Speech & Language:  This week we will practice /sh/. We will make "lacing shoes" and our snack of sugar cookies will be contributed by Dominic.

Sharing:  Tiggers (Be sure to look at the new February assignment!)

Welcome to February!  This slightly short but busy month begins with Ground Hog Day. This is a fun activity for the children and they look forward to watching the news to see if the Ground Hog sees his shadow!  We will make a special craft on Tuesday, the 2nd, to celebrate the ground hog.

Speech & Language:  This week we will be practicing the /fr/ blend. We will make a "frogs tongue" and our snack of fruit salad will be contributed by Weston.

Sharing:  This week the will be both the Tiggers and Piglets

Speech & Language:  This week we will be practicing the sound of the blend /bl/.  We will be making blocks and enjoy blueberries contributed by Connor!

Sharing:  This week the Eeyores will be sharing.  If your child is in the Winnie-the-Poohs and forgot their share last week, they may share this week as well.

Mindfulness:  We practice yoga, calming breathing and mindfulness in class as ways for the children to learn to manage their feelings/emotions and behavior.  I recently got this app for my phone and thought you might like to know about it. It is a great addition to Conscious Discipline and Second Step.   One-Moment Meditation.

Letter People:  Mr. M with his munchy mouth!  The children are improving in their fine motor skills (coloring) and both writing and reading words.  We are half-way through the alphabet and integrating Starfall, a listening center, printing practice and our Alphabet Picture-Dictionary books to reinforce letters, letter writing, letter sounds, letter combining to form basic consonant-vowel-consonant words and word recognition.  Of course all children are at different levels, some learning letters and sounds, others reading books on their own, but all children benefit from a solid foundation and time to practice literacy skills in a relaxed and fun format.

Dibels (Diagnostic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills):
This week we will complete this assessment which is conducted individually during class.  I will be assessing each student and you will receive a report with skills mastered and suggestions for helping your child improve in areas that skills are below the expected level.  This assessment is one of the ways we determine progress, but not the only way.  I also use my own assessments, the ESGI computer program assessments and observation.  Your enthusiastic support of your child's learning plays a big part in their success! 

Raz-Kids:  I am pleased to see so many children participating in the reading program and am sending feedback via the message center on the program, each week.  It is one way to encourage reading and to improve comprehension.

Schedule Change:  There has been a change in the Science Program schedule and we will now be going to science every other week on Thursdays after lunch beginning this week.

The 100th Day!  We will celebrate the 100th Day of School on February 9th.  Each child will have a 100th Day Collection project to bring in that day.  I will send home the materials the week before.  This is an exciting day that we have been anticipating and counting down since the first day of school!

Printer Ink:  We are running low on ink for our classroom printer.  This is not supplied by the school because it is not required for us to have a printer in our classroom.  I love it because it provides instant feedback for the children and I am able to print copies quickly if I need one or two extras, or we decide we want to do a little something extra.  If you are able to contribute a cartridge, we would appreciate it..  The cartridges are
Cannon 240 xl, (black) Cannon 241 xl. (color)


Here is our schedule for this week:
Monday:  Holiday/MLK Day
Tuesday:  Speech & Language, Art Trek
Wednesday: P.E., Planet Bravo, Second Step
Thursday:  Science
Friday:  Morning Assembly, Dance, Sharing, Library, Big Buddies


A big thank you to those of you able to help both in and out of the classroom!  You create a wonderful environment for the children and provide a great support for me too.
Mrs. W.