Chapter 13: "Batty" About Mail

After the Pumpkin Patch trip we continued to celebrate and discuss things we learned.

Me: "Where does milk come from?"
Student: "A cow."
Me. "Yes. Ok, where does chocolate milk come from?"
Student: "A brown cow."

Me: "Tell me something you learned about pumpkins at the farm."
Student: "If pumpkins are green, that means they are dead."
Me: "Well, not quite; but good try!"

What we are learning in 1st Grade:
-prepositions
-adding 3 numbers
-fact family math
-forms and reflections of light
-Bat facts

Here is a picture of our classroom door for the month of October:

                        (each student's face is in the door decorations!)

Since we have been learning about bats, we made some origami bats!  Check them out!

Here's a view of the wall outside of the classroom.
We displayed our origami bats and wrote stories: "Should people be afraid of bats?" and "Would a bat make a good pet?"

My grandfather built a mailbox for my classroom.  This mailbox is totally awesome!  I mean, it is real life size, and it is made to where the mailbox height can be adjusted for the students to reach.  (I'll post a picture of it once I complete the paint job - soon!)  My kids absolutely love the mailbox - and it is already getting lots of use!

My class has a Secret Pen Pal!  How fun is that?!  Each student received a hand-written letter on the day of our Fall/Harvest Party.  I told the students while they were gone to Music class that the mailman had come in and left something in our mailbox.  They immediately started to freak out.
"What he leave, Mih Lemon?  What he say?  Where he get the mail from?  Is it in the mailbox now?"
I did a count down with the students "3...2...1..."
Wild screaming and jumping for excitement began, and it took me about 15 minutes to calm them down!
Each student was allowed to come to the mailbox and check for a letter.  Of course, each student had their own personal hand-written letter.  It was like Santa Clause had come to my room!  They were so excited!
"Mih Lemon, did you write all these?  I think the mailman wrote these.  When he comin' back?  Do the mailman know when we write back?"  
After our party, I collected the letters and told them I would keep them in the mailbox until next week when we had a chance to write back.  Heart.Break.  OMG!  They were all but in tears having to give their letters back.  I felt terrible taking them away, but it was the smartest thing to do at that time.
We made time during this past week to write back to the Secret Pen Pal - and the letters were absolutely precious!  One student wrote back about her favorite food:  chicenogis   (chicken nuggets)
All of the letters read "I love my Secret Pen Pal.  I miss you."  
How sweet?! (No, they do not know who the secret pen pal is...)

Stay tuned for more Secret Pen Pal updates!
Since our Pen Pal is a secret,  you'll have to wait and find out who he/she is!

Next update I'll have a picture of our November classroom door and some more 1st Grade Funnies!
2 weeks until Thanksgiving Break...