Volume 1.9

I know you aren't supposed to make more than one post each day, but I am breaking that rule! I promised Stella that I would do it tonight...So, here's Team Schappelkin's Video Newsletter, live from the supply closet!

It's Also Stella's Opera Debut

The Reading Web

I didn't have my camera with me, but I wanted to share the news...

We did it! We finally reached our "1,000 Books Read at Home" which means, our web will now start to make it's way to our school's Research and Development Center! 

Download This FREEBIE!

Each week I calculate how many books students have read at home. Forms are returned to school once they are complete. A paperclip represents one book...and it's displayed outside of our classroom. I've attached my reading log below!

Take a Peek!

What kinds of things do you do to keep track of reading at home?

Short "e" Mouse Paint Uno

It's been a while, but we've added a new product to our TpT Store! This is a great game to introduce early readers to the idea of basic code (letters that say their appropriate sounds) and advanced code (letters that are in groups of 2, 3, & 4 that represent the sounds in our language). This game contains 8 pages of words with the short "e" vowel combinations "e, ea, & ai".  

Click here to purchase "Mouse Paint Short e Uno" on TpT!

Geometry Part I

I woke up today really bothered by the fact that I haven't sat down at my computer to post all of the "stuff" that I mentally wrote down in my head. I have lots to share! But somewhere between Report Cards, multiple 1st Grade presentations, Parent Conferences, making a new home for Ocho, and being deathly sick...I haven't had the energy to sit at my computer to make a thoughtful post. 


Besides the walking pneumonia, I have another sickness. It's actually one that I look forward to each school year. Her name is Geometry. Year after year I hear my teammates say, "Ehhhh, I hate teaching Geometry!" and I secretly think back to 9th grade when I purposely earned a B- just so that I could take the class over again. I love it so much, I can barely contain myself. Sick, yes probably, but I don't care.


I've attached a document that you can download for FREE! It's a few of my favorite things, tweeked with better fonts and better graphics. 

The above docs are probably going to be taken to Kinkos so that I can have them blown up poster-size for student reference. I usually like to teach a mini vocabulary lesson with the "Polygon Names" looking at the prefixes.

You'll need Pattern Block for the "Building for a Dollar" and "Shapes I Used". Students have to create a symmetrical design that uses the mentioned shapes...that will equal $1. It's usually challenging...But once they get the hang of it, they love it! I added the graph this year...We'll see how my kiddos do.

I used a Mira for a class I took in college and I loved it. (Sick). They are small plastic devices used to help students understand the concept of reflections. By placing a Mira on the line, the student can look through and see the image on the other side to draw it. When the Mira is removed, the symmetrical design will be on the other side of the line. (Take a look at the picture below).

I'll post pics of my kids throughout our shape study...Please leave a message and send me links of resources you like to use for teaching geometry!

Volume 1.8

Take a look at Team Schappelkins' new classroom pets! Yep, we've got our tarantula! I've posted a pic below incase you want to see the close up!

Team Schappelkins' Video Newsletter Volume 1.8

We named our new friend, "Ocho Piernas Applet!"

Writing Folders

Yeh, I know most of you probably have writing folders already implemented in your classroom seeing is how it's almost the 50th day of school (for us at least) but it's taken me a while to develop an easy system for my first graders to stay organized...Until now!


A few weeks ago a (wonderful) parent volunteer glued and taped all of the folders for the whole entire first grade class! (A monster thank you!) Each child has two different colored pocket folders that were glued together from the back of on folder to the front of the other folder. Scotch tape was placed around the edges for durability. Now students have four pockets to use for their writing!


In the first two pockets, students keep their writing "Tools". These are items like Topics I Can Write About, Words I Use When I Write, or our Vocabulary Dictionary that will help them generate ideas or work on writing conventions. These two sections are labeled with a toolbox (the link to print is below!)  


In the last two pockets, students keep "Work in Progress" and "My Completed Work". On the weekends, I will be able to take home their folders and assess the writing that students are working on...I have some rubrics I will post (soon) to show you how I can assess where a child is in their writing process. I'm also hoping these folders will be helpful when I pull kids back at the table for Writer's Workshop.  

Letter to Families

Writing Folder Labels (Avery 5163)

My kiddos took their folders home and "decorated" them with pictures and words that are meaningful to them that might "spark" some writing ideas. I think they turned out pretty fabulous...Although this pic would have been better if I would've used my camera! 

I'd really like to know how you organize writing folders for your kiddos...Please share!

Team Schappelkins' Video Newsletter

It's hard to believe we've just created our 7th video newsletter. We had a little help from our principal, McStemmy Martindale!

Volume 1.7 Team Schappelkins' Video Newsletter