August 30, 2013

Reading With Your Child

As the school year gets rolling we want to offer you ideas on how to make your child’s learning the most successful and enjoyable as possible. One thing that has been shown over and over to have a positive impact on your child is reading with them daily. Reading is one of the most important life skills.  You can help your child become an enthusiastic and fluent reader by providing experiences that will lead to success. Below are some suggestions for things you can do at home:

* Create a bedtime story routine. Plan for 15 to 20 minutes to read to or with your child. Discuss pictures, characters and ways the story relates to your child.

* Encourage your child to write and/or draw about story experiences they have had, and talk about how a story made them feel or think.

* Keep a variety of books available so your child can choose their own reading experiences. Expose them to different kinds of books--picture books, mysteries, fables, biographies, non-fiction, etc. Try reading poems, songs, rhymes and even riddles.  Read to get information such as game directions, toy instructions and recipes. If you need books, you can visit your local library, or talk to Ms. Cori about options for borrowing books from the school.

 

Scholastic Reading Club

If you are looking for a less expensive way to increase your child’s home library, Scholastic Reading Club is one simple way to make that happen. There are a variety of books appropriate for your child’s age level. Some items cost as little as one dollar! Every book purchased helps us get new books for our school and classroom libraries.

The first catalogs are in this week’s purple folder. Please return orders by September 6. Orders can also be made online. If you need any help, please see Ms. Cori.

Thank you!

Thank you to the parents that volunteered for our classroom this month. Your help means a lot to us! The sign-up sheet for September volunteer opportunities will be up by Monday. 

 

 Happy Birthday, Maria Montessori!

Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870. If she was still alive, tomorrow she would be celebrating her 143^nd birthday! This year we remembered her by performing a birthday ceremony, showing pictures, and describing events that happened in her life. We also sampled pasta with sauces similar to what they might serve in her birthplace, Italy.

 

Important Dates

• There will be no school, Monday, September 2, due to Labor Day.
• Book orders are due Friday, September 6.
• Picture day is coming up on September 11^th. Keep an eye out for more information!

 

August 23, 2013

It’s hot out there!

As we get into the routines of the school year, we are introducing the children to the activities of gardening, PE, the Friday walks and of course, recess. All of these activities are outside, and often in the sun. It is really important that the children stay hydrated and cool in this hot weather.

Wednesdays are going to be our PE days, Thursdays are gardening and Fridays are the walk. Please make sure you child comes with the appropriate clothing and footware. Tennis shoes are the best type of shoe for these activities.

While we do have water available in the classroom, we recommend sending your child with a water bottle, so that they have water to take with them, no matter the activity they are participating in. We also recommend sending a hat to keep their faces out of the sun. If you send a hat and/or water bottle, please make sure they are labeled.

Wednesdays are going to be our PE Days, Thursday is gardening and Fridays are the walk.  Please make sure that your child comes with the appropriate clothing and shoes.  Tennis shoes are the best type of shoes for these activities.  If you want your child to keep a pair of tennis shoes here at school, they are welcome to do so.

Thank you for stepping up!

Thank you to those parents that came to the Volunteer Committee meeting on Wednesday. Your support means so much to us! We are looking forward to all the things the school will be able to accomplish with your help.

If you were unable to attend the meeting, but would still like to help, please see Ms. Carol in the office for more information.

 

May 10, 2013

Growing Green Thumbs

This whole year, your child has had the opportunity to work at growing plants in our school’s garden. They have seen their plants  grow from week to week, and tasted the “fruits” of their labor. While they get to see their plants week to week, it’s not very often they got to see the changes day to day.

Now, we are going to be studying plants inside the classroom as well. They have all had the opportunity to plant seeds of their choice: squash, peas, corn, watermelon, or sunflowers. We will watch and observe as the seedlings change from day to day. The seeds were planted in clear cups, so the students will get to observe what is going on below the soil as well as above.

Students are also going to solve a mystery with the seedlings. Five cups were planted with “mystery seeds,” and five more were planted with the seeds identified. As the seedlings grow, the students will try to match the known seedlings with the mystery seedlings. You are welcome to try and match them yourself!

Community Salad Day

 

Our first Community Salad Day is here! We want to celebrate the wonderful produce the students have grown in the new garden. Please come join us from 11:00-1:00 on Thursday, May 16^th. We are asking that everyone bring a little something to add to the community salad (much like the story of Stone Soup). We welcome all edible roots, stems, leaves, seeds and flowers! If you are able to contribute to the salad, please bring your items Wednesday or Thursday morning.

Reminders/ Events

 

·         The Mother’s Day concert in Reid Park begins at 7:00. Take this opportunity to listen to some great live music and share time with your family!

o    www.tucsonpops.org for more info!

·         Mother’s Day celebrations for our class will be on May 14^th. The Lower El will be serving lunch and starting activities at 11:00. We hope you can make it! Father’s Day will be on the 22^nd at the same time.

·         May 15^th is an early release day. Please plan on picking your child up at 11:30. It will be another popcorn and pajama day, as we will be watching Charlotte’s Web, which we will finish reading next week.

·         Water day is on May 23^rd in the afternoon. Look for details in next week’s letter.

·         May 24^th is the final day of school. The ceremony will begin at the labyrinth at 9:00 AM. More information next week!

 

April 26, 2013

Staying Sharp

Next week will be May already, can you believe it? Testing is over are there are only 25 school days remain in the 2012-2013 school year, but that doesn’t mean your child’s learning should stop on the last day of school.  In order for your child to benefit the most from what they learned this year in school, it’s important that their minds remain active during the summer months. There are many different ways this can be done, however, a consistent schedule of 30-60 minutes of reading and math practice every day can make a huge difference in your child’s ability to retain knowledge.

In the purple folder is a summer learning idea sheet to give detailed suggestions on how to practice reading and math for the summer, but there are a couple of suggestions I would like to highlight:

·         Scholastic summer reading challenge: www.scholastic.com/summer

Your child’s username: ___________

Your child’s password:____________

·         Summer Express workbook to maintain your child’s learning over the summer. Workbooks are available through your classroom teacher for grades K-6. An order form is attached to the packet. Orders are due Monday, May 6.

·         Pima County or Santa Cruz County Library summer reading programs.

·         Simple, interactive, real-life applications of math and reading, such as buying things at the grocery store, making a recipe, etc.

Thank you!

Thank you very much to the parents who drove for the field trips and volunteered to clean and walk with us. Thank you also to those of you who donated items for the auction and Cookies for Cancer. The sign-up sheet for May will be up by Monday. Your support means so much to us. We wouldn’t be able to do it without you!

Reminders/ Events

·         Parent-teacher conferences are next Thursday and Friday, May 2^nd and 3^rd. If you have not already signed up for a time, please do so as soon as possible. If you have a scheduling challenge, please see Ms. Beth or Ms. Cori. Free child care is provided during your scheduled conference.

·         Due to parent-teacher conferences, May 2^nd and 3^rd are both early release days. Please plan on picking up your child at 11:30.

·         Don’t forget, the talent show will be tomorrow, Saturday, April 27, at the DeAnza RV Resort, at 2869 E. Frontage Rd., in Amado. The silent auction will run from 5:30 – 7:00 PM and the talent show will begin at 7:00 PM. If your child is performing in the talent show, they need to be at the RV Resort by 6:00 PM.

Please bring a dessert to share for the dessert bar. Hope to see you there!

·         This is the final opportunity to order books from Scholastic Book Clubs for this school year. Orders are due Monday, May 6.

April 19, 2013

One Week Down…

 

One more to go. Congratulations to the third graders who worked so hard this week on the AIMS testing!  Now that they are finished, third graders are going to the zoo on Monday. Please send them with walking shoes, a water bottle, a hat and a lunch in a paper sack.

Second graders have Stanford 10 testing on Monday and Tuesday. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and eats a good breakfast.

Looking Ahead

May and the summer are nearly upon us, so we are looking ahead to birthdays that fall in May, June or July. If your child has a birthday in one of these months and they want to celebrate with the class, please talk to Ms. Beth or Ms. Cori about setting up a day. The best week to do celebrations will be the week of May 6^th.

Reminders/ Events

 

·         Earth Day assignments are due on Monday!

·         There is no spelling next week due to testing.

·         Wednesday, April 24, is Spring Picture Day. It is also an early release day. Please plan on picking your child up promptly at 11:30. If you plan on ordering pictures, please make sure to send your child with the order form and payment.

·         Remember, Cookies for Cancer is on Friday! If you are planning on donating cookies towards the cause, please bring them by the end of the day on Thursday. Thank you!

·         Don’t forget, the talent show will be on Saturday, April 27 at the DeAnza RV Resort at 2869 E. Frontage Rd., in Amado. The silent auction will run from 5:30 – 7:00 PM and the talent show will begin at 7:00 PM. If your child is performing in the talent show, they need to be at the RV Resort by 6:00 PM.

·         The parent-teacher conference sign-up sheet for May 2^nd and 3^rd will be up by next Friday. Please keep an eye out for it.

·         A summer reading information sheet will be going home next Friday. Please take the time to read it carefully so we can discuss any questions at conferences.

·         Mark your calendars! Our annual Mother’s Day Celebration is coming up on May 14^th, and our Father’s Day Celebration will be on May 22^nd. There is also a Garden Salad party planned for May 16^th. More information will come as we get closer to the events.

It’s That Time of Year

Testing season has arrived and that means that second and third graders will be taking the Stanford 10 and AIMS tests. It is very important that 2^nd and 3^rd grade students are here on all testing days. We encourage all students to get plenty of rest, eat a good breakfast, and be on time to school, so that they are ready to do their best. Snack is being provided for testing student by parents who signed up. Thank you very much!

Third graders will be testing on Tuesday through Thursday next week (the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th of April). They, along with the upper elementary students, will be testing at the school, while the pre-K through 2^nd grade students take field trips around the community and to the Reid Park Zoo. The Zoo trip for the 1^st and 2^nd graders will be taking place on Tuesday. Please see the permission slip in the purple folder. We will need three or four 1^st and 2^nd grade parents to volunteer to drive. Please see the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.

Second graders will be testing on Monday and Tuesday of the following week (the 22^nd and 23^rd of April). They will also be testing at the school, while the 1^st and 3^rd graders will be sharing the pre-primary and upper elementary classrooms. That Monday, the 3^rd graders will have their turn to go to the zoo. We will need two drivers for the 3^rd grade trip. The sign-up sheet for the third grade trip will go up on Tuesday.

If you have any questions, please see Ms. Beth or Ms. Cori.

Earth Day

Earth Day is coming up on April 22^nd. We are planning to pick up trash and discuss ways we can take care of the Earth. As part of our efforts we want the children to practice looking at old things in new ways, so that they can recycle or “upcycle” different things. All students should make their own recycled or upcycled project and bring it in on April 22^nd to share with the class

Reminders/ Events

·         Wednesday, April 24, is Spring Picture Day. It is also an early release day. Please plan on picking your child up promptly at 11:30. If you plan on ordering pictures, please make sure to send your child with the order form and payment.

·         We are still taking item donations for our silent auction. Please see Ms. Carol if you think you can help.

·         Mark your calendars: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up on May 2^nd and 3^rd. The sign-up sheet will go up a week before conferences. If you know you have a scheduling conflict, please see Ms. Beth or Ms. Cori

·         Remember, the Timeline of Self assignment is due on Monday!

·         Permission slips and the $2 for the 1^st and 2^nd grade students’ field trips are due on Monday! Permission slips and $2 for 3^rd graders are due Friday, the 19^th.

·         The walk on April 19^th will be at 10:00

·         There will be no spelling for the next two weeks due to testing.

March 8, 2013

A Round of Applause!

Wow! The prehistoric animal reports and projects that came in to the classroom were fantastic! The students really showcased their creativity and diligence in their presentations. On Wednesday, the students had the opportunity to share their projects with the Upper Elementary, and they got a lot of positive feedback on both their information and their visual presentations.

Materials Needed

On our upcoming field trip, we hope to do a project involving empty plastic or glass jars.  We need at least 35 jars for every child to be able to participate in the activity and take home a finished product. If you have any old, clean, sauce or condiment jars (with lids!) that you can donate to our project, it would be greatly appreciated!

Community Snack

On Friday, March 15, we would like to let the children prepare their own snack again. We plan to do a “rainbow” fruit salad with St. Patrick’s Day coming up. A sign-up sheet for the fruit is on the bulletin board. Please bring the fruit on Thursday, March 14^th, so the children have an opportunity to prepare it. Thank you!

Reminders/ Events

• Auditions for the talent show will be announced at the end of March. Please be planning and practicing if you plan to participate.

• Spring Break is from March 23-31.  Classes will resume on April 1

• On March 22, our class will be taking a field trip to Madera Canyon. Please keep an eye out in next week’s purple folder for more information.

• Tucson Festival of Books is this weekend! For more information see their website at:
  www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org