It Is A "Wear the Yellow Shirt Twice" Kind of Week

This will be a very busy week.  Your child will need to wear the yellow field trip t-shirt on Tuesday and Thursday of this week.  Tuesday the t-shirt will be worn as we go to the zoo.  The t-shirt will be worn on Thursday as we participate at field day.  That t-shirt is a safety measure for me to keep track of everyone quickly and safely.  Jeans or jean shorts can be worn with the field trip t-shirt.

We used last week's poem to work on the tone of our voices as we read.  I hope the poem was recited at your house this weekend.  The poem was also an opportunity to discuss the meaning of words.  There is a huge difference between the end result in pumpkin seeds and birdseed.   Return poetry journals on Monday and look for a new poem in this Friday's back pack.

Classroom need:  Please save and send to school empty toilet tissue rolls.  We need 60 by next Monday.   

We have begun to prepare for Tuesday's field trip to the zoo.  We learned  that baby zebras have brown stripes that turn black as they grow older.  We will learn many more animal facts this upcoming week.  Lunch is included in the field trip to the zoo.  Please apply sunscreen before coming to school.  Don't forget to send  a snack that can be eaten once we get back to school.  Your child does NOT need to bring spending money for the zoo.   Click here for more photos of our zebras.

I need a volunteer to send in a 16 oz water bottle for each child (total of 21) for field day.  Let me know if you can help to keep Room 114 hydrated.

If you volunteered to help me with field day, I will be sending you an email on Tuesday with details.

We will be investigating the letter Uu this week in reading.  Our high frequency words are:  next, yes. 

We are learning about biographies.  I am reading to the students the biography of Helen Keller.  I showed them a book written in braille.  It is safe to say that it was a very popular book last week.  Reading a biography will lead to Room 114 writing biographies of our friends.  Click here for more photos of our attempt to read braille.

In math, we continue to work with 3D shapes and count edges, faces, bases, and vertices.  The April calendar pages will come home on Thursday.

I will be absent on Wednesday.  I'm attending the fifth grade field trip.  I've secured an excellent sub.

We are practicing hard for the Kindergarten's Big Show on Monday,May 18 at 9:00.  I am excited for you to see the product of our hard work.  After the Kindergarten program, we will return to our classroom and continue to celebrate the learning of Room 114.  You should be able to return to work by 11:00.  Contact me with any questions or concerns.  

Upcoming Dates:

4.28  Kindergarten field trip to the zoo- wear yellow field trip t-shirt

4.30  Field Day  - weary yellow field trip t-shirt

5.18:  Kindergarten End of the Year Program at 9:00

Our Days Are Filled With Fun and Learning

By the end of last week with all that rain, it was all that Room 114 could do but curl up with a good book and read.  I love this photo.  I hope each member of Room 114 leaves Kindergarten with a life long love of reading.

Testing will continue in the school for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Again the building will be on a frozen schedule to limit distractions in the building.  Please do not join us for lunch until THURSDAY.  The library is slated to be closed all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so that means new AR books probably will not come home until Thursday.  Thank for you supporting the school as it sets the tone for a successful testing environment.

Volunteers are not allowed in the building until Thursday.

Nancy's Italian Ice is Monday for $1.00.

In math, we have begun a study on 3D shapes.  We have been exploring to see which  shapes can stack, slide and roll.  We will be studying cones, cylinders, cubes, spheres, pyramids and rectangular prisms.  We will  be learning about faces, bases, and vertices.  Look for these shapes around your house and have conversations using the vocabulary listed above with your child.   Click here for more 3D shape exploration.  

The high frequency words for this week:  came, brown, please.  (I accidentally got off track last week and taught over, under, and pretty last week.)  We will be studying the letter Xx.

For the past month, the play microphones make frequent appearances to our learning.  There is something magical when the microphones come out.  Confidence and fun are the results.  We have many opportunities to burst into song so that the microphones are well loved and requested.  Next time you are in the toy department, pick a couple for your household.  Oral language development is excellent for beginning readers so let your children sing, talk, and interview one another.  Even let mom and dad have a turn with the microphones too.    Click here for more microphone fun photos. 

We added two poems last week that focused on rain.  Rain was certainly the theme in our weather. The upcoming poem for this week is perfect for acting out.  Your child will be able to read it with expression and facial expressions.  Look for it in Friday's bookbag.
  

We pulled out our watercolor paints and painted some beautiful birds.  I'm always amazed at the concentration and silence that emerges when a box of paints is used.  These paintings tie in with our poem this week.  Click here for more watercolor photos.

I've told you before that reading and writing go hand in hand.  The better the reader you are the better the writer you are.  We have been working so hard on our writing lately.  Friday we took the time to share our latest.  Look at the joy and confidence you see in these writers.  Some children did not want to share their stories and that is perfectly normal and acceptable. 

This nine weeks is flying by.  I need it to slow down because we are having too much fun to talk about it ending!  Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.  Thank you for loving our classroom.

Upcoming Events:

4.21  Spirit Night at Johnny Ryans (in Hampstead) from 5-9

4.28  Kindergarten field trip to the zoo

4.30  Field Day  - date changed  

5.18:  Kindergarten End of the Year Program at 9:00

The Middle of April Is a Busy Place

Grades 3-5 will be taking standardized tests all week.  The school will be on a frozen schedule which means there will be no activity or movement in the hallway.  Visitors will not be allowed in the building until testing is over at 11:00.  Due to a frozen schedule, please do not join us for lunch this entire week. 

Volunteers will not be used this week due to the testing schedule.

Please help the office staff out this week and do not be tardy.  The office is a busy place during testing this week and we can help them out by not having to handle tardy students.

Monday is Italian Ice for $1.00.

We have a lot of loose teeth, new haircuts and added inches in height in our classroom.  I thought everyone looked older for some reason on Friday so I snapped a few photos.  Kindergarten results in a lot of physical changes.

In reading this week, we will be working with the letters Jj and Ww.  The high frequency words are:  came, brown, please. 

In math, we are working with three dimensional shapes.  Three dimensional shapes are defined as solid shapes that have length, width, and height.  We will be working with cones, cylinders, cubes, and spheres.

Book order forms were in binders last Friday. If you choose to order on-line then please use code GL88R.  You may send in check and order form by Wednesday, April 15.    Book orders are optional. There will  be one more book order sent home in early May.

Mr. Matt from the Pike Road library comes once a month and reads to our class.  He visited last Thursday and as always read books that made us laugh.  This week is National Public Library week.  If you have time visit the Pike Road library or any other branch and say thank you and utilize their services.

We are starting to practice for the Kindergarten Big Show on May 18.  I hope you have added that date to your calendar.

Information will be sent home this week regarding the upcoming zoo field trip.

I will also send home information this week regarding a Mother's Day Secret.  Some of you prepaid for this project in November so you will not get the information due to the fact that you have a zero balance.

 You had three new entries to enjoy last weekend in the poetry journal.  Please make sure the poetry journal is returned on Monday.  The poems this week will match the forecasted weather and reinforce the saying "April showers bring May flowers."  Look for the poetry journal in Friday's bookbag.

Let me know of any questions or concerns. Thanks for supporting our classroom!

Upcoming balance:
4.15:  book order due
4.28  Kindergarten field trip to the zoo

4.30  Field Day  - date changed  

5.18:  Kindergarten End of the Year Program at 9:00

Funny Bunnies

That is one funny bunch of bunnies that I am fortunate to work with the past 142 days.  Thank to our families for providing what we needed for a successful egg hunt!  And a big thank you to the parents that came and helped us hunt.  Hanging out with this crew is lively and fun!  Click here for more photos from our egg hunt ! 

The library is having a book fair this week.  Please label all money in an envelope marked for the book fair.  Heads up:  Remember the book fair has a large table full of items that possibly might be cheap in quality but highly attractive to a Kindergarten student.  Please make sure your child is aware of your expectations of purchases at the book fair.  You can come at any time during the day and shop with your child.  Or your child will be allowed to go to the book fair with his/her money and shop alone. 

I hope you added May 18 to your calendar after reading last week's blog entry.  

We continue to work with the letter "e" this week.  We will be reviewing all high frequency words this week.  Look for decoding homework on Monday to help differentiating between words with "e" and words with"i."  Despite what it says on the homework....it does NOT need to be returned to school.  Keep it at home and work on decoding and differentiating between the sounds the letter i and the letter e makes. 

In math, we will finish up with 2D shapes and move into 3D shapes. I'll send home vocabulary words the week of April 13.  We continue to add and subtract daily.

Look for a letter from Coach Grant about volunteers for field day.  The letter will be in Monday's binder.  If you do volunteer, you will stay with our class and help me run the games as we rotate.

Poetry journals did not make it into book bags last Thursday.  Look for them next Friday.  At this point in the school year, our class needed a gentle reminder that we speak to one anther with kindness. This classic poem was perfect to reinforce that we have  Hug O'War behavior and not Tug O'War behavior.  Please remind your child as he/she heads to school that we treat everyone in our class with kind words and gentle hands.  I'll let you know if your child needs a little bit more help in remembering the expectations of Room 114. 

Join us for Tuesday's PTA meeting at 6:00.  Mugshots will be there with hamburger meals for sale to make dinner time easier on you.

Thanks for supporting our school!  Contact me with any questions or concerns!  

Upcoming Events:

4.7:  PTA meeting at 6:00

4.28  Kindergarten field trip to the zoo

4.30  Field Day  - date changed  

5.18:  Kindergarten End of the Year Program at 9:00