Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Book fair: Pizza Day
Reminder: we will be performing “The Little Red Hen” at lunch tomorrow Wed., December 8, 2010 at 12:15. If you are planning on eating pizza tomorrow, please send money tomorrow morning in an envelope with your name on it, a dollar for each piece you are ordering. You may choose between pepperoni and cheese.
You are welcome to visit the bookfair before or after lunch. The children have made a wish list that Pattie will have at the bookfair.

Holiday Party: Our party will take place Friday, December 17th at 10:30. We do not need any more food for the party. We are having a very low key party so we will not need any extra help.

Donations
We are still collecting food for low-income seniors who live at Melrose Towers. I am planning to will deliver the food this Friday, December 10th. I am so amazed at all the food we have collected so far. Thank you so much for your generosity!

December Holidays: “The Festival of Lights” We have been studying “lights” from around the world to help your child learn fun customs from around the world.

Diwali – The Hindu Festival of Lights. During this celebration, special clay saucer lamps are lit and set out of rooftops and along roadsides and river banks. It is believed that the lights will bring blessings of wealth and good fortune. We will make a special saucer with a candle. The children make a good wish for the world.

Winter Solstice – Last week when I was out the children learned about the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year). It is customary for families to burn a great log in their fireplace. Burning this Yule log warms and brightens the long, dark night. It is also believed by some that burning the great log will bring good fortune.

Israel – Yesterday we celebrated Hanukkah. We made potatoes latkes with applesauce. The children gobbled them up. Thank you Kelly (Silas’s Mom) for helping us cook. We also learned about the Menorah.

Holland – We will also be studying the winter festivities of Holland. Instead of hanging stockings by the fireplace, children of this country place their wooden shoes outside the door. They place hay and carrots in their shoes and go to bed hoping those things will be replaced with treats in the morning.

Sweden – The Swedish festival of light, know as Luciadagen is the name for St. Lucia, the queen of light. Remembering her serves as a reminder that brighter days will follow the dark days.

We will also be studying a few other customs from other countries.

Watch for the “Festival of Lights” book the children are making. They will be bringing it home next week.

I hope you have a wonderful winter break. I am extremely grateful for Community School and the opportunity to teach your child.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

General News:

Friday’s field trip was so much fun! Thanks to all the parents who transported and helped.

Please remember Wednesday is our Thanksgiving luncheon at Hollins. The children will be dismissed at 1:00 from Hollins. Please let me know if you are not attending. You will need to pick –up your children at the Hollins cafeteria at 1:00 if you do not attend. The children do not need to bring their bags or folders to school.

The Spanish Festival sponsored by the Bolivian exchange students will be held Monday the 29th. The children will have the opportunity to learn about many South American Countries and taste their native foods.

On pizza days please remember to send your child with a fruit break. Also you might want to send something to go with their pizza such as a drink or snack.

On Friday December 3rd. The children will walk over to Hollins for a winter carnival sponsored by Hollins students. They will leave here a 10:45 and arrive back at 12:15. Please make sure your child is dressed warm and has proper foot wear for walking.

A reminder we will continue to be outside when the weather is cold. Please make sure your child is dressed for the cold morning weather.
Book fair please read Quick Notes for school wide book fair news. Remember we would like to invite you to pizza day on December 8th. The children will perform “The Little Red Hen” and sing a song they have learned in music. You will also be able to visit the book sale to do some holiday shopping. The children will make a wish list for you. Please send your money for pizza in Wed. morning. Each slice is a dollar.

Community service project. We are still collecting canned goods for the low-income senior citizens who lives at Melrose Towers. If you look back at my last blog it lists items in need. We will be collecting until December 10th. Remember every little bit helps. Thanks you in advance.

On a personal note I will be taking some personal time off from December 1-3rd. I am going to Florida to visit my Dad. As some of you know my Dad has been very sick and has recently had surgery. His recovery is not going very well. I feel the need to see him, as well as, to help my sister with his care. Please keep my Dad in your prayers. Bernie Walsh will be subbing for me. He often subs for Elena in Spanish so the children know him well.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Blog November 5th
Happy November! I hope you all survived Trick or Treat! The kids seem to have had a great time at our Halloween party. With Halloween behind us it is time to start learning about Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims. Before you know it we will be studying “Holidays around the World,” for December.

Language Arts: This week we read the story “The Little Red Hen”. The story is about a Little Red Hen who lives with three very lazy housemates. The red hen is left to do all the work from cooking the meals to hoeing the garden. As a follow-up to this story our center work this week is:
1. Story map center: The children are constructing a story map that includes the four parts of a story. They must name the characters in the story as well the setting, problem, and the solution to the story. Wait until you see their maps at conference they are amazing!
2. Sort and classify grains: The children sorted corn, oats, rice, barley, and wheat. We also learned what foods are made from different grains. Next week we are making bread.
3. Word sort: The children cut out words and decide which category to place each word. The sort we did required children to sort words beginning with t or ending with t. We really had to use our sharp eyes to do this correctly. Lots of kids could even sound out and read the words to me.

Math: This week we continued to work with the concept of sorting and classifying. Each child had to decide how to sort the pictures in different ways. They then had to explain to me the criteria they used to make their sort.

During Buddytime we played a game with shapes. Each team was given a shape to search for outside. When they found their shape in nature they took a picture with a camera. We are making a class book with the pictures. To complete the lesson we made sculpture shapes with toothpicks and marshmallows. The kids did a great job working with their buddies.

Service Project: Our class will be collecting food items for low-income senior citizens who live in Melrose Towers on Melrose Ave. The items they have requested are crackers, canned soup, tuna, Vienna sausages, applesauce (small containers) and oatmeal. Many of the people live month to month on social security checks. I am hoping we can help make a small difference in their lives. We will be doing this until December10th.

General Information:
1. Don’t forget to look at Quick Notes for school wide information.
2. Remember the yard sale is this Saturday from 8-1 o’clock.
3. On December 8th our class would like to invite you to come and have lunch with us. It is pizza day. Our class will sing a song and perform the Little Red Hen. Before or after lunch you are invited to attend the bookfair. You can get some holiday shopping done. Watch for more information to come home.
4. Remember conferences are next week. Please bring your child with you. This is a time they get to shine and share with you all they have learned.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

October 27, 2010

We had so much fun reading the story “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything “. We acted out the story with musical instrument. It was so much fun. The children had to really listen to the story to know when to make their instruments make the correct sound. Ask your child what sound they made.

The story is about a little old lady who was not afraid of anything. She must deal with a pumpkin head, a tall black hat, and other spooky objects that follow her through the dark woods trying to scare her. As a follow-up activity we cut, colored, and glued our own Scare Crows together. They came out awesome! I can’t believe how detailed the children can cut. Lots of improvement from the beginning of the year!

Mara did an awesome job pretending to be the teacher and read a Halloween story to her classmates. Great job Mara!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Halloween Party:
On Friday October 29th, we will be having our Halloween Party. Kim and Betsy’s class have organized a party and parade for the early elementary and preschool levels. Our party will start at 10:30 and end around 11:35. The party will end with the children marching in a parade around campus. Please do not send your child to school dressed in their costume, we will change into them right before the party. After the party we will change back to our regular clothing. Please make their costumes as simple as possible. Make sure your child is wearing comfortable walking shoes. We will be walking from classroom to classroom doing different activities.

Fall Festival:
Fall festival was such a great success! Thank you for all of your help. It was a pleasure getting to know all of your families. I would love to hear how you felt about the Fall Festival experience, both positive and negative. Your input helps us plan future activities.

Math: We have been cooking away. First apple sauce and last Friday we made apple crisp. It was sooooo delicious….the kids loved it. Cooking is so much fun…children do not realize they are learning important math skills.
We will be finishing our unit on geometric shapes. The kids have learned to recognize and label shapes in our environment by handling and exploring. Last Friday we made three dimensional shapes with our buddies using tooth picks and clay. Ask your child the difference between a sphere and a circle or a cone and triangle.
Our next math unit will be sorting and classifying. Sorting and classifying activities are valuable because they help to develop a child’s ability to think in an analytical manner. This, in turn, leads to growth in problem solving. In order to sort and classify a group of objects, a child must be able to recognize common attributes of objects. For example, a nickel, a dime, and a quarter have several common attributes. They are all coins, they are all metal, and they are all round. Your child will learn from a variety of experience sorting and classification.

Language Art: This week we read the story “Pumpkin Pumpkin” by Jeanne Titherrington. It is a wonderful story about a little boy who plants a pumpkin seed and watches it grow. The follow-up activity is for the children to make their own sequence book about growing a pumpkin. The activity involves cutting and number sequence and telling or reading the story back to me. Lots of direction!

Have a Happy Halloween and please do not send candy with your child’s lunch next week.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Camping Trip Reminder

Reminder: Tomorrow is the camping trip. Please meet at school about 9:00am.We will leave here at 9:15. Katie and Keri (6-8 year old teachers) will be greeting you and your child in the morning and taking attendance. I need to leave extra early to set things up at camp. You are responsible for transporting your own child. If you are meeting us at Camp Alta Mons please let Connie know in the office. Remember you will need to be with your child at all times during the trip (useless you have made arrangement for another adult to watch your child). We will go rain or shine. On Thursday you may head home around 1:00p.m.

Also remember you will need to pack lunch and snack for two day. Dinner and breakfast will be provided.

Get lots of rest tonight!! Get ready for a fun adventure. I am looking forward to this special time with your child.
Beth

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Happy October!

General news: A reminder on Friday we will be going to James’s Family apple orchard. Please pack your child’s fruit break and lunch in separate bags and label each bag with your child’s name. We will leave school at 9:00 and return around 1:00. Please dress for the weather. Make sure your child is wearing shoes that protect their feet. Thank you Leah (Mara’s Mom), Geoff (Zack’s Dad), and Holly Hirst for driving on Friday.

Next week is our camping trip we will leave from school at 9:15 on Wed. and return on Thursday. On Thursday you may leave from Alta Mons to go home around 1:00. If you plan to meet us at camp Alta Mons on Wednesday please let me know. Remember you will need to pack two lunches per person and bring two snacks. We will provide Dinner and breakfast. We will go rain or shine.

Please remember to check Quick Notes every Tuesday.

Science: It’s a boy and a girl!! We are still waiting for the last chrysalis to open. We have had so much fun learning all about the life cycle of the butterfly. Last week we let two free. Before we let them free we all made a wish. Thank you Bill (our Middle School science teacher) for taking the time to teach us how to gently hold a butterfly. This week we will continue learning the parts of the butterfly. We are learning some great vocabulary words. Ask your child what the words abdomen and thorax mean. We are also learning about different kinds of species butterflies.
Literacy: We read the story, The Seasons of Arnold Apple Tree. As the seasons pass, Arnold enjoys a variety of activities as a result of his apple tree. We are making our own books to represent the four seasons of an apple tree. Next week we will make applesauce and an apple pie.

Classroom Management: This week we start center work. Each child is assigned a center for the day. During this time period your child is expected to complete that centers work for the day. The children will rotate thru the three centers (which will take three days.) I am working very hard to get your child to work quietly and independently during this time. Once children get used to centers and are working independently, they will move on to small group work.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Class name: Cool Cats
General News: Starting this week I will be sending home the All about Me Bag. Please help your child pick four of five things that tell us all about his or her interests. Details about what to bring are attached to the bag, you should return it within two days of when the bag comes home, so that each child will soon have a turn.

Please make sure your child is wearing proper footwear to school. We play outside every day. Your child’s feet need to be protected. They also need to be comfortable.
I have had lots of very tired children this week. I understand it may be difficult to get them into bed please try. Thank you!!

Fall Festival: Our dates for Fall Festival are October 13th and 14th. The location will be camp Alta Mons. We will be spending one night. Look for details to be coming home in your child’s folder this week. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. A reminder all children must be accompanied by an adult. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Science: We now have three chrysalises in our class and one remaining caterpillar. With a little luck I am hoping we see a butterfly emerge from the chrysalis. Each morning as
the children enter the room they run to the science area to see what has happened over night. They are being very patient. We will let you all know as soon as the big event happens.

Language Arts: To complement our Caterpillar theme we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carl. We are working on creating our own sequencing books to go along with the story. To introduce the story I used a big book. With the use of Big Books we are teaching beginning readers to successfully figure out new words on their own and give children the confidence to become impendent readers. I teach them to look for picture clues, letters or words they may know. With a pointer I help to train their eyes to sweep across the page. We also learn new vocabulary words. We are working on the concept of today, tomorrow, and yesterday. We are also working on the days of the week and the months of the year. The Hungry Caterpillar has lots to teach us!!

Much of this week has been spent on assessment. I have been meeting with each of your children individually to determine your child’s individual needs. This process is very necessary and very time consuming. I hope to have assessments completed by the end of the week.

Field trip: Our class has been invited by James Simmons family to pick apples at their family orchard. We are planning on going October 8th. If you are able to help with transportation let me know as soon as possible. We will leave school around 9:00 and return around 1:30.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

General news:
Wow! It is hard to believe summer is over and here we are back in the swing of things. The first few weeks together, we have been learning our daily routines and focusing on The Big One. We use The Big One as a guideline to help us become a warm, friendly, and welcoming classroom community. We took a tour of campus with our “Treasure Maps.” Along the way we discovered where the new music room is located and we met the new Computer Teacher. We explored the new tepee and discovered where Holly’s office is located. We finally discovered the treasure back at our room! We really had so much fun. Ask your child about digging for gold.

Communications: Please try to return your folder daily. Quick Notes are published on the Community School website every Tuesday please check it out. Please feel free to leave a message in the office for me or e-mail me. (I try to check my e-mail daily, but some times it is impossible.) My e-mail is bethr@communityschool.net.

Fruit Break: Please send your child with a healthy snack. Fruit, cheese, and yogurt are all acceptable. No candy or soda please.

Toys: Please do not let your child bring toys to school (only on show and share day). Show and share will be on Fridays and it will start after the fall festival.

Birthdays: You are welcome to bring a treat into share with the class. Please no peanut butter.
If you are having a party please mail your invitations from home.

Fall Festival will be October 13th-14th. I will let you know as soon as I know the location. Please note that an adult must accompany every child. We will have other responsibilities during the trip and cannot be responsible for your child. If you cannot attend, please let me know. This trip is a lot of fun and it is a great way to get to know other parents, so we hope you will attend. Katie’s and Keri’s classes will also come with us.