There is a note about math in the green folders today.

Please remember to send in $3.50 for the Flynn show by September 17.

We have a student in our class who is gluten and dairy intolerant. We also have several children with sensitivities to food dyes. With this in mind, if you are sending in food to share, please let me know ahead of time so I can be sure there is something for everyone. I also strongly encourage healthy snacks and treats. Thanks for keeping this in mind.

We had another great day. Today the class had two specials, gym and music. Tomorrow they will have library after which they will have been to all of their specials. So far the reports I am getting from the specials teachers are great.

I introduced the class to a sign in procedure this morning. The students each have a binder where they will write their names and the numeric date (8/30/10) each day. I was told that one weakness of our math program is lack of time writing numbers , so doing this every day will provide some practice. We will continue to do this as a whole group at least for the rest of the week, but eventually I will ask them to do it on their own when they first arrive.

We also began math today by exploring some of the manipulatives students will be using. Today students had time to play with pattern blocks, geo blocks, and linking cubes. Everyone had a chance to become familiar with at least two of these and we will spend more time with them this week.

We have read many books during our four days together. I have tried to incorporate a mix of literature relevant to what is going on in the classroom as well as emergent books that have predictable patterns and less print. As students become familiar with these books they will offer a gateway into independent reading. Some of the books we have read include We All Go Traveling By by Sheena Roberts, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, Boomer Goes to School by Constance W. McGeorge, Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way by Elizabeth Ring, and Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons.

On January 25th we will be going to the Flynn Theater. We need to collect $3.50 from each student to pay for this trip (the PTA funds a portion of the cost). All money needs to be in by September 17. You can either give this to me or directly to Connie.

Happy Friday!

I think overall our week was a huge success. Some things that we have worked hard on are being quiet and listening when the chime rings, walking quietly in the hall with hands to ourselves, cleaning up everything that we have been using when it is time, and figuring out the whole lunch process. It's a lot of work in just three days!

We did not really follow our regular schedule this week except for snack/ recess and lunch. This may be the case for the next few weeks as everything takes lots of explanation and practice. I firmly believe it is much better to start off slowly than to rush things. We will probably ease into the math program next week. It begins with a lot of exploratory activities.

We worked with Mrs. Hale's third graders just before lunch and we are planning on doing this each Friday. It went very well and I think the partnership is good for both groups.

A few things of note: there is chocolate milk available just on Fridays; water bottles are a really nice thing for children to have (I think it is supposed to be quite hot at the start of next week.)

Have a wonderful weekend and please let me know if you have questions.

We had another great day. Today everyone seemed a little more tired, which is to be expected. I’m sure you’re noticing this in the evening.

We are continuing to work really hard on recognizing the signals for quiet, and then actually remaining quiet after the signals are heard. Similarly, I am really stressing the importance of raising hands and being called on before speaking. I know both of these will take lots of practice and I would say given we just finished day two they are doing a great job.

Today I introduced the “take a break” space. This is where students will be asked to go if after a reminder they are still not doing what is expected. Children are not “in trouble” if they are asked to take a break, it is simply meant to be an opportunity for them to take some deep breaths and reflect on why they need a break and remember what they should be doing at a given moment. If a student returns to the group and the behavior continues, he or she will be sent to take a break again. If the behavior persists after this, they will be sent to Mr. Van Dine’s room to take a break away from the classroom. If anyone ever gets to this point I will certainly let his or her parents know.

I think lunch truly was glitch free today with everyone getting the correct lunch. A few students are expressing interest in having milk with their cold lunch, which is an option, but I explained they would need to pay for this. I think it’s been a little confusing watching some kids have hot lunch, some have cold, some have milk etc. I told them I would let parents know. More importantly, please make sure the children are really clear in the morning about what their lunch will be so I can accurately record this.

If you found rocks this summer please bring them in any time. We will begin looking at them very soon, once some of the other more timely stuff is taken care of. We have at least one caterpillar so our first science discussions will probably center on that, under the theme of living versus nonliving things, which is one of the science units in the Kindergarten Grade Expectations. Rocks could then flow nicely into this as non-living things.

Please remember green folders. I really want to establish this habit early.

August 25, 2010 First Day!

We had a great first day. What a wonderful group of children. Getting a school year under way takes a lot of patience on the part of students, with a lot of time spent listening and learning. A lot of time was spent on going over expectations for certain routines. We will spend a lot of time reviewing these expectations and practicing things like freezing and listening when I ring the chime, walking through the halls in a line, etc. in the coming weeks. The lunch and bus routine went off without a hitch!

In your child’s bag you will find a yellow folder with a note of explanation inside. This will travel back and forth with your child each day, and should be placed in the basket by the door upon arrival in the morning (this can be your child’s responsibility).

Several of you asked about buying milk. Your child can buy milk for both snack and lunch. It is 35 cents and you can either give the money to Connie or tome. If you buy hot lunch, milk is included in the price. Some of you also inquired about shoes. Children need to have regular shoes on at all times, so slippers will not work. We have gym on Mondays and Wednesdays so on those days students need a pair of shoes appropriate for gym. They are welcome to leave gym shoes here, especially in the winter. Please keep asking questions!

Please, please make sure you keep Connie and I abreast of after school plans/changes for your child. It is extremely important for us to know where each child is going at the end of the day, especially at the beginning of the year. For now I have a list posted by the door showing where I think each child is going that day. If you drop your child off please glance at my list to make sure it’s correct. If your child has a set routine that you have already shared with Connie then I have that information.

I hope everyone is feeling a little more confident and comfortable about the school year. I know students don’t always immediately feel comfortable asking questions or sharing anxieties with me. Please let me know if there are any burning questions or sources of stress. My biggest priority in these first few weeks is making sure every one is comfortable in school,