All About Apples In September

Like I wrote earlier, we have had a lot going on in First Grade this year, and even if it's posts that should have been posted in the fall, I'm trying to atleast get them on the blog, for my documentation and so that family members can take part of their activities and performances.

In September, it was all about apples. We had the Johnny Appleseed performance, that I posted earlier, and we had lessons about apples, and we made apple pies together with the kids, that we then took home to bake and enjoy with the family.

Apple tasting

 "Johnny Appleseed" showed up to our Apple party in the classroom too!

 Making apple pies!

 Working those big (hard plastic) knifes to cut the slices into pieces..

 

 Brown sugar & Cinnamon...

 Ready to take home to bake!

As room mom, I ended up baking a few extra pies to bring back to school!

Isabella and Benjamin were excited to find their pies already bakes when they came home from school, and they were ready to have some for afternoon snack. Added vanilla ice cream to make the most of it! Very much appreciated!

Johnny Appleseed Performance

This school year, we quickly learned that Social Studies and Science would be big subjects for this first grade class. We started off in October to learn about apples and everything was about apples. Math problems were about apples, the kids were writing about apples, and we had experiments about apples, and even baked apple pies with the kids in the cafeteria and at home. Pictures from that in another post, have to find them first. 

Anyway, to end this chapter about apples, the kids were practicing a performance about Johnny Appleseed, a true American Legend, read more about him here.

The pictures below is from the performance, and as a Classroom mom, I was in class helping practicing the lines with kids and getting things ready for the big day when the rest of the parents were invited.

The video is in the end of this post, please click on it to hear the performance and the songs that the kids learned! Really cute!  

Starting each performance with flag ceremony!

Getting other parents involved!

The cutest apples in the world!!

Here is the perfomance in it's lenght: 
Click on the arrow in the middle to play!
 

Isabella's President Presentation

A few days later, it was Isabella's turn to be chosen by the teacher to be the "President of the Day". She looked so pretty in her "Sunday best" and she was confident to hold her speech about the White House. 

 My beautiful President of the Day!

Isabella's President Presentation:

The Night Before First Grade

Going through the pictures that I haven't posted yet, I found these, which I have to share here too. It was the Sunday afternoon/night before school start. We had friends over for dinner, and we grilled up a few different things on the BBQ. It was a delicious meal, but our guests didn't stay late, as it was the night before the first day of school, therefore we had started grilling early afternoon instead.

After our friends had left, it was time for the kids to have a bath and early bedtime. They were excited to take out their special books that they had received from their sweet Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Hayden on their last day of school. They have saved the book to read just like it says on the title, "The Night Before First Grade"

Ringing In The School Year 2016/2017

The ringing in the school year is a tradition on Okinawa, and all the kids and staff stepped outside to stay in front of the school where the Principal held a speech and welcomed everyone back to school. My little ones were sitting with their class, but they spotted me in the crowd and we could exchange some smiles and blow some kisses before they went in to begin their first day in the classroom.

This picture I took of the twins sitting on the bench in front of the school where the kids that are walking to school are waiting to be picked up. Of course I was there before school was out to be sure to see them when they walked out. They were excited to tell me about their day, about the teacher and about all the new friends in their class on the way home.

This is Cassandra coming home from school on her first day, late with the activity bus that isn't back on our base until just before 6pm in the evening. She had her first day of tryouts of volleyball directly after school from 2pm-4.45pm and then the bus left at 5pm. Long day, but she was also happy and excited to tell us all about her day, and about practice and tryouts!!