Off To A Great Start

I'm sure the most important thing for you right now is to see the members who make up Room 114.  Here they are!  I'm a very lucky teacher that I get to spend my days with these smart, funny, curious and kind children.

Did you find your child's poetry journal in his backpack on Friday?  The poetry journal comes home every Friday and needs to be returned every Monday.  Our poem last week was celebrating the opening of school! Look on the inside cover of the book for a letter from me on how to use the journal each weekend.

We will visit the library on Monday.  Check bookbags for the book your child checked out and read it all week. At this point in the year, the children will go to the library only once a week.  You may keep the book at home to read and reread all week.

Monday will begin the selling of Nancy's Italian Ice for $1.00.  You may also purchase juice/snack from school.  Look in the take home binder for a letter detailing more information about these optional purchases. 

Thank you for being so quick about turning in paperwork last week.  Your promptness allows me to  focus on instruction.  Please return the background check form if you plan to attend any field trips or volunteer in the classroom. 


We will continue to focus on procedures this week.  A big part of this week will be focusing on my behavior management system. I do not send home a daily conduct sheet.  If there is a problem, I will contact you.  I will go into further detail on Room 114's cluster meeting on Thursday, September 12.  Here is a quick snapshot to tie you over until then.  For the next week and a half, Room 114 will be defining and practicing the life skills of being  helpful, careful, respectful, responsible and patient.  These skills tie into my behavior plan.  Each night I will send home a sheet detailing the life skill we discussed in class.  There will be an optional homework assignment that you can do at home that night revolving around the life skill.  You do not need to return the sheet or even let me know if you completed.  It is just an activity to help you reinforce what your child is doing in the classroom.  To make all this life skill information "special" to the children, there is a kangaroo involved.  Last Friday, each child got a Kangaroo and had the chance to make a habitat  "pocket" for it.  Life skills and Kangaroos will make sense at the cluster meeting.

We spent time investigating the classroom last week.  We had Discovery Time with our math manipulative, We  worked on oral language development with dramatic play.  We practiced retelling with puppets.  We learned to correctly use our supplies and keep them organized.  We learned that Room 114 is a safe place where we are friends to all and always to do our best.  The slideshow below shows all that hard in action.


We are doing a great job with our lunchroom procedures.  Give us one more week of learning before joining us for lunch.  You are invited to join Room 114 for lunch starting Tuesday, September 3.  Thank you for packing snack in a different bag than lunch.

Please remember to label all money in envelopes.

Last week, I read a lot of books to the children. I am laying down the foundation that being a life long reader is the way to be!  I modeled for the children how you don't have to wait to know how to read to read books.  I "read" them the wordless picture book to the left, "Tuesday by David Wiesner" by just looking at the pictures and using my imagination for the words.  Try it at home.

We began to classify books by nonfiction (true story) and fiction (make believe.)  I also pointed out that when good readers read/hear a story, sometimes  it reminds them of something they are already know.  That is called making connections.  Several of you commented to me last week that your child was using the word connections at home. 

I encourage you to join the Blount PTA for $5.00 per membership.  The Blount PTA does an excellent job of supporting the needs of the school.  I also encourage you to volunteer with them.  They can use as many hours (a few or a lot) that you have available.  A major reason our school is so successful is the parental support that is given to it.  Thank you for your support.


We ended the first week of Kindergarten with a painting activity involving recycled cardboard box pieces, Q-tips and paint. Who says art supplies need to be expensive?  These suns are reflections of the bright year that is store for Room 114.  Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.  Hope to see you at Mugshots this week for Blount Spirit Night.

Upcoming Events:
8.28  Spirit Night at Mugshots Restaurant
9.2:  No school in observance of Labor Day
9.10  PTA General Membership meeting
9.12  Cluster Meeting for Room 114:  choose either 5:30 pm or 7:00 pm to attend. No children please.
9.27  Box Top collection day
10.8  Fall Picture Day
10.17  Blount Fall Festival

An Extraoridinary Gift

The classroom is ready and waiting for your child. Monday begins the wonderful world of Room 114.  It is one of my favorite places in the world.  We are going to have a fantastic time working and playing together. Did you notice on Monday night how the walls of the classroom were mostly bare?  I've been waiting for the children to come so that Room 114 will become their classroom.  Just wait and watch as the magic of learning turns our classroom walls into a very happy, safe and hard working space.

You have given me an extraordinary gift by allowing me to be your child's teacher.  I will work long and hard to make my instruction worthy of your child.  
This is going to be a long post so get comfortable.  I promise that the posts will become shorter as the year progresses.

School begins on Monday, August 19.  The school day is from 8:10-3:10.  Children can begin entering the  classroom starting at 7:50.  

Monday morning you are invited to  walk your child down to our classroom.  Take the pictures you need for your scrapbook/facebook/grandma.  Give a happy kiss goodbye and then quickly/quietly leave.  I can promise you that I will take very good care of your child.  Visit the library for Boo Hoo/Woo Hoo.  Meet the parents of the PTA and enjoy some coffee (and tissues if needed).  They are a wonderful group of parents that support our school tremendously.  They always need help:  whether you have a lot or a little time to spare!  After Monday, you will drop your child off at the front door of the school.  Don't worry, we have teachers on duty to help anyone who needs assistance finding the classroom.

After the first day of school,children can be dropped off  beginning at 7:30.  They will stay in the lunchroom (sitting quietly) until 7:50 when they can enter the classrooms. 

For this week only, please send a juice and snack from home.  If you would like to purchase juice/snack from the school, I will begin collecting juice/snack money on Monday, August 26.
 
You will receive a large packet of information on Monday.  These are important papers that need to be filled out. Please return the required information as soon as possible so that I can focus on instruction instead of paperwork.

On Tuesday, I will send home an information sheet about your child.  Since you  are your child's first (and most important) teacher, I take the information you give me very seriously.  Please use this opportunity to let me know all about your child so that I can meet his/her needs.  Don't forget to fill out the backside of the sheet.

Your child has been assigned a lunch number.  I will send it home on a slip of paper located in the money pouch inside the white binder on Monday.  Don't stress about learning the number by Tuesday.  Just practice it.  Even if your child will be bringing a lunch from home, still learn the number because it will be used for computer purposes.

Look in Monday's take home binder for a reading log.  MPS requires every student to read (or be read to) for 20 minutes five nights a week.  (At the McDevitt house, we read at least 20 minutes a night SEVEN nights a week.)  Use the reading log daily and  initial that reading is being done at your house.

Our lunch time is 10:40-11:05.  Please wait until after Labor Day to join us for lunch.  It takes us about two weeks to learn the routines.  Hot lunches can be purchased for $1.75.  Milk is included in that price. Your child can purchase a milk for $.35 to accompany a lunch from home.  Remember to label all containers and lunch boxes.  Breakfast is served starting at 7:30 for $1.00. You will be notified in writing when your child's lunch account is getting low on money. 

Please label ALL money in separate envelopes. 

Remember to have PATIENCE for carpool for the first couple of weeks.  It does take a while at the beginning but I can promise you that it gets better. To make things go a little bit quicker, make a sign with your child's first and last name and my name.  Place the sign in the driver's side window.   Just remember PATIENCE!  Please return your child's transportation hat each day this week.

In Friday's book bag, you will find a composition notebook that is labeled Poetry Journal.  This will come home every Friday.  On the inside cover, I have written a note as to how to use the Poetry Journal with your child.  Please return the Poetry Journal every Monday.  Poems are a fun, quick way to improve reading skills.

On Fridays only, the children may wear jeans and their Blount spirit wear.  The only day you can wear the Blount t-shirt is on Fridays.  Blount spirit wear can be purchased through the PTA.  If you  do not have a Blount t-shirt, then you can still wear jeans and a regular uniform top.

I do NOT send home a daily conduct sheet.  I will explain my philosophy of classroom discipline at our cluster meeting on September 12.  If there is ever a problem I will contact you immediately.


Look to the right of the blog and you will see Shelfari.  Our class will be exposed to many excellent books.  I will post three of our favorite books from the week on the Shelfari so that you can know the good books we enjoying in the classroom. 


Kindergarten is a LONG day.  Do not become anxious if your child does not immediately talk about his/her school day.  Be patient and let your child unwind.  Dinner time or bed time is common for conversations to begin to emerge. Just be encouraging, loving and patient.

Thank you so much for sharing your greatest treasure with me.  I know it is difficult to turn your child over to another person for seven hours a day.  But I know that Kindergarten is a very joyous place and your child is going to love learning and love school.  Thank you for supporting Room 114 and Blount Elementary.  Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. I'm so excited to be your child's teacher!

Upcoming events:
8.19:  First Day of School and Boo Hoo/Woo Hoo in the library at 8:10

8.23  Turn in money for Scholastic News, Creative Hands and Kindergarten Field trip t-shirts
8.28  Spirit Night at Mugshots Restaurant
9.2:  No school in observance of Labor Day
9.10  PTA General Membership meeting
9.12  Cluster Meeting for Room 114:  choose either 5:30 pm or 7:00 pm to attend. No children please.
9.27  Box Top collection day
10.8  Fall Picture Day
10.17  Blount Fall Festival

It Is Almost That Time!

Happy End of Summer!

There is a new family orientation on Friday, August 9 at 6:00 PM.

Kindergarten Meet the Teacher night is Monday, August 12 at 6:00 PM.  You will have the opportunity to meet your child's teacher, drop off the supplies and investigate the classroom.  We will move to the lunchroom  for a meeting about procedures and surviving the first week of Kindergarten. 

The first day of school is Monday, August 19.  School hours are 8:10-3:10.  

It is going to be a great year at Blount!  Hope to see you soon!