Polar Express Day

Friday we had our annual school-wide Polar Express Day. The day started out with a holiday sing-along in the cafeteria. We then went to the library where the office staff and specialty teachers did a Readers' Theater version of The Polar Express. The students were then treated to hot chocolate. All of first grade joined us in our class to watch the movie as well - a very rare treat for the kids. And, of course, I read the story to my class and we created a Story Map together to identify the story elements. Below are some pictures from our day:

The pictures below were taken to go on The Polar Express train ornament that the teachers make for the students each year. Fellow teachers, I didn't get a picture of the one we made this year, but if you are interested, you can see an example here from a previous year. We also have the students a bell necklace as a connection to the story.

Puzzle Wreath Ornaments

The students made these cute puzzle wreath ornaments as a gift for their parents.

Father's Day Gifts

The students created a Father's Day gift before we released for the summer. They completed a questionnaire and then drew a picture of their dad to go along with it. Several teachers have asked me recently how I get my students to draw detailed and proportionate pictures. So, here is my basic answer: model, model, model. I am not an artist myself but I model everything for my students. For this particular lesson, I had them fold the paper in half, top to bottom. I instructed them to draw a dot about three fingers down from the top. I then had them draw a dot in the middle of the fold. They then drew the curves of the face from each dot, top to bottom. Then for the shoulders, they drew a curve from the dot on the fold to each corner of the paper. This gave them a foundation for their portrait and the rest was completely up to them.

Mother's Day Gifts

In the computer lab the students brainstormed various words to describe their mother which we recorded on a Circle Map. Then using Tagxedo, the typed in at least ten of the words. They then chose a heart shaped template and a color scheme they thought their mom would like. After saving the files, I printed them for the students in color and used Mod Podge to adhere them to tiles. It was a very simple and easy project for the students to express how they feel about their mothers in a lasting keepsake.

Valentine Handprints

I saw this cute activity on Pinterest where students created hearts with their handprints. They turned out to be very adorable!

Mother's Day Artwork

As gifts to their mothers, the students painted ceramic wall tiles with their handprint and polka-dots. I then added a ribbon on the back with hot glue.

Valentine's Day Treats

Here is a picture of the Pinterest inspired Valentine's Day Treats I made for my students. The tag says "Thank you for making First Grade such a ball, Valentine!" I found the rubber high-bounce balls in the Valentine's section at Target (my favorite place) and put them in snack-size Ziploc bags. I then typed the tags in Microsoft Word. The ruler feature is very helpful in making sure the tags were the right size for the bags. I printed the tags at home and stapled them across the top. In total, the treats only took fifteen minutes to make! As a busy teacher, that was a plus! And, what first grader doesn't love high-bounce balls?!? In the version I saw on Pinterest, they filled the bag with gumballs, and although that does go along with our beginning of year bulletin board, I thought these were more fun. Parents, as a reminder, our Valentine's Party is this Tuesday, the 14th, at 2:45PM. You are more than welcome to come.

Polar Express Ornament and Gift

Each year the teachers at our school give the students a Polar Express train ornament with a class picture on it. Thankfully we have parent volunteers who are willing to help with this project for the kids. It is a nice keepsake and helps them remember this special tradition at our school. In our grade we also give the students silver bell necklaces to help the students make a connection to the gift in the story.

Polar Express Day

Last Friday the students were treated to a special story time in the library with our principal, Mrs. Oliver. Mrs. Oliver read The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. The students were very comfy as they listened because it was also pajama day. Following the reading, the students enjoyed hot chocolate.