Turkey Cooking Show 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!  I cannot believe we are at the end of November already.  Our firsties spent some time watching Kid Snippets Cooking Show and talked about how to cook a turkey.  Thanks to the moms helping-Ms. Kathleen and Ms. Amanda for getting us started.  We wrote how to directions and practiced reading them so many times just in time for the big day filming.  I put them all together for the Wright's Rippers Turkey Cooking Show 2014.  I hope you enjoy the hard work these amazing kids put forth for the premiere of this video.  I will sit down with my family today and count my many blessings.  Teaching 1st grade and these firsties top my list.  I hope each of you enjoy the day and share your love.  You can always make a comment and I will share with the kids.  Happy Thanksgiving. See you on Monday.

Look what I made...

Can I just tell you how amazing our art teachers are at Cypress Creek!  Mrs. Hanna is one of the dynamic duo and lucky for us we have her this year.  The firsties came back with these projects and I just had to take pictures and share them with you!  They are amazing.  Here we have Frogs...

 Here we have Giraffes...

Aren't they fabulous? Our class is full of the bestest artists around. You can always leave a comment and I will make sure to share with the firsties.

50s DAY!!

The 49^th day was like every one before and then came the 50^th day of school…  The firsties walked in to the music playing and there were jeans, poodle skirts, and pony tails as far as the eyes could see. It was such a cute sight with giggles and skirts twirling and boys with gelled hair.  Every room in 1^st grade had a different 50s activities.  We hula hooped, did the twist, made greater than/less than records, drank root beer floats, counted how many things we could do with 50 seconds, and built towers with 50 cups.  It was so much fun seeing all the kids in 1^st grade pass through my room. 

I tried a new rotation this year.  I made a flipchart with various activities and the kids had 50 seconds along with keeping their count.  Have you tried jumping jacks for 50 seconds, then standing on 1 foot, then switching to the other foot?  It is tougher than it sounds.  Here are just a few of the pictures I took because I was participating too.  My highlight was Ms. Kathleen, an intern at our school.  She is exceptional.  She has lead a full life of family, children, working as a paraprofessional, a nurse, and still at 68 wants to learn so she of course went back to school.  She was right in there with those 6 year olds hopping, counting, and having just as much fun. 

Here is our crew of Pink Ladies and Greasers.  

Thanks to these brave ladies.  We had a firstie vs mom paddleball competition.  Too fun!

50s day you might ask why do we do it? We never did those things when I was in school. Funny you should ask. Here is my take.  At Cypress Creek we are creating experiences for these children.  They won’t know what the 50s were like, what they wore, or how they survived without electronics.  The 50s are fading, so for a few hours we could let them experience the music, the laughter, and the simplicity of life in the 50s.  The best part, my favorite part, is the math we shared that day.  We counted over and over again and it was fun.  Math was fun.  Imagine that a world where 50 doesn’t have to be 50 but a 25+25, or 10+40, or 30+20 depending on what would make it easier to work with.  If you ask the kids they will say it was fun because they didn’t have to do any work.  Little do they know how much energy went into making the 49 days of learning before 50 come to life.

Please remember to Thank a Veteran

Veteran's Day 2014-did you remember to thank a veteran? I did!  Here is my favorite Veteran-my daddy!

Yes I know I am probably too old to be calling him my daddy but well...he is just the bestest daddy in the whole wide world! Did you know there are over 100 restaurants that offered something special to a veteran today!?! Wowie, wow, WOW!  I thought that was incredible.  Here we are at Olive Garden and he had one amazing looking dish.  Thank you to all the restaurants.  Just watch this video, there aren't any words but I don't think there need to be any...

We don't have a Food City where I live but if we did I would walk right up to that manager and say"Way to go! Great commercial!"

In my #100happydays tweet I thanked the families of those that serve because they sacrifice as well.  My dad went to Korea for a year so we wouldn't have to move and that year was hard.  He made a sacrifice not being there while my brothers and I were growing a year older but the one who made just as big a sacrifice was my mom.  She had to be mom and dad for that year.  She had to put on a brave face and tell us everything was going to be alright.  She was the one that made sure we wrote letters so my dad could be a part of our every day. She made sure we did well in school and did our chores.  I don't remember her crying for missing him because she was too busy taking care of the 3 of us.  To her I say thank you and you deserve meals just like our veterans because nobody knows how hard the families have to give right alongside their veteran. Thank you mom and dad.  Thank you for all that you have done so I can be me living in America, land of the free.

My firsties have a message to all the Veterans.  Theya re too cute for words.  Please share with a Veteran you might know.

Pumpkin Patch 2014

October brings our annual Pumpkin patch field trip and it did not disappoint!  I am amazed every year at the theme and creativity to bring about a fun child experience.  Way to go!  This year the theme was Candy Land.  We went through a maze on the hunt for gingerbread men.  We ran through Licorice Forest, Lollipop Woods, Snowflake Lake, and Chocolate Swamp along the pumpkin path.  It was so much fun but don't take my word for it.  Watch our slideshow and look for those big smiles!

Watch our walk through Licorice Forest.  What a cute idea!

I have the BEST parents ever!  Thank you to all the moms and dads that helped with the field trip.  We had a great time and I hope you enjoy the pictures with your kids.  I think they captured the special memories of the day.

Who won your game of Garbage?

So did your child come home asking for a deck of cards?  Your head might have wondered what is that Mrs. Wright doing in class now?  Funny, but seriously we are working on the importance of 10 and I know you have seen 10 frames so this leads right into it and believe me it will help with visualization when we start decomposing... Sorry we will get to that.  We made a tutorial on how to play Garbage. Watch as we play Garbage and I hope you pick up a pointer or 2.  Good luck they are getting pretty good so don't be too sad if you lose to your child.