Newsletter ~ November 29

Hello Rascal Families,

As you all know, a personal happening in the Rich household kept me away from school on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. My daughter, Joyia, had a baby boy on Monday, November 26th. Big brother Sammy (4 1/2), Big sister Anna (2 1/2) and family are madly in love with our sixth-born-grandbaby, Joseph. We have lots to be thankful for!

HO! HO! HO! The month of December is quickly approaching and we're getting ready for seasonal projects. So far, we are going to make Gingerbread Houses on Thursday, December 20th.

All the details about our class Gingerbread House Activity will be sent home next week. Remember to check your child’s folder. If you have any special traditions or craft activities you would like to share with us, please contact me TODAY. The children enjoy working with new people and learning about their customs. It's going to be another month of engaging festivities!!!

Kinders love to listen to stories while focusing on characters. Kindergarten story lovers are especially attracted to characters known for their kind nature. We’ve been exploring many characters in children’s literature known for kindness. Elves have the lead role in this arena.

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Elves will be staged in the hall and on our class bulletin board.

Look closely and you’ll notice a strong resemblance to the kind kindergartners in Mrs. Rich’s class. A photograph of your child’s face will be enlarged and used as the head of the elf. Each child will be traced on paper for the perfect body match.

Elf outfits will be coordinated and embellished by your favorite ONE. Fashion artists are at work creating brand-name designer apparel exclusively for elves.

A 60” x 50” teacher-made fireplace scene is displayed on the bulletin board in our classroom. To add a homey touch, each child will need to bring in his/her sock. A worn sock that has lost its mate will dress the mantel nicely. My sock is hanging by its lonesome.

Bring your sock in on Monday for Show & Tell. Calling all socks!!!

Tis the season to keep busy…. Do you believe how well we know our numbers? Listen to us at the Sensory Table

as we count vegetables and fruits. We use tongs to place them in the matching containers.

It is amazing how quickly the Rascals are able to sequence the containers in numerical order from one-to-ten.

We’ve been showing off our smarts in reading, too. Blending consonant –vowel-consonant sounds to read three (cat) and four letter (flat) words is a daily activity. Letter sounds /h/ and /t/ will be introduced next week along with two new sight words: at - to.

Friday, December 7th, is a BIG day in kindergarten! Your child’s first report card will be sent home. During our Parent/Teacher Conference we discussed the kindergarten report card. The focus during Trimester I has been on behavior and work habits. 

Your child will be graded as follows in the section entitled, Successful Student Behaviors:

                    S: Successfully displays appropriate behavior and work habits
                    W: Working to display appropriate behavior and work habits

Discuss this in detail with your kinder. Praise them for their hard work! Sit with them and set goals for the next marking period. Thank you for all your help at home. It’s invaluable to your child’s success at school and his/her attitude towards becoming a life long learner!

In closing, the children and I would like to thank you for your continued support. We've enjoyed all your contributions and especially the time you've shared with us. We welcome any suggestions you might have.

                                                                                   Merrily yours!
                                                                                   June A. Rich