Newsletter Updates for the Week of November 27th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Friday, December 15th—PAC Family Movie Night

-Monday, December18th—Delayed Start

-Wed., Dec. 20th—Christmas Party—afternoon

-Thurs., Dec. 21st—Sing-a-long, Pajama Day, & 1/2 Day

-Dec 22-Jan 2—Christmas Break

STUDENT OF THE WEEK:  

Our student of the week is Justin Johnson. Justin enjoys coloring and building with Legos, and he loves to play tractors. His favorite movie is Lego Batman and this summer, he got to ride his first rollercoaster! His goals for this year include staying on green all year AND learning to read—which he is doing a terrific job at each of these so far! Congratulations to Justin on being our Student of the Week!

NEW STUDENTS:

Last week we welcomed Sammuel to our classroom and this week we welcome another new student—Jaiden. The students have been very helpful and friendly and are excited about these new friends.

THANK YOU:

PHEW! Last week was a busy week of learning and fun! Special thanks to Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Pluger for coming in to help—I couldn’t have done it without you!! :) Also, thanks to everyone who provided food and supplies! I’ll try to post some photos of our feast on the classroom blog this week.

BRRR: 

I’ve been impressed with how quickly and independently the students have been with getting dressed and undressed for recess—Way to Go! Please be sure to label ALL items and please be sure to pack shoes for the classroom. I don’t let them wear their boots in the classroom because we spend a lot of time sitting on the floor and we try to keep it clean and dry:) Students are welcome to leave a pair of shoes in their locker to keep at school if that is easier.

CHRISTMAS GIFT EXCHANGE:  

For our class Christmas party we are planning to have a gift exchange.  We are asking that girls bring a gift for a girl and boys bring a gift for a boy.  Please select a gift that is between $3.00-$5.00, and send it to school wrapped and labeled with who it is FROM (To: a girl From: Mrs. Brinks).

READING:

This week our class will be reading stories about the places we visit in our neighborhoods and communities. Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help reinforce the skills we will be practicing.

· Vocabulary—routine & neighborhood—Talk about the routines you have in your family; use words like first, next, then, & last.

· Sightword—go & in—Take turns using go and in in a sentence. Ask the question: Where do you like to go? Invite your child to complete the sentence: I like to go to the ____.

· Category Words—sequence words—Play a game called “What are we going to do?” Encourage your child to use sequence words such as first, next, then & last.

· Phonics—Letter Cc

· Comprehension—character, setting, events—Guide your child in telling a story. Ask them to think of the characters in the story, where the story takes places, and what events will happen.

WRITING: 

This week we will edit our November journals and bring them home to share. We will begin a new unit for Writing that teaches us how to write pattern books; we will begin by writing about things we see.

MATH: 

This week we will work on identifying and sorting objects and shapes according to various attributes (shape, color, size, thickness, etc.). We will collect classroom data about everyone’s favorite color. We will introduce the calculator app and the students will be bringing home their ‘Countdown to Christmas’ chains to hang up at home and help them keep track of how many days until Christmas.

SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES: This week we will be reading several books about families, since the Holidays are all about spending time with our families and caring for each other. We will also be studying our 5 Senses, since there is so much to see, smell, taste, touch, and hear at Christmas time.

I will send blankets home at the end of the week to be washed. 

Also, please be sure to return your November Book-it Calendar