March Madness With Principal Phillips

How lucky for us that our amazing principal came to read to every class in our school for her version of "March Madness". We loved having you read to us Mrs. Phillips! Thank you very much!

We Love Our PTA!

Thank you PTA for gifting our students with these cool, new, themed t-shirts! 

Flag Raising: A Tradition

Flag Raising is a tradition in Duval County Public Schools. Once a month, our entire learning community at Chets Creek Elementary gathers around the flag pole for Flag Raising. During this time, we salute our flag and show respect for our rights. Often, we have a student from Chets sing the national anthem. Seeing our entire community come together in such a respectful manner is an inspiring sight to see. We encourage our parents to join us. Please check your child's weekly newsletter for upcoming dates. 

Our First Flag Raising in the First Grade

ARTS EXTRAVAGANZA WEEK IS HERE!

This week, we celebrate the arts through Arts Extravaganza, a Chets Creek annual tradition. Our walls are adorned with fabulous works of original art from our own talented and creative young artists. Our school is alive and beautiful with the student work!

Today, the students participated in an assembly presented by an Orlando based theatre group, Theatreworks. The students learned about the famous painting of the Mona Lisa, the mysterious woman smiling, by Leonardo DaVinci. The students also learned about other artists during the Renaissance Period.

                    

Thank you to the cast for staying after the show, enthusiastically answering so many questions from our students. You have certainly left a positive impression on all of us!                                           

Non-Fiction Writers Use Checklists

Below is the checklist that the students are using in class to help guide their writing. Please review the checklist with your child. You may even have your child practice writing an "All About ___________" book about a topic that your child is an expert in. For example: playing a game, making a sandwich, dinosaurs, video game etc. 

Visiting Author/Illustrator

We were amazed today by the talented and funny author and illustrator, Mr. Henry Cole. He shared stories with the children about how he began his lifelong passion to draw and write stories. We are very fortunate to have such a talented guest at Chets Creek.  

Sowing the Seeds of Learning

Today, my students planted potatoes. Thanks to  Dr. Zenk for curing our potatoes and having them all ready for us to plant. We used a process called hilling. When hilling (or earthing up) potatoes, you draw earth up around the vines of the potato plant once they start to grow. 



 We were able to integrate measurement in this science  activity. The students made sure to plant the potatoes inside the trench at about eight inches deep. Then they added two inches of rich soil and two inches of organic matter, leaves collected from the trees around the school. 

I really loved how one of my expert "farmers" went back to put some loving touches on our work. He checked to make sure that our entire trench was evenly and loosely covered with leaves and he did this with such attention and care. Love it!


  Stay tuned to see how our potatoes grow!

Beyond Words

Please take a moment to view a very important message from our new superintendent, Dr. Vitti, regarding the heartbreaking tragedy in Connecticut. 

MESSAGE FROM DR. VITTI

Literary Character Parade

What a blast we had dressing up as a literary character. Check out the slideshow below.

Literary Character Parade 2012-13

Mouse Characters

What's the coolest thing that a six-year old can say to his or her teacher? Wow, this was the best day ever! I guess making puppets on a stick is pretty cool. I only wish that you could hear the stories the students made up using these adorable mouse characters by Kevin Henkes.

Aloha!

Thanks to my clever and resourceful colleagues, Mrs. Alvarado and Ms. Daniels, for planning some great "in school field trips" for our students. These two teachers came up with a great plan to invite parents of our first graders to share a special talent or skill with our students. Thus, the very first assembly featured one of our own parents, Mrs. S. She spoke to the students about her native homeland of Hawaii, shared legends and danced. We are so lucky to have such amazing support from our parents as well as teachers who are out of the box thinkers. 

What Language Do You Speak?

Today, I traveled over forty years back in time to when I first moved to America. I was five years old and I remember my first day of kindergarten as a terrifying experience. Why you might wonder? Simply because I did not speak any English and no one seemed to make an effort to help ease my transition. I was trapped in this black hole of fear and confusion in a very large five story, dank building with over a thousand students.

What does this experience have to do with today? Today, I met a new family to our school that recently moved here from Greece. Mrs. Nash and Mrs. Phillips, both teachers at Chets Creek,  were resourceful and quick to provide a way to connect with the family. That's where I was able to help. That same afternoon, I met with Mrs. Nash and the family of the children. The parents were eager to ask questions and the children were delightful. Kudos to my colleagues for their care and compassion! I so wish that you had been my teachers when I first moved here.

Entomophagy: Bug Eating

Today was my first day back to school with my fabulous new first grade students and we started our morning out with an assembly featuring, The Bug Chef. Well if anyone is wondering, I did eat a scorpion, fried of course with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Aside from the crackly shell, I must say, it tasted ok and the kids had a great time cheering us on. What a great first day!

Meet the Teacher

Today was orientation for the new students in my class and the turn out was excellent. Thank you to the families that were able to join us. I am looking forward to a great year with all of our amazing first grade students and families!

We Love Our Volunteers!

Today, volunteers small and tall came together to assemble over 1,200 information packets that need to be completed by each family that has a student attending Chet Creek this year. Our volunteers are truly a remarkable and dedicated group and we appreciate them. Thank you!

Chef Chet

Hello everyone. My name is Chef Chet and I am looking forward to meeting all of our new first graders on Friday during orientation. Bon Appetit!

While You Were Away

 So this is what our classroom looks like when everyone is away for the summer. These photographs were taken after the old carpet was torn out and replaced with shiny new tile. Looks like there is some work to be done to get ready for the first day.

 Stay tuned for the transformation.

Relationships and Our First Day

Teachers First Day Back

After what seems like a brief summer holiday, it was time to return to work, and as always, our first day back was filled with fun and fellowship. Mrs. Phillips, our principal, continues to start off each new year with passion and positivity. Looking forward to another amazing year at the Creek!

Around the World Once Again

This time of year is my most favorite for many reasons. This is the time of year that we can slow down just a bit, while still learning and creating. A few weeks ago, we began our non-fiction studies and learned about determining importance in non-fiction text with a focus on Holidays Around the World. With a "suitcase" in hand, we virtually toured several countries over three weeks and learned about the special holidays that occurred in each country. The students also completed crafts that reflected the different countries. 

At the end of this unit, we had a fabulous international feast with foods from around the world. Families graciously brought in ethnic dishes that were representative of their culture. We had the best turn out ever! The children even entertained their families with songs. I was very thankful that there was so much participation in this wonderful event.  I wish you all a very happy and peaceful winter holiday!

Season of Giving Project

Our class has elected to give back to others during this holiday season. Thus, the students have chosen to send contributions to the Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS).  The JHS is in constant need of gently used clean bath towels, blankets without stuffing, and paper towels such as Bounty or Viva. Please send in your donations by Friday, December 9, 2011.    Thank you in advance for your support and assistance!