12/18/17 Newsletter

12/18/17

Hi Families,

This will be the last time I send a newsletter home via email. Going forward all information will be disseminated via the new class blog. Please check out the blog at this address: https://msnancysblogmbs.blogspot.com/  There is an option to follow the blog by email. If you add your email address to the place provided on the right of the blog home screen, you will receive an email anytime I post. There are no restrictions on file with the district to post pictures of your children on the blog. If you do not want your child's face shown on the blog, please email me separately and let me know. I am not adding any pictures of the children this week to the newsletter as it will also post on the blog.

I am looking for some small and medium cardboard boxes to add to the block area. If you have any you would be willing to donate, please let me know. Thank you.

We will finish our study of Mo Willems this week. We will reread our three favorite books, Duckling Gets a Cookie, Should I Share My Ice Cream, and Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep. On Thursday, we will vote for our all time favorite book and share it with you at our Book Celebration. Here is the link to the sign up genius if you would like to contribute food or drink to the celebration http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090849a5ab2baafc1-msnancys .

Our theme for January and February is Winter. In January, we will talk about weather, clothing, hibernation and animal tracks. In February, we will talk about winter sports (tied to the Olympics), snow crystals/Snowflake Bentley, and snow people. If anyone has any small arctic animals, plastic or stuffed, you would be willing to share with us, it would be greatly appreciated.

We will have a new member of our class when we return in January. Her name is Brooklyn. Her picture has been hanging in our classroom for a few weeks and her cubby and hook are labeled with her name. The children are very observant and have asked questions about her. I'm sure they will do a great job welcoming her to our class.

Dates to remember:

Thursday, 12/21/17- Book Celebration 2pm

Friday, 12/22/17- Pajama Day and Popcorn Party

12/25/17 - 1/2/18- School Closed

1/3/18- School Reopens

Thank you for everything that you do for our class. I am very lucky to have your children in my room. I hope that your vacation time is peaceful and spent with people you love, doing things that rejuvenate your spirit. I wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.

Nancy

Favorite Mo Willems book this week

Favorite Gerald and Piggie book graph

Mo Willems inspired art

Mo Willems books for this week

newsletter 12/11/17

December 11, 2017

Hi families,

We are entering into the third week of our study of Mo Willems books. We will read a variety of Mo Willems books this week that do not have a connection through characters. Last week we read Elephant and Piggie books. The children chose their favorite Elephant and Piggie book and we graphed the results. There was a tie. We learned about tally marks as we took a second vote between the top two. During our fourth week of Mo Willems, we will revisit the favorite three books from the previous weeks and determine an all time favorite. We will read this book at our book celebration on Thursday, 12/21/17. The children have been creating their own versions of Mo Willems’ characters and writing class books in his style. They have written Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the What?!? and My Best Friend Is… You can read these books when you visit our classroom.

In addition to enjoying Mo Willems’ writing, the children have been learning a lot about books. They should be able to identify the front and back covers, title page, author, illustrator, who the characters are, the conflict and resolution in the story and the setting. In Mo Willems’ books they know about movement lines that the author uses to show the characters moving in the picture and volume and inflection identified through large, capital letters. We have had many mini lessons on emotions, body language, expected and unexpected behaviors, strategies and plans, too much, too little and just right behavior and voice volume. Circles have been very animated and busy!

A sign up genius went  out on Sunday asking for food, drinks, bowls and plates for our book celebration Thursday and popcorn party Friday next week. Anything you can contribute will be appreciated. No worries if you cannot contribute. I realize it is a crazy, busy time of year.

Thank you to everyone who has labeled their children’s clothing. This makes the end of the day much easier for Tammy and I.

I have added the words to the songs we have been singing to the end of this newsletter. We will sing these at our book celebration.

I am sending home the Teaching Strategies Gold Assessment Tool in the home/school folder Tuesday. It is a snapshot in time how your child is doing in our class as expected for their age range. Please let me know if you have any questions after reviewing it.

Dates to remember:

Wednesday, 12/13/17 Pam from the Burnham Library will visit our classroom

Thursday, 12/21/17 Book Celebration 2pm

Friday, 12/22/17 Pajama Day, Movie and Popcorn Party with Miss Darcie & Miss Taylor’s Class

12/25/17- 1/2/18 School Closed

Wednesday, 1/3/18 School Reopens

Have a great week.

Nancy

Greeting: Hickety Pickety Bumble Bee (working on syllable identification in words/names)

Hickety Pickety Bumble Bee

Won’t you say your name for me

______________________ (child says name)

Let’s all say it

Let’s all clap it

Let’s all whisper it

The Wheels On The Bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round

Round and round

Round and round

The Wheels On The Bus go round and round

All through the town

The Pigeon on the bus says “Let me drive.”

“Let me drive.”

“Let me drive.”

The Pigeon on the bus says “Let me drive.”

All through the town

The bus driver on the bus says, “No way! No!”

“No way! No!”

“No way! No!”

The bus driver on the bus says, “No way! No!”

All through the town

5 Little Pigs

5 little pi – ggys rolled in the mud, (hold up 5 fingers )

Squi-shy, squa-shy, Sqi-shy, Squa-shy

It felt good (roll hands around each other)

The farmer took one pi-ggy out, (wave one thumb over your shoulder)

Oink, oink, oink! that piggy did shout! (open and close fingers and thumbs on oinks)

(repeat the verse counting down from 4 – 1)      

No little pi-ggys rolled in the mud, (hold out hands to gesture none)

They all looked so clean and good, (frame face with hands and smile virtuously)

The farmer turned his back and then, (wag finger in warning)

Those pi -ggys rolled in the mud again! (wave arms around madly!!)

One Little Elephant Went Out to Play (sung to 5 Little Ducks Went out to play)

One elephant went out to play

Upon a spider’s web one day.

He had such enormous fun,

He called for another elephant to come… “Oh, ELEPHANT!”

Two elephants…

Three elephants…

Four elephants…

Five elephants went out to play

Upon a spider’s web one day.

The web went creak, the web went crack.

And all of the elephants went KERSPLAT!

Welcome to our classroom blog! So glad you are here!