*Whew!* Day ONE was FUN! (...and day two was, too!)

Hello, First Grade Families!

I hope you have had a fantastic day. I just want to give you a quick update on our first two days of first grade together! Please read below for a brief rundown of day 1 and 2 and what to look forward to on our upcoming days!

Some things we learned:
-We learned each others' names
-We learned 3 new songs and class signals
-We learned arrival and dismissal routines and procedures
-We learned how to properly use and store a pencil, box of crayons, and colored pencils.
-We learned about reading stamina (We are up to 3 minutes!)

Some things we did together:
-We went to music, gym, Spanish, and tech
-We read many stories together

-We learned all about our “Star of the Week,” Mrs. Brignac
-We explored our of our outdoor play area

-We explored new math tools

-We met many new friends by playing "Buddy Bingo!"

**Pop Quiz** Today we discussed what it means to be a good listener. What does a great listener do with his/her:

·      Eyes?

·      Ears?

·      Brain?

·      Hands?

·      Feet?

·      Bottom? (Even that helps us listen!)

If your child needs reminders, check out the poster that we made after reading, “David Goes to School.” We helped David learn how to be an awesome listener:

I had such a great time today getting to know each and every first grader in our class! We have a fabulous group, and I cannot wait for us to learn, grow, and have fun together!

Coming up tomorrow:

*We will go to art! 

*We will begin writing our Hopes and Dreams for first grade!

*We will learn about our 5 classroom rules!

*We will learn (at least) 2 new games!

Check out some pictures from our first two days below! Thanks and I am looking forward to another great day tomorrow. :-)

-Mrs. Brignac

The ABCs of Mrs. Brignac's Class

Hello, First Grade Families!

Welcome to our class blog! I am so excited to begin another fun-filled year of learning at Somerset. This blog will be a forum in which you can find the most up to date information on school happenings throughout the year. I strongly believe in a school culture that fosters a connection between home and the classroom. This year, I strive to provide families with many ways to communicate and find information. 

Now, you may say to yourself, "Mrs. Brignac...A website and a blog? What's the difference?!" I totally get it! However, there is a reason for having both. Here is an outline of what you may find on each site:

Our class website
Visit here if you would like to see:
1. Schedule information
2. Contact information
3. Newsletters and other class documents

Our class blog
Visit here if you would like to see:
1. A quick update on lessons covered during the week
2. Photos from the week
3. Tips for learning from home

*Any urgent information will always be communicated via phone or e-mail.* This blog is meant for fun, so do not worry about checking this site every day! 

Now, I am just going to come out and say it right away: There may be some weeks in which I do not get around to having a blog post. Life happens! However, I do promise to make a concerted effort to try my best. :-)

Also, I want to thank all of you that were able to come out to our meet and greet last Wednesday! It was so nice to see all of you. If you did not get a chance to already, please take a look at our "Class ABCs" to find everything that you need to know about our 1st grade class! This and other documents can be found on our website (scroll down): http://www.somerset.isd197.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=3064677&pageId=14705981

Thanks and see you soon! *I can't wait!*

:-) Mrs. B

Meet Mrs. Brignac!

Hello, families of first graders!

I am SO excited to begin another fantastic year at Somerset! I can't believe that this will already be my 4th year teaching in this wonderful community. Time truly does fly when you're having fun! 

For our first blog post of the year, I thought I'd share a little bit about myself! I currently live in Minneapolis with my husband, Bryan, and our beagle named Murray. Bryan and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary this past July. Here is a photo from our wedding day:

Let's not forget about Murray! 

You will hear many stories about our little furball throughout the year. He is quite a (lovable) troublemaker!

Over the summer, I did many fun and exciting things! Take a look:

House projects! My husband and I moved to a new home last October and couldn't wait to begin new projects this summer. We love to spend time in the backyard grilling and relaxing, so we decided to build a patio and fence as soon as we could! Here are some pics of the process:

It was a lot of work, but SO worth it when we could invite friends over for BBQs and finally let Murray run free in the yard!

We also tried to spend as many weekends as possible up at our family home in Eveleth, MN. There, we spent time swimming, pontooning, and enjoying the sunshine! Here is a goofy picture we captured on the 4th of July:

I love August for many reasons. First, it is that time of year when I get absolutely giddy for the upcoming school year! I love to spend the month shopping around for fun classroom goods, planning for exciting lessons, and prepping our classroom for the first day. 

The second reason why I love August? It's my birthday month! This year, I celebrated my 28th birthday at the lake- birthday hats and all!

The third reason? Football season begins! In my house, we are big fans of football. Even Murray likes to cheer on the Vikes!

We are also BIG gopher fans! My husband and I both graduated from the University of Minnesota, where I spent four years in the marching band rooting on the football team!

Over the summer, I completed my Master of Education degree at the University, as well. Woo hoo! 

*Whew* That's enough about ME! Now, I can't WAIT to get to know all of you! I look forward to many fun memories of all of the adventures we will experience together. I am looking forward to seeing you on our first day of school on Tuesday!

Take care and enjoy the long weekend!
:-) Mrs. Brignac