Author Archives: Jeffery Cole

Welcome

My name is Mr. Jeffery (Jeff) Cole and the 2023-2024 school year will be my 26th as a teacher in St. Charles. I attended Bigfork High School (50 miles north of Grand Rapids, MN) and I am also a graduate of Bemidji State University, with a Master’s Degree from Winona State University. Prior to teaching, I worked as a program assistant at The Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji, MN.

My wife Angela and I have been married for 23 years.  We have two lovely children, Celia Rose (19) & Riley King (16). We also have a 100 lb. yellow lab named Togo. As a family, we love sports, music, books & comics.

When visiting the classroom you will get a better sense of my personality and interests. First of all, Room 117 is home to many critters because the living world simply fascinates me. I REALLY think you will like meeting Muddy & Mēka! I enjoy “noodling” on my guitar in class and you can expect that I’ll have your child read voraciously, write & draw … All things that bring me happiness. You may even hear about Mr. Cole growing up in “The Old Days” with stories of a wolf attack, pet deer, a deadly bear casserole, and the dreaded outhouse! 

It is also very important to me that your child feels comfortable in our classroom. And getting to know each other is the first step. Here is an image link to a sharing tool that my class has used in the past. Do a little exploring and upload your own introduction video! (You’ll need to create a username and password.)

I’d also like you to be aware that I’m adding parent emails to a number of other tools. I apologize for any disruptions this may cause to your inbox. Some items (including Flipgrid) will have available applications that can be downloaded from the Apple and/or Google stores. Feel free to reach out if you have any difficulties.

Thank you for allowing me the chance to introduce myself. I’m very excited to welcome you to our first-grade community!

Hasta Luego,

Mr. Cole

March Madness

For me, March is an exciting month because it’s tournament time! So, I thought it might be nice to try and bring some of that March excitement to our classroom. I’m currently planning activities for the week of March 14th – 18th. Hopefully, this will help students stay engaged as we conclude the winter season. Stay tuned …

(Click Image)

 

 

Bonus Footage

Valentine’s Day

Our Valentine’s party is approaching and I wanted to take this opportunity to comment on the occasion. Valentine’s Day is a wonderful holiday and everyone loves to get a special card from a friend. Unfortunately, sometimes there are children that get left out. Please take the time to look at your child’s cards to make certain that everyone in our room will be receiving something.

I would also encourage you to allow your first grader to prepare their own cards. (What a wonderful opportunity to use new skills in purposeful writing!) Do a little bit each day and they will be completed in no time at all.

Class List

 

First Grade Geology

Room 117 is well on its way to completing an investigation of earth materials.  Students explored a river rock mixture containing materials of different sizes and learned to separate and group the rocks based on particle size by using tools (screens). There was also a discussion about concrete and gravel.  This will lead to an experiment with water that produces a fine layer of sand called, silt.  The class will also work with even smaller particles … clay.

Our focus will continue to be the Science Thinking Processes of …

Observing, Communicating, Comparing, and Organizing  

First-Grade Giving

Traditionally, my classes haven’t exchanged gifts in the classroom, but have shared in activities that promote the spirit of the season.

The first is sponsored by Merchant’s Bank. Every year they collect food to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry. If you’d like to contribute, your child can bring a nonperishable food item to school until December 10th (I’ll make sure that the goods are delivered appropriately). Thank you in advance for taking part in 10 Days of Giving.

Our classroom participation will also include a First-Grade Trading Post. I’m asking that each first grader bring two “gently-used” books to school that can be placed in a trading post. After two weeks of browsing through the used book collection, students will be allowed to select a couple to keep. Trade your old stories for “new” ones!

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Flashcards

In the month of November, first graders will be assessed on their ability to recall basic addition facts.

You can view a sample test using the link below:

Addition Facts

 

Please have your child practice addition at home …

To help with this, I recently returned your flashcards from the supply list. We will continue to play games at school and participate in activities designed to improve number sense.

 

Raz-Kids

Raz-Kids is an award-winning teaching product that provides comprehensive leveled reading resources for students. With hundreds of eBooks offered at 27 different levels of reading difficulty, it’s easy to put the right content in every student’s hands.

Your child can access assignments on a computer, tablet, or phone by using the following image link:

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Welcome

My name is Mr. Jeffery (Jeff) Cole and the 2021-2022 school year will be my 24th as a teacher in St. Charles. I attended Bigfork High School (50 miles north of Grand Rapids, MN) and I am also a graduate of Bemidji State University, with a Master’s Degree from Winona State University. Prior to teaching, I worked as a program assistant at The Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji, MN.

My wife Angela and I have been married for 21 years.  We have two lovely children, Celia Rose (17) & Riley King (14). We also have a 100 lb. yellow lab named Togo. As a family, we love sports, music, books & comics.

When visiting the classroom you will get a better sense of my personality and interests. First of all, Room 117 is home to many critters because the living world simply fascinates me. I REALLY think you will like meeting Muddy & Mēka! I enjoy “noodling” on my guitar in class and you can expect that I’ll have your child read voraciously, write & draw … All things that bring me happiness. You may even hear about Mr. Cole growing up in “The Old Days” with stories of a wolf attack, pet deer, a deadly bear casserole, and the dreaded outhouse! 

It is also very important to me that your child feels comfortable in our classroom … And getting to know each other is the first step. Here is an image link to a sharing tool that my class has used in the past. Do a little exploring and upload your own introduction video! (You can log in by using your child’s first name.)

I’d also like you to be aware that I’m adding parent emails to a number of other tools. I apologize for any disruptions this may cause to your inbox. Some items (including Flipgrid) will have available applications that can be downloaded from the Apple and/or Google stores. Feel free to reach out if you have any difficulties.

Thank you for allowing me the chance to introduce myself. I’m very excited to welcome you to our first-grade community!

Hasta Luego,

Mr. Cole

From Ms. Perrizo:

The library is planning a walking field trip To the St. Charles Public Library on Thursday, May 6th. Please look for a permission slip in your child’s folder and return it to school by Wednesday, April 28th. If you want your child to register for a public library card at this time, please fill out the form and return it with the permission slip.