Friday, October 30, 2015

Halloween

You should have recieved your email about conferences.  If you have not done so, PLEASE go sign up for a time slot.  It is a little confusing because there are 3 days for 3 groups.

If you ALSO attend extended day with Mrs. Zajicek: Tuesday (My 3rd link in the email)
If you come in the AM and go home at 11: Thursday (My 1st link)
If you are in the PM class: Wednesday (My 2nd link)

As you may have heard, I lost my voice on Tuesday.  It was very interesting teaching with no voice, but the kids did well.  I wanted to thank them for baring with my whisper and squeaks as I attempted to sing the songs and teach A this week!

We had a haunted house with lots of door knobs on their doorknobs on it.  The students had to cut out their ghosts on all the box lines (students are getting good at cutting on a straight line but showing them all the lines was a bit tricky for some), and glue them NEXT TO the door with the number of knobs that matched their tummy.  We have some still needing to work on one to one correspondence, some who can count but cant find/recognize numbers, and some who can do all 3 parts.  This activity really helped me see which category your child fit in so we know what to work on at home.  Please work on numbers, counting, and recognizing numbers at home.  This can be a fun activity while shopping--"Can you find a 4 on any signs? What about a 7?"  Fun games like this are educational AND they help you keep them busy while shopping!

Thursday we had a little Halloween party.  We had 5 stations and students moved between them after 10 minutes.  Student decorated cookies (left over from 4k family fun night), decorated jack-o-lanterns on a door decoration, blew ghosts across the table, played bingo, and read Halloween/fall books.  Students appeared to have fun.  

Photos from the party and the week are available at the photos tab at the top and clicking on Halloween Week.

Thank you to those who made it out for 4k family fun night.  We had a great time.  Photos can be seen in the photos tab by clicking on Halloween Week.
---a blue baby blanket and a pink water bottle were found at clean up.  If they are yours, please let us know and we will get them back to you!


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 an A, it is start at the sky, Slant down, slant down, across the plane line.  For a, it is circle back, close, pull down to the ground.  Encourage this language and proper formation as it will truly help the with their fluency down the road.

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 Wednesday this week (Halloween party was Thursday), our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, A is for Alligator.


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:

  • You should have recieved your email about conferences.  If you have not done so, PLEASE go sign up for a time slot.  It is a little confusing because there are 3 days for 3 groups
-- If you are in the PM class: Wednesday (My 2nd link)
-- If you come in the AM and go home at 11: Thursday (My 1st link)
-- If you ALSO attend extended day with Mrs. Zajicek: Tuesday (My 3rd link in the email)
  • Dress for the weather Please send your child dressed for the weather.  We go outside 2 days a week (We really TRY).  AM goes out Wednesday and Thursday.  PM goes out Tuesday and Thursday.  Extended day (students who stay all day) go out every day.  Unless it is below 0* or raining we do go out.  Please send the clothes that will keep them warm.  Also, please attempt to send in clothes that your child can do themselves.  This may be sending a zip up sweatshirt over a pull over, zipper instead of buttons, mittens instead of gloves, etc.  Thought we will always help to get your child ready, we cannot help all at the same time.  Teaching the children self help and self dress skills is an important goal of the 4k program.  By sending easier clothes, it helps them be more successful.  
  • Layers may be necessary in the school.  Heat does not turn on until later in the fall/early winter so the building can be a little chilly in the morning before the bodies warm it up.  Send your child in layers and maybe have an extra sweatshirt/sweater left in lockers in case they are cold.  It may also be time to switch out the clothes in the top of lockers to warmer options.
  • 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 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 November 25th.  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. 
  • Snack reminder. Please remember healthy, nut free choices.   A list can be found on the blog at the bottom.  If you send an item that needs spoons/forks, please also send in those items. Thank You!
Next Week:
Theme: Thanksgiving Harvest
Letter of the Week: Dd
AM Snack: Conradt

PM Snack : Pollack (already in)
***Thanks to a parent suggestion, here is a healthy snack list site that can help with some ideas!***
Snack List

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Pumpkins & PALS

We finished up our week of PALS and talked about pumpkins this week.

We talked about he parts of a pumpkin after doing our art project.  We
rolled a dice to count how many seeds and then they measured 1 ruler of string for the pumpkin guts, also known as pulp.







We also talked about the life cycle of the pumpkin is a pattern, something that happens again and again and again.  We did the whole life cycle as a gross motor activity.  It was a little like yoga, a little like interpretive dance, and a little bit of silly rolling on the ground, but it was so fun!



Seed
grow roots
Vines
flowers
tiny pumpkins

Big pumpkins
We did not have a letter of the week because of the short week and we finished up what we didnt get done with the O from PALS taking a little extra time.

In PM class Our listening center book
ran out of batteries, students had a
choice to close listening or learn
a newlistening center.
in the AM class, we were not done
watching the move "Olive." Students
chose to stop watching and go outside
or stay in and watch Olive.
We have been doing a variety of votes.  This teaches children they have to make one choice, we mark the choice, count the votes, talk about which has most, and then go with what has most.  Though it is not always what everyone wants to do, it is the one with the biggest vote and we have to go with it-a big life skill to accept.

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.


Important Notes:
  • Next week is Halloween week.  We do not wear costumes to school, but students are welcome to wear them to our 4K Fall Family Fun night that is Tuesday night 5-6:30  The event is come in as you choose and stay as long as works for your family.
  • Dress for the weather Please send your child dressed for the weather.  We go outside 2 days a week (We really TRY).  AM goes out Wednesday and Thursday.  PM goes out Tuesday and Thursday.  Extended day (students who stay all day) go out every day.  Unless it is below 0* or raining we do go out.  Please send the clothes that will keep them warm.  Also, please attempt to send in clothes that your child can do themselves.  This may be sending a zip up sweatshirt over a pull over, zipper instead of buttons, mittens instead of gloves, etc.  Thought we will always help to get your child ready, we cannot help all at the same time.  Teaching the children self help and self dress skills is an important goal of the 4k program.  By sending easier clothes, it helps them be more successful.  
  • Layers may be necessary in the school.  Heat does not turn on until later in the fall/early winter so the building can be a little chilly in the morning before the bodies warm it up.  Send your child in layers and maybe have an extra sweatshirt/sweater left in lockers in case they are cold.  It may also be time to switch out the clothes in the top of lockers to warmer options.
  • 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.
  • 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 was 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 November 25th.  Books make great holiday presents and these fliers are coming out do include our holiday edition.  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. Remember if you want books as a gift just send and email and I will get them to you discreetly!
Next Week:
Theme: Pumpkins/Halloween
Letter of the Week: Aa
AM Snack: Whitney

PM Snack : Griesbach
***Thanks to a parent suggestion, here is a healthy snack list site that can help with some ideas!***
Snack List

Friday, October 16, 2015

PALS and Fall

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

We were talking about fall this week.  We added sponge painting leaves to our art center that we could hang on our classroom tree, and we added hole punching to the sensory table to make some fall leaves for a Fall "leaf globe" art project.  Both are working a lot on following directions and refining and strengthening their fine motor skills.

A lot of students got through their "All about Me" books.  We are calling their assessments and PALS all about me books because really they are helping us to learn all about them.  It also puts a positive spin on sitting with a teacher.  The kids are actually enjoying it and doing very well.  We will discuss all the results at conferences.  



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 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.


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:

  • No School Thursday October 22. (Extended day has already received their note about Ms. Sandy's option if you stay all day)
  • Dress for the weather Please send your child dressed for the weather.  We go outside 2 days a week (We really TRY).  AM goes out Wednesday and Thursday.  PM goes out Tuesday and Thursday.  Extended day (students who stay all day) go out every day.  Unless it is below 0* or raining we do go out.  Please send the clothes that will keep them warm.  Also, please attempt to send in clothes that your child can do themselves.  This may be sending a zip up sweatshirt over a pull over, zipper instead of buttons, mittens instead of gloves, etc.  Thought we will always help to get your child ready, we cannot help all at the same time.  Teaching the children self help and self dress skills is an important goal of the 4k program.  By sending easier clothes, it helps them be more successful.  
  • Layers may be necessary in the school.  Heat does not turn on until later in the fall/early winter so the building can be a little chilly in the morning before the bodies warm it up.  Send your child in layers and maybe have an extra sweatshirt/sweater left in lockers in case they are cold.  It may also be time to switch out the clothes in the top of lockers to warmer options.
  • 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 started 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 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 (finish what we didn't)
AM Snack: Amador

PM Snack : Stapp
***Thanks to a parent suggestion, here is a healthy snack list site that can help with some ideas!***
Snack List

Friday, October 9, 2015

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

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Conferences & PALS

Hello Parents,

I wanted to let you know that our district calendar says that parent teacher conferences are this week, but we, as a site, decided to post pone them to when our school is hosting them in November.  This allows us to collect the PALS data and use that as part of our conference discussion.

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.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Apples Week 2

I'm 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


AM Class
PM Class
We continued our apple week with our trip to the orchard this week.  On Tuesday students went to Hofacker's Hillside Orchard.  It was a short 5 minute bus ride to the orchard.  Students got to pick apples for one rotation and learn about apples and the orchard on their second rotation.  We saw a lot of different kinds of apples!

Please click on the Photo Links tab above to see the album from our apple orchard trip!



We also made apple cores with seeds in them.  This project included cutting a paper plate on a curved line (this is a tougher materials and curves are also harder so it really worked those fine motor skills!), using bingo markers to make a green or red apple skin, and then picking a leaf that had a number on it. Students worked to recognize the number on the leaf and then stamp that many seeds into their core.  They look great hanging in our hallway!
We read a poem about apples this week.  The poem was about picking apples, making applesauce, and then eating applesauce.  We talked about how we cannot mix up the parts of the poem because we cannot do those things out of order.  We then got excited because we were going to do those things in order!  Tuesday we picked apples, Wednesday we made applesauce in class, and Thursday we added our homemade applesauce to the snack!  


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 Ii. 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 I with Ice!  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, I is for Ice cream.

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:

  • 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: Fire Safety/911 (be prepared for a lot of "emergency talk"
Letter of the Week: Cc
AM Snack: Romnek

PM Snack : Olson (already brought in)
***Thanks to a parent suggestion, here is a healthy snack list site that can help with some ideas!***
Snack List


Some photos of us playing this week: