Playing Catch Up

It's that time of year again: fall.  This is when I start to get behind in my blogging, so please help me keep on track! We had a busy two weeks last week and this week, so be patient with me as I update you!

Last week we continued learning about appropriate restaurant behavior.  We had a short week, so we focused on different jobs in a restaurant, how to tip, and why it is important to tip our servers.  We had two very special guests for this topic-- Mr. Pugh and Mrs. Barr, David's mom and dad.  They both work in the restaurant business, and they told our students a little bit about their jobs.  The students had some GREAT questions for our guests and seemed very interested in a possible occupation in the restaurant business.

 

Earlier in the week, we also had some other VERY special guests who had a surprise for our class...

Trooper Emmanuel and the Alabama State Troopers brought their vehicles and HELICOPTER to show our class.  They talked with us about what they do in their line of work and how they use different equipment.  We had a great day visiting with the state troopers and learning all about what they do!

Last week we also celebrate our homecoming week.  Hope and Mrs. McKee were tie-dye twins!

This week...

This week we learned all about  FRIENDSHIP.  We learned about appropriate and inappropriate friendships and how to be a good friend.  We will continue to emphasize the importance of these skills throughout the year.  It is very important that our students understand that fostering healthy friendships will lead to a happier and safer environment.

On Wednesday, we spent the day touring our city and learning about the different community resources we have available to us.

We visited City Hall where we learned about what they do in the courtroom and toured the old jail.  Officer Emmanuel led the tour, and we met several members of the dispatch team.

We then walked over the Hancock Bank.  There, we learned about savings accounts and safety deposit boxes.  We also were able to close the vault door for Ms. Owens!

We then traveled to the health department where we learned about the resources they offer such as vaccinations and doctor visits.

We ended the first half of the day with a trip to Fox's Pizza Den where we were able to MAKE OUR OWN PIZZA.  The staff there was so helpful and friendly, and they loved meeting our students.  They taught us about following safety and health regulations.

D'Shawn is looking good in his hair net!

After enjoying our pizza, we headed over to Prattville Associated Grocer where we took a tour of the store, learned about occupations in the field, and then did some shopping!

Each student was given one ingredient to find.  In all, we were able to purchase enough food to make 3 recipes!

At the end of the day, we had worked hard and had a few minutes to spare, so we took some time to have a little fun!
Pratt Park here we come!

All in all, our field trip was an amazing experience.  Our students got a lot of exposure to community resources and occupational opportunities!

We are still selling pickles and crushing cans to make a little money for the classroom... I will end with some pictures of our students working hard!

This week we will be learning about personal hygiene.  We will have a Mary Kay consultant come in to demonstrate washing our face.  Please visit the lessons page Sunday for next week's lesson plan and spelling list!  Have a restful weekend!

--Mrs. McKee

We conquered the FAIR!

What a busy week we had last week!

I think everyone enjoyed visiting the fair last Wednesday.  I am so proud of the students who participated in the art competition! We had several winners in the competition:

--Nicholas placed 2nd in the collage category.
--Byron placed 2nd in the crayon/paper category.
--Alissa placed 2nd in the holiday category.
--We placed 1st in the group competition!!!
AND...
--David won BEST OF FAIR for his paper/pencil drawing.

A great job to all of our competitors!!

Last week we began our study on restaurants.  We worked on ordering from restaurants, estimating the cost of our meals, and using good manners in a restaurant.  We will continue learning about restaurants this week.  We will reinforce ordering and using manners.  We will learn how to calculate tips and when it is appropriate to leave tips.  We will also learn how to find menus online.  It is going to be another great week!

I will leave you with another great experience from the fair.  The Alligator Men let us hold one of their gators!  Leah had a great time with the baby alligator.

Remember to visit the LESSONS page to view our lesson plans for this week.  I have also added spelling words underneath the lesson plan.  Enjoy :)

                                                 Mrs. McKee

Resources in the Community

Last week we reviewed different resources we have in our community.  We spoke about several great resources we have around us such as the YMCA, food bank, churches, public parks, and the zoo!  We even mapquested the different resources and talked about the best way to get there.

Community resources aren't the only things we talked about though, we began our money and time unit (this will be continued throughout the year).  There's no better way to kick it off than a FUNDRAISER!  We began selling pickles at break for our fundraiser.  We were so impressed with our team.  We designated salespeople, pickle pullers, pickle wrappers, and bankers. We ended up having a great time!  Next week we will be selling pickles and pickle pops.  How refreshing!

Pickle pops coming soon!!

We also had a great time Friday night running with the football team (video to follow).  It was an amazing experience for all of our students, and I know everyone loved having us participate!  Thanks to everyone who came out-- GO LIONS!

This week, we will be traveling to the fair, learning about eating at restaurants, and reading about sandwiches from around the world!  What a great first couple of months we have had!

Just a couple reminders:

--At-home reading has started.  I am encouraging everyone to read at least 1 hour/ week at home (please sign off on your students take-home form). 

--Your students should have a personal responsibility check list.  I will not be checking these daily, but they are great "reminders" for your students on what to do before they go to school.

--Lesson plans are posted weekly under "Lessons" if you would like to see what we are working on each week.

--We will not have school this Friday or next Monday.  Enjoy your fall break! 

                                               Mrs. McKee