Newsletter Updates for the Week of April 11th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Tuesday, April 12th—Head Start & GSRP Visits

-Thursday, April 14th—1/2 Day of School—Parent Teacher Conferences—as needed

-Saturday, April 16th—Mom to Mom Sale

-Monday, April 18th—Delayed Start

-Friday, April 22nd—Kindergarten Round Up—No School for Kindergarten

-Friday, April 29th—Kindergarten Round Up—No School for Kindergarten

HAPPY SPRING? 

I hope you had an enjoyable Spring Break—whether you braved the cold & snow or escaped to warmer places. :) Since the weather hasn’t gotten the memo that it IS Spring, please continue to watch the weather forecast and dress your child accordingly for recess.  I would suggest layers so that they can start the day off with a heavier coat and mittens and then hopefully end the day with a jacket or sweatshirt.  Please continue to send boots, as the playground is often wet and muddy:(

REPORT CARDS & CONFERENCES:  

I would like to send Report Cards home on Tuesday so that you have time to look them over before conferences on Thursday.  Just a reminder that I have conferences scheduled for some students but not all.  If we don’t have a conference scheduled and you would still like to meet to discuss behavior and/or academics, please email me ASAP and I’ll schedule a time to meet with you.  If you did receive a conference notice, please be sure to send back the bottom portion so that I know you are planning to attend.

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about the transportation used to take people from place to place. Children will learn about how families in the past traveled and how these vehicles compare with what is used today.

Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help reinforce the skills we will be practicing.

· Vocabulary—transportation, vehicle—Discuss the different kinds of transportation you take from place to place. Then invite your child to draw pictures of each type of transportation.

· High-Frequency Words—here, me, & this—Write the words here, me, and this and ask your child to write each word. Think of sentences that use each word, then read the sentences together.

· Category Words—vehicles—Play “Guess the Vehicle.” Give clues about different kinds of vehicles. Encourage your child to guess the vehicle, and then act out how it is used.

· Phonics—j & qu—Have your child guess words that begin with the letter j. Give a clue and act out each word. When your child guesses the word, write the word on a chart. Repeat for qu.

· Comprehension—character, setting, & plot—Have your child choose a favorite story and then read it together. Ask your child questions about the main characters, setting, and plot. Invite your child to draw pictures about the characters, setting, and plot.

MATH: 

This week we will review 3D solid shapes, play several addition games, and practice building and writing teen numbers.  We will also practice telling addition and subtraction number stories and recording them using pictures and equations.

WRITING:  

This week we will capture another small moment story from our lives and use all of the skills and strategies that we’ve been learning about to tell our story in print.  We will also learn how to write and address a personal letter, as we open up our Post Office in the dramatic play area this week.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES:  

This week we will begin our new Science Unit on Motion. We will be learning about different forces—pushes, pulls, gravity, wind/air, and their effect on objects.  We will conduct many hands-on experiments related to motion and forces this week.

BOOK-IT:  

Please be sure to return your March Book-It Calendar so I can award Pizza Certificates