End of the First Nine Weeks

It is hard to believe this is the end of the first nine weeks!  Time is moving so quickly.  Due to my absences last week, reading groups will be abbreviated this week in order for me to assess for report cards.  We will return to our normal routine next week.  Thank you for your patience.

This week will be investigating "Ss" as in "spider in the soup."  Word wall words will be seven, little, down and me.  I will send home a new reading information sheet on Wednesday for those of you that want to get an early jump on word wall words for the second nine weeks.  In January, I will test ALL of the word wall words that have been introduced since the beginning.  Learn the new words but revisit the old ones.

We will continue to compare numbers 0-5 in math.  Please be saving empty egg cartons and empty Cool Whip containers for math.

Thursday is the Fall Festival.  My family is excited and I hope to see your family.  The PTA is asking that Kindergarten families donate individually wrapped candy for the Fall Festival.  You can donate candy up until  Wednesday.  Thank you to the many families that signed up to work a shift at the Fall Festival.  Room 115 is well represented with volunteers.  If  you did not pre-order wristbands, you can purchase them at the gate on the night of the Fall Festival. 

Picture money is due by Friday.

Monday is Italian Ice for $1.00

Monday is also library day.

Upcoming Events:
October 18:  Spirit Night at Burger King (Chantilly Pkwy)
October 20:  Blount Fall Festival at Thompson Park  4:30-7:30
October 26:  Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch  (wear yellow t-shirts and jeans)
October 26:  Spirit Night at Nancy's Italian Ice
November 1:  Deadline for Just Give Campaign
Novcmber 8: PTA meeting
November 11:  No school:  Veteran's Day

Contact me with any questions or concerns.

Preparing for a Busy Month

As we said hello to October, we added a lot of important dates to the calendar.  In October, we will be celebrating two birthdays, a field trip, the Fall Festival and preparing for Halloween.  Throw in report cards and that is a very busy time for our classroom. 

Check out the personalities that come out when we dress out of uniform:



This is a review week for introduced alphabet letters and sight words.  I will be assessing sight words beginning on Wednesday. I will send you an email by Thursday evening letting you know the word wall words your child missed.

In math, we will be spending time comparing the numbers of zero to five.  Check your child's binder from last Friday for the five frame board I sent home for you to practice at home. 

Poetry notebooks will come home on Thursday of this week and need to be returned on Monday, October 17.  The children get so excited when they find word wall words around the classroom and in books. Thanks for taking the time to read the poetry journal with your child.

October 13 is the last opportunity to purchase Fall Festival Tickets before the price increase.  It is a very enjoyable evening and a favorite of the children.  Please consider spending the evening supporting our school.  If you can, please send in a bag of individually wrapped candy that the PTA can use at the festival. 

A PTA membership form went home in Friday's binder for families to join.  We continue to get memberships which makes us closer to getting 100% for our classroom.

This is a short week if ordering juice and snack, please send in $2.00 per item.  

Please save the following items for our classroom:  toilet tissue or paper towel rolls, empty cool whip containers and empty egg cartons.

I will be out of the classroom on Friday.  I've secured a wonderful substitute so the learning will continue despite my absence.

I was reading an article about Steve Jobs over the weekend.  It mentioned how he limited television with his children.  When you look at Job's creativity and his ability to think outside the box and the impact he left on the way we lead our lives today, it really shows the importance of  teaching/modeling for our children to be creative thinkers.  I encourage you to limit screen time (of any sort) at your house.  I know from observing your children that they are wonderful at building, writing, dramatizing and using that imagination.  (My editorial is finished...)

Upcoming important dates:
October 11:  Spirit Night at Jason's Deli
October 12:  Word Wall Word Assessment
October 13:  Final day for early bird prices for Fall Festival Tickets
October 18:  Spirit Night at Burger King (Chantilly Pkwy)
October 20:  Blount Fall Festival at Thompson Park  4:30-7:30
October 26:  Spirit Night at Nancy's Italian Ice
November 1:  Deadline for Just Give Campaign

Contact me with any questions or concerns.

A Very Busy Week

Learning is flying by in our classroom!  This past week was full of adventure and new learning.

We had a terrific time at Lanark.  Check out the pictures.  You want to add Lanark to your list of places to visit on the weekend.  It is open to the public on the third weekend of every month.  Visit their website for more information:  http://www.alabamawildlife.org/alabama-nature-center/  .


Our new letter for this week is Rr as in rooster on the roof.  The word wall words are:  six,look,they,all.  Word wall word assessment is Wednesdy, October 12.  Remember word wall words are to be read instantly, upon sight.  Be sure to check the binder nightly for small group homework.

In math, we will be finishing up number concepts from 0 -5. On Wednesday, I will send home some information on how to help your child at home with math.  Our September calendar pages will come home on Monday. There will be a sheet attached of questions to ask your child about September's pages.

Information came home on Friday about the field trip to the pumpkin patch.  There is no limit to the amount of parents that can attend.  Lunch is included in the price.  Let me know if you need additional time to pay.  I was saving paper by combining the permission slip and the directions.  Keep the directions and return the permission slip.   Let me know if you plan to attend. 

A very special thank you to the parents who took the children to lunch so that I could have a treat and eat lunch with the teachers.  It was a treat for all of us to be out of uniform and showing our team spirit.


Book orders are due Tuesday.  The online activation code is GL88R.

We are making progress on our PTA membership. Please pay your $10.00 membership dues and support our school.

We had fun spending Friday with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  Room 115 is full of experts on Mickey and Minnie.  Several students were sad to take the items home.  Special thanks to one family who sent a special Mickey Mouse snack to share.  I appreciate your  support of our classroom.


Upcoming events:
October 10:  No school (teacher in-service day)
October 11:  Spirit Night at Jason's Deli
October 12:  Word Wall Word Assessment
October 18:  Spirit Night at Burger King
October 20:  Blount Fall Festival at Thompson Park  4:30-7:30
October 25:  Spirit Night at Nancy's Italian Ice
November 1:  Deadline for Just Give Campaign

It's Coming....Our First Field Trip

The big news of this upcoming week is our first field trip.  We will be leaving for the Alabama Nature Center  on Tuesday morning, shortly after the beginning of school.  We are so excited to spend most of the day in an outdoor classroom.  Field trip t-shirts will go home on Monday.  I will place your child's t-shirt in the book bag.  The t-shirt is a safety measure for me to keep track of Room 115 when we are away from school.  Please make sure you  dress your child in the t-shirt.  Jeans / jean shorts may be worn.  We will be walking a lot so make sure your child is wearing the appropriate shoes.  Be sure to send a sack lunch on Tuesday if you so indicated.  (No lunch boxes - just throw away sacks please!)  We will return to the school by 1:30 pm.

This week we will be investigating the letter Mm as in monkey on a mountain.  The word wall words are:  five, go, so, no.  We will celebrate the letter Mm by having a Mickey/Minnie Mouse day on Friday.  On Friday, have your child  bring one item from home that has Mickey or Minnie featured on it.  No item:  no worries...google Mickey Mouse and download a color page.  Please do not go out and purchase an item for this day.  All items will come home on Friday.

Our library day is Monday so make sure library books are placed in back packs so that we can check out a new book.

In Monday's white binder, you will notice a Read Well Assessment form found inside a plastic sleeve.  This sheet is a way for you to keep track of the units your child passed, any comments from me and troubleshooting areas for you to work on at home.  Your only responsibility is to read it;  there is nothing for you to sign.  

Nancy's  Italian Ice will be coming to the school EVERY Monday.  Please send $1.00 if your child would like a sweet treat from Nancy's.  The flavors for this week will be Cool Blue and Birthday Cake.

With the help of last week's poem, we worked hard on learning our phone numbers.  I will check for knowledge of phone numbers on Wednesday, October 12.  Look in book bags for this week's poem on Friday.

Please join the PTA. The children will be so excited to display a 100% membership sign for our class.  PTA dues are $10 per membership.   Check out the PTA's link on the right side of the page for more information.  The Just Give campaign has been extended until November 1.

Preorder your wristband tickets for the Blount Fall Festival. Early bird prices on the wristbands are on sale until October 13. Also Fall Festival t-shirts can be pre-ordered until October 1. The fall festival t-shirts can be worn on Fridays as spirit wear.     The date of the Fall Festival is October 20.

A book order will be sent home on Wednesday.  Money and order forms are due on Tuesday, October 4.  If you want to order on-line, use the Scholastic link found on the right side of the page.  Our class code number is GL88R.  Book orders are voluntary.  

Classroom need:  With the changing of seasons, come colds and viruses.  If you are able, please contribute a can of Lysol disinfectant spray.  Thank you.  

August 22-October 7:  PTA membership drive
September 26:  field trip t-shirts sent home in back packs
September 27:  field trip to Alabama Nature Center - wear field trip t-shirt
September 28:  Spirit Night at Nancy's Italian Ice
September 30:  Box Top Labels Collection Day
September 30:  Bring a Mickey or Minnie Mouse item to school
October 10:  No school (teacher in-service day)
October 12:  Word Wall Word Assessment
October 20:  Blount Fall Festival at Thompson Park  4:30-7:30
November 1:  Deadline for Just Give Campaign

Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have!

In Full Swing

Monday is our first day at full  Kindergarten curriculum.  We will be starting reading groups!  Check binders for homework.  You may not see homework each night but definitely every other night.

This week we are studying the letter Kk as in kid in a kayak.  The word wall words for the week are pink, three, four and you.  Remember that it is the sound the letter K makes and not "kuh."

In math we will continue to work on shapes but we are also beginning to talk about number sense.

If you were unable to attend last week's small group gathering, I will hold one more session this Wednesday after school at 3:30.  Since it is right after school, you may bring your child and he/she can work in the classroom while we discuss the upcoming year in Room 115.  This will be the last time I am available to cover this material.  It should last about one hour.

Our library day is Monday.  Please make sure your child returns the library book every Monday.  The librarian has asked that when library books are in book bags, they stay in the zip lock bag to prevent damage from other items in book bags.

Field trip information and permission slips went home in Friday's back pack.  Money is due by Thursday.  Be sure to mark on the permission slip if you will bring a lunch from home or purchase a sack lunch from school.

Last week's poem was appropriate because this week we say goodbye to summer and hello to fall.  Check the poetry notebook this Friday and see how well we are learning our phone numbers.

On Friday, we celebrated a very important day.  Happy Birthday to a special member of Room 115.  We are using birthdays to help us learn the months of the year!   We know birthdays are a lot of fun!

If your child is absent, please call the office at 244.0078 to let the secretary know of the absence.  You will still get a computer generated phone call alerting you to child's absence if you have a local phone number.  Or you can email me of the absence.  If you do not call the office or email me, I will have to call you during the day asking about the absence.  By you calling or emailing, allows me to focus on instruction and not paperwork.  Thank you for helping me out with this new policy.

The hilarious hats were absolutely precious and very much child made.  Thank you!  Check them out and I know you will crack a smile.

Upcoming Events:
August 22-October 7:  PTA membership drive
September 20:  Spirit Night at Burger King on Chantilly
September 21:  last chance for Room 115 Small Group gathering at 3:30
September 22:  Deadline for field trip money
September 27:  field trip to Alabama Wildlife Center
September 28:  Spirit Night at Nancy's Italian Ice 
October 20:  Blount Fall Festival at Thompson Park  4:30-7:30

Contact me with any questions or concerns.

A Community of Learners

It is amazing how fourteen  days ago, twenty students and one teacher were randomly assigned to a classroom. We have been working hard at learning the names of each other,  learning to share, taking turns, speaking kindly to others, using quiet voices, walking in a line, and always doing our best work.  Whew!!! That is a lot of work but something special happened this week.  Those twenty students and that one teacher became a community of learners who are enjoying working and learning together.  Room 115 is a very SPECIAL place full of happy people.  Thank you for loving and supporting our classroom.

The big news this week is Tuesday is the day for our Kindergarten small group meetings.  Pick one of the following times:  4:30, 5:45, or 7:00 to come to the classroom and hear about the Kindergarten curriculum. I have information to share on how to help your child at home.  The meetings should last under one hour.  Please do not bring children to this meeting.

This week we are investigating the letter Hh:  as in "horse in a house".  The word wall words are:  brown, black, white, I.  To celebrate the letter Hh, Friday will be Hilarious Hat day. Your child can create a hilarious hat at home or take an old hat and embellish it to become hilarious.  Send the Hilarious Hat to school on Friday.  All hats will come home on Friday.  Allow your child to be in charge of this project.  Listen to his/her designs, help assemble the materials needed and encourage like crazy!

Please return the blue sheet of paper that went home Thursday with details about the phone number you want your child to learn.  We will do activities in the classroom with phone numbers but this is a skill that needs to be reinforced at home.

Refer to the Blount handbook about the dress code policy.  Sweaters or jackets that are worn in the classroom must be solid navy, red, or white.  Jackets and sweaters with lettering/logos can be worn to school and on the playground but not inside the classroom.  The PTA sells fleece spiritwear that may be worn in the classroom. 

Monday is our first day to purchase Nancy's Italian Ice as a refreshing sweet treat.  A variety of flavors will be sold for $1.00.  Italian ice will be sold every other Monday.

Did you notice all the rhyming words in last week's poem?  Rhyming words is an excellent beginning literacy skill. Give your child a word and tell them to make rhyme.  Laugh with your child if it is a nonsense rhyme.  Nonsense rhymes are just as good as conventional word rhymes.  This week's poem will help us learn the four seasons.  Check out our poetry journals every Friday.

This week we rotate to computers for our specialist time.  I will be taking the children to the playground on the weeks that we do not go to Coach.  We will also visit the library for the first time on Monday.  Look for our library book in Monday's book bag.

Upcoming Events:
August 22-October 7:  PTA membership drive
September 13:  Room 115's Small Group  Meetings at 4:30, 5:45 or 7:00 (pick one to attend)
September 13:  Spirit Night at Jason's Deli
September 16:  Bring your Hilarious Hat to Room 115
September 20:  Spirit Night at Burger King on Chantilly
September 28:  Spirit Night at Nancy's Italian Ice 

On Friday, we made a graph of the boys and girls in our class.  Check out our self portraits and those big smiles on the students.



Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.  Have a good week!

Hello September

Last week we said goodbye to August and Hello to September.  September is going to be a busy month. 

In reading this week, we are investigating Ee as in "eel on wheels."  (Note:  our reading program introduces the long e sound before the short e.  I will go over both sounds for the letter Ee but help your child for right now learn that Ee says its own name)  Our word wall words for the week are:  orange, two, purple, green.
I will send home a letter this week for you to write down the phone number you want your child to learn.  We will do some fun activities with learning phone numbers but this is a skill that needs to be reinforced at home.  If you write down a local number, I will not require your child to learn the area code.  Phone numbers out of our  zone will require your child to say the area code.

We are learning about shapes, size and colors in math.  We will begin to practice forming the numerals the correct way this week.

We had quite the surprise visit from Zero the Hero on Friday.  He plans to make an appearance every ten days of school.  Unfortunately, we were at lunch when he stopped by our classroom.  He left a special treat in the shape of a zero for all of us to enjoy.  Zero the Hero is an excellent way to help us learn to count by 10s.

You may join us for lunch any time.  You do not need to make reservations.  Be sure to sign in at the office.  Our lunch time is 10:40-11:05.  

On Thursday,I will send home a reminder of Tuesday, September 13's small group meeting.  This meeting will take the place of Open House.  I will go over information to help ease your questions about the Kindergarten year.  Even though our classroom will NOT be open during this  Tuesday's Back to School Bash, please feel free to come to the school for an evening of fun and celebrations.  There will be free inflatables and face painting  and food vendors (for a fee) available to give mom the night off from cooking dinner.  There will be a short PTA meeting and volunteer sign up at 7.   At the bash, go ahead and sign up for the PTA and get your wristbands for the Fall Festival.  The fall festival is a favorite with the children!  Our PTA does an outstanding job of supporting our school.  They are always in need of volunteers so please join them!

This is our last week of going to PE. On the days we see coach, we will not go to the playground.  When we visit music/art and computers then I will take the children outside to the playground.  Be sure to send in headphones by Friday because we rotate to computers on September 12.

Did you enjoy the poem from our poetry journal?  Did you overhear your child in front of a mirror saying, "Hi good looking kid!"  The poem this week is full of rhyming words.  The children in Room 115 like to rhyme all the time!!!  Be sure to check back packs next Friday for our new poem.

Be sure to send in a written excuse if your child is absent from school.  We've been told that they are getting strict on unexcused absences.  

This is a short week so only send in $2.00 for snack and $2.00 for juice this week.  Please send the correct amount for snack/juice.  I am unable to make change.

I am in the process of  scheduling volunteers to come into the classroom and help me with activities. We need at least another week of learning expectations before having visitors come into the classroom.  Thank you for your patience.  I am overwhelmed by all of you who want to volunteer.  Thank you so much for helping me!  Room 115 is a very special place to have so many people supporting us.

Please label all money!  It is very difficult for me to assume where you want unlabeled money to go.   

I will be assessing the children this week for reading groups and we will be learning the expectations of our classroom centers.  It is a very busy time in Room 115.  Thanks for supporting the learning of our classroom.

Upcoming Events:
August 22-October 7:  PTA membership drive
September 6:  Back to School Bash (for all grades) and Open House (grades 2-5)
September 7:  Spirit Night at Applebees on Taylor Road
September 13:  Room 115's Small Group  Meetings at 4:30, 5:45 or 7:00 (pick one to attend)
September 13:  Spirit Night at Jason's Deli
September 20:  Spirit Night at Burger King on Chantilly
September 28:  Spirit Night at Nancy's Italian Ice