The Most Difficult Entry to Write

I thought you would like to see how the family portraits were made.  It all started with a blank canvas, some shapes and very important people who live in the hearts of the children of Room 114.  Click here to see how a secret is made!

The "self portrait" puppets were fun to make and play with.  Remember that puppets are an excellent tool for storytelling. Check out the mess, the fun and the play we had with our puppets right here.

 We celebrated another special person last week.  This young man is always happy and his happiness is contagious!  Check out his sharing of his photos right here.


Nancy's Italian Ice will be on sale for $1.00 on Tuesday.

Report cards will be issued on Thursday at 3:10.  If your child will not be at school on Thursday, please send a stamped self addressed envelope to school so that the report card can be mailed to you.

I will send home all school supplies on Wednesday.  Book bags do not need to be brought to school on Thursday.

We will be making a special project for Dad.  It will come home on Thursday.  You can save the project for Father's Day or go ahead and celebrate dad on Thursday night.

My oldest daughter is in the 4th grade play that has a  Tuesday afternoon performance.  I will be leaving work at 11:30 so that I can help the fourth grade.  There will be a substitute in Room 114 for Tuesday afternoon.  I will return Wednesday morning.

 The Andy Warhol inspired pop art hand displays will go home on Wednesday afternoon.  I love to look at those hand prints and imagine how they will touch the touch the future.  Click here to see photos from the beginning of school and from the last few weeks.  The physical change is obvious!




Now comes the most difficult part to write.  Thank you so much for supporting our classroom!  Your words, your time, sharing your child with me and your generosity to send items in are overwhelming.  You have made my job easier and I'm sad we can't all move to first grade together as a unit.    Thursday at 3:10 will be very difficult for me because as your child walks out of the classroom, so does a piece of my heart.  Please stay in touch and report to me how great first grade is. Feel free to ask an educational question.  Or call me if your dog is missing and you need help looking for it.  That is how much your family means to me.  Have a super summer full of memories and quality time spent with your child.  Read every single day.  Don't take for granted the blessings of your family.  Thank you so much for trusting me with your child.  And in the style of Prince Redcloud's "Now"....

It has been a wonderful year!

An Important Week

The most important thing for this week is the dress code for Friday:

Dress your child in the yellow field trip t-shirt and khaki bottoms (pants, shorts or skorts.)



This is it!  The week of the big show!  You are going to enjoy it and be so proud!  We had perfect attendance on Friday and a practice for the big show.  I was standing off to the side just watching Room 114 and I started to tear up.  I'm guessing there might be a few tears from a few moms this Friday.

If you are the kind of the parent that wants the best seat the following information will be helpful.  If you are facing the stage our class will the second class on the left standing on the risers.  Don't hold me to this, but if I were you, I would try and get a seat in the middle or on the right side of the lunchroom (if you are facing the stage.)  

After the Kindergarten Celebration, we will return to the stage as a class for group photos.  Then we will leave the lunchroom and return to Room 114 where the celebration will continue.  If you are planning to attend the celebration in Room 114, please write Room 114 a short note (please print it so that we can read it) letting us know how many people are coming.  We are going to keep track of the number of people attending the Room 114 program so that we have enough seats and food.  Please do this by Wednesday morning. 

The children will have a small presentation for you.  If you are in a hurry and need to return to work, I can allow your child to go first.  Please let me know if this situation applies to you so that I can be prepared for you to leave early.  Our program should be over by 10:45 so I would think you should be able to return to work by 11:00.  Please let me know in advance if you cannot stay for the entire program in Room 114.  

Mr. Matt, the Pike Road librarian, came to our class and read a couple of stories last week.   In Friday's binder, I sent home the summer schedule of events for the Pike Road library.  I encourage you to participate and visit the Pike Road library often this summer.  Even if you have a large home library for your child, there is something special and magical about a library book.  This is the library that I frequent with my children and my girls participate in the summer reading program.  

This week, I will be assessing for report cards.  The children can still take AR tests, either from books in the classroom or books from home. 

We will have Nancy's Italian Ice on Monday for $1.00.  We will also have Italian Ice on Tuesday, May 27, since there is no school on the 26 in observance of Memorial Day.  The last day of school will be Thursday, May 29.

Thank you for sweet surprises for Teacher Appreciation Week.  I'm overwhelmed by your generosity and kind words.  I have to share this card from last Thursday.  Do you notice the reference to Yes Day?  I heard from several of you that your child came home requesting a Yes Day!  I gave you a heads up that the book resonates with children!

I don't have many photos this week but that is because the photos I took last week show too many secrets that would ruin Friday for you.  So there will be several special slideshows in next week's entry. 

See you Friday!  Thank you for loving Room 114!  You are appreciated more than you will ever know!

Remember there is no school on Monday in observance of Memorial Day. The last day of school will be Thursday, May 29.

Room 114: A Very Joyous Place for Learning

We took some time on Thursday to paint self portraits!  Love the detail and coordination that is evident at the end of the Kindergarten!  Enjoy these portraits of some of my favorite people in the world!

In reading we are going to be working with the sounds:  Vv, Zz, Yy, and Qu.  Our final two high frequency words are:  come, where.  We are going to have reading instruction up to the last day of school so keep on practicing at home.

In math, we are continuing to work with measurement.  We are also working with addition and subtraction story problems and number sentences.  Kindergarten is still a busy place at the end of the year.

I will begin the end of year assessments this week.  

Monday is Nancy's Italian Ice for $1.00.  The library is closed for inventory so all books need to be returned on Monday.  The children can continue to take AR tests on books from the classroom library and books from home.

We had great fun making our Mother's Day gifts for you.  They also loved wrapping them for you.  I've said it before, if you need some peace and quiet at home, give your child some boxes, wrapping paper and a whole lot of tape.  Concentration and silence comes when there is a task of wrapping a gift.  Plus the result is pride in their hard work!   Check out the wrapping extravaganza here!

I'm sure you are way too busy to play this game, but if you had time on your hands and looking through our poetry journal, you could probably figure out what concept I was trying to work on each week by the poem I chose.  For example, we have a lot of wiggly teeth in our classroom currently so a couple of weeks ago I chose This Tooth.  Lazy Jane was selected at the beginning of the year to cultivate a hard work ethic in Room 114.  Well last week, I selected Hug O'War because after all this time of working and playing together in such close quarters; unkind words,  not much patience and frustration towards friends have slowly moved into Room 114.   So it was time to remind the students of kindness towards each other. Tug O'War is great fun for field day but words and attitudes of tugging and anger are not allowed in Room 114.  However, words of kindness and patience towards others that make you feel good inside are needed.  Plus,  a whole lot of words with the medial sound of "u" can be found in the poem which is what we were studying last week.  Poetry journals will not come home this Friday.  Our final (and very special ) poem will be Friday, May 23.  

We celebrated another special person in our class last week. This person brought such funny and cool pictures to share with us.  We are fortunate to be able to work with this super kid every day!  Check out our celebration of Special Person #18.

I will be out of the classroom on Thursday.  I will be up at school but not as a teacher but as a mom of a first grader.  Hopefully, the substitute I've secured will show this time and I can enjoy the day knowing Room 114 is well taken care of and having a great day!

 Heads up:  The book that I read every year that results in the most emails/questions is Yes Day! by Amy Krause Rosenthal.  This year I decided to let parents know about this book in advance before I read it to the class.  Sometime this week I will read Yes Day! to the children and your child may come home and ask for a Yes Day! at your house.  A Yes Day! is exactly what you can imagine... a day where everything mom and dad says is Yes!  Didn't want to catch you off guard!  At my house, we have a modified Yes Day!  every year while on vacation.  We designate one day of our vacation where each person can pick one thing to do and every other family member has to  say yes..no grumbling or complaining.  The only stipulation at my house is that whatever is selected has to be something everybody in our family can participate in . 

Last year in Colorado our Yes Day! was daddy chose an early morning hike, my oldest daughter chose miniature golf, my youngest daughter chose shopping for stuffed animals and I chose a late afternoon hike.  Our day was full, fun, no complaining and everyone had a part to dictate how our time was spent.  I hope your family takes a Yes Day! concept and gives it your own family's twist.    All your child wants is time with you so give him/her the luxury to choose how part of the time is spent.  Act surprised if your child comes home talking about a Yes Day!  Listen to them explain it to you. Let me know if you adopt this into your family traditions.

We have something very special that involves the number listed to the left!  I'm sure the number you see next to your child's name is one of your favorite numbers in the whole world!  Your secret will be unveiled on Friday, May 23 after the Kindergarten Celebration.  I hope moms and dads are going to be able to attend!  Look for the official invitation on Tuesday of this week.

This upcoming  week is teacher appreciation week. My heart is getting sentimental as the days become shorter in number.  I can't thank you enough for trusting me with your child every day!  I can assure you that I take my job seriously and Room 114 is a very joyous place to work and play.

Upcoming Events:
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.   Wear yellow field trip t-shirts and khaki bottoms. 
Thursday, May 29 is the last day of school for students.

Contact me with any questions or concerns.

Expecting A Quiet, Normal, Low Key Week

This was an image I took on our first practice for Kindergarten's "big show."  I can't wait for you to see how polished and professional we will look on Friday, May 23.  The program begins at 9:00.  The children will wear their yellow field trip t-shirt and khaki bottoms.    We will have a celebration of Room 114 immediately following the Kindergarten program in our classroom.  You should be able to return to work by 11:00. 

Grades 3-5 will be taking standardized tests on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The school will be on a frozen schedule which means there is no movement in the hallways.  Kindergarten will be helping the big kids by staying in our classroom and being extra quiet. Please be at school on time for Tuesday and Wednesday.  The office will be a very busy place and we don't need to add to the excitement by being tardy.  Also, please do not join us for lunch on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. 


Even though you may be able to feel summer approaching, the learning in Room 114 takes place all the way up until May 29.  Please be consistent with bedtimes and reminding your child of appropriate school behavior. 

In reading, we will spend another week  the letter Uu.  High Frequency Words are:  what, said, was.    We continue to work with measurement in math.  Look for homework nightly.  In math, we are also learning about addition and subtraction story problems.  (If you have older children at Blount, you will notice that their math tests are mostly story problems so we are just getting a head start on first grade.)

What perfect weather we had to spend the day at the zoo! Thank you to the parents who came to make sure everyone was safe.  Since we broke into groups, please send me several of your photos and I will compile them for  next week's blog entry.  I am so fortunate that out of all the K teachers, I was chosen to work with these children! 


Book orders will come home on Monday.  They are due back by Thursday.  I will place the order LATE Thursday night. They should be back by May 16.  Our class code is GL88R if ordering on-line.  Book orders are optional.

What a wonderful way to begin May with our last Crafternoon.  And a fiesta theme was too much fun!  Thanks to the families that sent items from home and to the families that came to the classroom.  I know where the children get their love of life...from their moms and dads.  Click on the link for photos of our last Room 114 Crafternoon.  

Upcoming dates:
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 6 and 7,  standardized testing for grades 3-5 at Blount
Thursday, May 8   book orders are due
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.   Wear yellow field trip t-shirts and khaki bottoms. 
Thursday, May 29 is the last day of school for students.

Contact me with any questions or concerns!