Animal Visitors

The first graders have begun their unit study of Mexico!  Within the past couple of weeks, the first graders have learned about the geographical features, climate and historical information on this beautiful country.  Over this past week, students were exposed to some of the interesting creatures that call this country 'home'.  To help further our inquiry of the animals, 1A high school intern student, Kennady Miller, shared two of her own pets with the class to help relate to some of the animals students had learned about.

Although the hedgehog is not an animal of Mexico, its' external features are very similar to the porcupine, which does make its' home in Mexico.  Students were also overjoyed when 'Stella' the Chihuahua came to visit our classroom!  Students were very surprised to learn that the Chihuahua originated in Mexico. 

Meet 'Nyx' the hedgehog!

 

Kennady sharing background information with the students on the animals of Mexico.

 

 Meet 'Stella' the Chihuahau!

Upcoming Summer Reading Program

The First Graders had an opportunity to visit the Wellman Public Library on Monday afternoon as a kick-off to the upcoming Summer Reading Program, "Every Hero Has a Story" that will be offered!  Students enjoyed a tour of the library, listening to a couple of stories and taking part in a craft.  A cookie snack was also enjoyed as well!  This program is a great way to keep your little one motivated to read through the summer months, as well he/she is continuing to develop those reading skills for 2nd grade!   You will definitely want your little one to take part in this program!

Enjoying a story!:)

Creating their own Super Hero!!

Taking a tour of the library.

Finishing the afternoon with a snack!

Roller Skating

Students at Wellman Elementary have been doing a great job of following our new school wide PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) expectations this year! Last Wednesday, students were treated to an afternoon of skating fun at the Wellman Skating Rink. This was a reward for students' efforts and safe, respectful, and responsible behaviors in the school building. It was a great opportunity to expend some extra energy and get our bodies moving!

Fraction Fun!

First graders have been discussing equal parts over the last couple of weeks, focusing on halves, thirds and fourths. To put our knowledge of fractions into 'action', we used colored squares of fabric to create our very own Fraction Creatures. After creating these creatures, students were challenged to describe their artwork using written fractions within a given sentence frame. Check out a few of these awesome creatures below! We will continue working with fractions through the remainder of the year and will soon be comparing fractional parts to one another!

An example of a 9/12 white and 3/12 green creature!!

An example of 2/12 brown and 10/12 pink creature!!

An example of a 3/12 green and 9/12 pink creature!!

An example of a 9/12 blue and 3/12 white creature!!

Spring Music Concert

During the month of March, students have truly enjoyed the 'sound of music' as we had mini-concerts once a week at school during the week.  These mini-concerts offer a wonderful way for students to showcase their musical talents for their teachers and friends.

Above: Two Wellman Elementary siblings performed a musical skit during the first mini concert of the month! 

What a fun night we had at the Wellman Elementary Spring Concert.  Students did a great job of sharing their songs for all to enjoy!!  It was definitely a great way to 'Sing Your Way Home at the End of the Day!' Thank you again for your support of our Music department.

Balls and Ramps

We are nearing the end of our current science unit, Balls and Ramps. Our first grade scientists have enjoyed exploring how different balls move and have even been challenged to create their own balls from a variety of materials. Students are now using what they have learned in this physical science unit to create ramps. Our first experience with ramps required students to build an understanding between ramp height, ball speed and distance traveled. As always, students were asked to record their findings in their science journals, which was a great way to encourage our young learners in their writing and thinking. It was great fun and highly motivating!

Reading Week Fun!

Students at Wellman Elementary enjoyed many special activities planned throughout this past week in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday. We enjoyed listening to a mystery reader over the loud speaker each morning and making our best guesses! A special thanks to the PTO who worked hard to decorate the entire building to add to the fun. This group also provided a healthy snack to enjoy during our independent reading time on Friday.

Hopefully students made it home with a small bit of our grande finale on Friday, inspired by Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Making Oobleck in our Friendship Groups was a hit with students of all ages!! To recreate this fun at home all you need is cornstarch and water. Enjoy;)

Polygons and 3D Shapes

First graders were immersed with geometry this past week as they were introduced to polygons and 3D shapes!  First, students learned three very important rules about polygons; (1) they must have straight lines, they must meet at a closed corner and (3) they can never cross.  After some creative work with polygons, students were then introduced to the following 3D shapes; cylinder, cube, rectangular prism, pyramid, cone and a sphere.  It was definitely all 'hands on deck' as students worked hard to build all of these geometrical shapes!

Polygon Creations

3D Marshmallow and Toothpick Models