Monday News for Jan. 11th

The children enjoyed watching a cardinal outside our classroom window!

Happy New Year!  It is exciting to start a new year with all your wonderful children!  We are beginning a new unit on Animals in Winter. This unit will integrate reading, writing and science.  We will be collaborating with our Art teacher and Librarian as well.  During this unit the children will be reading all about animals and how they survive the cold winter months.  The children are creating a bulletin board in our classroom where they are displaying new learning with their drawings and labels and captions of any new learning that provides evidence as to whether or not an animal migrates, hibernates, remains active, or is dormant (otherwise referred to as a napper and snacker).   In addition to learning through reading, the children will be conducting science experiments that relate to animal survival during winter months.  In writing the class will create poems about different animals and include their new understandings of how their animal makes certain adaptations in order to survive the cold winter months.  On top of all this we are also having a Shelburne Farms educator visit our class on Jan. 22nd for a morning to lead indoor and outdoor activities related to our unit.  We will be looking for parent volunteers to help us out on this morning.  Please let us know if you would be interested.  January is going to be an exciting month!  We appreciate your help in supporting this visit with your donation of $3.50.  Please try to send payment in by next week.  Thank you in advance!

Report Cards and Assessment - We will begin assessing students this week and next in reading and in math.  This information will help us in reporting out to you how your child is performing in school.  Report cards will be sent home on Jan. 29th.

Reminder:  Since winter has finally arrived and the children are fully decked out in snowsuits, boots, hats and mittens, it is helpful to have names on all clothing items.  The children need to travel the hallways with their snow clothes going to lunch, coming indoors to their classroom and on their way to and from the bus.  Lots of opportunities present themselves for students to drop pieces of clothing along the way.  Almost everyday we have a child searching for different items.  If names are on these items they find their way to their rightful owner most of the time.  Thanks for your help with this!

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.  Have a wonderful week ahead!