A Busy Time

In case  you are wishing you could turn back time and have Spring Break over again, here are photos from our St. Patrick's Day Crafternoon (link for photos ).  View them and pretend that these photos were taken yesterday and Spring Break is upcoming.  I hope the families of Room 114  had a wonderful week off.  I'm looking forward to hearing all the adventures that took place while we were away from one another.  

Prepare yourself that the next eight weeks of school moves at a fast pace.  Here are some dates to keep things organized for you.

Friday, April 18 will be Room 114's Spring Egg Hunt @ 11:30.  I need four parents to volunteer to help take children around the school on a Scavenger Hunt.  I also need an additional three parents to help "hide" the eggs.  Let me know if you are available to assist with this activity.  I will send home more information about our Spring Egg Hunt later this week.

Thursday, April 24 is Field Day for grades K-3.  Coach Grant will be asking for volunteers  to run the different stations.  Often parents will sign up for a one hour shift and spend the remainder hour cheering on Room 114 as we rotate.    In the past,  our time for field day has been in the morning as soon as the school day begins.

Thursday, May 1 is Kindergarten's  all day field trip to the zoo.

Friday, May 2 is Room 114's final Crafternoon with a Cinco de Mayo theme.  Set up begins at 1:00 and the children return at 1:30.  More information about our Crafternon will be sent closer to the date.

Friday, May 23 is the Kindergarten Celebration in the lunchroom at 9:00 AM.  We will have a celebration of Room 114 immediately following the Kindergarten Celebration.  You should be able to be back at work by 11:00 AM.  

Thursday, May 29 is the last day of school for students.


Even though the end may be in sight, learning takes place in Room 114 until May 29 at 3:10. Continue to do the daily 20 minutes of reading and keep consistent bedtimes.  Also, remind your child to be helpful, gentle, respectful, trustworthy, and responsible at school every day and all day long.

 In reading this week, we will continue to talk about the letter Ee.   We are learning the short and long sounds for the letter Ee.  We are also learning the letters "ee" and "ea" can make the long e sound.  The poem a couple of weeks ago was an excellent jump start on this concept.  Be sure our poetry journal  is returned to school on Monday and look for it in book bags on Friday.  The high frequency words for this week are:  from, here, go.



We are going to slow down in math this week and concentrate on understanding that the number in the teens involve a group of ten plus some more ones.  I will assess this chapter early next week and then we focus on counting, ordering, and writing numbers up to 100.  The tricky numbers are the ones I call the  "what comes next numbers" of 29, 39, 49, 59, 69, 79, 89, and 99.  March calendar pages come home this week as we celebrate the beginning of a new month. 

This sweet special person of the week has been very patient as we attempted to celebrate her.  We had the interruptions of snow one week and then illness another week and finally we were successful!  Room 114 always works so hard on the special person's book.  Enjoy  the photos of Special Person #15.

For the last grading period, I would like it if each child was taking at least 2 AR tests per week.  If you missed the handout on getting email notifications about your chid's AR test, please email me and I will resend the information.  Next time you are in the building, check out all the aviator signs outside our classroom door announcing point club statuses. 


Mixed Bag orders are due on Tuesday.  Early Bird prices for the yearbook ends this Friday.  The library is preparing for a book fair.  I will send out more information about the book fair once I receive it. 

Nancy's Italian Ice will be tomorrow for $1.00.

Thanks for all that you do for Room 114 and the school.  You are appreciated!  Contact me with any questions or concerns.

The Beginning of the End

Ooops!  I forgot my camera at school so no photos in this entry.  I know the photos are your favorite part and I'm very sorry.  So I thought as we begin the final grading period of Kindergarten, I would share a photo from the first month of school and you can see the physical changes. I see them, do you?   I wish time would move at a snail's pace for the remainder of the year.  I'm not very good at endings.

Please tell any neighbors/friends with children entering Kindergarten for the 2014-15 school year that the Kindergarten Open House at Blount is Monday, March 18 at 5:00 pm. 

Send money envelopes and waivers for Jump Rope for Heart in on Tuesday.  If you received donations on-line, you will need to print out a donation report to include in your money envelope.  Go to your child's donation page, click on the HQ tab.  There will be a turquoise tab in the middle of the page labeled "view/print my donation report."  Print out the report and insert in the money envelope.    Send in money on Tuesday and the official day for Jump Rope for Heart will be on Wednesday.

Monday is Nancy's Italian Ice for $1.00.  Return library books and poetry journals on Monday.

Don't forget that yearbooks are on sale.  Also, you can place an advertisement/message in the yearbook.  The PTA has a Mixed Bag fundraiser going on at the moment.  Thank you for supporting our school.

In reading, we will be working with the letter Ee.  We will learn both the short and long sound of Ee.  Our high frequency words are:  here, go, from.  There will be a new reading information sheet in binders on Monday.  There will also be a new reading log.

In math, we will be working with numbers 11-20.  We are also strengthening our our addition and subtraction skills to know them fluently.

Thursday is spring picture day.  The children may dress out of uniform but no sandals, spaghetti straps, tank tops, etc....


Thanks for a wonderful Crafternoon!  The children had a wonderful time.  Thanks to the parents who came to help in the classroom and thanks to the families that supported the Crafternoon by supplying snacks/supplies.  Room 114 is well loved. I will try to update the blog  early in the week with photos from the Crafternoon. 

Don't forget to send $5.00 for a very special end of the year secret for the families of Room 114.  Please send it in by Thursday.  This is was NOT included in the Kindergarten expenses from the beginning of the school year. 

Report cards will be issued on Thursday at 3:10.

Have a wonderful Spring Break!  Enjoy the freedom that comes to families when there is no school schedule. School returns on Monday, March 31!

Contact me with any questions or concerns

Upcoming events:

3.18  Turn in money for Jump Rope for Heart 3.19 Jump Rope for Heart during our specialist time

3.20  Spring picture day - may dress out of uniform.

3.20 report cards issued
3.24-3.28  Spring Break
4.18:  School in session due to weather make up day / Room 114's Spring Egg Hunt

5.23:  Kindergarten Program followed by a Room 114 Celebration @ 9:00  

An Unexpected Substitute, Report Card Testing, A Field Trip and A Crafternoon

The title of this entry sums up our week!  Reading groups and math instruction will be abbreviated as I assess for report cards this week.

We have a quick field trip to the Art Museum on Thursday morning.  We will see a puppet show and view a piece of art.  Please be sure to dress your member of Room 114 in his/her yellow field trip t-shirt.

We had so much fun last Friday celebrating books. The children had so much fun being dressed up. Remember that big imaginations lead to great problem solvers. Thanks for the great parade turnout.  There is nothing better than having a big cheering section on your side. Enjoy these precious photos from the day of the  Character Book Parade.

An email went out Sunday evening updating information for Friday's St. Patrick Day themed Crafternoon.  Come at 1:00 to help get the classroom ready.  Or join us at 1:30 when the children return for all the fun.  Thank you to all of you for making this a fun afternoon for the children.  If you are coming for the Crafternoon, remember to park your car in the carpool lane so that you can be one of the first Blount families to start your weekend!

In reading, we will be investigating the letter Gg.  Our high frequency words are:  one, two, three, four, five.   Be sure to review the blends from last week.  There was a lot of information introduced last week in reading.

In math, we will begin to talk about numbers 11-20. The focus of this chapter is for the students to realize these numbers are a group of ten plus more.  This lays the foundation for place value in the next grade levels.  We continue to practice daily our addition and subtraction skills.

Due to a large number of absences during the week we celebrated a very special young lady, we postponed writing her book until last week.  We are fortunate that we get to work with her every single school day.  Here is a link for Special Person #13.

Class photos were in binders on Friday.  I hope they made it home safe and sound.  

We will be participating in Jump Rope for Heart on Wednesday, March 19.  Do not send any money in until Tuesday, March 18,  If you have raised at least $5.00, then send in the coupon stating  funds have been raised.  Coach Grant has prizes on hand to distribute when those coupons come in.  The children will be participating in Jump Rope for Heart during our specialist time on  March 19.

We celebrated this special young man last week.  His dad gave us a very impressive speed reading of Green Eggs and Ham.  It has been so much fun having our parents visit our classroom.  Thanks for rearranging your schedules to accommodate the school day.  Here is a link for Special Person #14

It is Spirit Night all day long on Thursday at Cuco's on Chantilly Parkway.  Just tell them you are from Blount and proceeds from your meal will be donated to our schoo

Here is a slide show of photos taken from the entire week of Read Across America.  I hope there is always a good book close at hand in your child's life, even in adulthood.
Read Across America

Upcoming Events:

3.13  Kindergarten Field Trip to the Art Museum (wear yellow field trip t-shirts) 
3.13  Spirit Day at Cuco's all day long
3.14 Room 114's March Crafternoon  @ 1:30  (Come at 1:00 to set up)
3.18  Turn in money for Jump Rope for Heart
3.19 Jump Rope for Heart during our specialist time
3.24-3.28  Spring Break
4.18:  School in session due to weather make up day 

5.23:  Kindergarten Program followed by a Room 114 Celebration @ 9:00  

Contact me with any questions or concerns

Hello March!

Classroom Need:  Each student needs to bring in one empty toilet tissue roll by Thursday.  

Nancy's Italian Ice is Monday for $1.00.

The poem last week is a favorite of mine as you can see your child's thinking.  It took us two days to do that poem and the students were so shocked to find out the real identity of the pet.  Return poetry journals on Monday for a new poem. 

In Monday's binder look for a permission slip for a field trip to the Montgomery Art Museum on Thursday, March 13.  This  field trip is sponsored by MPS so there is no cost involved.  It is free!  Parents are not needed on this field trip.  We literally exit the bus into the auditorium of the museum.  We will see a puppet show.  After the puppet show, we view ONE piece of art.  Then it is time to return to the bus.  There is not room in the auditorium for parents. I can assure you the students are safe and accounted for.  All that is required of you is for you to sign and return the permission slip and make sure we are dressed in our yellow field trip t-shirt on March 13.

This week in reading we are learning blends.  We will learn beginning and ending blends.  I am going to send home extra homework starting on Tuesday.  Look for blending homework on Tuesday, Wednesday,  and Thursday of this week.  High Frequency Words:  one, two, three, four, five.

In math, we are working with subtraction and understanding that subtraction is the opposite of addition.  We are learning to read number sentences and identify if we are adding or subtracting.  Look for February calendar pages in Monday's binder.

The missing camera was found under a cushion last week. So here is a very happy photo album Super Hero - Stephen Fite Field Trip  (click on the link) of some outstanding super heroes - very much worth the wait.  These set of photos make me smile.  Just shows how important dramatic play is in early childhood education!

Another missing group of photos was the making of our Valentine Mailboxes.  A lot of thought and love went into those very important mailboxes.  It was like a heart explosion erupted in the classroom. Here is the making of Valentine's Mailboxes

 This special person of the week has waited patiently while the camera was missing.  Thankful for the life skill of  patience!   Each time this mom comes to visit Room 114, one member of our class always comes up to me at some point and quietly whispers  (or maybe in a regular voice says) "I like the way she talks!"  Check out Special Person #13


March 3 - March 7 is Read Across America Week.  Our school  has several events planned .  Use this as a guide to keep track of the events.

Monday, March 3:  DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time at some point during the day.  Everyone will take a break from  learning and read for 30 minutes.   Your child can bring some books from home if he/she wants to.  Just make sure it is not a sentimental book because accidents do happen and that all books are labeled.  We will spread out in our classroom and use our nap mats for personal space. 

Tuesday, March 4th:  Crazy Socks Day (wear crazy socks in honor of Dr. Seuss.)  Dr. Seuss' birthday was March 2 so there is an emphasis on Dr. Seuss during American Education Week.

Wednesday, March 5th:  Volunteers can come into the classroom to read to Room 114.  I can probably  accommodate your schedule, so let me know if you want to read to us. We are a book loving class!

Thursday, March 6th: Silly Hat Day - again this is in honor of Dr. Seuss. Don't have a silly hat then a regular hat will do.  NOTE:  Room 114 will  NOT be sharing hats for obvious reasons.

Friday, March 7:  Character Parade at 2:00 PM.  Students will dress up as a favorite character from a BOOK.  Students will need a sign with the character name and book.    Don't stress about the sign:  Write it down on poster paper and attach a ruler to carry.  Or write it on paper and attach a ribbon and wear it around your neck. You can bring the book too.

This is a sweet parade and you are invited to attend.  The parade STARTS at 2:00 pm.  Meet in the lunchroom.  Get there in enough time to sign in at the office.  The lunchroom will start allowing parents in at 1:30.  The entire school will parade across the stage.   Wait until the parade is over and come back to Room 114 and we will be dressed for some class photos.

March book order forms will be in Monday's binder.  Book orders are optional.  If you order on-line, use code GL88R.  Money and orders are due  by Friday, March 7.  

Contact me with any questions or concerns.

Upcoming Dates:

3.7  Character Book Parade @ 2:00 
3.13  Kindergarten Field Trip to the Art Museum (wear yellow field trip t-shirts) - no chaperones
3.14 Room 114's March Crafternoon  @ 1:30  (Come at 1:00 to set up)
3.24-3.28  Spring Break
4.18:  School in session due to weather make up day 

5.23:  Kindergarten Program followed by a Room 114 Celebration @ 9:00