Pajama Day

Hi Everyone,
Now that you we are through the busyness of Christmas, I hope you have a few days to relax with your families and maybe this photo will inspire you to spend at least one day in your pajamas.  Just a quick reminder that I sent some Holiday Homework home in a large white envelope. It is completely optional of course - just some quick and easy things to do together to reinforce skills that we will be assessing as soon as we return from break. Students who complete their Holiday Homework and return it to school will have a prize waiting for them when they return to school:)  Enjoy your break!

A Couple Reminders

Just a couple of reminders for our busy week ahead:

-Wednesday afternoon (December 20th) is our Christmas Party. Please be sure to send in your child's gift for the gift exchange by Tuesday and any food/supplies for our party on or before Wednesday. Students are encouraged to wear Christmas sweaters or festive clothes:)
-Thursday (December 21st) is Pajama Day!  We will have our annual sing-a-long at 9:00 in the auditorium, then return to our classroom for quiet activities and a movie. We will end the day with recess, so please be sure to send clothes for outside, and dismissal is at 11:35.

Last Recess/Garbage Bags

The students are doing an excellent job of getting dressed and undressed for recess and thank you for sending them prepared each day for recess!  After first and middle recess, we have plenty of time for our things to dry and I put their mittens on the heater to ensure that they are dry for the next recess. However, our afternoon recess creates a bit of a dilemma for drying things before going home. The students come in at 2:05 and get undressed and then have to pack and get ready to go home a short time later, which means they either have to wear wet snowpants and mittens home OR put these wet items in their backpacks.  Here's my best solution - I will be giving each student a garbage bag with their name on it to KEEP in their backpacks.  I will have them put wet items in that bag to bring home.  PLEASE CHECK their backpacks when they get home and take these items out to dry AND PLEASE KEEP the garbage bag in the bottom of their backpack during the winter months.  Hopefully, this will keep their papers dry and their mittens and snowpants from getting lost:)  Thanks for your help with this!

Money for Millie

Hi - Just a quick update on our Money for Millie collection:
Our class has brought in over $80 - Way to Go - and school-wide we've collected over $1,800 so far - WOW!  If you'd still like to participate, we will be collecting through next Monday the 18th:)

Newsletter Updates for the Week of December 11th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Monday, December18th—Delayed Start

-Wed., Dec. 20th—Christmas Party—afternoon - Wear Your Christmas Sweater

-Thurs., Dec. 21st—Sing-a-long, Pajama Day, & 1/2 Day (Dismissal @ 11:35)

-Dec 22-Jan 2—Christmas Break

STUDENT OF THE WEEK:  

Our student of the week is Brian Cundiff. Brian enjoys riding his bike, playing baseball, and catching frogs. His favorite movie is Jurassic Park and his favorite foods include strawberries, blackberries, and ice cream! His goals for this year include learning to play basketball & learning to read—which he is doing a terrific job at! Congratulations to Brian on being our Student of the Week!

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). We will be decorating our class Christmas tree on Tuesday, so you are welcome to send your child’s gift for the gift exchange in at any time. Also, attached you will find sign-up for our Christmas party—thanks in advance for your generosity! :)

PAJAMA DAY: 

Thursday, December 21st, will be our annual Christmas Sing-a-long, as well as Pajama Day. Students are welcome to wear their pajamas and slippers in the classroom, but please still send boots and snowpants for recess. Dismissal will be at 11:35.

HOLIDAY HOMEWORK:

Next week the students will be bringing home an envelope of ‘goodies.’ In this envelope you will find some special booklets that your child has made and can read, as well as a sheet explaining some fun Holiday Homework that they can do over break, if they choose.

READING:

This week our class will be reading about different cultures that make up the communities around the world. Your child is learning to appreciate the different customs that people share. Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help reinforce the skills we will be practicing.

· Vocabulary—cultures & appreciate

· Sightwords—do & up—Think of things your child likes and doesn’t like and ask simple questions. Encourage your child to respond with “I do like . . . . or I do not like . . . .”

· Category Words—kinds of foods—use sticky notes to make labels for different foods in your kitchen. Help your child sound out each word and write it. Then affix the label on the food.

· Phonics—Letter Dd—Search for objects that begin or end with the letter d. Make a list of the words; encourage your child to read each word and then underline the d.

· Comprehension—character, setting, & events—Read a story together and  then invite your child to draw pictures of the main character, the setting, and an important event that happened in the story.

· Beanie Baby Strategies—This week we will introduce Peekin’ Poodle who combines several of the accuracy strategies that we’ve learned so far. When we come to a word we don’t know we . . . “Check the picture, check the word, does it look right, does it sound right, does it make sense, keep trying!”

WRITING: 

Over the next couple of weeks, we will complete some fun journals related to Christmas, including drawing a map for Santa to find our houses, with the help of Google Earth. We will also write another pattern book, this time with a surprise ending.

MATH:

This week we will explore the concepts of weight and capacity and practice counting by 1’s, 5’s, & 10’s.

SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week we will wrap up our Science unit on the 5 senses. We will also be reading several stories related to Christmas, as we anticipate it’s arrival! :)

 Thank you for sharing your children with me each day;

What a true blessing they are!

I wish your family a very Merry Christmas

filled with joy, hope, & laughter!  

~ Sherry Brinks

Newsletter Updates for the Week of December 4th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Friday, December 15th—PAC Family Movie Night

-Monday, December18th—Delayed Start

-Wed., Dec. 20th—Christmas Party—afternoon -  Wear Your Christmas Sweater

-Thurs., Dec. 21st—Sing-a-long, Pajama Day, & 1/2 Day (Dismissal @ 11:35)

-Dec 22-Jan 2—Christmas Break

BRRR:

Please be sure your child has everything they need to stay warm and dry at recess—snowpants, boots, mittens/gloves, hat, warm coat, etc. Please be sure to label ALL items and 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).

WELCOME PEPPERMINT::

One of Santa’s elves, Peppermint, has joined our classroom for the month of December to help us count down to Christmas and to also keep an eye on our behavior as Christmas approaches. She adds a little extra excitement and fun, as well as an incentive to make good choices:) Several of the students have mentioned having elves at home, which means double the fun!

READING:

This week our class will be focusing on different jobs that people have in the community. Children will read stories and learn about the tools and equipment that workers use. Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help reinforce the skills we will be practicing.

· Vocabulary—equipment & uniform—Brainstorm some different kinds of workers in your community. Encourage your child to tell about the equipment a worker uses and the uniform a worker wears.

· Sightword—you & on—Take turns spelling out sightwords with your finger on each others arm or back. I have the students do this with a partner while waiting in line and they love it!

· Category Words—jobs—Play a game called “guess the worker.” Give your child clues about what a worker does and act it out and see if they can guess the job.

· Phonics—Letter Oo

· Beanie Baby Strategies—This week we will use Chunky Monkey to help us read and write words with the ot, op, & og chunks. We will also introduce Dot the Giraffe who helps with our Fluency and Voice as we read by looking at the punctuation clues. We will also introduce Flippy the Dolphin who reminds us that when we come to a tricky word we can ‘flip’ the vowel sound (long or short sound) to figure out the word.

WRITING:

This week we will continue to learn about pattern books and practice writing our own pattern books about the things we like. We will complete a class book about things we see using the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? as inspiration. We will continue to work on sounding out our words, writing the sounds we hear, and putting spaces between our words.

SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week we will continue our Social Studies unit on Families, as well as our Science unit on the 5 Senses.  Our dramatic play area has been transformed into a Bakery Shop for the month where students can get some hands-on practice with making holiday treats and goodies.

MATH:

This week we will work on the ‘tricky teen’s numbers and experiment with building hexagons using combinations of smaller shapes (introduction to fractions). We will also learn a new game called Treasure Hunt that helps us with ordering numbers and cooperation.

Christmas Party Sign-Up

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

Thanksgiving Activities - Sign Up

Newsletter Updates for the Week of November 13th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Tues., Nov.14th—Thanksgiving Meal for Hot Lunch

-Wed., Nov. 15th—No School—Deer Day

-Friday, Nov.17th—K Thanksgiving Activities—am

-Monday, Nov. 20th—Delayed Start

-Tuesday, Nov.21st—Cutting Up Veggies—am

-Wednesday, Nov. 22nd—Stone Soup Feast—pm

-Thursday, Nov.23rd—Thanksgiving

-Friday, Nov. 24th—No School—Thanksgiving Break

-Saturday, Nov. 25th—PTO Craft Show

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES:

Thank you for taking the time to come in a meet with me for conferences. I really enjoyed meeting with each of you and I am confident that together we can build a great academic foundation for your child:)

STONE SOUP:

In celebration of Friendship and Thanksgiving, we will be making and sharing Stone Soup together next week. As in the story of Stone Soup, everyone will bring an item to contribute to our soup and then work together to create a delicious meal. On Friday, we will be trading among the Kindergarten classes to obtain all of the ingredients we need for our soup. Please remember to bring your ingredient (a head of cabbage, an onion, or a bag of baby carrots) by this Thursday.  I’m attaching the other sign-ups to the newsletter as a reminder for those of you who graciously signed up to provide supplies and food for our feast and festivities.

WINTER DRESS:

It looks like the cold weather is here to stay! We go outside 3 times a day, so please be sure to send your child with everything they need to stay warm outside. Please send them to school dressed for recess, as they go outside first thing in the morning; also be sure to send in shoes for them to wear in the classroom.

READING:

This week our class will be reading stories about the sounds we hear 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—listen & volume—Go outside together and invite your child to listen to the sounds in your neighborhood. Talk about what makes the sound and describe the volume of the sound.

· Sightword—and & but—Write the words and & but, then have your child trace them. Have your child  search for them and circle their sightwords in the newspaper or junk mail.

· Category Words—sound words—Sit outside together and listen to different sounds. Ask your child to identify what is making the sound and ask them to describe the sound.

· Phonics—Letter Nn—Search for objects that begin or end with the letter n, such as nails and pan. Write the words on sticky notes and have your child put the notes on each object.

WRITING: 

Last week we took a nature walk and then sketched, labeled, and wrote about the items we collected. This week we will continue to practice writing like Scientists as we practice zooming in with our pictures. We will also complete a couple of journal pages—we will write about something we ‘want’ and tell about what we would be willing to ‘trade’ for it; we will also write about a ‘safety tip.’

MATH: 

This week we will play several games that involve ordering numbers. We will learn a new game called ‘Monster Squeeze’ which involves identifying a mystery number on a number line. This is a game that students can also play on their ipads and is always a favorite! We will also incorporate several Thanksgiving activities into our math tubs the next 2 weeks.

SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week we will read several informational texts related to the Pilgrims and learn how they endured many hardships. We will also compare and contrast their lifestyles then, to our lifestyle now. We will continue to discuss wants, needs, and fair trades as we prepare to make our fair trades for our stone soup ingredients on Friday. With the opening day of deer season, we will also be talking about Gun Safety. We met Eddie Eagle who teaches children what to do if they ever find a gun lying around: Stop, Don’t Touch, Leave the Area, Tell an Adult!