Friday, September 27, 2013

Apples, Apples, Apples!

We began our two week long unit on apples this week. We started this week with cutting an apple open and using our 5 senses (minus taste because we were touching them and we dont want germs).  We cut out the labels for the apple parts and matched the first sound/letter to the diagram. We even used our science words and said we labeled the parts of a diagram of an apple.  We then labeled our giant diagram.

We also cut an apple up and practiced stamping our number books.  We will finish these up next week!

We have been watching a lot of videos about apples from counting, apple parts, kinds of apples, what you can make with apples and more.
The letter of the week was IiWe learned the sign language for a letter, the literacy link sound symbols, the letter sound, and looking at and writing it in both capital letters and lower case letters.  Click here to view the many ways we learn the letter of the week!  

Each week we watch letter videos from "Have Fun Teaching" and the students are really picking up the names of letters, formations, and the sounds of letters.  Check out these videos with you child!  Click HERE.

The Tuesday project of letter of the week is to decorate a letter with something that starts with the letter. This week we decorated the letter I with Ice frozen liquid watercolor.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, I is for Icecream.

Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

As mentioned last week, we would like to have a family and friends board in our room.  That way the space is as much of the students' as it is of mine (I have my family photos, they should too!)  Please send a family photo that can stay up in the classroom all year long.  When photos come in, the students will take some time to tell the rest of their class about their family.  Can't wait to see the photos and hear about the families!

Important Notes:
  • Folders. Please be checking your child's daily folder each night.  We put notes on the notebook pages in their folders as well as any notes we may have for you.  Artwork is also sent home this way. As we start letter of the week, we will also start sending home homework to help reinforce the letter concept and identification.  Please work on this with you child to help the students make the connection between home and school. 
  • Also, Please check the student's Wednesday Folders.  Please try to take info out and return the folder and any forms/info/payments in those folders a day or two after receiving. 
  • Dress for the weather.  Please send your child dressed for the weather as we go outside as long as it is not raining or below 0*
  • Book Order due October 25th (paper fliers came out, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward)
  • Send in those family photos!
Next Week:
Theme: Apples
Letter of the Week: Cc
Snack: Highfill Family

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!

Hello Parents, 

The Theme this week was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! Students had a lot of fun! 

Students stamped letters on the coconut tree, identified them, and then put those letters and their names into a poem!  

Students also made a rip tree (all the pieces of the tree were made from ripping paper) and then had the letters in their name (which they cut apart) climb the tree. We then counted the number of letters in our names.  They then put all that together in a poem as well! 








We also read and watched Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Chicka Chicka 123 videos.  Since we then had 2 books to look at, we took what we learned and made a Venn Diagram and compared and contrasted the two stories.

Mrs Drummond worked with the students on matching the capital letters to the lower case letters in a chicka chicka boom boom activity.


The letter of the week was Tt. We learned the sign language for a letter, the literacy link sound symbols, the letter sound, and looking at and writing it in both capital letters and lower case letters.  Click here to view the many ways we learn the letter of the week!  

The Tuesday project of letter of the week is to decorate a letter with something that starts with the letter. This week we decorated the letter T with tiny tiles we tore from construction paper.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, T is for Turtle.


Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

As mentioned last week, we would like to have a family and friends board in our room.  That way the space is as much of the students' as it is of mine (I have my family photos, they should too!)  Please send a family photo that can stay up in the classroom all year long.  When photos come in, the students will take some time to tell the rest of their class about their family.  Can't wait to see the photos and hear about the families!
Important Notes:


IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PICTURE DAY ENVELOPES. We need all the envelopes signed and returned EVEN IF YOU DO NOT PLAN ON PURCHASING PHOTOS.  Our photographer cannot take your childs' picture with out your signature.  This means their photo cannot be in the yearbook or the class composite if  you do not return the envelope.  We can accept envelopes up until photo day on September 26th (Thursday).

Also, please feel free to send a change of clothes for after pictures if you do not want your child in picture day clothes all day. We usually go first in the photo order as they go youngest to oldest.
  • Folders. Please be checking your child's daily folder each night.  We put notes on the notebook pages in their folders as well as any notes we may have for you.  Artwork is also sent home this way. As we start letter of the week, we will also start sending home homework to help reinforce the letter concept and identification.  Please work on this with you child to help the students make the connection between home and school. 
  • Also, Please check the student's Wednesday Folders.  Please try to take info out and return the folder and any forms/info/payments in those folders a day or two after receiving. 
  • Dress for the weather.  Please send your child dressed for the weather as we go outside as long as it is not raining or below 0*
  • Please continue to bring in book donations that Mrs. Morrin mentioned in her newsletter! We would love to help out another school in need!
  • Book Order due Sep 27 (paper fliers came out, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward)
  • Send in those family photos!
Next Week:
Theme: Apples
Letter of the Week: Ii
Snack: Mitchell Family


A note from the district:

Friday, September 13, 2013

The 5 Senses

Hello Parents, 

This week we talked about our 5 senses and began our letter of the week project.  Students had a lot of fun!

On Monday, students used stickers to write their name.  This worked their fine motor skills and also made some fun art to put with our first day of school photos in the hallway.


We began the letter of the week work in which we learn the sign language for a letter, the literacy link sound symbols, the letter sound, and looking at and writing it in both capital letters and lower case letters.  Click here to view the many ways we learn the letter of the week!  The Tuesday project of letter of the week is to decorate a letter with something that starts with the letter. This week we decorated the letter L with Lines.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, help figure out what illustration belonged on the page, and then make that illustration from our hand print!  Some described it as tickly, some as cold, and some even said they liked it!  Great describing words!  

Mrs Drummond worked with the students on a cut and paste project in which the students would look at the pictures, and figure out what sense they were using in the series of pictures.  Students then would cut out the correct sense and glue it next to it.  We are doing well at getting acquainted with the scissors, glue sticks, and the fine motor skills used to maneuver both!

On Wednesday students also tested our 5 senses and used them to discover what was in the mystery baggies. We used our describing words and our detective skills to figure out that sugar, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla was in the mystery bags!
Shaking to hear the sound
looking closely

Not sure about the taste of this lemon juice!
Feeling the baggies.
smelling the materials.
Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.





As mentioned last week, we would like to have a family and friends board in our room.  That way the space is as much of the students' as it is of mine (I have my family photos, they should too!)  Please send a family photo that can stay up in the classroom all year long.  When photos come in, the students will take some time to tell the rest of their class about their family.  Can't wait to see the photos and hear about the families!
Important Notes:

  • Folders. Please be checking your child's daily folder each night.  We put notes on the notebook pages in their folders as well as any notes we may have for you.  Artwork is also sent home this way. As we start letter of the week, we will also start sending home homework to help reinforce the letter concept and identification.  Please work on this with you child to help the students make the connection between home and school. 
  • Also, Please check the student's Wednesday Folders.  Please try to take info out and return the folder and any forms/info/payments in those folders a day or two after receiving. 
  • Dress for the weather.  Please send your child dressed for the weather as we go outside as long as it is not raining or below 0*
  • Please bring in book donations that Mrs. Morrin mentioned in her newsletter! We would love to help out another school in need!
  • Picture Day Sep 26
  • Book Order due Sep 27 (paper fliers coming Monday, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward)
  • Send in those family photos!
Next Week:
Theme: Chicka Chicka!
Letter of the Week: Tt
Snack: West Family

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Week 1 Sep 3-5 Back to School


Hello parents!

Welcome to the 4k year!  Things have been going great!  Students have been learning how to play cooperatively with their classmates and how school works.  Students are doing a great job sharing, using their words, learning new procedures, and taking care of themselves and others!

We took some first day photos and the teachers took special care to teach students the proper use of the centers and the materials.  They have been going in the centers with the students and playing with them and engaging them in conversations and reading with them.

Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

We would like to have a family and friends board in our room.  That way the space is as much of the students' as it is of mine (I have my family photos, they should too!)  Please send a family photo that can stay up in the classroom all year long.  When photos come in, the students will take some time to tell the rest of their class about their family.  Can't wait to see the photos and hear about the families!

Important Notes:
  • Folders.  Please be checking your child's daily folder each night.  We put notes on the notebook pages in their folders as well as any notes we may have for you.  Artwork is also sent home this way. As we start letter of the week, we will also start sending home homework to help reinforce the letter concept and identification.  Please work on this with you child to help the students make the connection between home and school.
  • Also, Please check the student's Wednesday Folders.  Please try to take info out and return the folder and any forms/info/payments in those folders a day or two after receiving. 
  • Dress for the weather.  Please send your child dressed for the weather as we go outside as long as it is not raining or below 0*
  • Please bring in book donations that Mrs. Morrin mentioned in her newsletter! We would love to help out another school in need!
  • Picture Day Sep 26
  • Book Order due Sep 27 (paper fliers coming Monday, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward)
  • Send in those family photos!
Next Week:
Theme: All about Me & the 5 senses
Letter of the Week: Ll
Snack: Backes Family

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Welcome!

Hello Parents!

Welcome to the 4k blog!  I hope you find this blog (and website) to be beneficial and engaging for you and your child.  Please let me know if any questions arise when reading anything and I would be happy to help.  Also, please let me know if there is anything you would want to see on the blog, in the class, or more!