The Learning Has Started

I'm sure the most important thing for you right now is to see the members who make up Room 114.  Click on this link to see your child's classmates. Our enrollment went up and down during the week and ended Friday afternoon with a fabulous number of 19.   I'm a very lucky teacher that I get to spend my days with these smart, funny, curious and kind children.

Monday will begin the selling of Nancy's Italian Ice for $1.00.  You may also purchase juice/snack from school.  Last Thursday I sent home a letter detailing more information about these optional purchases. Snack/juice/Italian Ice money is only collected on Mondays.  I do allow paying in advance.  If you are tardy, you cannot purchase snack/juice/Italian Ice.
 Please remember to label all money in envelopes.

Thank you for being so quick about turning in paperwork last week.  Your promptness allows me to  focus on instruction.

We are doing a great job with our lunchroom procedures.  Give us two more weeks of learning before joining us for lunch.  You are invited to join Room 114 for lunch starting Tuesday, September 2.  Thank you for packing snack in a different bag than lunch. I know that a couple of snacks were eaten as lunch last week but I think by the end of the week we were all eating lunch and snack at the right times. 

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. The poetry journal is a fun, quick way to work on beginning reading skills and oral language development.

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  behavior management system at the cluster meeting on Thursday, September 4.  Here is a quick snapshot to tie you over until then.  Room 114 has been  practicing the life skills of being  helpful, careful, respectful, responsible and patient.  These skills tie into my behavior plan.   To make all this life skill information "special" to the children, there is a kangaroo involved and a pocket.  Last Friday, each child got a Kangaroo and had the chance to make a habitat  "pocket" for it.  If a student is observed not being helpful, careful, respectful, responsible or patient, his/her Kangaroo leaves his habitat and comes to the safe pocket.  The safe pocket is mine.  And just like a mother kangaroo shows her joey how to act like a kangaroo, I will help that child correct his behavior and practice the appropriate life skill.  Life skills and kangaroos will make sense at the cluster meeting.

If you are looking for age appropriate chores to help your child become more responsible at home, check out this link:  chores for kids

Each day I draw a name from a jar for the class to learn more about.  We count the letters and syllables (the beats) in the chosen name.  We find out the age and favorite color of the person.  We also write down the person's name on a sentence strip and cut it apart.  Volunteers have to rebuild the name with the correct spelling.  Then we do "Happy Talk" for that person.  Happy Talk is where we write down three things about the chosen person that makes us happy.  Then everyone in the class has a chance to write his/her name on the chart.  This writing lesson is teaching us left to right directionality, concepts of print, the beginning use of pronouns, finger spacing, punctuation and many more concepts to help us become beginning writers.   But more importantly we are learning information about our new friends.  Room 114 is a busy, busy place.  




Our classroom can tend to be on the cooler side. The controls for our classroom's temperature is handled off site.  You may want to send a sweater or a sweatshirt for your child to keep in the classroom.  As stated in the Blount Handbook, any sweaters/sweatshirts worn inside the classroom must be a solid red, navy or white.   I do not allow team sweatshirts or other colored sweaters.  Your child can wear those kind of clothes to school and on the playground but not in the classroom.  It is a good idea to label all clothing/lunch boxes/water bottles sent to school so that the correct owner can be located if anything comes up missing.  

We began to classify books by nonfiction (true story) and fiction (make believe.)  We also learned about characters and the setting of stories.  We also know that picture books have authors and illustrators.  We can identify the title, the front cover and the back cover of a book.  Include some of our new knowledge/vocabulary into your family's daily reading time.  This is a link for more literature learning photos.   

I encourage you to join the Blount PTA for $10.00 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.

The PTA is having a spirit night at Mugshots restaurant starting at 5:00 on Monday.  Eating out for dinner sounds like a wonderful way to  end a Monday.  My family will be there around 5:30 pm.  The PTA schedules a spirit night usually once a month.  Don't forget to turn in your receipt in the Blount box so that our school can get a percentage of your total.

In Thursday's binder, you will find Scholastic book orders.  Book orders are sent home once a month.   The link to ordering on-line is found on the right sidebar.  Our class code is GL88R.  If you are returning the forms and paying by check (made payable to Scholastic) please return by Wednesday, August 27.  Book orders are optional. 

Contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.  Hope to see you at Mugshots for Blount Spirit Night.

Upcoming Events:
8.18  Spirit Night at Mugshots Restaurant beginning at 5:00
8.27  Book orders due (optional)
9.1:  No school in observance of Labor Day
9.4:  Cluster Meeting for Room 114:  choose either 5:30 pm or 7:00 pm to attend. No children please.
9.9  PTA General Membership meeting at 6:00
9.12:  Box Top collection day
9.15:  No school for students.  It is a teacher in-service day.
9.25:  Teacher Treat Day (K and 5th grades - host)
10.13:  No school for students.  It is a teacher in-service day.
10.16:  Blount Fall Festival

Let the Fun Begin!

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 Tuesday 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 11.  The school day is from 8:10-3:10.

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. The tardy bell rings at 8:10.

For this week only, please send a juice and snack from home. Please send snack in a separate labeled bag  than the lunch box.  If you would like to purchase juice/snack from the school, I will begin collecting juice/snack money on Monday, August 18.  I will send a note home on Thursday giving details about purchasing juice, snack and Italian Ice at school.

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.  I know it is a lot of paperwork but please fill everything out with neat and readable handwriting.

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 lunch number because it will be used for computer purposes.

Look in Monday's take home binder for a reading log. It will be behind the money pouch in a page protector  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.  Keep the  reading log inside the binder.

Please wait until after Labor Day to join us for lunch.  It takes us about three weeks to learn the routines.  Remember to label all containers and lunch boxes.  Breakfast is served starting at 7:30. This year there is no cost for breakfast or lunch. 

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 4.  If there is ever a problem I will contact you immediately.

Often times at the beginning of the year, emails are sent to my spam folder due to the strong filter of the MPS email program.  I check my spam folder daily and will unblock your email address in case it is sent to my spam folder.  I try to be prompt in returning emails.  If you have not heard a response from me within 8 hours, then please resend the email.  

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  some of 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.

I do allow the children to have a water bottle at their seat.  I prefer the water bottles that have a spout to prevent any spills in case one turns over.  Please label your child's water bottle.  Only send water in a water bottle...no juice, tea or anything other than water.

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.

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

8.15:  Turn in money for Scholastic News, Creative Hands and Kindergarten Field trip t-shirts

Kindergarten Meet the Teacher

Tuesday, August 5 at 6:00 is the time for Blount Kindergarten students to come to school and meet the teacher.  You can drop off supplies and investigate the classroom.   We will will have a general meeting in the lunchroom with the other Kindergarten teachers to discuss procedures to get through the first week of school.  It is going to be a great year!

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!