People Change

Week of May 26-28, 2015

Theme: People Change

Focus question: How do people grow and change?

Dear Family,

In the upcoming week, children will explore ways that people grow and change. They will discuss ways in which they have changed since they were babies, focusing on how their appearance has changed and how they are now able to do things they couldn't do as babies. They will recognize that people get bigger and stronger as they grow. In addition, children will note likenesses and differences among babies, children, teens, and adults. They will learn that even though adults have finished growing, they still learn new things, and in this way, they are still changing. 

Learning Together

• Measure your child's height at intervals and mark the measurements in an appropriate place in your home. Determine how tall your child has grown over a period of time. 
• If you saved any baby clothes that your child wore, show them to your child. Talk about why your child can't wear these clothes anymore. Then compare and contrast items of clothing, such as sneakers, that you wear and that your child wears.
• Tell your child about something that you would like to learn how to do. Talk about ways you could go about learning this skill. Then have your child share something he or she would like to learn to do. 

Activities

• This week we will read the story I'm Growing. As a group we will compare and contrast things that we did as a baby and things we can do now that we are growing. 
• We will be transforming a caterpillar into a butterfly through out art work.
• We will be building 3 dimensional shapes using everyday objects.
• We will continue to document our seed growth from the plants we planted last week.

Upcoming Events

• No School-May 25th Memorial Day
• June 2-All students going to kindergarten next year will be taking a field trip to their home school.
• June 3-End of the year party-10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• June 4th-Last day of school.

Plants Change

Week of May 18-21, 2015

Theme: Plants Change

Focus Question: How do plants grow and change?

Dear Family,

this week, our class will learn about how plants grow and change. children will have the opportunity to identify and describe plants they are familiar with. They will explore things that plants need in order to grow, such as sunlight, soil, and water. They will listen to stories about how familiar foods, such as peaches and oranges, grow. In addition, children will begin to learn about parts of plants and how plants such as trees change in different seasons.

Learning Together

• Take a walk with your child and observe the trees in  your neighborhood or in a local park. talk about how the trees look. Revisit the trees throughout the year and notice how the trees change.
• find seeds in the foods you eat, such as oranges, peaches, plums, or avocados. Remove the seeds and let them dry. Then plant the seeds with your child. Encourage your child to place the potted seed in a sunny window and to water it frequently.
• Encourage your child to help you care for any plants you have in your home or in a garden. Talk about how the plants grow and change.
• Collect fallen leaves with your child. Use the leaves to make leaf rubbings or leaf collages.

Activities

• This week we will plant seeds and document them as they grow.
• We will learn what plants need to make them grow and about the parts of a plant.
• We will sort plants by where they grow: on a tree, in the ground, on a vine or on the ground.
• Given clues which include measurements about an object we will make a guess about what it is and measure the object to prove whether our guess was accurate.

We would like to welcome two new friends to our a.m. class. WELCOME Olivia and Kendra!

Upcoming dates:

• May 25-No School Memorial Day
• June 2-those students going to kindergarten next school year will take a field trip to their home school to familiarize them with the school.
• June 3-End of the year party a.m. 10:00 and 1:30.
• June 4-Last day of preschool

Animals Change

Week of May 11-14

Animals Change

Focus question:How do animals grow and change?

Dear Family,

During this week, children will learn about how animals grow and change. They will compare baby and adult animals, such as chicks and chickens, and identify ways in which the animals are alike and different. They will identify things that baby animals can and cannot do, and describe ways that adult animals care for their babies. In addition, they will explore the life cycles of animals, including insects such as butterflies.

Learning together

• If you have a pet, talk with your child about what your pet was like as a baby and how your pet has grown and changed.
• Together, visit a zoo or animal  shelter to observe baby and adult animals. Talk about how they are alike and different.
• Take your child to the library and get a book about how caterpillars grow into butterflies. Look at the illustrations with your child and help him or her describe the stages of growth.

Activities

• This week we will explore the life cycles of several animals including butterflies, chickens and frogs.
• We will practice following directions to make a frog mask with a very cool tongue.
• We are going to practice counting objects and replicating designs for some visual motor activity.

Reminders

• No School-May 25 Memorial Day
• End of the year party-June 3 10:00-1:30.
• Last day of school June 4

Outerspace

Week of May 4-7, 2015

Theme: Outer space

Letter of the Week: Z

Dear Parents,

May is here and it seems we are in for some very nice weather days finally! This week we will be wrapping up our Earth & Sky theme with some outer space fun.

Some activities include:

• We are going to do several experiments as culminating activities for our unit such as rain in a jar, a tornado experiment and a fun experiment called elephant toothpaste. The children will make some predictions about what they think is going to occur and we will test whether our predictions were correct.
• We will also be building a name rocket and making a moon painting.
• We have a couple of surprise activities which I don't want to give away so if you ask your child what they did at school and they say they can't tell you (especially moms) remember we want it to be a surprise. 
• We will also be reading Papa Please Get the Moon for Me and Happy Birthday, Moon!
• We are in the process of arranging a field trip for those students who will be going to kindergarten next school year. They will have the opportunity to visit their home school and ride on the bus from preschool to the school for the visit. 

Reminders:

• Show and Share is on Thursday, May 7 letter Z. This will be our last show and share for the school year.
• No School May 25-Memorial Day
• June 3-end of the year party a.m. 10:00-11:00 and p.m. 1:30-2:30. I do not have a room parent for the a.m. class so if there is anyone who would like to step up and organize the activities for the party that would be greatly appreciated.
• June 4-Last day of school

Day and Night

April 27-30, 2015

Theme: Day and Night

Focus question: What can I learn about day and night?

Letter of the Week: Y

Dear Parents,

During this week children will learn about the characteristics of and the differences between day and night. They will observe, identify, and talk about the different things that they see in the sky during the day. They will compare and contrast things in the daytime sky with those that appear during the night. The books we share will promote thought and discussion about how the colors of the sky change throughout the day. Children will also have fun experimenting with shadows and creating mobiles that show objects visible in the day and night skies.

Learning Together

• Have your child draw or paint two pictures of your home, one showing it as it appears during the day and the other as it appears at night. Talk with your child about the similarities and differences in the two images.
• Identify an object, such as a landmark or building that is usually visible from your home at all times. Together, view the object from a window during the day. Then look for it from the window at night. Discuss why it is more difficult to see.
• Use a lamp and a blank wall to make shadow puppets with your child. Take turns forming animal shapes or letters.

Visiting the Library

Night in the Country by Cynthia Ryland and Mary Szilagyi

Night Becomes Day by Richard McGuire

Black? White! Day? Night! by Franklyn M. Branley

Activities

• This week we will be working on three dimensional shapes: sphere, cylinder, cube and cone.
• We are going to match, sort and identify the shapes.
• We are going to be discussing the differences between day and night and how we know when it is day or night.
• We are going to sort things that happen during the day and night and things we see during the day and night.

Reminders

• Show and Share Thursday, April 30 letter Y.

Outside My Window

Week of April 20-23, 2015

Theme: Outside My Window

Focus Question: What weather can I observe each day?

Letter of the Week: X

Dear Family,

Children will become mini-meteorologists this week as they observe and discuss the weather each day. They will learn about the different types of weather and how each one affects the activities that people undertake as well as the clothing that they wear. Children will also learn about the four seasons and the kinds of weather changes that may occur during each season.

Learning Together

• With your child, make a graph that charts each member of your family's favorite season or type of weather. Together, share the chart with your entire family.
• conduct a science experiment with your child to demonstrate the power of the sun. Cut out cardboard letters showing your child's initials and tape them to dark paper. Put the paper in direct sunlight (outdoors or in a window) for a few days. Then remove the cardboard letters. discuss with your child what happened and why.

Visiting the Library

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Tracks in the Snow by Wong Herbert Yee

Feel the Wind by Arthur Dorros

Clouds by Anne Rockwell

Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes by Stuart J. Murphy

The Windy Day by Pat Hutchins

Activities

• This week one of our stories will be The Windy Day by Pat Hutchins. While reading the story we will work on answering some basic comprehension questions about the story. We will sequence the story using picture props.
• We will also be talking about a variety of kinds of weather. We are going to make a word chart of weather words. After making the word chart we will sort the words by what season we typically experience that type of weather.  
• We will also be reading a Scholastic magazine about wind and do some interactive activities that go along with it on the SmartBoard.
• This week is Earth Day on April 22, so please blue and/or green to school on Wednesday.
• We are going to do a recycling sort so please save cans, paper/cardboard, and plastic that can be recycled and send 1-2 items in with your child to school to help us with our sorting activity. 
• We have been doing short brain break activities throughout our school day to help the children get up and move and give their brains a break. Based on brain research the age of a child indicates how many minutes he/she can maintain stamina in a whole group or small group setting, so I have built these brain breaks into our daily routine. One way we do these is through a website called GoNoodle. They have a variety of activities on it that provide movement and even calming activities. One channel they especially love is KooKoo Kangaroo, so if you have heard your child talking about Roller Coaster or Pop Si Coo this is the site it is coming from and if you need a good laugh check it out. As adult we may think they are goofy but the kids love them and think they are fun. 

Reminders

• On Wednesday, April 22 wear green and blue for Earth Day.
• Send in 1-2 recyclable items for our recycle sort.
• Thursday is Show and Share bring in item that either starts with the letter X or ends with the letter X.

The Earth and Sky

Week of April 13-16, 2015

Theme: My World

Focus question: What can I learn about the earth and the sky?

Letter of the Week: W

Dear Families, 

This week our class begins a new unit about the earth and sky, focusing first on our world and the sun. Children will discuss and learn about natural items that are found on the earth, such as sand, rocks, soil and water. Next week the children will also learn more about the sun and the moon and how they are similar to and different from one another as they consider differences between light and darkness, and day and night. Our lessons about the sun will also lead children to a basic understanding of sources of light and heat. 

Learning Together:

• Conduct a simple science experiment with your child. Mix sand or soil, pebbles and water in a clear plastic bottle. Shake it vigorously. Ask your child to observe and describe how the pebbles and sand or soil travel through the water. Have your child also describe what he or she observes after the materials have settled. 

We will be participating in some exploration and experimentation with the earth materials of: sand, water, soil and water. We will be observing them using hand lenses and comparing their weight using a balance scale. We will be doing this activity in two groups and at the conclusion will compare the findings of the two groups looking for similarities and differences.

Visiting the Library

The Earth and I by Frank Asch

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by Elphinstone Dayrell

Into the Sky by Ryan Ann Hunter

Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary by Jack Knowlton

Earth Day-Hooray! by Stuart J. Murphy

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Activities

• Two of the things we will be exploring about the Earth this week is soil and water.
• We are going to investigate worms!
• We are going to use worms (rubber ones) to measure and compare. 
• We will also have worms in the sensory table in dirt (just rubber worms for this)
• We are going to make a worm observatory to watch how worms move under the earth.
• One of our stories this week is Diary of a Worm. We will work on recalling facts from the story and then illustrating our own book.
• We will also make a fun worm snack this week, the children will make their own snack and will have to follow direction to make it.
• We will investigate water and what objects sink in water and what objects float. We will explore reasons why certain objects sink and other float.
• We will compare and contrast items that are found on the Earth and those are that found in the sky.

Reminders:

• Show and Share is every Thursday, this week the letter is W.
• As the weather continues to warm up we will try to get outside for some gross motor activities. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing such as tennis shoes and a jacket or sweatshirt.  We have rubber mulch on the playground and if your child wears Crocs, sandals or flip-flops it tends to get stuck in their shoes and they spend more time getting it out then actually playing that is why I recommend tennis shoes. Please also remember if your child is sensitive to the sun you may want to put on sunscreen before school.
• Last day of school June 4th.

I hope everyone had a great Spring Break and I look forward to seeing everyone at school tomorrow.

Week of March 30-April 2, 2015

Week of March 30-April 2, 2015

Theme: Staying Healthy

Focus question: How can I stay healthy?

Letter of the Week: Vv

Dear Families,

As we conclude our unit Healthy Food/Healthy Body, the children will review what they have learned during the past few weeks. The class will read, discuss, draw and write about what they now know about healthy habits, healthy food choices, and the importance of exercise. children will also learn how doctors and dentist work hard to help us stay healthy and about the basic human need for food, clothing, and shelter.

Learning Together

Share healthy snacks with your child and talk with him or her about why you used certain types of foods to create them.

• Visit a local park or playground on a regular basis and encourage your child to play on the equipment.
• Talk with your child about why everyone needs proper clothing to stay healthy. Together, select some of your family's outgrown or gently-used clothing and donate it to a shelter.

Activities

• Along with finishing our Healthy Food/Healthy Body unit we will also be doing some spring/Easter activities.
• We put together plastic Easter Eggs according to a picture.
• We will count play-doh Easter eggs to place in a basket.
• We will identify beginning sounds and match pictures to the correct letter that makes that sound.
• We will make Easter Egg prints with plastic Easter eggs.
• We are going to do Easter Egg relay races on Wednesday when we are in the gym.

Upcoming activities

• Show and Share-Thursday, April 2 Letter V
• Spring Break-April 3-12. Return to school April 13

Week of March 23-26, 2015 Healthy Fun

Week of March 23-26, 2015

Theme: Healthy Fun

Focus Question: Why is exercise important?

Letter of the Week: N

Dear Family,

getting preschoolers to move is never a problem! This week children will learn why their movements and exercise they undertake on a daily basis is so important to their health. They will review the names of their body parts and they will also learn to do some exercises that strengthen their bodies and keep them flexible. The lessons this week will also involve reading about and discussing winter and summer sports.

Learning Together

• Choose and listen to some favorite songs with your child. Then, together, dance along to the music.
• With your child, choose a time every morning or afternoon to do bending and stretching exercises together.
• Play the game "Match Me" with your child. Perform exercises, such as jumping jacks, toe-touches, or marching in place, and then have your child try to replicate the exercise that your performed.

Activities

• The children will play a movement game where they choose a movement card and then roll the dice to find out how many times they will  perform the movement.
• The children will make a sentence strip book about how they can move their bodies.
• We will follow directions to make a healthy snack using measuring cups and counting.
• We will work together to develop a list of sports activities or exercise that we like to participate in and ways in which we are moving our body when we participate in them.
• We are going to play a body part game where the children get to construct a monster by putting on given body parts and rolling a dice to find out how many of those body parts they should put on, those monsters could get pretty crazy. 
• On Thursday we will have Super Hero Day. The children can dress as their favorite Super Hero. We will talk about how we are Super Heroes who are in charge of keeping our bodies super healthy and strong. For homework this week on a blank piece of paper please help your child identify their favorite super hero and why they are their favorite super hero and then let your child draw a picture of their favorite super hero. We will share Our Favorite Super Hero papers on Thursday. 
• We will practice our names using magnetic and wikki sticks to practice our names. For our older students we will practice first and last names.

Upcoming Events

• We currently do not have anyone signed up for the Letter N snack of the week, if anyone is interested please let me know. If you do not hear back from please know that I have found someone who will be bringing the snack.
• March 26-Show and Share Letter N
• March 26-Super Hero Day-Dress as your favorite superhero

Week of March 16-19, 2015

Week of March 16-19, 2015

Theme: Healthy Food

Focus question: What food keeps me healthy?

Letter of the Week: M

Right to Read Week: Reading Under the Sea

Dear Family,

Getting children to make healthy food choices is often difficult! This week's lessons help prepare children to do just that. They will learn about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, and they will have the chance to taste some healthy snacks. 

Learning Together

• With your child, make a healthy snack such as "Ants On a Log." to do so spread cream cheese or peanut butter on celery sticks and sprinkle with raising.
• With your child, look at advertising fliers from grocery stores. Ask your child to circle pictures of the healthy foods.
• Together, make a graph showing your family's favorite fruits and vegetables.
• Have fun with your child by planning a day's breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu. Ask your child to name healthy fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to include in the meals.

Activities:

• This week we will try a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables. I am asking your child to bring in a favorite fruit or vegetable. I have made a list of whether your child will bring in their favorite fruit or vegetable. On Monday we are going to taste vegetables and make a chart of our favorite ones and on Tuesday we will do the same with fruits.

       Monday- a.m. favorite vegetable: Andrew, Savannah, Elise L., Claire S., and Keerthisri

                      p.m. favorite vegetable: Zach, Brandon, Emma, Patrick, Prathyush, and Avan

       Tuesday-a.m. favorite fruit: Elise P., Claire L., Hunter, Peyton, and Hayden

                     p.m. favorite fruit: Eve, Gabe, Myrrah, Bridget, and David

         Thank you for helping us with this activity.

• We will be sorting healthy and unhealthy food. 
• On Friday we will make healthy recipes together to have for snack.
• We will also be celebrating Right to Read Week, Reading Under the Sea. There are many fun school wide activities planned for the week.
• Monday-bring in a beach towel to keep at school for the week, we will be doing our Dive into Reading each day on our beach towels. Scholastic books coin challenge-bring in pennies and wear sunglasses.
• Tuesday-Scholastic books coin challenge-bring in nickels and wear your favorite hat.
• Wednesday-Scholastic books coin challenge-bring in dimes and wear your favorite beach or ocean shirt.
• Thursday-Scholastic books coin challenge-bring in quarters and dress up as your favorite ocean animal.
• Friday-Art show and book fair in the gym 5-8. The preschool children will have art displayed at the art show. This is also a good opportunity to shop for books at a reasonable price at the Scholastic book fair.

So as you can see we have many exciting activities planned for the week. 

Week of March 9-12, 2015

Week of March 9-12, 2015

Theme: Being Healthy

Focus Question: What are good healthy habits?

Letter of the Week: A

Dear Families,

 During the week our class will be discussing and learning about ways to maintain personal health and hygiene. Children will learn the importance of developing healthy habits such as washing their hands frequently, brushing their teeth, dressing appropriately for weather conditions and getting enough sleep.

Learning Together

• With your child, make a chart that lists the healthy habits of hand washing, tooth brushing, and going to bed at a designated time. Have your child apply a sticker to the chart each time he or she accomplishes one of these tasks.
• Together, read Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London and Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy Carlstrom. Then talk about clothing that is appropriate for specific types of weather. 

Activities

• We are going to make an Alligator for letter A. We will add teeth to our alligator by rolling the dice and counting out the correct number each time it is our turn.
• We will also be doing some simple adding by making a mouth and adding teeth as we roll two dice.
• We will talk about healthy habits such as washing our hands when we read the story, Those Mean, Nasty, Dirty, Downright Disgusting but Invisible Germs. We will follow that up with an activity that demonstrates how many germs are on our hands that we can't see, how we can pick them up and transfer them to other objects and how to get rid of them: WASH YOUR HANDS.
• We will also talk about brushing our teeth. We will read the story Those Icky Sticky Smelly Cavity-Causing but Invisible Germs.
• We will sort objects by determining if they are healthy for our teeth or not healthy.
• We will practice flossing teeth by using a large duplo block with play-doh placed in between each raised circle (tooth) and using a piece of yarn (floss) to get the play-doh out.
• We will also do an experiment with a hard boiled white egg. The egg will be placed in Pepsi to sit. The Pepsi changes the eggs color to a light brown color. First the children will try brushing the egg with just a toothbrush and then they will brush the egg with a toothbrush and toothpaste. We will compare which method worked best for getting the egg the cleanest.
• When we go to the gym this week we will play a germ pick up game on scooter boards.

Upcoming Activities

• Spring Break-April 3-12. Return to school on April 13.
• As a reminder Show and Share is every Thursday. Please take the opportunity to pick out something with your child that starts with the letter of the week to bring in and share. Although I always have extras the children get especially excited when it is something they have chosen special from home. This week the letter of the week is A.

Week of March 2-5, 2015

Week of March 2-5, 2015

Theme: How animals move

Focus Question: How do animals move?

Letter of the Week: K

Dear Family,

As we conclude our animal theme, we will focus on the variety of ways in which animals move. We will review animal body parts and make a connection between body parts and movement. In addition to using the words walk, swim, and fly, children will expand their vocabulary to include words such as stomp, waddle, and slither.

Learning Together

• Play a game of "Simon Says" with your child. give instructions such as: "Simon says stomp: or "Simon says swim.
• While reading books identify animals in the story. Identify how the animals are moving: walking, flying, running, and swimming.
• Look through picture books of animals with your child. Discuss and pantomime how each of the animals moves.

Activities:

• Monday is Dr. Seuss's Birthday. So in honor of his birthday we will read one of his books, Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? and we will make a special Seuss craft.
• We will also participate in making the sounds and moving like the animals and objects while we read the story.
• We will read the story Move! After reading the story we will try to recall some of the animals and describe how they moved. We will also move our bodies like the animals.
• We will sort animals by whether they are animals you see at the zoo or animals you see at the farm.
• We will also do a different animal sort about where animals move: on land, in the air or in the water.
•  On Wednesday when we go to the gym we will play Animal Charades and move our bodies like a variety of animals.
• This week we will also make a letter K craft for our letter of the week. 
• We will use our building sticks to build our new letter K and review our letters from the month of February: D, P, B, and R.
• The a.m. class will get the opportunity to go to an assembly on March 4th to watch the second grade musical performance. 

Reminders:

• Show and Share is every Thursday and features the letter of the week. Please take some time to find something at home that starts with the letter of the week on Wednesday night and place it in your child's backpack for school on Thursday.
• Spring Break is coming up: April 3-12. School will resume on April 13.
• If we should have another 2 hour delay the protocol is that the a.m. preschool session is cancelled and the p.m. session will come at their normal time.

Week of February 23-26, 2015

Week of February 23-26, 2015

Theme: Comparing Animals

Focus question: How are animals the same and different?

Letter: R

Dear Families,

Since we missed school last week we will be continuing some of the activities that were planned for last week and then add some new activities that compare animals. This week, as we continue our study of animals, children will compare animals. We will discover ways animals are the same and different in terms of how they look and how they sound. As we read a book titled Who is the Beast? children will become familiar with the word beast and its meaning.

Learning Together

• Together, visit a pet store or an animal shelter. Observe fish and discuss how the fish are the same and different. Do the same with other animals such as  birds, dogs, and kittens.
• Search books and magazines for pictures of animals. Point to animals and ask your child, Is this a wild animal? How do you know?
• Have both you and your child draw pictures of an animal, such as a fish. Compare the two pictures, discussing how they are the same and different.

Activities:

• We will compare jungle animals and find ways that they are similar and different. We will also look to apply this to other groups comparing them for similarities and differences. We will be using visual pictures to help us discriminate the similarities and differences.
• We will continue to practice patterning by patterning jungle animals.
• Since we missed Show and Share for letter B last week please have your child bring their letter B Show and Share on Monday. Every week we make a list of words that correspond to our letter and on this list we include items the children brought in for show and share, so we want to make sure to make our B list.
• On Thursday please have your child bring in Show and Share for letter R. 
• Letter of the Week snack: since I do not have the list at home with me I am unable to relay the information regarding who is doing the letter of the week snack for letter R this week. The letter would have gone home on Thursday but since we didn't have school it did not go home. I will send the letter home on Monday and we will push back letter of the week snack until Thursday, which would mean it would not need to be to school until Wednesday. Thank you for your understanding.

I hope everyone is feeling better, we had quite a few children out in each class last week. We will make sure we are washing hands diligently so that we get rid of all of the germs. I did go in to school for a little bit on Friday and wiped down the shelves and toys and put new toys out so hopefully that also will help with any spreading of germs.

Make sure to bundle up and stay warm. We will see everyone on Monday.

Week of February 17-19, 2015

Week of February 17-19, 2015

Theme: Animals at Home

Focus Question: Where do animals live and what do they eat?

Letter of the Week: B

Dear Families,

This week we will be talking about different places animals live. We are going to be reading the book "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?" There are several other books that are similar to this book including "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? We will be discussing the animals in the book and where they live. We will be making a polar bear mask and using props to retell the story. We will continue to practice patterning both individually and in groups. 

Our big box has been transformed several times now from a vet clinic, to a Valentine's day house and this week we will be transforming it into an igloo where arctic animals live. We will watch a short video about polar bears and penguins and how they survive in the cold.

We will be making our own book based on the Polar Bear, Polar Bear book. Each child will have their own page and they will get to choose what they hear and how it sounds, they are only limited by their creativity. 

Upcoming Dates:

For those students who will be going to kindergarten next school year please look for a letter coming home this week telling you what you need to do for kindergarten registration. Please remember that your children are already registered students in the district and therefore only need to sign up for a screening time at their home school. 

Show and Share: Thursday, February 19-Letter B

Family Bingo Night!

Dear Families,

Please register for our Bingo Night, which is to be held at the Middle School. This is traditionally a very popular event, and this year the theme is “Bingo for Books,” so all prizes are books or writing accessories. Also, families are encouraged to dress in the costume of their favorite literary characters if they would like! More information available on our PSO website www.Hiltonpso.com. Any questions regarding the event can be directed to info@hiltonpso.com. Thanks!

February 9-12, 2015

Happy Valentine's Day

Week of February 9-12, 2015

Theme: Valentine's Day & Kindness

Letter of the Week: P

Dear Parents,

This week we will be discussing Valentine's Day. We will be talking about helping one another, showing kindness and working together.

Activities

• In preparation for our Valentine's Day Party on Thursday, February 12 we will be decorating the boxes covered boxes the children are bringing back to school. Please make sure you return your box to school on Monday so that we can get them decorated for our party.  Please also have your child send in their Valentine's Day cards before Thursday as well.
• We will also be making a Valentine's Day card and a Penguin for letter P. When the children are participating in these types of activities they are practicing some important skills, such as: attending/focusing, following oral directions and practicing fine motor skills such as cutting and proper grip on a pencil or crayon. We also do several activities that help reinforce these skills such as using the thumb and pointer finger to pick up small objects, using tweezers to pick up objects, picking up flat objects and placing them into a slotted containers, all of these activities help the children build hand strength, coordination and appropriate grip for perform activities such cutting, coloring and writing. 
• We will be practicing sorting and patterning with conversation hearts. 
• We will also be practicing identifying rhyming words, rhyming is an important early literacy skill. The younger children are being introduced to this skill and may be practicing it. The older children are also learning this skill and are definitely moving on to practicing this skill.

Important Reminders:

• February 16-No School President's Day
• If you have not returned your conference form please remember to return it to school with your child so that we can set up a conference to discuss your child's progress.

Week of February 2-5, 2015

Week of February 2-5, 2015

Theme: I Know Animals

Focus Question: What are animals like?

Letter of the Week: D

Dear Families,

During this week, we will talk about animals, focusing on pets. We will compare animals based on appearances and discuss characteristics that make some animals amazing. This theme also gives us the opportunity to discuss how to care for pets. We will also talk about the difference between real and make-believe animals.

Learning Together

• Talk with your child about the animals that they know about. If you or a neighbor has a pet, ask your child to describe what the animal looks like and how it sounds.
• together, look for animals, such as birds or squirrels in your area. You might want to chart of the animals you see this week.
• With your child, watch television documentaries about animals. Discuss the appearances of the animals you see.
• Look through magazines and newspapers for pictures of animals and see which ones your child can name.

Activities

• Last week I was lucky enough to get a large box from a freezer that was being delivered at school. This week we are going to turn this box into something for our pets. The children will get to decide what they want to turn it into and then will be able to help with the transformation. 
• A variety of items to care for pets will be provided as well as some stuffed pets for the children to play with, there will also be items that may be used in a veterinary office so that the children can help their pets stay healthy.
• We will be sorting dog bones by size. 
• We will be choosing a pet and designing a house for our pet to live in. 
• We will be discussing what are important things for our pets to have to keep them healthy and safe as well as what we can do to help take care of them. 
• We are going to be making a D dog.
• We are also going to play a dice game. We will roll the dice and the number on the dice will tell us how many spots to put on the dog each time.
• We are going to be listening to letter sounds and environmental sounds and determining if they sound the same or different.
• Please send in a half sheet of paper that lists if you have any pets at home, what type of pets they are and what their names are. If you have any pictures of your pets we would love to see those as well. We are going to be graphing pets and seeing which type of pet there is the most of.

Upcoming dates:

• February 12-Valentine's Day party (kids only)-later this week I will be sending home information regarding Valentine's day activities.
• February 16th-No School President's Day

Week of January 26-29, 2015

Week of January 26-29, 2015

Theme: Let's Investigate

Focus Question: How do objects move?

Letter of the Week: J

Dear Family,

This week, our class will complete Unit 4 by observing and exploring how things move. We will begin by pretending to float like bubbles in the air. Next, we will learn about vehicles with wheels and use words such as roll, spin, and zigzag. Finally, we will compare vehicles that roll on wheels and other vehicles that fly through the air. 

Learning Together

• Together, roll toy cars down a ramp. Change the height of the ramp, and have your child predict whether the cars will roll faster or slower.
• With your child, look through  magazines for pictures of vehicles with wheels. Cut out the pictures, and take turns sorting the vehicles by color, size, or purpose.
• Take a walk with your child, and make a list of the different kinds of vehicles, such as cars, bikes, wagons, buses, trains, trucks, tractors, and airplanes, that he or she sees. Then discuss how the vehicles on the list are alike and different.

Activities:

• We will be making a Jellyfish for the letter J
• We are going to test a variety of vehicles to determine how fast they go on flat and sloped surfaces. We will make predictions about which ones will go faster or slower on each type of surface. 
• We will also be making toilet paper tube rockets that we will make move with the assistance of a balloon. Please have your child bring in a toilet paper tube to school, if you have additional ones at home we would appreciate those as well.
• We are going to be practicing finding our names, the letters that make our names and writing them. 
• Some of the books we will read include: What Wheels Do All Day? and Move. We will use words to describe different ways our bodies can move.
• In the gym this week we will be practicing moving our bodies by playing follow the leader. We will also describe how our bodies are moving and how they feel when we move them in a variety of ways.

Upcoming dates:

• Report cards will go home on January 29th. Every student will receive a report card. For those students on IEPs you will also receive a data report which reflects each students progress on their individual goals and objectives.
• A conference form will also be going home with information regarding conference dates and scheduling conferences so please look for this in your child's backpack. 
• Show and Share on Thursday, January 29th letter J.
• Please bring in a toilet paper tube to school on Monday.
• Special Snack this week for letter J: Gabe. Please remember to send the snack in on Tuesday so that we can share it on Wednesday with both classes, which is approximately 20 students.
• February 12 will be the Valentine's Day party for the children only. More information will be coming home as the date approaches.
• February 16th-No School-President's Day

Week of January 20-22, 2015

Week of January 20-22, 2015

Theme: Let's Investigate

Making Comparisons

Focus Question: How can I compare things

Letter of the Week: S

Dear Families,

This week, our class will learn how to make comparisons. We will read a book titled Nature Spy. In addition to teaching children about fascinating and beautiful objects in nature, the book introduces the concept of sorting objects by attributes such as size, color, and texture. Children will have opportunities to use their sense of sight and touch to sort items in the classroom. they will also learn to put items in order according to length.

Learning Together

• With your child, become "Nature Spies" in your neighborhood. Closely observe natural objects such as twigs and stones, and compare their sizes, shapes, colors and textures. You could also do this while playing in the snow and making snowballs in a variety of sizes.
• Together, compare characters in stories such as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" or "The Three Little Pigs." Talk about how the characters in each story are similar to and different from one another.
• Assemble items that can be sorted by color, size or purpose, and have your child arrange the items in groups. Socks, plastic eating utensils, and crayons are good items to use.
• While at the grocery store compare fruits and vegetables describing how they look or feel the same and different.

Activities:

• We will make a Snowman for our S craft.  
• Each child will choose an object in the classroom to measure. They will use conventional (ruler) and unconventional materials (paperclips, links, unifix cubes) to measure their item and record the measurement.
• We will be practicing our names in a variety of multi-sensory ways.
• In the gym we will be doing an obstacle course touching on a variety of skills such as jumping, hopping, balancing and throwing.
• Our story this week is Nature Spy and we will also be reading a Scholastic magazine about Penguins.

Upcoming dates:

• January 22-Show and Share letter S
• Report cards will be coming home on January 29th. If your child was in preschool with us last year you will notice that the reports will look a different. We have rewritten the report card to align with the new State Common Core Standards. There are also different reports cards for children who are 3/4 and children who are 4/5.  Please note the new reporting symbols and their meaning.
• February 16-No School-President's Day

Week of January 12-15, 2015

Week of January 12-15, 2014

Theme: My Detective's Tools

Focus Question: How can I use tools to investigate?

Letter of the Week: G

 Dear Families,

This week, as children continue to think and act like detectives, they will learn about tools that detectives use to gather information. Children will use a balance scale to compare the weights of objects, using the words lighter and heavier. they will use connecting cubes to compare the lengths of items, using the words shorter and longer. And using containers of various sizes will learn to use the words more, less, empty, and full. 

Learning Together:

• Together, explore the capacity of kitchen containers of various shapes and sizes. Fill two container with water or rice, and ask your child to guess which container holds more. Then measure the contents of each one.
• Read to your child "the Three Billy Goats Gruff," "the Gingerbread Man," or a similar story in which the characters solve a problem. Talk about the problem in each story and how it was solved. 
• Cook or bake a food item together, and invite your child to help you measure the ingredients.

Special Activities:

• Due to the snow day last Thursday if your child still has their Show and Share for letter Q in their backpack we will share them on Monday.
• We will read a story called "Making Tamales." Then we are going to plan a meal menu together choosing the foods making sure to make healthy choices and then we will make our meal the following day and eat it together.  We are going to weigh some of the foods and compare the weights of the different food items. 
• Each day we will compare a variety of objects using weight, volume and length.
• We will participate in some listen to reading activities using the classroom netbooks as well as our Tag readers.
• We will practice some of our letters by writing them in sand on trays. 
• We are also going to use our observation skills to write about an object of our choice. We will use a hand lens to look at it closely then we will draw the object. We will dictate or write the words that describe what our object looks like and feels like.

Upcoming dates:

• January 12-Ohio State spirit day, wear your scarlet and gray--O-H-I-O
• January 15-Show and Share letter G
• January 19-No School Martin Luther King Day

Week of January 5-8, 2015

Week of January 5-8, 2015

Theme: Let's Investigate

Focus Question: How can I learn by observing?

Letter of the Week: Q

Dear Families,

I hope everyone had a restful and happy holiday season. 

This week, as we begin a unit titled "Let's Investigate," children will learn to think and act like detectives. This week's lessons will provide children with opportunities to learn about and use their senses. Children will use their senses of sight, hearing, touch and smell to gather information and answer questions. They will also be introduced to tools, such as scales and magnifying lenses, that help detectives gather information. The students will use their investigative skills to explore objects that sink and those that float.

Learning Together

• Place a variety of items, such as a marble, a cotton ball, a lemon, and a crayon, in a paper bag. Have your child use his or sense of touch an smell to identify the items without looking in the bag.
• Together, play games of "I Spy." Say clues such as "I spy something in this room. It is red and soft. What is it?" Take turns giving clues.

Activities

• Exploring rough and smooth objects using the sense of sight and touch. The students will use magnifying glasses to determine if they can tell whether an object is smooth or rough by looking at it and then testing their hypothesis by using their sense of touch.
• Using a variety of objects the students will make predictions about whether each object will sink or float. They will then test their prediction to see if their prediction was accurate. We will graph the results of objects that sink and those that float.
• The letter of the week is Q so we will be making a craft for the letter Q.
• The students will participate in some listen to reading activities using Tag Readers and word work activities using the IPads.
• In the afternoon the students will review the three ways to read a book: read the words, read the pictures and retell the story.  These are components of the Daily Five which is an approach to structuring literacy activities. The students have already learned these three ways and have practiced reading the pictures.  I will demonstrate read the words by reading a funny book called "The Book With No Pictures." 
• The afternoon class will also begin learning about read to self.  We will make some anchor charts that describe what reading to self looks like and doesn't look like.  We will do some demonstrations of both and then the students will begin choosing books for their book bins. Each student will have a book bin to keep in the classroom which contains books they have chosen.  During read to self time the students will be working on increasing their stamina. Most students during read to self time will be reading the pictures or retelling the story although a few will also be working on reading the words. 
• The first week back is also a time for getting reacquainted with the rules and routines of school.

The a.m. class would like to welcome a new friend to school this week, Claire S. 

Important upcoming dates:

• January 8-Show and Share letter Q
• January 19-No School-Martin Luther King Day