The Happiest Place on Earth

I believe that Room 115 is one of the happiest places on earth.  After a weekend of watching devastating news, I am looking forward to getting back to Room 115.  Thank you for your emails and kind words you have shared with me this weekend.   I spend more time with your child than I do with my own during a weekday.  I am eager to shut our door and have a normal day working with my 19 students where I can see their joyful faces and focus on instruction.  I do not plan to talk to about the Connecticut event with the students.  If a conversation comes up in the next few days, I will  send out a mass email to let you know how I addressed it.  At this age, conversations need to come from parents where there can be reassurances that only a parent can give.  Here is a guide on how to talk to your child (or older children) about the event.   I found this article on a website for American School Counselors.

Tragedy Talking Points by Dr. Brad Schwall

The following guidelines may help you in addressing the school-shooting incident with your children based on the information currently known about the tragedy to this point.

• Avoid exposing children to too much media coverage.
• Avoid fostering rumors and speculation about the tragedy.  

Age and Stage Responses

Preschool-2^nd grade – discuss the incident only if the child has heard any of the news. There is no need to inform the child of the tragedy if the child does not know about it.

3^rd- 5^th graders are more likely to have heard the news.  Decide whether to bring the issue up with 3^rd and 4^th graders based on their temperaments.

Check for what your child knows – Ask, “What have you heard today?"

You may choose to approach the subject with children in 6^th grade and older.

No matter your child’s age, consider the following responses based on how you believe you need to address the tragedy with your child.

• The tragedy is isolated and tragedies like this happen rarely.
• The fact that this tragedy happened does not mean there is an immediate danger where you live.
• Emphasize that safety precautions are in place in schools.
• Reflect what your child may be feeling – “I know this is scary news. It is very sad.”
• Emphasize empathy for the victims – “It is very sad that this happened to those families and children.”
• Teenagers may reflect on the fragile nature of life and the unpredictability of life.

The conversation may focus on:

• Validating your child's feelings - it is OK to feel scared or sad
• Emphasizing that your child is safe
• Empathizing with the victims

Regular news for Room 115

Check book bags on Monday for a special Christmas secret that can be opened immediately.  We thought of every member of our family as we made the secret!


Also on Monday will be your child's DIBELS scores from last week.  There is a note attached detailing each of the tests that were administered.  Let me know if you have any questions about the scores.  Please sign and return.   

This is a review week for reading.  I will send home a list for the word wall words for the 3rd nine weeks on Wednesday.  I will be testing for report cards this week so reading groups will be abbreviated and no reading homework sheets.

In math, we will work on addition and continue to learn about subtraction.  

We will have Nancy's Italian Ice on Monday for $1.00.  New library books should come home tomorrow.  Look for our poetry journals to come home Wednesday.  

Classroom needs:  cap erasers

Wednesday is Polar Express Day.  We  get to wear our pajamas to school and watch the Polar Express.  No need to send a change of clothes...we will work in our pajamas all day.

If you asked the students the most important thing about this week the answer would be Thursday, December 20.  We've been counting down the days until we take a break from learning and have a party!  Our classroom party will be Thursday, December 20 from 1:30-2:15.  Parents are invited to help get the room ready beginning at 1:10.  Contact the room moms for more details about assisting with preparations for the party.  You may check your child out after the party.  The following is the most efficient way to check your child out:
1.  Before the party begins, there will be a table set up for check outs in front of the office.  Once you fill out the necessary paperwork, you will be given a slip of paper to hand me.  This paper allows me to release your child at the end of the party.
2.  Be sure to hand me the slip of paper once you enter the classroom.  If I do not have the slip of paper then you must go to the office at the end of the party and check your child out.
3.  I will not release your child without the slip of paper from the office!

Friday is a regular school day.  

Have a wonderful break.  Remember to return on Thursday, January 3.  We are not off for the full two weeks this year.  I hope your Christmas is filled with sweet memories,  uninterrupted time with your child and peace.  Be safe, read a few good books and be thankful for healthy, growing children!  See you in 2013!  Thank you for loving Room 115.  I appreciate your support!

A Busy, Busy Week

What a busy week this is going to be.  If you  have older children in the system, you know all about DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills).  Well MPS decided to do away with DIBELS  this year but then they changed their minds.  Soooo...our class will be tested tomorrow.  Nothing to worry about or prepare for...it just interrupts our schedule.  (If you are new to the word DIBELS,  I will explain later when we send home the scores.)  On Tuesday, we will have extra students in our classroom while another K teacher is on the DIBELS testing team.  Nothing to worry about...it just interrupts our schedule.  On Friday, the children will rotate to each of the other four Kindergarten classroom for fun holiday crafts.  A lot of FUN.... but it interrupts our schedule.  So the key word this week is flexibility.   Check binders nightly for reading homework but don't be surprised if it doesn't come home nightly.

In reading we will be investigating the letter Jj as in "jellybean in the jar."  The word wall words are:  with, for, then,some.  I will begin assessing word wall words this Wednesday.  My assessment covers ALL the word wall words since school began.

In math, we have moved into subtraction.  The big concept for the children to get across is that you start out with a group and it gets smaller as you take things away.  We have started to have addition worksheets during the day.  Those will come home in binders for you to monitor your child's progress.

Send library books but the library will probably be closed due to DIBELS testing.  I will try to squeeze two children down at a time if the library opens before the end of the day.

Italian Ice is Monday for $1.00.  Please return poetry journals on Monday too.

We have enough toilet tissue rolls for a special craft this week.  Thanks for your help.

Heads up:  In LATE January, I will start collecting empty shoe boxes for Valentine mail boxes.  The kids get so much Valentine mail that adult shoes boxes are needed.  I prefer shoe boxes that have a detachable lid but those are very hard to find.  Most adult shoe boxes come with the lid attached now days.  So if new shoes/boots are under your Christmas tree this year, please save the box.  Do not send the box until I ask for it due to a lack of storage in our classroom.

The room parents have sent out an email about the class Christmas party on Thursday, December 20.  It is from 1:30-2:15 pm.  I hope you can attend. Thanks for supporting the room parents in making sure Room 115 celebrates in style. 

Change of date: The Kindergarten children will be having a Polar Express Day on Wednesday, December 19.  Pajamas are in order for that day.  We will be watching the movie Polar Express.  Please contact me if you  would rather not allow your child to watch the movie.

Either my camera, my computer or blogger is not cooperating but I cannot load pictures today onto the blog. Thanks for understanding.  I'll make sure to post extra next week.

Thanks for supporting our classroom.  I am a very blessed teacher.  Contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Upcoming Events:
Wednesday , December 19:  Kindergarten watches the Polar Express (wear pajamas)
Thursday, December 20:  Room 115 Christmas Party,  1:30-2:15 pm
Monday, December 24-Wednesday, January 2:  NO SCHOOL
Thursday, January 3:  School is in session

Hello December

It was so nice to see everyone back together.  It had been over one month since we have had perfect attendance.  Our song "The More We Get Together" was very appropriate for our poetry journals.  We sang that song all week long and even pulled out the musical instruments in the classroom to accompany the singing.  Joyful singing in a very happy classroom!


This week we will be investigating the letter Ii as in "insect in the ink."  The word wall words are:  when, want, soon, get.   Note:  Stay on top of word wall word practice at home.  The difficulty of words tends to pick up this week for the remainder of the school year.  Remember these are words that need to be recognized and read instantly upon sight. 

We should  test on addition later this week and begin subtraction.  November calendar pages never made it into notebooks on Friday so we will try again on Monday.

Look for this alphabet chart in the take home folder on Wednesday.  There will be a note attached as to how to use this at home.  Your child will know what to do but still read the handout.  This does not need to be returned.

Remember that Monday is Italian Ice, library and a new poem for our poetry journals. 

Last week we had a visit from Harvey the dog and the Montgomery Humane Society.  We learned about the safest way to approach and pet a dog.  Room 115 has had several conversations since the beginning of school of how cool it would be if a dog could live in our classroom and spend the day with us. 


The school is collecting new 12" bears to give to the Family Sunshine Guidance Center .  The collection will last through Friday.

The big news from last week was the installation of our Smart board.  I don't believe that technology makes a great classroom but I do believe that if you give an effective teacher technology then instruction can be enhanced.  Our Smart board is pretty cool and we've just had it turned on two days.  I'm sure you will hear a lot about our Smart board all year long.  The room had to be rearranged to accommodate the Smart board so be prepared for change the next time you visit. 


I will be out of the classroom all day on Friday.  I've secured an excellent substitute so the children won't even know that I'm not there.

Upcoming Dates:
Thursday, December 20:  Room 115 Christmas Party,  1:30-2:15 pm
Friday, Decemb3er 21:  Kindergarten watches the Polar Express (wear pajamas) 
Monday, December 24-Wednesday, January 2:  NO SCHOOL
Thursday, January 3:  School is in session


Contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  I hope you can make plans to attend our Christmas Party on December 20!  We are a fun group to hang out with.  Thanks so much for supporting our classroom!

The More We Get Together....

Welcome back to the routine of school!  I hope you had a wonderful break!

We will  have a lot to share tomorrow so there may or may not be reading homework depending on what we get to in the day. Check binders.  We will definitely have homework on Tuesday and for the rest of the week.

Nancy's Italian Ice for $1.00 will be on Monday.  As well as it is our library day.  Also please return poetry journals so that we can start learning a new poem.

If you have not done so, please send in the $8.00 Christmas craft money as soon as possible.  We will be making those on Wednesday.  Please make every effort to have your child at school on time on Wednesday.

This week we will be discussing the letter Dd as in dog in a doghouse.  The sight words (word wall words )  are:  The, the, as.
 
Do not get concerned if your child writes a lowercase d and b backwards.  We are working on that in the classroom.  It is a very common occurrence at this age.   To make a lowercase d, I instruct the children to think of a doorbell.  First you ring the doorbell (the round part of the lowercase d) and then you open the door (the straight part of the lowercase d).  When writing a lowercase d, make the doorbell first and then the door.  If you put the door first and then the doorbell, it would be a lowercase b.  Just a little bit of our classroom lingo to help out at home.

In math, we continue to build number sentences for numbers up to 10.

November calendar pages will come home on Friday.

We are still collecting EMPTY toilet tissue rolls for a Christmas secret!

For the month of November, we have been working on learning  if a letter of the alphabet is a vowel or a consonant.  We know that vowels are letters that holds a word together, just like glue.  Give us a word, any word, and ask us to identify the vowels in a word.  We know that y is an "I can't decide" letter.  Y can't decide if it is a vowel or a consonant.

Book orders will come home on Monday.  Our on-line ordering code is GL88R or you can send a check to school (payable to Blount.)  The last day to order books is Friday, November 30.  Book orders will be back in time for Christmas.  

Contact me with any questions or concerns.  These next four weeks are going to fly by.  Enjoy this special time with your child.

Upcoming dates:
Friday, November 30:  Book orders due (optional)
Friday, November 30:  Send in box tops
Thursday, December 20:  Room 115 Christmas Party,  1:45-2:30 pm
Friday, Decemb3er 21:  Kindergarten watches the Polar Express (wear pajamas) 
Monday, December 24-Wednesday, January 2:  NO SCHOOL
Thursday, January 3:  School is in session

2nd Day of Thanks and November's Crafternoon

Here is Tuesday's version of Pilgrims and Native Americans...


Thank you to the families at home that supported our Crafternoon and the parents that helped out in the classroom.  We had a lot of fun celebrating Thanksgiving.  Room 115 is blessed to have such supportive families.  Our next Crafternoon will be in January.  Enjoy the big smiles!


Have a wonderful  Thanksgiving!

The 1st Day of Thanks

The fun begins...

A Short But Very Full Week

This week will fly by quickly.  Lots of fun things planned but Room 115 will attempt to stick to our regular schedule.

Italian Ice will be on sale tomorrow for $1.00.

We will be visiting the library so please return library books on Monday.

Believe it or not but we will get a new poem.  It won't take us long to learn it because it only has two words for us to read.  It is a fun poem to act out.  Be sure to send poetry journals on Monday.

We will not investigate any new letters this week. We will spend our time reviewing.

In math, we are working with making numbers sentences when given a certain number.  This is a hard beginning math concept so it takes a lot of practice.  Kindergarten is a great opportunity for building stamina at practicing and practicing some more.

Refer to Friday's email about the schedule for dressing up as pilgrims and Native Americans for Monday and Tuesday's lunch.  If you are experiencing any holiday stress then please come and join us for lunch.  You will smile as you break bread with Room 115 and remember that all that holiday stress is meaningless. What really matters is enjoying the blessings you have in your child.

No need to send a snack on Tuesday.  Our November Crafternoon will take care of snack and even have a sweet treat for the children.   Thank you so much for supporting our Crafternoons.

Be sure to check book bags on Tuesday.  We have several Thanksgiving treasures that you may want to use for decorations later in the week!

I will post pictures Monday and Tuesday night of the children for those parents that are unable to make it to the school for lunch or the Crafternoon.  Enjoy them with your child!

We are still collecting empty toilet tissue rolls.  It is a secret that requires a lot of toilet tissue rolls.

Please send in $8.00 for the Secret Craft activity by Tuesday.  (By the way, the $8.00 craft does not involve the toilet tissue rolls - those are two separate surprises.)

Here is short slide show of different activities from the past week.  We are working hard and smiling at the same time!


I'm so thankful for Room 115.  I'm very fortunate that I get to spend my day with twenty wonderful children who make the seven hours fly by.  Thank you so much for your support. I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with yummy food, sweet memories, uninterrupted time with your child and somewhere along the way a really good book.  Thanks for sharing your greatest treasure with me.
Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Learning Continues

If you haven't noticed the month of November (and December too) fly by in Kindergarten.  We were so busy last week, that I realized I only  snapped one photo.  Here is my photo to the left!  By the results of the election, it looks like the members of Room 115 have a pulse on the nation's voting trends.

Nancy's Italian Ice will be sold on Tuesday for this week only.  Please return library books and poetry journals.

We continue a Thanksgiving theme for our poetry journal this week. It is a tradition you may want to start at your house once you finish the Thanksgiving turkey.

This week in reading we will be investigating the letter Cc as in "cow on a cab."  The word wall words will be:  we, she, ten, funny.  

Last week, I sent out an email detailing a timed component on the reading tests once your child reaches unit 6.  Do not stress the timed element to your child.  All you need to do is to practice the reading homework sheet that comes home nightly. The goal is for your child to read fluently (read like they talk - not choppy but rather smooth and with voice inflection.) This comes with practice and practice.  Contact me with any questions about  the reading program.  I know it is probably very different than what you remember learning how to read.

I will be assessing phone numbers beginning on Wednesday. 

We will continue to work on understanding the theory behind addition and practicing different ways to add up to sums of 5,6, 7, 8, 9, 10.  We've already discovered that when you are adding you can flip flop numbers without changing the answer. That is first grade thinking but it doesn't surprise me because that is how Room 115 thinks:  on a higher level!  We will be working on adding two groups to make a larger group all they way through Thanksgiving.

Our November Crafternoon will be Tuesday, November 20 from 1:45-3:00 (1:10 if you want to help set up the classroom.)  Contact the room parents or myself for more information. Thank you for loving our classroom.

The children will be dressing up as Native Americans and Pilgrims next Monday and Tuesday (the 19 and 20th of November) for lunch.  You are invited to join us. There will not be a program or anything fancy but how often can you eat lunch with Pilgrims and Native Americans!   Each child will get the opportunity to be a Pilgrim and a Native American - that is why we are doing it for two days.  You have to do nothing at home.  The costumes will be provided. Our lunch time is 10:40-11:05.   Join us if you can!

Please continue to save empty toilet tissue rolls. We need a LOT so keep saving until I say no more. It is a Christmas secret!

Speaking of Christmas Secrets:  Here is a letter from the all the Kindergarten teachers:


Kindergarten Parents,
The holidays are quickly approaching and the children have a secret craft they want to make (for you…shhhh), but we need your help with the expense of $8.00 per child.  We’d like to keep it a secret, but if you need more information please e-mail or contact your teacher.  Please send your $8.00 check or cash (payable to Blount) no later than Nov. 20^th.  We will begin our craft when we return from the Thanksgiving holiday. 
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us provide the children an opportunity to experience the gift of giving to those they love so much!

As a parent of a Kindergarten child myself,  I know that there has recently been a lot of expenses.  This is the last expense for 2012.  Thank you for supporting the Kindergarten Curriculum.  

Contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Hello November!

Just look at those very happy children celebrating November! I know how much you treasure your child and I'm so thankful that you trust me with them everyday!  Our classroom is such a joyful place to learn and grow.  Mrs. Green has given Kindergarten permission to wear our pumpkin t-shirts every Tuesday in the month of November (if your child wants to...).  Older siblings must wear regular uniforms on Tuesdays.

Don't forget that Monday, November 5 is the ONLY day to purchase the grade level t-shirts for Kindergarten.  Each grade level has a different day to make a payment.

We are also collecting money for our February 6 field trip  to see Stephen Fite.  If you do not send your money in on Monday with your t-shirt order, please make sure you pay by Tuesday, November 13.  Permission slips to leave the school property will be sent home closer to the date of the concert.  The seven chaperone slots are filled for our classroom.  More may become available closer to the date.  Let me know if you are interested on being on the waiting list.

Remember that Friday is early dismissal. We are dismissing at 1:10 pm.  Please make sure you have made arrangements for your child. Enjoy starting your long weekend a few hours early.  There is no school on Monday in observance of Veteran's Day.

This week is a review week of our introduced alphabet sounds and word wall words.  In math, we will be digging deeper into understanding addition.

Classroom needs:  Please start saving empty toilet tissue rolls.  Send them in at any time.  We need them for a Christmas secret!

Nancy's Italian Ice money, poetry journals and library books are needed on Monday.  Our poem this week is about words that have multiple meanings.  Be sure to ask your child to act out the poem.  It will make you laugh.

What fun we had at the pumpkin patch!  Thank you to the moms and dads that helped me keep track of  the children.  The children did ask if we could return to the patch the next day.


The school policy on passing out birthday invitations at school is that if every child in the class, or  every girl or every boy has  an invitation then I will put them in binders. If you are having a smaller party and inviting a select few then please refer to the class directory for addresses.


We talked about Tuesday's election last week with our Scholastic News.  I encourage you to take your child to vote with you on Tuesday.  Even though I know it is much more convenient to go without them, showing your children the voting process lays the foundation of being a contributing citizen.  Our class will be excited to see who the winner of the election  is when Wednesday morning arrives.

A big thank you to  our military families, both moms and dads, who make the sacrifices to protect our freedom.   I give thanks for you everyday.  Enjoy this Veteran's Day weekend.


Upcoming dates:
11.9  Blount dismisses at 1:10 pm for teacher professional development
11.12  No school in observance of Veteran's Day
11.21-23  Thanksgiving Holidays (no school on Wed., Thurs., Fri.)

Contact me if you have any questions!

Celebrating Fall

We had so much fun celebrating friendship and spiders last Friday as we had our own version of Miss Spider's Tea Party.  Thanks to the families that helped to make it come together - either from home or assisting in the classroom.  The children thought it was a fabulous way to end the week.  Check out the smiles from our first Crafternoon.  More information will be coming soon about November's Crafternoon. 

Our field trip is Tuesday to the pumpkin patch.  Please dress your child in the yellow field trip t-shirt.  The pumpkin patch is going to be crowded and it will be easy to quickly spot Room 115 with those yellow shirts.  Check the weather because it looks like a turtle neck or a sweatshirt might be needed under the yellow shirt. Lunch was included in the price of the field trip.  We will return to the school to have snack so please don't forget to send your child's snack.

We will be investigating the letter Zz this week as in "zebra in the zoo."  Word wall words will be:  see, nine, of, he.  There will be no reading homework sheets on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.  Enjoy the fun this week brings to a child.

Towards the end of the week we will begin addition.  You  will begin to hear your child use the following vocabulary words:  add, is equal to, plus,  and pair.  The goal is for your child to understand that addition is taking two groups and putting them together to make a bigger group.  Our October calendar pages will come home on Wednesday.

Since we are experts on knowing the letters of the alphabet, we are trying to figure out the order they come in.  Try giving your child three different letters and tell him/her to put them in ABC order (the order they come in the alphabet.)  Your child may need a visual of the alphabet to do this or may be advanced in their thinking to do it by reciting the song and nothing visual.  Either way is perfectly normal.  Try it at home.  They like the challenge. 

The book fair continues until Thursday. You are invited to pop into the school and shop with your child or you can send money.  Remember to establish with your child the boundaries of items that can be purchased at a book fair because there are several novelties/toys that tend to catch a five year old's eyes. 

The poem this week will assist me in helping your child learn his/her phone number.  I imagine you will hear the song before the poetry journal comes home on Friday.  If you did not send in a phone number that you wanted your child to learn, I need that Monday morning or I will select a number from the registration card.  Please make sure the office has your current phone number in case of emergencies.  I will do my first assessment of who knows their phone number on Wednesday, November 14.

We celebrated all week of making the healthy choice to be Drug Free. We had fun with our socks, hats, shades and team jerseys.  We made a class chain of promising to be Drug Free and added it to the school chain.


Return library books, poetry journals and money if needed for Italian Ice on Monday.

With the holidays coming up and the new attendance policy this year, please make sure you contact the office in regards of pre-approving any absences.  Family trips cannot be approved after the fact.  I do not approve absences, that is handled through the office. 

Halloween is very much  on the minds of the children.  I turned the focus into a much loved class written and illustrated book.  View our costume desires.  Please help me out and check backpacks and pockets on Thursday morning to make sure candy is not being brought to school.


Don't forget to make arrangements for the early dismissal at 1:10 pm on Friday, November 9.  Also, the Just Give campaign ends this Thursday!  Thank you for supporting our school.  

Upcoming events:
10.29  Chappy's Spirit Night
10.30  Kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch
11.1  Just Give campaign ends
11.9  Blount dismisses at 1:10 pm for teacher professional development
11.12  No school in observance of Veteran's Day
11.21-23  Thanksgiving Holidays (no school on Wed., Thurs., Fri.)

Contact me with any questions or concerns.  Have a great week of saying goodbye to October and Hello November!  November will be exciting in Room 115 because our SMART board is scheduled to be installed after the Thanksgiving break!

So Begins a New Nine Weeks

To celebrate the end of the first nine weeks, Room 115 got a new seating arrangement and a new box  of crayons.  The students went from eight crayons to twenty-four.  Something about a new box of crayons makes the day brighter.  Can you believe your child's Kindergarten year is twenty-five percent over?   Time needs to slow down!

Let's clear up some attendance issues:
There will be an early release date on Friday, November 9.  All MPS schools are releasing 2 hours early for professional development. Blount will dismiss at 1:10 pm on Friday, November 9.  Contact me if you have any questions about this.

There is no school on Monday, November 12 in observance of Veteran's Day.

The Thanksgiving holiday is only three days this year.  There will be school on Monday, November 19 and Tuesday, November 20.  Thanksgiving holidays from school will  be Wednesday, November 21 - Friday, November 23.  NOTE:  The new reading log that will be in binders this week shows the Thanksgiving holiday as the entire week.  Don't use the reading log for attendance. Just remember that Thanksgiving holidays don't start until Wednesday, November 21.

This is Red Ribbon Week to celebrate being Drug Free.  The conversations in Room 115 during Red Ribbon Week will focus on keeping our bodies healthy and making healthy choices.  The school has a different theme each day this week to celebrate Red Ribbon.
 Monday:  the class will make red chains to celebrate that we are drug free.
Tuesday:  wear crazy socks and slippers to "sock it to drugs and slip into good character."
Wednesday:  wear your favorite hat to say "hats off to not using drugs."
Thursday:  wear sunglasses to demonstrate "we are too cool to do drugs."
Friday:  wear your favorite team's t-shirt/jersey to show that we "team up against drugs."

We begin a new nine weeks on Monday.  We rotate to Coach Grant so I will not be taking the children to the playground for the next three weeks.  We will continue with our 10 minute running before lunch.

This week we will be investigating the letter Ww as in "worm in a wagon."  The word wall words will be:  eight, to, do, am.  For something fun this week, try having conversations with your child as if every word begins with the letter w.  For example:  Wappy Wirthday wo wou.  Your child will laugh plus it is excellent oral language development for your child to manipulate sounds.

We've been working a lot with the number ten.  Since ten is the foundation of our number system, ten is a very important number.  Last week, we practiced and practiced making different number combinations that equal ten.  We will be revisiting this over and over again this nine weeks.


Thank you for supporting the Just Give campaign.  Please turn in all money by Thursday, November 1.  If the PTA meets their goal there will not be any fundraisers for the remainder of the year.

On Tuesday, I will send home a sheet for you to write down the phone number you want your child to learn.  I do not make the child learn the area code for local numbers but will require it for long distance numbers. Please return on Wednesday.

Monday is library day and Italian Ice for$1.00.  Please return poetry journals so that we can learn a new poem.

Last week, a spider named "Pepper" came to visit our classroom. We've been learning spider facts all month.  We would love for you to help us surprise the children with our first Crafternoon of the year this Friday, October 26.  We are celebrating the book Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk.   We have everything planned and organized.  All we need you to do is come and spend the afternoon with us from 1:45-3:00 (1:10 if you want to help us decorate.)  We ask that you smile, laugh and encourage us.  Contact me or the room parents for more information.

Report cards will be issued on Thursday at 3:10 pm.  I cannot release report cards until 3:10.

Continue to work on the reading homework sheets.  Last Wednesday I sent home a sheet on smooth blending words (not saying sound by sound but sounding out without taking a breath/pause.)  Revisit that sheet several times over the next few days.  Reading sheets should be coming home every day. Let me know if they are not making it home.  Thank you for reinforcing the learning of your beginning reader.

I snapped this photo last week from  my reading chair as I was helping a small group of beginning readers. I love that an impromptu story time was taking place - complete with an audience.   My desire is that your child leaves Kindergarten with a passion for reading. I would say that we are on our way to that goal.

Thank you for loving our classroom.  I appreciate your support. Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. 


Upcoming events:
10.25  Report cards are issued at 3:10
10.26  Rooom 115's Crafternoon  1:45-3:00
10.29  Chappy's Spirit Night
10.30  Kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch
11.1  Just Give campaign ends
11.9  Blount dismisses at 1:10 pm for teacher professional development
11.12  No school in observance of Veteran's Day
11.21-23  Thanksgiving Holidays (no school on Wed., Thurs., Fri.)

Fuzzy Wuzzy and Other Fun Times

Has the tongue twister Fuzzy Wuzzy been repeated at your house this past week?  The students of Room 115 certainly practiced this rhyme.  I heard it at lunch, on the playground, during centers and even in the bathroom.  I know some of you have been talking about tongue twisters at home because Peter Piper was shared from several students.  Tongue twisters are a fun way for beginning readers to understand language.  Enjoy this week's poetry journal and be sure to return it on Monday for next week's selection.

This week we will be discussing the letter Ss as in "spider in the soup." The word wall words are:  little,down, me, seven.  I sent out emails Friday afternoon with the results of your child's word wall word assessments from last week.  Look for the word wall list for the second nine weeks in Monday's binder.

In math, we are discussing the number 10.  Ten is an important number in our mathematical system so we will be working with the number ten and comparing it to other numbers for the next several weeks. Want to help at home...use the words greater and less than at home.  For example:  If you are playing trains, ask who has the greater number of train cars? 

Now that the weather is beginning to cool off, the sweaters have emerged.  Please label all clothing.  We have a lot of  navy blue sweaters and they tend to look the same.  Names inside the sweaters  help to locate the owner quickly.

A favorite book in our classroom is King Bidgood's in the Bathtub  written by Audrey Wood.  This week we used our schema (everything in our head that we know to be true) to make a text to self connection.  Good readers make connections with the book they are reading with their own lives.  We have a very happy display in our classroom highlighting King Bidgood and text-to-self connections.


Next week reading groups will be abbreviated as I do report card assessments.  Homework may or may not come home daily.  Keep checking binders nightly.  Thanks for supporting the learning of Room 115.  It is hard for me to believe that we are entering the ninth week of school.  It is going by so quickly. 

Nancy's Italian Ice is Monday for $1.00.  Monday is also our library day so please remind your child to pack the library book.

Starting next week, I am going to tighten up on writing our names the traditional way.  The children know that beginning Monday, I expect to only see a capital letter at the beginning.  When your child writes his/her name at home, please have the same expectations.

Field trip money is due Tuesday.  Lunch is included in the price.  It will be an enjoyable time.  There is NO limit on chaperones for this trip.  Chaperones will pay their $5.00 entrance fee at the gate.  I hope you can make it.  Please let me know if you plan to attend.

Thanks for your support of the Fall Festival.  Our class has contributed candy,  parents have volunteered for shifts and wristbands have been purchased.  I can't wait to see all of you Thursday night.  Thank you so much for supporting our school!  If you did not purchase early bird wristbands, wristbands will be available at the gate.  Don't worry about  fixing dinner, grab it at the concession stand.

As an educator I love uniforms but it is fun to watch the personalities of the children when they can dress out of uniform.  I might be biased but I think Room 115 is the best class in the school. I dearly love these children and think I'm pretty lucky that I get to spend my day with them.


Want to celebrate October with our class?  We are putting together our first "Crafternoon" of the year for Room 115.  It will be on Friday, October 26 from 1:45-3:00.  We will be doing everything the spider way.  The room parents sent out information the week before last.  Please contact me or the room parents if you are interested in helping out.

We are in the final weeks of the PTA's Just Give campaign.  I can attest that the PTA is very good stewards of the money they raise.  Their primary interest is to make sure the classrooms have what is needed for effective instruction.  The nice thing about the Just Give campaign is that every penny stays at our school. The Just Give campaign runs until November 1. Thank you supporting our school!

Upcoming events:
10.18  Blount Fall Festival 4:30 pm-7:30 pm (rain date is October 25)
10.19  The first nine weeks of Kindergarten ends
10.25  Report cards are issued at 3:10
10.26  Rooom 115's Crafternoon  1:45-3:00
10.29  Chappy's Spirit Night
10.30  Kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch
11.1  Just Give campaign ends
11.12  No school in observance of Veteran's Day


Contact me with any questions or concerns.  Hope to see you at the Fall Festival on Thursday!

Happy Learners

We had a perfect time at Lanark / the Alabama Nature Center.  The weather was amazing and the children had so much fun being outside.  The Alabama Nature Center is open to the public on the third weekend of every month.  I encourage you to take your family and enjoy this Alabama treasure.  Thanks to the parents that came to help out.  Check out the center's website:  Alabama Nature Center


Information for the next field trip will come home in Monday's binder.  There is NO limit on the number of parents that can  chaperone on our Tuesday, October 30 field trip to Dream Field's Pumpkin Patch.   If you did not turn in a background check form earlier then please ask for one and I will send it home.  Background checks have to be completed and approved before a parent can attend a field trip.   The field trip price includes the bus ride, a pumpkin, a picnic lunch and all the activities at Dream Field's.  Contact me if you have any questions about our next field trip once you  get the paper work.

Thursday is individual school picture day.  The children DO NOT have to dress in uniform but they most adhere to dress code standards  (no spaghetti straps, no sandals).

We participated in Walk to School Day.  With the location of our school it is almost impossible to walk to school but that didn't keep us from celebrating.  Movement is great stimulation for the brain so we participated with great excitement.


This is fire prevention week.  We will be discussing fire safety and doing a few related activities.  Use this opportunity to discuss fire safety in the home.

This is a review week for letter sounds and word wall words.  Practice your child's weak areas.  I will begin assessing word wall words on Wednesday.  To get full credit, the word wall words need to be read instantly and accurately,  I will email you by Friday night with the results of your child's word wall word assessment.

I'm going to use this review week to introduce some new thinking strategies for good readers.  You might hear your child start to use the word schema.  Schema is everything you know in your head to be true (your background / previous knowledge).  Schema helps you to understand what you read/hear.  I'm sure you will hear the word schema by the end of the week so I wanted you to be prepared to carry on the conversation with your child once the word becomes part of the vocabulary.

In math, we are representing and comparing numbers up to ten.  In the next few weeks, we will be using the words:  pair (set of two), greater, less, match (one to one correspondence) and the number 10.  Since 10 is the foundation of our number system, we are going to be spending a lot of time on activities that allows the children to be able to picture 10 and relate it to other numbers to 10.

Nancy's Ice is Monday for $1.00.  If you are having a difficult time remembering Monday is Italian Ice, you can prepay for several weeks at a time.  I will let you know when you  are running low on Italian Ice money.  Return library books and poetry journals on Monday too.


Our poem last week was a perfect way to introduce fall and the leaves falling off trees one by one.  We made our own fall leaves with the trick of  no scissors being allowed.  The only way to make our trees were to tear with our fingers.  Tearing little pieces of paper is great for strengthening fingers and improving fine motor skills.

Our poem this week is a tongue twister.  Tongue twisters, poems and songs are wonderful ways to help your beginning reader.  In the teacher world, we call these activities oral language development.  At this age, you want your child to be talking!  Talking allows your child to manipulate our English language.  Talking allows them to make sense of how words are put together, learn about correct verb tenses and improves vocabulary.  So encourage talking, rhyming, singing, silly words and reading out loud to your child.  Look at the silliness we had last week, acting out the Itsy Bitsy Spider with a simple puppet.  Enjoy this time of incredible learning opportunities with your child.

Information came out last week  from the room parents about Room 115's first "Crafternoon" of the year on Friday, October 26.  Our theme is centered around the book  "Miss Spider's Tea Party" by David Kirk.  I hope you can assist the room mothers as we put together a fun way to spend the last hour of the day on Friday, October 26.  If you did not get the email or a flyer then please contact  the room parents.  We want to make sure our system of communication is reaching you.

Upcoming Events
10.10  Room 115 Word Wall Words assessment
10.11 Fall Picture Day
10:11  Early Bird wristband sales end for the Blount Fall Festival
10.11  Spirit Night at Flip's
10.18  Blount Fall Festival 4:30 pm-7:30 pm (rain date is October 25)
10.26  Rooom 115's Crafternoon  1:45-3:00
10.29  Chappy's Spirit Night
10.30  Kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch
11.1  Just Give campaign ends

The Just Give campaign is in full force!  You can continue to send in money until November 1.  Thank you for supporting our school!

Contact me with any questions or concerns.  Thanks for sharing your treasure with me so that Room 115 can be one of the happiest places I know!

A New Month and Our First Field Trip

Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you for supporting our school!  It was announced on Friday that our class had the most participation at Chappy's for spirit night.  The kids were so excited to hear our name over the intercom  (intercom messages are a big deal for Kindergarten!)  I won a gift card to Chappy's so my family thanks you too!

Friday was fun as we concluded our investigation on the letter Mm with Mickey/Minnie Mouse items.  Everywhere you looked Mickey and Minnie were hanging out in our classroom!


This week the letter will be "Rr" as in rooster on the roof.  The word wall words will be: six, look, they, all.   I will begin testing word wall words (all 24 words) on Wednesday, October 10.  Word wall words must be read instantly and accurately upon sight.

In math, we are working with the numbers 6-9.  We are making sets and beginning to lay the foundation for addition. This week we will begin new calendar pages for the month of October.

The highlight of this week will be our field trip  to the Alabama Nature Center on Thursday.  Be sure your child eats breakfast on Thursday morning because we will be doing a lot of walking before it is time to eat lunch.  I've already turned in lunch orders for those students purchasing a sack lunch from the cafeteria.  If you are sending a lunch from home, please send it in a brown bag so that we do not have to keep up with lunchboxes.  Field trip t-shirts will be sent home this week.  Please dress your child in the field trip t-shirt for all field trips.  The students may wear jeans/shorts on the field trip.

Our poem last week was about the five senses.  The Alabama Nature Center will be helping us learn how to use our five senses while in nature.  We are getting quite the collection of poems in our poetry journal.  Did you notice how we labeled a picture in our journal this week? We know that good readers can read labels.

Don't forget that Monday is library day and Italian Ice (for $1.00).  To clear up any confusion:  I only collect juice/snack and Italian Ice money on Mondays.  You can send PTA money, lunch money, field trip money in any day of the week.

Book order forms were sent home last Friday.  You may order online with the link to the right (class code GL88R) or send in a check (payable to Scholastic).  Book orders are due Friday, October 5.  

Information went home last week about the Blount Fall Festival on Thursday,October 18.  It is a nice way to celebrate fall. My family loves the fall festival.  Get the early bird specials on wristband sales.  T-shirts can be ordered until Friday, October 5 for $12.  I found a flyer for a t-shirt that never made it home.  If you did not get information on a Fall Festival t-shirt,let me know and I will resend it.   Wristbands will cost more at the gate so get your order in at early bird prices.

Our schedule was all off last Friday so we decided to have a picnic lunch outside.  Some days you just have to go with the flow of the unexpected.  We even had a couple of parents join us for lunch.  Our lunch time is 10:40-11:05.  You do not need to give us any notice.  Just sign in the at the office and join our  line.


Upcoming Dates:
10.4  Kindergarten Field Trip Alabama Nature Center/Lanark  (Prattville) - wear field trip t-shirts
10.5  Book orders due (optional)
10.5  Deadline for Fall Festival t-shirt order
10.10  Room 115 Word Wall Words assessment
10.11 Fall Picture Day
10:11  Early Bird wristband sales end for the Blount Fall Festival
10.18  Blount Fall Festival4:30 pm-7:30 pm
11.1  Just Give campaign ends

The Just Give campaign is off to to a great start!  You can continue to send in money until November 1.  Thank you for supporting our school!

Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Goodbye Summer...Hello Fall

As we transition into fall this week, we leave summer behind.  We are heavily into the swing of Kindergarten.  Reading groups have started, we are becoming experts on the numbers up to five and we work hard at being a kind friend.  Fall will be busy and fun, so hang on.

On Friday, we made self portraits with construction paper, glue and scissors.  They wanted to use their crayons but I told them it was a no crayon assignment.  We learned that just because something looks hard, doesn't mean that we shouldn't give it a try. They were very proud of their hard.  Look at the happy faces (real and paper) from Room 115. 

In Friday's binder, you received a status report of your child's knowledge of the word wall words (sight words) introduced to date.  Here is a link for ideas to help with word wall word practice word wall word practice at home.  I will test word wall words on Wednesday, October 10 for report cards.  Remember word wall words must be read instantly (no hesitating) and accurately. 

Friday's binder also had the results of your child's reading group test from Friday.  Homework reading sheets come home everyday.  Make sure you practice, practice and practice.  Reading homework sheets do not need to be returned.

This week we will be investigating the letter "Mm"  as in "monkey on a mountain."  The sight words for the week are:  five, go, so, no.  To celebrate the letter Mm, we will  have a Mickey/Minnie Mouse day on Friday, September 28.  Bring any kind of item of Mickey or Minnie Mouse to school on Friday.  Do not go out and purchase an item.  Google Mickey/Minnie Mouse coloring sheets and print one out if you are in a bind.  Do not let this assignment stress you.  Items will return home on Friday.

In Math, we will finish comparing numbers up to five on Tuesday.  Later in the week, we will begin representing, counting and writing numbers 6 to 9.  Pull out that letter formation sheet from our small meeting and help your child at home with writing numerals.  It is common for this age to see reversals in number writing.  We are working on it in the classroom and with help at home, numeral writing will look like the conventional way.   We are going to play lots of games to help us to recognize numbers/ number sets quickly.  Check out the fun we had with dice. 

Last week our poetry journal was full of rhyming words. We are becoming experts at rhyming. Be sure to return the journal on Monday and look for a new poem (actually it is going to be a song) in Friday's book bag. 

Friday's binder will have the calendar pages we have worked with  during the month of September.  There will be a note attached as to how to talk to your child about the calendar pages at home.  Calendar pages do not need to be returned to school.

Don't forget that Monday is our library day and Nancy's Italian Ice.  Also, the Just Give campaign is in full force plus don't forget to send in our upcoming field trip form/payment.  Thank you so much for supporting our school!

Classroom needs:  dry erase markers (they were left off the supply list) and cap erasers.  

There are so many things in our classroom to explore.   One curious friend found a box of glasses one morning before school started.  Funny glasses are so much fun to play with.  What a happy way to start the day! 

Email me with any questions or concerns you have.  Thanks for supporting the learning of our classroom.

Upcoming Events:
9.27  Spirit Night at Chappy's 
9.28  Bring a Mickey or a Minnie Mouse item to Room 115
9.28  Box Top collection day
10.4  Kindergarten Field Trip Alabama Nature Center/Lanark  (Prattville)
10.11 Fall Picture Day
10.18  Blount Fall Festival
11.1  Just Give campaign ends

We're Going To Make You Smile....

The days are zooming by.  How amazing that we have been a school family for four weeks now! It was so much fun wearing a hat to school all day on Friday.  We made people smile as we walked throughout the school. I bet you are going to smile as you check out this slideshow.  What a happy, happy place Room 115 is to work and play.


This week we will be investigating the letter "Kk" as in "kid in a kayak."  The word wall words are:  you, three, pink, four.  I will do a quick check of word wall words this week to monitor progress.  I will send home a letter by Friday to let you know how your child did.  Remember that word wall words need to be read instantly and accurately upon sight.  Practice the word wall words daily.

In math, we will be comparing sets and using the vocabulary words:  compare, the same, greater and less.  We will be comparing sets up to five.  Use the vocabulary words at home in your daily living to reinforce what we are learning in class. Check out this slideshow that shows how  hard we work during math. 


Reading homework will begin on Tuesday.  Look for it in the white notebook.  Reading homework does not need to be returned.  Keep it at home and use it for more practice.

Baseline reading assessment scores will be sent home on Monday.  This test was administered on the computer the third week of school. You do not need to return the form. I have a copy of your  child scores.  Your child will take this test two more times this school year.

If you even think there is a remote chance that you will chaperone on a field trip this year, please return the background check form that went home on Wednesday.  We need those to be on file with security checks cleared before we start going on field trips.  One form can be turned in  for multiple siblings.  Please let me know if you have turned in your form with an older child.

Also, please return the Just Give form stating if you are able to participate or not participate in the campaign.  You do not have to turn in your money at this time, just the form that says you will be participating.  Our class will receive incentives if every one returns that form.  If you have any questions about the campaign you can ask me or any PTA board member. 

It was exciting to visit with published author/illustrator Michelle Nelson-Schmidt.  She talked about how important it is to find a magical place in your heart to to do the things that you love.  Our class already loves books, so it was very appropriate to listen to a person who writes/illustrates books for a living.



Don't forget that Mondays are a busy place for Room 115:  library day, Italian Ice for $1.00, and return poetry journals.

 I tell the children that one of the things that good readers do is make connections.  I've been modeling for them how sometimes when you read a book, it makes you think of another book. Listen and encourage your child when he mentions connections when reading books with you. 

Another thing we do in Room 115 is like to rhyme.  Rhyming is part of learning how to read.  Encourage your child to rhyme at home.  It is a fun game that at times can become silly.  It is perfectly normal for your child to make up "nonsense" rhyming words.  That just means your child understands rhyming and can hear the  parts of words that sound the same.  So don't discourage  made up rhyming words. Just laugh and keep on rhyming.

Last week, we began working with dry erase boards and markers for dictation.  It is amazing how a marker and a board like the one the teacher has, can make a child feel big.  Dry erase markers were left off the supply list.  Please send in a pack of dry erase markers within the next three weeks. 

On Friday, we started a behavior system where every child has a card with the opportunity to earn twenty punches for appropriate behavior.  Your child is expected to keep up with his punch card.  Once a card is full of twenty punches, your child may read our behavior notebook and make one selection  from the book to participate in.  This system works on making appropriate classroom choices and self control.  Part of Kindergarten is understanding there is consequences (good and bad) for the choices we make.  Please know that I will contact you if there is a behavior issue that I feel like you need to be aware of.  Punches are not given out freely; you have to be demonstrating self control and appropriate school behavior.  Thanks for trusting me with your child.

Upcoming Events:
9.27  Spirit Night at Chappy's 
9.28  Box Top collection day
10.4  Kindergarten Field Trip Alabama Nature Center/Lanark  (Prattville)
10.11 Fall Picture Day
10.18  Blount Fall Festival

I will be out of the classroom on Monday beginning at 11:30.  The kindergartener that lives at my house has an appointment with the orthopedic doctor for her broken wrist.   I have an excellent substitute so the children will not miss a beat.

Thank you for supporting the learning of Room 115.  Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.