End of Year Post

December 22, 2014

I am writing this in between 27 other things… to which I am sure you can relate at this time of the year.  I have started volunteering at a food pantry in my town on Mondays, (now that my children are grown), and it is SO rewarding.  I love it! But this particular Monday was challenging!

A few “nuts & bolts” first…

• Yes, your child is correct, there is no homework tonight!  I did tell them to have an imaginery “Reading Log” in their head all week, and be sure to find a book they really love and look forward to reading.  Family reading nights can be delightful!
• In case you didn’t see the note, please send in a small paper bag tomorrow with a snack for your child.  You can send in a salty snack, a sweet one, a drink, and if possible a can for the Parmenter Food Pantry.  We will deliver them in time for the holiday!
• If anyone would like to co-adopt our class pet, “Sammy Bubbles” (a beta fish) please contact me.  I neglected to find a home so he might spend Christmas in the classroom, with me feeding every couple of days, until I find a “vacation home” for him!

I hope your child enjoyed the ever-so-thoughtful compliments that were given to them by their friends in our class.  I told them it is my favorite activity (right up there with bread baking)!  As I type them up I am almost brought to tears with their specific, sometimes funny, usually right-on descriptions of their peers.  I appreciate all that went into the completion of these, since I know it is a bit time consuming.  I hope it was worth it!

Finally, as 2014 comes to a close I stop to reflect.  It has been a year of making friends, being stretched in our thinking, accomplishing more than we ever thought we could, laughing and singing, and feeling loved by those around us.  In a world of turmoil and uncertainty we must gather our strength and perseverance, and make a difference every day.  I feel blessed that we can do that together, in the lives of these wonderful children. Thank you for your support and dedication!

Class News

December 7. 2014

Brrr!  Winter is definitely upon us!  Please remember to send in hats and mittens with your child… recess can get quite chilly.  We ask them to store items in their pockets or sleeves when they take them off, but they frequently make it on the floor or in the lost and found.  Therefore it is essential to put their names in everything they wear...  I know how costly those items can be.

You will also see a Scholastic Book Order form coming home this week- we hope to get many orders, which result in more reading options for your child and points for more books in the classroom. We are focusing on books in class that have strong characters, because we are starting a new Writing unit on Opinions.  It is fun to see children really engage in the stories through their connections with the characters.  You can discuss this at home too… it helps with Reading Comprehension and inspires great family dialog!

Our math lessons have been on learning to tell time.  I am always so happy when students acquire this skill, because they can become so much more independent.  I can now say things like… “Let’s do a Time-Check…. how many minutes before we have to be in the Library? OK… what do we need to do to get there? Great! Let’s do it!”  You can try this at home.  This is also a great time to think about getting your child a watch or a clock for their bedroom.

Finally, I so appreciate the wonderful compliments that children are writing to the other students in the class.  I see a real appreciation for the gifts that we all bring to the classroom community. I will be creating a little keepsake for each child.  It is one of my favorite activities; you will see why.  Thank you for all of the support and love that you show to your children every day.  Kindness truly does matter!