Community Helpers & Spirit Week

Monday was patriotic day.  Students went down stairs and did a hop-a-thon for leukemia.  When they were done hopping, students went to join our music teacher, Mrs. Klemp, in singing patriotic songs and waving flags.  After singing, we did 2 art projects: we made Valentine cards for veterans and then we made red white and blue crowns.  What a busy day! Listen to us sing by clicking the link/image below.

Tuesday, we had St. Edward/Blue & Yellow Day!  We did our normal letter of the week activities.


Wednesday was Neon day.  We worked on community helpers again and made two different projects with the different teachers.  Students made a "How Much Gear" book.  We, again, worked on our one to one correspondence while  reading--pointing to the words as we read, we also worked on counting and writing numbers up to five. We will be reading these in a circle time yet this week and then they will come home.  We also helped find the tools of community helpers.  Students got to pick between: Teacher, Doctor, or Police Officer and sorted a variety of "tools" into Yes :) this community helper uses this and No :( this community helper does not use this.  Students practiced cutting, sorting, and learning about community helpers.  These projects are hanging in our room.

Thursday was beach day (and finish everything else from the week) day.  We, unfortunately, did not get a picture of the group.

The letter of the week was Hh. 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 Hh with  Hearts.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, H is for Hippo.  

****One thing we are working on while reading book is only moving our finger for each word we read, not each syllable.   Please work on this with your child when reading with them****

VALENTINES DAY

Valentine buckets: for your child's valentine buckets we would like you to please send a cleaned out gallon jug (for milk or OJ). We will decorate these and have a nice handled container.

Valentine distribution: our school takes an "all or nothing" policy with valentines. You can bring valentines for 1) the whole school 2) the whole class 3) nobody. This way there is no picking or choosing or hurt feelings.  **for the 4k program, we recommend you let YOUR CHILD sign their name on their valentines, but then leave the "TO" blank.  This way, your child gets practice writing their name but can simply go down the line of valentine buckets distribute valentines.** We have 19 students in our class.

Valentine Party: we will be having valentine themed centers on Thursday February 12. Centers will include: art, valentine distribution, valentine game, and free choice.

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 __.  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.
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Groundhog's Day and Shadows
Letter of the Week: Bb
Snack: Pynenberg Family