Week 8 Pumpkin--PALS

• Book Order due October 31st.  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. 
• We are trying to earn enough points from purchases to buy a white board for our classroom.  Every purchase you make online or from the paper forms earns us classroom points to put towards supplies such as the board and other things.  Please consider purchasing books from book order.  BOOKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR BIRTHDAYS AND CHRISTMAS, TOO!

We learned more about pumpkins this week. We talked about the parts of a pumpkin and even cut a pumpkin open, made some observations using our 5 senses that we learned about a few weeks ago, and some of the children even pulled the Guts out of the pumpkin!  We talked about how an apple and a pumpkin have some parts the same but others are very different! Some of the children really liked pulling out the guts! 

We stress to the children that it is OK if they forget their library book because they can RENEW it and they get to read it for another week!  We don't want anyone to be sad if they don't get to choose a book.  

We decorated our letter D with dot stamps and our handprint for the D was a duck.  We also practice writing the letter of the week throughout the week and then on a handwriting page.  Please
continue practicing these writing skills at home as well as working with them on spelling and writing their names. 

Several of our centers focus on letter recognition and writing or matching capitol and lowercase letters to help your children in these areas. 

The letter of the week was Dd, and reviewed all of the letters we have learned so far this year.  If you want to do this at home go to our weekly blog and click on Letter of the Week and your child can tell you which letters we have already done!  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 D with Dots.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, D is for Duck.

Important Notes:

• 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. 
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Pumpkins/Halloween
Letter of the Week: Gg
Snack: Sievert Family

Week 7--Fall- PALS

PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO 4K SESSIONS INCLUDING THE NORMAL SCHOOL DAY, EXTENDED DAY OR AFTERSCHOOL CARE FOR 4K STUDENTS ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 23 AND OCTOBER 24.

We made pumpkins for our pumpkin patch in the 4k hallway using our hand prints for stems and

sponge painting our pumpkins!  Our pumpkin patch is complete now that we finished our scarecrows during our small group time on Wednesday! 

We are using watercolors in the art center and we have learned that we can mix colors together to make other colors. In the writing center we are practicing writing our names and we have name puzzles in the puzzle center to help us recognize and learn the letters in our names.  

We have been reading books about why leaves turn color and fall off the trees in autumn and we sponge painted leaves for our classroom tree so it would reflect the season.  We ended our week with our alligator hand print letter of the week and we had indoor recess in the gym because of the rain!

PALS is our literacy screen in which we go through a series of literacy screeners to tell us what you child knows and doesn't know in the area of literacy.  With this knowledge, we then adjust our teaching to meet the specific needs of your child and our class.  Though there is less art at this time, we are truly getting a feel of what your child knows and what else we can do to make them more prepared for kindergarten.  If you have any questions regarding PALS, please feel free to contact me via email.  We will be discussing your child's PALS results at conferences and address the goals we have for your child at that time based on their PALS results.

The letter of the week was Aa. 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 A with Apples and Ants.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, A is for Alligator.

Important Notes:

• 4k Family Fun Night please return your RSVP for 4K Family Fun Night.  Your count helps us to buy/make enough supplies. All the Hortonville sites are invited.  Feel free to wear your costues!  We look forward to seeing you there!
• 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 October 31st.  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.
• Please send in your RSVPs for the 4k Family Fun Night that will be held at our school next week. It is a district wide event and will be a lot of fun! Wear your costumes, and come for a good family night!
• Students will NOT be wearing costumes to school for Halloween. If they would like to wear their costumes, they can wear them to the 4k Night.
• Send in those family photos!
• A school family posted this information to our school.  If you would be of any help, please contact the number listed. :)
• "Looking for a daycare provider for our 1.5 year old Monday - Friday 7am-5:30pm.  We recently moved and would like someone located near St. Edwards on the north side of Appleton.   Please contact Stephanie at 716-6388.  Thank you!" 

Next Week:
Theme:  Pumpkins-PALS
Letter of the Week: Dd
Snack: Schmidt Family

Week 6-Fire Safety & Field Trip

Students were busy this week! sorry the newsletter is coming out so late, it was a busy week here too.  
Students got a visit from the firefighters and practiced the fire drill. They learned many fire safety tips.  As mentioned in the last newsletter, the talk of firefighters, fire, and emergencies can be overwhelming for the little ones.  please continue to discuss this as a family and practice your home escape plan so they feel safe and perpared.

Students had a lot of fun and did really well at the apple orchard.  It was a fun day! 

Please go to the photos tab (at the top of this page) for a link to the google pictures from the events. You can download these photos by clicking download on the right hand side.

The letter of the week was Oo. 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 O with an Orange O rOlled all Over.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, O is for Octopus.

Important Notes:

• 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 October 31st.  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.
• We will be doing a PALS next week. This is a literacy screener that helps me know how your student is doing in the area of literacy.  This info will be used to help the teachers modify their teaching to meet the specific needs of the class as well as reported out to you at conferences.
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Fall--PALS assessments
Letter of the Week: Aa
Snack: Muller Family

Week 5-Apples

On Tuesday, students practiced the fire drill to prepare for the real fire drill that is next week.  Please know that the alarm does go off for the normal fire drill.  We stress to the kids that it is a practice and there is not a real fire, but reinforcement of this at home will help them be less afraid as well.  Also, along with the firedrill, we have a firetruck and firefighters in all their gear here.  We also talk about dialing 911 and emergencies. Please know if your child is talking about such things it is due to conversations at school,

Students talked about the parts of the apple and labeled the parts of an apple on a giant apple we have posted in the room.  Students also graphed their favorite colored apples and discussed the results of the graph.  This teaches math skills as well as decision making.
  
On Wednesday, students helped make apple sauce by helping to peel the apples and add the ingredients to the crock pot. They then watched it cook all day.  Thursday we ate our homemade applesauce for snack. It was delicious!  We also discussed what will happen at the apple orchard on our field trip that is next week. 

The letter of the week was Cc. 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 C with Cotton Clouds.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, C is for cat.

Important Notes:

• Fire Drill and Fire Safety week is next week
• Field Trip is next week. Please send children dressed for the weather--including shoes that can get dirty.  NO SANDLES pleaseMake sure they are warm enough.  It is always recommended they dress in layers so they can remove layers if the weather is warmer.  If you are a chaperone, a letter should have come home with chaperone expectations. If you didn't, write a note in your child's folder and we will get one to you. 
• 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 October 31st.  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.
• Field Trip forms are due on the day of the trip!  Please  make sure payment and slips are in.  No slip, no trip.
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Fire Safety-Field Trip
Letter of the Week: Oo
Snack: Ulmen family (again)