I hope everyone has a safe and fun-filled summer!!!
Summer Project:
The students were each given a summer journal. Please have them pick 3 things they did over the summer that they would like to write about. Please feel free to include drawings and/or pictures. I can't wait to hear about all the exciting things you do this summer!!
Just in case you misplaced your copy here is the suggested summer reading list for incoming first graders (there are hard copies available at the front office):
Aardema, Verna. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. This cumulative rhyming story tells how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain.
Bridges, Shirin Yim. Ruby's Wish. In China, at a time when few girls are taught to read or write, Ruby dreams of going to the university with her brothers and male cousins.
Cameron, Ann. Stories Huey Tells. It isn't easy being Julian's younger brother. When 6-year-old Huey has bad dreams, Julian says it's no big deal.
Demi. The Empty Pot. When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty. Demi has written and illustrated many other folktales which are also fun.
Greenfield, Eloise. Honey, I Love. This is a beautiful collection of poems about a variety of childhood experiences.
Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it.
Hoffman, Mary. Amazing Grace. Although a classmate says that she cannot be Peter Pan in the school play because she is black, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to do.
Kimmel, Eric A. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock. Anansi the Spider uses a strange moss-covered rock in the forest to trick all the other animals, until Little Bush Deer decides he needs to learn a lesson. Any of the other Anansi stories are also great fun.
McCully, Emily Arnold. Mirette on the High Wire. Mirette learns tightrope walking from Monsieur Bellini, a guest in her mother's boarding house, not knowing that he is a celebrated tightrope artist who has withdrawn from performing because of fear.
McGhee, Alison. Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth. A first grader is frightened on her first day of school after hearing a rumor that her teacher is a 300-year-old alien with a purple tongue who steals baby teeth from her students.
Mayer, Mercer. Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp. With her quick thinking Liza Lou manages to outwit all the haunts, gobblygooks, witches, and devils in the Yeller Belly Swamp.
Munsch, Robert. The Paper Bag Princess. The Princess Elizabeth is slated to marry Prince Ronald when a dragon attacks the castle and kidnaps Ronald. In a resourceful and humorous fashion, Elizabeth finds the dragon, outsmarts him, and rescues Ronald.
Scieczka, Jon. Frog Prince Continued. After the Frog turns into a prince, he and the Princess do not live happily ever after and the Prince decides to look for a witch to help him remedy the situation.
Sierra, Judy. Tasty Baby Belly Buttons. Urikohime, a girl born from a melon, battles the monstrous onis, who steal babies to eat their tasty belly buttons.
Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. On a rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a Lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that brings unexpected results.
Teague, Mark. Dear Mrs. Larue : Letters from Obedience School. Gertrude LaRue receives typewritten and paw-written letters from her dog Ike, entreating her to let him leave the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy and come back home.
Uegaki, Chieri. Suki's Kimono. A little girl declares that on the first day of school she will wear the kimono that her grandmother brought her during her visit from Japan, no matter what anyone says.
Whitcomb, Mary E. Odd Velvet. Although she dresses differently from the other girls and does things which are unusual, Velvet eventually teaches her classmates that even an outsider has something to offer.
Wilcox, Leah. Falling for Rapunzel. A prince tries to get Rapunzel to throw down her hair so he can rescue her, but she mishears him and throws down random objects from her room instead.
Williams, Suzanne. Library Lil.
A formidable librarian makes readers not only out of the once resistant residents of her
small town, but out of a tough-talking, television-watching motorcycle gang as well.
Chapter Books
Cameron, Ann. The Stories Huey Tells. Six year old Huey tells five connected stories, including the banana spaghetti incident. A companion to The Stories That Julian Tells, told from the point of Huey’s older brother.
Cleary, Beverly. Henry Huggins. There's no way Henry wants to stand on the school stage in his pajamas and be kissed by an eighth grade girl!
Dahl, Roald. Esio Trot. Mr. Hoppy is a shy man who falls in love with his downstairs neighbor, Mrs. Silver. She seems to have eyes only for her turtle. Mr. Hoppy manages to endear himself in a most unusual manner.
Dahl, Roald. Fantastic Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox gets the better of three revolting farmers.
Fine, Anne. The Jamie and Angus Stories. Six stories about Angus, a toy bull, and Jamie, the boy who owns him.
Hurwitz, Johanna. Russell Sprouts. As a full fledged first grader, Russell receives his first report card and decides it would be a good idea to make a report card for his parents.
King-Smith, Dick. Sophie Hits Six. The year that Sophie turns six, she sees her cat give birth to kittens, gets a pet rabbit from her aunt Al, and pursues her dream of acquiring a dog.
Leguin, Ursula. Catwings. The adventures of four winged tabby cats who leave the city in search of a safe place to live.
Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square. Chester, the cricket who lives in a Times Square newsstand owned by the Bellinis, has three special friends: Tucker, the mouse; Harry, the cat; and Mario, the Bellini's son.
Taylor, Sydney. All of a Kind Family. Five sisters have simple, but happy times, growing up on the Lower East Side at the turn of the century.
I look forward to meeting you at Back to School Night! Keep reading over the summer!!! :)
Some Favorite Links:
Phonics Fun This is the website the students have been using in their phonics center this week.
Math Skills This site has interactive games to practice first grade math skills.
Earth Day Craft Here is the site I got templates from to make our toilet paper roll puppets!
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