Ms. Lucchese's First Grade

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

First Grade did a fantastic job at their Prayer Service today - I was so proud of them! A highlight for me was when they led everyone in singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth." They love this song, and sometimes spontaneously break into singing it in the classroom. Enjoy and Happy Earth Day - let peace begin with us!

Cal Endowment Basket

2011-04-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Endowment dinner and auction is coming up in May, so it's time to start getting together the First Grade Endowment Basket. This year it will be a GO BEARS basket! Please gather Cal gear, memorabilia, and tickets to make it a great success. You will receive PPP hours for your donations. THANK YOU!!

Ms. Lucchese got an ipad!

2011-03-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

I came back from Palm Springs with an ipad! We will begin using it in our classroom soon!! If you know of any great, educational apps that you have used and enjoy, let me know.

San Francisco Symphony

2011-03-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

We are preparing for our trip to the San Francisco Symphony! We watched part of the movie Fantasia to see how artists depict music using their imagination. After we learned about the many instruments that make up the orchestra, we started listening to the actual music we will be hearing at the concert. Here is a video of the piece, "The Elephant" from The Carnival of Animals by Camille Saint-Saens:

"Silent E" Video!

2011-02-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

We have been exploring "silent e" - here's a fun video for more practice!

February Field Trip!

2011-02-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

We are looking forward to our upcoming trip! Highlights include the Yerba Buena Gardens, the MLK Jr. Fountain, an amazing playground, and a carousel! All hidden in downtown San Francisco and right by BART! Other field trips this Spring: the San Francisco Symphony in March, and the Marin Audobon Center in April. Stay tuned!

Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-21T18:34:00.000-08:00

This week we have been reading The Doorbell Rang, it's all about sharing cookies! Here is the recipe to make your own cookies - share them with your family!

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

-PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
-COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
-Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.
-Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Gradually beat in flour mixture.
-Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired).
-Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
-BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
-Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.
-Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

This week, as we got back into the swing of things, we started counting down to the 100th day of school! It's just over twenty days away, so start collecting 100 of something today. It could be noodles, buttons, stickers, leaves, paper clips, whatever you'd like! We also are about to earn our 100th class point - I see a celebration in our future!! Happy New Year!

Holiday Happening!

2010-12-09T21:54:00.001-08:00

We finally finished reading The Wizard of Oz, and I found out that the beautiful Paramount Theater in Oakland is showing it Thursday, December 30th at 8pm. This would be a fun and festive holiday outing for just $5 a ticket!! Check out their website if you'd like more information. I will be there, if you'd like to join me, let me know and we can meet up. Just email me at tlucchese@csdo.org. Merry Christmas and There's No Place Like Home. :)

Christmas Party!

2010-12-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

We have decked the halls with strings of paper chains - we are ready to celebrate! Our party will be Thursday, December 16th. We will also have a gift exchange at the party - please wrap one new book ($10 or under) and bring to share with a classmate! What better gift than the gift of a book. :)

BAWP

2010-11-16T23:01:00.000-08:00

St. John's has invited BAWP (Bay Area Writing Project) into our classrooms! We have had two visits already, and look forward to many more in the coming months. So far with our BAWP representative we have written some descriptive poetry and done sequencing in retelling stories. We were also reminded of the 6 important questions to ask after reading a story:

WHO
WHAT
WHERE
WHEN
WHY
HOW

I encourage all of you to especially ask the WHY and HOW questions. These allow for deeper understanding and analytical thinking. Let the discussions begin!

Our Trip to the Oakland Museum!

2010-11-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things to look forward to!

- 25 years of Pixar!
- Vivo! Day of the Dead Art
- The Sculpture Court

Check out their website!

Pumpkin Explorations

2010-10-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we walked to Safeway to get our pumpkins! Walking there and back, we earned those pumpkins and had some fun on the way! Then we had a whole afternoon of pumpkin investigation: we measured, counted, drew, wrote - all about pumpkins! The only thing we didn't do is eat pumpkin - if you get the chance in the next week try making a pumpkin pie:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Enjoy! And let me know how it comes out!

Rise and Shine!!

2010-10-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

We have started learning the rest of the lyrics to "Rise and Shine:"

Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Children of the world.

The Lord said to Noah:
There's gonna be a floody, floody
The Lord said to Noah:
There's gonna be a floody, floody
Get those children out of the muddy, muddy
Children of the world.

So Noah
He built him, he built him an arky, arky
Noah
He built him, he built him an arky, arky
Built it out of hickory barky, barky
Children of the world.

Ms. Lucchese's Wish List

2010-10-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

I have thought long and hard about a few items that might improve our classroom and came up with this list. In school this week we found a "fairy," one of those fluffy seed pods, and the students and I all thought of a wish before I blew it off into the wind. These are just a few of my more tangible wishes, listed from the most lofty to the most realistic:

1. A document camera, like this

2. A big book holder, like this

3. A solid tape player

4. Hula hoops
*Donated by the White Family - thank you!

5. An Etch-A-Sketch

6. White Board Markers
*Donated by the Huerta Family - thank you!

I was so humbled when this was suggested at Back to School Night, just knowing that First Grade has such a supportive group of parents makes my wishes come true. Thank you!

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2010-10-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

We have started reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and are loving it! Dorothy has met the Witch of the North (the good witch), and she and Toto have headed off on the road of yellow brick to find the Wizard of Oz. She has just met the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. When we finish the book we'll watch the movie to compare. Turns out, in the book Dorothy has silver shoes instead of red ones!!

Balloon Rockets!

2010-09-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Make your own! Here's what you need:

a balloon
a gallon ziplock bag
a straw
string
tape

Step 1: Tie one end of the string to a chair.
Step 2: Slide straw onto the string.
Step 3: Tie the other side of the string to another chair.
Step 4: Tape ziplock to the straw.
Step 5: Insert balloon into the bag.
Step 6: Blow up balloon.
Step 7: Let go and watch it fly!

We just finished our Air unit with this very fun experiment - try it at home!

One Light, One Sun

2010-09-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

This week we started learning this Raffi song: One Light, One Sun. We have been working our way through this CD, it's full of great hits, including our favorites "Apples and Bananas" and "Take me out to the ball game." You'll be humming along soon!

Neighborhood Walking Tour

2010-09-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Our first field trip is coming up soon! We will be going on a walking field trip of the neighborhood, as we start to discuss what kind of people and shops are in a community. Highlights of the trip: fire station, city hall, laundromat, gas station, grocery store, cafe, car wash, post office, AND we will stop for ice cream! Here's a map: our neighborhood. We will walk from our school to Moeser and back! Stay tuned for pictures from our trip!

Short A as in Lamb

2010-09-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

This week we have been reading The Map, a "short a" book (which will be coming home shortly). Here is another great "short a" book you can read online! Zac the Rat

Our Schedule

2010-08-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief outline of our daily schedule!

Monday:
Spelling Words
Language Arts
Star Student
Math
Religion
Music
Social Studies

Tuesday:
Phonics
Language Arts
PE
Math
Spanish
Religion
Science

Wednesday:
Language Arts
Journal

Math

Religion

Music

Social Studies

Thursday:
Language Arts
PE
Math

Spanish
Religion
Science

Friday:
Spelling Test
Language Arts
Friday Feature
Journal
Math
Religion
Computer
Star Sharing

Pennies for Peace

2010-08-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

This fall we will be collecting our spare change for Pennies for Peace, a wonderful organization which builds schools around the world. I learned about the organization when I read Three Cups of Tea, a fascinating book about its founder Greg Mortenson. Please take a moment to check out their website: Pennies for Peace. Remember every penny helps: "a penny in the United States is virtually worthless, but in places like Pakistan a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy."

ABC's of First Grade

2010-08-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Allergies: Please notify me if your child has any food allergies that we should be aware of – with your help I aim to keep your child safe in my classroom.

Birthdays: We will celebrate all the birthdays of a month the last week of that month. Let me know in advance what you would like to do to celebrate your child’s birthday. Please see attached list of all the students’ birthdays. Note: Just a reminder that if you are giving out birthday party invitations please invite the whole class or mail them privately. Thank you!

Books: I will send home little books we have read in class, these are for you to keep at home. Please collect them and make a library of these books to reread with your child.

Discipline: Classroom Expectations: Respect Yourself and Others, Contribute to the Learning Environment, and Follow Procedures. These echo the St John’s student learning expectations to be Christian Leaders, Academic Achievers, and Responsible Citizens. There will be positive feedback if these expectations are met and consequences if they are not followed: 1) warning 2) reflective time out 3) missed recess 4) visit to office and a reflection response, completed by the student, will be sent home. The goal of this discipline plan is to foster self-discipline and responsibility in students.

Each student will have a name card, and if they are not following classroom expectations they will receive a clip. One clip is just a warning, two clips means they will receive a time out for reflection, three clips will result in a loss of some recess, and after four clips they will be sent to the office. If they have a clip-free day they will get a star, and after ten stars they will get a prize from the prize box.

Folder: Please send the folder in the backpack every day; there are often school notes or fliers that needs to be sent home. In the folders every Friday, I will send home the weekly newsletter, corrected work, and other important notes. PLEASE READ and return the folder on Mondays. At any time, feel free to insert a note with any questions or concerns you may have. I will read it during the day and respond in a timely fashion.

Homework: In First Grade homework should not take more than 15 minutes a night, if your child is consistently taking longer please let me know. Homework Packets will go home in the folders every Monday, and must be returned on Friday. Homework will include the week’s spelling list and a small practice packet. In addition, children should be spending 15 minutes every night reading to or with a family member. This one-on-one reading time is invaluable to your child!

Language Arts: In First Grade, Language Arts includes phonics, reading, writing, and oral language. We will be spending time every day on these skills, whether it be in reading groups, writing poetry, doing sharing at community circle, or as integrated into another subject area.

Math: First Grade Math encompasses many building blocks: simple addition and subtraction, telling time, money, measurement, graphing, patterns, even fractions and geometry! We will start every day doing some calendar math, but will also have group instruction and hands on experiences involving manipulatives.

Parent Help: There will be many opportunities for parents to pitch in – field trip chaperones, helping at school events, assisting in the classroom, donating items for the Endowment. Please refer to the family handbook for more PPP information and stay tuned for events!

Religion: In First Grade our Religious Studies center on the idea of being a part of the family of God and what it means to contribute to that community. We will be collecting pennies for two great organizations: Pennies for Peace and The Heifer Project.

Science: First Grade Science focuses on two main units: starting with Air and Weather, and ending with Solids, Liquids, and Gases. We get to explore the world around us through very hands-on experiments and explorations.

Social Studies: In First Grade the focus is on a child’s place in time: comparing how people used to live to how we live now, learning about the symbols of our country, discovering where food and goods in our lives come from, and experiencing what it means to be a responsible citizen.

Specialized Staff: I will be integrating Art and Music throughout the curriculum, as these are two of my passions. However, First Graders also study Music, PE, Spanish, and Computer. We are blessed to have a wonderful specialized staff to supplement our year! Also, Mrs. Cooke is our fabulous assistant, my right arm. J

Spelling: Spelling lists will be handed out every Monday in the Homework Packet. Throughout the week we will do word work to give students the chance to manipulate the words. We will have Spelling Tests on Fridays, please review words with your child during the week.

Star Student: Each week, we will have a Star Student. The Monday of their week they are invited to bring in photos, favorite memorabilia, or art from home to put up on the Star Board. In class we will be making a Star Student book for your child to take home, and on Fridays the Star will bring something to share. Sharing is a part of the Oral Language curriculum; it is also a way for the classroom community to learn more about each student. Please encourage your child to bring an item with an interesting story or significance.

Uniforms: Please consult the family handbook for guidelines on the uniform policy.

Supply List

2010-07-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to an exciting year! I hope you all had a wonderful summer - time to get school supplies!! Here's what you will need for First Grade:

supply box (something like this one)

4 folders with pockets

24-pack of crayons

1 wide-ruled notebook

24-pack of yellow pencils

scissors

2 packs of pink erasers

1 pack of regular markers

3 packs of gluestick

1 box of Kleenex

1 Elmer’s glue

1 roll of paper towels

4 packs of baby wipes

1 box of sandwich Ziplocks

1 set of watercolors

1 pack of unlined index cards

ruler (w/ inches & centimeters)

bag of EXTRA CLOTHES (w/socks!)

1 fantastic and exciting coloring book (for after completing work!)

NOTE: You only need to label underlined items. We share most of our supplies, so it saves confusion and commotion if shared things are not labeled. That should save you a little ink and time. Thanks!