Summer Reading Fun

Just a reminder . . .

This week @ the Library:

June 24^th – 1 p.m. Farm Bureau Program – All Ages

Captain Food Fabulous Craft - Farm Charms,

Snack – Veggie Straws

June 25^th – 10:30 Preschool – 2^nd Grade:  Story and Craft

Also, remember that students can still access Raz Kids all summer long:)

Newsletter Updates for the Week of June 8th

DATES TO REMEMBER:
-Tuesday, June 9th - K-1 Track and Field Day - 12:30

-Thursday, June 11th—last day of school/half day

 *Awards Assembly @ 10:00

TRACK & FIELD DAY: 

K-1 Track and Field Day is Tuesday, June 9th beginning @ 12:30 up at the track.  Please be sure to send your child with:

-Tennis Shoes

-Appropriate Clothing

-Sunscreen (if desired)

-A Water Bottle

*You are welcome to come & cheer us on!

REPORT CARDS/GOODIES:

You can expect many ‘goodies’ to come home this week.  I’ll try to send a few things home each day so that it isn’t so overwhelming.  Please be sure to check you child’s backpack each night for materials from the classroom.  Here are a few things you can look forward to receiving:

-May/June Journal

-Writing Folder

-Student of the Week Poster

-Portfolio of Type 3 Writings & Class Book Pages

-Book Boxes with ‘good-fit’ books they’ve made

-The Very Hungry Kindergartner

-ABC Dictionary

-ABC Sound Book

-Nursery Rhyme Book

-Rhyme Booklets

-Report Cards & End of the Year Assessments

-Father’s Day Card

-Summer Homework

-Kindergarten Memories DVD

SUMMER READING PROGRAM: 

Attached you will find info regarding the Summer Reading Program at the library.  They have a lot of great events planned to promote reading, learning, & fun!

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about sorting different groups of things in new ways. Children will learn how to sort objects by size, shape, color, weight, or texture.

· Vocabulary: sort, similar 

· Phonics: long e—ee & ea

· As you make plans for summer fun, I’d like to encourage you to continue to build time for reading, writing, and math into your child’s day.  Research shows that students can lose a lot of academic growth over the summer.

· Please be sure to return your child’s Reading Folder (if you haven’t already) :)

· I will be sending home your child’s Raz Kids login card.  You can access Raz Kids directly through the school’s website and your child can read ‘good-fit’ books all summer long!

WRITING:  

This week we will complete a personal timeline—past, present, & future.  As you look through your child’s May/June Journals, portfolios, and booklets they have written, notice their growth in writing from the beginning of the year to now—it really is amazing!

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES:  

We will take some time to talk about Summer Safety. Our friend Scrappy the Squirrel will make a final visit to talk to the students about how to stay safe this summer.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  

What a fabulous year! I have enjoyed this group of students immensely! It is hard to believe that the last week of school is already here! In many ways it doesn’t seem possible, yet when I look at the students—the growth and transformations that have occurred—I know it is time to send them on. Thank you for entrusting me with your precious children and for your support this year! I feel truly blessed to be able to do what I love each and every day! Have a safe and fun-filled summer!                                   ~God Bless

Sherry Brinks

Newsletter Updates for the Week of June 1st

DATES TO REMEMBER:
-Tuesday, June 2nd - Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center

-Wednesday, June 3rd—Mobile Dentist

-Friday, June 5th—Sophomore Carnival
-Tuesday, June 9th - K-1 Track and Field Day - pm

-Thursday, June 11th—last day of school/half day

FIELDTRIP:

Our class is going on a fieldtrip to Kettunen Center on Tuesday, June 2nd.  We will leave school around 8:30 and return around 2:30.

Your child will need:

1) A sack lunch—no glass please

2) Sunscreen—if you feel they will need it

3) Appropriate clothing for outside activities

*We will provide a morning & afternoon snack and bug spray if needed:)

Parent chaperones are welcome, but we ask that childcare be made for younger siblings.  Permission slips & $4.00 need to be returned to school in order for your child to attend the fieldtrip.  We are looking forward to a fun day of learning—outside!

TICKS: 

In case you haven’t heard, the ticks are abundant this year!  PLEASE be sure to check your child thoroughly after we return from our fieldtrip, as we will be outside and in the woods.  Doctors recommend checking their hair, inside elbows, behind the knees, under arm pits, and other ‘cracks’ and crevices.  We don’t want to bring any unwanted ‘friends’ home!!

SOPHOMORE CARNIVAL: 

The annual sophomore carnival is the Friday, June 5th.  This event is a fun time for the whole family!  Look for more info to come later this week!

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about how people work together to solve problems.

· Vocabulary: decide, opinion - Discuss how your family works together to make a decision. Explain that people have different opinions, or ideas, and that voting is one way of making a decision

· Sight Words: WE DID IT! We’ve introduced ALL 51 of our sightwords and I’ll be assessing the students on their sightwords this week for report cards.

· Phonics: long u (u with the magic e) and the digraphs th & wh.

WRITING: 

This week we will complete a couple of journals related to plants, as well as a Type 3 writing on lifecycles.  Students will also be using the Story Buddy App to create their own digital story about our fieldtrip to Kettunen Center.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week in Science, we will continue to learn about plants and conduct several hands-on experiments to learn about the parts of plants and their important functions.

MATH: 

This week we will work on telling time to the hour, adding within 10, and interpreting data on graphs.

REMINDERS: 

-Due to our fieldtrip, we will have gym on Wednesday and Thursday this week!

-Please be sure to return your child’s library book on or before Friday!

Library Reminders

Please be sure to return your child's library book by Friday.  The classroom with ALL of their books returned by Friday, will receive a treat from the library:)

Here's a friendly reminder video:

Here's What's Happening @ the Library this Summer:

McBain Community Library

Summer Reading Program Schedule

June 18 – 11:00 a.m. Program Kickoff –All Ages

                        Howell Nature Center (Live Animals)

June 24^th – 1 p.m. Farm Bureau Program – All Ages

Captain Food Fabulous Craft - Farm Charms,

Snack – Veggie Straws

June 25^th – 10:30 Preschool – 2^nd Grade:  Story and Craft

June 30^th – 1 p.m. – Michigan Mammals by DNR – All ages

July 1^st – 10:30 – Story/Craft Preschool -2^nd Gr.

July 7^th – 1 p.m. – Farm Bureau (All Ages) Adventure

                Through Michigan – Craft: Paper Bag Photo Book,

                Snack -- Vegetable Crackers

July 10^th – 10:00 a.m. - Joel Tacey Extreme Duct Tape

                 Workshop (all ages – 5 and under w/parent)

July 13^th – 1 p.m. Movie Monday (All Ages) Wings: Skyforce

                        Heroes, Snacks and Drinks provided

July 16^th – 10:30 a.m. – Joel Tacey Super Caper Comedy

                    Show – All Ages

July 20 – 1 p.m. Movie Monday (All Ages) Lego Hero             

                  Movie, Snacks and Drinks provided

July 22 – 1 p.m. Farm Bureau Program   - Apple Orchard Riddle,          

                    Craft – Mini Green House, Snack – Fresh Apple Pie

July 23^rd – 10:30 – Preschool – 2^nd Grade – Story & Craft

July 27^th – 1 p.m. - Movie Monday (All Ages) Big Hero 6

         Snacks/Drinks provided

July 29th – 10:30 Reading Program Finale – Stories, Crafts, Prizes,   

                        Crafts, Ice Cream!

Reading Contests for kids through 6^th Grade.

Program Reminders

Just a reminder that our Kindergarten Program is tomorrow, Thursday, May 28th @ 1:30 in the High School Gym.  Please park in the main parking lot and meet us in the gym - the lobby doors will be unlocked beginning @ 1:00.  After the program, cookies will be served and there will be sign-out sheets available, if you want to take your child home with you.  Students who are staying until the end of the day, need to be given back to me after you enjoy your cookies together:)

Please make sure your child has their baseball cap at school by tomorrow morning.  Students may dress-up if they choose, but it is not required.  Due to our program, we will NOT have gym :)

The students are excited to share their songs with you!!

Newsletter Updates for the Week of May 26th

DATES TO REMEMBER:
-Thursday, May 28th - Kindergarten Program @ 1:30
-Tuesday, June 2nd - Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center
-Tuesday, June 9th - K-1 Track and Field Day - pm

-Thursday, June 11th—last day of school/half day

STUDENT OF THE WEEK: 

Our student of the week is Anna Schantz.  Anna enjoys going to the beach, playing ‘beach ball,’ and spending time with her mom.  Her favorite color is blue and when she grows up, Anna aspires to be “a car washer.”  Congratulations to Anna on being Student of the Week!

KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM: 

We are planning a Kindergarten Program for Thursday, May 28th at 1:30 in the H.S. gym. All of the Kindergarten classes will join together to sing a few of our favorite songs from music class. Family and friends are welcome to attend and refreshments will follow the program.

**Please send in a baseball cap for your child to use as a prop, as we practice for the program:)

FIELDTRIP:

Our class is going on a fieldtrip to Kettunen Center on Tuesday, June 2nd.  We are planning to leave school around 8:30 and return around 2:30.  The cost per child is $4.00, with special thanks to the PTO for helping to cover the rest of the cost.  We will be outside for a good portion of the day, so please be sure to dress your child appropriately.  

Your child will need:

*A sack lunch—no glass please

**Sunscreen—if you feel they will need it.

***We will provide bug spray if it is necessary:)

Parent chaperones are welcome, but we ask that childcare be made for younger siblings.  Please be sure to return your child’s permission slip & $4.00 to Mrs. Brinks this week.

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about natural resources. Children will learn how they can use things in nature to create new things.

· Vocabulary: natural resources, create—Discuss different natural resources with your child. For example, talk about how we use trees to create, or make new things that people use every day.

· Sight Words: come, where, that, his—Please continue to practice reading and writing sightwords at home:)

· Category Words: food made from grain—Explain that grain is a plant grown in soil. Soil comes from the earth. Invite your child to cut out pictures of foods made from grain and make a collage.

· Phonics: long o (o with the magic e) and s blends.

WRITING: 

This week we will wrap up our how-to books about things we know how to do outside. We will be adding a ‘materials needed’ page, warnings & tips, and an ‘about the expert’ page.  We will spend some time editing and working on our wow cover as well.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week in Science, we will continue to learn about lifecycles—plants.  The students will engage in several hands-on experiments as we determine what plants need to live & grow, how they grow & change, and the different parts of plants.

MATH: 

This week we will continue to work on adding numbers within 10 and subtracting numbers within 5, using a variety of strategies.   The students will also take an addition assessment for report cards.