Hello! I can't believe it is already the end of the school year. It has flown by so quickly! I just wanted to let you all know that the kids will be bringing home their assessments tomorrow. Report cards will be mailed out sometime next week, so you can expect that in the mail sometime soon. I am so proud of their progress- 35 out of 38 kids are reading at the goal level 3! That is AMAZING!! Keep practicing over the summer to make sure none of that new knowledge is lost.
I have so enjoyed getting to know each and every child this year. They are a fun group of kids, and we've had a blast learning and playing together! I will miss everyone so much and I wish them all luck in first grade. I know they will all do great!
Have a fantastic summer and I look forward to seeing you all around North next year!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Update for May 13
Hello and happy Friday! Well, we are almost done... only nine more days (not that I'm counting!). This week we had tons of fun at the zoo on Monday! Thank you to all of the parents who came along. We spent the rest of the week talking about animals and learning about wh- words. We also worked on skip counting by twos and fives. Next week we will be learning about th- and sh- words and talking about time.
Reminders:
-Field day is Wednesday! Please remember to have your child wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothes, as we will be outside most of the day. You may also send a water bottle with your child's name on it if you'd like. If you still want to help out, please contact Mr. Yoder.
-If your child would like to celebrate his or her summer birthday, please email me to set up a day to send in treats. We will be having a pizza party on the last day of school--Thanks to Rielyn Taylor's parents for donating from Paradise Pizza!
-I am extending the Scholastic deadline to this Sunday evening! There are tons of great books available for summer reading practice! Please order by then if you'd like to get any books. The class code is GMXHN.
Have a great weekend!
Reminders:
-Field day is Wednesday! Please remember to have your child wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothes, as we will be outside most of the day. You may also send a water bottle with your child's name on it if you'd like. If you still want to help out, please contact Mr. Yoder.
-If your child would like to celebrate his or her summer birthday, please email me to set up a day to send in treats. We will be having a pizza party on the last day of school--Thanks to Rielyn Taylor's parents for donating from Paradise Pizza!
-I am extending the Scholastic deadline to this Sunday evening! There are tons of great books available for summer reading practice! Please order by then if you'd like to get any books. The class code is GMXHN.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Update for April 29
Hello! This week we finished up our letters and words for the year--yay! We also finished up subtraction and took our test today.
I have posted the May calendar on our class website. Next week we will be learning about -ch words and reviewing all the letters.
On Monday, I will be sending home a circle with a letter on it for your child to decorate. We will be making a caterpillar to celebrate how much we've learned this year. There is a letter explaining it in the bag with the circle, but I just wanted you all to be on the look out for it. It will be due on Friday.
Notes and reminders:
--The Smoke Signal that was sent out today indicated that spring pictures were sent home this week. Our pictures have not been sent home yet! I just didn't want anything to be concerned that they were lost or you did not receive them.
--We will be doing our DIBELS testing on Friday! That will be the end of our testing for the year. We will do our regular end of trimester assessments the week after the zoo trip (5/16-20).
--Here is some info for the day of the zoo trip (Monday, May 9):
AM: You will come to school as usual at 7:35, but you will be staying until the end of the day. Please make sure your child knows how he or she is getting home that day. I believe every child has an adult coming along except two, so to make it easy, I would recommend just having your child go home with that person that day. I will make sure the other two students make it to the right place at the end of the day!
PM: Your child will need to be at school early on this day. The doors open at 7:35 and the tardy bell rings at 7:45. You may send your child on the bus if you'd like--it will be the same bus they ride on the way home. You can call transportation to find out what time pick-up is. You may also just bring your child to school as usual on this day. If you are coming on the trip, I would recommend just taking your child home with you, and I will send the rest of the students home as usual unless I hear otherwise.
Chaperone info will be coming home next week. If anyone has any questions about anything relating to the zoo, please feel free to email or call!
Have a great weekend!
I have posted the May calendar on our class website. Next week we will be learning about -ch words and reviewing all the letters.
On Monday, I will be sending home a circle with a letter on it for your child to decorate. We will be making a caterpillar to celebrate how much we've learned this year. There is a letter explaining it in the bag with the circle, but I just wanted you all to be on the look out for it. It will be due on Friday.
Notes and reminders:
--The Smoke Signal that was sent out today indicated that spring pictures were sent home this week. Our pictures have not been sent home yet! I just didn't want anything to be concerned that they were lost or you did not receive them.
--We will be doing our DIBELS testing on Friday! That will be the end of our testing for the year. We will do our regular end of trimester assessments the week after the zoo trip (5/16-20).
--Here is some info for the day of the zoo trip (Monday, May 9):
AM: You will come to school as usual at 7:35, but you will be staying until the end of the day. Please make sure your child knows how he or she is getting home that day. I believe every child has an adult coming along except two, so to make it easy, I would recommend just having your child go home with that person that day. I will make sure the other two students make it to the right place at the end of the day!
PM: Your child will need to be at school early on this day. The doors open at 7:35 and the tardy bell rings at 7:45. You may send your child on the bus if you'd like--it will be the same bus they ride on the way home. You can call transportation to find out what time pick-up is. You may also just bring your child to school as usual on this day. If you are coming on the trip, I would recommend just taking your child home with you, and I will send the rest of the students home as usual unless I hear otherwise.
Chaperone info will be coming home next week. If anyone has any questions about anything relating to the zoo, please feel free to email or call!
Have a great weekend!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Update for April 25
Hello! This week we are learning about the letter U, the -ug word family, and the word "he." In math we are learning about subtraction. We will also be continuing our MAP testing on Wednesday and Thursday, and DIBELS testing will be next week. This will be our last week to learn a new letter and word! We will spend the remainder of the school year reviewing the letters and sounds and learning about the sh, th, ch, and wh sounds. We are going to skip through the rest of our math series as well, hitting on the things that are most important. Unfortunately we don't have time to do every math lesson in half day kindergarten, but they will still know everything they need to for first grade.
Our zoo field trip is on Monday, May 9. We have tons of chaperones coming with us! If you are coming along, be on the lookout for some chaperone information coming home soon with more info about when to be here etc.
Our field day will be Wednesday, May 18! Get excited!
We will be having a summer birthday party the last week of school. More info to come later!
If you have not yet returned your child's signed progress report, I MUST have these back as soon as possible!
Have a great week!
Our zoo field trip is on Monday, May 9. We have tons of chaperones coming with us! If you are coming along, be on the lookout for some chaperone information coming home soon with more info about when to be here etc.
Our field day will be Wednesday, May 18! Get excited!
We will be having a summer birthday party the last week of school. More info to come later!
If you have not yet returned your child's signed progress report, I MUST have these back as soon as possible!
Have a great week!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Update for March 25
Hello! This week we learned about the letter W. We made worm puppets and watermelon. We also started some fun spring crafts, including flowers, butterflies, and kites, to decorate our hallway for kindergarten registration. After break, we will be learning about the letter E and the -et word family. In math, we finished up our measurement unit, and we will be continuing with addition after break.
A few reminders:
--It is officially spring break! Have a wonderful, relaxing break, and travel safely if you are going anywhere. I'll see you on Monday, April 4!
--There is no school on Thursday, April 7 due to kindergarten registration. Please pass the word around if you know anyone who is going to be five in the fall!
--Mark your calendars: We will be going to the Indianapolis Zoo on Monday, May 9. More info to come after break!
I don't have much else to share this week. Have a great break!
A few reminders:
--It is officially spring break! Have a wonderful, relaxing break, and travel safely if you are going anywhere. I'll see you on Monday, April 4!
--There is no school on Thursday, April 7 due to kindergarten registration. Please pass the word around if you know anyone who is going to be five in the fall!
--Mark your calendars: We will be going to the Indianapolis Zoo on Monday, May 9. More info to come after break!
I don't have much else to share this week. Have a great break!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Update for March 7
Hello! I apologize that it's been so long since my last update-- things have been a little crazy around here the past few weeks!
Last week, we learned all about nutrition and how to take care of our bodies. We learned about the food groups and what foods are healthy for us. We also learned how to brush our teeth. We had tons of fun on our field trip to Ruth Lilly!
This week, we are learning about the letter O. We will also be learning about the word said and starting the -og word family. We are also beginning a new chapter in math, and we will learn about measurement.
A few notes and reminders:
-We are in desperate need of glue sticks! We have run out, and we still have a few more months of school. Any donated glue sticks would be very much appreciated!
-Book orders came home today/Friday. These will be due back on Friday, March 18 so that we can hopefully get the books in before spring break. Our class code is GMXHN if you'd like to order online and earn free books for our class!
-We are up to 17 out of 18 in the AM class and 19 out of 20 in the PM class that can count to 100! Way to go!
-Just a reminder that spring break is coming up--March 26-April 3. There is no school the following Thursday (April 7) due to kindergarten registration for next year.
-Please make sure you are sending your child to school with a coat or jacket. We will be going outside as long as it isn't muddy or below freezing!
Have a great week!
Last week, we learned all about nutrition and how to take care of our bodies. We learned about the food groups and what foods are healthy for us. We also learned how to brush our teeth. We had tons of fun on our field trip to Ruth Lilly!
This week, we are learning about the letter O. We will also be learning about the word said and starting the -og word family. We are also beginning a new chapter in math, and we will learn about measurement.
A few notes and reminders:
-We are in desperate need of glue sticks! We have run out, and we still have a few more months of school. Any donated glue sticks would be very much appreciated!
-Book orders came home today/Friday. These will be due back on Friday, March 18 so that we can hopefully get the books in before spring break. Our class code is GMXHN if you'd like to order online and earn free books for our class!
-We are up to 17 out of 18 in the AM class and 19 out of 20 in the PM class that can count to 100! Way to go!
-Just a reminder that spring break is coming up--March 26-April 3. There is no school the following Thursday (April 7) due to kindergarten registration for next year.
-Please make sure you are sending your child to school with a coat or jacket. We will be going outside as long as it isn't muddy or below freezing!
Have a great week!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Update for February 11
Hello! This week we learned about Q and the color words orange and brown. We now know all of our color words! We had our Q & U wedding on Wednesday, and it was SO much fun! Pictures to come shortly... Yesterday we played review games most of the day, and I was so glad to see that most of the kids knew their popcorn words VERY well. Keep working on them! I am also happy to report that almost everyone can count to 100 -- 15 out of 18 in the AM class, and 17 out of 19 in the PM class. Way to go!!
Monday will be our Valentine's Day party. You may send in valentines with your child, as long as you send enough for every kid in the class. A class list went home a few weeks ago. Also, don't forget to have your child wear red, pink, or both on Monday! We will be making a graph of the colors of clothes.
We will also be doing assessments next week. I completed running records today, and we will be doing the rest of the testing Tuesday-Thursday. The end of the trimester is on Thursday, so don't forget--no school on Friday! Report cards and data folders will be sent home the following Friday, February 25.
I received the students' MAP test results and DIBELS results this week, and I have been using those as well as the running records to put together some reading groups. This will ensure that every student is working at his/her level. I intend to start those the week after next, as we start our third trimester.
Just a reminder that book orders will be due on Thursday. The class code is GMXHN to order online and earn free books for our class!
Don't forget, school WILL be in session on President's Day, which is Monday, February 21, due to the days we missed last week.
**We are running low on glue sticks! Any that are sent in would be GREATLY appreciated!**
Thanks and have a great weekend!
Monday will be our Valentine's Day party. You may send in valentines with your child, as long as you send enough for every kid in the class. A class list went home a few weeks ago. Also, don't forget to have your child wear red, pink, or both on Monday! We will be making a graph of the colors of clothes.
We will also be doing assessments next week. I completed running records today, and we will be doing the rest of the testing Tuesday-Thursday. The end of the trimester is on Thursday, so don't forget--no school on Friday! Report cards and data folders will be sent home the following Friday, February 25.
I received the students' MAP test results and DIBELS results this week, and I have been using those as well as the running records to put together some reading groups. This will ensure that every student is working at his/her level. I intend to start those the week after next, as we start our third trimester.
Just a reminder that book orders will be due on Thursday. The class code is GMXHN to order online and earn free books for our class!
Don't forget, school WILL be in session on President's Day, which is Monday, February 21, due to the days we missed last week.
**We are running low on glue sticks! Any that are sent in would be GREATLY appreciated!**
Thanks and have a great weekend!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Update for January 28, 2011
Hello! This week we learned lots of new things! We learned about the letter K and the word "here." I taught them a new rule about words that end with "e": The e says, "Stop, say your name!" to the other vowel. So in our popcorn word, here, the last e is telling the first e to say his name (e). The kids loved this, and they all remembered it today when we reviewed our words! This is definitely something you can use at home when spelling words! We also started learning about geometry in math, and we began making 3-page books in writer's workshop! Each page has a part of the story--beginning, middle, end. This is a difficult concept for kids at first, so any help at home with this would be appreciated. Lastly, we have learned two new word families in the past two weeks: -it and -ig words.
Next week we will be learning about the letter Q and we will start some Valentine's Day activities. We will also learn about Groundhogs Day. A big event that is happening next Friday is our Q & U wedding, which I told the kids about today. There is an invitation in your child's folder, so make sure you check it out! It will be tons of fun!
I have several reminders this week:
-Field trip permission slips and money are due this Wednesday. Please do not forget to send your child's money along with the slip. Exact change or a check is appreciated. If you have not sent exact change, I will wait until I get all of the money so that I can get change from the office to send home with your child. AM parents: Do not forget to write your child's transportation arrangements on the form! I must know how to get your child home from school on that day. If you aren't sure of the bus number, you can call transportation at 745-6975. Please make sure you write an address down too, because I just give these forms to the bus drivers to get them to the write places. If you have questions, let me know!
-We are having a shoe donating contest in our school district! Send in your used shoes until February 11. They will be donated to men, women, and children in third world countries. There are a few types of shoes we will not be collecting: slippers, roller blades/ice skates, shoes with more than a 2-inch heel, winter boots, or ripped shoes. **My class collected the most shoes in the district last year, and we won $250 worth of books for our classroom! I REALLY want to win this contest again this year, so PLEASE send in your shoes!!!**
-February book orders will be going home on Monday. They will be due back on Friday, February 11. Order online with the code GMXHN and we will get free books for our classroom!
-Our Valentine's Day party will be held on Monday, February 14. You may send valentines for the other children in the class on that day. I will send home a note on Monday that includes the names of the children in the class.
-Reminder: There is no school on Friday, February 18 or Monday, February 21.
-I have posed a new curriculum calendar for February on the website, so check it out if you would like to see what is coming up.
-We are still working to get everyone counting to 100! 12 out of 18 kids in the AM class and 15 out of 19 kids in the PM class can count to 100 so far--let's get everyone else there by practicing every night at home!!
Have a great weekend!
Next week we will be learning about the letter Q and we will start some Valentine's Day activities. We will also learn about Groundhogs Day. A big event that is happening next Friday is our Q & U wedding, which I told the kids about today. There is an invitation in your child's folder, so make sure you check it out! It will be tons of fun!
I have several reminders this week:
-Field trip permission slips and money are due this Wednesday. Please do not forget to send your child's money along with the slip. Exact change or a check is appreciated. If you have not sent exact change, I will wait until I get all of the money so that I can get change from the office to send home with your child. AM parents: Do not forget to write your child's transportation arrangements on the form! I must know how to get your child home from school on that day. If you aren't sure of the bus number, you can call transportation at 745-6975. Please make sure you write an address down too, because I just give these forms to the bus drivers to get them to the write places. If you have questions, let me know!
-We are having a shoe donating contest in our school district! Send in your used shoes until February 11. They will be donated to men, women, and children in third world countries. There are a few types of shoes we will not be collecting: slippers, roller blades/ice skates, shoes with more than a 2-inch heel, winter boots, or ripped shoes. **My class collected the most shoes in the district last year, and we won $250 worth of books for our classroom! I REALLY want to win this contest again this year, so PLEASE send in your shoes!!!**
-February book orders will be going home on Monday. They will be due back on Friday, February 11. Order online with the code GMXHN and we will get free books for our classroom!
-Our Valentine's Day party will be held on Monday, February 14. You may send valentines for the other children in the class on that day. I will send home a note on Monday that includes the names of the children in the class.
-Reminder: There is no school on Friday, February 18 or Monday, February 21.
-I have posed a new curriculum calendar for February on the website, so check it out if you would like to see what is coming up.
-We are still working to get everyone counting to 100! 12 out of 18 kids in the AM class and 15 out of 19 kids in the PM class can count to 100 so far--let's get everyone else there by practicing every night at home!!
Have a great weekend!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Update for Friday, January 14
Hello and happy Friday! This week we learned about the letter L and the word "is." We made a lion mask and a lion with L words in his mouth. We also learned how to add this week! We are finished with round 1 of the MAP testing, and next week we will have round 2 of MAP (the computerized test) and DIBELS testing. Please make sure you send your child to school next week unless they are sick! It is difficult to get all of the testing made up if your child is out, and we had a lot of kids gone this week. We will also be celebrating our 100th day of school next week!! (The kids are convinced this means that they will be first graders after our celebration :) I guess they don't realize that there are more than 100 numbers!)
Reminders:
--Progress reports came home with your child today. Please sign one copy and send it back by Wednesday. The other copy and all of the assessments are for you to keep.
--Field trip permission slips will be going home on Monday. These will be due the following Wednesday (2/2). Just a reminder that we will not be taking chaperones on this field trip. AM will go to Ruth Lilly on March 2 and will not have school on the 3rd. PM will go to Ruth Lilly on March 3rd and will not have school on the 2nd.
Have a good weekend!
Reminders:
--Progress reports came home with your child today. Please sign one copy and send it back by Wednesday. The other copy and all of the assessments are for you to keep.
--Field trip permission slips will be going home on Monday. These will be due the following Wednesday (2/2). Just a reminder that we will not be taking chaperones on this field trip. AM will go to Ruth Lilly on March 2 and will not have school on the 3rd. PM will go to Ruth Lilly on March 3rd and will not have school on the 2nd.
Have a good weekend!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Update for January 9
Hello! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and a restful break. Now that we're back to the grind, we are starting assessment time. This past Friday was the end of the midterm, and we did assessments at the end of last week. We will also be doing MAP testing and DIBELS testing in the next few weeks. MAP is a computer-based test that measures reading skills, and we will be testing one day this week and one next week. DIBELS is an assessment that is completed three times a year. It also measures reading skills. This assessment will be done next week. Please make sure your child eats breakfast and gets plenty of sleep these next few weeks!
Last week we learned about the letter F. We made a fish book, fancy fork fireworks, and a fox. This week we will be learning about the letter L. We will also be doing round 1 of the MAP test and finishing up math unit 6.
Notes and reminders:
-Our goal for the month of January is for everyone to be able to count to 100! I tested the kids last week, and I was happy to see that many of them can already to it. 11 out of 19 kids the in the AM class and 14 out of 19 kids in PM class can already count to 100! Keep practicing so that we can get every student to meet our goal!
-Just a reminder that there is no school on Monday due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (unless we have a snow day this week).
-We will be starting library again on Monday. We will check books out on Monday of each week and they will be due on Friday of the same week. Just a reminder that your child will not be allowed to check out a new book if the previous one is not turned in.
-Progress reports will be coming home on Friday. I will send it home with the two assessments stapled to it, so make sure you check your child's folder on Friday.
-Book orders were sent home this week. The orders will be due on Friday afternoon. Remember, if you order online, our class gets a free book and you can use a credit card to pay. There are also other books available online that I do not get flyers fo. Just go to scholastic.com and use the class code: GMXHN.
-We will be taking a field trip to the Ruth Lily Center in Indianapolis on March 2 and 3. On Wednesday, March 2, the AM class will go on the trip and they will be at school for the full day (7:30-2:10). The PM class will not attend school that day. On Thursday, March 3, the PM class will go on the trip and be at school the entire day, and the AM class will not attend school. Lunch will be served at school on these days. More information will come home with a permission slip in the next few weeks, but I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that the schedule will be different on those two days. We will not be taking chaperones on this trip, but when we go to the zoo later in the year, we will be taking any chaperones that wish to come, so just wait until then to volunteer!
Have a great week!
I have gotten the feeling that many people are not reading the blog. I'd like to get a quick count of how many people are checking the site when I update. To help me out, just click on the link below to take you to a survey page, then just hit yes when you get there. It will literally take 5 seconds (there is only one question) and I can get a better idea of how well you are staying informed! Thanks so much!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3VBW9VY
Last week we learned about the letter F. We made a fish book, fancy fork fireworks, and a fox. This week we will be learning about the letter L. We will also be doing round 1 of the MAP test and finishing up math unit 6.
Notes and reminders:
-Our goal for the month of January is for everyone to be able to count to 100! I tested the kids last week, and I was happy to see that many of them can already to it. 11 out of 19 kids the in the AM class and 14 out of 19 kids in PM class can already count to 100! Keep practicing so that we can get every student to meet our goal!
-Just a reminder that there is no school on Monday due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (unless we have a snow day this week).
-We will be starting library again on Monday. We will check books out on Monday of each week and they will be due on Friday of the same week. Just a reminder that your child will not be allowed to check out a new book if the previous one is not turned in.
-Progress reports will be coming home on Friday. I will send it home with the two assessments stapled to it, so make sure you check your child's folder on Friday.
-Book orders were sent home this week. The orders will be due on Friday afternoon. Remember, if you order online, our class gets a free book and you can use a credit card to pay. There are also other books available online that I do not get flyers fo. Just go to scholastic.com and use the class code: GMXHN.
-We will be taking a field trip to the Ruth Lily Center in Indianapolis on March 2 and 3. On Wednesday, March 2, the AM class will go on the trip and they will be at school for the full day (7:30-2:10). The PM class will not attend school that day. On Thursday, March 3, the PM class will go on the trip and be at school the entire day, and the AM class will not attend school. Lunch will be served at school on these days. More information will come home with a permission slip in the next few weeks, but I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that the schedule will be different on those two days. We will not be taking chaperones on this trip, but when we go to the zoo later in the year, we will be taking any chaperones that wish to come, so just wait until then to volunteer!
Have a great week!
I have gotten the feeling that many people are not reading the blog. I'd like to get a quick count of how many people are checking the site when I update. To help me out, just click on the link below to take you to a survey page, then just hit yes when you get there. It will literally take 5 seconds (there is only one question) and I can get a better idea of how well you are staying informed! Thanks so much!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3VBW9VY
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