Transportation/Community Helpers

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE February Notes Click HERE

TOMORROW BEGINS SCHOOL SPIRIT/CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK.  TOMORROW IS DRESS LIKE YOUR FAVORITE BOOK CHARACTER DAY!

We continued discussion of transportation and community helpers this week.  Monday, we cut out the many kinds of transportation and then we had to sort them by Land, Air, or Sea.  We are still working on our precision of cutting, fine motor skills of cutting and gluing, sorting into categories.  Students did well with sorting, but we continue to need work on our precision with scissors.  I know it is scary, but practice at home is great.

On Wednesday, we talked about the parts of a person.  We drew a person as a class.   After the person was drawn, I asked the kids to tell me what the person's job was.  They couldn't tell me.  I told them we needed to add details to the pictures so we knew what job that person had.  We picked a job and added details as a class.  After that was done, we had a turn to do it ourselves.  Each child had to draw them.  Then they had to add details to the picture that showed what they wanted to be when they grew up.  After that, they had to do their best to write the sounds they hear (invented spelling) to write their job.  I then transcribed what they wrote and dated it.  These will be coming home soon (and kept on file for conferences).  I am amazed with their work.

The letter of the week was Jj. 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 J with actual Jell-o.  Students are getting good at making predictions of what they think they will be decorating with based on words that start with that sound.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, J is for Jaguar.

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 efficiency as well as learning cursive down the line.  We ALWAYS START AT THE TOP.  Please encourage students to write the letter correctly!  This came home on the blue sheets from break.


Important Notes:

• DUE TO THE SHORT TURN AROUND FOR THE PALS WINDOW THEY GIVE US, REPORT CARDS WILL NOT BE READY WHEN THE QUARTER ENDS.  YOU WILL GET ALL REPORTS AT CONFERENCES.
• Reading with the Stars will be held on Thursday February 11.  5:30-6:30pm.  Please do your best to reply regardless of yes or no so we can get an accurate count, make the right amount of materials, and pick a space that will fit everyone best.
• 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  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 TUESDAY.
• 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 January 28.  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: Shadows.Groundhogs
Letter of the Week: HH
AM Snack: Reimann

PM Snack: Wagner

Gender Reveal!

We started the week off with the gender reveal!  Because I left last newsletter as a cliff hanger I thought I would share this now!

I brought in the volcano my family used this weekend.  We added the vinegar and then the bubbles came out..........

AM Reveal

PM Reveal

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PINK!  IT IS A GIRL!

My family reveal

Community Helpers Week 1

February Notes Click HERE

Students have been noticing my belly growing so I decided to make finding out the gender educational and fun for them.  Here are the academic skills we used and the results of our graph.  Most students think baby is a girl.  On Monday (tomorrow) I will do the same gender reveal for them I did for my students, I will be doing a baking soda and vinegar volcano; pink lava is a girl and blue lava is a boy.  We talked about the bubbles coming out so if you have heard your little one talk about it being bubble day, it is one more sleep until bubble day!

We began our 2 week discussion of community helpers.  Students cut out the boxes of their community helpers (we talked about making sure to stay on the lines so they dont loose dots.  I am really working on them begin more precise with their fine motor skills as we progress.  They then had to count the dots and match it to the community helper's tool/transportation.

On Wednesday, students started the day by doing their best coloring in their helpers book.  Students are learning direction following, time management, coloring/fine more precision, coloring expectations, and endurance of completing a project. After students had time to color, we read the book together as a class focusing on one word getting one touch and starting on the left.  We are just getting started with these reading skills, but it is a good start.

Wednesday we also learned about the community helper of house painters and how they help our community look beautiful.  I taught students how to use the water colors. After we learned how to use watercolors, we did a listening/direction following activity.  They had to use a specific color on a specific part of the house.  It went really well!  Watercolors are now in our art center for free choice art now that they know how to use them.

Community helper pocket chart is matching helpers to their transportation and helping match their numbers to their transportation.  Students have been taught to pick ONE game/baggie, play the game, and then put it back and trade.  They are doing very well with this.

Sensory table now has white rice for snow and some polar animals.  Students are enjoying playing with the new materials in the table.

A new puzzles and game activity is another community helper counting activity.  They count the helpers and then clip a clothespin on the correct number from 3 choices.

Please be sending boots and snow pants now that snow has fallen.  Send

them even if there is no snow for warmth!  The image is the order we do our snow clothes if it helps you at home.  We HIGHLY encourage them to do it completely independently, with only a little help here and there with tying boots, second mittens, etc.

The letter of the week was Pp. 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 P with popcorn in paint.  Students are getting good at making predictions of what they think they will be decorating with based on words that start with that sound.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, P is for Penguin.

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 efficiency as well as learning cursive down the line.  We ALWAYS START AT THE TOP.  Please encourage students to write the letter correctly!  This came home on the blue sheets from break.


Important Notes:

• DUE TO THE SHORT TURN AROUND FOR THE PALS WINDOW THEY GIVE US, REPORT CARDS WILL NOT BE READY WHEN THE QUARTER ENDS.  YOU WILL GET ALL REPORTS AT CONFERENCES.
• Reading with the Stars will be held on Thursday January 28.  5:30-6:30pm.  Please do your best to reply regardless of yes or no so we can get an accurate count, make the right amount of materials, and pick a space that will fit everyone best.
• 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  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 TUESDAY.
• 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 January 28.  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: Community Helpers/Transportation
Letter of the Week: Jj
AM Snack: Lloyd

PM Snack: Griesbach

February Notes

Hello Parents,

I cannot believe it is time to write this note already, but I wanted to fill you in on the things coming up in February.

Want a Scholastic book for Valentines' Day gifts?  Have your order in by January 28th and they should be in on time.  If they are a gift, let me know and I will get them to you discreetly.  As always, we highly encourage books as gifts to instill the love of learning as well as a parent/child bond.

Catholic Schools/School Spirit Week:
We have a week of dress up days, fun activities, trips, in-house "trips" this crazy week.  AM class got your fliers with the school and PM will be getting theirs soon.  Here is a small break down of the week:

Monday: Dress up like your favorite book character
Tuesday: Dress in St. Edward apparel or school colors (Navy and Gold)
              X-Day Kids will be taking a trip to a sister school for a fun activity!
Wednesday: Dress like what you want to be when you grow up.
              AM kids will have an in house trip to the cafeteria to make some art!
Thursday: Groovy Day-Dress all Groovy
              Family night at Skate City for AM families
Friday: Dress in Church clothes/Grandparents day
              Grandparents come for Mass, then 4 fun rotations with kids. It is a half day and kids go                       home with grandparents.  No buses run.

We have Monthly family activities welcome to 4k students in the whole district.  This will be sledding at Jennerjohn Park (Hosted by the Hillside site).  It is held Friday Feb 5 1-3.  Please see pink note coming home in folders today! Please RSVP so I can get them an accurate count.

Valentines' Day stuff has begun to come out so you may begin your shopping.

Our school policy on Valentines is All or Nothing = bring a  valentine for the whole class or none at all.  At the 4k level, we suggest not to write names in the "TO" spot so they can go down the line and simply hand out valentines, but we do encourage the students to write their own name on the "FROM" line.  What great practice! AM STUDENTS= 20 PM STUDENTS = 13

We do have a peanut allergy in our classroom so we ask that you DO NOT SEND ANY ITEMS CONTAINING PEANUTS.  We will have the family double check for "made in factory" but we cannot have any physical peanuts in our classroom. The eliminates some candies so please make sure to check.  It is not a matter of the student can't eat that kind, but it is not healthy for this child to have it sitting int he room with him/her all day as well.

Please send an emptied, clean milk jug by Monday February 8 for our Valentine Collection buckets.

We will be celebrating on Thursday February 11.  You can send valentines, that whole week (we will keep in a bin) and then have the child distribute at our "party" on Thursday.

January Reading with the Stars is Thursday January 28 5:30-6:30 and then there is quick turn around for February Reading with the Stars Thursday February 11 5:30-6:30.

Daddy Daughter Dance forms came home earlier this month.  This event is hosted by the Hortonville Middle School and is open to all girls in the district.  The form says to return this form to the middle school, but if you would like to send it to school, we can get it to them as well.

Polar animals week 2

We continued our study of Polar Animals this week as well as began PALS.  

On Monday, students used their fine motor skills to pull apart 3 cotton balls to cover their polar bear in thick white fur to keep him warm.  They also talked about how it is camouflage to the snow and its blubber under its fur would keep it extra warm. 

On Wednesday, students went on a scavenger hunt to find various penguins in our room. They then measured how many ice cubes high the penguin was and recorded it on the sheet that they carried on their clip boards.  They really enjoyed their activity and had no idea all the great stuff they were learning!

PALS assessments are going really well and students are making a lot of growth.  I am very happy to see them learning and having fun as well as being proud of themselves.

Please be sending boots and snow pants now that snow has fallen (yay!).   Send them even if there is no snow for warmth!  The image is the order we do our snow clothes if it helps you at home.  We HIGHLY encourage them to do it completely independently, with only a little help here and there with tying boots, second mittens, etc.

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 drink Umbrellas.  Students are getting good at making predictions of what they think they will be decorating with based on words that start with that sound.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, U is for Umbrella.

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 efficiency as well as learning cursive down the line.  We ALWAYS START AT THE TOP.  Please encourage students to write the letter correctly!  This came home on the blue sheets from break.


Important Notes:

• PALS  DUE TO THE SHORT TURN AROUND FOR THE PALS WINDOW THEY GIVE US, REPORT CARDS WILL NOT BE READY WHEN THE QUARTER ENDS.  YOU WILL GET ALL REPORTS AT CONFERENCES.
• Reading with the Stars will be held on Thursday January 28.  5:30-6:30pm.  Please do your best to reply regardless of yes or no so we can get an accurate count, make the right amount of materials, and pick a space that will fit everyone best.
• 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  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 TUESDAY.
• 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 January 28.  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: Community Helpers/Transportation & PALS
Letter of the Week: Pp
AM Snack: Conradt

PM Snack: Neubert (Austin) 

Polar Animals Week 1

On Monday, we discussed the adaptation of camouflage, and why it is important.  We related it to the moms, dads, brothers, and sisters that hunt.  They dont want the deer to see them and the polar animals don't want to be seen when they are hunted or be seen to be eaten.  We have been talking about this as "the science word that means they match where they are."  They are doing great with this large vocabulary word!  We also did a sort of animals that would be camouflage with the snow and would NOT be camouflage.  They really seem to be getting it!

On Wednesday, we discussed blubber and how it is a lot of fat under the skin to keep them warm.  Animals can't wear coats so they have all this fat.  We then did a blubber experiment.  First we made predictions, then we tested, and then we recorded our results.  A LOT of science going on this week!

Students work on the pocket chart game of matching the baby animals to the moms. They are learning new vocabulary, matching, looking at details, and team work.

Students play the new pocket chart game,
matching capital to lower case
 letters on mittens.  The mittens must
be the same color to help self check.

Students do a polar bear roll the dice game,
students roll the dice, count the dots, and put an
X in the corresponding column.

Students are listening to a variety of
books on CD from Scholastic.  Students
find their headphones, plug them in, pick a
book, put the CD in, push play (green button),
and listen to the story.

Students in discovery center decided to
start sorting the toys by color all on their
own.  They are noticing differences, grouping,
and using toys correctly!

Students are playing with the farm in the block center.
Students are using the centers correctly which helps them
play independently (especially great during PALS assessments)
and cooperative play with friends.  This is so great to see!

Please continue to send any completed winter break homework back to school and they will get stamps for the assignments completed. Students really love getting the little prizes for doing their homework!


Please be sending boots and snow pants now that snow has fallen (yay!).   Send them even if there is no snow for warmth!  The image is the order we do our snow clothes if it helps you at home.  We HIGHLY encourage them to do it completely independently, with only a little help here and there with tying boots, second mittens, etc.

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 Mini Marshmallows.  Students are getting good at making predictions of what they think they will be decorating with based on words that start with that sound.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, M is for Monkey.

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 efficiency as well as learning cursive down the line.  We ALWAYS START AT THE TOP.  Please encourage students to write the letter correctly!  This came home on the blue sheets from break.


Important Notes:

• PALS will start Monday.  Again, there will be less materials coming home those weeks as I will be meeting with each child to fill out the PALS. Pals data will be shared with the rest of the assessments in February at conferences.  DUE TO THE SHORT TURN AROUND FOR THE PALS WINDOW THEY GIVE US, REPORT CARDS WILL NOT BE READY WHEN THE QUARTER ENDS.  YOU WILL GET ALL REPORTS AT CONFERENCES.
• 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  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 TUESDAY.
• 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 January 28.  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: Polar Animals (week 2) & PALS
Letter of the Week: Uu
AM Snack: Gonnering
PM Snack: Pollack

Short week before Holiday Break

I wanted to thank all of you for being so generous and the wonderful gifts and holiday wishes.  I love everything and cannot thank all of you enough to think of me during the busy holiday season. 

The week was crazy!  The AM did their program, we made reindeer food, we watched movies, we celebrated and we caught up for the semester!

Please send any completed winter break homework back to school and they will get stamps for the assignments completed. Students really love getting the little prizes for doing their homework!


Please be sending boots and snow pants now that snow has fallen (yay!).  Our Friday friends were a little chilly today with it being only feels like 8* today.  Send them even if there is no snow for warmth!  The image is the order we do our snow clothes if it helps you at home.  We HIGHLY encourage them to do it completely independently, with only a little help here and there with tying boots, second mittens, etc.

There was no letter of the week because of the short week.


Important Notes:

• PALS will start the week after this.  Again, there will be less materials coming home those weeks as I will be meeting with each child to fill out the PALS. Pals data will be shared with the rest of the assessments in February.
• 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  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 TUESDAY.
• 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 January 28.  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: Polar Animals
Letter of the Week: Mm
AM Snack: Schmidt, Levi
PM Snack: Singh