No School Friday

Don't forget that there is no school this Friday, October 8th. I will be looking forward to seeing the class again on Monday:)

We have been learning about pumpkins the past two weeks in science. We labeled the different parts of the pumpkin including the tendrils, vine, pumpkin shell, ribs, and pulp. We have also been learning about the lifecycle of the pumpkin: seed, sprout, plant, yellow flower, green pumpkin, yellow pumpkin, orange pumpkin, back to seed. For art we made torn paper Jack-o-lanterns where we were not allowed to use scissors and had to rip all of the pieces for our pumpkin including the stem, leaves, and jack-o-lantern face. Next week we will start our theme about the farm.

We are finishing up our math chapter where we learned about sorting, graphing, fewer, and more. Next week we will start our chapter on patterning. The kids seem to really love this chapter. We have already been working on patterns during calendar time in the morning and centers in the afternoon. Each month we focus on a different pattern in addition to the chapter on patterning. In September we learned about AB patterns (red, green, red, green). In October we are focusing on AABB patterns (pumpkin, pumpkin, candy, candy, pumpkin, pumpkin, candy, candy).

Each week we are continuing to be introduced to one or two sight words. I have adult helpers that have started playing sight word games with the kids to reinforce these words at school. Once a child masters 6 words, I move them on to the next 6 words that have been taught or will be taught. This way students that need a challenge can learn the words ahead of when they are taught in class and kids that need extra practice can get that extra practice.

We also started calendar books this week. These books will come home about once a month, when students are ready to start the next one. Kids are learning concepts such as odd and even, number writing, counting and adding dice, graphing, reading numbers on dominos, finding numbers on a hundreds chart, and number recognition. Some kids don't quite understand what is being taught yet, but are able to copy the examples on the document camera in the front of the room. This is okay, because we are going to be doing these books all year and I have found they really help children with more challenging math concepts.

We Went Shopping Today!

The kids were really excited to spend their monkey money today. I had a few who wanted to save up for something more expensive next week and a few that did not get to shop because of having a hard time following directions. My goal is for everyone to have the opportunity next week to spend, spend, spend!

Behavior is continuing to improve. Thanks for all of the home support. It is great to know that I have such caring families that I'm working with.

Next week we are going to start learning about pumpkins in science. We already started with a pumpkin book today. Don't forget to turn in permission slips by next Thursday for the pumpkin patch. I am still waiting on 5.

Books are ordered from Scholastic and will be coming in hopefully next week or the week after. I will keep you posted.

Have a wonderful weekend! I can't wait to see the kids on Monday:)

Oops! Picture Day is on Wednesday

I was trying to be too efficient and made a typo. INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL PICTURES IS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, NOT THE 23RD like I had on the homework cover sheet. Sorry for any confusion.

First Full Week of School

A special thank you to all of the families that remembered to send in an apple for science and math this week. We are really going to learn a lot using them.

The class is still really starting to improve behavior by listening when I am teaching, not interrupting, and keeping bodies to themselves. Please talk with your child about the importance of these three things. Mr. Williams has even come into our class to talk about keeping hands, feet, and bodies to self because it was becoming a problem for the safety of the class. The next step for children who are still having difficulties with this is owing some recess time and then talking with Mr. Williams if the behavior continues.

Mrs. Dafoe, the lunch lady, would like me to remind you that you can put any amount of money on your child's breakfast/lunch/milk account. When the account gets low, she will notify me and I will stamp your child's hand with a reminder about needing more money. You can go to the office and pay Mrs. Dafoe in the morning or send your child with the money in an envelope and I will get it to her with my attendance. Be sure to label the envelope so I know what it is for.

Individual school pictures are coming up next Wednesday. A flyer is going home with children today and the money envelope will come home with Friday's homework.

Don't forget homework is due this Thursday and book orders for anyone interested. I have already gotten back several pumpkin patch forms. This is a fun trip for the kids. The $5 includes a tractor ride, pumpkin, and the hay maze/slide. We will be back in time for lunch that day.

Have a great rest of the week!

Lots of Learning

Well we have all completed our second day of kindergarten. The biggest challenge for most students at this age is remembering the rules. There are so many. Rules when they come into the classroom, get in line, recess, snack, library, music, PE...you get the picture. It takes a few weeks to really get into the groove of things. The biggest reminder for all students is to use listening ears when Mrs. Johnson is talking. There are a lot of side conversations going on, which makes it challenging to give directions.

We are very fortunate to have a restroom in our classroom. I encourage students to use the restroom when they first get to class, at recess, at lunch, and at centertime. It takes some training at the beginning of the year. At this age when one child uses the bathroom, they all want to use the bathroom. Since most of the children are not independent workers yet, it is difficult to get anything accomplished while children are in the bathroom. Of course when it is an emergency, kids can use it when they need to:)

Just a couple of reminders...homework and book orders are coming home this Friday. Homework is due back on Thursday as well as the book orders if you are interested.

The date of the Pumpkin Patch is set for Friday, October 22nd. Our class will be going in the morning, so we have time in the afternoon to do some hands-on science with pumpkins. We should have plenty of room on the bus for all chaperones. Children must ride the bus. Since this is a school function, we ask that no siblings come along. Permission slips for this trip will also go out this Friday. The cost per child is $5.00. Please make a check payable to "Parkside Elementary" or send cash in an envelope with your child's name on it. Don't forget to have the district volunteer form filled out A.S.A.P. if you are planning on attending with your child.

Field Trips are Coming!!!

Well we are getting to the very busy time of the year for kindergarten. So much going on. With just over a month of school left comes our annual field trips to the local Timberland Library, Tenino Fire Station, and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

For the zoo trip we need a head count by the end of next week. If you are planning on chaperoning, please indicate that on your child's yellow field trip permission slip. Also please indicate if you need a volunteer application form. I know of a few families who have already indicated more than one parent wanting to come on the zoo trip. Please remember this is a school function and that you may still be responsible for other children, especially if there is more than one adult going in your group. Please also be prepared to pay for the additional adult when you arrive at the zoo.

Our class is not participating in the VIP lunch at the end of the month. This event is for 1st and 2nd graders. This event was in the school newsletter. If at any time you would like to come in and eat with your child at our lunchtime, you are more than welcome. I have had a few parents do that this year.

Next Friday, May 14th is our annual Jog-A-Thon. We will be jogging from 12:45-1:15. If you would like to volunteer for this event (handing out juice/helping with pledge envelopes), please contact the office. I have had several parents in the past show up to walk or jog with their student as well. Feel free to stop by and participate if you would like. There is a pledge sheet your child has brought home. If you would like your child to earn a jog-a-thon t-shirt or Subway lunch with Mr. Thummel, please bring back the pledge sheet the day of the jog-a-thon.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!

B.E.A.R. Week is Coming!!!

B.E.A.R. (Be Excited About Reading) Week is next week. Kids have a lot of fun during this week dedicated to reading and writing. We kick it off with celebrity reader day. A local celebrity will be coming in Monday to read with our class. We are lucky to have 2 people from South Sound Reading. On Wednesday we are having author Deb Lund visit. For the kids that purchased one of her books a few weeks ago, she will autograph them and kids will get them that day. We have a day that we are buddy reading with a second grade class. We get to show them how even at kindergarten we are little readers. Friday is the wrap-up assembly where every child is welcome to bring a well-behaved teddy bear to school. If your child does not have a teddy bear, they may bring another stuffed animal. Don't forget to turn in your B.E.A.R. week bookmark Thursday because there will be a school wide drawing for a boy scooter and a girl scooter at the assembly.

Book orders are due next Thursday 4/29. We will only have one more book order after this one and then we will be finished for the year.

Thank you to all families that have sent in snacks. If you haven't, please make sure I get them by next Friday. Thanks so much for everything you do!!!

In Need of Snacks

With Spring Break at an end, the end of the year is just months away. It is so fun to see how far the class has come this year and I wait with anticipation to see how much further they will go before school lets out for the year. Most kids have been reading Biscuit books with me and have taken accelerated reader quizzes on the computer to test their comprehension of the stories. If your child hasn't had this opportunity, he or she will soon. My goal is to have each child familiar with the process so they will already kind of understand what to do for next year. Most kids have also started Math Facts in a Flash on the computer. All children are practicing addition of 0 and 1. They are quizzed on problems from 0+0 to 10+1 and everything in between that pertains to 0 or 1. To move on to the next level, the child needs to get 100% on 40 problems in two minutes or less. I'm not sure how many kids will be able to get their speed up enough to pass, but again, it helps them with the process and will hopefully make it a little easier when they do it next year.

We are learning about transportation for another week and then we will start learning about bears. We are still learning about larger numbers in math and then will work on addition and subtraction, which most kids already have down.

We are in need of snacks again. There were a few families who did not send in snacks last time. I need everyone to send in enough snacks to feed 22 kids for 2 days. If you are sending in snacks like Cheeze-its please get the family sized boxes. We love extras so it's okay if you send in more. If everyone participates, this will be the last time we will need snacks for the year.

Have a great week!

Carnival and Class Pictures

Tomorrow is class picture day. Please make sure your child is here on time tomorrow, so they don't miss out on the class picture. I've only had one year that all of the children were here for the picture. Hopefully tomorrow will make it two! If you would like to purchase a class picture, please send your check in the envelope that was sent home with your child yesterday. The pictures are $8.25. If you do not have the envelope, please send a check for $8.25 and I will fill out the envelope for you.

The carnival is tomorrow night from 6-8 PM. I also sent out a reminder with children yesterday which included 4 free tickets for games. Food is also available for purchase in the gym tomorrow night. Don't forget to check out all of the silent auction items and baskets in the library. Silent auction ends promptly at 7:50. Our class quilt will be in there as well. Check it out and even bid on it if you want:)

There will be a sheet going home with your child's folder tomorrow talking about our Author Visit next month. Each year we celebrate B.E.A.R. Week (Be Excited About Reading) with an Author Visit. The sheet explains about purchasing a book for your child that the author can autograph if you decide to participate. Orders need to be in by the due date to ensure the author brings as many books as ordered.

Three book order forms are going home tomorrow and are due next Thursday if you are planning on ordering.

Don't forget next week we have half days Monday - Thursday. School will be out at 11:30. Don't forget your conference next week. If you cannot make your scheduled conference, call the office to cancel and please reschedule. At Parkside our goal for conferences is always 100% participation. There will also be NO SCHOOL FRIDAY. Enjoy the extra day for Spring Break. There is NO HOMEWORK DURING SPRING BREAK. I will keep your child's folder when it comes in next Thursday and send it home the following week.

See everyone next week!!!

Leprechauns on the Loose!

Our classroom quilt for the carnival is finished. Here is a close-up picture. Each child has a handprint with their name that has been turned into a sea creature. The kids were really excited when I pulled it out today and showed it to them. This twin-sized quilt will be at the silent auction at the Parkside Library on carnival night. It would be great if a child from our room was able to take it home!

Our class basket for the carnival is "Garden". So far we have a few packages of seeds, a nozzle, and a kneeling pad. Volunteers will be putting together baskets Tuesday night. If you have a chance this weekend, please support our garden basket by purchasing garden supplies and sending them in with your child on Monday or Tuesday. There is a volunteer form coming home with your child in tomorrows homework folder. Please return A.S.A.P. if you would like to help set up, clean up, run a booth, or help put baskets together for the carnival. All help will be greatly appreciated. Money from the carnival goes to the Parkside PTA and in turn gets returned to our school:)

The Leprechauns are back to their old tricks in our room. Every year around St. Patrick's Day the Leprechauns sneak into kindergarten classrooms at night and play tricks on the kids. Sometimes they make messes by finding green things in the room and scattering them (crayons, unifix cubes, etc.) and other times they leave little surprises for the kids. The kids really enjoy coming into the classroom in the morning to see if the Leprechauns visited while they were away.

We have been reading decodable books during our reading time in the mornings. Decodable books have sight words and words the kids can sound out. I have the children highlight any words they know how to read by themselves. I try to call 1/3 to 1/2 of the kids each day we work on a decodable book so they can read the books to me. If your child has a sticker on any of their books, they earned it by reading to me that day. The decodable books that we work on throughout the week are sent home on Friday's with the other work they have completed for the week.

Conferences are just over a week away. I look forward to talking to you soon and sharing your child's progress!

March...Lion or Lamb???

March has been surprising so far with such nice weather. I hear next week we will be getting colder temperatures, rain, and possibility of light snow. Make sure your child is dressed for the weather. A few times this year kids have had to sit in the office at recess for not being dressed for the cold weather.

This week we have been learning about plants and what plants need to survive. Some items the class and I have decided that plants need to survive are sun, air, water and dirt. I have been reading them books that have to do with the lifecycle of plants as well. To go along with plants, we will also be learning about weather this month.

We just took our math test on time and money. Next week we will start learning the basics of addition and subtraction. This chapter should be easy for the kids because they have already proven to me they know how to do addition.

Don't forget that class picture day and school carnival are both coming up on March 19th. I have had one donation to our "Garden Basket" so far.

Hopefully everyone will have a chance to get out in the nice weather tomorrow before it changes to rain on Sunday.

The Çat in the Hat is Back at Parkside!

We have been busy with Dr. Seuss activities this week to gear up for our Dr. Seuss assembly this Friday. All of the kids who have turned in their reading log (yeah! we all did!) are entered into a drawing to win fun Dr. Seuss prizes. Each child will also get to pick out a book on Friday to add to their personal library at home. Thank you for helping your child complete their reading log.

I am going to start most of the class on Math Facts in a Flash this week and next week. Math Facts in a Flash is a computer program that gives children practice with math facts and quizzes them on math facts to move them up in levels. It is a new program to Parkside this year. Most 1st and 2nd graders have been using this program. It is a little more challenging in Kindergarten because I need to sit with the children at first to make sure they understand how to run the program. This is just another way the children will be practicing kindergarten skills at their individual levels.

I am looking for donations of hand sanitizer. I had a parent generously donate 2 large bottles when flu season started and the second bottle is running low. I give the kids the hand sanitizer when they come in from recess. Of course they wash their hands before lunch and after using the restroom or blowing their nose. If anyone would like to donate a bottle, we would appreciate it and be able to continue sanitizing our hands when we come into the classroom:)

Conferences are coming up next month. Please check the conference schedule coming home this Friday in your child's folder and return the bottom portion of the paper letting me know whether you can make the scheduled time or need to reschedule.

February Flies on By!

I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like February always flies on by. There is so much to do during the month of February including learning about holidays, special days such as 100's Day, and gearing up for Read Across America with Dr. Seuss. Whew!

Over half the class has been able to read "Biscuit" the dog books to me with just a little assistance. I have been pairing up kids and having them alternate reading pages with their buddy. I sit with them so I can help with any words they don't know. I already have 5 kids taking AR quizzes on the computer and many more that will be starting soon.

Behavior has been steadily improving over the past few weeks. Hopefully with such a long break between holidays, behavior will really start to soar.

We started our math chapter about time and money. We are learning to tell time to the hour on both digital and analog clocks. We are learning to tell apart pennies, nickels, and dimes. We are also working on recognizing their value and counting the money when it is mixed together. The concepts we are learning are first, next, and last.

We have finished our handprints for our class quilt that will be put up for auction at the Parkside Carnival next month. The theme of the quilt is ocean. It will be a twin sized quilt. I will get a picture sent out when it is finished. The kids used their hands to create crabs, sea horses, star fish, fish, and even an octopus.

Have a great rest of the week!

Groundhog Day, 100's Day, and Valentine's Day

Well Phil saw his shadow this week, but that hasn't kept us from enjoying the warm weather. Next Wednesday is 100's Day (100th day of school). We celebrate in many different ways. It is a fun way to incorporate math into art, writing, etc. We are having a very low key Valentine Party the morning of February 11th. Kids can bring in their Valentine's any day starting Monday. We are going to be graphing Valentine candies, writing about Valentines, etc.

Don't forget there is no school Friday the 12th or Monday the 15th of February due to Mid-Winter Break and Presidents Day.

The kids continue to impress me with their abilities to sound out, write, and read words. Most kids in class are on list 5 or 6 for sight words and I only have 7 lists total, which means several kids have almost learned the complete list for the year. I may have to put together more lists to challenge those kids later in the year.

We have a new middle school helper in our classroom. We lost our other one because of the change in semesters. I worked with our new helper towards the end of last year and am excited to have her back. She will be a great addition to our morning:) It is great to have middle school role models in here to help the kids and show them what they can do if they keep their grades up!

February is Fast Approaching

We are already in our last week of January. With attached to your child's homework this week will be the Valentine Class List and the 100's Day Snack Mix List. I encourage you to let your child write his or her name on the Valentine's and also let them write the names of their classmates on the Valentine's. It is a great way for them to practice their handwriting. For the 100's Day Snack Mix, I will pour all of the items into separate bowls and each child will have a hundreds chart to fill up with the items. They fill up #'s 1-10 with one type of item and continue counting by 10's and filling up their chart. This is a really fun and yummy activity.

I have already had 5 students read their 5 books and turn in their Dr. Seuss page. These children were very excited to get to take their pencils home to show off. Although this project is due towards the end of February, it is a huge help to me if we get them turned in early. Parkside's goal every year is to have 100% participation.

Our class is participating in a Valentine Exchange with over 40 kindergarten classes across the United States and even one from Mexico. We got our first Valentine in the mail yesterday from a class in Georgia. I am very excited about this exchange. It is a great way for us to share about our state and town as well as learn about other states. I have a map of the United States that we will be coloring as we get Valentines from different states. We made our Valentine's out of hearts to look like fish. I will be mailing them to the various classes by this weekend.

Half the class has brought in their snacks. If you haven't yet, please get them in next week.

Have a great rest of the week!

Book Exchange Friday

The annual Parkside Book Exchange is this Friday. Your child may bring up to 10 gently used books to exchange for up to 10 gently used books. I have not had any books come in yet. If your child is going to participate by bringing in books from home, please make sure the books get to the classroom by Thursday.

Our snack supply is starting to run very low. Please make sure you send in enough snacks to feed 22 students for 2 days (at least 44 snacks). Don't forget we have the snack bags, so if you are a bargain shopper and want to buy bulk or boxes of snacks, we can bag them up here for the kids. Favorites have been Goldfish, cheese and crackers, string cheese, graham crackers, fruit snacks, cereal.

In Science/Health we are learning about staying healthy with our Doctor/Dentist theme. Today we discussed how to keep our teeth healthy including brushing them, using floss, using mouthwash, eating healthy foods, and visiting the dentist regularly.

I have really been working with the kids the past couple of weeks about talking out when it isn't their turn. It has been challenging lately to get through directions because of the many side conversations. I have been in enforcement overload. If your child appears to be owing more recess lately, that is why. This is very normal after Winter Vacation for children to need extra reminders of the rules.

Don't forget to save and send in those empty cereal boxes for our Valentine holders:)

Happy 2010

Happy New Year! It was great to see so many smiling faces welcoming me back after break.

For the next 2 weeks we will be learning about winter during science. We are also working on measurement in math. We are not using a ruler to measure, we are using non-standard forms of measurement such as how many paperclips long is an object, how many unifix cubes go around an object, etc. We have already learned terms such as longest, shortest, tallest, and the same. We also estimated objects around the room that were one unifix cube, five unifix cubes, and ten unifix cubes long.

We are starting to move away from Zoo Phonics, since the kids really are picking up capital and lowercase letter names. I even had the children try to write a sentence on their own this week and between their really good pictures they drew and the way they are already able to piece sounds together, I could read most of the sentences written!

We are starting to focus more and more on handwriting and letter formation. I found a great DVD and CD that teaches songs for each letter. Each song has motions that explain how to write both the capital and lowercase letters. I am using this as a fun way to teach letter formation and then after each lesson, the children practice writing the letter that was introduced that day. Right now I am planning on teaching one song daily Tuesdays through Thursdays, we will be finished focusing on all of the letters by the end of February at the latest. The DVD and CD also has most of our sight words put into songs with motions. We may be learning some of these songs as well.

We are now having reading groups during center time. This gives me the opportunity to pull kids back and work with them in small groups at their level. This will help children that need a little boost as well as children that need a challenge.

Thank you to the parents that are sending in Campbells Soup labels, Box Tops for Education, and empty ink cartridges. The money earned on each one really adds up by the end of the year.

Our Valentine Party will be on February 11th, since there will be no school on February 12th or 15th. I will be sending out a list of all of the students in the classroom by the end of January or early February so children can start filling out their Valentine cards. Please keep sending in empty cereal boxes. We need at least 20 and have 2 right now.

100's Day I believe will be on Febrary 10th, but that is always subject to change. More details to come soon.

The end of the semester is towards the end of January. Report cards will come home soon after. It will be exciting to see the progress made.