Grinch Day!

Yesterday was Grinch Day in first grade and we had so much fun!  If you are familiar with the story, the Who's in Whoville help the Grinch's heart grow three times its size!  Here, in first grade, we started our Grinch Day with a reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. read to the tune of an accordion played by a first-grader's grandfather!

As part of our Grinch Day, we did lots of grinchy activities, including a guided drawing of the Grinch and some Grinch math.

Then, we each  made a card to help another first grader's heart grow three times its size!  Inside each card was a kind message or picture to share with a first grade friend.  We stood in a circle and passed the cards until the music stopped.  Whatever card you were holding was the one just for you!  We had so much fun and watching each first grader spread kindness to one another on Grinch Day certainly helped my heart to grow three times its size!

From 1-Thomson, we wish you a very happy holiday and a happy New Year.  Merry Grinchmas!  

A First Grade Fairytale

Once upon a time, Mrs. Thomson's class, Miss Klipfel's class, Mrs. Higgins', and Mrs. Scharffenberg's classes worked together to write and illustrate a magical fairy tale...

Our focus in reading and writing has been fairy tales and fairy tale elements. Over the past few weeks, our four classes collaborated to author and illustrate our very own fairy tale.  We randomly selected which part of the story we would be in charge of.  We were very excited when we were assigned to the middle of the story!  We were also very excited to see our completed work today.

Please enjoy our final product of The Magical Tale of Teamwork.  Our three classes are very proud of their hard work.  

You may download our fairy tale on any electronic device to add to your digital library or you can view our book as a PDF for reading or printing on a computer.

Option 1: Add The Magical Tale of Teamwork to your digital library. 

Click on the link: The Magical Tale of Teamwork from an iPad or tablet.
Then click on OPEN IN and then Open in (see illustration below)

Click Open in iBooks:

Option 2: Read The Magical Tale of Teamwork in PDF form by clicking here.

Don't forget to tell us what you think. *Leave a comment for our class to read!

First Grade Gingerbread Exchange

1st grade classrooms from Middleton, Boxford and Topsfield are working together on a fun-filled collaborative project- The  first annual Tritown Gingerbread Exchange! Students were responsible for creating and decorating a gingerbread person to send on a journey from school to school.  As a class, we wrote a letter to each participating classroom that included information about things we like to do throughout our school day and what makes our class unique!  Speaking of unique, each gingerbread person certainly has its own unique design and character.  We sure are a creative bunch here in 1-Thomson!

Gingerbread People in the Making

Our packages are on their way to their destinations, and some have already arrived!  We can't wait to receive some gingerbread people and letters in return!

 Check out more updates and pictures of the project on Twitter with #TTUGingerbreadExchange

Shapes Are All Around Us

Math has been all about shapes in 1-Thomson! To complete our Math in Focus chapter on plane and solid shapes, we created "shape people" and brought them to life using Chatterpix.  Watch the video below to meet our shapes!

Common Core Standards:

1.G.A.1: Distinguish between defining attributes of shapes; build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes

1.G.A.2: Compose two-dimensional shapes or three-dimensional shapes to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape

Mystery Readers

It is so much fun when a Mystery Reader visits us in 1-Thomson!  Over the past few weeks, Mystery Readers have been joining us to read a favorite picture book to the class.  It is not only exciting to be surprised with a mystery guest, but Mystery Readers also model how to read aloud with fluency and expression.  Some stories we've heard so far have been Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins, If Mom Had Three Arms, The Ninjabread Man, and Home Alone.

Thank you for visiting!  We are looking forward to more Mystery Readers in the coming weeks!   If you are interested in joining us as a Mystery Reader, please contact me...we'd love to have you!