Mittens in the window!
I know they're a little hard to see, but here are all our mittens hanging on my clothesline over the heater! Today was the first time we had to break out the clothespins and dry out our hand warmers! I just love seeing my window like this each winter!!
Christmas projects
Our Christmas projects have finally made it to the hallway! We have been working on some Christmas writing, drawing and making tissue paper wreaths! Our hallways definitely looks ready for Christmas!!
This is the story that we have begun during read aloud in first grade. It is an advent book that really gives the students a great perspective on what life was really like for the Jews during the time of Jesus' birth.
Here is a little synopsis of the book, as found on its website. I do edit a bit as we go, just to make it not quite as intense...but it's still pretty suspenseful!
FROM THE WEBSITE:
The thunder was strange. Usually it came in off the lake they called Galilee. But on this Sabbath afternoon it rolled in from over the town. No matter, thinks ten-year-old Bartholomew. It's been a good day, with new friends and good trades made. Father is home with a good catch, and there's deer meat for dinner. No thunderstorm could ruin such a day!
But then Bartholomew discovers that the thunder does not come from the clouds, it comes from the hooves of horses -- Roman horses, carrying Roman soldiers. In minutes, Bartholomew's peaceful town is in chaos, his family is lost, and he himself is taken prisoner.
Bartholomew tumbles through the mixed-up days that follow, finding himself the property of a slave owner in Ceasarea. His treatment there is criminal, yet it is he who is sentenced to a terrible punishment -- a punishment which leads him to take desperate measures to escape. Cornered by Roman soldiers, all hope is lost for Bartholomew until a Fool jumps in to rescue him with wit and guile.
With the entire Roman Legion tracking them now, Bartholomew and his new friend make passage through a strange and wondrous land, full of strange and wondrous people. Eventually they find themselves the guests of a Persian wise man as his caravan camps along the road of a small town called Bethlehem. The events of that particular night will once again change Bartholomew's life forever -- in ways which he thought were impossible.
Here is a little synopsis of the book, as found on its website. I do edit a bit as we go, just to make it not quite as intense...but it's still pretty suspenseful!
FROM THE WEBSITE:
The thunder was strange. Usually it came in off the lake they called Galilee. But on this Sabbath afternoon it rolled in from over the town. No matter, thinks ten-year-old Bartholomew. It's been a good day, with new friends and good trades made. Father is home with a good catch, and there's deer meat for dinner. No thunderstorm could ruin such a day!
But then Bartholomew discovers that the thunder does not come from the clouds, it comes from the hooves of horses -- Roman horses, carrying Roman soldiers. In minutes, Bartholomew's peaceful town is in chaos, his family is lost, and he himself is taken prisoner.
Bartholomew tumbles through the mixed-up days that follow, finding himself the property of a slave owner in Ceasarea. His treatment there is criminal, yet it is he who is sentenced to a terrible punishment -- a punishment which leads him to take desperate measures to escape. Cornered by Roman soldiers, all hope is lost for Bartholomew until a Fool jumps in to rescue him with wit and guile.
With the entire Roman Legion tracking them now, Bartholomew and his new friend make passage through a strange and wondrous land, full of strange and wondrous people. Eventually they find themselves the guests of a Persian wise man as his caravan camps along the road of a small town called Bethlehem. The events of that particular night will once again change Bartholomew's life forever -- in ways which he thought were impossible.
Rachel's Hurry-Up Cake Recipe
This is the recipe from our read-aloud book. The kids can tell you all about Rachel's "Hurry-Up Cake!"
1 1/2 cups cake flour (do not substitute)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, mix cake flour with baking powder, sugar, and salt. In separate bowl, mix eggs, and softenened butter. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to egg and butter mixture. Add vanilla and beat hard for 3 minutes. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 inch layer cake pans and bake for 5 minutes. Raise oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. Cool, remove from pans, then frost with strawberry icing.
Strawberry Icing:
4 tablespoons (or more!) strawberries, mashed
3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
Blend butter and powdered sugar together in bowl. Sitr in mashed strawberries, adding enough to make a creamy frosting. Spread on co
This is the recipe from our read-aloud book. The kids can tell you all about Rachel's "Hurry-Up Cake!"
1 1/2 cups cake flour (do not substitute)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, mix cake flour with baking powder, sugar, and salt. In separate bowl, mix eggs, and softenened butter. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to egg and butter mixture. Add vanilla and beat hard for 3 minutes. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 inch layer cake pans and bake for 5 minutes. Raise oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. Cool, remove from pans, then frost with strawberry icing.
Strawberry Icing:
4 tablespoons (or more!) strawberries, mashed
3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
Blend butter and powdered sugar together in bowl. Sitr in mashed strawberries, adding enough to make a creamy frosting. Spread on co
Understanding Mrs. Stam's grading
Just a quick explanation of what you will see on papers coming home from first grade! Thought I should explain a bit, since papers are starting to make their way to students' mailboxes!
Star=PERFECT!
OK=Doing well
Checkmark=Needs Improvement/Let's fix
Also, if you see a score on a page, such as 14/14, it is likely recorded in my gradebook. However, if it just has a star, OK, or checkmark, it was probably just for practice and is not recorded. You will also see pages from time to time that have a line drawn through them...that also means not recorded. Typically, the "Extra Practice" side of math tests will have that, as well as some Vowac papers. Hope this clarifies things a bit for you!
Star=PERFECT!
OK=Doing well
Checkmark=Needs Improvement/Let's fix
Also, if you see a score on a page, such as 14/14, it is likely recorded in my gradebook. However, if it just has a star, OK, or checkmark, it was probably just for practice and is not recorded. You will also see pages from time to time that have a line drawn through them...that also means not recorded. Typically, the "Extra Practice" side of math tests will have that, as well as some Vowac papers. Hope this clarifies things a bit for you!