Yes I am late with this its already March and we are already into the Dr. Seuss study. Days one and two have gone well a few kiddos are familiar with Dr. Seuss thanks to some popular movies that are out as well as the books. They are also enjoying the idea of crazy scenarios and funny words.
In class we are covering the stories of doctor Seuss we plan to look at Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and a few of the shorter stories (as Dr. Seuss wrote some very long ones as well) Our main story and the theme for our room is One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Its a silly rhyming story with lots of fun made up creatures and fun pictures. At home you can continue the fun by reading Dr. Seuss stories at home. Local libraries have a good selection and you can sometimes find readings of the stories on Youtube and iTunes. You can also find the movies some are a bit long but can be watched in parts Horton Hears a Who, Cat in the Hat, The Grinch, and The Lorax are all available to see so Dr. Seuss's world is brought to life.
We are continuing to work on names we have moved from recognition to writing names. I use a Font found online called dot lines and it creates the dots and all the lines you can use this at home as well if your child wants to practice at home. But it has to be fun! It needs to be kept light and interesting because if they feel pressured to write they may reject it. You can make the sheets at home and place them in a sheet protector and use a dry erase marker so you don't end up making multiple copies. The kids are doing awesome with all of this and they are really beginning to enjoy labeling things with their names.
Some of you have seen that I have been doing little interviews with the kids this is in preparation for progress reports that you will receive in April. A few questions I have asked are what's your first and last name. Its important for your kids to know both names there are a lot of children with similar names so knowing both names is essential. Another question I asked is what are mom and dads names. This is important as well if your child is ever lost or needs help knowing their own name and parents names is very helpful. So you can practice this at home any time and especially review before you go to a large event or gathering place. I still do this with my own kids who are 6 and 9 and as they get older teaching them your cellphone number helps too. The interviews are always fun and I love the answers I get. It's fun to ask kids who now have their own opinions on what they like, don't like and how things in their world operate. It's important that your children can answer questions serious and not so serious when asked.
After the un-birthday party we head to spring break its a good time to relax a little and get in some fun family time. I always see spring break as a good time to take a fun/educational field trip. I used to love taking my preschoolers to the discovery museums in Rancho Mirage and Hemet. We would go on hikes or to the zoo or something fun every break. We would read a lot! My kids are readers so I always encourage breaks as a great time to get into a good book your children even at age 3/4 can become involved in a longer story Breven and Aubree loved The Magic Tree house stories at that age. I would read a chapter or two at a time and they always got excited about cliffhangers and waiting for that next chapter.
When we return its a new study and celebrating Spring and all that comes with it. I am excited to finish up our year and see the continued growth as we finish it together!
Let's have an awesome 2 weeks!
Ms. Charlee
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Februrary friendship and love!
February 3rd already! Its a short month full of love and friendship. There is a lot going on at school so here are a few updates.
Please remember to check the work calendars online the link is on my blog under work calendars or take a picture on your mobile phone of it to ensure you are at school on your designated work days. If you are unable to work please try and find a sub early there are a few and they get called often. Calendars are up through March.
This week we have been continuing with space and we read a fun book about aliens and underpants ask your child they can tell you some funny details! Next week we have a short week there is no school Monday February 9th. We will start off the week by celebrating the 100th day of school we will be talking about 100, counting 100 items (by 10's), and we will be doing some fun crafts. Then Thursday and Friday we will celebrate Valentines day. Party sign ups are posted in class and we will be making English muffin pizzas! Our party theme is love bugs so we will have a few crafts about that. If you plan to send valentines with your child please make sure we have one for every child in class there are 17 kids in each class. If candy or treats are a part of your valentine make sure they are nut free for our friends with allergies. I will also not allow the kids to open goodies and treats at school they will be sent home so you can check things first. Children will pass out their own cards at a designated time.
February 16th is another holiday and we return for another short week and we may continue with space or we may move on not quite sure yet. Our class will continue working on name recognition and name writing for those interested. There has been a huge interest in writing names and its very exciting. If you want to practice writing at home please help your child by showing them the name written as it would appear starting with a capital letter then followed by lowercase letters. Its harder to recognize their name when its written in all capitals because that's not how it appears on paper. 90% of what we read is in lowercase so that's why the Zoophonics program focuses so much on lower case letters. Capitals will come later as they go through the Zoophonics program. We have also been working a lot on kindness in class. From kind words, to gentile hands, and taking turns and sharing. We will continue to practice and talk about these skills as the year continues on.
We bumped circle time up to first thing in the morning and it has been working much better for us. More kids are engaging and we are getting a lot more participation.
Looking ahead March is when we celebrate Dr. Seuss and all he has brought to literature and wrapping it up with our 3rd annual un-birthday party. More details on that will be coming soon! Then we head to spring break! I know its crazy we are already talking about spring break.
As always if you have any questions feel free to email me or call me at school.
Looking forward to another great month.
Ms. Charlee
Please remember to check the work calendars online the link is on my blog under work calendars or take a picture on your mobile phone of it to ensure you are at school on your designated work days. If you are unable to work please try and find a sub early there are a few and they get called often. Calendars are up through March.
This week we have been continuing with space and we read a fun book about aliens and underpants ask your child they can tell you some funny details! Next week we have a short week there is no school Monday February 9th. We will start off the week by celebrating the 100th day of school we will be talking about 100, counting 100 items (by 10's), and we will be doing some fun crafts. Then Thursday and Friday we will celebrate Valentines day. Party sign ups are posted in class and we will be making English muffin pizzas! Our party theme is love bugs so we will have a few crafts about that. If you plan to send valentines with your child please make sure we have one for every child in class there are 17 kids in each class. If candy or treats are a part of your valentine make sure they are nut free for our friends with allergies. I will also not allow the kids to open goodies and treats at school they will be sent home so you can check things first. Children will pass out their own cards at a designated time.
February 16th is another holiday and we return for another short week and we may continue with space or we may move on not quite sure yet. Our class will continue working on name recognition and name writing for those interested. There has been a huge interest in writing names and its very exciting. If you want to practice writing at home please help your child by showing them the name written as it would appear starting with a capital letter then followed by lowercase letters. Its harder to recognize their name when its written in all capitals because that's not how it appears on paper. 90% of what we read is in lowercase so that's why the Zoophonics program focuses so much on lower case letters. Capitals will come later as they go through the Zoophonics program. We have also been working a lot on kindness in class. From kind words, to gentile hands, and taking turns and sharing. We will continue to practice and talk about these skills as the year continues on.
We bumped circle time up to first thing in the morning and it has been working much better for us. More kids are engaging and we are getting a lot more participation.
Looking ahead March is when we celebrate Dr. Seuss and all he has brought to literature and wrapping it up with our 3rd annual un-birthday party. More details on that will be coming soon! Then we head to spring break! I know its crazy we are already talking about spring break.
As always if you have any questions feel free to email me or call me at school.
Looking forward to another great month.
Ms. Charlee
Monday, January 5, 2015
Space
Welcome back families! I hope everyone had a great Christmas break and that everyone is ready to return to class this week.
When we return our topic is space. So think astronauts, planets, stars and moons. We will talk about these things when we return and see what the kids really take an interest in. This week is a transition week as we all return to the routine of school and we will be working on continuing to follow the rules and routines of school after our 2 week break. Encourage good listening and being a good friend.
This month I want to work on name recognition. Not necessarily knowing how to spell their name but being able to find it in the world. So at home encourage your child to look for letters that are in their name and the order they go in. Find opportunities for them to find their name on things. Here I will be working on a matching game of faces to names, making name rockets, and practicing the letters in zoo phonics that make their name.
We will get back to our regular routine of calendar and looking at patterns the simple AB pattern is our first goal for them to recognize what is a pattern and how its made. We will practice this in class with colors and items.
Since we are covering space what better way to do that than to make a rocket. So I will be needing some scrap items for the kids to make their own rockets. I need some foam stickers in basic shapes, plastic solo cups, things to make cones for the tops. If you have any of these items at home that your willing to donate please bring them in. I am also in need of TP, and paper towel tubes. We will be making simple rockets with them this first week but we may need more to build taller more complicated things.
This week Wednesday the 7th and Thursday the 8th is a parent meeting right after drop off with Ms. Tamara. The 19th is Martin Luther King day and we will be off and we are working on scheduling a field trip.
I will update the blog as we go along please watch facebook for any parent power hours and special requests!
See you this week!
When we return our topic is space. So think astronauts, planets, stars and moons. We will talk about these things when we return and see what the kids really take an interest in. This week is a transition week as we all return to the routine of school and we will be working on continuing to follow the rules and routines of school after our 2 week break. Encourage good listening and being a good friend.
This month I want to work on name recognition. Not necessarily knowing how to spell their name but being able to find it in the world. So at home encourage your child to look for letters that are in their name and the order they go in. Find opportunities for them to find their name on things. Here I will be working on a matching game of faces to names, making name rockets, and practicing the letters in zoo phonics that make their name.
We will get back to our regular routine of calendar and looking at patterns the simple AB pattern is our first goal for them to recognize what is a pattern and how its made. We will practice this in class with colors and items.
Since we are covering space what better way to do that than to make a rocket. So I will be needing some scrap items for the kids to make their own rockets. I need some foam stickers in basic shapes, plastic solo cups, things to make cones for the tops. If you have any of these items at home that your willing to donate please bring them in. I am also in need of TP, and paper towel tubes. We will be making simple rockets with them this first week but we may need more to build taller more complicated things.
This week Wednesday the 7th and Thursday the 8th is a parent meeting right after drop off with Ms. Tamara. The 19th is Martin Luther King day and we will be off and we are working on scheduling a field trip.
I will update the blog as we go along please watch facebook for any parent power hours and special requests!
See you this week!
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Christmas Time Already??? !!!
Wow it's practically December and almost Christmas already I feel like we didn't even get through fall! I know this is a very busy time for all of us adults and kids as well. I am going to try my best to breathe deeply and enjoy this season with my family and with our class. I am so excited to be inside the classroom this year and to share the joy and excitement that this time brings for your children as I get to watch them wonder, explore, imagine and create holiday memories at home and at school.
We return to school Monday December 1st for 3 weeks which the school has decided to go with a general Holiday theme. Each teacher and class is allowed to cover what ever they choose in the winter holiday area. I have chosen to start off with Gingerbread man I love the story, I love that there are several versions of the story and even new fun twists on the story as well. I love the smell of the spices in gingerbread and the look of each individual cookie and that each is different, and unique like our children. On the second or third week of the holiday theme I will need one parent from MWF and One TTH parent to bake some gingerbread children for us to decorate. I can provide the cookie cutters, and I am offering power hours. Please ask me for details we will do this on a day when its just our class after free choice it will be something we do as a class.
Wednesday December 3rd is the ugly sweater night out and Bunco game at the Highland Springs Resort. Its a fun evening out with a dessert bar, Bunco and conversation. If you are available that evening please RSVP and join us this is one of the few adult only things we do at IPS and its fun to bond with others when the kids are not running around!
We will also cover a little bit of Hanukah. We will play dradle and talk about the lights and menorah. We will also share the story of the birth of Jesus and the manger. This will allow us to explore other holiday traditions as well. My family is Hawaiian, Portuguese, Scottish and Swedish so we celebrate those customs. The children in our school are from so many cultures and religions if there is something you wish to share with our students please feel free to come to me and we can set up a center the day that you work doing an activity from your culture as well. I want our class to learn, absorb and participate in a diverse environment so anything you would like to share is welcome! Please shoot me an email or talk with me in person and I can get plans and arrangements made.
So the first week back we will be transitioning to the holiday theme with some gingerbread man stories, counting, and other fun activities to ease them back into the routine. It is important for us to maintain as much routine during the holiday time as possible. I will be working on maintaining as much consistency as possible. Please help me to do this by reminding your child of the school rules, and being a good listener as we return this week, and in the weeks ahead. Its important that we encourage them to do well at school and use positive reinforcement at school and at home.
When we return you may notice its getting cooler this is a great time to check the extra clothing in your child's backpack to ensure its weather appropriate. IPS doesn't keep a lot of extra clothing on hand and even in chilly weather we still play outside sometimes with water, we still paint and get messy so those extra clothes come in handy. I would suggest also taking a jacket to school each day. Even if they fight it a cheap hoodie in a backpack comes in handy some days and we can put it on as needed. Try to make sure your child's name is on their coats, hats, or any other clothing they use at school so just in case you leave it I can return it quickly. No matter how cold it is we find it valuable to play outside so please consider that when dressing for school. I know sometimes its hard to convince them otherwise. I found with my daughter she said to me recently princesses don't wear pants. I have told her they do but under the dress and I found some cute leggings that go fantastically under dresses. They even make fleece lined tights. For boys I let them know that even super hero's wear jackets and ninja turtles would be nothing without a warm shell.
Cold weather is also a time for us to remind families of the sick child policy we have at IPS. We really encourage you to keep your child home if they are sick and the same goes for parents who work in class. I follow the same rules as the kids in regards to illness usually for me my issues are all allergies and sinus problems. If your child has had fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or any documented contagious illness within the last 48 hours it is recommended that you keep them home. Illnesses that are considered contagious are hand foot and mouth (that illness requires a longer time out of the classroom) strep, pink eye, chicken pox, rotavirus, croup, lice, RSV, Scarlet Fever, Impetigo, whooping cough, and some others. If you have questions as to when they come back the CDC, your doctor and the school staff can help answer those questions also be aware that some illnesses require that your child stay home more than 48 hours please respect these rules. If in doubt keep them home! I am trying my best to fight the spread of illness with good hand washing, cleaning high traffic areas and good self care. You parents are a part of that too when we clean the classroom remembering to hit all those regularly touched surfaces, reminding kids to cover coughs and sneezes and helping with hand washing. Also at home helping to remember what they are taught at school will help them to bring less home and these things are good life lessons.
Work calendars are ready and available on the blog under the work calendars tab. Please remember it is your responsibility to check either the calendar on here or in the office to make sure you have to correct work days. If you are unable to work please try to find a trade or a sub. Failure to find a sub or no-show for a work day results in fines (which are never fun) There is a sub list available in the office. If you or your child are sick please try your best to get a sub coming to school sick just spreads it around more and we don't want to be sick for the holidays.
We will be getting ready for our holiday party as well. On Thursday December 18th and Friday December 19th we will wrap up and head out for break with a party. Our class will sing and dance then we will enjoy a snack and then play games and give gifts at our first Christmas party. I will provide details soon of our scheduled time to sing. As always families are welcome this will be a pajama party with breakfast. Yes I said pajama party we will wear PJ'S to school and be comfy all day even I am wearing PJ'S! Please make sure they are comfortable and school appropriate PJ'S and if needed leggings go great under those super cute night dresses. I am asking that each child bring to school with them a book wrapped and tagged to a friend from your child's name on party day so we can do a Christmas Gift book exchange, that will take place during the party. I am asking as I do on all party days that if you have additional gifts or goodies to give please have them ready to distribute to cubbies that day. I will give you more details on all these things as we as a staff get them finalized.
Our school participates in the Yucaipa, and Beaumont Christmas parades. Yucaipa is a day time parade with a theme and Beaumont's is a night parade with lights. Details of those will come in the Friday blast. I personally always attend the Beaumont parade with my daughter who rides the IPS float with me. Its a fun evening ride.
With all this I want our children to think of others at this time. How can a 3yr do this you ask? Well we have 2 ways this year. One is to donate food that will go to stock local food pantry's they can help you gather items and turn them in to the office. Talk with them about how not every family has food and we are giving this to help others. Let them know that the Bible says we need to share what we are blessed with. Tie it in to your own family holiday traditions as well. In our class we will have a card making station as well. I used to work in the probation system, foster care and retirement care settings and the holidays are particularly rough on those groups of people. I remember working in the retirement home how some residents never got many holiday cards or crafts and how it would make someone's day to know that they received something from someone. So we are partnering with The Lakes at Banning to make cards and crafts that will be distributed to those who may not get them. I will be telling the kids that these are going to a place where people may not get cards and how their simple card with some art will brighten someone's day and make them happy. With that said please encourage your child to make one, and let them know that you are excited to hear what they did. I will be delivering these cards once a week. I am also in need of supplies. Craft items, stickers, ribbon and various card decorations and myself and other parents will be helping the children to write messages in the cards.
Wow this is a lot of stuff! Please continue to check Facebook, the Friday Blast and teacher blogs for the latest updates! And if in doubt ask questions we are here to help.
We return to school Monday December 1st for 3 weeks which the school has decided to go with a general Holiday theme. Each teacher and class is allowed to cover what ever they choose in the winter holiday area. I have chosen to start off with Gingerbread man I love the story, I love that there are several versions of the story and even new fun twists on the story as well. I love the smell of the spices in gingerbread and the look of each individual cookie and that each is different, and unique like our children. On the second or third week of the holiday theme I will need one parent from MWF and One TTH parent to bake some gingerbread children for us to decorate. I can provide the cookie cutters, and I am offering power hours. Please ask me for details we will do this on a day when its just our class after free choice it will be something we do as a class.
Wednesday December 3rd is the ugly sweater night out and Bunco game at the Highland Springs Resort. Its a fun evening out with a dessert bar, Bunco and conversation. If you are available that evening please RSVP and join us this is one of the few adult only things we do at IPS and its fun to bond with others when the kids are not running around!
We will also cover a little bit of Hanukah. We will play dradle and talk about the lights and menorah. We will also share the story of the birth of Jesus and the manger. This will allow us to explore other holiday traditions as well. My family is Hawaiian, Portuguese, Scottish and Swedish so we celebrate those customs. The children in our school are from so many cultures and religions if there is something you wish to share with our students please feel free to come to me and we can set up a center the day that you work doing an activity from your culture as well. I want our class to learn, absorb and participate in a diverse environment so anything you would like to share is welcome! Please shoot me an email or talk with me in person and I can get plans and arrangements made.
So the first week back we will be transitioning to the holiday theme with some gingerbread man stories, counting, and other fun activities to ease them back into the routine. It is important for us to maintain as much routine during the holiday time as possible. I will be working on maintaining as much consistency as possible. Please help me to do this by reminding your child of the school rules, and being a good listener as we return this week, and in the weeks ahead. Its important that we encourage them to do well at school and use positive reinforcement at school and at home.
When we return you may notice its getting cooler this is a great time to check the extra clothing in your child's backpack to ensure its weather appropriate. IPS doesn't keep a lot of extra clothing on hand and even in chilly weather we still play outside sometimes with water, we still paint and get messy so those extra clothes come in handy. I would suggest also taking a jacket to school each day. Even if they fight it a cheap hoodie in a backpack comes in handy some days and we can put it on as needed. Try to make sure your child's name is on their coats, hats, or any other clothing they use at school so just in case you leave it I can return it quickly. No matter how cold it is we find it valuable to play outside so please consider that when dressing for school. I know sometimes its hard to convince them otherwise. I found with my daughter she said to me recently princesses don't wear pants. I have told her they do but under the dress and I found some cute leggings that go fantastically under dresses. They even make fleece lined tights. For boys I let them know that even super hero's wear jackets and ninja turtles would be nothing without a warm shell.
Cold weather is also a time for us to remind families of the sick child policy we have at IPS. We really encourage you to keep your child home if they are sick and the same goes for parents who work in class. I follow the same rules as the kids in regards to illness usually for me my issues are all allergies and sinus problems. If your child has had fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or any documented contagious illness within the last 48 hours it is recommended that you keep them home. Illnesses that are considered contagious are hand foot and mouth (that illness requires a longer time out of the classroom) strep, pink eye, chicken pox, rotavirus, croup, lice, RSV, Scarlet Fever, Impetigo, whooping cough, and some others. If you have questions as to when they come back the CDC, your doctor and the school staff can help answer those questions also be aware that some illnesses require that your child stay home more than 48 hours please respect these rules. If in doubt keep them home! I am trying my best to fight the spread of illness with good hand washing, cleaning high traffic areas and good self care. You parents are a part of that too when we clean the classroom remembering to hit all those regularly touched surfaces, reminding kids to cover coughs and sneezes and helping with hand washing. Also at home helping to remember what they are taught at school will help them to bring less home and these things are good life lessons.
Work calendars are ready and available on the blog under the work calendars tab. Please remember it is your responsibility to check either the calendar on here or in the office to make sure you have to correct work days. If you are unable to work please try to find a trade or a sub. Failure to find a sub or no-show for a work day results in fines (which are never fun) There is a sub list available in the office. If you or your child are sick please try your best to get a sub coming to school sick just spreads it around more and we don't want to be sick for the holidays.
We will be getting ready for our holiday party as well. On Thursday December 18th and Friday December 19th we will wrap up and head out for break with a party. Our class will sing and dance then we will enjoy a snack and then play games and give gifts at our first Christmas party. I will provide details soon of our scheduled time to sing. As always families are welcome this will be a pajama party with breakfast. Yes I said pajama party we will wear PJ'S to school and be comfy all day even I am wearing PJ'S! Please make sure they are comfortable and school appropriate PJ'S and if needed leggings go great under those super cute night dresses. I am asking that each child bring to school with them a book wrapped and tagged to a friend from your child's name on party day so we can do a Christmas Gift book exchange, that will take place during the party. I am asking as I do on all party days that if you have additional gifts or goodies to give please have them ready to distribute to cubbies that day. I will give you more details on all these things as we as a staff get them finalized.
Our school participates in the Yucaipa, and Beaumont Christmas parades. Yucaipa is a day time parade with a theme and Beaumont's is a night parade with lights. Details of those will come in the Friday blast. I personally always attend the Beaumont parade with my daughter who rides the IPS float with me. Its a fun evening ride.
With all this I want our children to think of others at this time. How can a 3yr do this you ask? Well we have 2 ways this year. One is to donate food that will go to stock local food pantry's they can help you gather items and turn them in to the office. Talk with them about how not every family has food and we are giving this to help others. Let them know that the Bible says we need to share what we are blessed with. Tie it in to your own family holiday traditions as well. In our class we will have a card making station as well. I used to work in the probation system, foster care and retirement care settings and the holidays are particularly rough on those groups of people. I remember working in the retirement home how some residents never got many holiday cards or crafts and how it would make someone's day to know that they received something from someone. So we are partnering with The Lakes at Banning to make cards and crafts that will be distributed to those who may not get them. I will be telling the kids that these are going to a place where people may not get cards and how their simple card with some art will brighten someone's day and make them happy. With that said please encourage your child to make one, and let them know that you are excited to hear what they did. I will be delivering these cards once a week. I am also in need of supplies. Craft items, stickers, ribbon and various card decorations and myself and other parents will be helping the children to write messages in the cards.
Wow this is a lot of stuff! Please continue to check Facebook, the Friday Blast and teacher blogs for the latest updates! And if in doubt ask questions we are here to help.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Zoophonics parties and school updates
Wow its almost Halloween! I can't believe how fast things are moving along. This week Thursday and Friday are out Zoophonics parties. Your child has the chance to dress up as a Zoophonics character for school that day and enjoy some activities and a party in class. The costume doesn't have to be elaborate ears and a tail or a hat that looks like a character are all they need. Wal-Mart had cat and bat hats in the $1 section and ears and tails are easy to find. You can always do a homemade outfit as well get creative. Don't forget parents working that day are having a contest for best costume as well. Party days are very exciting and for most of you this is your child's first class party. Please remember that its a regular school day as well so that's why our party list was created. If you would like to give an additional treat to the kids in class please have them ready to distribute to cubbies at the end of the day so that we limit the candy and sugar intake at school. We will also be using no paint, water or super messy activities on party day so we don't ruin costumes.
We are now headed into November our study will be on squash and gourds. Did you know that most squash are considered fruit because they contain seeds? I didn't until researching for this study. We will be exploring these items, what we can do with them and lead our way towards what they have to do with Thanksgiving. If you have any or find any cool squash or gourds please bring them to school. After Halloween is a great time to get those items on mark down.
Speaking of markdown if anyone finds any dress-up items or old costumes that would be dramatic play area appropriate please consider donating them to IPS for our dress up areas.
We are discussing how to keep healthy during cold and flu season in class. I have gone over with the kids how to cough into the elbow to lessen the spread of those germs, hand washing and using tissues. Please make sure to practice these things with your child at home as well. If we can start good habits now they will not only help our kids in class get sick less, but also be good habits as they grow up. We do need to make sure we have lots of tissue in class for all the runny noses so if a few families could donate a box every now and then that would be very helpful. Also when your child washes their hands please encourage them to rub their hands with soap before washing it all away under the water. I will continue to work on keeping the classroom clean, and encouraging good healthy habits in class. If your child is sick please follow the schools sick policy and keep them home.
Another thing to help keep everyone safe is by obeying the parking lot speed limits. The speed limit in the parking lot is 10MPH. Remember it only takes one second for a child to run out from behind a car or out into the lot and get hit.
We are now headed into November our study will be on squash and gourds. Did you know that most squash are considered fruit because they contain seeds? I didn't until researching for this study. We will be exploring these items, what we can do with them and lead our way towards what they have to do with Thanksgiving. If you have any or find any cool squash or gourds please bring them to school. After Halloween is a great time to get those items on mark down.
Speaking of markdown if anyone finds any dress-up items or old costumes that would be dramatic play area appropriate please consider donating them to IPS for our dress up areas.
We are discussing how to keep healthy during cold and flu season in class. I have gone over with the kids how to cough into the elbow to lessen the spread of those germs, hand washing and using tissues. Please make sure to practice these things with your child at home as well. If we can start good habits now they will not only help our kids in class get sick less, but also be good habits as they grow up. We do need to make sure we have lots of tissue in class for all the runny noses so if a few families could donate a box every now and then that would be very helpful. Also when your child washes their hands please encourage them to rub their hands with soap before washing it all away under the water. I will continue to work on keeping the classroom clean, and encouraging good healthy habits in class. If your child is sick please follow the schools sick policy and keep them home.
Another thing to help keep everyone safe is by obeying the parking lot speed limits. The speed limit in the parking lot is 10MPH. Remember it only takes one second for a child to run out from behind a car or out into the lot and get hit.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
It's Fall! Eventhough it's still 90+ degrees outside!
Yes you read that correctly it's fall! Unfortunately in So. Cal we don't have a fall we have continued heat. Sorry families for not updating the blog for a few weeks life in our room and at my house have been very busy. I have a few updates and some things to share.
First off your children are doing great and are getting down the routines and rules of our school and they are all adjusting to each other and me. Keep encouraging your child to follow the school rules and routines and let then know when you think they are doing a good job.
Everyone who participates on the rug during Zoophonics has really learned the sound and signals. For more information on Zoophonics you can find them online and some youtube videos so you can practice at home. It's one sound to one signal for example allie the alligator says a with one opening and closing of the hands to make an alligator mouth Our class even did well when I mixed up the cards this week. Speaking of Zoophonics Halloween is just around the corner and that means Zoophonics character dress up day is coming. Every year before Halloween we have our school wide Zoophonics day and party. We ask that those who want to dress up as their favorite Zoophonics animal. For example I am Zeke the Zebra for my animal. It doesn't have to be a fancy costume even just ears and an animal tail are fun so start thinking of those great ideas now to beat the rush before Halloween.
We have been working on numbers in class as well I have tested a few kiddos on the numbers 1-5 that's our focus right now. We are also working on the concept of subitizing which means connecting the number in written form to the number of objects. For example 5 ***** that's what subitizing is. You can practice this as well at home and also counting wrote counting is an important skill as well. This can be fun games like with play dough you can make balls and count them or even make the forms of the numbers with play dough. For wrote counting count steps when you walk or just counting out loud. You can also allow kids to help you cook by counting the scoops you use or the number of times you stir in the bowl. Learning math concepts can be fun!
This last week of all about me we will be focusing on family and pets. I am asking this week if your child can bring in a family photo to share with the class. This is a great time for them to practice speaking in front of others on a subject they know a lot about. This will translate to elementary learning as well with common core kids are asked to present their work often in class so the ability to feel comfortable talking in front of their peers is important. We will do things like this off and on so they begin to feel comfortable speaking to others and answering questions in class.
We are wrapping up our study of all about me and we are working on a theme for our next study but in the coming weeks we will talk a little bit about pumpkins and fall of course in our small group time, and because I love eating pumpkin so much we may do a little cooking and tasting too!
Since we talked about tasting please remember that snack is a small snack. I know a lot of kids are not breakfast fans so come snack time they are very hungry but we do give the kids correct preschool sized portions of food for snack and we serve water to drink. If your child doesn't choose to eat snack we don't keep alternative snacks nor do we allow them to eat snacks from home. Encourage your child as best you can to eat breakfast even if its something small and encourage them to try some of the new foods they encounter at snack. Remember it takes 50 exposures to a new food before a child can truly decide if they like it, so if you keep trying I will too. As for a breakfast a few easy fast ideas you can try are smoothies, breakfast sandwiches, leftover dinner (I do this sometimes at home) my kids love a grilled ham and cheese some mornings more than they would cereal. Think outside of the box some kids just like different foods in the morning.
Jubilee is coming up and our game booths are looking a little under staffed. This event and others like it work on what we call parent power! If every family puts in an hour we can make sure our 3 booths are manned all night and the kids will have a great time. If child care is worry see if another family will help watch your child while you work then you do the same for them. We are only asking for an hour and parents who work the booth get a parent power hour for each hour they work. You can work the booth, a spouse can, an older teen (who is responsible) can, grandma can, auntie, etc. Please see the sign up sheets and choose something you can help with this week! Anyone donating items please have those into the office by next Friday so that they can be counted and set up for distribution. You can purchase jubilee tickets and wristbands in the office as well as meal tickets. Meals are pre-sale only so if you want a yummy dinner option please purchase those tickets before the event.
I think I covered everything! I want to thank all the parents working in class for all your hard work and efforts over the past weeks without you our classroom wouldn't run. Enjoy another hot weekend ahead and I will see everyone soon!
First off your children are doing great and are getting down the routines and rules of our school and they are all adjusting to each other and me. Keep encouraging your child to follow the school rules and routines and let then know when you think they are doing a good job.
Everyone who participates on the rug during Zoophonics has really learned the sound and signals. For more information on Zoophonics you can find them online and some youtube videos so you can practice at home. It's one sound to one signal for example allie the alligator says a with one opening and closing of the hands to make an alligator mouth Our class even did well when I mixed up the cards this week. Speaking of Zoophonics Halloween is just around the corner and that means Zoophonics character dress up day is coming. Every year before Halloween we have our school wide Zoophonics day and party. We ask that those who want to dress up as their favorite Zoophonics animal. For example I am Zeke the Zebra for my animal. It doesn't have to be a fancy costume even just ears and an animal tail are fun so start thinking of those great ideas now to beat the rush before Halloween.
We have been working on numbers in class as well I have tested a few kiddos on the numbers 1-5 that's our focus right now. We are also working on the concept of subitizing which means connecting the number in written form to the number of objects. For example 5 ***** that's what subitizing is. You can practice this as well at home and also counting wrote counting is an important skill as well. This can be fun games like with play dough you can make balls and count them or even make the forms of the numbers with play dough. For wrote counting count steps when you walk or just counting out loud. You can also allow kids to help you cook by counting the scoops you use or the number of times you stir in the bowl. Learning math concepts can be fun!
This last week of all about me we will be focusing on family and pets. I am asking this week if your child can bring in a family photo to share with the class. This is a great time for them to practice speaking in front of others on a subject they know a lot about. This will translate to elementary learning as well with common core kids are asked to present their work often in class so the ability to feel comfortable talking in front of their peers is important. We will do things like this off and on so they begin to feel comfortable speaking to others and answering questions in class.
We are wrapping up our study of all about me and we are working on a theme for our next study but in the coming weeks we will talk a little bit about pumpkins and fall of course in our small group time, and because I love eating pumpkin so much we may do a little cooking and tasting too!
Since we talked about tasting please remember that snack is a small snack. I know a lot of kids are not breakfast fans so come snack time they are very hungry but we do give the kids correct preschool sized portions of food for snack and we serve water to drink. If your child doesn't choose to eat snack we don't keep alternative snacks nor do we allow them to eat snacks from home. Encourage your child as best you can to eat breakfast even if its something small and encourage them to try some of the new foods they encounter at snack. Remember it takes 50 exposures to a new food before a child can truly decide if they like it, so if you keep trying I will too. As for a breakfast a few easy fast ideas you can try are smoothies, breakfast sandwiches, leftover dinner (I do this sometimes at home) my kids love a grilled ham and cheese some mornings more than they would cereal. Think outside of the box some kids just like different foods in the morning.
Jubilee is coming up and our game booths are looking a little under staffed. This event and others like it work on what we call parent power! If every family puts in an hour we can make sure our 3 booths are manned all night and the kids will have a great time. If child care is worry see if another family will help watch your child while you work then you do the same for them. We are only asking for an hour and parents who work the booth get a parent power hour for each hour they work. You can work the booth, a spouse can, an older teen (who is responsible) can, grandma can, auntie, etc. Please see the sign up sheets and choose something you can help with this week! Anyone donating items please have those into the office by next Friday so that they can be counted and set up for distribution. You can purchase jubilee tickets and wristbands in the office as well as meal tickets. Meals are pre-sale only so if you want a yummy dinner option please purchase those tickets before the event.
I think I covered everything! I want to thank all the parents working in class for all your hard work and efforts over the past weeks without you our classroom wouldn't run. Enjoy another hot weekend ahead and I will see everyone soon!
Thursday, September 4, 2014
September
We made it through the first 3 weeks of school! And everyone has done great. Thank you to all the parents working the first few weeks it isn't always easy those first few weeks, but with all your hard work we made it. I have enjoyed getting to know your children and I hope to gain more knowledge as we go on.
Now that we are all more comfortable at school we will be adding activities and things as we go along. We have started our Zoophonics program which is what we use at IPS to teach the letters and sounds for more information on the program you can check the company's web page and videos for all the sound and signal cues can be found on youtube! Each letter is lower case, and each one has an animal which is the card we use at this point in the year, and one signal which is the hand or body motions. These are fun to practice at home. Our first letter this week is a for Ally Alligator, next week we move on to Bubba Bear and his sound we will go through the whole alphabet daily and each week there will be a focus on one letter and character.
We are also working on color recognition most of our class knows all their colors! So now we can find other objects in those colors! We will also start on some number games and counting. We are also learning new songs as we go along.
Our topic is still all about me as we continue to get to know each other. We will also begin to pull a little focus towards apples as we get ready for our first field trip this month. September 18th and 19th we will be headed to Willowbrook apple farm. The tour is short and very appropriate for preschool we even get to press cider! On field trip days families meet at the location, participate in the tour with their child and then when its done its your choice when to go. The school is closed on field trip days and there is no lunch bunch. More information will be in the Friday Blast very soon.
In the Owl room we are working a lot on social/emotional skills of being in school. We are working on sharing, taking turns, and not hurting others with our words, hands or bodies. We are also working on remembering to go potty. So please help me by just giving your little ones a reminder here and there as to how we can get a long, and share. We are doing great with bathroom reminders and I think everyone is getting in the routine of using the bathroom at school.
Parents when you help in class its a great time for you to see up close and personal how your child is learning. Please remember on your work days you need to be in class by 8:15am please don't come too early teachers are still preparing for the day and its hard with little ones here before we are ready. Please plan to stay on work days until 12:15 so that you can finish your jobs and things are all clean. You all are doing an awesome job with the cleaning and our room has been great!
Please remember to check your emails for the Friday Blast and any other information coming from the office.
Now that we are all more comfortable at school we will be adding activities and things as we go along. We have started our Zoophonics program which is what we use at IPS to teach the letters and sounds for more information on the program you can check the company's web page and videos for all the sound and signal cues can be found on youtube! Each letter is lower case, and each one has an animal which is the card we use at this point in the year, and one signal which is the hand or body motions. These are fun to practice at home. Our first letter this week is a for Ally Alligator, next week we move on to Bubba Bear and his sound we will go through the whole alphabet daily and each week there will be a focus on one letter and character.
We are also working on color recognition most of our class knows all their colors! So now we can find other objects in those colors! We will also start on some number games and counting. We are also learning new songs as we go along.
Our topic is still all about me as we continue to get to know each other. We will also begin to pull a little focus towards apples as we get ready for our first field trip this month. September 18th and 19th we will be headed to Willowbrook apple farm. The tour is short and very appropriate for preschool we even get to press cider! On field trip days families meet at the location, participate in the tour with their child and then when its done its your choice when to go. The school is closed on field trip days and there is no lunch bunch. More information will be in the Friday Blast very soon.
In the Owl room we are working a lot on social/emotional skills of being in school. We are working on sharing, taking turns, and not hurting others with our words, hands or bodies. We are also working on remembering to go potty. So please help me by just giving your little ones a reminder here and there as to how we can get a long, and share. We are doing great with bathroom reminders and I think everyone is getting in the routine of using the bathroom at school.
Parents when you help in class its a great time for you to see up close and personal how your child is learning. Please remember on your work days you need to be in class by 8:15am please don't come too early teachers are still preparing for the day and its hard with little ones here before we are ready. Please plan to stay on work days until 12:15 so that you can finish your jobs and things are all clean. You all are doing an awesome job with the cleaning and our room has been great!
Please remember to check your emails for the Friday Blast and any other information coming from the office.
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