Hi Families,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the holiday season.

I wanted to make sure you were aware of a few things.  

Concerts:

Concerts are Wednesday at 8:15 and 9:45.  Both concerts are the same.  If you do not plan on being at either one, please let me know.  The winter celebration has been planned by our wonderful room parent, Laura Young.  There are a few crafts and some simple snacks.  Please stop by after the second concert for this party.

Lice:

Please read this letter about lice in our classroom.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7t0DQLJkq7xYWtMMGo1VW1sRDNtUkNGSENMaGYwcktNakFR/view?usp=sharing

National Boards

As many of you know, I am in the second year of working towards my National Board Certification. This weekend I received my scores from last year. I passed my first 2 portfolios!  Yay!  Now I am preparing my last portfolio and studying for my exam.  I need a SIGNED WAIVER FROM EACH STUDENT that allows me to submit student work or short video clips to the National Board for assessment.  My name is not attached to the video, nor is our school district.  I have an identification number that is used to submit the work.  I mention this in case you have any privacy concerns.  I am putting the waivers in your child's folders today.  I would love to have these all returned by Friday.  Thank you so much for helping me achieve this goal!

Report Cards
Report cards go home Friday, December 8th.  You will get the report card in a white envelope.  The report card and all the brochures from the district are yours to keep.  The envelope needs to be signed and returned.  Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

Winter Concerts and Party

• There will be two shows the morning of December 20.  The first show is 8:15.  The second show is 9:45.  The Kindergarteners will sing for about 15 minutes.  The first graders sing after Kindergarten.  The whole show lasts about 30 minutes.  
• After the second show we will have our Winter Party.  Everyone is invited to attend this party.
• You will get an email from our room parents with details about the party.
• If you are NOT able to make it to either of the shows, PLEASE TELL ME as soon as possible.  If we can prepare your child ahead of time for the fact that you will not be there it is much easier for them to relax and enjoy the show and party. We can arrange to send pictures and videos.  

Reading

We continue to read Fairy Tales.  This week we read The Three Little Pigs, The Elves and the Shoemaker, and Cinderella.  We talked about what they have in common.  We are also working on our Book Talk Power!  Students have been reading with partners this week and have enjoyed talking about the books and the parts they really like.  

We learned how to read rhyming words this week!  If it looks alike, it probably sounds alike.  If it sounds alike, it probably looks alike!  

Most exciting of all, we finally got past 10 minutes in our Read to Self Stamina!!!   We will celebrate with a pajama day on Friday!

Writing

Our writing this week focused on strong beginnings.  

Math

We are practicing adding 1 more and comparing sets in Math.  We learned about number sentences during calendar.  

STEMWe are enjoying working in our STEM and Sensory Bins.  Students are exploring ways to build with different materials. We will continue using these bins to build, problem solve, and learn about our world.  

Winter

Lexia:  Please continue to do Lexia at home as often as you can!  The program individualizes lessons for each child.  Just 20-30 minutes of Lexia at home each week makes a huge difference!  Please let me know if you are having any difficulty getting your child logged in at home.

Winter Concerts and Party

• There will be two shows the morning of December 20.  The first show is 8:15.  The second show is 9:45.  The Kindergarteners will sing for about 15 minutes.  The first graders sing after Kindergarten.  The whole show lasts about 30 minutes.  
• After the second show we will have our Winter Party.  Everyone is invited to attend this party.
• You will get an email from our room parents with details about the party.
• If you are NOT able to make it to either of the shows, PLEASE TELL ME as soon as possible.  If we can prepare your child ahead of time for the fact that you will not be there it is much easier for them to relax and enjoy the show and party. We can arrange to send pictures and videos.  

Reading:

We are learning about different fairy tales this month!  This week we read many versions of Jack and the Beanstalk.  We also re-read Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Next week we will read Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel.  We will end the month reading different versions of the Gingerbread stories.  Our Winter Party will be a Fairy Tale Theme to celebrate all our hard work!
Math: We have been working on more than and less than.  Kids have been comparing numbers and comparing sets of objects.  We practice during math bins with our friends. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are ready for our trip to the zoo!  Thanks to Mr. Blecha for securing an experience box to help us prepare for sorting and classifying animals on our trip!

We learned about different animal coverings and how to sort animals into groups using these coverings.  We will continue to use the box after break to review what we learned at the zoo.

Field Trip:
Dress for the weather!  We are outside for much of the day. 
Pack a lunch that is disposable!
Wear comfortable walking shoes or boots.

Math:  We have been working on counting sets and determining which set has more or less.  We will be working on addition after we return from Thanksgiving Break!d

Reading:  Students continue to work on our Reading Super Powers.  We are also reviewing character, setting, and main events as we retell some favorite books.  Our shared reading time has focused on new sight words: WE and LIKE.

Writing:  Students learned to use a checklist when they write to make sure they have done their best writing.  We are working really hard to make our writing easy to read!

November 10

Kids have been busy using SUPER POWERS in reading and writing!  Kids are using their

• Pointer Power!
• Reread Power!
• Picture Power!
• Sound Power!
• Snap Word Power!

These Powers help students attend to print and read patterns and unknown words within those patterns.  Ask your child to use pointer power when you read to them at home!  

In Writing we are working on making our writing easy to read.  We use this chart to help us remember what makes a great narrative story that people will be able to read.  Students have been focusing on one or two of these skills each time they write.  They are very motivated to write these days and it is so fun watching them unlock the code!  

In math we finished up our shapes unit and began a measuring unit.  

During Science we have been talking about animal coverings and reading a lot of nonfiction books about animal classifications.  Next week we will explore different animal coverings in projects and centers.  

Zoo Field Trip: 

Thanks to all of you who sent in those permission slips.  We are allowed as many chaperones as we want on this trip, so if you want to join us, just let me know.  We need 4-5 chaperones and we have what we need.  All chaperones should plan on carpooling to the zoo since seating on the bus is limited.

Apples and Autumn!

Halloween:

• We will change into our costumes at 1:00.  Parade is at 1:30. Party will follow.
• The parade is outside unless it is raining.  If it is cold I will make your child wear any jacket you sent in.  Please (PLEASE!!) have this conversation with your child so that I am not making princesses and goblins cry when I try to keep them warm...  If you are okay with your child going out without a jacket, please send a note or be there for the parade.  
• No high heels, please.
• All parents are welcome to join the class for the parade and party!  Siblings are welcome. We cannot promise enough supplies for the siblings, but we will try to accommodate!
• No candy will be distributed at Irving School.  We will not send candy home with students.
•  Costumes should come to school labeled with your child's name on it.  If your child can wear the "base" pieces of the costume it helps when we all change into our costumes.  
• No weapons of any kind.  If you have to ask- please leave it at home.

This week we learned about apples and the apple tree.  We found the flower at the bottom of the apple and the seeds that were formed when bees brought pollen to the apple blossoms!   We had a taste test of the red, yellow, and green apples.  Red tasted best to our class with 10 votes, green received 6 votes, and 4 kids liked yellow.  Please send in an apple (or two or three)  on Monday or Tuesday for our Applesauce!  

Writing:  We worked on letter sorts and the routines that will help us hear the sounds in words when we write.  We wrote pattern books.  These books help us practice our sight words and help us put spaces between words.  

Reading:  This week we kicked off our reading unit that helps us use READING SUPER POWERS!  We activated our pointer power to help us point under each word as we read.  When we got confused we went back and re-read.  The kids love doing this so much they choose to do this during our indoor developmental play time!

Math:  We are practicing finding and naming our shapes in math.  We also continue to practice subitizing (knowing the number of objects without having to count them).  

Halloween:

• We will change into our costumes at 1:00.  Parade is at 1:30. Party will follow.
• The parade is outside unless it is raining.  If it is cold I will make your child wear any jacket you sent in.  Please (PLEASE!!) have this conversation with your child so that I am not making princesses and goblins cry when I try to keep them warm...  If you are okay with your child going out without a jacket, please send a note or be there for the parade.  
• No high heels, please.
• All parents are welcome to join the class for the parade and party!  Siblings are welcome. We cannot promise enough supplies for the siblings, but we will try to accommodate!
• No candy will be distributed at Irving School.  We will not send candy home with students.
•  Costumes should come to school labeled with your child's name on it.  If your child can wear the "base" pieces of the costume it helps when we all change into our costumes.  
• No weapons of any kind.  If you have to ask- please leave it at home.

Busy Time of the Year!

Lots of Business

The Fun Run is on Tuesday!  This is one of our biggest fund raisers of the year!  If you have not already done so, please set up an account for your child HERE.   Your child will run around the field first thing on Tuesday morning.  They love running around and meeting our Eagle Mascot!  Your child should wear running shoes to school on Tuesday and be prepared to run outside in the morning.  

Halloween Party

Our room parents are busy planning a Halloween Party for next week.  Please check your emails for a sign up from them.  A few notes about Halloween:

• We will be making applesauce that morning as one of our treats for the party.  Please send in an apple on Monday or Tuesday of next week!  
• Children should NOT wear costumes to school.  They will change into their costumes after lunch.  LABEL EVERYTHING!   There are 20 kids changing into 20 costumes.  Things get mixed up.  
• Irving Halloween Parade is a great tradition.  If you can swing by to watch it, you won't regret it.  Stay for the party.
• NO WEAPONS of any kind as part of a costume.  No exceptions.  If you have to ask...the answer is probably going to be "no."
• Please do not send in any candy to be passed out that day unless it is part of our Halloween Party sign up.  I will not be allowed to distribute the candy so it will be sent back home.

Book Fair

We are going to the book fair Monday morning but it will be around all week.  It's a great way to build up the home library and support Irving's library at the same time.  If you send money in with your child, please mark it clearly for the book fair in an envelope. We can help your child purchase a book. 

Academics

I loved talking with all of you at conferences last week.  As you know we will continue to work on shapes in math.  We will be reading and writing lots of pattern books.  Our science focus will shift to apples this week. 

Morning Meeting and Field Trip

Every day we start with a morning meeting.   We greet our friends and practice saying each other's names.  This helps everyone feel welcome in our classroom community.  Then we turn and talk to a partner and practice taking turns while we have a conversation.  After that we will go through a morning message and a quick activity to wake up our brains.  Below is a short video of a few kids "passing a ding!" around the circle. 

We had a great field trip with some superstar chaperones!  Students did a great job observing leaves, organizing things that come from a tree, and doing some digging to look for invertebrates.  We had a great picnic lunch and nice walk around the Arboretum.

Don't forget next week is conferences so Thursday and Friday will be half days, with dismissal at 11:00.