Newsletter ~ November 19

Gobbling Greetings, Rascal Families~

November has been a busy and productive month.  Holiday activities have dominated our lessons.  We’ve learned a lot about the Pilgrims and Native Americans from reading and making books, charts, poems, role playing, singing songs and creating art masterpieces.  This study has helped us make the following connections to our "Imagine It' reading theme, Finding Friends:

                    *Friends are kind
                    *Friends help each other
                    *It takes patience and a positive attitude
                    *Happiness comes from friendships
                    *Sometimes friends fight, but they find ways to work it out

Join Mrs. Pearl and me in smiling proudly as you look at Rascal pictures taken during Workshop.  Collaborative relationships are at a peak during this time.  It's no secret.....your children bring sunshine to our school day!

Tepee Land~ kinders illustrate and label Indian symbols

Family ~ Rascals dress in Pilgrim/Native American costumes to re-enact the 1621 Harvest Celebation

                   The endless work of the Pilgrims and Native Americans
                is a classic story of friendship we can all relate to ...being
                grateful, feeling loved and making memories. Happy "THANKS"
                giving to YOU and YOURS!!!!
                


  Art Workshop~created Albuquerque Turkey, using paints, crayons and paper bags while learning lots of turkey facts.  Inquiry questions surfaced.  Here are just a few of the many:

 "Do turkeys fly?"  "Do all turkeys gobble?"  "What is a male/female turkey called?"  "What is the red skin that hangs below the beak called?"  "Who are their enemies?"  "Did the Pilgrims/Native Americans eat turkey/popcorn/cranberries on the first Thanksgiving?"  Teachers and students had to do their research to answer the Rascal questions.

One last Turkey-Day project is in the teaching plans!  Today we will decorate hand-shaped cookies to look just like turkeys. 

(We’re going to use different objects to measure and compare cookie length…. A fun math objective we’ve become experts at!)  I bet they're going to taste as good as they look. Admire our decorating skills as you gobble them up!!!

Our class sends grateful accolades to each and every parent who has sent in $2.00 for our Thanksgiving cookie project.  Your donation was well spent on the ingredients.   Merci beaucoup!!! A special “THANK YOU” to Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Tanguay for baking the cookies.  The containers to “shadow box” our decorated cookies were donated by Mrs. Laliberte, an AM parent and volunteer who works at Hannafords in between raising three beautiful children. 

Have you heard about our latest class book, Thankful Thoughts?  Some pages have been posted on this blog for a sneak preview.  A hard copy of every kindergartner’s thankful thought quote will be sent home for an entertaining read.  Wow, we all agree that we deserve oodles of feathers for our quotes and works of art in our most current publication! 

Spread the word…….Booking it with Grade TWO will be a post Thanksgiving event!   A special Show & Read date has been reserved with Mrs Dubisz’ class (AM) and Mrs. Lyscars’ class (PM).   Each kindergarten student will buddy with a second grade student and read a book.  The kindergarten reader sent home weekly is perfect for this Show & Read event.  Yes, your child has had practice reading these books in school and at home.  We’re going to use the original decodables (in color).  Since the readers are right at school, there is no home preparation for Show & Tell.   Note that we have re-named Show & Tell… Show & Read.  We are very excited to ‘Book It’ with a second grade buddy on Monday, November 26!

Reading and Math lessons are packed with more challenging skills.  We will be introduced to the long and short vowel sound, /Aa/ and the new sight word,  in.  Counting syllables in words is easy when we practice the hand-chin strategy.  Watch this youtube to learn how we've been counting syllables in words.

Have you noticed how we've improved in recognizing teen numbers?  Writing them and putting them in order is a challenge for most of us.  Continue to practice with your child at home.  Thank you!

It’s hard to believe, but the shortest week of the school year is here already.  We will attend school today and Tuesday and then Thanksgiving recess will begin.   In closing, I'd like to wish all of you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING.  It's a perfect time of the year to express our feelings and love for family and friends.  Let’s reflect upon the many things we are most grateful for.  Children are tops on my list; particularly the 36 special ONES in my kindergarten.  Many thanks for sharing them with Mrs. Pearl and me.

                                                                        3 Days 'Til Turkey Day!!!

June A.  Rich