Mrs. West's Class: Where Did The Time Go?

Wow!... I am so sorry for taking such a long hiatus from blogging about my precious First Grade friends. A little update on why I have been such a slacker: During the month of September (@33 weeks pregnant) I had an Upper Respiratory Infection turned Strep Throat turned Appendicitis. I had to have an emergency appendectomy and was put on bedrest for two weeks due to still being very far along in my pregnancy. I returned to school for 4 days and on Friday went to my OB appt. and was told I had preeclampsia. On Monday, I was to return to my appendix surgeon to get the last of my staples out and visit my OB for a preeclamsia checkup. After getting my staples out, I was ordered directly to the hospital (next door thank goodness) to start the induction process for sweet baby Laken. (36 weeks by now). I had to have an emergency c-section and baby girl was rushed to the NICU being only 3lbs 13oz. After a grueling 10 day stay in the NICU, Laken got to come home. After having her, I developed very high blood pressure and was told to stay out for 7 weeks.
Thankfully, the OB told me I could return to school and my sweet first grade friends on December 3rd. I have some great pictures from before my appendectomy and some great pictures from the three weeks I was able to return to school before Christmas Break! :) Enjoy and thanks for staying with me through my slack posting (or lack thereof).

September pictures:

Practicing our focus words by back writing....they LOVE this!

drawing illustrations to go with the words for the preamble

more illustrating

After discussing how to find too easy, too hard, and just right books in our Reading Workshop, I found lots of friends using the strategy of the five finger rule. (Justin)

Group 5

Noah

Jimena

Sara

Charlie

Chase

Our Finished Product (The Preamble complete with illustrations, kid-friendly of course)

Big Book Station

Computer Corner

Pocket Place

Book Boulevard

Listening Lane

Magnetic Mountain

Game Station

Smartboard/Ipad station

Ipod Touch Station

Publishing Place

Buddy Read/ Book Baggy station

Cheese Chunk Station

we were the first class to earn 60 tickets (6 crickets) for good behavior in the school so we were first to be placed on the marquee outside of the school. :)

December pictures:

When I returned from maternity leave, a picture of my baby girl, Laken, was placed outside the door and I noticed our class earned a lot more tickets while I was gone...WOOHOO (10 tickets= 1 cricket)

We were blessed with a visitor. Our elf, Lightning (named by our class).

Hanging out by the globe.

In the name bucket.

On Snowman Day, our elf was clever enough to bring us SNOW BALLS from the North Pole!

On the giant clothes pin.

Noah (under the mistletoe)

Chase

Gabe

Sara

Straton

Ella

Meygan

Kadyn

Josie

Charlie

Jasmine

Stephen

Bella

Violet

Janki

Logan

Jimena

Brailenn

Jordan

Ben

Connor

Emily

Arie

Group 1 making snowflakes

Noah & Brailenn making snowflakes

Emily's snowflake

Justin eating his gingerbread cookie and working on his main idea gingerbread man.

Violet

Chase & Jordan

After school, while they were calling car riders, I caught this CUTE picture of Janki and Straton sharing a seat so they could play on the computer together (notice no fighting, problem-solving).

Our elf got a hold of a marker and put mustaches and goatees on all of the boys...silly elf. (Logan)

Charlie and his cool goatee.

Lightning dressed up as Rudolph for reindeer day!

Mrs. Jones and Oliver came to talk to us about our character trait of the month :)

Brailenn's Reindeer writing about why Rudolph's nose turned brown.

Our class of reindeers.

Brailenn's writing:

"Rudolph's nose turned brown because he put his nose in the dirt. And if it happens again, then it will change another color." :)

Ben working on his grinch..."To make the Grinch grin, I would..."

Emily and her finished Grinch!

Jimena gluing on the grinch's cotton ball hat.

Lightning dressed up as the Grinch for Grinch Day :) (He also put all of the girls' behavior clips on PINK & all of the boys' behavior clips on RED...haha)