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.