Family Directory

Family directories are coming home today! A big thanks to Sadira's mom, Lisa, for compiling the info and Caroline's mom, Anne, for making us color copies! If you see a mistake, please let me know and I will pass along the change.

Also, check out the snapfish account! Thanks Lisa Bobb!!!

Weekly Update

Sorry for the later than usual blog. I am aiming to blog regularly on Thursdays (fingers crossed).

Our second week was another joyful and successful week! I am so please to be teaching a classroom full of angelic geniuses!!

Info to Know

• Sally Foster Fundraiser starts today. Please look in your little darling's backpack for more info on this school wide fundraiser. There is a class competition! The classroom with the highest percentage of sellers will get a $50 Target gift card for school supplies. So if each girl only sells one item we will have 100%....the highest percentage possible!
• Thursday, August 26 will be a half day with dismissal at NOON. Please make arrangements for your daughter to arrive home safely.
• September lunch calendars came home on Friday. Please remember that lunch is a pre-pay program only! Please send in the lunch calendar with your little darling's selections by Friday with payment.
• Scholastic Book Club orders also went home last week. We have some online orders up already!! Check out the link. Orders are due by Wednesday, Sept. 2.
• I will be absent on Thursday and Friday out of the country. I have let the girls know, but please bear with them and the sub if things seem slightly out of whack. Due to this, there will not be any sight word testing this Friday.

Academic Update

• ELA-Last week, we worked on Rr and Tt, our 5 sight words, and our first poem. Did you enjoy the Poetry Notebook? We also wrote in our beginning journals and volunteered for sight word testing on the orange list. This week: Pp and Cc, 5 more sight words, 5 more superstars, and the beginning of reading groups.
  
• Math-We worked on our calendar routines and answered daily survey questions using tally marks and counting by 5s. We are almost finished with our first book "Shapes and Colors"! This week: We will work on personal information make a birthday graph, practice writing our phone numbers, and talk about the parts of an address. Look out for a pattern necklace!!
• IB Unit, Me, Myself & I-Last week we discussed our body parts and how we are all different, yet special and unique. Next week: our "Me" book, respecting others, and manners.

Class News

• Thanks to Lisa Bobb (Sadira's mom) for organizing the class social! It was so much fun and it was nice to have an informal time to meet! Also, thanks to all for the donations towards pizza, drink, and other yummy vittles!
• Thanks also to those parents that are helping in smaller, but very important roles (copying, creating, cutting, typing)! I love being able to send home "projects." I feel very supported!
• We are working on getting a Snapfish account to share pictures of the girls via a password protected site....keep your eyes peeled for more info!
• More thanks to the continued supplies and donations! Some immediate items we could use: old cell phones, play food, one small pillow. Also, please be sure to check out the Adopt-a-Classroom site. It allows for monies to be deposited into an account for our class to purchase classroom supplies such as construction paper, printer ink, and manipulatives through school and office supply stores.
• The resting fairy visits good resters each day. The girls are collecting "Resting Fairy Rewards" to visit the Treasure Chest. Each Friday, they may redeem five tickets for a visit. Due to my Friday absence, the Treasure Chest will open for the first time this Wednesday.
• Snack this week: T-Grace, W-Cleo, Th-Reagan, F-Kymani

First Weekly Update

We have made it through our first full week! I have truly enjoyed the first week and getting to know your little darling! Please be sure to check the blog every week and comment as needed. Here you will find important information, academic updates, and news to share.

Info to Know

• Clear folders came home on Friday. This is a very important tool for our communication. This folder will come home everyday for the remainder of the school year. Some days it might be full of information and papers, and some days it may be empty. Either way please check it and have your little P Chick return it everyday. It is also a tool for you to send me any important information; notes about pickup, excuses for illnesses, etc.
• Blankets and towels also came home on Friday. We napped all week on the floor.....turns out there is enough room! Please launder and return a small, comfy towel or blanket that can be stored on the under cubbie hooks.
• Change of clothes update! I feel guilty keeping a change of uniform in the classroom. It is however necessary to keep a change of clothes at school for accidents. If you would like to have the uniform returned to use in the weekly rotation, please send in an alternate set of clothing that is in similar style and colors to the uniform. Once there is a replacement, the uniform will be returned.
• Folders: We use folders for a variety of tasks in our classroom. Color coding helps with organization and memory. I apologize if your P Chick is not using the folder that you specifically sent in. In trying to unload and organize all of the supplies, I forgot to label the folders. I have made sure that all of the girls have a folder and when it comes time for replacement, I will provide those. Sorry for the mistake. Please see below for the use and coding of the folders.
• -green: take home folder--used for the girls to transport work and papers; should be returned to school empty
• -yellow: Chinese--used for Chinese class; may come home when needed
• -blue: "I'm Working on It"--used in the classroom for work; should be kept at school
• -red: homework--taken home and returned on Mondays
• -clear: home/school communication--sent home and returned every day
• -pink/purple/orange: poetry notebook--sent home on Fridays; returned before following Thursday; to be reviewed, initialed, and dated with/by parents
• Lunch is from 10:55 until 11:20. Please help us by not sending food requiring a warm up, as there is not access to a microwave for students. Also, practice opening containers at home so that your little darling can be more independent at lunch. This will help for a smoother lunch period.

Class News

• Please fill out and return the info sheet that you would like to have included in the class distribution list.
• Class schedule will be posted this week.
• PE is on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please be sure your P Chick wears her privacy shorts on these days under her dress.
• Please be on the lookout for info for our first class social. This will provide a great opportunity for our class to meet and interact to set off a great year.
• Thanks to all that have signed up for jobs on the class writeboard. I will be in touch soon with more info.
• Snack this week: M-Madeline, T-Gigi, W-Meghan, Th-Chanel, F-Annabell

Academic Updates

• This past week we began our Shape and Color book. We will continue until complete and send home our first Kindergarten book! Please ask your P Chick to read it to you!
• Mm and Ss were our first two letters! Next week we will study Rr and Tt.
• Homework will begin this coming week. It will come home in the red homework folder on Mondays and should be returned the following Monday.
• Sight words for last week were: a, at, I, like, & am
• Sight words for next week are: me, go, in, see, & the
• Our IB unit is Me, Myself, and I.

It's Great to be a P Chick!

Well the first day of IWIA kindergarten was AWESOME! I am so pleased and excited about our school year; I can barely contain myself. Today we worked on learning basic routines and behaviors, created our classroom agreements (1. Be polite. 2. Be safe. 3. Have fun!), met our Chinese and art teacher, and read some fun stories. We enjoyed our lunch in the classroom, visited the upper playground for recess, and explored some of our learning labs. What a fun, learning-packed day! Please be sure to talk everyday about what we are learning; it helps you stay connected and your P chick recall a variety of important concepts.

I am so thankful to the generosity of all our "pride" for the bountiful school supplies! I have sorted and stored them. Unfortunately, I know that the school supply list online does differ slightly with my requirements so there might still be items you are still rounding up. If you are having difficulty finding large pencils, you can send in a cash donation or donate on our adopt-a-classroom website; I can purchase a class set.

You should find a folder in your P chick's backpack. Inside you will find a few important letters of valuable information and some forms to complete. These are forms for me within the classroom. I appreciate you completing them and returning as soon as possible. This folder will serve as our daily communication folder for the first weeks of school. Anything that you need to send to me should come to school in this folder and anything I need to send home to you will come home in this folder. PLEASE CHECK AND RETURN IT EVERYDAY!!

A few other notes:

• Please be sure to label with permanent marker sweaters, backpacks, towels, blankets, lunch boxes, and any other individual items. There are many girls that have identical items and it becomes difficult to determine their owners if they aren't labeled.
• Lunch menus should be returned with payment as soon as possible.
• Please help your P chick memorize her carpool number. This will help ease the carpool process. It will get smoother!
• Nametags should be worn everyday until further notice. These help the girls with their carpool numbers and identify them to new teachers.

Thanks to all for a successful first day! I look forward to the short 179 more!

Mrs. P Kok

August Snack Calendar

Please be sure to send in 24 Nut free snacks (see suggested snack list) on your daughter's assigned day.

August 10th: Alexis
August 11th: Jasmine
August 12th: Sadira
August 13th: Shoshana
August 14th: Kameron

August 17th: Madeline
August 18th: Gigi
August 19th: Meghan
August 20th: Chanel
August 21st: Annabell

August 24th: Layla
August 25th: Grace
August 26th: Cleo
August 27th: Reagan
August 28th: Kymani

August 31st: Willow

Welcome to Kindergarten!!

I am SO excited for our new year to begin! Please check here for valuable information and weekly news about our classroom.