Thank you Judy!



Integrating Technology and Literacy: Another Easy-to-Use Digital Story App: Take some time over your summer break to explore and have fun creating entertaining videos with Wideo . Here's a clever one I caug...

Integrating Technology and Literacy: A Versatile Tool to Use in the Classroom: ThingLin...

My first attempt at creating a ThingLink!

Integrating Technology and Literacy: A Versatile Tool to Use in the Classroom: ThingLin...: Check this Thinglink , created by using several digital tools. The words are ones recently added to the Oxford English  Dictionary . Tagxedo...

Miss D's Thoughts...

I can't believe how fast the school year flew by! Our year was jammed packed with fun and educational projects, field trips, concerts, and so much more.  Graduation was bitter sweet because I was saying goodbye to all my Kindergarten friends, but I knew they were ready to move on.  Then much to my excitement I was moved to the primary level where I will teach not only my 2013/14 graduating class but also my 2012/13 graduating class!  It is a joy to spend more time with the students I already know so well.  I look forward to our year together and all the wonderful things in store for us.

March has been all about $$

All month we have been learning about money, money, MONEY! We have been nickeled and dimed to death. We learned about each coin's value and what makes them different. We learned about each president on our coins in addition to counting change and making a dollar. For us having manipulatives and a hundreds chart was a must! 

 Here are some resources for you, whether you are teaching, reteaching, or reinforcing at home. Enjoy!

Crazy Coins Lesson Plans

Money Song

Money worksheet for visual learners

Money Flip Book

Money Booklets

Math Center

Welcome to Kindergarten

I was so proud of some of the group work my little cuties did using Prezi to make a slide show presentation for an open house at our school.  While students did need me to type their words they picked pictures, clip art, music, and voted on the template they wanted to use.  Great job class, I'm proud of you!

There is more than one way to think about math...

Kindergarten answers the question: How would our life be different if we did not have numbers?

Taylor: "We wouldn't be able to use a telephone"
Haylee: "We wouldn't be able to learn math"
Tejas: "We wouldn't be able to tell how many of something there is"
Maya: "We wouldn't be able to type in the password on a smart-phone"
Ty: "We wouldn't be able to read/tell time"
Anthony: "We wouldn't be able to know when to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner"
Joey: "We wouldn't be able to count" "You wouldn't be able to tell if someone had a temperature"
Daniel: "We wouldn't be able to able to read a thermometer(tell how hot and cold it is outside)"