Week of September 29-October 2, 2014

Week of September 29-October 2, 2014

Theme: Getting Along & Apples
Show and Share: Thursday October 2
Bring in your favorite type of apple
Nursery Rhyme: Old Mother Hubbard

This week's activities and discussions focus on children's learning to get along with one another while they play and learn together. Children will read about a character named Amelia who goes to a new school, and they will compare part of their day at preschool with hers. They will explore activities they undertake in the classroom, such as reading books and playing musical instruments, and outdoor activities they participate in on the playground. Children will learn about effective ways to help each other play and learn and ways in which their teacher helps each of them.

Learning Together:

• Take turns saying and guessing riddles with your child. Remind your child to listen when it's your turn to speak.
• Help your child undertake something he or she wants to learn to do, such as printing letters, catching or throwing a ball and so on.
• After school each day talk with your child about what he or she did during the day. Begin by sharing what you did during the day and then pose questions designed to elicit more than "yes or no" answers. For example, ask: What songs did you sing today? What new things did you learn? Which activity was the most fun for you today? Why? What stories did your teacher read aloud? What new friends did you make? what have you brought home from school to share?

Some of this weeks activities include:

• Shape sorting & matching shapes to make pictures
• Following a recipe to make play-doh
• Using the Ipad and classroom listening center to listen to LIttle Critter Stories and one of our classroom stories this week.
• Using hand lenses to look at different fall objects and parts of an apple.
• We will be comparing and contrasting items to find similarities and differences
• We will be playing some fine motor games including: Froggy Feed and The Sneak, Snacky Squirrel
• We are going to be using apples to make apple prints with paint.
• We will be using letter stamps to stamp our names
• Stories this week include: Amelia's Show & Tell Fiesta, Apple for Everyone
• We will be looking at a variety of pictures and discussing how we can play and learn together at school.

For show and share this week please have your child bring in their favorite type of apple. We are going to keep the apples at school because we will be doing a variety of activities with apples the following week.

 

Week of September 22, 2014

Week of September 22, 2014

Theme: Let's Be Friends

Nursery Rhyme: Little Miss Muffet

This week we will continue to focus on classroom rules and routines. We will also be focusing on building friendships and qualities that make a good friend. The children will explore ways that friends help each other and show that they care about each other. They will read stories in which unlikely characters, such as a goose and a bear, and a lion and a mouse, become friends. In addition, children will talk about how sharing toys, listening, and sharing their feelings are important not only to a friendship, but also to creating a friendly, cooperative classroom environment.

Learning together:

• Have your child invite a friend over to play. After the visit, discuss things that your child and his or her friend did that were fun.
• Talk with your child about your friends. Explain why these people are your friends and describe the kinds of things you enjoy doing with them.
• Get one of the Frog and Toad books from the local library and read it with your child. Talk about what makes these characters good friends.
• After school each day, talk with your child about what he or she did during the day. Begin by sharing what you did during the day and then pose questions designed to elicit more than "yes or no" answers. For example, ask: What songs did you sing today? What new things did you learn? Which activity was the most fun for you today? Why? What stories did your teacher read aloud? What new friends did you make? What have you brought home from school to share?

Some stories that we will enjoy as a class this week include: Max and Mo's First Day at School, Bear's New Friend, and of course my favorite character, Pete the Cat: The New Guy. All of these stories include the theme of friendship, how to be a friend and how to be a friend to a new friend. 

This week in the gym we will be practicing skills such as balancing, jumping and hopping while going through an obstacle course. The children will work together to complete block towers. We will practice counting by making "pepperoni pizza" that match the one the children are shown. We will also work on following directions and using our nice words please and thank you while playing games. 

I am compiling the class roster and will have it out by Monday of next week, once I have everyone's paperwork in. We have some new faces in our classes; in our a.m. class we have two new friends: Hunter and Andrew and in our p.m. class we have one new friend Ava. We will continue to add children throughout the school year and as that happens I will update the class roster.

At least once a week your child will receive a special daily note letting you know what they did that day at school. This can provide some information that will spark a conversation with your child about their day at school.

Week of September

Week of September 15-18, 2014

Theme: What happens in our classroom

Dear Parents,

The first week and a half of school has gone well. All of the children are adjusting to their new routines and beginning to learn all about school.

This coming week we will be focusing on specifics within our classroom which includes the rules. We will be working as a team to develop rules for our classroom that will make it safe for everyone. I am sure that some of the rules will include: using walking feet, using an inside voice, keeping hands and feet to self and using our words.  I will share with you what we have developed in regards to the wording and the rules for the classroom. I feel it is important for the children participate in this process so that they feel ownership of the rules and that they feel they were a part of the team that developed the rules.

We will also be reading several stories including: Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School, Tom Goes to School and two shorter stories about sharing. In preschool we often use the term trading when we are talking about sharing. It is sometimes easier to trade one item to get another then to understand that you get something I have nothing concept, so often times we will try to come up with an item we can trade in order to get the item we want a turn with.  Sometimes if trading doesn't work we also use a timer so that one child knows when their turn is over and when it is another child's turn. 

We will be looking at the United States flag this week and comparing it to other flags and discuss what is the same and what is different about each flag. Then we will be following directions to make a flag.

We have begun to use some of the technology in our classroom. Last week we used the Tag Readers to listen to reading. This week we will listen to reading using recorded books and participate in some learning activities on the IPads. I will introduce these items into the classroom individually so that the children understand how to use each one (although sometimes they work them better then me) and the rules involved in using each one. 

We will get outside as often as possible so if it is a chilly day please remember to send a jacket, sweatshirt or sweater with your child. Also on Wednesdays we will have the opportunity to use the gym to work on some gross motor skills so please be sure to have your child wear tennis shoes to school on Wednesdays. 

P.M. First days of preschool

Dear Parents,
Here are some pictures of  your children's first days of preschool.

A.M. class first days of preschool

Parents,

Here are a few pictures of your children during their first days of school. 

Week of September 8-11, 2014

Week of September 8-11, 2014

Theme: What happens at School?

Dear Parents,

The first two days of school went well. There were a few tears shed by some kids and also some parents but as the children build their stamina and begin to understand the routine they will become more confident about coming to school. 

Last week we worked hard on introducing the school routine and learning some of the classroom rules. We will continue to work on the school routine and rules throughout the next several weeks.

This week we will be focusing on what happens at school, again this reinforces what the expectations are at school. We are going to read Pete the Cat, The Wheels on the Bus. the children are going to be decorating their names and making a school bus that will have pictures and names of all of the children in the class. The school bus craft is a good on to hang on the fridge and then you can look back at it as your child is talking about someone they played with at school and be able to see who that child is. 

I have made a calendar that I am going to place in the very front pocket of your child's folder. It has listed on it the themes for the month and any special activities that may be coming up at school. This week is spirit week at Hilton Elementary and here is a list of the activities that will be happening school wide this week:

Spirit week is upon us!  Here are some things Hilton will be doing next week: 

Hilton Spirit Week - September 8-12, 2014

Show Your School Spirit All Week Long

• MONDAY - Silly Socks and Sneakers. Be sure to bring proper shoes for Gym Class.
• TUESDAY - Sports Day. Wear a team logo item.
• WEDNESDAY - Crazy Hair/Hats off to Hilton! Wear a fun hat or some Crazy Hair.
• THURSDAY - Super Hero/Princess Day. Wear your favorite Super Hero or Princess Shirt. (No costumes or capes please!) or you can wear red, white and blue for Patriots Day.
• FRIDAY - Spirit Day. Wear your Hilton, Bees Gear or Gold & Red.

Mini Pep Rally - Friday (either indoor or outdoor) @ 2:55

Where in the City Is Flat Martin? 

Flat Martin is a large cut out of Mr. Martin our principal.

(FYI...) Flat Martin is at it again, hiding in different venues around Brecksville and Broadview Heights. Each day between 9/7 - 9/12, Flat Martin will be in a different location. This is a family-friendly scavenger hunt that the kids really love. Submit the form (attached) on 9/15 to be entered in a drawing for a prize. And send your photos with Flat Martin to info@hiltonpso.com.

This week we will begin going to the gym for approximately 20 minutes weekly. Each Wednesday please have your child wear tennis shoes to school.

During the first several weeks of school I am getting to know your children better, this allows me to better differentiate the activities during center time to better meet each child's developmental learning level as well as their current skill level. 

Although we will not have a letter of the week until October we are going to have show and share this week on Thursday. Please have your child bring to school something that they would like to show their friends, the only restriction on this activity is that it has to fit in their backpack. Please make sure your child's name is on the item so we can make sure that everyone gets their correct items to take home. 

I took some photos of the children last week and once I download them I will place them here for everyone to see.

Reminders:

If you have not already returned all of your paperwork please do so promptly.

Thank you for sharing your children with me, I am so excited about this school year. 

Weeks of Sept. 3-4 & Sept. 8-11, 2014

Week of Sept. 3-4 & Sept. 8-11, 2014

Theme: Welcome to School

Dear Parents,

The first month of school will focus on welcoming the children to preschool and learning what school is all about. The first two weeks of school the theme will be: Welcome to School. We will be focusing on learning or reviewing what school is about and what the classroom and school routines look like. These routines include: the classroom routine, what we do when we arrive at school and what we do at the end of the day, how we transition between activities, how we participate in group activities, how to line up and walk in the hallway as well as the snack and bathroom routines. It is very important to reinforce and practice these skills as they will lay a foundation for the rest of the school year. 

We will review all the school rules and talk about what whole brain and whole body listening look like with our friend Pete the Cat who will help us with this. We will read several stories including: Pete the Cat Rocking In My School Shoes, Pete the Cat Wheels on the Bus and Welcome to School. During these weeks we will also be practicing such skills as color identification by talking about what color shoes we are wearing and what color shoe Pete the Cat is hiding behind. We will also practice prepositions such as in front, behind, on top and in after reading Pete the Cat.

Reminders:

• Please return all paperwork promptly as well as sending me an email so that I can put you on the contact list for the newsletter weekly. This week I am sending home a paper copy of the newsletter but will be sending an electronic copy throughout the school year. 
• Please send in extra clothes that we can keep at school in the even of an accident or spill. 
• Please return the decorated shoes project that was in your folder at orientation, we will be using them to display on our classroom bulletin board.
• Please use the folders that were provided at orientation to keep in your child's backpack. This is an effective way to send items back to school and a way for me to send things home to you. If you have already purchased a two pocket folder please still send it to school, I will be using it to place examples of your child's work throughout the school year.

Please let me know how your child is doing the first couple weeks of school and I will let you know how they are doing at school. It will be an adjustment for some so being a little extra tired it to be expected. 

I am looking forward to having a great start to the school year.