Weekly Update

Info To Know

• Please be sure your little darling has 20 dimes for her math tool kit. We need these this week for our 'Dimes' lesson.
• Please return your picture packages. Remove the pictures that you wish to purchase and return the unwanted pictures to school.
• Stone Mountain permission slips are due by Wednesday, November 10th.
• Thanks to all of the awesome volunteers that make all of our classroom endevours possible!! Field trip chaperones, daily volunteering within the classroom, at-home task takers, supply donations, room parent, class photographers...the list is endless. THANK YOU!!
• No poetry notebooks came home because we didn't have sufficient time to complete this week's centers and have-tos. These will continue next week and include a second poem. Look for 'Lunch Box' & 'Vote for Me' next week.
• We are collecting tote bags, backpacks, and reusable lunch bags for the people of Haiti. Please send these in as you can.

Academic Update

• This week our field trip was tiring, but so AWESOME! We were able to see an expansive recycling center and international market. Our healthy snack was really enjoyed by all...the pomegranates were the overall favorite! This week we also learned more strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems. We can use the number grid and number line to help us and see patterns when using frames and arrows. Also, we worked with clocks to tell time to the half hour. We have begun our writing of our class book with heroes as our topic. We have brainstormed, written a rough draft, and are in the beginning stages of revision. Also, we learned about proper and regular nouns.
• Next week we begin creating our partner dioramas. We have enough shoeboxes; now the girls will need to brainstorm ideas and bring items to place within them to show what they have learned in Nature's Needs. This will be a main focus of our week. We will also continue the revision process for our book pages and continue the same centers and have-to labs, as we didn't have enough time to complete them this week. In math, we will continue lessons using frames and arrows, introduce the dime, and use our calculators.

Quick Weekly Update

• School is closed next week, October 11-15 for Fall Break. Enjoy the beautiful weather and time off.
• Use the AR website to check if books your little darling is reading at home can be tested. Upon our return, we will be able to test on any AR books read.
• Thanks to our Pumpkin Patch chaperones and Pumpkin Math volunteers! It was great to learn so much about pumpkins!
• Next week in our PYP unit will be humans and their needs!
• Please sign and return the report card envelope only! Keep the enclosed documents.
• Don't forget to return the red homework and poetry notebooks on Monday, Oct. 18th!
• DeKalb Farmer's Market permission slips and monies are due NO later than Tuesday, Oct. 19th....that is the week of our return from fall break!!!

Weekly Update

News to Know

• Wednesday is a Half Day with Noon Dismissal. We eat lunch on half days so please be sure to send your daughter with a lunch.
• Tuesday is our first field trip to The Pumpkin Patch. The P. Kok Pride should wear jeans, our new t-shirts, and comfortable walking shoes. Please also pack a lunch in all disposable containers. Our next trip will be to the Farmer's Market at the end of the month. Permission slips and info will come home on Tuesday.
• There will be no reading groups this week due to the field trip and noon dismissal on Wednesday.
• We will need help on Thursday afternoon for Pumpkin Math! If you are able to help us out on Thursday from 12:30 - 2:00 please let us know.
• Book It! has begun! Our first grade reading goal is to read at least 20 minutes for at least 25 days/nights in each month. This should be recorded in the agenda on the monthly page.
• Our school nurse is in need of first aid supplies. If you have items to donate, please send them in and we will forward them or you can contact her directly. pamela.hobbs@imagineschools.com
• Each Wednesday is Chinese Book checkout day. Thanks to Mr. Cook for making our needed CDs!
• We will be gardening twice per month with Joel Gerber our gardener-in-residence! I think the girls might benefit by having a large, old over sized shirt at school for 'messy' days (art, too). Please send those in, labelled.
• Scholastic Book orders are due on Tuesday.
• Silly Socks may be worn on Monday.

Week Seven Update

Info to Know

• Field trip permission slips and money are due Tuesday! Please let me know if you need another slip. Late slips and money will not be accepted.
• Phoenix of the Month: Cydney has displayed respect for others. Congrats!
• We are slowly launching our Accelerated Reader (AR) program. This program allows for the girls to choose books within their reading range, read them, and then take a comprehension test on the computer. They took their first test on Friday on their reading group book. Look on Monday for an info sheet for parent access. If you are able to level some books, either at home or at school, please let us know!
• Please be sure to return the forms distributed at Parent-Teacher conferences. They were due on Friday, Sept. 24.
• Your little darling should have brought home her orange vocabulary notebook. Please review it with her, help her place her pages in it, and return it on Monday.
• Does anyone have a play cash register we can use? I would like to set up a "classroom store."
• There will not be a bi-weekly progress report this week due to report cards being issued next Friday, October 8.
• Half day--noon dismissal--Wednesday, October 6
• Thanks to Shannon, Willow's mom, for getting our t-shirt order together AND getting them donated!! Thanks to Holly, Gigi's mom, as well for getting the ideas and thoughts together in the artwork! I am SO excited to see them!
• Shannon has also created a writeboard for classroom volunteering. Check it out! If there are other times you would like to volunteer, please let us know! We can always use help!
  

Academic Update

• Last week we began our Nature's Needs unit. We discussed the difference in living and non-living things, what we already know, and what we want to learn. In math, we began counting coins (nickels & pennies), making trades, and explored some new math tools.
• This coming week we will begin our inquiry of plants. The girls are very interested in how leaves change, planting, and why we need plants. We will define and expand our vocabulary learning about photosynthesis. In math, we will write number models (number sentences) and have our unit two assessment at the end of the week. If you want to help us, we are even going to try to plant on Friday..should need extra hands.

Weekly Update

Info to Know

• Class Social: Tomorrow, Saturday, September 18 at the Kok Lakehouse! I know the girls are VERY excited about this. Please bring life jackets, if you have them, drinks, swimming attire and accessories, camp chairs, and whatever you signed up to bring. Looks like we are expecting 54 according to the Evite RSVP! When you get on Ernest Gibson Road look for the white with orange writing 'Peter Kok' signs. Those will make the tricky part easy! Parking might fill up fast so you can also park on the road at the top and walk down to the Par-tay! Don't forget your sunscreen!
• Poetry Notebooks are supposed to come home every Friday. If your little darling forgets to bring hers home, please help to remind her. This year there are more responsibilities on the girls...I don't hand them these; I just remind them to take them home. Once they are home, they will need help putting them into their notebooks and sharing them with you. Your responsibility is to sign and date each week, only once, letting me know that you have seen them. The new poem for this week was Crayons. The poetry notebook should then come right back to school.
• Picture Day is Monday, September 20. Please wear uniforms and a smile. All girls will be photographed for the yearbook on Monday.
• I should know by Tuesday when we are expecting to have SAT 10 results.
• Please return permission slips for the Pumpkin Patch, a signed copy of the STAR parent report, and the other two forms from parent conferences.
• NUT day Friday, September 24.

Academic Update

This week was so off-schedule, but the girls did very well with the out-of-the-ordinary days! We completed our PYP unit, Heroes, with some very amazing displays of knowledge! Also, the caring projects were very diverse and thoughtful. Everyone did an awesome job! We also learned about clocks, reading them to the hour, and discussed the importance of labeling units of numbers. Can your little darling tell you why knowing how to read the clock is important?

Next week, we begin our Nature's Needs unit!! In this first week, we will discuss what we want to learn and review living and non-living. In math we will explore rulers, length, and dominoes, examine the penny and nickel, and learn how to count them. PLEASE SEND IN 10 NICKELS for your daughter's math tool kit by Tuesday. In writing, we will create a class story to demonstrate and practice the writing process and reading groups will restart. Back on track and starting fresh! It should be a great week!

Scholastic Activation Code

If you are wanting to place an online book order (the easiest way), please use the link to the Scholastic Book Club under Class Links. Register for your own account and use the class activation code: glfvv.
Thanks and Happy Reading!!

Quick Reminders & Notes

• Please come join me at the PTA meeting tonight!! 6:30—childcare will be provided!

• Tomorrow & Thursday are NOON dismissal days! After-care will be available. Lunch WILL be served!

• Please practice with your little darling her middle name(s). Many don’t know how to spell them and they are very curious!

• Wednesdays are media days! Please be sure to return the IWIA library books tomorrow. This could be a reminder to put in the agenda!

• Scholastic Book Order Flyers and books ordered last month came home today! Please look over the flyers and order online via the class blog link!! It’s only $1.00 to build your reader’s at home library!!

Weekly Update

News to Know

• Wednesday, Sept. 15 & Thursday, Sept. 16 are half-day noon dismissal days to allow for parent conferences. Students will need lunch and After-Care will be available. Please let me know if your daughter will have out-of-the-ordinary dismissal plans.
• Please be sure to sign up for a Parent-Teacher conference on our writeboard.
• IWIA is a Title One school. Further information will be forthcoming.
• Picture Day will be next Monday, September 20.
• Our first PTA meeting will be Tuesday, September 14. (First of only four this year!) Please join the PTA--it would be great to have 100% participation!!
• Thanks to all that participated in the PTA fundraiser!
• Caring Projects are due this week.
• Our class social is this weekend! If you haven't gotten the evite, please let me know. We are looking forward to it! If you have any extra child life jackets, please bring them along!
• Please be sure to open agendas to the current date when returning each day in the clear folders.

Academic Update

• Last week: peaceful heroes, number grids, number combinations of 10, unit labels, vowel combinations
• This week: clocks, telling time to the hour, explorations, pennies, PYP IB unit wrap-up & assessment, caring projects
• There will be no reading groups this week due to our irregular schedule.

Please check the writeboard to sign up for a parent conference. See your email for the password. These are scheduled for the half days (noon dismissal), September 15th and September 16th.

Mini-Weekly Update

Just some thoughts and info I wanted to share:

• Today our Caring project sheets came home. Please be sure you have one and let me know if clarifications need to be made. These are due the week of September 13th.
• Highlights magazine ordering slips also came home in the clear folders. Please be sure to check yes or no and SIGN before you return. With either answer we receive free gifts!
• Homelinks for math this week are out of order. We completed lesson 1.12 today, will complete 1.13 tomorrow and lesson 1.11 on Wednesday.
• Spelling tests will come home tomorrow. Please be sure to sign and return.

Thanks and here's looking forward to a great week!!

I'm Back!!

Thanks for all of your patience and understanding during my absence! I missed the girls and I am glad to return!

Weekly Update

Info to Know

• N.U.T.(No Uniform Today) Passes were send home for purchase this past week. If you would like to purchase, please return in a labeled envelope. Please note that these are the ONLY days that when purchased the girls can "dress down." The days are on the P.Kok Pride calendar.
• Spelling tests are every other week. We will have our first spelling test on Friday, August 27. The girls are responsible to learn these words at home and if they would like to learn two extra bonus words they may choose any two words. They should remember these for the test.
• Poetry Notebooks are supposed to come home every Friday. Please be sure to review these with your little darling, initial, and date then return them no later than Thursday.
• So far our class has the best attendance of all the first grade classes!! Let's keep up that attendance and on-time arrival percentage. I hear a party is in the future of the class with the best record!!
• During my absence this week, please try to use the agenda or paper notes, for any pertinent information for the substitute. My email access will be limited.
• Please allow your daughter to bring a water bottle that seals well to class. Hydration is key to optimum brain activity!
• If you are able to commit to volunteering for one hour per week during our reading groups, 1:10 - 2:10, please let me know. I would like to make a consistent volunteer schedule for that time!

Academic Update

• This past week we continued with our study of heroes. We discussed community heroes, how they impact a community, and how community heroes around the world do the same. Did you know that all heroes are not human? In math, we learned and played some new games, Top It and Bunny Hop. We reviewed sight words, sounds, and what makes a sentence. Reading groups went really well and almost everyone remembered to take home and return their books!
• Next week, SAT 10 testing, tally marks, calendars, and tall tales!! Do you think the girls will be able to distinguish real from imaginary heroes?

Weekly Update- 1st Edition 2010 School Year

Academic Update

Our first week was absolutely fabulous! All the girls looked great in their uniforms all week, they bounced right back or learned quickly the classroom routines, and jumped right into learning! Here are some highlights from this week and the upcoming week!

• This past week we created our class agreements: 1-To be polite, 2-To be safe, & 3- To have fun. We signed that we would all commit to follow these over the course of the year. In math, we took a quick assessment to see what we already know and what we will need to work on in first grade. We also discussed many math routines for calendar and weather, number sequence in the number line and the hundreds chart, and applied our discussions to create and explore our own versions. Come see examples on our bulletin board outside the classroom! In IB, we began our first unit, Heroes. We read some stories to see if we could identify and define 'heroes,' agreed on a definition and recorded it in our vocabulary notebooks, and compiled a list of what we want to learn about heroes. We also took a one minute sight word to test, completed three have-to labs, and used our agendas to self-evaluate each day and the week. It was really a great and productive first week of school!
• Next week, we will start looking and discussing everyday heroes like those in our community, add to our vocabulary notebooks, and have a full week of have-to labs. We will begin reading groups, begin reviewing sight words and sounds we have already learned, and have a spelling list. In math, we will begin using our math tool kits (PLEASE SEND IN TEN PENNIES), get our math journals, and play a few math games.

Info to Know

• Thank you for all of the supplies, support, and help to make our first week a success! The girls were amazing!!
• If you haven't signed up for a snack day in August, please do so. We will go to a regular schedule in September. The password for the writeboard is "imagine."
• Use of folders: Please read and if you have any questions, please ask!!

1. Red: Homework--will come home Monday (or the first day of the week). Should be completed at your convenience or as directed and all returned on the following Monday.
2. Purple or Pink--Poetry Notebook--will come home on Friday (or last day of the week). Should be reviewed with your daughter, initialed & dated, and returned before Thursday (preferably on Monday)
3. Orange--Vocabulary Notebook--will come home sporadically; return the following day
4. Blue--Working On It folder--for in-class use to house assignments in progress
5. Green--It Goes Home folder--folder to take home assignments and projects; when it comes home, please empty and return the following school day
6. Yellow--Chinese--for use by the Chinese teacher
7. Clear--Home/School Communication--most important folder; used to house agenda and important school documents, must be returned everyday, no exceptions

• Agenda Usage: As of now, we are using the agendas to record our self-evaluation of our day, communicate any teacher or parent information, and display a sticker to show we had a good day. Parents please sign everyday. Also, a paper clip is placed on the monthly calendar page. Please use this page to record nightly reading. You can choose to color the book, write the number of pages read or write the number of minutes read. As the year progresses, we will use the agenda for more....actually starting next week with recording our spelling words.
• Please send in your summer reading log.
• Sign up for PTA!! Let's be one of the first classes to have 100% participation. Thanks to those that have already signed up!!

Dates to Know

• Monday, August 16: PTA Dine Out @ Morelli's
• Week of August 23: Mrs. P. Kok absent
• August 16 - September 3: IWIA Fall Fundraiser
• September 11: Atlanta Dragon Boat Festival
• September 14: 1st PTA General Meeting @ 6:30

Monday Morning Reminders

Monday, August 9th will be our first day of the 2010 - 2011 school year!! Here are some friendly reminders:

-The school day begins at 8:00 sharp! That means the girls need to be in the classroom ready to begin instruction by 8:00. Please aim to be through carpool by 7:55.

-Please send your daughter's agenda with her name in it on Monday. If you have not purchased one ($6), please do so as soon as possible, we will be using these as our home/school connection.

-Please write a note, email, or tell me personally, your daughter's transportation plans for the first day and week on MONDAY.

-Please review and practice your daughter's new carpool number. The better they know them, the smoother carpool will run.

-For ease of all the supplies coming, please place them in one large bag labeled with your daughter's name. Labelling of individual supplies is unneccessary.

-Snack will be provided by me on the first day of school. Please check the writeboard to sign up to bring snack for a day for the remainder of the month.

-Carpool will begin in the afternoon @ 3:00. It will end promtly @ 3:30.

-Finally, be sure to get a good night's rest and yummy, heathly breakfast!

*I can't wait to see everyone on Monday!!*

It's Almost Time!!

Happy August!! (well it's REALLY close)

Next week, our school building opens to teachers for moving, classroom set-up, and pre-planning for the 2010-2011 school year. I was hoping to move into our new room sooner, but new floors were only finished on Friday!?! So I am calling for all hands on deck! I could REALLY use some help moving from the old classroom to the new one. (Wasn't that one of the perks of looping....parents said they would help me move???) The proposed agenda from administration states that teachers can work in classrooms in spurts so here are some times throughout the week:

Monday:
9:30 - 10:30
12:00 - 2:00

Tuesday:
9:00 - 11:30
3:00 - 4:00

Wednesday:
9:00 - 11:00
3:00 - 4:00

If you are able to come help, please let me know. Shoot me an email or give me a call. On Monday, I will be moving from one room to the other and this will be when I need the most help.

Thursday is meet and greet! Come see our new room and tell me all about your summer!
9:oo am - 12:oo pm: Last names A -L
1:oo pm - 4:oo pm: Last names M - Z
If you are unable to come during your slot, please let me know and we can arrange another time.

Thanks and I am REALLY looking forward to the new school year!

Mrs. P. Kok

2010-11 School Supply List

Mrs. P.Kok’s First Grade Supply List


In order for our students to be successful, there are suggested supplies for their daily activities. The girls will need these during the first week of school and should be brought to the classroom in one labeled bag for ease of drop-off. The supplies used frequently (pencils, crayons, glue) will need to be replenished periodically. Our classroom is a community in which we share our items to meet the needs of the ENTIRE class.



Supply List

Full change of clothes in zip top bag with your daughter’s name clearly marked. This is needed due to unforeseen accidents such as spills in the lunch room or if she gets sick. This doesn’t have to be a school uniform, but something similar to the uniform would be helpful.

4 glue sticks
2 packages of 24 count crayons
8 jumbo or 24 count #2 pencils
8 or 10 count washable markers
2 primary writing journals
1 package of antibacterial wipes
1 package of baby wipes
1 bottle hand sanitizer
2 boxes of tissues
4 plastic two-pocket folders (one red, blue, green, & yellow)
1 plastic 3-prong folder (purple, pink, or orange) for poetry notebook
1 backpack (no wheels)
1 pencil box (5x7-- must fit in cubbie for math tool kit)

We would greatly appreciate any donations that you would be able to send to our class!! Below are some wish list items.

Zip top bags (assorted sizes: snack, quart, sandwich, gallon)
Extra rolls of paper towels, hand sanitizer, or boxes of tissue
Extra pkg. antibacterial or baby wipes, pencils, or crayons
Multi-cultural crayons
Multi-cultural paint
blank index cards
dry erase markers
cookie sheets
“Green”/environmentally friendly all-purpose cleaner
heavy duty magnets
white paper plates
erasers
white paper lunch bags
reams of copy paper
card stock (white or colored)
construction paper
gift cards (office supply stores, grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target, book stores)
recess equipment (jump ropes, balls, etc.)
adopt-a-classroom donations
small disposable drinking cups
“magic erasers”
clipboards
sponges with/without scrubbing side
liquid hand soap


Thank you for supporting our classroom!!

It's Our Last Week of Kindergarten

We have made it!! It's our last week and boy, it's slam-packed with fun!!

Please adhere to special dress or default to the school uniform when in doubt. Here is this week's attire schedule:

• Monday: safari clothes
• Tuesday: Party Dress for the Unbirthday Celebration--close-toed shoes with no heels
• Wednesday: Field Trip to the zoo--shorts or jeans and school shirt, comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunscreen---small backpack for each girl to carry her own extra water bottle and lunch
• Thursday: Stepping Up ceremony: UNIFORMS!!
• Friday: School Spirit Dress: jeans and school shirt

Please keep Poetry Notebooks at home to enjoy for years to come!

Please return looping letters to the front office by Wednesday morning, so that class lists and preparations for next year can be made.

Thanks so much in advance for all of the donations for this week's activities!! We are a team and I really appreciate all of the support!! Check the writeboard for further items needed or info!!

Please be sure to bring clear folders and backpacks everyday!

Upcoming Stuff!!---just in case you haven't seen the writeboard

Week of May 17th-Book Fair

-All books are 1/2 price!

-We will hopefully visit the book fair following Field Day on Tuesday to make our lists. Students may then bring in money to purchase on Wednesday or Thursday or may go with their parents before or after school.

Tuesday, May 18th-Field Day

-Please dress your child in her yellow Field Day t-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. You may also want to apply sunscreen to your child before she comes to school and send a labeled hat or visor.

-We will eat lunch when we return to school. We will have water on-site (thanks to parent donations)!

Monday, May 24th-Story Safari Day

-Students may wear "safari gear" (camouflage, brown, green or tan clothing along with secure shoes) and should bring their favorite book (labeled please).

Tuesday, May 25th-1/2 Day and UnBirthday celebration

-A special treat will be provided for all of our unbirthdays!

Wednesday, May 26th-Zoo Trip

-Please dress your child in her IWIA logo t-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. You may also want to apply sunscreen to your child before she comes to school and send a labeled hat or visor.
-All students need a disposable bagged lunch. Please pack an extra bottle of water!

Thursday, May 27th-Step Up Ceremony

-Students need to be in uniform.

-The ceremony will start at 10:00 in the MPR.

-A potluck lunch will be held following the ceremony. Please sign up to bring an item on the writeboard.

-Students may be checked out from the Main Office following lunch.

Friday, May 28th-Reduce, Reuse, Remember Day & Report Card Day

-Students may wear dress down attire.

-We will be finishing our memory books, playing lots of games and packing up classroom items.

-Please remember to send a backpack so that items can securely be brought home and look for your child's report card in her clear folder.

Weekly Update

Info to Know

• On Friday a looping letter was sent home. Please return it as soon as possible so that class lists can be created for next school year. I am so excited to stay with the P. Chicks in first grade!!
• There will be no more sight word testing this school year. Congrats on all of the hard work over the year learning these!
• Book Fair--this week the final book fair for the school year is taking place....it was announced to be a Buy One Get One Free fair, but will now be a Half Off fair!! Come check it out!
• There is no Spring Concert for Kindergarten classes. They will be performing at the Step Up ceremony on Thursday, May 27th! Please be sure to RSVP so we can plan accordingly. Also please check the class writeboard to sign up for items to bring to the potluck lunch that will follow.
• Field Trip permission slip and money to attend the Zoo trip is due on Friday. If you would like to chaperone, please let us know!
• Field Day is Tuesday!! Please be sure to dress your little one in comfortable bottoms, a field day (or yellow) t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Don't forget to apply sunscreen!! We will have drinks for during the events.
• Thank you so much for all of the toiletry, etc. donations for the Shoeboxes!! I heard that we have been one of the most supportive classes of this cause!! Monday morning will be the last time to drop off all donations.

Weekly Update

Info to Know

• A big thank you from both Mrs. Burnette and I for the wonderful showering of gifts of appreciation this week! We truly feel appreciated and loved!
• Please check the class writeboard for end of year activity information and sign-ups!
• Field Day permission slips were due today. If your little one has not returned this today, please send in at the beginning of next week.
• Reading groups have ended for the school year so that end of year assessments can be taken.
• Kindergarten Step-Up Ceremony invitations came home on Thursday. Please note that appropriate dress will be school uniforms. Also, please email to RSVP.
• Please return all library, Chinese, and class books so that there will no holds on report cards, etc. Also, please be sure to pay all fines, afterschool charges, and lunch charges.
• A big thank you goes out to our chaperones that accompanied us to Farmer Redd's Community Garden. We couldn't be as successful without all of the parent support we receive.

Academic Update

• This past week we continued our "Making A Change" unit. We studied the third stage of life for various species: butterflies & darkling beetles-pupae, humans-teenagers, chickens-adults, plants-flowers. We made a plant model and then labelled it. We learned the sounds for soft c & g, used a pan balance, looked at the differences in the $1 and $10 bills, and learned many new vocabulary words.
• Next week: vowel sound review, more practice with money, create an obstacle course, stage four of life cycles, various partner activities

Weekly Websites

• Vocabulary & Reading Match
• Go Shopping!
• Sound Review

It's Official!!

This week I announced to the girls that I will be looping up to first grade with the girls! I have asked Dr. Hormes and she has agreed that I will be teaching the P. Chicks in first grade! I am so lucky and excited to continue to move and grow with our little darlings! Here's to another GREAT school year!

Weekly Update

Info to Know

• Our baby chicks are here and we have named them!! Marshmelloe and KeyKey are there given names after much thought and class wide voting. Come by to check them, our worm farm, the caterpillars, and our plants out!! Lots of life cycles we are observing!
• CRCT is being administered this week in grades 1-8. Please be mindful of the testing by having your little darling to school on time. Also, please no parent volunteers until next week...enjoy your week off!
• Due to the testing, there will be no reading groups. The girls were able to select a book to use at home this week. Please return the books by Friday.
• Lunch menus came home; please be sure to return them by the due date.
• Our field trip to Farmer Redd's is on April 30. Permission slips must be returned by Wednesday!
• The Kindergarten Step Up ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 27 @ 10:00 am. Please pencil this into your calendars and keep you ears perked for info for our own class reception and luncheon that will follow the grade-level ceremony.
• As of now, all the info I have for field day is the date: Tuesday, May 18. As information is given to me, I will forward it to you!

Academic Update

• Last week: We began our new unit, "Making A Change." We wrote about what we know already about how things grow and change and then we wrote about what we want to learn. Our chicks came and we sure do love to observe and write about them! We also planted some flower seeds and prepared our worm farm. In math, we made clocks, learned about the hour and hour hand, practiced the "counting on" strategy, and learned a place value game. We really are focused in determining the many types of literature and then classifying it by its purpose: informative, persuasive, and narrative/entertainment. We learned the sounds the final -y can make and more sight words! It was a busy week!
• This week: We now have our worms, our plants have sprouted, and the chicks continue to grow. This week's focus will be the first stages of life. We will focus on eggs, seeds, and how those become embryos and fetuses. (please help your little darling with her understanding of reproduction) In math, we will learn about the dollar bill, reinforce our knowledge of function machines, and make a few graphs. Finally, we will learn the sounds of -igh and -ight and have explicit vocabulary instruction.

Weekly Websites

• Practice making compound words.
• Play Earth Day games.
• Virtually grow plants and take a quiz.

Welcome Back!!

Hopefully, everyone enjoyed a safe and relaxing Spring Break! The girls seem rested and excited to be back. Only seven more weeks....how the year flies by!!

Info to Know

• PTA meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, night starting @ 6:30pm
• Dine Out next Tuesday, April 20...more info to come

Academic Update

• This week we begin our final IB unit, "Making A Change." We will study the life cycles of various plants and animals, including having chicks, butterflies, and mealworms in our class! We will observe changes, classify living and nonliving, and similarities and differences. It should be an adventure!
• In math, we will reinforce place value, tell time to the hour on both digital and analog clocks, use the "counting on" strategy, and introduce function machines. In language arts, we will learn the sounds of -y at the end, new sight words, and various forms of literature and their purposes.

This Week's Websites

• Living and Nonliving learning game
• Place Value Machine
• Set the Clock

Weekly Update

News to Know

• IWIA's third annual auction will be held on Saturday, March 27. More info on the school website. Look forward to seeing you there!
• Spring Pictures are on Monday!! THESE MUST BE PREPAID!! Students may dress tastefully out of uniform. There will be class group photos made....these must also be prepaid.
• Field Day t-shirt orders are due on Friday, April 2! Please fill out and return the order form as soon as possible.
• Thursday will be our April Fool's celebration! We will have a mixed-up, silly day filled with silly literature, silly names, and silly dress. The girls may wear mixed up creations such as bathing suits over pajamas or mismatched socks with mismatched shoes or crazy headwear. Please be mindful that shoes and clothing must be safe for play outside. (no flip-flops or Crocs)

Academic Update

• The girls did a great 'job' this week earning money! They were so excited to pay with their hard-earned money for our cupcake decorating. We will continue to earn money until the end of the year continuing the concepts we began to explore of spending and saving. Also this past week, we discussed goods and services, wants and needs, and bartering. In language arts, we completed our persuasive letters and categorized nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Math concepts this week were number scrolls (seeing how high we can write numbers in a grid), place value, addition and subtraction, and number sequence.
• Next week: April Fool's & Easter, our IB unit, It Takes a Village final assessments, writing genres & purposes, patterning through weaving, and more number combinations

Weekly Websites

• Learn about April Fool's Day traditions around the world
• Play a variety of transportation games
• Work on reading comprehension

Weekly Update

News to Know

• Please be sure to send in nut free, healthy snacks. It is also VERY helpful if you provide them individually packaged. We generally eat our snacks outside and it is sometimes difficult to portion them in a timely manner. Your help is appreciated.
• Please encourage your little darling continue to work hard on her 'have-to' assignments. These assignments and expectations are given at the beginning of the week. I would really like to see the girls stretching themselves to go 'above and beyond' on these!
• Reading books that come home throughout the week should be returned each day in the clear folders. I serve at least two groups each day, but try to get to more if time permits. Please read the book and discuss it at home to support our classroom learning.
• Spring Pictures will be March 29. Students may wear spring or alternative clothing. Please still be mindful that appropriate footwear is required: no open toes or flip flops.
• Field day will be May 12. T-shirts may be purchased for $6.85, cash or check. Please return the order form with the size indicated by April 2. The kindergarten color is yellow.

Academic Update

• This week we begin our week of trade and economics. We are earning money for good choices in our 'jobs' to spend at the end of the week to purchase a treat. We can each purchase a cupcake and the decorations based upon the amount of money we have earned and saved. We will also be focusing on nouns, verbs, and adjectives, persuasive letter writing, and fluency in our reading. In math, we will play the plus/minus game, create number scrolls, put numbers in order, and practice addition.
• If you would like to donate items for our special activity on Friday or volunteer to help us, please let us know. We will make our purchases to decorate @ 2pm.

Websites for the Week

• Begin talking about smart financial choices while playing Mad Money

• Help your child learn more about coins and their value

• Sort nouns and verbs

• Check out some community helpers

Weekly Update

News To Know

• Wednesday is St. Patrick's Day. Don't forget to have your little one wear at least one item of green!
• We are creating a sticker collection! Please allow your little darling to bring some in to add to the class collection.
• Spring Pictures will be March 29. More info to follow.
• Class Books came in! They are amazing! Thanks for your support!
• Be sure to sign your little darling's book authorization so that they can bring home the reading group book for the week.
• We are still missing a few signed report cards. Please be sure to return a signed copy as soon as possible.
• Townhall Meeting being hosted by the IWIA Governing Board, March 23 @ 7pm in the MPR
• Don't forget to recycle paper at school! The red dumpster near the pond earns money once per quarter based on the weight of recycled paper. So bring your newspapers, magazines, junk mail, etc! No cardboard.

Academic Update

Last week: Our "It Takes a Village" unit continued with an exploration of types of and uses of transportation. We learned the definition of transportation and vehicle, sorted vehicles, and classified vehicles by movement types. We created a great list of vehicles and read many books about transportation. On Friday, we had a paper airplane contest! In math, we started focusing more heavily on reading, writing and solving number stories, comparing 2D and 3D shapes, worked more on coin exchanges and started our class collection. (Please keep saving stickers!) Our literacy lessons focused on opposites, homophones and homonyms, and the sounds for dr and tr.

This week: We'll be building more understanding of how communities function through learning about community helpers and how people earn, save and spend money. We'll also be learning more about St. Patrick's Day, and imagining what our future careers will be. We will also learn about the quarter, build 3D shapes, build addition skills, learn about place value and learn about "name collection". In literacy, we'll look for things we'd like to change around our school and write persuasive letters, explore r-controlled vowels and compare and contrast sight words. We'll also be focusing on the attributes of patience and appreciation this week.

Mid-week Update

• Please remember that tomorrow, Thursday, March 4, is an early release day. Noon dismissal. It is also Crazy Hat and Socks day!!
• Ice cream sales have begun in the cafeteria. If you would like to send ice cream money with your child you may do so. The prices range from $.50 - $1.00. The girls will be responsible for their own money and will have to finish their lunch, at teachers’ discretion, to purchase the ice cream.
• Friday we will have our Reader’s theatre performance and farm celebration. We will be celebrating our new found knowledge with Mrs. Kraften’s boys with homemade bread, jam, eggs, and bacon. It should be much fun!
• March 13^th is the First Annual Health Fair sponsored by the Butterfly Club. If you are interested in helping, please let us know.
• Since we are currently in our “It Takes a Village” unit, we would like to see if there are any members of our Pride that would like to come share with the class. In the upcoming weeks we will be learning about community helpers. If you have an interesting career or talent and would be willing to come share with us, please let us know!!
• Next week, we have an activity planned that will require magazine pictures. If you have any magazines that you would let us cut up and recycle, please send them in.
• If you would like to schedule a conference for next week’s conference, please contact me. These are optional.
• The class auction project is almost complete! A big thank you to Holly Fisher for her hard work putting the girls' work together. Also, thanks to Kristy and Shannon for their assistance with it! Don't forget your items to donate! There are monetary prizes!! You can find forms in the office or contact Eileen Pruitt eileenp216@gmail.com

Weekly Update

News to Know

• Thursday is a noon dismissal day. It is also FTE count day!! Please be sure that your little darling is at school. They may wear crazy hats and/or socks. We will eat lunch prior to dismissal.
• Saturday, March 6 will be the school's Lunar New Year celebration. Check the school's website for further information.
• Beginning next week, the girls will not need resting towels or blankets. As we prepare for first grade we have a decreased need for them.
• Trimester II report cards will come home on Monday, March 8.
• Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on Wednesday, March 10. There will be no school for students. Please contact me if you need to schedule.
• This past week the girls checked out library books from the school library. If they chose to do so, they could bring them home. Please be sure they are returned each week on Tuesday, our media day.

Academic Preview

This upcoming week we will take our learning of communities to the farm! We will learn about the variety of farms, their products, how those products are transported, and end our week with a farm fest!! We will celebrate Dr. Seuss with his birthday on March 2. In math, we will use calculators to practice skip counting, discuss further dividing groups in half, build our map skills, and continue our patterning. It should be a fun and exciting week!

Weekly Update

Info to Know

• We are glad to be back in our classroom! Thank you so much for all of your support during our transition time. Thanks for all of the donations and your time! We couldn't have overcome it all with out all of the support!!
• Please return all family surveys by Tuesday. Thanks to all that have already returned them.
• Next week is Winter Break. No school on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
• I'm Going On a Bear Hunt at-home projects are due on Monday and Tuesday.
• There will be no sight word testing this upcoming week. Testing will resume on Friday, March 5.
• Poetry folders will come home on Tuesday.

Academic Update

• With our shortened four day week, we accomplished a lot! We began our new IB unit, It Takes a Village, on communities. We began discussions about what is a community, what and who are in a community, and what we would like to learn about communities. Hopefully the girls are continuing these discussions at home with questions and inquiries. In math, we talked about even and odd numbers and practiced counting by 2s, used clues to identify blocks in the "Read My Mind" game, divided groups in half and compared numbers to find the larger and identify how much larger. Ask your little darling what a half is? We also read about President's Day, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington. Our literacy for the week focused on the oo, ee and ea combinations, homonyms and homophones, and completing the class book.
• Next Monday and Tuesday, we will continue our learning from this week and focus on presenting our projects.

Weekly Update

News To Know

• Friday, February 12th we will have our Pal-entine's Day celebration. Our focus will be friendship, partner activities, and cooperation. The kiddos may bring pal-entine cards (unaddressed please for ease in distribution) and a decorated container to collect their pal-entine cards. We will need a few donations. Please check the writeboard. Thanks in advance.
• We are almost ready to move!! Tentatively, we are scheduled to move back into building B beginning on Friday with class resuming there on Tuesday, February 16th. If you are able to help us move on Friday afternoon or Monday, please let me know.
• No school for students on Monday, February 15th, President's Day
• No school February 24,25,26--Winter Break
• Please return the Family Surveys that were sent home this week by Friday, February 12th. They can be returned to the front office or in the clear folders.
• The Chinese New Year celebration has been postponed to Saturday, March 6.

Academic Update

This week we explored the grasslands of the world through stories, pictures, books, drawings, and a "safari". We learned about the grasslands around the world such as North America's Great Plains, Africa's Savannah, Serengeti and Kapiti Plain, the Steppes of Asia and the Pampas of South America. We listed grassland animals and then decided which region we could find them in, created a great grassland mural, talked about camouflage, and explored the predator/prey relationship. We also inspected the penny and nickel, began making exchanges between those 2 coins, looked at 3D shapes around the school, discussed the difference between 2D and 3D shapes and played several games with the number grid. For our literacy learning, we continued alphabetizing, analyzed words for the ch and th sounds and worked hard on our sight words. We also worked in reading groups on various skills such as short vowel sounds, alphabetical order, story recall and use of apostrophes.
Next week we will wrap up our "Going on a Bear Hunt" unit with a review of the biomes we studied and 2 assessments that will ask students to match animals to habitats and to create a food chain for a chosen habitat. We will also measure time, create individual graphs from surveys, look at the dime, continue our comparison of 2D and 3D shapes and exchange pennies, nickels and dimes. Our themes of compassion and creativity will continue through an exploration of friendship and discussions of pivotal African Americans.

Weekly Update

News to Know

• Progress Reports for the second trimester were in clear folders on Friday. Please review and keep for your records. If you have any questions or did not receive one, please let me know. Also, please keep in mind the continuum is directly related to the mastery of the kindergarten standards for the whole year. There are many science, humanities, and math standards that we have not covered yet in the school year.
• When your little darling comes home with a good choices slip, please keep this to cherish at home; there is no need to return it!
• If you are volunteering in the classroom during labs, literacy labs are in the morning from 8:45-9:30 am and learning labs are in the afternoon from 12:00 - 12:45 pm. Thanks so much for committing your time to help us learn!
• Our new snack calendar was in the clear folder on Friday. Please remember until our return to Building B, no refrigerated snacks and individually packaged snacks are very helpful.
• Monday is the first school day of the month. Please return the red homework folder on Monday with completed monthly homework packet.

Academic Update

• This past week we learned a lot about the very large biome of the ocean! We also discussed many of the smaller biomes within it like coral reefs, sea floors, and beaches. In math we continued with measurement, tally marks, attribute blocks, and created a class pets graph. And of course, the 100th day!! It was so much fun creating necklaces and crowns, sharing our 100 projects, and working with the 100s grid. Thank you so much for all of the donations and help! It was a great success!

• Next week: grasslands, /th/, /ch/, number grids, Groundhog day, & continuing our class book!

Classroom News

• A big thank you to all of our classroom volunteers! Alexis' mom and dad, Alexa, Sadira, and Shoshanna's dads, Robyn, Reagan, and Sophie's moms! Also, for the 100th day donations!!
• Thanks to Kameron's family for the CD player donation! We now have a listening center again!

Weekly Update

Info to Know

• Reenrollment forms were due on Friday.
• Bi-weekly progress reports came home on Friday. Next week, mid-trimester reports will come home on Friday.
• Thursday is the 100th Day of School. We are in need of some donations. Please check the writeboard to sign up.
• Our listening center is no longer working. We really need a small CD/tape player. Please check to see if you might have one that you no longer need.

Academic Update

• This week we focused on the desert biome. We made a list of desert animals, compared the desert and the rainforest, and discussed the connectedness in the biome. We also learned about MLK and his peaceful crusade. We wrote thank you letters to our crossing guard, Ms. Barnes and reviewed compound and rhyming words. In math, we played riddle games, talked about tally marks, and exchanged 1s, 5s, and 25s in the Raft Game,
• Next week: oceans, 100th day, alphabetizing, Uu, & graphing

Classroom News

• Congrats to Sadira, Gigi and Kameron for being selected for the Chinese performance!
• Please remember to send individually packaged and non-refrigerated snacks while we are in our temporary home.
• Thanks to Kameron's dad and Meghan's grandmother for attending the field trip to the Puppetry Arts with us! It was a great show! Also, thanks to Sophie's mom for her help on Friday during literacy labs. We are looking forward to the return of our regularly scheduled volunteers.
• Please check the writeboard for needed items for the 100th day!

Happy New Year!!

Well, we've made it to 2010 and boy did it come in with a bang! Snow day and a flood!!! Thanks must go out again to all of you who encourage, support, and appreciate all that is going on in our current situation! We couldn't do it all alone! Overall the girls (and boys) are doing great with the new "classroom" and are learning lots! Here are some important updates and news you will need to know!

Info to Know

• Our field trip to the Puppetry Arts Center has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 20. Please be sure to pack a lunch for your little darling on that day and have them wear their uniforms.
• Our class weekly progress report will come home next week due to the recent schedule of events.
• Scholastic Book order forms came home this week. Please look through them and place an order. You can place orders online or return them to school in an envelope in the clear folder. Don't forget the books for $1.00.
• Re-enrollment forms are due in the front office by January 22nd. If you have questions please check the school website or with the front office.
• Our class book is now being written by all of the girls!! We are so excited to have a "real" published book!! If you have not returned your order form to get your very own copy, please do so soon, you still have time!!
• Poetry notebooks came home today; please review this with your little darling, sign and return on Tuesday.
• Lunch menus also came home today. These must be return by the due date on the calendar for your little darling to receive lunch. Be sure your child's name is on the menu!

• THINGS TO NOTE DURING OUR TEMPORARY RELOCATION

1. I can't access email as readily as before. If there is a change in transportation or other important information, please send a note in the clear folder in the morning (best) or call the front office throughout the day (for an emergency). I will try to check my email at least once during the school day and in the afternoon/evening. For non-emergency information this is still the best form of communication.
2. For ease during snack time, we would like to request individually packaged snacks. Pre-packaged or packaging small (about 4oz) portions yourself, at home, is great! Also sending individual juice boxes or bottles of water, if you so choose, would also be appreciated. Also, please no snacks that require refrigeration.

Academic Update

• Last week we introduced our new IB unit, Going On a Bear Hunt! It is our unit on exploring various parts of the world and the various habitats. We studied polar/Arctic locations first; we moved onto rainforests; next we study deserts. Ask your little one if they can tell you about some of the animals that reside in each.
• We have introduced the letter Qq. What sound does it make? How is it written? What words can we find that begin with it? Next week: Zz
• In math, we have discussed measurement. We began measuring with non-standard units, our feet, and then moved onto the standard unit, the foot. We used calculators to subtract, counted by fives, and completed a 100s grid! Next week: pennies, nickels, & using clues to find a number or shape
• In reading, we focused on fact vs. fiction as well as prediction. What is a compound word? Ask your little one if she knows. Reading groups will resume next week.

Classroom News

• Snack schedule this week: T-Madeline, W-Gigi, Th-Meghan, F-Alexa
• We need a new listening center. If you have a small "walkman" cd or tape player, please let us know.