Fire Safety Week

Please send in those family photos!  They love to see their family when they may be missing you as well as make them feel like we are a part of a school family!  Thanks

This week was fire safety week.  We discussed 911, when we call 911 (only in emergencies never for fun), only practicing on our phone book so it didn't call by accident, telling them our name, the problem, and where we are, and then writing the numbers.    

We even added firehouse to our dramatic play area, added fire trucks to blocks, added fire books to reading center, and bright orange play-doh to sensory table.

For the morning class, we had a fire drill on Tuesday and a visit from the fire fighters as well.  We both discussed when you hear the alarm stop what you are doing and get out.   A firefighter came around and gave everyone a high five.  Then he put on all his gear and then gave everyone a high five again.  This taught the students that he is a nice guy who is just wearing a lot of clothes to keep him safe.  We need to go to the firefighters not run away from them in a fire.

For more pictures of the week, please click on photo links at the top, and then fire safety week.

Both classes sang a song "If you need to call for help, dial 911" and put it on a poster of 911.  We practiced writing a 911 with our fingers, reading the number and memorizing it, and then we decorated the 911 to look like fire!  This really worked on our fine motor skills!

We  are still working a lot on name writing.  It is important that your child can write their name because it is the foundation of a lot of their writing skills, the beginning of their letter recognition, strengthens and refines their fine motor skills, and it is important to be on all papers so we know whose it is!  Please work on name writing at home. Sheets are in our writing center to help them at school.

We have been working on proper writing in general.  Here is a look at our lines. There is the sky line, the plane line, and the ground. (eventually there will be a worm line but we aren't to worm line letters).  We always start at the sky line. ALWAYS.  For T, it is start at the sky, pull down to the ground.  Across the sky.  for t, it is pull down, across the plane line.  Encourage this language and proper formation as it will truly help the with their fluency down the road.

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.

Students also do a maze of the letter helping get from one object to another starting with that letter, find and color all of the letter, color a page of something that starts with that letter, and make a crown at the end of the week to be the Kings and Queens of the letter!

We also do a handwriting sheet.  This is important because writing the letters correctly helps with efficency as well as learning cursive down the line.  We ALWAYS START AT THE TOP.  Please encourage students to write the letter correctly!

Important Notes:

• Conferences will be held the week of November 9.  They will be evening 15 minute appointments.  Our school secretary, Lynn Schuh will be sending an email with a link to sign up online.
• PALS assessments start on Monday (Oct 12).  These assessments are given over a 2 week span and are used to help drive the teacher's instruction in the direction that shows need based on class and individual results.  The results will be shared with you in a parent letter as well on their progress report.  This is the first of 3 assessment windows in which we will give the PALS.  PALS specifically looks at literacy, but we do check into the other academic areas as well as social and emotional skills that will be discussed at conferences as well.
• As a part of our room decorations and to make every one feel at home, we have a "family and friends" board in our room.  Students will feel more at home and have a school family if they have their home family with them.  (The same as you putting a family picture on your desk).    Please feel free to send in a family photo that will be stapled up on our wall for the duration of the school year. Send in those family photos!
• Background checks. When it comes to these, we assume you are good unless we get a note otherwise, but we are counting on it not being processed (and will not make that assumption that it was run and you are good) until 2 WEEKS AFTER TURNING THE FORMS IN.
• Homework Some parents have asked about homework and keep home stuff.  Homework would be the only blank stuff sent home.  We have a homework stamp page in the back of you child's every day folder.  When you do homework with your child and send it back, we stamp the homework, stamp the homework page, and then send it back. Anything with a stamp on it or a project that is already done is yours to keep.  The homework page in the back of the folder explains more about homework. Homework TYPICALLY comes home on Thursdays and it is some reinforcing of letters at home (same sheet different letters so they also become independent).
• 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 MONDAY.
• 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 is submitted.  Books will be sent home with your child when they come in unless you send a note that you would like it done differently.  We do encourage books to be gifts so if this is the case, please send a note and we put them in brown paper bags and tell the student it is mom/dad's homework.  The next book order is due OCTOBER 21st.  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. 

Next Week:
Theme: Fall--PALS
Letter of the Week: Oo
AM Snack: Backes
PM Snack : Wagner
***Thanks to a parent suggestion, here is a healthy snack list site that can help with some ideas!***
Snack List