North Tama Kindergarten News 2005 - 2006

May 19, 2006

2006-05-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

May 19, 2006

Dear Families,

We read our last colorful booklet of the year. Hop With a Hog should have come home with your child earlier this week. We recommend that you read these booklets numerous times during the summer so that your student can remember the words we learned this year. We continued to work on report card evaluations. We enjoyed meeting all the guests. The boys and girls did a nice job of performing in the little show. Attached to the newsletter are the recipes for the no bake cookies the students made on Wednesday.

Do not forget that on Wednesday, May 24th, we have our annual track and field day. If it is rainy on May 24th, then track and field day will be on May 25th. Our May 24th events are the sack race at 12:30, the 50 yard dash at 12:45, and the tug-of-war at 1:00. When all the events are over, families may pick their child up at the child’s room. They will have backpacks and folders to pick up and take home. Please put sunscreen on the children at home and send some to be put on later. While we are outside participating in track and field day we like to have the children stay with the class instead of walking around with their families. It is easier to keep track of 37 students that way. Since we are not out at the track and field day all day, we DO NOT want beach towels or water bottles sent to school with the kindergartners!

The kindergartners and third graders are performing at Traer’s nursing home around 1:00 on Monday, May 22nd. We hope to walk to the nursing home with the third graders. If the weather is yucky we will take a bus.

On Thursday, May 25th, the last day of school, we get out of school at 1:35. Please mark that on your calendars!

Kindergartners have the opportunity to earn three special awards at the close of the school year. One of the awards is called Outstanding Attendance and is given to the children who missed two days or less this school year. Children receiving this must also not have been tardy more than twice. The other two awards were academic awards. An award is given to the children who can correctly count to 100, and one is given to the children who can correctly name all of the letters of the alphabet, both capital and lower case. Children who do not receive any of these three awards WILL receive an award which recognizes their particular strengths. This way all children will receive at least one award. The awards will be handed out on the last day of school (unless track and field day has to be switched!). Watch the Traer Star Clipper for your child’s name! We give the newspaper a list of award winners.

Next week we get to go into the elementary computer lab to work on the internet. We will work on reading at a site with the address www.starfall.com. The boys and girls have gone to this site in the kindergarten classroom and really enjoyed working at this free site.

THERE WILL BE NO SHARING NEXT WEEK!

Laurie Schafer came into the kindergarten classroom to promote the summer reading program that is taking place at the Traer Public Library. The summer reading program will take place during the month of June on each Wednesday afternoon. The summer reading program activities begin at 1:00. Check out the Traer Star Clipper and the Traer Public Library for more information.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Herink, Mrs. Owens

April 28, 2006

2006-04-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

April 28, 2006

Dear Families,

Can you believe that we have less than 25 school days together? The kindergartners are working hard on report card evaluations. We have been practicing our letters on fill in the blank sheets. Next week the kindergartners will write all the letters, capital and lowercase, on a fill in the blank type of worksheet. We learned our 2 new words: of and not. The students read 2 booklets that they took home. We hope that the boys and girls are reading these booklets to and with their families! Centers included May Day baskets, Mother’s Day cards, dominoes, playdough, working with our favorite math manipulatives, parquetry and pattern blocks, and reading books.

We have been working on our Grandparent/Guest Day songs. If you did not fill out the bottom portion of last week’s newsletter for Grandparent/Guest Day, please do so and send it back with your kindergartner after their “round up vacation”. We need to know how many people are coming so that we can arrange for enough chairs and make enough cookies. If people do not return slips, then people may be standing and starving.

Next week is “round up vacation”. Do not send your kindergartner to school. Any kindergartner that shows up will be sent home. Kindergartners will return on Monday, 8th. Kindergarten students could visit the Traer Public Library on Wednesday or Thursday for a story and an activity! Feel free to check this out! While on “vacation” kindergartners could review coins and their values, practice reading our sight words, count to 100 by ones, fives, and tens, and review birthday, address, phone number, etc.

Our annual track and field day will is scheduled for Wednesday, May 24th. (If it is raining, we will have it on Thursday, May 25th.) When all the events are over, kindergartners are allowed to go home with their families. A schedule of events and their times will be sent home with your child. Our last day of school is Thursday, May 25th. The boys and girls are dismissed early; 1:35 for town students and 1:40 for bus children.

The boys and girls brought home a Mother’s Day gift in a white sack. If something would fall off the gift, or if the gift comes apart, just use some glue on it.

Please watch the weather reports and dress your kindergartner appropriately. It is okay to send a light jacket and a heavier coat on days that you are not sure about the temperature. We’d rather have them a bit warm than freezing!

Have a safe and fun weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

___________________ will bring ________ people on (Kindergartner’s name) (number)

Thursday, May 19th and/or __________ people on Friday, May
(number)
20th.

PLEASE RETURN THIS BY MONDAY, MAY 8TH.

April 21, 2006

2006-04-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

April 22, 2005

Dear Families,

The boys and girls continued to practice reading numbers between 26 - 100 and reviewed the numbers 0 - 25. This week we learned 3 new words: has, with, was. The students read 2 booklets: A Big Bug and A Pet for Ken. This week the students decorated two invitations for Grandparent/Guest Day, and they were sent home with the children. If your family needs more, please let us know. If a kindergartner doesn’t have a grandparent that is able to visit either of those days, feel free to invite an adult friend of the family. Centers included coloring Earth Day booklets, yellow objects, #11 - 30 number bingo, a missing letter worksheet, the pattern evaluation, and the flower shop.

Please remember the “Round Up Vacation” that the kindergartners get from May 1st through May 5th. The boys and girls will return from their “roundup vacation” on Monday, May 8th.

Soccer sign up is in the lunchroom on Tuesday, April 25th from 4:00 - 6:00. Parents of new soccer players need to bring in a copy of the child’s birth certificate and a small picture of the child. The soccer fee is $55. Teams will be decided at the end of May, and the teams will start playing in the fall. Soccer players also play next spring.
Boots are no longer needed at school. They only need to return if we were to receive more snow.
Please fill out the bottom of the note concerning Grandparent/Guest Day. We need to know when people will be attending and how many people will be attending. If it doesn’t matter which day the guest attends, please let us know. That way if we have an overabundant number signed up for one day we can ask some guests to come on the other day.

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

___________________ will bring ________ people on (Kindergartner’s name) (number)

Thursday, May 18th and/or __________ people on Friday, May
(number)
19th.

PLEASE RETURN THIS BY MONDAY, MAY 8TH.

April 12, 2006

2006-04-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

April 12, 2006

Dear Families,

During this week the students made Alphabet Books with the keywords on each page. Looking through this book this summer will help the boys and girls practice their sounds and remember the keywords. We read another booklet. It is called A Pup and a Cat. The kindergartners looked at numbers between 26 and 100 and practiced saying them. We practiced filling in the missing numbers on a worksheet, and this time the numbers went backwards!

During sandal weather, please send extra socks with your kindergartner so that they can wear them with their gym shoes to gym class. Please send a sweatshirt or jacket to school. When we go outside for the very first recess, it tends to be a bit cool.

Please send a picture of your kindergartner to school. We will be making a special project with them so the picture will not return home in its original form.

Remember that the students do not have school Thursday, April 13 - Monday, April 17. That is Spring Break. School will resume on Tuesday, April 18th. During break it would be great if students would review birthdays, phone numbers, addresses, days of the week, months of the year, counting by tens and fives, counting to 100 by ones, and identifying coins and their values. Reading is also a terrific idea!

Have a wonderful spring type five day weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

April 7, 2006

2006-04-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

April 7, 2006

Dear Families,

We learned about the letter Zz this week. Now we know all the letters, and we will continue working on reading words! We painted zebras and made Zz booklets. Days of the week were reviewed by making little booklets. Zoos and zoo animals were discussed. We learned that s and h put together make one sound, and we learned the word she. Each child planted a zinnia or zucchini in a milk carton. These future plants are in the greenhouse across from our room. The plants will be sent home later, after they have had a chance to grow. Other activities this week included playing word bingo, “building” a zoo, working with nickels, and listening to a zoo book on a tape.

Sharing for the rest of the year is free choice. Because next week is such a short week, we will NOT have sharing.

On April 12th the students are dismissed ONE HOUR early. They will not have school April 13th - 17th because of our spring break. Boys and girls will return on April 18th.

Kindergartners will have the week of May 1st - 5th off because of kindergarten round up. They will return on Monday, May 8th.

****We need a snapshot or school picture of every kindergartner for an art project in May. We would like you to send the picture as soon as possible! These will be used in a project so they will not be returned to you.****

Grandparent’s Days are scheduled for Thursday, May 18th and Friday, May 19th. Grandparents may attend either of those days. Official invitations will be decorated soon and sent home.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

March 31, 2006

2006-03-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

March 31, 2006

Dear Families,

We have enjoyed working on the letter Xx this week. (Can you believe that we have only 1 letter left to learn?) The kindergartners made x-ray books and read the booklet Pug. The numbers 0 - 30 were reviewed. We learned one new word this week, he. This week we worked more on the short e sound. On Tuesday we went to Farmers Savings Bank. Centers included tangrams, a coloring activity, butterflies, working with Smarties, bingo, legos, and music on a tape.

Next week we will finish learning about the letters in the alphabet. Sharing needs to be an item that begins with the letter Zz. If you are having trouble thinking of a Zz item, think about the zoo. After Zz week, sharing will be free choice for the rest of the year.

Report cards went home this week. Conferences are not scheduled for this quarter. If you have a question or concern about your child’s report card, you are welcome to set up a conference.

Grandparent’s Day has been scheduled for Thursday, May 18th and Friday, May 19th. Grandparents or special adult friends are invited for a short program and delicious snacks. Grandparents may come either of those days. Families can schedule one set to come one day, and one set to come another day. Both sets of grandparents may come on the same day. Official invitations will go home later.

Please help your child get his/her library book here on Mondays. It is harder to get new books on Tuesdays because the teachers are busy working with the students.

Remember, it is always a good idea to have an extra shirt, pair of pants, and underwear in the backpack or in a sack that is kept in the cubby. Boys and girls dump milk on their clothes, fall in the mud, and have bathroom accidents. If your child does have a problem here at school and needs different clothes, we do have extras. These borrowed pieces of clothing need to be washed and returned as soon as possible!

Since the weather can be so inconsistent during the spring, it is hard to know how to dress children for school. It is fine to put cooler or warmer clothing in their bags and have them change if necessary. Please send jackets or sweatshirts to school. When we go out for a morning recess the temperature tends be cooler. If it is warm enough to go outside without coats, then coats are left in cubbies.

Have an exciting weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Herink
___________________________________________________________
May Dates to Remember
May 1st - 5th- Round Up! Kindergartners have the week off.
May 18th and 19th - Grandparent’s Day
May 25 - Last day of school (for now!)

March 24, 2006

2006-03-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

March 24, 2006

Dear Families,

This week we were busy learning about the letter Bb. The kindergartners talked about what they would like to do when they get bigger. We also learned about bears and made Bb booklets. We read two more booklets: Tom is Sick and Fun in the Sun. The kindergartners learned the word for. Centers included making balloon booklets, bead bracelets, bingo, journaling, building with mega blocks and Lincoln Logs, books, and the dramatic play house.

Check with your child on the condition of his/her glue stick and crayons. Many need replacing, and we have very few borrowing glue sticks left!

Our brief spring break will be around the Easter holiday. Students will be dismissed ONE HOUR EARLY ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12TH. There will be no school for students on Thursday, April 13th. (The teachers get to have meetings that day.) Spring break continues on Friday, April 14th and Monday, April 17th. We will return together on Tuesday April 18th. While home for spring break, boys and girls could practice reading, identifying pennies, dimes, and nickels and their values, counting by tens, and counting by fives.

We now have officially scheduled Grandparents/Guest Days on the calendar. The dates are Thursday, May 18th and Friday, May 19th. Kindergartners may invite their grandparents to school during the afternoon on one of those days for a short program and refreshments. If your kindergartner does not have a grandparent that can attend, then any grown up guest will be fine. More information and official invitations will be sent home later.

Tuesday, March 21st was the end of the third quarter of school. It is hard to believe that there is only one quarter left! We continued to work on report card jobs. Report cards will come home on Tuesday, March 28th.

Next Tuesday, March 28th, the kindergartners get to go to Farmers Savings Bank. While there the boys and girls will learn about the different jobs bank workers do.

Next week we learn about the letter Xx. Not many items start with Xx so sharing is free choice.

Have an beautiful weekend!

Mrs. Herink, Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Owens

(Mrs. Howard has a new home phone number. She can be reached at 478-2844.)

March 16, 2006

2006-03-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

March 16, 2006

Dear Families,

We had a great week learning about the letter Gg! (However, we are grateful it is gone!!!) We read and learned about St. Patrick’s Day. Mary McLean, one of our school’s secretaries, read the book called Mary McLean and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to us. The kindergartners learned the word go and read the booklet Nap in a Lap. We finally officially learned the sound for Ee. The boys and girls had a great time reading and acting out the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The students made Gg booklets. We did not have centers this week since we don’t have school on Friday.

Don’t forget about the Fine Arts Festival tonight, March 16th! A note about this event went home earlier this week.

The third quarter will end on Tuesday, March 21st. We have been working on evaluations for the report cards. Report cards are scheduled to go home on Tuesday, March 28th.

Next week we will begin learning about the letter Bb. Sharing for next week should be an item that starts with the letter Bb.

Many families are wondering if snowpants and boots are still needed. We do need snowpants and boots when there is snow on the ground. We need boots if there is mud on the ground. If unsure, send the boots. We will have the students wear the boots if needed. If they do not need to wear the boots, then the boots just stay on the red rug. That is not a problem.

Families may still send in stuffed animals to be donated to children that have to stay in the hospital. Many stuffed animals have already been donated!

We hope you have a good weekend!!!

Mrs. Herink
Mrs. Howard
Mrs. Owens

March 10, 2006

2006-03-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

March 10, 2006

Dear Families,

We learned about the letter Kk. Two animals that we read about were kangaroos and koalas. The kindergartners learned that the letter combination ck is found at the end of words, and it has the same sound as k. It was fun reading stories with kings in them, pretending we were kings, and writing in our journals. Centers included letter evaluation, kites, a kite color word worksheet, word Bingo, blocks, journaling, and books.

Next week we will be learning about the letter Gg. For sharing children need to bring something that begins with a Gg. (Grandparents are welcome to be sharing. If the grandparent cannot be at school at 11:30 during our regular sharing time, please call one of the teachers and set up a time that is good for everyone. Later on, usually in May, we will be having a Grandparent’s Day so if the grandparent isn’t available next week, don’t worry!) The Friday sharing students may bring their sharing any day next week since we do not have school on Friday, March 17th.

The Fine Arts Festival is a wonderful event that features special projects produced by students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The Fine Arts Festival will be held on Thursday, March 16th from 6:30 - 9:00. The Fine Arts Festival is held in the multi-purpose room, the lunchroom, and the gym. There’s more information about the Fine Art’s Festival in the Elementary Newsletter that was sent home earlier.

Soon this 3rd nine weeks will be over. We have been working hard on evaluating the students for their report cards. Some of the skills that you can practice at home are counting to 75, identifying numbers through 25, counting items to a specific number up to 25 correctly, identifying left and right, the days of the week, the months of the year, addresses and phone numbers, recognizing the letters learned so far, recognizing rhyming words, identifying pennies, nickels, and dimes and their values, counting to 100 by tens and fives, and associating the sounds to the consonants learned so far.

The Iowa winter weather is so unpredictable! Boots are still a good idea because our kindergartners are known to find the mud. Their shoes and our room’s floor stay cleaner when the kindergartners wear their boots. The boys and girls that do not bring boots are required to stay off the grass and out of the snow and mud.

Do you have an abundance of stuffed animals at your house? The 4th Annual Melissa Babinat Memorial Stuffed Animal Drive is happening during the month of March. Families may donate stuffed animals by bringing them to school. The stuffed animals are then donated to a children’s hospital. The North Tama National Honor Society is sponsoring this event.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

March 3, 2006

2006-03-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

March 3, 2006

Dear Families,

During Pp week we acted out the story The Three Little Pigs. They liked hearing Mr. Foster read The Principal’s New Clothes and The Principal from the Black Lagoon. We learned about the Presidents. Thursday was Dr. Suess’s 101st birthday, and we celebrated by working on a Cat in the Hat activity with the fourth graders. Centers included painting, counting and patterning, the Pizza Palace, giant floor puzzles, a pet paper, pattern blocks, and legos.

This week we did not learn a new word. We did review the words we already learned. We did work in the workbooks at sounding out easy short vowel words. The booklet Mud Fun was read and sent home. Do not panic if your child seems to take longer to learn the words. Each child learns at a different pace, and some children need to practice more than others. We will keep working here at school. It does help if you keep practicing at home. There is homework this week. Check it out!

Next week we will be studying the letter Kk. For sharing boys and girls need to bring something that begins with the letter Kk.

Remember that Kindergarten Roundup is scheduled for the week of May 1st. The current kindergartners will not be coming to school at all that week so that we can get to know the future kindergartners and their families. Students will not have school on Friday, March 17th so that the teachers can attend many important meetings. Please mark your calendars!

We have several children with summer birthdays that would like to celebrate their birthday during this school year. If you have one of those children, we can arrange a day for them to celebrate. It is a big deal to them because they get to be the leader that day and have the birthday song sung to them. Let us know in a note if your family would like to pick a day. We like to arrange these ahead of time so that we don’t put two on the same day!

We hope that your weekend is perfect!

Mrs. Howard
Mrs. Owens
Mrs. Herink

February 24, 2006

2006-02-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

February 24, 2006

Dear Families,

This has been quite a week! The kindergartners learned about quarters. Any extra practice with recognizing money and their values at home would be beneficial. We also discussed George Washington because his birthday was February 22nd. During the week we talked about quiet animals, practiced counting to 75, and practiced listening and following directions on a paper that looked like a quilt. We learned the new word do and read the booklets I Am Sam. (We also completed LAST Thursday’s work!) Centers included word bingo, a coloring sheet, dominoes, a quiet animal paper, letter go fish game, books and magazines, and the vet clinic.

Lately we have had many boys and girls forget their library books on Monday. We need your help in getting the books here on time so that families can enjoy a new book each week.

Next week we will be learning about the letter Pp. Sharing needs to be an item that starts with the letter Pp.

Next week we are turning the dramatic play center into a Pizza Palace. Families are welcome to send pizza items to school. Please put your child’s name on anything you want returned home.

We have several children with summer birthdays that would like to celebrate their birthday during this school year. If you have one of those children, we can arrange a day for them to celebrate. It is a big deal to them because they get to be the leader that day and have the birthday song sung to them. Let us know in a note if your family would like to pick a day. We like to arrange these ahead of time so that we don’t put two on the same day! “

On Wednesday, March 15th, the kindergartners that met their reading goals will get to go on the “Mush Huskies” assembly in the multipurpose room. Keep reading and turn in the papers!

Attached to this newsletter are two pieces of homework. Please read the sentences several times, and sign the paper. Send it back for a sticker. Notice the advanced warning about the future sharing schedule!

Mrs. Herink, Mrs. Owens and Mrs. Howard
____________________________________________________________
February 27 - March 3: Something that starts with the letter Pp
March 6 - 10: Something that starts with the letter Kk
March 13 - 17: Something that starts with the letter Gg (Friday sharing kids should bring it any day this week! No school on Friday, March 17th.)
March 20 - 24: Something that starts with the letter Bb
March 27 - 30: Free choice sharing (Xx week)

February 16, 2006

2006-02-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

February 16, 2006

Dear Families,

Vv week has been a very busy week! We talked about President’s Day. Two new words were introduced. They words were have and me. Two new booklets were read this week and sent home. They were entitled The Tan Cat and We Fit. In math we practiced counting by 5’s to 100. We will be working with nickels. Counting by 5’s is a tougher skill, and any extra practice at home would be very appreciated!

It was great seeing our families for conferences. There are no more scheduled conferences for this year. If you have a question or concern, please contact us. We can set up a time to meet with you.

The kindergartners are really improving in reading! It is obvious that many families are practicing at home. The boys and girls enjoy reading in school, and we hope that they are showing you all the booklets and papers that we are able to send home.

Next week we will be learning about the letter Qq. Sharing will be free choice because not many things begin with Qq. There is no school on Monday, February 20th because of President’s Day.

Please remember to have your child return the Redhawks Reading slips on the assigned return dates. If you forget to send it, please send it with your child as soon as possible. We are keeping track of how many boys and girls reach the assigned goal. Kindergartners that do not return the slips do not go to the special dog assembly in March.

Kindergarten round up is scheduled for the week of May 1st. KINDERGARTNERS WILL NOT BE ATTENDING SCHOOL DURING THIS ENTIRE WEEK! We are warning our families now so that arrangements can be made for the students.

Have a very nice four day weekend!

Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Howard, and Mrs. Herink

February 10, 2006

2006-02-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

February 10, 2006

Dear Families,

Rr week has been a really busy week! The kindergartners learned to read the words are and to. Flashcards have been attached to the newsletter. Please practice these often! They read and brought home 3 little booklets. This week we stressed that in order to read words, your eyes have to actually see the words. (Many during class aren’t always paying attention to where we are, they are looking around the room!) The students heard the story The Runaway Bunny and made their own little bunnies that told where they would go if they could run away. We learned about rainbows. Our centers included learning about rabbits, building words, Abraham Lincoln puppets, working with rice, rectangular robots, number bingo, and books and magazines.

Because next week is such a crazy week, we will NOT have sharing. Remember there is no school on Friday, February 17th or Monday, February 20th. School is dismissed early on Tuesday, February 14th. School is dismissed at 12:20. Please mark your calendars!

We would like to turn the dramatic play center into a vet clinic. Families may send items suitable for a vet clinic to school. Ideas are stuffed animals, stethoscopes, cloth bandages, plastic syringes without the needles, pet supplies, etc. Please write your child’s name or initials on everything!

Conferences are scheduled for next week. If you find that your conference time does not work, please call us at school so that we can reschedule!

Please remember to have your child return the Redhawks Reading slips. If you forget to send it on the assigned day, please send it with your child as soon as possible. We are keeping track of how many many girls and boys reach their reading goal each week and turn in the slips. We have charts hanging in the hallway, and we write each student’s weekly reading total on them. Remember, boys and girls that do not read at home, fill out the slips, and turn them in DO NOT go to the special dog assembly in March. These children stay at school with Mr. Foster.

Please include extra clothes in your child’s backpack. Our supply of extra clothes is dwindling because many families are not sending the extra clothes back! Please check for these extra pants, shirts, sweatshirts, socks, and undies.

Have a really nice weekend! Keep reading!

Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Herink, and Mrs. Howard

February 3, 2006

2006-02-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

February 3, 2006

Dear Families,

Yahoo! The kindergartners learned to read you and my. These two words are attached to this newsletter. Cut them apart and practice often! The boys and girls worked really hard on Months of the Year booklets. We want the boys and girls to be able to say the months of the year in order, and this book helps them practice. On Thursday we briefly talked about Ground Hog’s Day. Centers included putting yellow objects in the appropriate box according to beginning sound, Yahtzee, rolling yellow dice and counting on, yellow yachts, reading books and magazines, journaling, and decorating our valentine sacks.

This week’s extra homework works with rhyming. Please do this homework with your kindergartner. Stickers will be given to those that return finished homework sheets.

Next week we will be learning about the letter Rr. For sharing the boys and girls need to bring in something that starts with the letter Rr.

We have been doing a lot with glue sticks again. Please check with your student on the condition of his/her glue stick.

Last week we sent home a Redhawks Reading note and record sheet. Remember, we want kindergartners to read at least 10 minutes each day outside of school. Families are welcome to read more than the goal amount. Refer to the Redhawks Reading note if you have questions. As you finish recording the minutes you read at home on the appropriate strip on the chart, cut the strip off and send it to school. Please make sure that your child’s name is on the strip.

Valentines may be brought to school now. Our party will be on Tuesday, February 14th. We contacted volunteers to provide treats and napkins for it already.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

January 27, 2006

2006-01-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2006

Dear Families,

It has been a jam packed week! We read the books I Am Not Jenny and The Jacket I Wear in the Snow. The kindergartners started recognizing and writing their last names. The children tasted jam and jelly and learned how jam and jelly are different. The kindergartners sang the song “John Jacob Jinglehimerschmitt.” We practiced filling out a January calendar and pretended jelly beans were magic and let us do things we cannot do now. This week we celebrated our 100th day of school on Thursday. We did many activities that included the number 100 including making a necklace. Centers included graphing jelly beans, the card game UNO, beans in the sensory table, blocks, sorting “junk”, counting objects into jars, and playdough.

Next week we will be learning about the letter Yy. Since there aren’t many items that start with the letter Yy, sharing is free choice. Notice the sharing list at the bottom of the sheet!

“Redhawks Reading” month will begin on Friday, January 27th. (This used to be called Read - A- Million- Minutes month.) Please make sure that you read the “Redhawks Reading” explanation note! Please keep track of the minutes read at home! Fill out the record sheet and send the correct portion to school on the dates listed in the explanation letter.

There is some special homework again this week. Attached is a paper with several sentences written on it. We want families to practice reading with their kindergartners. The kindergartners need to read each sentence to a family member 3 times, and an adult needs to sign the sheet. Children that bring in the note saying they did their homework may pick out a sticker.

Keep working on those valentines! Valentines may be brought to school between Monday, Feb. 6 and Tuesday, February 14th. Our party will be on the 14th. We contacted volunteers to provide treats and napkins this week.

On Saturday there is a 4-H carnival being held at the Reinig Center in Toledo. Games start at 6:00 and end at 8:30. There is a nominal fee for each game. Supper may be purchased in the lunchroom from 5:30 - 8:00. This event is open to the public.

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

February Sharing
January 31 - February 3: Free choice (Yy week)
February 6 - 10: An item that begins with Rr
February 13 - 17: No Sharing due to a crazy week! (Vv Week)
(Let us know if you already had a person or thing that begins with a Vv planned and we will try to schedule this in!)
February 20 - 24: Free Choice (Qq week)

January 20, 2006

2006-01-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2006

Dear Families,

What a week! We learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. and dictated two facts we learned about him on a paper. We talked about water, where it comes from, and its uses. The kindergartners learned about whales. We took our scheduled winter walk and noticed that the ground doesn’t look too winterish. Not much snow could be found! We read the book Weekend With Wendell and laughed at all the wild things Wendell did when he stayed at a friend’s house. Then they told us what they would do with Wendell if he were able to stay overnight. We had centers again this week. During center time, the kindergartners rotated through 7 different activities. The children spent between 10 and 15 minutes at each center and moved when the timer rang. Centers included War the card game, ABC Bingo, the store in the dramatic play center, water in the sensory table, a shapes and color word worksheet, writing in our journals, and a watermelon counting activity.

Next week we will be studying the letter Jj. For sharing, the boys and girls should bring an object that starts with Jj.

Some families are thinking about Valentine’s Day already. Children can choose to have a valentine for each child in their particular group or one for each child in the class. (This means that reds could give a valentine to only the reds, or the reds and the blues. The blues could give a valentine only to the blues, or the the blues and the reds.) Attached to this newsletter is the list of names for each group. We encourage children to start working on them early. Writing their own name 18 to 37 times takes a long time. Families can help write the students’ names that the valentines will be given to.

PLEASE SEND BOOTS, HATS, AND MITTENS EVERYDAY TO SCHOOL!!!!!!

We have had a lot of colds in the classroom. We try to keep germs spreading to a minimum, but that is difficult. We wash hands often, clean the toys, tables, and pencils, and encourage students to cough and sneeze into their elbows instead of their hands. You will be called to pick up your child if we believe that he/she is too sick to be at school. We hope that you understand.

We hope you can keep warm this winter weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

SOME UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:
February 14th - Valentine’s Day (Right now parties are scheduled for this day.)
February 14th - School dismisses at 12:25
February 17th - NO SCHOOL
February 20 - NO SCHOOL (Presidents’ Day)

January 13, 2006

2006-01-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

January 13, 2006

Dear Families,

What a super week! We worked on report card evaluations and enjoyed all the secret sack sharing. The boys and girls enjoyed Ms. S because she had super socks that give her the ability to solve problems. We pretended that we our own pair of super socks and wrote in our new journals about the “powers” the super socks gave us. We learned about spiders. The kindergartners were taught 2 new words: is, said. (Yellow flashcards have been attached to this newsletter. Please cut them apart and review them with your kindergartner frequently!) The kindergartners read and brought home 2 more little booklets to practice reading with their families. The booklets were entitled “Sid Said” and “Is Sam Mad?”. This week we started something new. We started centers. During center time, the kindergartners rotated through 7 different activities. The children spent approximately 10 minutes at each center and moved when the timer rang. Centers included straw painting, the store dramatic play center, a sink/float activity, the story Seven Silly Eaters, counting with sunflower seeds and soybeans, making snowflakes, and drawing a person.

Ww is the letter that we will be studying next week. The sharing is to bring something that begins with the letter Ww or a winter item. We hope to work a winter walk into the Wednesday afternoon schedule next week.

The quarter ended on January 12th. We believe that report cards will go home on January 20th. Our last parent/teacher conference will be held in the middle of February. If you have a concern about your child’s progress that you would like to discuss before the conferences, please contact us. We are willing to meet with families that have questions or concerns.

There is no school on Monday, January 16th. The teachers have many important meetings to attend.

Have a super and safe weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

January 6, 2006

2006-01-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

January 6, 2006

Dear Families,

This has been an unique week! During this short week we worked on writing the letters U and u. We worked in our workbooks with the u sound. The kindergartners also worked on evaluations for their report cards. The kindergartners had fun listening to underwear stories. Those stories always make us giggle.

Next week we will be learning about the letter Ss. Sharing for next week is to bring in something that starts with the letter Ss in a secret sack. Please help your child think of clues that would assist the other kindergartners in guessing the sharing item.

Next week we will be turning the playhouse in our room into a grocery store. We would like families to send in empty boxes or containers that used to hold food so that the children have things to “purchase.” Please do not send anything glass or tin cans with sharp edges. We would like to have these containers brought to school ONLY next week. We usually collect more than enough in one week! Thanks for your help!

The end of the quarter is currently January 12th. Our school does not have scheduled conferences at the end of the second quarter, but we would be happy to set a time to meet with or call anyone who has questions or concerns.

Please make sure that your child is prepared to go outside every day. The boys and girls need something for their heads/ears, boots (when there is snow or a lot of mud), gloves or mittens, snow pants (when there is snow), and warm coats. It is important that every item is marked with a name. An extra pair of socks put in the school bag would be appreciated!

We hope that you have an enjoyable weekend!
Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Howard, and Mrs. Herink

December 21, 2005

2005-12-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2005
(A day early!)

Dear Families,

This week we worked some more on the letter Cc. We can now read the words cat, can, mad, man, if, fin, fit, and fan. They were decoded (sounded out) in the workbook last week. On Wednesday we will be going to the nursing home to sing some Christmas songs with the third grade classes. We have begun working on evaluations for the report cards. The boys and girls need to know or be able to do the following for their report cards: addresses, birthdays, days of the week, phone numbers, count to 50 (100 would be even better!), identify pennies and dimes and their values, identify the letters we have learned so far Aa, Cc, Dd, Ed, Ff, Hh, Ii, Ll, Mm, Nn,Oo, Tt and two January letters Uu and Ss, associate sounds to the letters c, d, f, h, l, m, n, t and s (a future letter), identifies the numbers 0 - 16, identify left and right, and count objects to numbers between 0 - 18.

We have a mystery. The mystery is TWO pairs of black bib-style snowpants. Have you seen your child’s snowpants lately? Please check!!!

After Christmas the kindergartners need to bring in new crayons if they haven’t done so already. They may bring in a box of 16 or a box of 24. Check with your child to see if he or she needs a new glue stick. We have been doing many gluing projects, and some glue sticks need replaced.

We will see the kindergartners again on Tuesday, January 3rd! Notice the sharing list at the bottom of the sheet! When we return will will be learning about the letter Uu. Sharing will be free choice.

Have a wonderful break!

Mrs. Howard
Mrs. Owens
Mrs. Herink

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
January Sharing Schedule

January 3 - 6: Free choice (Uu week. Monday sharing kids should bring their item any day this week.)
January 9 - 13: Something that starts with the letter Ss in a secret sack (Please help your child think of clues.)
January 16 - 20: Something that starts with a Ww (It could be a winter item!)
January 23 - 27: Something that starts with the letter Jj
January 30 - February 3: Free choice (Yy week)

December 16, 2005

2005-12-15T08:42:00.000-08:00

December 16, 2005

Dear Families,

During Ee week we learned to read the word the. The words that we have been practicing are a, an, and, I, that, the, Dan, Dad, and Nan. The boys and girls brought home a booklet entitled The House. The kindergartners like to find these words in stories and papers. We practiced coloring, cutting, and pasting when we made some elves. The teachers kept these so that they could look at them. We started doing Cc work because next week is so short!

Again this week we’ve had to deal with wintery weather. During the winter season please make sure that you remain aware of the weather. It is helpful to pay attention to one of the radio stations or tv stations for early dismissal, late starts, or closings. Families sent back notes concerning early dismissal plans. Hopefully we do not have to use them again!

Next week we will be studying the letter Cc. THERE WILL BE NO SHARING NEXT WEEK!

Earlier in December we contacted the families that were chosen to supply our classroom with napkins and treats for the Christmas program. We are very lucky because so many of our families filled out the volunteer sheets at the beginning of the year, and many families volunteered to do many things. We try to spread out the volunteer fun throughout the year to as many families as possible, so we contact new families for each party. Because of the fantastic number of families that volunteer, we probably will not get to use each family. If you did not hear from us, you get to relax this holiday season. You may be contacted for the next party.

Our classroom Christmas party will be on Tuesday, December 20th. Remember, boys bring a grab bag type gift for boys, and girls bring a grab bag type gift for girls. The price limit is $2.

On Wednesday, December 21st, we will be going to the Traer Nursing Home to sing our Holiday songs. Third graders will be joining us. Don’t forget that school is dismissed early on Wednesday. Town students will be dismissed at 2:20, and bus students at 2:25.

After Christmas the kindergartners need to bring in new crayons if they haven’t done so already. They may bring in a box of 16 or a box of 24. Check with your child to see if he or she needs a new glue stick. We have been doing many gluing projects, and some glue sticks need replaced.

We hope that you weekend is extraordinary!

Mrs. Howard
Mrs. Owens
Mrs. Herink

December 9, 2005

2005-12-08T06:05:00.000-08:00

December 9, 2005

Dear Families,

What a delightful week! We learned about dimes. We enjoyed talking about dogs. The boys and girls practiced following directions. The booklet Dogs Can was read and colored. This week the kindergartners learned to read the word and. The “and” flashcard is attached to this newsletter. We practiced sounding out the words Dan and Dad. We reviewed the words Nan, a, an, that, and I.

Next week is Ee week. For sharing the boys and girls may bring a free choice item.

We have used glue sticks a lot recently, and many children need replacements. Please send some more glue sticks to school with your kindergartner!

Don’t forget about the Elementary Christmas Program on December 14th starting at 1:30. The children will be singing 4 songs that they have been practicing with Mr. Shay. For the program the boys and girls do not need any special costumes or outfits; they only need to be dressed nicely. After their part of the program the kindergartners may sit with their families, or they may sit with the teachers on the bleachers. It would be helpful to let us know if they will be sitting with the family or with the teachers.

As stated in the North Tama Elementary newsletter, there will be an opportunity for the elementary children to shop in a Christmas store. Mrs. Owens’ group will shop on Monday morning at 10:30. Mrs. Howard’s group will shop on Tuesday morning at 10:30. IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO SHOP, PLEASE SEND MONEY IN AN ENVELOPE OR BAGGIE. This is a good time to talk with your student about being a good consumer. If he/she does not see something that they want to buy, he/she does not have to buy anything! Items cost between 25¢ and $1. Families may also donate items for the store. Send your donations to school with your child, and we will put them in the correct place.

On Friday, December 16th, the kindergartners may participate in a Christmas party with the FCCLA group. This party is right after school. We help the boys and girls get to the party. More information and a permission slip should be coming home soon (It MAY be attached to this newsletter!

School will be dismissed early Wednesday, December 21st. The town students will be dismissed at 2:20 and the bus students will be dismissed at 2:25. Please mark your calendars! Any leftover students will have to help pick up the classroom for the custodians!!!

We will have our classroom Christmas party on Tuesday, December 20th. Please send the gift for the exchange sometime between December 12th and 20th. In a recent newsletter we told about how we handle the student gift exchange. Girls may bring a gift for a girl, and boys may bring a gift for a boy. We do a “grab bag” type of gift exchange. Families may spend up to $2 on the gift.

On December 21st we MAY be going to the Traer nursing home to sing our Christmas songs to the residents. The third grade classrooms normally join us. If it is a nice day, we will walk. If the weather is inclement, we will be taking a bus.

Please make sure that your child is ready for the winter weather. Boots, hats or earmuffs, gloves or mittens, coats, and snow pants keep the boys and girls warm and dry. PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT YOUR CHILD’S NAME ON ALL WINTER ITEMS! We currently have a lonely pair of black snowpants that nobody claims. The bib-style snowpants are a size 5, and their brand-name is TOMA. Hopefully some mommy or daddy recognize these snowpants so that we can get them back to the correct owner!

Have a delightful weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

Copies of the North Tama Kindergarten newsletters can be found online at www.northtamakind.blogspot.com.

December 2, 2005

2005-11-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

December 2, 2005

Dear Families,

During Mm week we made Mm booklets. We read many books written by Mercer Mayer and Robert Munsch. The boys and girls graphed using M & M’s and made months of the year booklets. This week the boys and girls started dictating letters to Santa. The Santa letters are being typed on the computer. The letters are mailed to Santa at the North Pole. (The Post Office will deliver letters addressed to the North Pole to Santa. If you do this at home, make sure that you have your address on the letter!) Santa normally finds time to write back. Sometimes Santa mails his letters directly to the kindergartners. Sometimes the kindergartners’ letters from Santa come to the school since we mail the original letters all together.

Next week we will be studying the letter Dd. Sharing for next week needs to be an item that starts with the letter Dd. During Dd week we like to turn our dramatic play center into a doctor’s office. (It has been a house.) Many families have doctor kits or other doctorish items at home. If you would like to send the doctor items to school, please put your child’s name on each item. These things will come home before Christmas.

Winter weather is here. Remember, when there is measurable snow on the ground, boots are required. Children stay warmer and drier when they wear snow pants. Please send hats, earmuffs, headbands, mittens, gloves, etc. every day. Please write your child’s name on every item!

Book orders were sent in this week. We will assume that book orders may be given to your student unless you let us know that it is a gift. (Some families have already told us this information.) For those that are buying books as gifts, we will let you know when they are delivered to the school.

Stay warm and safe! Notice the December Sharing Schedule at the bottom of this paper!

Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Herink
____________________________________________________________
December Sharing Schedule

December 5 - 9: An item that starts with Dd
December 12 - 16: Free choice item (It will be Ee week.)
December 19 - 21: No sharing
(See the back for important info! If you already filled this out and sent it to school, please disregard)

Last week we wrote about Santa letters in the newsletter. The Traer Star Clipper needs these letters finished by December 9th. In order to get 36 letters finished without going crazy, we need your help. Please help your kindergartner think of ways they have been good or helpful at home. Also help your child brainstorm 3 or 4 items he/she really wants for Christmas. Fill out the bottom portion of this newsletter and send it back to school. We feel that this will be especially helpful to us when it is time to start writing these fun letters.

___________________’s Christmas List
1.
2.
3.
4.
Here are ways ________________ has been nice or helpful:

November 23, 2005

2005-11-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

November 23, 2005

Dear Families,

This has been a very interesting week! We practiced writing the letters I and i. We read some books with Native American characters, acting out one called Red Fox and His Canoe. The kindergartners started discussing Thanksgiving. We learned to read the word I. Notice the new flashcard stapled to this newsletter. (Remember practice at home really helps!) If you haven’t sent new crayons yet, please do so soon. Please send a box of 16 or a box of 24. This week we moved to new table spots!

Next week we will be learning about the letter Mm. Sharing needs to be an item that starts with the letter Mm.

Last week we wrote about Santa letters in the newsletter. The Traer Star Clipper needs these letters finished by December 9th. In order to get 36 letters finished without going crazy, we need your help. Please help your kindergartner think of ways they have been good or helpful at home. Also help your child brainstorm 3 or 4 items he/she really wants for Christmas. Fill out the bottom portion of this newsletter and send it back to school. We feel that this will be especially helpful to us when it is time to start writing these fun letters.

We hope that you have a fantastic weekend! Remember that we do not have school on Thursday, November 24th or Friday, November 25th. That is Thanksgiving vacation!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Herink

___________________’s Christmas List
1.
2.
3.
4.

Here are ways ________________ has been nice or helpful:

November 18, 2005

2005-11-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

November 18, 2005

Dear Families,

During Nn week we practiced our numbers and made Number Booklets. The nickel was introduced. The kindergartners learned to read 2 new words this week. The words are an and Nan. Notice the two new flash cards. Please review them often! 2 booklets about a girl named Nan were read and sent home. Phone numbers were practiced. Boys and girls will need to know their phone numbers for the next report card. November necklaces were colored and put together. We started talking about Thanksgiving this week, and the students used their markers to color turkeys. The turkeys will be in the hallway. They will be sent home before Thanksgiving.

Next week we will be studying the letter Ii. Since next week is such a short week, we will NOT have sharing.

Right after Thanksgiving the boys and girls will be writing letters to Santa. They will be dictating their ideas to a teacher to be typed on the computer. We would like them to have 3 or 4 ideas of gifts they would like to receive. These letters will be mailed to Santa, and they may appear in the Traer Star Clipper. Please discuss Christmas ideas with your child so that we can type these letters quickly and easily. Families may write down their child’s list of 3 or 4 items and send it to school after Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Christmas, many families are beginning to think about the elementary Christmas party and the gifts that the kids exchange. We ask that the boys buy a gift for a boy and the girls buy a gift for a girl. We will have a “grab bag” type of gift exchange. The amount that can be spent on the gift $2.

Our kindergarten parents in the past have been very generous when remembering the teachers at Christmas time. An idea that we learned from Pied Piper is that instead of buying the teacher a gift, families could choose instead to purchase a gift for the room. We have a few ideas for items that we would like for the classroom: markers to be used in our writing center, glue sticks, stickers, disposable cameras, baby dolls, doll clothing, books (Specifically the following books: Tacky and Tackylocks and the Three Bears and Tacky Gets in Trouble by Helen Lester), larger trucks and tractors, and games (see the teachers for ideas). If you need any ideas, just ask one of us. Of course, families may handle this matter however they desire.

Also in regards to Christmas, the date for the elementary Christmas program is Wednesday, December 14th. It usually begins at 1:30 in the gym. The fifth and sixth grade bands will play first, and the kindergartners will follow them. Following our songs, families will have a choice of whether to have their kindergartner sit with them for the remainder of the program or watch the rest of it with Mrs. Owens and Mrs. Howard. Watch for more information about the program closer to December 14th.

Please remember that school will be dismissed at 2:20 on Wednesday, November 23rd for Thanksgiving vacation. School will resume on Monday, November 28th at the normal time.

We know that the cold and flu season is upon us. Please remember that if your doctor prescribes a medication that has to be taken at school, THE DOCTOR and THE PARENT (yes both) need to write the directions down for the nurse. (This means 2 notes are required.) The prescription medication MUST be in the original container from the pharmacy. Families might want to ask for 2 containers when filling the prescription; one for school and one for home. The nurse cannot administer any medication without both notes. Cough syrup needs to have a doctor’s order to be given in school. (If your child is constantly coughing, he/she should really stay home.) DO NOT SEND COUGH DROPS TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR STUDENT! Parents are welcome to come to school and give medicines to their own children. Please contact the school nurse or us if you have any questions.

Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Howard, and Mrs. Herink

Copies of the newsletter can be found at the following internet address:
http://northtamakind.blogspot.com
or through the North Tama website.

November 10, 2005

2005-11-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

November 10, 2005

Dear Families,

While studying the letter Oo, we learned about opposites and oceans. We also learned how to tell time to the o’clock (example 7:00).

We enjoyed meeting with our kindergarten families at conferences this week. The next set of conferences will be in February. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know!

Next week we will be studying the letter Nn. For sharing please send something that starts with the letter Nn.

We have noticed that some of the boys and girls are still in need of new crayons. You may replace them with boxes of 16 or 24 crayons. Check with your kindergartner to see if the glue stick needs to be replaced also.

Thanksgiving is coming up! School will be dismissed early on Wednesday, November 23rd. Students that walk home or are picked up are dismissed at 2:20. Bus students are dismissed at 2:25. There will be no school on Thursday, November 24th or Friday, November 25th.

Remember, there is no school on Friday, November 11th!

As the weather starts turning colder we must think about boots, snowpants, hats, mittens, and coats. Please make sure that your child is prepared for cold, wet weather. Please put your child’s name in every piece of outerwear brought to school.

Have a nice weekend!

Mrs. Owens
Mrs. Howard
Mrs. Herink

November 4, 2005

2005-11-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

November 4, 2005

Dear Families,

While studying the letter Tt we discussed teeth. We saw some videos and read some books that talked about taking care of our teeth. Attached to this newsletter there are 2 “Teeth-on-the-Go” papers that families can help fill out with their children. One is a fill in the blank paper, and one is a tooth brushing chart. Children can finish these papers at home and bring them in for stickers. Children that complete the tooth brushing chart can earn a certificate, too. We read the big book called Turnips for Dinner. The kindergartners learned that the letters t and h together make the sound /th/ like in thimble. We learned the word that, and read the booklet Dad, Dan, and I. The boys and girls DO NOT know how to read the words in this booklet yet. They will know how to read these words later on this year. Please notice the yellow flashcards that are included with this packet. Our plan is to send flashcards home as we learn new words. Practice reading the little booklets and reviewing flashcards often. That really helps kindergartners learn and remember!

Next week we will be studying the letter Oo. Sharing next week is free choice. The Friday sharing students may bring their sharing any day next week.

We have noticed that some of the boys and girls are still in need of new crayons. You may replace them with boxes of 16 or 24 crayons. Check with your kindergartner to see if the glue stick needs to be replaced also.

On Tuesday, November 8th, the town students are dismissed at 12:20 so that teachers can get ready for conferences on that evening. Bus kids will be dismissed at 12:25. Conferences will be held on Tuesday evening. Conferences will also be held on Thursday evening, but the students do not get out early on Thursday. If you find that your conference time does not work for you, please contact us, and we will work out a new time. Mrs. Howard will meet her families in the kindergarten room. Mrs. Owens will meet her families in an office down the hall located across from the drinking fountains and bathrooms. THERE WILL BE NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH.

The kindergarten newsletter can be found on the web! Go to http://northtamakind.blogspot.com to see any important information or copies of the newsletters.

Have a nice weekend!

Mrs. Owens
Mrs. Howard
Mrs. Herink

October 28, 2005

2005-10-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

October 28, 2005

Dear Families,

During this week we worked with the letter Hh. The kindergartners have started reading!! This week we learned the word a. The kindergartners read the little story called A Present. Reading this booklet over and over will help your child remember that word. We did a lot of evaluation this week. (Report cards will go home next Friday.) We enjoyed our first party this week. During our party day we visited the nursing home and sang some Halloween songs while showing off our costumes. We led the costume parade in the elementary, going into each and every classroom. We watched a Halloween video while getting dressed in our costumes and played “Heads Up Pumpkin Up”.

Next week we are studying the letter Tt. Sharing for next week will be something that starts with the letter Tt.

A great place to stop while trick-or-treating is the Traer Nursing home. Boys and girls can receive a lot of goodies and enjoy walking around without coats. Check out the Traer Star Clipper for the times to visit the nursing home. (We think that children can trick-or-treat from 6:30 - 7:30 at the nursing home.) Unfortunately none of the kindergarten teachers will be home during the trick-or-treating hours on Monday, October 31st. Sorry! We gave the children a treat baggie today.

Please write your child’s name on coats, snowpants, boots, hats and mittens. With 36 children in this room, winter items can get mixed up and having names on the clothing is extremely helpful.

Kindergartners may now bring a new box of crayons to school. The new box of crayons may contain 16 or 24 crayons. A few students need new glue sticks also.

Report cards will be going home next Friday. Please check your child’s bag on that day for this important information on how well your child is doing in kindergarten. Conferences will be held on November 8th and November 10th. We look forward to meeting with all our families on those days. You should be receiving a letter with your conference time in the mail soon. If you discover that your scheduled time does not work, please let us know so that we can reschedule it.

There will be no school for students on Friday, November 11th. Please mark your calendars!

Mrs. Owens
Mrs. Howard
Mrs. Herink

____________________________________________________________
November Sharing
October 31 - November 4: Something that starts with Tt
November 7 - 11: Free choice (Friday kids may bring their sharing any day this week.)
November 14 - 18: Something that starts with Nn
November 21 - 25: No Sharing (Week of Thanksgiving)
November 28 - December 2: Something that starts with Mm

October 21, 2005

2005-10-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

October 21, 2005

Dear Families,

What an active week we have had! We made applesauce, and we read Frank Asch books. The boys and girls enjoy reading his books because he uses animal characters and has surprise endings. On Monday, Jay Owens, Martin Herker, Marv Boldt , and Al Cannon brought one of Traer’s ambulances up to the school so that the children could see it. They told them about their jobs and informed them about the equipment they would use if someone were sick or hurt. The apples brought from home were compared, and the different colors of apples were tasted.

Next week we will be studying the letter Hh. Next week kindergartners need to bring something that begins with the letter Hh. If you get stuck, think about a Halloween item! Next week we will be continuing to evaluate the students for the report cards. We will be checking to see if they know the letters Ll, Ff, Aa, and Hh and the sounds for Ll, Ff, and Hh. We will also check to see if they recognize the numbers 0-10. We will continue checking them on their addresses, colors, and shapes.

Last week’s bakesale was a huge success. We sold out of everything before the day was over and raised approximately $122. Mrs. Owens is working on shopping for the listening center box and the easels.

Please remember that our Halloween party is on Friday, October 28th. The kindergartners may BRING their costumes to school that day. After the big recess we get dressed up and then travel to the nursing home by bus. When we return we will do some Halloween activities in the room, parade through the classrooms, and enjoy Halloween snacks.

The weather is getting cooler outside, and we try to go outside at LEAST 2 times a day for recess if it is not raining. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather because he/she will go outside whether or not they have the necessary clothing. Remember that if there is measurable snow on the ground, the boys and girls need boots.

We are now warning our families that because of the high cost of heating fuel, the school is keeping our thermostats at 68 degrees this winter. Some students may find this temperature a little chilly. We recommend that you send a sweatshirt or sweater to school with your child everyday. They can keep it in their backpacks or cubbies and wear it when they feel cold.
Please make sure that your child has an extra set of clothing in their school bag. Kindergartners have bathroom accidents, lunch tray spills, illnesses that soil clothing, and dirty recess catastrophes every now and then, and they feel more comfortable in their own clothing, especially underwear. We do have some extra clothing here, but it is a lot easier to get extra clothing out of school bags than it is to dig out clothing they will wear out of our supply.

Some children are beginning to arrive to school before 8:10. If the children are not eating breakfast, then they need to wait on the playground for the 8:10 bell unless your family has talked to the teachers. Teachers are not always in the classrooms because we are making final arrangements for the day, and we do not like to leave the kindergartners unsupervised. We realize that clocks at home are set at different times, and that occasionally children get here early. If you bring your kindergartner and you discover that you are a couple of minutes early, you can wait in our little entryway for the 8:10 bell.

We hope you have an absolutely great weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Herink

October 14, 2005

2005-10-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

October 14, 2005

Dear Families,

The letter Ff was concentrated on this week. We had fun talking about frogs, fire safety, fish, fall, and football. We all practiced stop, drop, and roll and earned a certificate. (Many of the children expressed interest in practicing fire drills at home.) Four high school senior football players visited with the kindergartners. They brought some football equipment with them and told us about the game.

This week the kindergartners brought home 2 little booklets; one about fall and one about fire safety. For “homework” families can read these booklets and have the kindergartner finish coloring the book. Families should also do the activity page(s) at the end of these booklets. Kindergartners that bring the finished booklets back will get to pick out a sticker.

Next week we will be studying the letter Aa and learning about apples. We need every child to bring in an apple by Wednesday. We will be comparing them and making them into applesauce. If you have an abundance of apples at your house, extras would be appreciated.

Sharing for next week is free choice, or it could be something that starts with the letter Aa.

On Thursday our bake sale went really well. Each child had some kind of job for the bake sale. Bake sale jobs included poster decorating, packaging, arranging, selling, quarter exchanging, and greeting.

We will be having our Halloween party on Friday, October 28th at 2:15. We will probably be going to Sunrise Hill Care Center for a costume parade around 1:00 that same day. Children should BRING their costume to school that day, NOT wear it to school. The less help they need from adults the better. (i.e. makeup) We have already sent notes to those volunteers that will need to send treats, napkins, or help at the party.

Please check with your kindergartner about the condition of the glue stick in his/her crayon baggy. Because we have been using them a lot lately, some students need to have new glue sticks in their crayon baggie.

We have already been evaluating the children for their report cards. We will be checking the students on knowing their addresses, birthdays, and identifying the numbers 0 - 10. The children will also be expected to correctly count objects up to 10.

Please continue sending jackets and sweatshirts to school everyday. The weather is getting cooler, and the recesses have been chillier. We’d rather have the children get a little warm than shiver through the recesses. We would also like to remind you to send extra clothes with your child to school. The children feel more comfortable in their own clothes if they would happen to need to change them. We would greatly appreciate if borrowed clothes from the kindergarten room would be returned.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Howard, and Mrs. Herink

October 6, 2005

2005-10-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

October 6, 2005

Dear Families,

This week we learned about the letter Ll. We enjoyed reading the book Lions and Gorillas and making our own versions of the story. The students learned about living and nonliving things. We also read the book The Grouchy Lady Bug and practiced counting while adding spots to ladybugs on a worksheet. Attached to this newsletter is an “Ll” poem. We would like our families to read the poem with the kindergartner. The kindergartner should then highlight, underline, or circle the words that begin with Ll. Students that return this type of homework will get to pick out a sticker from the sticker box. There will be a poem for every letter of the alphabet.

Next week we will be learning about the letter Ff. Next week’s sharing needs to be something that starts with the letter Ff.

Remember that picture day is Tuesday. Kindergartners are normally scheduled to get their pictures taken at 8:20 SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILD IS AT SCHOOL ON TIME! (Bus students will not have a problem with this.) If you have special instructions concerning hair or smiles, write us a note, and we will do our best to help your student take a great picture. Children are welcome to change out of special picture outfits when pictures are finished.

Around this time of year the weather gets cooler. We try to go outside for recess everyday, and the boys and girls need to be dressed appropriately. (Some of the children don’t want to wear their coats outside on a chilly day). We have them wear whatever the family sends them in. By the way, one rule our school has is if there is snow on the ground, the students need to wear boots outside. We know that the thought of snow is depressing, but we wanted you to be aware and prepared.

The flu and cold season is coming soon (if it is not already here)! We have had many sick kindergartners. The illnesses include strep throat, pnemonia, chicken pox, impetigo, stomach flu, and a virus that includes fever and sore throat. According to our elementary handbook, children need to stay home if they have the following: an earache, severe headache, a fever of 99.6 or above, an acute cold, a communicable disease, mattering or an inflammation of the eyes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or untreated head lice. In the handbook there is also a guideline that will help families determine if a child may return to school. Please refer to this so that children do not come back to school too early.
Remember that on Friday, October 28th, the boys and girls will have the Halloween parties. Also remember that there is no school tomorrow, October 7th. Our bakesale is Thurday, October 13th. We need every family to send AT LEAST 6 INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED ITEMS. Kindergartners will be able to buy items from the bakesale, so please send quarters, too!
Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink,

Cut this off and keep for future reference!

October Sharing Schedule
October 10 - 14: Something that starts with the letter Ff
October 17 - 21: Free choice
October 24 - 28: Something that begins with Hh
October 31 - November 4: Something that starts with the letter Tt

September 30, 2005

2005-09-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

September 30, 2005

Dear Families,

We began learning about the alphabet and enjoyed reading the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. The children learned that there are 26 letters in the alphabet, that letters make words, and that letters have sounds. We made a chart using the first letter of our names, to see what letters had the most first names and which letters had the fewest. We read a lot of alphabet books, too. We played an alphabet freeze game. The kindergartners danced and moved around around until the music stopped. Then they found a letter on the floor close to where they were frozen, picked it up, and told everyone the name of the letter. Mrs. Owens opened a real coconut, and the boys and girls were able to taste it.

This week we worked with counting coconuts. Each child was given a bag with one coconut tree and ten coconuts. The students learned to add more coconuts when they needed a larger number and take a way coconuts when they needed a smaller number. They can use these to practice counting at home.

This week we also began practicing writing names the kindergarten way. Next week we will continue practicing. We will expect them to write their name the kindergarten way on all their papers. Reinforcement at home is greatly appreciated. Remember, if your kindergartner practices writing at home, and they bring the paperwork in, they can earn a sticker.

Next week we will be studying the letter Ll. We will learn to write the lowercase and capital letter, learn the sound, and talk about things that start with the letter Ll. Sharing next week should be one item that begins with the letter Ll.

Next week will be a bit wacky for kindergartners. On Wednesday, October 5th we go to the play in Waterloo. We will not be back in time for the cooks’ lunch so KINDERGARTNERS NEED TO BRING THEIR OWN LUNCHES! WE WILL EAT THESE LUNCHES IN OUR ROOM WHEN WE RETURN. Moms and Dads get to decide what to pack in the lunches. Milk can be purchased from the cooks. Remember that we do not have enough refrigerator space for 37 lunches so please use ice packs in the lunch boxes to keep food cool if necessary. On Friday, October 7th the students do not have school. The teachers get to attend important meetings. The Friday sharing kids may bring their sharing items any day next week.

Halloween is fast approaching, and many families are beginning to think about their child’s costume. The elementary has a policy about costumes. We do not allow any blood or weapons with the costumes. Right now the Halloween parties are scheduled for Friday, October 28th.

Our kindergarten bake sale is Thursday, October 13th. Please send AT LEAST 6 individually wrapped items. (Examples: 6 individual cookies in baggies, 6 fruit roll ups, 6 Little Debbies, etc.) Kindergartners will be able to purchase items also that day. Each item will cost 25¢.

Don’t forget about October 11th! We will be having our pictures taken on this day. You will receive the order forms soon. Please try to have these forms returned before picture day. On Tuesday, October 11th, the kindergartners need to be here by 8:20. We are usually the first class to have pictures taken, and they come for us at 8:20. If you want your child to change out of the picture clothing, please send another outfit. If you have special instructions concerning hair, jewelry, or outfits, please write us a note with the directions.

One last important date to note is the Christmas program. It will be on December 14th at 1:30 p.m.

Have a great fall weekend!

Mrs. Howard
Mrs. Owens
Mrs. Herink

September 23, 2005

2005-09-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

September 23, 2005

Dear Families,

Seasons and weather were discussed this week. We made lists of summer words, fall words, winter words, and spring words. These lists were written on seasonal symbols and hung in the hallway. We took an “end of summer” walk to look at the trees, flowers, grass, etc. We talked about how the trees are still full of green leaves. We noticed that some of the leaves are already turning colors, and some have even fallen off the trees. The kindergartners talked about how the trees change for each season. They made trees to show the four different seasons. The kindergartners enjoyed painting the trunks brown. Have them tell you about how the trees change for each season.

Last week the kindergarten students participated in the DIBELS Benchmark Assessment. We had several different people working with our students on this evaluation including Mr. Foster. (So if your student tells you that he/she had to work with Mr. Foster, that probably wasn’t a bad thing!) We will share these evaluations with you at your fall conference.

If your child practices writing numbers, their name, or the letters as we learn them at home, send that paper to school. We will give them a sticker for their work.

Next week we will be talking about the letters of the alphabet. We will learn how many letters there are, why we need letters, letters make different sounds, and what letters our names begin with. We will begin learning to write our first name the “kindergarten way.” We will also be reading and doing activities with the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. We will read other alphabet books and learn some alphabet songs. Next week’s sharing needs to be something that deals with the alphabet. This item can be a book, a puzzle, a game, an educational toy, etc.

An important date coming up is Tuesday, October 11th. This is school picture day. Watch for more information to be sent home soon! Another important date to remember is Wednesday, October 5th. The kindergartners get to go to Waterloo to see the play Junie B Jones and a Little Monkey Business. We ride a bus to the Blackhawk Children’s Theater. Since we return too late to eat the cooks’ lunch, kindergartners need to bring their own lunch that day. We will eat this sack lunch in the kindergarten room. Milk can be purchased from the cooks. We do not have a big enough refrigerator for 37 lunches so please use icepacks to keep foods cold.

The kindergartners are hosting their annual bake sale on Thursday, October 13th. We are raising money to buy a new listening center box for the headphones and some new easels. Each kindergartner is asked to provide AT LEAST 6 items to sell. Families could send more! The bake sale will take place in our room starting at 11:30. Kindergartners are able to buy bake sale items also. If you do not enjoy baking, prepackaged items are also wonderful sellers.

Please remember that each Monday the kindergartners get a new library book. If your child forgets to return the book that day, the teachers will try to get them to the library for a new book as soon as they can. It may NOT be the very day theirs is returned due to our busy schedule.

We hope your child is enjoying kindergarten. Things are going well! Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

September 16, 2005

2005-09-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

September 16, 2005

Dear Families,

Senses were discussed this week. Monday the five senses were introduced, and the students listened to a tape of different sounds and had to guess what each sound was. On Tuesday the sense of touch was discussed, and each child was able feel a mystery object in a special box and guess what the object was. On Wednesday the students learned about the sense of sight. They played a game that required them to look at a group of objects, remember what the objects are, and guess the object the teacher took away when their eyes were closed. Thursday was a “smelly” day, and the boys and girls guessed mystery smells. On Friday, the students finished the week, by learning about the sense of taste. They tasted something sweet (m and m’s), sour (dill pickles), salty (pretzels), and bitter (unsweetened baking chocolate). Also this week the kindergartners worked on sequencing, remembering the details of a story, and above/below. The kindergartners talked about ways to be safe at school, at home, on the farm, and in our community.

This week we began reading books about Curious George. The children really enjoy these books. We have discussed the meaning of the word curious, and the children have thought of a few things they are each curious about. You can read your child’s ideas on the windows outside our room.

Next week we will be learning about the 4 seasons. On Friday morning we hope to take an end of summer walk. Please dress your child appropriately.

Sharing for next week is an item in a “secret sack” from your child’s favorite season. Your kindergartner needs to be able to give clues about the mystery item. You are welcome to help your child with the clues. Families may also write the clues down on a piece of paper so that if your student forgets them, we can help him/her. For example, if your child’s favorite season is summer, the sharing item could be a swimming suit. The child puts the swimming suit into a sack (or the backpack). Clues could include: I wear this when it is hot. I like to get it wet. It is purple and green. The other students will then get to try and guess what is in the sack.

The K-1 Family Math Night will be Tuesday, September 20th. Information was sent home last week on a yellow paper! This night is a great opportunity to work with your kindergartner on math skills. We hope that many are able to attend!

Again this year we are collecting Box Tops for Education box tops. Send in the box top that has that special logo on it. Each box top is worth 10¢. The school is also collecting Campbell's soup labels. Send any that you have to school with your child. The elementary school is also collecting Hy Vee slips. If you know anyone that shops at Hy Vee, ask them for their receipts. We think that the school gets $1 for every $200 turned in.

The weather will start getting cooler in the mornings. We recommend that families send jackets or sweatshirts on these chilly mornings. It would be very helpful if the coats had names written in them. Many times they fall on the floor, and the teachers do not know who they belong to, and occasionally 2 children have identical coats. Having names written on the coats helps the children identify theirs.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

September 9, 2005

2005-09-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

September 9, 2005

Dear Families,

This week we continued to review the school and classroom rules and procedures. We also continued to read books about the beginning of school. We worked on colors with the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear. We hope your child will share their similar book with you. We read a big book called All About You, and we learned more about each other. We talked about families and body graphed how many people were in our families. Patterning with our bodies was a fun activity we tried this week. An example was standing, sitting, standing, sitting. The students were getting really good at figuring out the patterns.

It was nice seeing so many families at the Open House on Thursday. We now have faces to put with names as children tell us about their families. The first day of school pictures that were hanging in the hallway will be coming home in the near future.

Breakfast begins at 8:00. Children eating breakfast should not come into the school until 8:00. Other students may come in at 8:10. If your child arrives too early, we will send him/her out to the playground.

We will begin sharing next week with the topic “My favorite _____________.” This item can be a book, food, animal, toy, etc. Each week we will have a specific topic. A list of September topics will be at the end of the newsletter. (Please keep the sharing portion of the newsletter so that you can refer to the sharing list each week.) Your child needs to be able to tell about the sharing item in front of the class. Your child is assigned a sharing day. The kindergartners need to remember to bring their sharing on their assigned day. If a child forgets the sharing item, he/she may not bring it another day. If your kindergartner is gone on their sharing day, then he/she needs to bring their sharing item on the day they come back to school.

The K-1 Family Math Night has been scheduled for Thursday, September 20th. Mark your calendars now! More information was sent home earlier this week. Please sign up and send your slip in soon so that we can make plans!

During the month of September the entire elementary is working on the characteristics self control and service. We will be demonstrating self control in different situations and praising those that show self control during the day. Perhaps you would like to work on self control at home!

We hope that your child is enjoying school! Have a super weekend!!

Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Howard, and Mrs. Herink

__________________________’s sharing day is __________________.

September Sharing
September 12 - 16: “My favorite _____________.” This could be a favorite book, food, animal, toy, etc.

September 19 - 23: Something in a “secret sack” from your favorite season that we have to guess using the child’s clues.

September 26 - 30: Something that deals with the alphabet such as a book, puzzle, game, educational toy, video.

October 3 - 7: An item that begins with the letter Ll

September 2, 2005

2005-08-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

September 2, 2005
Dear Families,

This has been a monumental week for kindergartners at North Tama! We’ve now experienced one full week of school! We are still working on classroom routines, classroom rules, and school rules. Things get better each day!

The breakfast bell rings at 8:00, and kids eating breakfast are allowed in the building then. Other students should not come in until 8:10. If your child does not ride the bus, and he/she arrives early, he/she should go to the playground.

Along with learning the many important school rules, we have worked on shapes, colors, and following directions. The kindergartners worked in their reading workbooks. We will send the pages home after we finish both sides. (We are not going in order.) On Thursday we reviewed shapes by taking a “Shape Walk.” (If the weather was inclement, we had to skip the outside walk.) We looked at buildings, cars, and natural items and discussed the shapes found in them. We then returned to class and made our own shape creatures and items using colorful shapes, glue sticks, and crayons. Most days we do some kind of math work. The boys and girls will bring home worksheets that have “homework” on one side. We want families to look at these math worksheets and work with your kindergartner on the homework side. Children that do their homework and return the paper to school get to pick out a sticker from the sticker box.

The children had a chance to meet and work with Mr. Estes the gym teacher, Mrs. Betts the art teacher, Mr. Shay the music teacher, Mrs. O’Meara the guidance counselor,and Mrs. Vokoun the media teacher. Mrs. Vokoun sent media notes home with the children. Read over those media notes carefully so that you know when your child’s book needs to be returned to the school so that he/she can check out a new one.

Next Thursday, September 8th, the elementary school will have an Open House/Book Fair. The classrooms will be open for families to tour from 6:00 - 7:30. The Book Fair will be held in the multipurpose room from 6:00 - 7:30. There is a supper in the lunchroom beginning at 5:30. We hope to see many families at the Open House on Thursday, September 8th!

Lunch has gone well with the majority of students being willing to try new or unfamiliar foods. We will not make the children eat all of the food on their plate, but we will encourage them to try each food and then eat enough to get them through the afternoon. If your child needs to buy a milk to drink because they brought their own lunch, then 30 cents will be subtracted from your family’s hot lunch account.

During our full days of school we have rest time. We try to rest about 30 minutes each day. We feel rest time is important and necessary. We are playing soft, relaxing music and the lights are off.

Our classroom schedule was sent home last week. Look at this schedule carefully so that you can help your child dress appropriately for gym class day. Sharing is on this schedule. We will not start sharing next week. We will let you know when sharing will start. Don’t forget, we will not have school on Monday, September 5th.

This year Mrs. Howard is trying to keep copies of the newsletter on the internet! The address is http://northtamakind.blogspot.com. Families may add this address to the home computer’s bookmarks or favorites areas. You can also find a link to this blogspot by going to the North Tama web page. The North Tama web page can be found at www.n-tama.k12.ia.us.
We look forward to another week of school with this enjoyable group of children! We know that things will improve and run more smoothly each day!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

August 26, 2005

2005-08-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

August 26, 2005

Dear Families,

Every week we send home a newsletter telling you what we have done during the week. We also let you know of upcoming events so that you can plan accordingly. We normally send the newsletter home in the kindergartners’ folders on Fridays. Please check your child’s bag for these important papers every week.

We get to have another teacher work with us in the kindergarten room part of each day. Her name is Mrs. Tammy Herink. Mrs. Herink is a graduate of North Tama and has three children in the North Tama district.

We read the book called Timothy Goes to School. In this story Timothy was teased by Maude everyday about the outfits he wore to school. The boys and girls worked on a paper that put Timothy’s outfits in the order that he wore them to school. This week we began working with colors and shapes. We will continue to work on colors and shapes next week.

Next Thursday morning we hope to take a walk in Traer. We walk around a block close to the school, and we look for different shapes on our walk. If the weather does not cooperate, the walk will be cancelled.

Believe it or not, there are days that school is dismissed early because of heat or bad weather. We want to know each family’s plan of action for if/when this happens. If you haven’t already filled out the green form from registration, please do so immediately or fill out the bottom portion of this sheet and return it to school. The sooner that we get this information, the better. The phone numbers will help us in case we need to contact you when you are not home.

We have a student in kindergarten that has a weaker immune system. It is EXTREMELY important that you keep your child home when he/she is sick. It is also VERY important to call the school when your child is sick in order to let the nurse know about the illness that your child has. Please keep us informed!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Owens, and Mrs. Herink

Name ___________________
This is our plan for an early dismissal due to bad or hot weather:
(Examples: “John will ride the bus home as usual.” “Call Jill’s mother at work before sending Jill home on the bus.” “Suzy will go home with her big brother.” “Send Billy to his daycare provider”.)

Home phone number _______________________
Dad’s work number ________________________
Mom’s work number _______________________
Cell numbers _____________________________

August 24, 2005

2005-08-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

My First Day of
Kindergarten!

I had a good first day of school! The day went by very quickly! If I couldn't come to school on Tuesday, Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Howard, and Mrs. Herink helped me put my school supplies in the right places, and they told me where I would be sitting for the first nine weeks of school. Please ask me to tell you my table number. We talked about the rules we have in our class that help things run smoothly for everyone. These rules are written on the next page, and the teachers would like you to read them over with me .

Also today we had a Welcome to School assembly, recesses, lunch, rest time, and afternoon milk and snack. We learned a couple of action fingerplays and listened to some stories about the first day of school. Mrs. Howard's class went to art with Mrs. Betts and music with Mr. Shay. Mrs. Owens' class went to art with Mrs. Betts. We wrote our names on a paper for our teachers to save until the end of kindergarten so we can see our improvement. Here is how I wrote my name.

Mrs. Owens, Mrs. Howard, and Mrs. Herink have several more important things to tell you about my kindergarten class. They want you to watch for the notes I'll be bringing home during the school year. They also say to feel free to send a note or call if you have any questions or concerns.

It is also very important to send a note if I am to leave school with someone different, or if I am to go somewhere other than where I normally go.

I think kindergarten will be a fun place to learn!
I bet you can't believe I 'm really old enough to be in school now!
____________________
Kindergarten Class Rules

1. Be kind to each other
2. Be helpful to each other
3. Listen when someone else is talking
4. Raise your hand to talk
5. Share
6. Take turns