Animals Getting Ready for Winter

Our topic this week was What animals do to get ready for winter.
We started the week by discussing what animals do in the winter and the vocabulary that goes with it.  We

discussed hibernation = sleeping all winter and migration = going south for the winter where it is warm.

We made a Canadian Goose that is going to fly south for the winter.  These will be hung on the ceiling in V formation to show their migration.

We made a squirrel and a bunch of acorn nuts to help them Gather for the winter.  They gather lots of nuts and snack on them all winter long. We even painted the fluffy squirrel with a fluffy painting tool!

We made a bear in his cave ready to hibernate for the winter.  These bears aren't asleep yet, but you better leave them alone!  We dont want them to still be hungry!

The letter of the week was Ee. 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

E with our Elbows!!  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, E is for Elephant.

Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

Reading with the Stars invites are out!  These events are really fun for the families and the students.  It allows parents to participate in their child's learning as well as children to socialize outside of school hours.  Also, our AM and PM sessions are both invited to these events so it allows them to get to know each other as well.  

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 December 6th (paper fliers came out, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward). WE WILL NOT BE DOING ANOTHER ORDER IN DECEMBER BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO GET THEM IN BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS.
• PLEASE CONSIDER BOOK ORDER BOOKS FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS!  Reading is a great gift to share with your child and others.  If you purchase online, you also help our class to earn points to buy books for our room.  IF YOU WANT BOOK ORDERS TO BE A GIFT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL WRAP THEM DISCREETLY AND GET THEM TO YOU SO THEY CAN BE A GIFT.
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Turkeys
Letter of the Week: Rr
Snack: Bonnet Family

Fall Harvest

Happy November!

Our topic this week was Fall Harvest.
Students started the week with a new calendar.  The calendar pattern this month is turkey, blue, cornucopia.  We discussed what a cornucopia was and how it helped people long ago who did not have machines collect the harvest.  

We then discussed Indian Corn and how it does not look like the corn we eat today, it is in the same family and a corn that people ate around the time of the first Thanksgiving.  We then made our own indian corn and counted how many of each color we had on our cobs. 

We also discussed scarecrows and how they help scare the birds/crows away from the crops so people can pick them, but they are only scary to the birds.  Students are really doing well at participating to at circle times, making connections, and 

We read The Silly Scarecrow, a book about Clifford thinking the scarecrow was a field monster only to discover it was a Silly Scarecrow only there to scare the birds away.  We then read There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves.  We used this book to make predictions of why she was swallowing certain things and to make connections to what we already know.  We also worked to find the rhyming words in the story.  Students are doing great!

We also had a visit from the Hortonville Bussing system to teach us about bus safety.  Even for those who do not ride the bus, it was good to have this safety training for field trips and if they are future bus riders.  


The letter of the week was Ss. 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 S with Stickers with Stars, Smiles, and Super on them.  We even put Six or Seven Stickers on each S.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, S is for Spider.

Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

Reading with the Stars invites will be coming home tomorrow.  These events are really fun for the families and the students.  It allows parents to participate in their child's learning as well as children to socialize outside of school hours.  Also, our AM and PM sessions are both invited to these events so it allows them to get to know each other as well.  

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 December 6th (paper fliers came out, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward). WE WILL NOT BE DOING ANOTHER ORDER IN DECEMBER BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO GET THEM IN BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS.
• PLEASE CONSIDER BOOK ORDER BOOKS FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS!  Reading is a great gift to share with your child and others.  If you purchase online, you also help our class to earn points to buy books for our room.  IF YOU WANT BOOK ORDERS TO BE A GIFT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL WRAP THEM DISCREETLY AND GET THEM TO YOU SO THEY CAN BE A GIFT.
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Animals getting ready for Winter
Letter of the Week: Ee
Snack: Due to a technical glitch, snack for November is missing from the calendar.  If you have signed up for snack this week, please let me know. If you are unsure, we do have some left overs, extras, and donations for such situations.

Halloween

Dear Parents,

Our topic this week was Halloween.

DRESS UP DAYS

Monday Superhero Day

Showing muscles!

Tuesday St. Ed/Blue Day

Wed Stuffed Animals (we had so much fun playing with the animals in the parachute we forgot a photo!

Thursday Halloween Colors Day

Monday students helped match a ghost to their haunted house.  The ghosts had a number on their belly and their door had some dots. Students glued the correct ghost on the correct number of dots.  I have learned students are pretty good at counting, but struggling with some number recognition.  You can help at home!  When you see a number (in the house in recipes, on street signs, etc, point it out, name it, and count to it! The more practice the better!

It appeared students really had fun at the 4k fall family fun night!  There were some great costumes, laughter, and fun for all!  Pictures will be posted on the class gallery page (all in the Halloween area)

The letter of the week was Gg. 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 G with Green and Gold Glitter stuck in Glue.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, G is for Ghost.

On Thursday, we had our Halloween Party.  We did a change in stations than our normal centers in the room.  We had a sensory table filled with squishy halloween goo, we made jack-o-lantern cookies, played in a pumpkin, did a jack-o-lantern/inside of a pumpkin art activity, and halloween reading center. Students got to all the centers and really had fun!

Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

As mentioned for the past few weeks, we would like to have a family and friends board in our room.  That way the space is as much of the students' as it is of mine (I have my family photos, they should too!)  Please send a family photo that can stay up in the classroom all year long.  When photos come in, the students will take some time to tell the rest of their class about their family.  Can't wait to see the photos and hear about the families!

Important Notes:

• Dress for the weather.  Please send your child dressed for the weather as we go outside as long as it is not raining or below 0*(students are more than welcome to bring layers daily or to leave in their lockers)  It may also be time to change out the change of clothes to make sure they are weather appropriate.  If you send a new change of clothes, we will send the warm weather clothes in their backpacks.
• Folders. Please be checking your child's daily folder each night.  We put notes on the notebook pages in their folders as well as any notes we may have for you.  Artwork is also sent home this way. As we start letter of the week, we will also start sending home homework to help reinforce the letter concept and identification.  Please work on this with you child to help the students make the connection between home and school. 
• Also, Please check the student's Wednesday Folders.  Please try to take info out and return the folder and any forms/info/payments in those folders a day or two after receiving. 
• Literacy Bags come home every three weeks.  Students will have a week to complete the project inside and can then return the bag with completed sheets in it on TUESDAYS.
• Library Books come every week.  We go to library on Monday and student have the opportunity to check out a book and keep it for a week. It can be kept in their back packs or at home, but please remember to bring it on Mondays. 
• Book Order due October 25th (paper fliers came out, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward)
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Fall Harvest
Letter of the Week: Ss
Snack: Krueger Family (already in)

Fall, PALS, Red Ribbon Week, 4K Family Fun night, oh my!

Hello Parents!

THIS COMING WEEK IS RED RIBBON WEEK!  BELOW IS THE FLIER AND THE DRESS UP DAYS.  IT IS NOT REQUIRED, BUT MAY BE FUN!

MONDAY-Superhero

TUESDAY-St. Edward Apparel or blue & yellow

WEDNESDAY-Bring a stuffed animal with a Paw

THURSDAY-Halloween Colors (we do not wear costumes to school)

TUESDAY NIGHT IS OUR 4K FAMILY FUN NIGHT!  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO WEAR YOUR COSTUME TO 4K FAMILY FUN NIGHT.

This past week,
Our topic this week was Fall again.

Students read fall books and even helped figured out some leaf names.  Students also got the opportunity to play in some pumpkins--feel, smell, and touch them!

Students also were pulled out to do their PALS assessment.  Students are doing well with this and we will be discussing the results with you during conferences in November!  See below for the parent note on PALS if you would like more info on PALS.

The letter of the week was Dd. We learned the sign language for a letter, the literacy link sound symbols, the letter sound, and looking at and writing it in both capital letters and lower case letters.  Click here to view the many ways we learn the letter of the week!

Each week we watch letter videos from "Have Fun Teaching" and the students are really picking up the names of letters, formations, and the sounds of letters.  Check out these videos with you child!  Click HERE.

The Tuesday project of letter of the week is to decorate a letter with something that starts with the letter. This week we decorated the letter D with dots.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, D is for Duck.

Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

As mentioned for the past few weeks, we would like to have a family and friends board in our room.  That way the space is as much of the students' as it is of mine (I have my family photos, they should too!)  Please send a family photo that can stay up in the classroom all year long.  When photos come in, the students will take some time to tell the rest of their class about their family.  Can't wait to see the photos and hear about the families!

PALS will be begin on October 14 and end on October 30.  See the information below about PALS.

Important Notes:

• Dress for the weather.  Please send your child dressed for the weather as we go outside as long as it is not raining or below 0*(students are more than welcome to bring layers daily or to leave in their lockers)  It may also be time to change out the change of clothes to make sure they are weather appropriate.  If you send a new change of clothes, we will send the warm weather clothes in their backpacks.
• Folders. Please be checking your child's daily folder each night.  We put notes on the notebook pages in their folders as well as any notes we may have for you.  Artwork is also sent home this way. As we start letter of the week, we will also start sending home homework to help reinforce the letter concept and identification.  Please work on this with you child to help the students make the connection between home and school. 
• Also, Please check the student's Wednesday Folders.  Please try to take info out and return the folder and any forms/info/payments in those folders a day or two after receiving. 
• Literacy Bags come home every three weeks.  Students will have a week to complete the project inside and can then return the bag with completed sheets in it on TUESDAYS.
• Library Books come every week.  We go to library on Monday and student have the opportunity to check out a book and keep it for a week. It can be kept in their back packs or at home, but please remember to bring it on Mondays. 
• Book Order due October 25th (paper fliers came out, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward)
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Halloween
Letter of the Week: Gg
Snack: Hurst Family

4k Family Fun!

If you haven't already, please reply for the  4k family fun night!  

Fall-PALS week

Hello Parents!

Our topic this week was Fall.

Students made a fall leaf for our tree in our classroom. They worked on their fine motor skills cutting out the leaf and then pinching the sponges and stamping them on the leaf.  Our tree looks great!

Students also decorated an acorn.  Students painted glue on the top and then sprinkled it with oatmeal.  The then painted the bottom of the acorn with glue and sprinkled it with coffee.  Our room smelled great and our acorns look so cool with the textures!

Students also were pulled out to do their PALS assessment.  Students are doing well with this and we will be discussing the results with you during conferences in November!  See below for the parent note on PALS if you would like more info on PALS.

The letter of the week was Aa. We learned the sign language for a letter, the literacy link sound symbols, the letter sound, and looking at and writing it in both capital letters and lower case letters.  Click here to view the many ways we learn the letter of the week!

Each week we watch letter videos from "Have Fun Teaching" and the students are really picking up the names of letters, formations, and the sounds of letters.  Check out these videos with you child!  Click HERE.

The Tuesday project of letter of the week is to decorate a letter with something that starts with the letter. This week we decorated the letter A with apples and ants.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, A is for Alligator.

Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

As mentioned for the past few weeks, we would like to have a family and friends board in our room.  That way the space is as much of the students' as it is of mine (I have my family photos, they should too!)  Please send a family photo that can stay up in the classroom all year long.  When photos come in, the students will take some time to tell the rest of their class about their family.  Can't wait to see the photos and hear about the families!

PALS will be begin on October 14.  See the information below about PALS.

Important Notes:

• Dress for the weather.  Please send your child dressed for the weather as we go outside as long as it is not raining or below 0*(students are more than welcome to bring layers daily or to leave in their lockers)  It may also be time to change out the change of clothes to make sure they are weather appropriate.  If you send a new change of clothes, we will send the warm weather clothes in their backpacks.
• Folders. Please be checking your child's daily folder each night.  We put notes on the notebook pages in their folders as well as any notes we may have for you.  Artwork is also sent home this way. As we start letter of the week, we will also start sending home homework to help reinforce the letter concept and identification.  Please work on this with you child to help the students make the connection between home and school. 
• Also, Please check the student's Wednesday Folders.  Please try to take info out and return the folder and any forms/info/payments in those folders a day or two after receiving. 
• Literacy Bags come home every three weeks.  Students will have a week to complete the project inside and can then return the bag with completed sheets in it on TUESDAYS.
• Library Books come every week.  We go to library on Monday and student have the opportunity to check out a book and keep it for a week. It can be kept in their back packs or at home, but please remember to bring it on Mondays. 
• Book Order due October 25th (paper fliers came out, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward)
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Fall
Letter of the Week: Dd
Snack: Krueger Family (already in)

Fire Safety/Prevention

Our topic this week was Fire Safety and Fire Prevention.

We discussed Stop, Drop, Roll, calling for help, not touching lighters and matches, getting help, and more!


Our dramatic play center was filled with fire hats, fire coats, and phones.  It is fun to hear students call the fire department, ask for help, get their gear on and go "fight fires."  

Mrs. Drummond was working with students dialing their phone numbers, knowing what to say on the phone, and role playing some phone conversations.  Students are doing a great job and we will continue to practice some of these skills through out the year.

At circle time we did a fire house math sheet.  This sheet helped us to begin working on reading skills, new vocabulary, counting skills, number recognition, and writing numbers.  Students counting skills are doing well, now we begin to work on writing the numbers so they are able to communicate their math skills.

We did discuss an escape plan (if the doors were blocked) and a family meeting spot that is far enough from the fire but a meeting place in case they all go out different doors, windows.  If you havent already, have this conversation with your child.  They will be less hesitant to exit the burning house if they know where you are going to be when they get out

On Wednesday, we have a fire drill and got to meet the Town of Center fire fighters and see their truck.  Students did excellent stopping what they are doing, getting in a line and exiting the building quietly.  Our entire school excited the building and got to their safety spots in 1 minute and 39 seconds!  Students listened well to our firefighters, answered their questions, took pictures with them and went through their truck!  We didnt have anybody afraid!  They did wonderful!  I could not be more proud of them!  
.

Discussing fire safety, stop, drop, and roll, family meeting points, and more.  The 4k friends were the ones shouting out the answers to their questions, even before the 5th grades.  They really knew their stuff!

Students got to touch the gear and see what the firefighters wear to keep them safe so they can come in and get them safe.

The firefighters start in their street clothes and then get dressed in their fire gear in front of the students to show them that thought their gear makes noise and they may look a little scary, they are just real nice people in there.  If there is a fire always crawl to the firefighter and give them a hug instead of hiding.  

Students decorated Stop, Drop, and Roll crowns.  Students worked on what to do, practiced it in our room, and then made crowns to help them remember.  They worked on their fine and gross motor skills while working on the stopping, dropping, and rolling, as well as some safety skills. 



On Friday, we made a thank you card for our firefighters and signed the card with our name.  Our name writing is getting better, but keep practicing at home!  I will be sending more name writing practice sheets home to help wit the correct formations, but a good rule of thumb is always to left to right and start the letters on the top.  If the letter is a "circle letter" make sure they start at the top and circle backwards (counter clockwise).  

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 O (bead) rolled all Over in Orange paint.  On Thursday, our letter of the week project was to read a page from our alphabet book, O is for octopus.

Please visit the whole website (4k, drop down menu, Gallery) to see your child's first day photo as well as photos from through out the week.  If you would like the first day photo, please email me and I can send you the digital copy.

As mentioned for the past few weeks, we would like to have a family and friends board in our room.  That way the space is as much of the students' as it is of mine (I have my family photos, they should too!)  Please send a family photo that can stay up in the classroom all year long.  When photos come in, the students will take some time to tell the rest of their class about their family.  Can't wait to see the photos and hear about the families!

PALS will be begin on October 14.  See the information below about PALS.

Important Notes:

• 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. 
• 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*
• Book Order due October 25th (paper fliers came out, online available in the scholastic tab of the website: mrsgloudemans.wix.com/stedward)
• Send in those family photos!

Next Week:
Theme: Fall
Letter of the Week: Aa
Snack: Sprangers Family