September 26, 2014 Newsletter

September 26, 2014

Dear Parents,
We have certainly been keeping busy here in Room 115!  It is hard to believe that September is almost over and October starts next week!  It is an exciting time in Kindergarten.  We are  looking forward to our field trip to Parlee Farms on Tuesday.  The students will pick apples and a pumpkin, ride on the hayride, feed the goats, and play in the hay maze.  They will also need a snack and a bagged lunch with a drink.  More info will go home on Monday.
As of right now, we are planning to go to the Franklin Park Zoo on Tuesday, October 28th.  More info will be going home probably next week after it has all been approved.
The students have adjusted well to our classroom routines and have been working very hard.  They have been making new friends and are still working on learning everybody's names.
We have been learning/reviewing the letters t, b, and f.  I will send home a Fundations packet next week with some info for you and some practice sheets for the students.  These don’t have to be returned.  I would encourage you to keep them all together to make into a book that students can use as a reference.  I would also encourage the students to practice these letters as often as possible (write them in salt/sand/shaving cream, etc.).
I will be sending home some homework starting next week for students to practice forming their numbers.  These should be completed the day they go home and returned the next day.  Please be sure to check your child’s blue folder every day and take out papers that don’t need to be returned.
The students have finished their Brown Bear innovations and will bring them home as soon as they read them to the class.  Make sure to save these and all the individual books they take home.  These books are great for them to read and review often.  The small alphabet books they have been working on in class can also be kept and reviewed often.
We will go to the library on Wednesday.  Please be sure to have your child return his/her library book as soon as he/she has finished reading it.  Students will not be allowed to bring another one home until they return the one they have at home.  We may go to the library every week but can only take out books every other week.
We have started a special project where students have been “scrapbooking” special Kindergarten memories.  Miss Lyons and I take pictures frequently during the year on special occasions and on all the field trips.  Students will be creating memory books that they will get to keep at the end of the year.  If possible, we would like parents to provide a one inch, three-ring binder with a plastic cover protector (one that you can slide a paper into the front cover).  The color doesn’t really matter.  I will be purchasing some in a couple of weeks for those who don’t have one but if you are able to send one in, that would be great!  If a couple of people could also send in a box of plastic sheet protectors that would be great too!  I think you will all love the books at the end of the year!

Have a great weekend!

Melanie Duncan and Kerry Lyons

PS… PLEASE continue having your child practice putting on sweatshirts, jackets, shoes, etc. at home.  You can imagine how difficult it is getting 18 children ready for recess or dismissal time, especially when sleeves are inside out!

Also, we use a lot of newspaper for art projects.  If you have newspapers that you don’t need any more, please consider sending them in!  We would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks so much!