Surprise Visitor: Drew Hamilton

taken from http://www.nathab.com/guides-and-staff/guide-bios/drew-hamilton/

The First Grade students had an awesome opportunity to interview a Bear Guide. They asked him really great questions such as: How close to a bear have you been? Have you ever seen an albino bear? How many fish can a bear eat in a week? Have you ever been threatened by a bear? Drew answered ALL the students questions and educated them on bear safety. 

Tone asks Drew a really good bear question.

Week 6: Cross Country, Elephant & Piggie, and Writing!

We started the Elephant & Piggie Series written by Mo Willems this week. The students looked forward to hearing a new Elephant & Piggie book everyday.

They learned that Gerald, the Elephant, is somewhat moody and serious and that Piggie, the pig, is happy go lucky. These two characters are BEST friends. We enjoyed 4 of the 25 books this week.

First graders had a race on Tuesday to figure out who we would be sending to Dot Lake on Friday to compete in the cross-country race. The Top 5 racers were: Carsen, Olivia, Sawyer, Dakota, and Emma.

Carsen, Sawyer, Olivia and Emma all went to Dot Lake to participate in the race.

Photo taken by Sonja Bitz :)

K-1 

First Place: Carsen

Third Place: Dakota

Fourth: Emma

Seventh: Olivia

The First Grade students had a walk down memory lane. We got to visit the Kindergarten classroom because that is where music was held this week. They all remembered exactly where their kinder spots were on the carpet.

 Mrs. Fasteneau taught the students a new song for the Veteran's assembly.

First Grade writing ROCKS! 

On Tuesday students had to write about somewhere they went and why they went there.

On Thursday the students wrote about a time they were sick.

Emma Wrote about going to the State Fair.

Sawyer wrote about going to the State Fair too!

Carsen wrote about going to the trampoline park.

Tone wrote about a horrible cold he had.

Dakota wrote about getting car sick on a fast ride.

Alianna wrote about having a fever.

Aiden wrote about his older brother, Owen, sneezing on him and getting him sick.

Olivia wrote about getting a fever and going to bed.

Week Five: Balancing and Tree Planting Fun!

Tuesday the First Graders had their first INSTANT CHALLENGE! They had to make a balanced mobile and it proved to be a big challenge.

Students listen to their instant challenge.

The Challenge: To Create a Balanced Mobile

Alianna, Dakota, and Rylee work together to try to balance their mobile.  These three worked as a team and got their mobile to balance in the end.

 Olivia with her "thinking face" on high. 

Sawyer, Carsen, and Emma spent a lot of time going back to the drawing board and finally got their mobile to balance.

The three teams figured out that what you do to one side you have to do to the other. They also thought having shorter strings and a designated person to hold the stick made the task at hand easier. The students experienced some learning pains during this challenge. :)

Not only did we learn to balance our mobile through the Instant Challenge, but the students learned to identify if a number sentence was balanced. Was the number sentence TRUE or FALSE?

The forestry crew came over from Tok Forestry to teach the students the proper way to plant a tree. The students all got to plant several birch trees on the school property.

Peter Talus introducing the students to Tok Forestry Staff and telling the students their task.

 Our new Area Forester Derek shows Aiden how to plant a tree. 

 Alianna ans Sawyer plant a tree with Dar.

 Olivia and Emma make sure Don York gives their tree enough water.

 Forest talks to Rylee and Maycie about the best time to plant trees.

Carsen and Dakota learn all the parts of a tree and their functions from Steven.

Moon Lake Field Trip: September 12th

The first graders joined the 2nd and 3rd graders on a field trip to Moon Lake to learn about water safety, the water cycle, and aquatic animals. The students learned that an aquatic animal they referred as a "shrimp" was actually a SKUD!

We went over the importance of wearing a life vest and how the life vest should fit. Then Mrs. Deb, Patricia, and Nick took the first graders for a canoe ride! Lucky first graders!

 Emma, Riley, and Patricia 

 Tone, Aiden, and Mrs. Deb

 Olivia, Rylee, and Nick

Brandy showing Sawyer, Aiden, and Ali the best place to catch aquatic creatures.

Ali looking at a skud through the viewer.

Brandy, Emma, Olivia, and Aiden looking at the different animals caught.

Tiana getting a good look at a creature.

Maycie showing off her find.

Brandy debriefing with the students and helping them identify some of their finds.

Bird Banding Field Trip August 24th

Thanks to the Tetlin Wildlife Refuge and Timothy,  the 1st graders got to observe the bird banding process up close.

The students learning about the special features birds have that enable them to fly.

 The student looking at a bird that was caught and recovered from the bird net.

 The students checking the nets for birds. "There is a bird!"

 The students watch as they gather data and band the bird.

 Carsen releasing one of the birds caught in the net.

Riley releasing one of the birds caught in the net.