January 8, 2016 Newsletter

Dear Parents,

Happy 2016!  I hope you are enjoying the New Year and all the cold weather we have been having!  I have enjoyed my first week back at school now that my maternity leave is over and have been impressed with the progress I have seen in the students.  Mrs. Marsh did a fabulous job bringing the students to where they are today and I am thankful for all she has done to make my transition back a smooth one.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time at home with my three boys but am thankful to be back to continue working with all of your children for the remainder of the school year!

It didn't take the children long to get back into a routine after their vacation.  They have been busy, as usual, and have been working very hard.  They have made chubby little snowmen and decorated snowmen to go along with Lois Ehlert's book, Snowballs.  They have finished working on two class big books about snowmen and what they wear in the snow.  These books will start circulating next week.  Please be sure to return all class books as soon as possible so we can send them home to different families!  The students have also written in their journals (we now encourage them to write a whole sentence) and have illustrated poetry.  We have been focusing more on sight words and have been playing a sight word memory game.  I would encourage you to work with your children on the sight words at home too for extra practice.

We will be starting our second unit in Fundations next week and will begin tapping out words.  We will also start practicing the uppercase letters soon.  The sheets I will send home next week and will continue to send home are for students to practice with at home.  They don’t have to come back to school although it’s fine if they do.

We have also begun learning about sea life in preparation for our trip to the New England Aquarium on February 2nd.  Information about this trip went home today.  Please let us know if you are interested in chaperoning for this field trip.  I will only be able to take a limited number of chaperones so I will pick names from a hat if necessary.  Please make sure to send the $12 to cover the cost of the trip when you are able to.

We will be having our Fish Day on Friday, January 29th.  Students will get to visit other Kindergarten classrooms to complete various fish projects.  We will need extra help that day.  I will let you know the exact times once they are confirmed.  If you are available and interested in helping, please let me know so I can put you on the schedule.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Melanie Duncan

PS… Please have your child bring in snow gear: boots, gloves or mittens, and hats.  When there is snow…the children will not be allowed to play in the snow without snow pants and boots.  The office informs us each day whether or not it is too cold to go outside so it is always wise to be prepared each day with warm clothes.  It would also be very helpful if you could have your child practice zipping his/her jacket, putting on his/her snow pants and boots, and keeping all gloves or mittens tucked safely in a sleeve or pocket.  You can probably imagine the challenge that it is to get fourteen Kindergarten students all suited up for outdoor recess in the wintertime!  It is also helpful to write your child’s name on each piece of clothing so they can be returned to them if they get lost.  Thank you!