Weekly Update

My, oh, my! How out of sync and irregular our school schedule has been!! Thanks to all for toughing it out and trying to be on top of it all. Thanks to those who came to conferences!! It was nice to share and discuss all of the things that all the girls do so well! I will not blog before the holidays unless absolutely needed....so have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Info to Know

• Today's homework packet covers the holiday break. There will be no additional homework sent next week. Please keep the red folders at home and return them on Monday, November 30. On that day you should return: November's homework calendar, November's Book It recording form, and the Thanksgiving Family Project.
• Parent Info meeting tonight @ 6:30 pm in the MPR
• Chinese Book checkout will be on Wednesdays. Please send the Chinese book back each Wednesday to get a different book. If your little darling hasn't checked out a book, let us know and we will get you a permission slip to do so.
• LUNCH FORMS ARE DUE TOMORROW!!
• Fridays are IWIA School Spirit days. Students may only wear a school spirit shirt or uniform shirt with jeans. This will be enforced as part of the uniform policy.
• Yule Forest permission slips are due on Tuesday, December 1. If you have lost you copy, please let us know....we will send a replacement.
• Scholastic flyers came home today! Books make a great holiday gift. If you would like these books to be kept a secret, let me know! Online orders of $10 from each flyer will receive a free book (up to $5) for your little darling to choose! What a great deal!! And online orders get the class free books too!! See the link.....user: pkokpride.....password: wearereaders
• The Butterfly Club will be selling "Thankful Grams" during lunch on the 18th - 20th. The cost is $2.00 for each goodie bag.

Academic Update

• Last week we discussed the Hindu celebration of Diwali. We learned the reason for the celebration (the return of Rama from rescuing Sita), many of the traditions of the celebration (decorating homes with rangoli, diyas, gift giving, and house cleaning), and where and who celebrates it. Dr. Hormes came to share her Diwali experiences with us!! It was really neat! We played a dice addition game, strengthened our word-attack skills, and worked on rhyming skills.
• This week we are learning all about Thanksgiving. Most of the girls seem to have a knowledge base of how it is celebrated now, so we will explore the origins of the holiday and culminate our learning with a re-enactment of the first feast with Mrs. Kraften's and Mrs. Barnes' classes next Tuesday. You should have a note for a small donation for your little one to bring for that feast. We will be cooking on Monday and Tuesday and then feasting on Tuesday afternoon. If you can volunteer, please let us know.... Also, we will decorate our door with "I Care" messages to demonstrate our self-respect and respect for others in response to a lesson taught by Mrs. Frederick with the book I'm Sorry, learn the Top It game, create a turkey glyph (a picture to convey information), and work with the letters Xx and Ww!

Classroom News

• Check your little darling's folder for their donation for our feast....if you have questions or concerns, please contact us as soon as possible. If you can volunteer, let us know!
• Bank Day was sponsored last year by Chase Bank. Students could open a savings account and deposit money weekly into the account. If you think that you and your P.Chick would be interested in this service, please let me know. If there is a valid interest, we can look further into starting this again this school year.

Ooops!

Ooops! We forgot to send Poetry Notebooks home on Friday! Please review the poem with your P.Chick, sign, and return.

Also, check out the pics from our Panola Mountain Field Trip on the Snapfish account! If you don't know the login info, please email me directly for this info!

Here's looking forward to a great week!!

Weekly Update

News to Know

• Report cards were in your little darling's clear folder on Friday. Please keep the original copy. Sign and return the second pink stickered copy.
• Thanks to Mr. Cook for copying our Chinese CDs! The checkout system will begin in the upcoming week!
• There is no school on Thursday, November 12 or the following Monday, November 16!
• Don't forget to send in your money and permission slip in an envelope for our Yule Forest field trip.

Academic Update

• We began our new IB unit, Cultural Celebrations, this past week! We began discussing why do people celebrate, what do they celebrate, and what is a tradition.
• Next week: Diwali, teen numbers, graphing, and games, and the letter Oo

Classroom News

• Thanks continue to go out to all of our classroom volunteers! We really appreciate and love all of the help and support inside and outside of the classroom.
• HELP! We are in need of a Poetry Box! We would love to have a wooden box to hold the large posters of our weekly poems. If you are handy and willing, please contact Mrs. P. Kok for details.
• Please discuss the proper usage of markers with your P. Chick! We seem to get a bit artistic on our bodies with them?!?!

Weekly Update

News To Know

• Please keep the bottom portion of the weekly progress reports only returning the signed top portion. This is full of important information for you to know!
• Reader Challenge update: Thanks to those who signed up! I am so excited to see all of those who are up for the challenge! Mrs. Kraften will be contacting you via email with further information. Copies of the reports can be downloaded via our blog activities links.
• Scholastic order deadline has been extended until Monday afternoon @ 3:30pm
• On Friday, in your little one's green folder (fingers crossed), there should have been a sheet of pumpkins. The objective for this assignment was to have the pumpkins placed in order based on their capacity. This was assessed and is an example of an assignment used to assess your child's knowledge of a standard. It is recorded into the GKIDS database. GKIDS is the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills. It is standard based. If they have mastered the standard, there was a check on the assignment. If there is still room to grow, there was a check minus. Assessment is ongoing throughout the entire school year.
• We have a scrap paper box in our classroom that the girls use for free drawing or writing. Most of these papers have something printed on one side and the opposite side is blank for the girls. If something comes home that looks questionable, like lesson plans, work that seems too difficult, budgets, lots of Archstone paperwork (thanks Mrs. Stanford), don't worry! It is just scrap for the girls!
• Please remember field trip monies must be cash only!! No checks will be accepted.
• Portraits need to be returned. These are past due.
• Noon dismissal this Thursday.