Have a Wonderful Winter Holiday Break!

Thanks again for such a great party, a generous gift and a superb first trimester!  While I am looking forward to a 2 week vacation, I can honestly say I cannot wait to get back to work with these kids in January!  I am expecting great things from them!

Just a few things:

In your child's backpack is a gift from them to you.  Enjoy!

I am keeping folders so I can freshen them up in January.

I attached a math packet to your child's work and the school fliers.  The "homework" is optional, but I know some kids might enjoy some routine at some point over the break.  They should be able to do the whole packet independently.

Try to log in to Lexia a few times over break.


See you all in 2015!  Have a safe and happy break!

Report Cards Go Home Today!

I hope everyone is surviving the Winter Holiday frenzy of activities.  We have been super busy in Kindergarten with all things Gingerbread!

Reading:  We have read 6 different Gingerbread stories and practiced our retelling with each of them.  We have also compared and contrasted the different versions.

Writing:  While we have stuck to our routine in writing, we have been focusing on our formal handwriting curriculum and also using only lower case letters in the middle of a sentence.  Finally, we are working on segmenting words as we write so we can write all the sounds we hear.

Math:  We have worked on graphing, sorting, patterns, counting and number bonds!  Number bonds are a big part of our second trimester.  More on those after the holidays!

Theme:  Gingerbread!  We have decorated gingerbread babies, gingerbread houses and made gingerbread glyphs with our book buddies.  Next week we will learn about Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and Diwali.  (Diwali was actually celebrated in November this year, but all these holidays have a celebration of lights, so we will focus on that common theme.)

REPORT CARDS:  Report cards go home TODAY!  As I write this, the report cards that are printed and stuffed into envelopes do not have Spanish grades on them-only comments.  There was a glitch in our recording system.  Now there seems to be a glitch in the server that is not allowing us to print report cards.  If this is resolved in time for me to print new report cards and stuff them I will do that!  If not-I will be sending home Spanish grades separately next week.
THE REPORT CARD IS YOURS TO KEEP, BUT I NEED THE SIGNED ENVELOPE BACK!

Winter Concert:  Thanks so much to our crew of room parents for organizing our party again!  If you have not yet seen the sign up genius, please click the link below and see if there's anyway you can help!
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/9040F4CA9AF2A1-winter/6809437

Finally, I am opening up the Scholastic Book orders.  I will place an order when we get back in January.  Please click on the link to see all the catalogs available. A sample catalog was sent today, but there are thousands of books to choose from.  It might be nice to have a few new books when headed into the depths of winter!

December 3, 2014

It is a busy time of the year!  We have a few things going on at school in these next few weeks that you should have on your calendar.  Here's a midweek edition of the blog!


Friday, December 6th:   Jack Frost Jam- Dancing in the gym and  food in the cafeteria makes for a fun and easy night out with the kids.  Proceeds go to 5th grade activities.  I hope to see you there!

Saturday, December 13th:  Annual craft fair and cookie crumble-This is a great event, too. Come and see some amazing crafts and artisans.  The cookie crumble is also a big hit!

Friday, December 12:  Report Cards go home.  These report cards are very length.  They contain a lot of information.  Please look over them carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

Wednesday, December 17th:  Winter Celebration and Concerts-one concert is at 8:30, the next at 9:45. Both concerts are the same.  We will have a snack after the first concert and a party after the second one.  Please check email regularly for updates from our room parents.  Thanks!

We are beginning trimester 2 Common Core State Standards in both English Language Arts and Math. We will continue to visit Trimester 1 Standards.

In reading we will focus on retelling fiction stories.  We will also learn how pictures and words work together to bring meaning to a story.

In writing we are enjoying a week of narrative writing before starting some opinion writing next week. During Shared Writing we are working on using lower case letters and sounding out longer words.

During math we are working on the concepts of greater than and less than.  We are also working on counting objects to 20 and decomposing numbers up to 5.

We finished our study of bears and we are enjoying reading lots of Gingerbread Man stories this week and next.  We will also be learning about holiday traditions.

We had such a fun HIBERNATION day!  We learned about other animals that hibernate, did some great bear measuring and made a hibernating bear craft.  All in all it was a success.  See the pictures linked on the left.

Reading:  We got new books this week in guided reading groups.  Students are learning how to do picture walks and use the first letter of a word to help them figure out unknown words.  I finished trimester 1 assessments this week, too.

Writing:  We are doing a lot of non-fiction writing during Writers Workshop.  Students chose new writing goals during writing conferences.

Math:  We worked on shapes a lot this week during math stations.  We also did some number stories.

Bears:  We learned about polar bears and finished up our panda bear writing.

Field Trip:  We will go rain or shine.  If the weather is too cold we will adjust times to make sure there is plenty of time in the indoor exhibits.

•  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.  
• Please make sure your child has a disposable lunch!  (No lunchboxes, tupperware, no thermoses, etc.)  The chaperones will have their hands full of hats and mittens and other gear.  Carrying heavy lunches is too much to ask!  
• Make sure your child is on time Tuesday morning.
• Finally, there is no limit on chaperones.  If you would like to join us you are more than welcome!  

Upcoming Dates:
November 25th:  Zoo Field Trip
December 17th:  Winter Concerts-These are always in the morning.  There will be two times.  There will be a reception after the second concert.
December 12th:  Report Cards go homefff
December 19th:  Last Day of School before Winter Break
January 5th:  School Resumes

November 16th

We had a great week in Kindergarten finishing up some of our Reading Literature Standards and beginning to learn about how to read Informational Texts.

Reading:  We worked with our Book Buddies twice this week to begin our bear research projects.  The students had to answer four questions about bears and then present it using an app called  Explain Everything.  When these are completed you will see a digital copy of them.  They are very impressive!

Writing: We continue to work on informational writing.  This week our focus has been on bears.

Math:  We are working on naming shapes and on number stories within five.  Please practice identifying these shapes at home:  square, rectangle, triangle, circle, hexagon, rhombus.  In general the students know the shapes, but right now only one student knows all 6 shapes consistently.  Keep practicing!

Bears:  We are gearing up for our trip to the zoo!  We have learned a lot about bears and will continue to learn about them this week.  One thing we are very excited about is our HIBERNATION DAY on Friday!  Students can wear pajamas to get ready to hibernate.  They can also bring a special book from home to read (under our tables...I mean...in our dens).  Students can bring a bear snack- such as fish..or goldfish, teddy grahams, honeycomb cereal, berries, gummy bears, etc.  We will also have a teddy bear picnic...so a TEDDY BEAR is a must!  We will all eat in the Kindergarten pod on towels with our bears.  Parents are welcome to join us for our picnic, but there will be nothing formal.  If your child plans on getting hot lunch on Friday, we will make sure they get their milk or hot lunch. 

50th day of School and Bears...Oh My!

We had a great 50th day of school.  Your kids looked great!  They had a lot of fun learning about the number 50 and about life in the 1950s.  The dance party was great.  The pictures, taken from the ipad, were all pretty out of focus.  As you can imagine...it's hard to get kids to stop moving when at a sock hop!



Dates:
Monday, November 10th:  No School in honor of Veterans Day
Friday, November 14th:  Permission slip due
Tuesday, November 25th: Field Trip to Brookfield Zoo

 Reading: We took our summative assessment on characters, settings and main events this week.  The students have made so much progress on this standard and I expect they will continue to show great things.  As we discussed at conferences, we most expect to see an AP (approaching proficiency) at this time of year.  We will be looking at these assessments as a grade level and scoring them together. As soon as that is done I will copy the assessments and send them home.

Writing:  We started nonfiction writing this week!  We started by writing about things we know a lot about.  Soon we will look at text features, like captions, labels and diagrams and add that to our writing.   This will all come in handy when we do our BEAR RESEARCH project!

Math:  We continue to work on writing numbers correctly.  We used the "wet, dry, try" method of practicing during math stations.  Mr. Degman came in again to help us learn the names of all the pattern block shapes.  Look for an assignment to be emailed to you.  Of course we also spent some time counting to 50!  (Look for the rest of the pictures linked to the left!)

Bears:  We will begin a study of bears for the next few weeks.  We will learn about bears while applying our nonfiction writing, reading nonfiction books, using technology to publish writing and to address the science standards of animal habitats.  Be sure to send in the permission slip by next Friday to the Brookfield Zoo!

Stand up to Cancer:Has your child come home talking about funny pictures of the teachers standing in funny places?  This is part of a "Stand up to Cancer" campaign that the student council is sponsoring.  Your child can "vote" for their favorite picture by putting some money in the their favorite picture's envelope.  All the money goes to Cancer Research.  Money accepted until next week!

Happy Halloween!

Let's get right down to the business at hand!  While we have been learning a lot this week about bats, segmenting words and good number writing...what we are really thinking about is
Halloween!
A few things to remember!!

• Do not send your child to school in costume.  
• Costumes will be put on at 1:00 in the afternoon.
• Label ALL parts of a costume. 
• NO weapons as part of a costume.
• Room Parents have worked hard to plan a party with some "fun food".  Please do not send additional food or candy to the party unless you signed up on our sign up genius.  
• All parents are welcome to watch the parade at 1:40.  If it is not raining-we will be outside-so please help your child think about how to wear the costume over a jacket or under a jacket.  They don't like to cover it up once it is on...but with the temps predicted, they will freeze without a jacket!  
• All parents are welcome to join us for the party.  We will likely go right up to the bell.  Please come in and help us pack up at the end of the day! (No need to wait outside for us...just c'mon in and help your child gather all their belongings.  

Picture Retakes is MONDAY NOVEMBER 3rd.  If your child was absent, plan on getting pictures taken.  If your child's picture was unsatisfactory, please return the whole package and write a note explaining why you want a retake.

Wednesday, November 5th is our 50th day of school!  Remember to dress up like it was the 1950s!  Just a few ideas:  Boys can wear rolled up jeans, put gel in their hair and wear a cardigan.  Girls can wear a poodle skirt or longer skirt, bobby socks and a high pony tail!  Pearls are a lovely touch!

Monday, November 10th:  No School for Veteran's Day

Tuesday, November 25th:  Field Trip to Brookfield Zoo!  Can you chaperone?  Let me know!  We'd love to have you.  Chaperones don't ride the bus, so the earlier we plan carpooling, the better!

What a full fall week!  I really enjoyed being able to meet with al of you during our conference.  100% attendance is a teachers dream!  If you got home and realized you forgot to ask me something, please don't hesitate to send an email or schedule another conference.  I know the time goes fast.

Reading:  We continued working on beginning, middle and end in reading.  During reading groups we are focusing on using the first letter to help us figure out a new word.  We are also working on pointing to each word when we read.
Writing:  Each of the students chose a writing goal this week.  Ask your child what his/her goal is.
Math: During math we are working on measuring and using ten frames to help us visualize numbers.   A lot of students are writing numbers backwards or having trouble identifying numbers.  We will do some additional number writing practice next week.

A BIG thanks to all of you who supported our Fun Run!  The kids had a great time running for a good cause!  If you did not get a chance to contribute, but would still like to, pledges are accepted until the end of next week.

We also had a visit from a dentist!  You will find a dental screening form in your papers this week.  If you sign it and return it our class gets a prize!  You are not consenting when you sign-but it is as great, free service if you are interested.

Next week we have another busy week!  We will

• Have a bus evacuation drill on Monday.
• Meet a real author on Tuesday!
• Go to the Book Fair on Tuesday.  It is open every day after school next week!  It's a great chance to get some books and support our school.  There are adult books, too.  If you want to send money in with your child to buy a book, please put the money in an envelope with any instructions you have.
• Friday is our Halloween Parade and Party!  Thanks to Kim and all our Room Parents for organizing such a great party!  Please read her emails!

Reading:  We are working on RL3-identifying characters, setting, and beginning, middle and end.

Writing:  We continue to work on spaces between words.  Next week we will choose goals to improve our writing.

Math:  We are comparing lengths and measuring.  Mr. Degman helped a group work on showing numbers and counting using the app educreations.  He will be coming in two times a week to integrate technology into our math lessons.

PLEASE!  IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY, REGISTER FOR THE FUN RUN!  THIS IS A BIG FUNDRAISER FOR US AND IT IS A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL!

REGISTER FOR TRIVIA NIGHT, TOO!  Yes-it is a fundraiser-but it is so much fun!  This is a child free night at the Wire answering trivia questions and having a blast.  If you don't have a team, you can register and we will make a team for you.  Last year some parents from my class formed a team and became great friends.  It is a great opportunity to get to know some of the people you'll be seeing around Irving for the next 6 years!  (I'm playing on a team of people I met when my oldest was in Kindergarten...6 years ago!)

An author is coming to Irving!  Please read the purple flier in folders today.  It has information about getting a signed copy of a book for your child from the author of the Five Little Monkey books.  Click on the title to visit her website!

See you all at conferences next week!  I can't wait!

We had a great week!
 Our first trip to the library was a success.  If you turned in an application for a library card, your library card is in the folder.  Congratulations!  Thanks to our volunteer chaperones.  We will be doing a research project in November using our new library cards.  

 Reading:  We have added several new centers to our guided reading centers.   Next week we will get new groups and students will get new books each week for their book bags.  We are focusing on beginning, middle and end.  We also started using Lexia this week.  Please see the instructions for how to use Lexia at home.

Writing:  We are also focusing on beginning, middle and end in our writing.  Students are getting more independent about getting sounds down on paper for their words.  We will really focus on spaces between our words next week.

Math:   We completed our first chapter in the My Math curriculum.  We worked on concepts of more than, less than and equal to.  We are also practicing writing and reading numbers 1-20.

Upcoming Dates:
October 10: No school for institute day
October 13:  No school for Columbus Day
October 22:  FUN RUN!  See the link to the left to register your child if you have not already!
October 31:  Halloween Party and Parade -Details on times coming soon.  Kids can bring costumes to school and will change after lunch.
November 5:  Our 50th day of School!  Your child will want to wear a 50's inspired outfit that day.  Keep this in mind as you gather Halloween costumes.

October?  October?  How can it be that Monday is our 30th day of school??

Your children are doing amazing things!  You must be noticing all sorts of fabulous growth at home.  If you even want to see exactly what goes on in a Kindergarten classroom let me know.  The doors are always open.

Reading:  We continue to work on characters and settings.  We are also working on telling about the beginning, middle and end.  We learned how to write stories with beginning, middles and ends, too.

Writing:  We continue to focus on beginning sounds and putting spaces between words when we write.    We start our letters at the top and are learning about tall and short letters.

Math:  We learned greater than and less than this week.

Apples:  This week we learned about the parts of an apple and how an apple grows.  We will make an apple diagram next week and we will keep reading about apples.  The week of October 13th we will make applesauce.   (Yummy!)  Stay tuned.

Upcoming Dates:
October 6th:   Walk to Maze Library-We will leave Irving School around 12:35 and Return to around 2:00.  We only have one chaperone.  We would gladly take an extra if you have time! (Please?)
October 7th:   Bus Evacuation Drill
October 8th:   Walk to School Day
October 10th:  No School for Teacher institute day.
October 13th:  No School for Columbus Day
October 23rd and 24th:  1/2 day for Parent Teacher Conferences.  Dismissal is at 11:00 on these days.  No lunch is served. Please look for a conference reminder in October 14th homework packets.

Reading:  We are practicing our Sight Words.  So far we have learned I, we, see, like, can.
The most exciting part of our Reading this week was starting Reading Groups during centers.  Right now our groups are still heterogeneous as we learn the routine.  In about two weeks I will have the kids reading books at their reading level.

Math:  You may notice the My Math papers coming home in Mailbox Papers.  We began "clipboard" math this week.  We sit around the rug and do a whole group math lesson before going to our tables and doing small groups and self directed math.  This program ensures that all of the Kindergarten standards are taught.

Writing:  We are working on "zooming in" during writing time.  This means we are moving away from stories like "I like my family."  Instead we are adding details like, "My sister is good at playing soccer." Next week you will see a bunch of writing papers come home.  These are our daily writing papers.  The students chose their favorites to hang in the hall.

Folders:  You will see the new homework folders go home Monday.  These will also have a behavior calendar that you can discuss with your child every day.  Please sign the calendar at the end of the week letting me know you have seen it.  This is meant as a conversation starter between you and your child.

Green Team:  Thanks to Maeve and Aidan for agreeing to be our Green Team Reps!

Upcoming Dates
September 30th:   Picture Day-Order Forms are in Friday Mailbox Papers
October 6th:   Walk to Maze Library-We will leave Irving School around 12:35 and Return to around 2:00.  If your child does not have a library card, please fill out the application in the Friday Mailbox Papers.  I need 2-3 parents who could walk with us.  Please let me know ASAP if you can join us on this trip.
October 7th:   Bus Evacuation Drill
October 8th:   Walk to School Day
October 23rd and 24th:  1/2 day for Parent Teacher Conferences.  Dismissal is at 11:00 on these days.  No lunch is served. 

We had a great week!

You will notice a blog post below this one that has information about an upcoming fundraiser...The FUN RUN!  Please read it carefully and let me know if you have any question.

You will also notice in our Friday Papers two Scholastic Book Club order forms with an attached letter explaining how to order online!  The link is right to the left on the blog.  After reading the letter, let me know if you have any questions about how it works.

Reading:  We worked on characters and setting this week.  We also learned about fiction and nonfiction in library.  We continue to work on reading left to right, top to bottom.

Math:  We are working on writing numbers and counting out the correct number of objects to match the  number.  We are also working on subitizing.  This is when students can look at a group of dots or objects and say how many there are without counting.  There will be a homework assignment to help you practice this at home next week.

Theme:  We are still talking about families and friends.  We will wrap this up next week and begin our apple theme.  This is an introduction to our life cycle studies and seasons.

Upcoming Dates:
September 25th:   Irving Spirit Wear orders are due.  Here's the link!  Totally optional!
September 26th:  Scholastic Book Orders Due.  The link is on the left!  Totally optional!
September 30th:  Fall Pictures

It’s time for the PTO Fun Run fundraiser! This year it will be during the school day on Wednesday, October 22. This will be the PTO’s third Fun Run since we’ve had so much success in the past. Together we hope to raise money while teaching healthy habits and building quality character traits.

The PTO needs your support to achieve the goals for this big fundraiser!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?: Raise pledges from friends and family.

Over the last two years we’ve raised $20,000 in profit for school activities and our overall goal this year is $13,000.

PRIZES

All students are given the starting goal of $30, but most choose a higher amount for their online page.

Students that raise $30 or more receive a School Spirit Store certificate.

The top pledging student in the school will receive a Fitness Pack with cool things in it.

The top 5 pledging students in the school will get a gift certificate for a Subway lunch.

The top pledging student in each classroom will get to be the gym teacher for their class one day!

The classroom that raises the most will get a Recess Pack with super fun stuff!

PLEDGES

Pledge packets will go home with the Tuesday Packets on 9/16. That is the “Kick-Off” day. Students can collect money by check, cash or online.

Checks/cash:

Students can bring in their pledges of cash/checks at any point after they’re done collecting. They should try to bring donations in all at once, not piecemeal. Students should use the envelopes that are part of the pledge packets, or they can use a regular envelope with their name and TEACHER on it.

Donations are due the day of the Fun Run, October 22!

Online:

Students can also collect donations online starting Tuesday, 9/16. Parents can register their child for online pledges at thegetmovincrew.com. A custom web page is created for student when they register. Parents can create custom emails and add posts to social media websites.

FUN RUN DAY

All students will participate in the Fun Run on Wednesday, October 22, regardless of whether or not they pledged. Below is a list of scheduled times per grade.

Kindergarten 8:15 – 8:45

1st Grade 8:50 – 9:20

2nd Grade 9:25 – 9:55

3rd Grade 12:15 – 12:45

4th Grade 12:50 – 1:20

5th Grade 1:25 – 1:55

The run will be outside on the turf or in the gym in case of bad weather. The students will get a Fun Run # sticker, have a brief warm-up and take a class photo with the eagle mascot. Then they will walk/run for about 15-20 minutes on the turf field. Once the walk/run time is over we will direct the students to the blacktop to enjoy a snack and water. Each student will receive a small prize for participating!

On behalf of the Irving PTO we thank you for your continued support!

September 12, 2014

It was so wonderful seeing everyone at Open House and Curriculum Night last night!  It is a good (GREAT!) sign for a teacher to see such great parent involvement.  If you have any lingering questions or concerns please do not hesitate to ask!

Reading:  We continue to work on Common Core Standard RL3:  Identifying characters, setting and main events.  We are also working with the foundational skills of one to one correspondence when reading words.

Writing:  We are working on beginning sounds in words and writing stories that have characters and settings.  We are also working on drawing pictures with details.

Math:  We celebrated our 10th day of school with Zero the Hero!  We are working on counting on and writing numbers.

Theme:  We continue to get to know each other and we are working on using everyone's names when we play with them.

September 5, 2014

I cannot believe what a difference a week makes!   The children are learning the routines and are already getting more independent!

Even though they are really settling in and getting more comfortable, please do not be alarmed if you still see meltdowns at home!  This is normal!  It will get better!  They are working so hard at school and behaving beautifully. They are simply saving up their grumpies for you!

Reading:  We are focusing on the foundational skills of letter identification, sounds and concepts of print.  We are also learning about characters and settings. (RL3)

Writing:  During Writers Workshop we are working on our writing stamina.  Students are learning that writing is just "getting your ideas down on paper."  We are also working on labeling.

Math:  We are learning the calendar routines for days of the week, months of the year and counting how many days we've been in school.  Next Monday Zero the Hero will fly in to "celebrate"our tenth day of school!

Social Studies:  We are talking about friends and family.  We are getting to know our Book Buddies and learning about how we are all alike and different.

Dates:
I hope to see you all at Barrie Park on Friday!

Thursday, September 11 at 6:30 is Curriculum Night!  Please plan on being there!  The presentation is only  25 minutes, but it will be the most important 25 minutes of the year!  Room 114!  

We had a Great First Week!

We have been super busy and I have really enjoyed getting to know your children.  This week, in addition to learning many routines, we really focused on learning the classroom and school rules.

Our rules are

• We listen.
• We use helping hands.
• We use walking feet.
• "I am the boss of me!" 

Your child has a book in his/her folder with these rules.  Please read this book with your child and talk about each rule.

We also met our Book Buddies from Mrs. Sak's class.  Please enjoy the quick video she made today with pictures from our first chance to read together!

Some general notes:

• Please send in a sweater or sweatshirt that could stay in the locker.  The air is sometimes chilly.
• Whenever possible, I wait until Friday to send home notes and announcements from the school.  While the packets generally go out on Tuesday for the rest of the school, I have no way of distributing them until the next day because of our schedule.  If something is time-sensitive I will always send it on Wednesday.  Work completed in class also goes home on Fridays.  If your child brings home a paper or two throughout the week, that is from choice time or other work that was not curricular.
• Homework will start the Monday after Curriculum Night.

Upcoming Dates:
Friday, September 5:  Back to School Party with SEOPCO in the evening.  It's a great back to school tradition and a great chance to hang out with new friends!  I plan on going!
Thursday, September 11:  Curriculum Night is a chance for you to see the classroom, learn about routines and hear about our curriculum.  I hope to have 100% attendance!  Childcare is provided in the auditorium.  The children do not come to the classroom for the presentation,b ut they are welcome to walk you around the school to meet their special area teachers after the presentation.

Thunderously Good First Day!

Well...we started the year off with a bang!  Literally!  The thunderstorm patiently waited for us to go inside to eat lunch...barely!  That same thunderstorm left me without power or internet at home, so I truly apologize for the delay in getting this out to you!

I will usually update my blog on Fridays, but I did want to give you a chance to see your kiddos hard at work and play on the first day of school.  Please enjoy the pictures the the left.

I also wanted to let you know about our special schedule.  On PE days your child NEEDS GYM SHOES.  We have library on Thursdays.  Kindergarten does not check books out until next week.  Once we do check out books your child may keep them for 2 weeks.  However, most families choose to send them back each week in Kindergarten.  You may return them any day of the week.

Special Schedule

Monday:  Thinking Skills with Mr. Packer and Spanish
Tuesday:  PE and Music
Wednesday:  Spanish and Art
Thursday:  Library and Spanish
Friday:  PE and Music

Are you still reading this?  Please send me a quick email
bparkinson@op97.org
to let me know you are able to access the blog!  Thanks so much!!!

Kindergarten is Almost Here!

Kindergarten is here! I am sure, like me, you are excited and a little nervous about a new beginning!  Here are a few notes to help you navigate the classroom, the school and our routines.  It was great seeing EVERYONE at supply drop off!  What a treat to meet everyone before the first day!

First Day

• I hope you can stay for the first hour of Kindergarten.  At dismissal we will follow our regular procedures.  
• If it is raining during the drop off in the morning, I will open my classroom door.  After the first day, if it is raining, you will drop your child off in the cafeteria.  
• I will have goldfish for snack in case you forget to pack a snack those first few days.  Going forward, your child will want a snack as we eat lunch rather late. 

Schedule:

• Opening Bell rings at 7:55.  We will go in at 7:57.  
• Lunch and Recess is from 11:45-12:40
• Closing Bell is 2:55.  Wednesday it is at 1:55.
• If you arrive after 8:00 please go to the office for a tardy slip.  
• If your child will be absent call the office.  Please let me know via email. 
• Please stay with your child until the bell rings in the morning.  Please arrive promptly for dismissal.  Children get nervous when they see all their friends leave and they are still waiting for a familiar face.

Communication:

• A folder will go home EVERY DAY with a daily report.  Please talk with your child every day about this report.  I will do my best to get these out on the first day using your child's supply folders.  However-my first priority the first day is your children.  It may be the next day before this folder is ready to go home.
• I will update the blog weekly.  I will send you an email when it is updated.  If you prefer a hard copy, please let me know.  
• For day to day communication- email is best.  You can reach me at bparkinson@op97.org
• I will respond to your email within 24 hours.  It is hard for me to email during the day unless I have a planning period.  If you need to get a hold of me during the day please call the office. 708-524-3090

Health and Wellness

• We will have a snack each morning.  I will provide it for the first 2 weeks.  After that (Or before if you prefer) you can send in a snack for your child.  It is a good idea to have it labeled so there is no confusion.  We have allergies in the classroom.  Please talk with your child about NOT sharing snacks and lunches.  
• If it is easier for you to contribute to bulk snacks, let me know.  I will not buy "back up" snacks after the first two weeks.  Our lunch is late this year, so encourage your child to eat a hearty breakfast and pack a snack that has some staying power.  
• PLEASE TALK WITH YOUR CHILD EACH MORNING ABOUT WHAT S/HE WILL HAVE FOR LUNCH THAT DAY.  
• LUNCH CHOICES ARE: HOT LUNCH (school) or HOME LUNCH.  Milk is included in hot lunch.   IF YOUR CHILD HAS A HOME LUNCH they can order milk-but they need to know it in the morning.  
• NO NUTS in our classroom, but it is fine to have nuts in lunches as the cafeteria has a nut free table.  Please no peanut butter granola bars, no peanuts or nuts in snack mixes, etc.
• Plan on ordering a hot lunch once in the first two weeks when I will be in the cafeteria to help.
• No edible birthday treats.  More on that on curriculum night. (September 12.)
• I cannot give medicine.  Our school nurse, Ms. Jaime Strokosch will help you navigate medical forms.

Other Information

• Can you help in the cafeteria during the first two weeks of school?  I will be in there every day the first week and popping in the second week.  It is nice to have an extra pair of hands while the students get accustomed to the lunchroom procedures.
• I am looking for lots of great parent volunteers throughout the week.  There will be opportunities to work with individual students, help with projects, and help with keeping the classroom looking great.  Please consider signing up on curriculum night.
• Homework will start in a few weeks.  It will go home on Monday and should be returned on Friday.

Welcome to the New School Year!

Welcome to Kindergarten 2014-2015!  We will have a great year!  I hope to see all of you at Supply Drop Off next Thursday, August 21 between 4 and 6 pm.  It is a chance for you to drop off supplies, formally meet me as your child's teacher, and meet new families on the playground.  No worries if you cannot make it.  We have all year to get to know each other!  I will update the blog with first day notes next week.  In the meantime, if you have any questions please feel free to email me at
bparkinson@op97.org

Thank You for a great year!

It's hard to believe that our year together is over! You are an amazing set of families and I have really enjoyed this year!  Thanks to each of you for doing your part in making this year special.

You will receive your child's report card tomorrow.  You will also find a number of assessments.  Some of the assessments are from as far back as August!  Some of the assessments that are done verbally (about 1/2) are not sent home.   If you have any questions about your child's report card or progress please ask!  I check email weekly over the summer.  Unless I'm travelling, I'll be around to answer questions!

I hope to see you around Oak Park this summer and at Irving for the next 5 years!  (Trust me...those next five years happen in the blink of an eye!!)

Thanks again for a great year!  Please keep in touch.

Our Kindergarten Countdown continues to be tons of fun.  Rain kept us from planting our vegetables, but we have that rescheduled for Monday.
Water day was also great!  We enjoyed reviewing sink and float, watching water travel and experimenting with water droplets on a penny!  Finally, we painted our under the sea drawings that go with our last writing project of the year.  They turned out great!

You must have noticed that as we finish things, projects are going home, workbooks are going home and well...everything is headed home!  If a workbook comes home unfinished, please feel free to work on it at home.  Many things in the workbook were covered in the classroom in other ways.

I hope you will join your new Irving friends at Barrie Park on Friday afternoon from 5-7pm.  Pizza and soda will be sold.  It is a great way to celebrate the end of the school year and the weather will be perfect.  See you there!

On Tuesday, plan on getting to school around 2:00.  The whole school will be on the playground for a few end of school year announcements and the annual teacher dance!  It is a great sendoff!  The students will then return to their classrooms to get report cards and backpacks.  Official dismissal will be at 3:00 from our regular doors.  The polar vortex may have shortened our summer, but I am grateful for every day I got with your children!!


Please read about a great summer math program!
Ten Marks is a web-based summer math program.  It's a free way for students to stay on top of their math skills.  Irving School as a whole school subscription, and below is the code needed if you decide to sign up for Ten Marks.  I highly encourage you to sign your child up, they recommend 20 minutes a day for 3-4 days a week.  Be sure to look for a flyer to come home in the upcoming days.

Ten Marks: Summer Math link

IRVING SCHOOL CODE:  For use by ALL

1. Summer Access Code: S14IES9943
   
2. Starting April 15, 2014, parents can sign up at http://summer.tenmarks.comusing the Summer Access Code.

Is everyone surviving the constant end of the year madness???!!!  Every time I get overwhelmed with the number of requests, lists, games, parties, projects and small meltdowns...I remind myself how lucky I am to be a part of this AMAZING community.

Reading:  Yes.  We are still finding time to read.  I completed the DIBELS assessment and will do at least one more week of guided reading next week.  We are working on using context clues to figure out unknown words.  We are also learning about reading fluently by reading smoothly and making it sound  like we are talking.

Writing:  We worked on planning our stories this week so we could include more details.  We continue to use the story hand.

Math:  We are working on greater than and less than.  We are also working on mental math strategies and counting on.  Base ten concepts are also a daily review skill.  

Upcoming Events:

Countdown:

Tuesday is P:  Pajama Day-wear pajamas that can be worn outside for the weather.  Slippers are fine for our inside time, but be sure to pack shoes for recess.  

Wednesday is Q:  Girls are Queens! (If girls are wearing glass slippers...they need to be able to walrk all the way to Rehm Park or bring a change of shoes.) This is also Picnic and Play:  We need a few more volunteers.  Can you help?  

Thursday is R:  Reading Day-Bring a towel to read on when we read outside.  A favorite book from home is great, too!

Friday is Super Hero Day:  Dress like your favorite super hero!

• May 28th:  All Kindergarten Families are invited to Rehm Park for Pizza and Play!  9:30-12:30.  Look for a sign up genius soon! 
• June 3rd Conservatory-We will walk to the Conservatory.  Can you walk with us?  
• June 6th-All School End of the Year party-This will be at Barrie Park in the evening. Come and dance and join the mini Olympics!
• June 10th: Last day of school.  Don't miss the teacher dance!

This week, in addition to our super fun visit to First Grade classrooms, games and giggles and even ice cream, we learned A LOT!!!!


Reading:  We continue to practice silent e words and figuring out unknown words by using picture and word clues.  I am more than half way through our DIBELS assessment.  The kids are doing great and have made tons of progress.
Writing:  We are working on our Story Hand stories.
Math:  We are learning about base ten and counting on.  We also continue to practice drawing pictures to help us with subtraction problems.

Science:  We  have learned a lot about the plant cycle and the butterfly life cycle.  On Friday we learned about pollination-Kindergarten style!  We made butterfly puppets and then flew them from flower to flower to gather and spread "pollen"- which thankfully did not make us sneeze!  Check out the pictures and ask your child to explain how bees and butterflies help flowers.  While you are at it-ask your child to sing the "Black and Yellow Bee" song.

Countdown for Next Week:




Monday:  K-Boys dress like Kings and make decisions!
Tuesday:  Lunch outside  (Lunch ordering will be the same-hot or cold lunch is fine.)
Wednesday: Math Day
Thursday:  Note Day-We'll write notes
Friday:  Olympic Day-Kids need gym shoes all day!

Dates:

• May 19th:  Last Day for Class Library checkout/All Books Due June 3  
• May 22nd  Summer Reading Program Asembly 10:00 am.  Your kids will come home wanting to go to the public library!
• May 23:  Olympic Day!  Kids should wear gym shoes!
• May 23:  Staff and Parent Softball game at Irving!  Super fun and there may even be some food trucks!
• May 28th:  All Kindergarten Families are invited to Rehm Park for Pizza and Play!  9:30-12:30.  Look for a sign up genius soon! 
• June 3rd Conservatory-We will walk to the Conservatory.  Can you walk with us?  
• June 6th-All School End of the Year party-This will be at Barrie Park in the evening. Come and dance and join the mini Olympics!
• June 10th: Last day of school.  Don't miss the teacher dance!

Our Kindergarten Countdown is in full swing!  We had a great time making applesauce last week.  On Tuesday, as we were measuring our teddy bears, Reyes exclaimed, "I didn't think it could get better than Applesauce Day!  But it just did!"   I have the best job in the world.  Who else gets to experience the pure joy of measuring teddy bears with cubes?

Reading:  We are really focusing on comprehension during Whole Group reading.  During center time I am doing the DIBELs assessment.
Writing:  During writing we are working on using a "Story Hand" to help us remember to include details in our stories.  This requires the students to write several sentences on the same topic.  It takes us a few days to complete a story like this.
Math:  We are working on subtraction and base ten.  Additionally, we are measuring with our feet!
Science:  We have enjoyed watching our Painted Lady Butterflies turn into chrysalids.  Our bean plants are healthy and are coming home.

Dates:

• May 15 Art Fest- This is my FAVORITE school event of the year! Art is displayed, poems are performed, Spanish games are played and the gym is open. I will be encouraging your child to sign up for the POETRY SLAM!  
• May 19th:  Last Day for Class Library checkout/All Books Due June 3
• May 22nd  Summer Reading Program Asembly 10:00 am.  Your kids will come home wanting to go to the public library!
• May 23:  Olympic Day!  Kids should wear gym shoes!
• May 23:  Staff and Parent Softball game at Irving!  Super fun and there may even be some food trucks!
• May 28th:  All Kindergarten Families are invited to Rehm Park for Pizza and Play!  9:30-12:30.  Look for a sign up genius soon! 
• June 3rd Conservatory-We will walk to the Conservatory.  Can you walk with us?  
• June 6th-All School End of the Year party-This will be at Barrie Park in the evening. Come and dance and join the mini Olympics!
• June 10th: Last day of school.  Don't miss the teacher dance!

We had a full week!  We learned a lot about seeds and plants!  I bet you did not know that Kindergartners could use context clues to figure out words like germination and photosynthesis!
We also enjoyed our Book Talks!  The students are doing a great job sharing their favorite books with us.  I look forward to hearing more next week.
The opera was a great experience, too!  Thanks to the PTO for funding this every year!
On Wednesday Ms. Penney came in for our second Art Start class.  This week we learned how we can use parts of a plant to dye wool!  We used beets, onion skins and cabbage!  We can't wait to see our fabrics!
In math we are working on subtraction number stories and drawing pictures to solve subtraction problems.
And just in case you thought this week was busy...please check out the dates below.  Look for the ABC countdown calendar in your child's folder!

• May 2nd Irving Sleepover-I'm happy to answer questions about this.  It's super fun and many Kindergartners do great.
• May 5th Kindergarten ABC countdown begins-We will count down the last 26 days of Kindergarten with different events for each letter of the alphabet.  Homework will follow a different format.
• May 5:  A is for Apple Day!  We will be making applesauce.  Your child should bring a peeled, cut up apple.
• May 7th Kindergarten Open House-Do you know any incoming Irving Kindergarten students? Please help spread the word!
• Shop, Swap and Read: May 8:  6:00-7:30
• May 15 Art Fest- This is my FAVORITE school event of the year! Art is displayed, poems are performed, Spanish games are played and the gym is open. I will be encouraging your child to sign up for the POETRY SLAM!  
• May 19th:  Last Day for Class Library checkout/All Books Due June 3
• May 22nd  Summer Reading Program Asembly 10:00 am.  Your kids will come home wanting to go to the public library!
• May 23:  Olympic Day!  Kids should wear gym shoes!
• May 23:  Staff and Parent Softball game at Irving!  Super fun and there may even be some food trucks!
• May 28th:  All Kindergarten Families are invited to Rehm Park for Pizza and Play!  9:30-12:30.
• End of Year Party 
• June 3rd Conservatory-We will walk to the Conservatory.  Can you walk with us?
• June 6th-All School End of the Year party-This will be at Barrie Park in the evening. Come and dance and join the mini Olympics!
• June 10th: Last day of school.  Don't miss the teacher dance!

We had a great Earth Week!

Click here to see the students read and sign this poem!

We began Art Start, Saw the Egg Drop and Academic Fair, and celebrated Earth Week on Farmer Friday!  Pictures from Farmer Friday are linked to the left.  More pictures on the blog to follow!

Reading:  Students did a great job retelling familiar stories this week.  We also practiced figuring out unknown words.  Students learned that there are clues in words and pictures that can help you figure out what a new word means.  We even figured out what germination means!

Writing:  Our focus continues to be on writing complete sentences that start with a capital letter and end with a period.

Math:  We are working on decomposing numbers greater than 10.  We also continue to measure and compare two objects.

Science:  We planted bean seeds, learned about seed coats, and discussed what plants need.

• April 28th Book Talks begin.  Please see our homework packet for this special assignment.
• April 29: Opera for the Young at schol
• April 30:  Art Start in our classroom!  Can you volunteer an hour to help us?  10:30-11:25. We will be learning how we can naturally dye fabrics!  We will make the next page in our fabric book.  Our fabric books will be on display at Art Fest. Art Start is sponsored by the Oak Park Education Foundation.  Ms. Pam Penney will come in to our class 5-6 times to teach us about fiber art!
• April 30th:  Tasty Dog Fundraiser.  The most delicious fundraiser of the year!
• May 2nd Irving Sleepover-I'm happy to answer questions about this.  It's super fun and many Kindergartners do great.
• May 5th Kindergarten ABC countdown begins-We will count down the last 26 days of Kindergarten with different events for each letter of the alphabet.  Homework will follow a different format.
• May 7th Kindergarten Open House-Do you know any incoming Irving Kindergarten students? Please help spread the word!
• Shop, Swap and Read: May 8:  6:00-7:30
• May 15 Art Fest- This is my FAVORITE school event of the year! Art is displayed, poems are performed, Spanish games are played and the gym is open. I will be encouraging your child to sign up for the POETRY SLAM!  
• May 19th:  Last Day for Class Library checkout/All Books Due June 3
• May 22nd  Summer Reading Program Asembly 10:00 am.  Your kids will come home wanting to go to the public library!
• May 28th:  All Kindergarten Families are invited to Rehm Park for Pizza and Play!  9:30-12:30.
• End of Year Party June 6th-This will be at Rehm Park in the evening.
• June 3rd Conservatory-We will walk to the Conservatory.  Can you walk with us?
• June 10th: Last day of school.  Don't miss the teacher dance!

Reading:  We continue to work on Silent E.  We are also working on retelling familiar stories.  Ask your child to retell a story you read at home!  Your child should be able to tell you characters, settings and beginning, middle and ends.

Writing:  We are learning about expository writing.  The students are learning about introduction sentences.  

Math:  Your child is learning about 3D shapes.  Help your child look for these around the house.  Please use the correct names-cube, sphere, cylinder, prism, and cone.

Science:  We will be learning lots about plants, seeds and life cycles.  This will culminate with our trip to the conservatory.  (See dates below.)

• Book Fair:  Books are on sale this week every day during the day and after school!  Proceeds go directly to our own school library.  We will not visit the book fair as a class (too confusing!), but students will be given a 4th grade buddy to help them if they bring money. 
• Earth Week:  There are lots of events-SUNNY NOTES ON SALE MONDAY AND TUESDAY FOR 25 cents!  (These are happy notes your child can send to ANYONE in the school.  Teaches, buddies, brothers, cousins...) Pay special attention to Wear green on Tuesday, Stuffed animal on Wednesday and Wear Yellow on Thursday
• Academic Fair: April 23
• April 23:  Art Start begins in our classroom!  Can you volunteer an hour to help us?  10:30-11:25. We will be learning how the Sun can change fabrics!  We will make the first page in our fabric book.  Our fabric books will be on display at Art Fest. Art Start is sponsored by the Oak Park Education Foundation.  Ms. Pam Penney will come in to our class 5-6 times to teach us about fiber art!
• April 28th Book Talks begin.  Please see our homework packet for this special assignment.
• April 30th:  Tasty Dog Fundraiser.  The most delicious fundraiser of the year!
• May 2nd Irving Sleepover-I'm happy to answer questions about this.  It's super fun and many Kindergartners do great.
• May 5th Kindergarten ABC countdown begins-We will count down the last 26 days of Kindergarten with different events for each letter of the alphabet.  Homework will follow a different format.
• May 7th Kindergarten Open House-Do you know any incoming Irving Kindergarten students? Please help spread the word!
• Shop, Swap and Read: May 8:  6:00-7:30
• May 15 Art Fest- This is my FAVORITE school event of the year! Art is displayed, poems are performed, Spanish games are played and the gym is open. I will be encouraging your child to sign up for the POETRY SLAM!  
• May 19th:  Last Day for Class Library checkout/All Books Due June 3
• May 28th:  All Kindergarten Families are invited to Rehm Park for Pizza and Play!  9:30-12:30.
• End of Year Party June 6th-This will be at Rehm Park in the evening.
• June 3rd Conservatory-We will walk to the Conservatory.  Can you walk with us?
• June 10th: Last day of school.  Don't miss the teacher dance!