1st Grade

First graders see Mrs. Clark every week for a guidance lesson.  Each week I will post the title of the guidance lesson and post supporting documents, if helpful on this site. My weekly calendar (top right hand corner of this webpage) will give you details of what lesson is being covered in your child's classroom each week and the Roosevelt Round-Up (PTA newsletter) will also periodically give you more information.  Let me know if you need more information or have feedback on these guidance lessons.

Lesson 1: Who is Your School Counselor? We made a color-book about who is the school counselor and what I will be doing with them this year!  Mrs. Clark LISTENS to us when we need to TALK or if we have have a QUESTION, she is there to HELP. What are Potato Points - our rules for listening!  With the use of our Mr. Potato Head doll as a reminder - we discussed what good listening "looks like": eyes on the speaker, hands to ourselves, raising our hand to speak, bringing our thinking caps with our ideas and good sharing, ears for listening to others, mouth closed if others are speaking, and feet still and pointed at the speaker. We made a book "Who is your School Counselor" by coloring the pages of our book and next week we will share what we created!

Lesson 2: Remember our Potato Points -- rules for listening?  We discussed those rules for listening and reviewed what they knew about their school counselor by students presenting his/her special page created about what a School Counselor does at Roosevelt!  We discussed what they were loving about 1st grade and what great choices I was seeing on the playground and in the lunchroom.  Students were able to talk about any questions or problems they were having so all of us can make our time at Roosevelt the best!

Lesson 3:  We transitioned into what we will be working on the next few weeks by meeting Kelso - our green frog puppet from Willow Pond who helps teach us about the 9 peacewheel options on the playground. We learned the difference between Small problems and Big problems and learned the hand-signs for these 9 choices by playing a fun game - Mrs. Clark says - to make sure they knew all 9 choices and are ready to work on the skills of each one of these choices the next few weeks.  The 9 choices are: walk away, share and take turns, go to another game, ignore it, make a deal, talk it out, apologize, wait and cool off, tell them to stop.  We will use these choices throughout the year and practice examples of "what would you do" throughout the year to continue to remind them of these choices, share examples of other issues students may be having and ways they solved them, and re-inforce that PEACEWHEEL choices are what work!

Lesson 4: To remind us of how important Listening is to being a good student and friend, we read the book "Howard Wigglebottom Learns How to Listen" and discussed the outcomes Howard experienced when he was not and was listening --- what outcomes did they want with their parents? teachers? friends?" for them?  We played a quick game of Mrs. Clark says to review our Peacewheel Choices.  We watched a video of students solving small and big problems in "It's your Choice: Kelso's Choice Curriculum". The video showed us: two students having the same problem with a student, but they solve it in different ways; a clip of two girls at recess trying to play hopscotch and watching a girl get frustrated and angry with a friend and make two choices on the peacewheel to solve the problem; and the last clip demonstrated a Big Problem and how to get help from an adult. We demonstrated how to do these 9 choices the Right way and the Wrong way - ex. calmly walking away vs. stomping feet and shouting "you aren't my friend anymore"....these examples were very funny, but some I see on our playground! * Students created a notecard with a problem they have experienced at school or at home  -- we will use these throughout the year to show them they are Strong enough to solve these problems and their peers can help them with these problems at school if they need help!  (A letter about this this curriculum and a peacewheel to use in your home was sent in Friday Folders this week! A copy of the letter is also posted below.)

Lesson 5:  Good Listening – Check.  Peacewheel Strategies – Check.  Passengers are ready for a new flight and in 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF - we went to space camp!  Not outer space, personal space!  We read about Louis, a boy who has trouble with personal space, in the book "Personal Space Camp" by Julia Cook.   The book discusses personal space as the amount of space a person needs to feel comfortable and their own personal space "bubble" being about the size of a hula hoop at school, but everyone's bubble is a different size -- you must look and listen to what others are telling you about their personal bubble.  Students explored their personal space in space camp by: Testing out their own spaceship (hula-hoop); Letting each other know what to say and do if someone is in your personal space in a safe and respectful manner (Please stop; you are in my bubble);   Exploring their own personal space and how others pop our bubbles (pushing in line, hurtful words).  Next week we will award their Space Camp Certificates and continue to work on how we let others know about our personal space needs in a safe and respectful way. *This book  can be checked out in our Roosevelt Counselor Resource Library.

Lesson 6: All students passed Space Camp last week and were awarded space camp certificates in their classroom and their own personal space ship (lifesaver :). We reviewed: what we know about personal space, how we tell someone they are in our space with our words, not our hands, how everyone's bubble is different, but about the size of a hula-hoop -- we have to look and listen to see what others need for personal space. We read two books illustrating what they have learned about our Peacewheel. First, we reat about Mrs. Fox's class and how they put these options to work for them in their school in "Peaceweek in Mrs. Fox's class". Then we read "The Recess Queen" and talked about how the playground felt when Mean Jean was the Recess Queen and in charge of everything on the playground, but had no friends to play with when she behaved like the "Queen" and then how the playground felt after Mean Jean decided she wanted friends and to have fun at recess. We concluded with taking their problem examples they wrote down and went out to the peacewheel to practice making peaceful choices with their situations.   *These books help illustrate how they CAN create a peaceful, fun, and happy relationships!  These books can be checked out in our Roosevelt Counselor Resource Library. 

Lesson 7:  Red Ribbon Week is next week and we stopped talking about Conflict Resolution and started thinking about Safe & Healthy Choices.   Our theme this year is "Too Smart To Start" --- so they shared what SMART Safe & Healthy Choices they make at home, at school, at lunch, at recess, and with others.   After sharing LOTS of ideas - student picked one to draw and label on our lightbulb worksheet.  Students shared what they chose and we will see them displayed in the hall next week for Red Ribbon Week!

Lesson 8:   It’s Red Ribbon Week!   Last week we made our pictures of our safe & healthy choices… we asked them to find their picture in the hall and look at what everyone else had to say about their BRIGHT futures!  For our Red Ribbon Week lesson, we discussed Peer Pressure.  We brainstormed “good” PP and “bad” PP and acted out a few examples.  In these examples, we talked about how PP helps us or does not help us to make safe & healthy choices.  We discussed what it meant to be “cool” and sometimes people make unsafe and unhealthy choices to be “cool”.  We watched the video “Wow! Wow! Wubsy – Mr. Cool” where Walden asked his friends to make him “cool” … but in the end they see that being Mr. Cool is just being yourself!   We talked about Recess Group starting for them after Halloween and how they are invited to come into my classroom during Tuesday morning recess for some fun with Mrs. Clark and other 1st grade students!   **Check out the Prevention Awareness link on my website to learn more about Red Ribbon Week ideas for you to discuss at home.  You can see signs in the halls and in your child's room for more information about this opportunity! 

No lesson this week - Costume Parade, Halloween Parties & Parent/Teacher Conferences!

Lesson 9: We are starting our Safe and Healthy Choices Unit this week.    We defined "safety" as: to take actions to avoid getting hurt.  We discussed some of their safety rules they already know - such as bike safety, playground safety, water safety, animal safety, tricky people, and fire safety.   Our first lesson in this unit deals with Gun Safety - Eddie the Eagle helps teach us the "body rap" STOP, DON'T TOUCH, LEAVE THE AREA, TELL AN ADULT.  In the video "Learn about Gun Safety with Eddie the Eagle" students see this useful body rap put to use when kids encounter a "big problem" by finding a gun.  Students are encouraged to show you the body rap and talk about what they learned to help them know what to do when they feel danger!   A letter about our Safe & Healthy Choices went home with your student this week and is also posted in a link below - thank you for talking about this at home with your child!  If you would like to watch the video, here is the link:  **If you would like to view the video, it is available on youtube - here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIEBrb_wRYc

Lesson 10: We heard reports of how they let someone know about our "body rap" from our “guest speaker” last week Eddie the Eagle -- when we feel danger, we "stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult." Students received a sticker if they could report telling a parent and showing me the "body rap".   We saw this same message demenstrated in a video that emphasizes street, personal, and stranger safety. Students see the WRONG and RIGHT behavior for the safety rules. Safety Sam and his dog Rescue teach them ten tips in the video "Is it Okay?: How to Stay SAFE!". Street Safety Rules: 1. Look both ways before crossing the street 2. Don't chase balls into the street 3. Wait on curb or sidewalk at the bus stop Personal Safety Rules: 4. Never take medicine on your own and always with/from an adult you trust 5. Never pet or play with an animal you do not know 6. Always wear a helmet when you ride your bike and helmet and pads on anything with wheels Stranger Safety: 7. Stay away from strangers 8. Never answer the phone on your own or give out any information 9. Don't answer the door or let strangers in your house 10. Tell and Yell - always tell an adult you trust if a stranger bothers you and if one does YELL as loud as you can! Next week we will discuss these safety rules further and start to make a Safety Bulletin Board for the whole school to see!

Thanksgiving Break - be safe and enjoy!

Lesson 11: We reviewed those Safety Tips we heard from Safety Sam and Rescue  before Thanksgiving Break -- we got through #7 last week and we continued to the end of our tips.   To conclude, we defined "safety" as: to take actions to avoid getting hurt. We discussed some of their other safety rules they know, not presented in our videos- such as bike safety, playground safety, water safety.  We also discussed safe places around Roosevelt and their homes and safe adults -- identifying a "plan" and working on "what-ifs" at home is so important to continuing our safety discussions in your home!  All students could tell me two tips they needed to talk about with his/her parent as a result of our learning.   To conclude our lesson, we created a bulletin board for the whole school to know what we learned about our safety rules - check it out in the hall across from the cafeteria!

Lesson 12: We wrapped up our work on Safe & Healthy Choices.  We took a “funny” approach to safety by watching “Officer Buckle and Gloria” – emphasizing 101 important safety rules by this team…especially, always stick with your buddy!   We concluded our unit by talking about all that we learned --- and even though we have learned A LOT, sometimes we need reminders from others.   We discussed that even Mrs. Clark needs reminders sometimes and when friends or adults remind us of a rule or suggest another way to solve something, being mad at them is unfair.   We saw this example in "Franklin and the Bus Patrol" where Franklin and his friends talk about how being safe and following rules is their responsibility, but sometimes hard to do with friends.   During this video, we discussed how following the rules and letting others know the rules is sometimes seen as "bossy" and can be a difficult thing to do with our peers; however, safety is more important than being "popular" with our friends -- just like we saw in our film. Working together and remembering to accept safety suggestions from other people is the thing to do!

Lesson 13: Taking a break in-between our Holiday Program Rehearsals - we played some Holiday games.  Deck the Halls Jenga, Merry Christmas Memory, Holiday Headbands, Do You Hear What I Hear - Holiday Questions, Trees & Tanagrams, Holiday Crazy 8's and Go Fish....super fun!

No Lesson: Band/Orch/Choir Holiday Concert.

Winter Break - stay warm, enjoy your family, and see you in 2013!!

Lesson 14: "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful one hundred percent." In Horton Hears a Who, we watch our faithful friend Horton show the true meaning of friendship, kindness, commitment, perseverance, integrity, and forgiveness. As we watch this movie the next few weeks, we discuss these themes and the choices and challenges Horton faces as he keeps his faithful promise to the people of Whoville.

Lesson 15: Week 2 brings one of the most important messages we see Horton demonstrate for us - "A person's a person, no matter how small." Friendship and acceptance -- what an important topic!

Lesson 16: Week 3 of Horton -- almost to the end!  I challenged students to think about: Who is your "Horton" in life? I heard mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncles, friends, and teachers --- that person that no matter what sticks to what they say and shows you the dedication and love that Horton showed the people of Who-Ville.   What if you did not have these people in your life - what would you do?  We all need someone to believe in us no matter what -- why can't that person be you?  We left off at the "We are here, we are here, we are here" -- working together as a team to save Whoville and help Horton.

Lesson 17:  Its what we have been waiting for - will Horton be able to follow up on his promise to the people of Who-ville? Can the people of Who-ville work together to help Horton? The ending leaves you believing that anything is possible! Students talked about the characters in the movie and their qualities. We focused on what makes a good friend and they created Horton Hats to help them remember their favorite quote in the movie and what makes them a good friend. See our bulletin board in the hall with all our 1st grade Horton Hats by the cafeteria! *We also celebrated their good listening - Potato Party for all!

Lesson 18: Horton was a unique and special person -- What makes you unique and special? We are all different and celebrating our differences helps us feel included, special, and happy. We read the story "Chrysanthemum" and discussed how different reactions to her name - by her parents, her classmates, and her teachers - changed the way Chrysanthemum felt about herself, her name, her school, and her mood. Using a paper doll of Chrysanthemum we say how the unkind words "wrinkled" her day and even though we say sorry or say kind words, those unkind actions and words are still there! So choosing our words and our actions is a choice we make every day...choose wisely so you don't leave wrinkles! We also watched the video after we discussed the book having them pay attention to how Chrysanthemum's mood and feelings changed through the story. **This book is available for checkout in our library in the counselor resources!

Lesson 19:: CHOICES and CONSEQUENCES -- what are they and are what are positive examples and negative examples they experience. As we read the book "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" by Keven Henkes, students listened for the Positive and Negative Choices and Consequences Lilly made in the story. We discussed her decision and outcomes as a class. I then brought out my purple plastic purse and drew consequence cards from my purse and asked students to think about what might happen if.... you didn't listen in class, you brush your teeth, you stay up late watching T.V, you won't share a ball at recess, you left your coat on the playground, you got all your work done in class,,..all examples of our lesson. We concluded with the message of Mr. Slanger, Lilly's teacher about choices -- "Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better." -- when we make negative choices, saying, meaning, and showing in our actions that we are really, really, really sorry and learning from our choices and consequences helps us do our best and show our best self to others!   We also read the book "Me First" to help this group of 1st graders work on not always having to be 1st or the Best at everything...sometimes you need to listen to the "Sand-Witch!" **These books are available in our library in the counselor resources.

Lesson 20: Last week we read “Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse” and “Me First” to demonstrate CHOICES and CONSEQUENCES.   This week we see some more friends negotiate sharing and name-calling in the films “Franklin and the Crystal” and “Franklin and the Nickname.”  As we watched both of these films, students looked for the choices, consequences, and ways friends communicate what they are feeling with each other.  Our green turtle friend and his pals shows us what it is like to talk things out with a friend, how to be a good listener, how arguing can harm friendships, how important sharing is to being a good friend, and the value of a true apology. 

Lesson 21: Mrs. Wangsgard's class only this week, so we worked on cooperation, teamwork, patience, and having fun by playing a variety of games in my classroom! Fun.Fun.Fun!

Lesson 22:  “When Telling isn’t Tattling” – a video that helped us discuss an important part of staying Safe is knowing when to Tell and when you are Tattling.   We used those same rules for Telling – those “Who Rules” from last year of asking Is someone Hurt? Danger? Needs Help? -- and our definition of Tattling – trying to get someone in trouble or not using the Peacewheel choices to solve small problems on your own!   In this video we reviewed the difference between Telling and Tattling and discussed how it felt to have someone continually tattle on you.   We saw a variety of examples to test their knowledge of “should you tell?”   We also discussed knowing when you or another person is not safe and you need to get help, even if the person says to not tell anyone, they threaten you, or it’s a friend or sibling that you know might be angry with you.  Working on this skill at home is SO important so kids know the difference and are rewarded for doing the right thing!    

Lesson 23:  Mrs. Clark checked their knowledge of Tattling vs. Telling by giving them some examples and then they had to respond if it was Tattling or Telling -- they did great!   I flipped through "Don't Squeal Unless it's a Big Deal" to help those who were in K last year at Roosevelt remember what happened to their class when Tattling got out of hand, but their rule helped them know what to do when their teacher needed their help!  We then reviewed some of those examples that Telling is always what we do First!   We talked about how Secrets vs. Surprises is a tough one to know what to do sometimes and we read the book "The Trouble with Secrets".  We began by discussing the difference between a secret and a surprise. What is a secret? We discussed the difference between "good" secrets - I call them surprises - and "bad" secrets - secrets that make us feel uncomfortable "holding" them from someone or not sharing with an adult. While we read the book, we discussed the different examples of secrets vs. surprises and discussed the need to ALWAYS talk with an adult when you get the uncomfortable feeling about a secret or the right to say "no, I do not want to keep that secret." We discussed the Touching Rule: No one has the right to touch you in your "swimsuit" private areas unless they are keeping you clean and healthy - like a doctor or a bath by a trusted adult.  We concluded with one last book that demonstrated that decision making skill of needed to know what is "right" for them -- "Hey Little Ant" leaves them deciding what they would do with a foot raised up and an option to "squish" the Ant or let him go.   This book has a delightful story of putting yourself in the "shoes" of another and recognizing another perspective.  Student's grabbed an elbow buddy and discussed what he/she might do and then compared this book to our film "Horton Hears a Who" -- loved their thoughts!  **These books are available for checkout in our library in the Counselor resources.

Lesson 24: What is the difference between Secrets vs. Surprises?   What are some of the examples of Secrets we do NOT keep?  Choices and Consequences were discussed in “Hey Little Ant” – when faced with an important decision, how do they decide what to do?  We read the book “Once Upon A Dragon” a story that captured these concepts in a crazy adventure of common fairy-tales that emphasize these safe choices.  Since it is March Madness, it’s the perfect time to talk about College, because like my bulletin board says “They aren’t just Basketball Teams, they are Colleges!”  I asked them to answer the question “Who has ever set foot on a College Campus?” Most of the students said they had been to BSU…but just a game or in the SUB to bowl.  A few could name the colleges that his/her parent attended and we discussed why people go to college.  They were able to connect College + Training = Job.  We concluded our lesson by watching “Bernstein Bears On the Job” where Bear is asked to choose a Job for a report at school and we follow him on his adventures through Bear Country finding out all the jobs that are possible!   Students were encouraged to talk with adults about College so they can add to their list of Colleges they know about!  

Lesson 25:  We saw Bear learn about all sorts of Jobs in his school report last week and this week we are going to be BIZZY BEES and explore lots of Jobs as well!   By playing the board-game BIZZY BEES, students sorted “Bee” Job cards into 16 Career Cluster “Hives” based on what common skills.  For Example, the Law and Safety Hive will have the Firefighter and Police Officer Bee Job Cards because protecting people is one of the skills of this Hive!    Once students found the right Hives for all our Bees, we discussed the different jobs and played Which BIZZY BEE AM I? to help them talk about the skills, environment, and tools the job uses – this game is like Headbands where they have the card on his/her forehead and they ask questions for clues about their Job.   Concluding this activity is a homework assignment for students to follow up with parents identifying the different jobs people they know have and what they know about that job  -- see Friday Folder for the assignment!   We will take this assignment and create an original Bizzy Bee of their own for a Career Day presentation!

Lesson 26: 1^st Graders were BIZZY BEES this weekend and did a great job on their assignment with his/her parent exploring their “Personal Hive” – writing down family members, neighbors, friends, etc. job’s and giving examples of what that person’s job “looks like”.   We celebrated an important job skill – Responsibility – and recognized those students who completed his/her assignment and then I broke into small groups to discuss what they learned.   Students then wrote down the jobs they discussed and sorted them into a Career Alphabet – so they could expand their choices of Jobs they are thinking about and begin to see how many possibilities there are out there for them!   We then discussed their BIZZY BEE Job they will make by discussing 3 examples I have created for them – thinking about the Job, 3 sentences describing the Job, and a picture illustrating the BEE with the right “Tools” of the Job.   Students exited the room telling me what Job they are going to pick next week and I asked them to continue to be Bizzy Bees by thinking about what they are going to write and draw  ---  lots of Buzzing Ideas in the Counselor’s Hive this week!

Lesson 27: This week students created an original Buzy Bee Job Card illustrating his/her chosen job and then describing the job in 3 sentences.   See their work in the hall -- I love what they came up with for the tools, skills, job responsibilities, and environments for their jobs!

Lesson 28:  Thinking about Jobs made us think about what we like to do, what we are good at, and what makes us unique.   Finding work in life that helps us do the things we love and what we are good at doing helps us enjoy school, college and our jobs!   Having the confidence and courage to pursue their dreams happens every year in school! We read the books "My Name is not Isabella" and "My Name is not Alexander" - great books about how big girls and boys can dream, making reference to big names like Sally Ride, Annie Oakley, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Elizabeth Blackwell, Mom/Dad, Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Chief Joseph, Fred Astaire, Jackie Robinson, and more!  All these people were just like them and followed their unique dream!   We then read the book "Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon" - a delightful story about someone who had to make a choice every time she had a problem -- to get upset or to take her grandma's advice. Grandma's advice was: "Walk as proudly as you can and the world will look up to you."; "Smile big and the world will smile right alongside you."; "Sing out clear and strong and the world will cry tears of joy."; "Believe in yourself and the world will believe in you too." Recognizing and embracing differences in others is an important of being a good friend and being you!   **These books are available for checkout in our library in the Counselor resources.

Lesson 29:  A reminder before we break for the summer about Friendship and Learning.  Our first reminder was Friendship in "Franklin's Trading Cards" - this video reminds us to work together as friends and find "win-win" solutions vs. competition or goals that get in the way of our friendships!   Our second reminder was " Franklin's Collection" - in this video, Franklin learns to find value in all that is around him -- taking the time to learn about what you see around you or even collect...everything has a story!    Over the summer take the time to find out everything around you -- keep your inquisitive mind going, being bored is never an option!

Lesson 30:  The hot weather has brought out the competition on the field --- today we had some reminders about Sportsmanship.   We watched the Auto B. Good video " Sportsmanship "The Winning Goal" When Maria takes over as the soccer coach, EJ is not pleased with her emphasis on sportsmanship. This could ruin the season and take the fun out of the game!  We discussed the definition of sportsmanship and shared some examples of good sportsmanship and bad sportsmanship. emphasizing what we expect at Roosevelt and what coaches and parents expect of them as well.   We read the book "How to Lose All Your Friends" - as an example of if they do not want to have any friends, rule #4 say Be a Poor Sport.  This book gives the steps necessary to have No Friends: #1. Never Smile #2. Never Share #3. Be a Bully #4. Be a Poor Sport #5. Tattle #6. Whine.   The next book we read was "Better Than You" - Showing how bragging and always having to put down others to be "better" makes people want to be away from you and fear you, not be a friend.   The last book we read was "Being Frank" - A book about what it means to be Frank with someone -- not having to tell a lie, but also not being so "frank" that you are mean or rude.   We heard the examples in the book and then practices some examples that come up in sports -- like soccer, basketball or gymnastics.   For example, instead of saying "you con't do that - its easy...watch me"  it would be better to say "that is hard, let me show a trick I learned and I can help you practice."   We are always working on ways to make sure we show great sportsmanship and encourage each other in a way that feels great and promotes good friendships! **These books are available for checkout in the Library in the Counselor Resources!

Lesson 31: Stay Smart! :) We discussed that learning doesn't stop over the summer and identified what they can do to "stay smart"!   Ideas I heard were: reading, writing a summer journal, making stuff - art and legos, reading maps, math facts, computer games like IXL or IPAD apps, board games, playing music, staying fit, exploring their world like a scientist, getting along with other, trying new things/ideas, and much more!  Students put 3 ideas in their "backpack" - a summer goal worksheet with a backpack on it - and brought it home to share with you and remind them it is their responsibility to work on these things every week!   We finished coloring our sheet while we watched "Franklin's Day Off" where Franklin learns it is best to be responsible than procrastinate to the get things done and take care of the things that are important to him!   

Peacewheel (DOC 2.02 MB)
Kelso's Choice Peacewheel can be found throughout our school!
Parent Letter - Peacewheel, Conflict Management & Personal Space (DOC 54 KB)
Safe & Healthy Choices Parent Letter (DOC 50 KB)
Career Lesson Homework Description (BMP 1.65 MB)
Career Lesson Homework Grid (DOC 31 KB)
Buzzzzy Bees Career Unit (DOC 11.29 MB)
Keep Learning over the Summer 1st Graders! (PDF 101 KB)

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