Rudolph Play

   Our first grade class performed a Rudolph Play retelling the story of how Rudolph saved the day for Santa Claus and all the good children around the world.  They did a nice job memorizing their parts.

Christmas Program

    Our first grade children joined the rest of Howard Elementary at Northwestern Auditorium for our annual Christmas Program.  The children sang and played instruments really well.  They looked so nice all dressed up!  It was a fun evening!

More Christmas Centers

Making 3-dimensional Christmas trees to put on our bulletin board in celebration of Germany.

Adding sparkles to what will become an angel for our mother's gift.  He picked his mom's favorite color!

Stenciling a tie for the outside of our father's card. 

If you cut carefully, your tree will stand up!

Playing a game with a Dreidle to study Hanukkah.

The angel will turn out pretty!

All wrapped up and ready to go!

     We made all the wrapping paper and gifts for our families.  The first graders made an angel with their faces on them and wrapped them in a wreath sack they made themselves.  They made a Christmas tree magnet for their fathers and put them inside a card they stenciled themselves.  Then wrapped the card in paper they stamp printed during center time.  The children followed a recipe and made 3 clay dough ornaments then wrapped them in a Rudolph sack.  Fun surprises for our families!

Santa Lucia

The children in Mrs. Stites' classroom studied 6 countries around the world.  They made crowns of lights and learned about Santa Lucia Day while studying Sweden and the festival of lights. 

Good-bye Mr. Balmer

Mr. Balmer helped us one last Friday.  We will miss him!

Mrs. Stites presented Mr. Balmer with a poem, a picture of him when he was in first grade, a picture of him now and pictures of all the children in our classroom.

Mr. Balmer and Mrs. Stites.  He was in her first grade classroom, and has volunteered in her classroom for the last 3 years.

Mrs. Myers gave Mr. Balmer a silly gift.

A whistle on a lanyard with chocolate to calm his nerves.

We had a bubble party to celebrate Mr. Balmer leaving to do his student teaching.

     

   Mr. Balmer was a student in Mrs. Stites' first grade class many years ago.  He has volunteered in her classroom for the last 3 years.  Now he is leaving to student teach at Maconoquah in 5th grade.  We will miss Mr. Balmer.  He has been a tremendous help to us!  We had a bubble party to send him off in style!

Mrs. Stites' Father Reads to the Class

"Twas the Night before Christmas and all through the house...."

Mr. Hensley reads a fun Pop-up Book about Christmas.

   

      

      Mrs. Stites' father came to  help with Christmas centers.  Mr. Hensley used to be a teacher and a principal in Marion Community Schools.  He enjoys helping children read.  He read one of Mrs. Stites' favorite pop-up books "Twas the Night Before Christmas".  Mr. Hensley brought his Santa Claus cane to show the children.  The children and Mrs. Stites were glad he visited and enjoyed the story!

Christmas Centers

Making a Rudolph Wrapping Paper project.

Making wreath sacks to wrap the mothers' gifts.

Mr. Balmer helping with stamp painting the wrapping paper.

Painting wrapping paper.

Playing Jarabadach... an African tic, tac, toe game.

Trying to get 3 in a row while playing Jarabadach.

Mrs. Stites' dad, Mr. Hensley reading a Christmas story with the children.

Making wreath sacks.

Stamping wrapping paper with paint.

Mr. Hensley helping to sound out words.

     The children in Mrs. Stites' class were busy working on wrapping paper projects, reading and playing an African tic, tac, toe game called Jarabadach.  Mrs. Stites' dad came to help out for the day.  The students are having fun making gifts for others.

Special Person of the Week

      Our special person of the weeklives in a white farmhouse with her mommy, her dad and her sister.  She has a dog named Samantha, an Australian German Shepherd, a black chow Lab, and 2 goats named Sid and Stan.  Her favorite color is blue because it is the color of blue birds.  Her favorite subject is Reading because she likes to learn about new things and books give her lots of information.  Her favorite TV show is ‘Animal Cops’ on Animal Planet.  Her favorite book is the Bible.  She has Bible stories.  She likes to eat Mac and cheese.  She likes to jump and play in the beans and corn on the trucks when her daddy and her uncle’s combine in the fields.  She feels happy when she gets to spend time with her grandma.  When she grows up she wants to be a Pet Store Owner because she likes animals.  If she could go anywhere in the world, she would go to Thailand because her uncle, aunt and her cousin live there and she misses them! She is blind, but she is learning to read Braille.  Her blindness is not going to get in her way.  Anything is possible! She feels she is special because her family loves her for who she is.  She feels the best thing about her is she is always happy.

Happy Thanksgiving from Mrs. Stites' Class

                           Happy Thanksgiving from Mrs. Stites' Class.

Making Bread and Butter

Getting ready to grind the wheat.  We learned how wheat is grown and how it becomes whole wheat flour.

Following directions to make whole wheat No Knead bread.

Learning how to crack an egg.

The yeast made the dough rise.

The dough is ready to put in the oven.

Yummm!  The bread is  cooked and smells delicious!

Shaking heavy whipping cream that was at room temperature to make our own buttermilk and butter.

Buttering the bread we made.

We are good cooks!

This bread and butter is yummy!

Mrs. Stites children read, compared and contrasted many versions of 'The Little Red Hen'.  We also learned about how wheat is grown and ground our own wheat seeds.  Then we followed directions on the recipe to make Whole Wheat No Knead bread.  All the children helped to make it.  We also shook heavy whipping cream to make butter.  The milk that separated from the butter is butter milk.  Yummy!  We are great cooks!