HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

We had a SPOOKTACULAR party today!  Thank you to all the wonderful parents who helped create the games, crafts, and snacks for our party!  We played ghost bowling and pumpkin golf.  We made Halloween mask and jack-o-lantern smiles.  We ate spiders, mummy and vampire teeth, and drank some slimy juice.  A great time was had by all!  Here are some photos  of our spooktacular celebration!

October 27, 2017

This week we have been reviewing the things we share with our partner.

*My favorite part is….

*That’s cool!

*I didn’t know that.

*That’s happened to me.

We also have been learning how to RETELL a story using our story telling words….first, then, next, last

We practiced retelling the story using a flowchart, puppets, and by acting it out.  Our focus story was Goldilocks and the Three Bears which is a story we know by heart!  Here are some pictures of us using our flowchart and puppets.

We have been learning to read sight words in our classroom.  We call them “popcorn words” as they keep “poppin’ up” in the books that we read.

They are in the paper books that we bring home each week and in the books that are in our classroom book bags.  They are also in the books that I read aloud to your children.

PLEASE make sure to keep the paper books and have your child practice reading them to you.  Create a special library in your house for these special paper books.

Words We Practiced

a

I

is

this

see

Next week’s words

the

will

go

For writer’s workshop this week, we learned how to add the setting to our story.  The setting is where the story happens.  We drew ourselves at a restaurant and trick-or-treating.  For two days we practiced being the illustrator (draw the pictures with details) and we practiced being the author for two days (writing the words).  We are learning all about sentences and how to write them correctly by copying our teacher from left to right and top to bottom.

We began Unit 2.  We are focusing on the numbers 6-10.  We are working on using a 5-finder to help us see (subitize) and count (start at 5, not 1) the number we see.

I am not sending home a flyer as we will be having a book fair during conference week.

Friday November 3 at 12:15 PM

Our class party will be from 2:30-3:15 on Tuesday, October 31st.

If you wish to attend, please know that you must have a cleared background check on file. To complete a background check go to Hudsonville Public Schools website.

Here are helpful tips to help you know how to prepare for Tuesday, Oct. 31st!

Students MAY wear their costumes to school (this is my personal policy and may not be the same rule for other teachers). HOWEVER…….

  • Students MUST be able to use the bathroom by themselves while wearing their costume. Students MUST be able to participate in special, eat lunch, and play outside. Please remember costumes may get dirty, broken or lost while at school.

  • Often, students will wear an easy costume to school and save the fancy one for Halloween.

  • Please have all hair, make-up, etc., done BEFORE school. I cannot help assemble costumes. Please remember to keep it simple. Students still need to work, and we do not want too much of a distraction. NO WEAPONS, BLOOD OR GUTS PLEASE!

  • Students that have accessories will be asked to keep them put away until the parade/party (it is best to keep it simple and aim for wearing just the outfit). This includes masks and hats. Teachers should be able to see all faces during the day. DO NOT SEND ITEMS THAT APPEAR TO BE WEAPONS!

  • The Halloween parade will be from 2:00-2:30. Our party will be held from 2:30–3:15.

  • Please note our new no sibling policy!

    After Halloween, students are NOT allowed to bring candy to school for lunch or a snack! Please stick to healthy food choices. Candy will be sent home or discarded. Thank you for your help!

Please help your child take care of their book. If a book is damaged or lost, they will need to pay for a replacement BEFORE they are allowed to borrow another. All books are due back EVERY Monday.

Turkeys in Disguise are due November 3

Here is the link for this weeks newsletter for specials for next week: K News 10:26:17-1nvpbh9

 

October 20, 2017

This week we have been practicing all the reading skills we have already learned (being a book lover, reading with reader respect, and 3 ways to read a book).  We have also added how to talk about book with our peanut butter/jelly partners.  We are learning how to share:

*our favorite part (the part we love most)

*that’s cool (something interesting)

*I didn’t know that (something new we learned)

*That’s happened to me! (we call it a “connection”)

This week our focus has been on drawing a picture of us with all our parts…..meaning….head, neck, body (torso), legs, arms, hands, fingers, feet, face, hair, and adding more details that make us special like glasses, freckles, designs on clothes.  We have also been practicing drawing us in different poses…standing, sitting, running.  Please help your child practice these skills at home by drawing pictures for you of things they do at school or at home.

We took our first math test of the year!  Our focus was on the numbers 1-5, identifying groups, drawing scenes, identifying shapes, drawing shapes, and writing 1-5 the “school way”.  I can’t wait to share these tests with you at conferences.

Order has been placed….just waiting for it to arrive.  When it does I will put any books that were ordered into your child’s backpack.  If you didn’t order this time, that’s okay!  We will be having a book fair the first week of November during parent teacher conferences.  It is a Wild West theme and we will be having a coin war.  So start checking those cushions and cars for loose change!

SUPERHEROES

Here are pictures from our fashion show!  I tried to get a picture of each child with their cape(so we are not wearing them correctly).  We shared our letter and its sound with our friends.  And then shared 2 things we put on our cape that started with that sound.  We flew around the room like super heroes to show our capes off.  It was a lot of fun!

Was a HUGE success!  Thank you to all the families that collected donations.  Thank you to AMAZING PTC parents who organized it.  Thank you to all the parents who came to walk with your child.  And thank you to Mrs. McClure and Mr. Matt for making walk-a-thon lots of fun!

is on MONDAYS!  Please remember to return your child’s library book each week.  They are really excited about getting new books!

Our party will be on Tuesday, October 31st.  Our party will be from 2:30-3:30 PM.  I have enough volunteers already!  There will be a costume parade at 2:00 PM that you are welcome to come and watch.

Here is the attachment for the Halloween Costume note: Halloween Information-1iv7zie

Notes were sent home today, Friday, October 20 with your finalized conference time.  Please return the bottom portion of the note so I know you received it.  Please make sure to keep the top part of the note and save the date.   I look forward to meeting with you!

We read this story today as we are reading lots of fall stories in our classroom.  Homework was sent home with your child today.  It is due Friday, November 3.  I hope you enjoy thinking of ideas, helping your child plan, and making their turkey in disguise.  It is a great way to spend some one on one time with your child and make him/her feel special.

 

REMINDERS!!!!

ABC Bootcamp Capes were due todayTwo kids have not turned them in yet (#2 and #7..your kiddos numbers are on their take home folders)!  Fashion show is tomorrow (Wed. Oct. 11)  Please return the cape in your child’s folder tomorrow if you still have one.  Thanks for making this day special for your child!

 

Walk-a-thon is on Thursday, October 12.  Please make sure your child wears comfortable shoes he/she can do themselves.  We don’t need anyone tripping on laces.  We walk from 10:10 to 10:55 AM.  Your child may bring their water bottle outside for Walk-a-thon.  Please label it with your child’s name.

 

is on Friday, October 13.  If your child need a sack lunch, remember to email me and let me know whether your child would like white or chocolate milk.  If I don’t hear from you, I will assume your child does not need a sack lunch.

October 6, 2017

This week we received our own individual book bag with books that are “just right” for us in them.  The books are books we have used as read-alouds in class and know the story by heart.  There are also books we can take pictures walks with and tell the stories that we see in the pictures.  And there are easy reader books that we can read the words in.  We learned that when we read the words we go left to right, and top to bottom.  We even sang a fun song about it.  See if your child can remember and sing it to you. (left to right, sweep back and down).

This week we focused on the letters Tt-Xx.  We colored and cut pictures of things that begin with those sounds.  We did letter centers every day.  We also read aloud lots of stories to go with these letters.

The kids especially liked the books about underpants…silly books that are fun to read.  We learned about interrupting with the mouth like a volcano book.  I Went Walking was a book they could figure out the pattern with and ended up reading to me.  And Wemberly helped us learn to not worry so much.  All fun stories that can be found at your local library for rereading!

We will have our bootcamp celebration on Wednesday of next week.  We will be having a classroom fashion show.  Today your child brought home a cape and a letter.  Please have your child cut and glue the letter to the plain side of the cape.  Then find, cut out, glue, draw pictures onto the cape that start with that letter and/or make that sound.  Have your child put as many things on the cape as they can think of!  I am hoping for 5 or more on each cape!  Feel free to add ribbon/string/yarn/shoelaces to tie the cape so it stays on!  Please send capes to school on Tuesday, October 10.

I will take LOTS of photos of the kiddos fashion to share with you on next week’s blog.

 

We learned how to write the numbers 1, 2, and 3 the “school way”.  We say silly rhymes…”a straight line down, my one is done” and “curve up around, slant back, slide on the railroad track, it’s a two, two, two” and “backwards c, backwards c, that’s the way to make a 3.”  In handwriting language we say “tall down” for the number 1.  For 2 we say, “Roll up, slant, slide”.  And for 3 we say, “Roll around, roll around”.  A “roll” goes to the right…..a “curve” goes to the left.

We practiced printing the letters Tt-Xx the “school way.”  We are learning to make the letters in our name the “school way”.  And we are working on learning which letters are tall and which letters are small when writing our names.  Please make sure to practice this at home when doing homework.

Money is due on Tuesday, October 10.  The Walk-a-thon will occur on Thursday, October 12.  Please make sure to dress your child appropriately for the weather.  Our class walks at 10:10 AM, so it may be cool in the morning.  Please make sure your child wears comfortable shoes for walking and your child can do independently.  We don’t need anyone tripping on laces they can’t tie themselves.

You may also send a water bottle for your child to use during Walk-a-thon.  Please just make sure to label it with your child’s name.  Thank you!

Friday, October 13 is our next early release Friday.  If your child needs to order a sack lunch for that day, please email me that he/she needs a sack lunch and if he/she would like white milk or chocolate to take home.  This way we won’t (hopefully) have confusion like last time….but you never know!

Book order is due Friday, October 13 as well.  Go to https://clubs.scholastic.com/ and you can search for me!  I will place the order on Saturday.

If you are going to change the way your child is supposed to go home for the day, please write me a note and put it in your child’s take home folder OR send me an email.  I am the one who make sure your child gets to the correct spot for bussing and/or pick-up, so it just makes the most sense to let me know.

If your child is going to be absent for the day, or is being picked up early for an appointment.  Please contact the office, as the amazing secretaries deal with recording this information.

for taking the time to read my newsletters and blogs!  And thank you for working with me through my “oops”.  Please understand I am doing my best to keep your child safe, as well as help him/her grow as a learner.

Here is a link to this week’s newletter as well:K News 10:5:17-1m0t57l