Holidays/Gingerbread

 What a busy week!

We started with making our names in colorful tree lights.  Students had to tell how many letters were in their name, count out their lights, write the letters in their name, and then string them together.  Students also made parent gifts :)  Students practiced giving a gingerbread kid a trail to follow by going to the numbers in order.  

Students also practices the Gingerbread show that went WONDERFULLY last night.  If anyone has pictures they would like on the school facebook page or would like to share with the rest of the parents, I can collect them in my email and make a google album to share with all parents.  If you would like to share, send them to my email sgloudemans@stedwardk5.org.

Chippy continued to get into mischief in out room through out the week!    

• Monday, he was hanging out on our tree
• Tuesday, he got all wrapped up in the tape while making an art project on our board
• Wednesday he made a snow angel in the dots from our hole punch
• Thursday, he took a nap in our kleenex box!

The letter of the week was Uu. 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!

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 U with their drink Umbrellas.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, U is for Umbrella.   

Special note about Dress up Days:

Because next week is so festive, we will be having dress up days.  

• Monday, kids can wear holiday colors, ugly sweaters, etc.  All clothing must fit into our dress code (1 inch straps, Mid-thigh (close to the knee), closed toed shoes, no midriff showing, etc)

• Tuesday, kids can wear pajamas, slippers, and bring stuffed animals.  Please wear the appropriate clothing/shoes to school for traveling and walking in the snow.  A snow storm is predicted to start on Tuesday so we want kids warm during travel.  All clothing must fit into our dress code (1 inch straps, Mid-thigh (close to the knee), closed toed shoes, no midriff showing, etc) 

Important Notes:

• Mondays have been crazy getting back to school, finding Chippy the elf, getting ready for programs, St. Nick, etc so we have been having some trouble making it to library on Mondays.  We still make an effort to get to the library once a week-usually by Tuesday things have calmed down enough to make it there.  Sorry for any confusion this has caused.  Please continue to return books on Monday and we will continue to PLAN on having library on Mondays (*and we shall see what happens*)

• Please help your child by allowing them to dress themselves in their winter outerwear.  We are always here to help your child dress, but the more they can do on their own, the faster we get outside and the more likely we will to have outdoor time.  (We have not been getting out because the kids simply can't get dressed fast enough in the time we have yet).  Here is the order we teach them to help them be most successful. Also things that can help: zippers up on snowpants before putting them on, velcro outside of our feet when putting boots on, mittens last so you can zip your own coat.
• December is always a busy month, so here is the    

Schedule of Events for December:

• December 23 is a half day. Because this is before the holiday and staff will be going home, extended day students have 2 options:
• 1. Leave at 11 with the rest of 4k
• 2. Go to extended day and leave at 12:30 with the rest of the school.   
• You may get a notification from HASD telling you there is all day 4k.  This just means the public program will be running both their AM and PM sessions.  PM 4k will be in session but NOT our extended day program.  
• December 24-January 4 Winter Break (Classes Resume Monday Jan 5)

•  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*(students are more than welcome to bring layers daily or to leave in their lockers)  It may also be time to change out the change of clothes to make sure they are weather appropriate.  If you send a new change of clothes, we will send the warm weather clothes in their backpacks.
• 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. 
• Library Books come every week.  We go to library on Monday and student have the opportunity to check out a book and keep it for a week. It can be kept in their back packs or at home, but please remember to bring it on Mondays. 
• Book Order due January 29 .  Please click on the link for scholastic at the top of this page.  When you buy books for your child, it helps buy books and supplies for our classrooms. Make reading fun and exciting for your child.

Next Week:
Theme: Christmas/Holidays
Letter of the Week: None
Snack: School Supplied/Left Overs

Winter (week 2)

****Mondays have been crazy getting back to school, finding Chippy the elf, getting ready for programs, St. Nick, etc so we have been having some trouble making it to library on Mondays.  We still make an effort to get to the library once a week-usually by Tuesday things have calmed down enough to make it there.  Sorry for any confusion this has caused.  Please continue to return books on Monday and we will continue to PLAN on having library on Mondays (*and we shall see what happens*)

This week we got our gifts from St. Nick.  Students brought home their treats from their stockings on Monday.  

On Monday, we also began measuring our friends and things in our classrooms with snowflakes.  This nonstandard measurement introduces the concept of measurement, the fact the lines have to be straight when measuring, counting, number writing, direction following and more!  They enjoyed going around the room with their piles of snowflakes making measurements.

Students also worked on an early reader
"Winter Clothing Colors."  When working with this book students worked on using their reading fingers and pointing to the words as we read them.  They worked specifically on the one to one correspondence.  They then began to remember the words The and is/are.  They used the picture clues to remember the new word.  We then figured out the color words using the resources in our room and colored the book. When we were done, students could then read the book while pointing to the words!  What awesome learning! The book is also in our reading center to help them gain confidence and have fun reading.

Monday he must have helped St. Nick

!

Just hanging out by the fireplace

 Chippy continued to get into various places in our room this week as well!

Chippy remembered out letter of the week was letter M!

Elves like to play with toys, too!

     

The letter of the week was Mm. 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!

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 M with their Mini Marshmallows.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, M is for Monkey. 

Important Notes:

• Mondays have been crazy getting back to school, finding Chippy the elf, getting ready for programs, St. Nick, etc so we have been having some trouble making it to library on Mondays.  We still make an effort to get to the library once a week-usually by Tuesday things have calmed down enough to make it there.  Sorry for any confusion this has caused.  Please continue to return books on Monday and we will continue to PLAN on having library on Mondays (*and we shall see what happens*)

• Please help your child by allowing them to dress themselves in their winter outerwear.  We are always here to help your child dress, but the more they can do on their own, the faster we get outside and the more likely we will to have outdoor time.  (We have not been getting out because the kids simply can't get dressed fast enough in the time we have yet).  Here is the order we teach them to help them be most successful. Also things that can help: zippers up on snowpants before putting them on, velcro outside of our feet when putting boots on, mittens last so you can zip your own coat.
• December is always a busy month, so here is the    

Schedule of Events for December:

• Breakfast with Santa Saturday December 13 9am 
• 4k Winter Program/show Thursday Dec 18 5:30-6:30 4k will be putting on their own little show for parents.  It will be a part of our Reading with the Stars program.   Attendance will not be required, but all students will have a part.  If your child is not able to come, they will still have a part in all the practices, but we will just have less of those characters for the show.  We will be also be doing the monthly star decorating.
• December 23 is a half day. Because this is before the holiday and staff will be going home, extended day students have 2 options:
• 1. Leave at 11 with the rest of 4k
• 2. Go to extended day and leave at 12:30 with the rest of the school.   
• You may get a notification from HASD telling you there is all day 4k.  This just means the public program will be running both their AM and PM sessions.  PM 4k will be in session but NOT our extended day program.  
• December 24-January 4 Winter Break (Classes Resume Monday Jan 5)

•  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*(students are more than welcome to bring layers daily or to leave in their lockers)  It may also be time to change out the change of clothes to make sure they are weather appropriate.  If you send a new change of clothes, we will send the warm weather clothes in their backpacks.
• 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. 
• Library Books come every week.  We go to library on Monday and student have the opportunity to check out a book and keep it for a week. It can be kept in their back packs or at home, but please remember to bring it on Mondays. 
• Book Order due Decmeber 12.  Please click on the link for scholastic at the top of this page.  When you buy books for your child, it helps buy books and supplies for our classrooms.  Start thinking about making book orders a part of your child's holiday presents!  Make reading fun and exciting for your child.

Next Week:
Theme: Snow.Christmas/Holidays
Letter of the Week: Uu
Snack: Muller Family

Winter

We started our week off by making snowmen from our names.  Students had to first trace their names paying special attention to forming the letters correctly.  We want to start on the top for ALL letters and make them with the correct formations.  Students then counted the number of letters in their name and that is how many snowballs they needed. They then cut that number of snowballs out on the curved lines.  After cutting out their snowballs, they cut apart their name and glued one letter to one snowball.  Finally, they put on a head and had to assemble their name snowmen in the correct order, saying the letters as they went.  So much learning in one project!

Students also worked on their fine motor skills to do "stitch up" their stockings.  Students put yarn through the holes and when it was all done, we hung our stockings up by the fireplace!  St. Nick is coming (Friday) tonight and students will have a gift in their stockings Monday morning.

We also got our class elf!  Students first saw our nameless elf sitting and reading his own book!  Students watched the video about Elf on the Shelf to teach them all about the elf, his magic, and how he goes back to talk to Santa. They also learned they cannot touch the elf or he looses his magic.  We then had to give the elf a name or he would not get his magic to go back to the North Pole.  We came with some names, then we voted.  We used this DATA on our GRAPH to learn what names had the MOST, LEAST, and if there were any TIES.  We discovered through looking at our data that the name that got the most votes and is the winner is Chippy.

Chippy then appeared in a variety of places around our room this week! 

Tuesday, Chippy was in our tree holding all the supplies he used (HE DIDNT CLEAN UP!) to make the same name snowman project the kids did.

Wednesday, Chippy was hanging from our treehouse branch so he could get a good view of the whole class making good choices.


Thursday, Chippy was hanging out in our bucket we are working on filling.  We think he was reminding us to be bucket fillers because bucket fillers also get good reports to Santa.  He was even holding some of the drops/hearts we put in the bucket!

The letter of the week was Nn. 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!

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 N with their Noodles.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, N is for Necklace.  This one was a little different as it was a finger print rather than a hand print.

Book orders are coming home as we get more fliers.  Please know you can use books (and we highly encourage it) for gifts at the holiday time.  The more we can get excited about reading, the more they will enjoy it and thrive doing it! If you would like a book order to be a gift, please just send an email or note and we will make sure to get that order to you discreetly and not allow your child to see the package.  We usually tell them that the paper bag all taped up we put in their bags is their parents homework.  Also, remember, your Scholastic book orders help us to buy supplies and more books for our room as well!  Check out our new white board stickers we were able to purchase with the points we earned this far in the year! 

Important Notes:

• December is always a busy month, so here is the    

Schedule of Events for December:

• St. Nick visits Friday Dec 5 night, your child will have something in their stocking Monday Dec 8
• December 10 Half Day.  Extended day students have 3 options
• 1. leave at 11am with other students (picked up)
• 2.  Stay for Extended day and be released at 12:30 with the rest of the school.
• 3. Stay for Extended day and then After School care (1/2 portion and regular night portion-2 fees) 
• Book Order Due electronically Friday Dec 12 (December 11 if submitting in paper/check)
• Breakfast with Santa Saturday December 13 9am 
• 4k Winter Program/show Thursday Dec 18 5:30-6:30 4k will be putting on their own little show for parents.  It will be a part of our Reading with the Stars program.   Attendance will not be required, but all students will have a part.  If your child is not able to come, they will still have a part in all the practices, but we will just have less of those characters for the show.  We will be also be doing the monthly star decorating.
• December 23 is a half day. Because this is before the holiday and staff will be going home, extended day students have 2 options:
• 1. Leave at 11 with the rest of 4k
• 2. Go to extended day and leave at 12:30 with the rest of the school.    
• December 24-January 4 Winter Break (Classes Resume Monday Jan 5)

•  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*(students are more than welcome to bring layers daily or to leave in their lockers)  It may also be time to change out the change of clothes to make sure they are weather appropriate.  If you send a new change of clothes, we will send the warm weather clothes in their backpacks.
• 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. 
• Literacy Bags come home every three weeks.  Students will have a week to complete the project inside and can then return the bag with completed sheets in it on TUESDAYS.
• Library Books come every week.  We go to library on Monday and student have the opportunity to check out a book and keep it for a week. It can be kept in their back packs or at home, but please remember to bring it on Mondays. 
• Book Order due Decmeber 12.  Please click on the link for scholastic at the top of this page.  When you buy books for your child, it helps buy books and supplies for our classrooms.  Start thinking about making book orders a part of your child's holiday presents!  Make reading fun and exciting for your child.

Next Week:
Theme: Snow.Winter
Letter of the Week: Mm
Snack: Sonetti Family

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Week was short but we still fit a lot in!

On Monday, students colored their ThankerChief poem and stamped their ThankerChief.  This worked on their fine motor skills, shapes, and using a variety of art materials.

On Tuesday Students made silly turkey hats out of paper plates.  Unfortunately, the day was so busy, we didnt have time to take a pictures of all the silly turkeys.  I hope that your child showed it to you!  Students cut out their feathers (cutting on a straight line), and colored the turkey feathers on the body brown.  Students also handed Mrs. Gloudemans the correct color of feather when she was stapling it on.

On Thursday, students worked on a Turkey directional page.  This took a lot of listening as well as working on directional skills.  Students also did some cutting.

Thursday, we played our ThankerChief game.  We borrowed a classmates thankerChief and we passed it around saying the chant and something we are thankful for. Students did a great job with it!  They are thankful for some really great things.

There was no letter this week because of it being a short week.

Book orders are coming home as we get more fliers.  Please know you can use books (and we highly encourage it) for gifts at the holiday time.  The more we can get excited about reading, the more they will enjoy it and thrive doing it! If you would like a book order to be a gift, please just send an email or note and we will make sure to get that order to you discreetly and not allow your child to see the package.  We usually tell them that the paper bag all taped up we put in their bags is their parents homework.  Also, remember, your Scholastic book orders help us to buy supplies and more books for our room as well!  Check out our new white board stickers we were able to purchase with the points we earned this far in the year! 

Important Notes:

• December is always a busy month, so here is the    

Schedule of Events for December:

• Elf begin visiting Monday Dec 1
• Thursday Dec 4 9:30am School play for all students to either be in or watch 
• Thursday Dec 4 5:30pm School Play for following students (come dressed in Sunday best)
• Ella, Joe, Mason, Hayden Heinz, JoJo, Brody, Zac, Olivia, Belle, Ava, Lindsey, Addisyn
• St. Nick visits Friday Dec 5 night, your child will have something in their stocking Monday Dec 8
• December 10 Half Day.  Extended day students have 3 options
• 1. leave at 11am with other students (picked up)
• 2.  Stay for Extended day and be released at 12:30 with the rest of the school.
• 3. Stay for Extended day and then After School care (1/2 portion and regular night portion-2 fees) 
• Book Order Due electronically Friday Dec 12 (December 11 if submitting in paper/check)
• Breakfast with Santa Saturday December 13 9am (please get the RSVPs in-They are red and came home in Wednesday folders a few weeks ago.  This is not hosted by our site so we would like to send them the most accurate number possible)
• 4k Winter Program/show Thursday Dec 18 5:30-6:30 4k will be putting on their own little show for parents.  It will be a part of our Reading with the Stars program.   Attendance will not be required, but all students will have a part.  If your child is not able to come, they will still have a part in all the practices, but we will just have less of those characters for the show.  We will be also be doing the monthly star decorating.
• December 23 is a half day. Because this is before the holiday and staff will be going home, extended day students have 2 options:
• 1. Leave at 11 with the rest of 4k
• 2. Go to extended day and leave at 12:30 with the rest of the school.    
• December 24-January 4 Winter Break (Classes Resume Monday Jan 5)

•  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*(students are more than welcome to bring layers daily or to leave in their lockers)  It may also be time to change out the change of clothes to make sure they are weather appropriate.  If you send a new change of clothes, we will send the warm weather clothes in their backpacks.
• 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. 
• Literacy Bags come home every three weeks.  Students will have a week to complete the project inside and can then return the bag with completed sheets in it on TUESDAYS.
• Library Books come every week.  We go to library on Monday and student have the opportunity to check out a book and keep it for a week. It can be kept in their back packs or at home, but please remember to bring it on Mondays. 
• Book Order due Decmeber 12.  Please click on the link for scholastic at the top of this page.  When you buy books for your child, it helps buy books and supplies for our classrooms.  Start thinking about making book orders a part of your child's holiday presents!  Make reading fun and exciting for your child.
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Snow.Winter
Letter of the Week: Nn
Snack: Giese