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Dear families, This has felt like a very short week! Thank you to all of the parents who "hiked" with us on Monday for the Hike Through History. We had great weather and the children seemed to enjoy the model trains. Remember that there is no school tomorrow &endash; Friday May 25th &endash; so here are some things to ask your child about from the three days we were in the classroom this week: Celebrated Super Stars Brooke (AM) and Abe (PM) Practiced our songs and poems again for graduation &endash; they are sounding wonderful! Completed a few more end-of-the-year assessments Handwriting letters Ss and Tt
Next week: Specials: Tuesday May 29-day 4-no special Wednesday May 30-day 5-PE *wear sneakers* Thursday May 31-day 1- Field trip day - no special Friday June 1-day 2-music
Field trip to the Children's Museum in Portsmouth Thursday May 31st BUSSES WILL BE LEAVING AT 8:30 AM and 12:30 PM SO PLEASE HAVE YOUR CHILD HERE ON TIME! Remember that volunteers may meet us at the museum and pay $5.00 to get in. Please let me know ahead of time if you plan on going so that I can know how many adults to plan on having with us. Thank you!
Ice Cream Smorgasbord Thursday May 31st from 6:00 &endash; 8:30 pm at Central School Information about tickets went home today!
Once again, some dates to note: May 25 & 28 No School May 31 Kindergarten field trip to Portsmouth Children's Museum May 31 Ice Cream Smorgasbord June 8 BIKE AND WALK TO SCHOOL DAY 8:30 AM and 2:30 PM Assembly-Volunteer Recognition June 13 Field Day (rain date June 14th) June 15 Kindergarten Graduation 9:15 AM and 1:00 PM at Central School gym June 18 Last Day for PM Kindergarten and PreK June 19 Last Day of School - Early Release PTO Central Celebration on the front lawn (after school)
February 16, 2007 Dear families, Finally, a snow day! I'm sure your children were excited to get the day off. Here are some things to keep in mind for when we return from vacation on February 26th: We will celebrate Kindergarten Super Stars Lily (AM) and Kyle (PM) Our specials will be PE on Monday (day 5 - bring sneakers!), music on Wednesday (day 2), and art on Thursday (day 3). Notice that these have shifted by a day due to the snow day this week. We will spend some time focusing on the stories of Dr. Seuss and rhyming. Have your child think about which Dr. Seuss book is his/her favorite. I would like to extend my thanks to all families that have helped in our collection for the food pantry food drive. Our class collected 277 containers of baby food and the grand total for Kindergarten was 882. That is amazing! Also, I would like to thank all of you who sent in supplies and snacks for our Valentine's Day party. The children really enjoyed themselves. It's fun to watch how excited they get. A note for PM Kindergarten families - To cut back on the congestion during the PM dismissal, Kindergarten walkers are now being dismissed AFTER the walkers in grades 1-3. This also gives us more time to get ready because our specials end at 2:45 pm and it has been a struggle to get everyone ready on time. Thank you for your patience. I know it has been really cold out there on some days! I hope all of you enjoy a wonderful week. For those of you that are traveling, travel safely. I will see you again on Monday February 26.
Karen Ames kames@msad35.net 384-2333 voicemail ext. 234 February 9, 2007 Dear families, We've had another wonderful week! The children have really been working hard and always seem eager to try new challenges. Here are some things to ask your child about this week: Celebrating Kindergarten Super Star Matthew (AM) and Madison (PM) - **remember that we will be skipping next week and will return to our next Super Stars after vacation (when we celebrate Lily and Kyle) Hearts mini-book - have your child read to you and tell which word they highlighted Decorated Valentine bags using a marble and paint! 100th day of school! - ask about the activities we did using the number 100 Specials: Next week we have music on Tuesday (day 2), art on Wednesday (day 3), and PE on Friday (day 5 - remember sneakers!)
Upcoming Dates to Remember: Wednesday February 14th - 100th day food drive celebration - 2:00 pm in the gym - This is the day that will wrap up our food drive collection (current baby food count for our classroom is 260!) The children will sing songs and representatives from the food pantry will be there to accept the donations from all of Central School. Each classroom will have a display to show how much we have collected together. Wednesday February 14th - Valentine's Day- We will have a small Valentine's Day party on February 14th. Children have decorated bags to hold Valentine cards. If you would like to send in Valentine's, I ask that you send one for every child. If you need another class list please let me know. Also, if you could send in Valentines by Tuesday Feb. 13, they could be passed out ahead of time so the children have plenty of time to open them in class on the 14th. I am still in need of the following supplies for our party on Valentine's Day. If you would like to send in one of the following items, please let me know. Thank you! AM: one snack for 17 students, juice boxes PM: plates, napkins Monday February 19 - Friday February 23 - No school - February Vacation
January 19, 2007 Dear families, It feels as though winter has finally hit us. Thank you for dressing your children appropriately for the weather. Our baby food collection for the food pantry, in conjunction with the 100th day of school, has been extremely successful so far. Our classroom has already collected 161 jars and boxes of baby food! That is amazing - thank you so much for your support! (Kindergarten total: 565) Here are some things to ask your child about this week: Handwriting page forming the letter Cc A picture sort finding words that begin with C - can you think of more at home? Number book forming numbers 6 and 7 Celebrated our first Kindergarten Super Stars (Zackery in the AM and Zachary in the PM). Ask about the Super Star name puzzle, making a book for the Super Star, and counting what was in the estimating jar. Specials - Next week we will have music on Tuesday (day 2), art on Wednesday (day 3), and PE on Friday (day 5 - remember sneakers!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are some upcoming important dates to remember: Early Release - Friday February 2 February vacation - February 19 - 23 Have a great weekend and stay warm!
Karen Ames kames@msad35.net 384-2333 voicemail ext. 234 Dear Families, Over the next several months, our class will be celebrating each student as an individual, family member, and as a member in our Kindergarten community. Each student will be assigned a week. Please see the attached list for the date that your child will be the Super Star. On the Friday before your child's designated week, he/she will take home a bag. In this bag you will find an estimating jar and a traveling Family Journal. On Monday, your child should return the bag with five show and tell items to share with the class throughout the week. Please try not to allow your child to bring in more than five items. The items that your child chooses to bring into the class will hopefully tell us something about who they are, what they enjoy doing, and give us a little insight about them as an individual and as a family member. Family Journal: You will be supplied with a page for our Family Journal. This page should be returned no later than Thursday of your child's week, as that is the day we will share it. The page, of course, is blank so use your imagination. I suggest that you and your child look through family photos, do some illustrations, and use items that say something about your child and family. The finished product will become a part of the family journal and will travel along with the next Super Star. Don't forget to put your family's name on the page and enjoy the activity! All About Me Page: In the front pocket of the Family Journal, I have included an "All About Me" page for your child to fill out. This is another way for your child's classmates to learn something more about the Super Star. If your child can fill in parts on his own, great! If not, please help! We will share this at the start of the week so please try to have it completed by Monday. Estimating Jar: Fill the jar with something fun to estimate and count. Please do not put more than 100 items into the jar! The jar should be returned no later than Wednesday of your child's week. Favorite Book: If your child would like to bring in their favorite book to share with the class, that would be GREAT! Snack: Finally, we would love for each family to send in a healthy snack once during the week. Things like pretzels, goldfish crackers, vegetables and dip, etc. make nice snacks. I would like to try to avoid lots of sweets like cookies or cupcakes. (The sweets are ok for a birthday but every week will be too much.) Please let me know in advance the day you would like to send in a snack, if you choose to do so. Throughout the week, your son / daughter will be involved in various other activities centered on them. Ask your child what they are doing at school and I know they will love to share with you! If you have any questions, please give me a call or send me a note or email. I look forward to the coming months and learning even more about this great Kindergarten class! Thank you in advance, Karen January 5, 2007 Dear families, Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed a nice relaxing holiday season. I think the children got the break they needed and have come back to school this week ready to learn. Here are some of the things they have worked so hard on this week: Handwriting page forming the letter Aa Number book forming numbers 2 and 3 (0 and 1 were done before vacation) Talked about and wrote words that begin with the letter A Explored different ways to use dominoes Began using whiteboards during circle time to practice writing days of the week, the month, weather, and numbers Specials - Next week we will have music on Monday (day 2), art on Tuesday (day 3), and PE on Thursday (day 5 - remember sneakers!) Here are some upcoming important dates to remember: Early Release - Tues. Jan. 9 - See attached note for details! January book order due next Friday January 12 No school Monday January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Watch your child's backpack next week for information about celebrating Kindergarten Super Stars! Have a great weekend. Karen Ames
Teacher Workshop The kindergarten team will be attending a conference on Monday the 11th. Substitutes will be provided.
Holiday Collection/Animal Refuge League As the holidays approach us, we spend time in class discussing the joy of sharing. This year we will be focusing on animals in need. As a class, we will discuss the positive ways in which shelters provide care for domestic animals.
We will be supporting the local shelters by collecting supplies and goodies, such as: canned cat and dog food, rabbit food, bird seed and kitty litter. For a complete list of supplies needed, please log onto the Animal Refuge League web site www.arlgp.org.
In addition to these donated items, we will also be making "animal treats" in class on Friday the 15th. Each student will travel to all three classrooms to complete each activity. We will need several volunteers in each class on this day along with the following supplies:
* In Mrs. Arbelo's class, the students will be making dog biscuits. We will need the following items : 2 bags of whole wheat flour, 2 containers of baking soda, 4 jars of chunky natural peanut butter.
* In Mrs. Ames' class, the students will be making bird seed treats. We will need the following items: large pine cones, 4 large jars of peanut butter, 2 bags of bird seed.
* In Mrs. Dell Isola class, the students will be making kitty grass. We will need 1 large bag of annual seed grass, square plastic container(with lids) and 1 bag of potting soil.
Families may begin sending in donations on Tuesday the 12th. If you would like to donate a item from the supply list or volunteer on the 15th, please send in a note. Thank you in advance!!!
Pajama Party/Polar Express On Friday, December the 22nd, in lieu of a holiday celebration or gift exchange, the kindergarten classes will be hosting a pajama /movie(Polar Express) party, with cookies and hot cocoa as a special treat. We are in need of volunteers to send in cookies, hot chocolate and holiday napkins and Styrofoam cups. If you would like to donate an item, please send me a note. Please no stuffed animals, blankets or other toys on this day. Please feel free to e-mail me or send a note if you have any questions or concerns. ENJOY THE SEASON!!! December 15, 2006 Dear families, Wow! The time sure has flown by and I really don't know how we are already on our 67th day of school. We have been working hard this week, even with all of the excitement of the holidays on our minds. Here are some things to ask your child about this week: Mini-book called "The Snowy Day" - we highlighted the question mark on each page Began a list of items we have collected for the Animal Refuge League. Our totals so far: hard cat food-2 bags, soft cat food-32 cans, hard dog food-1 bag, soft dog food-5 cans, toys-2, treats-2 We will continue our collection until next Friday December 22nd. Remember that a full list of items needed can be found on the Animal Refuge League web site www.arlgp.org Traveled to each Kindergarten classroom to make a treat for animals. Which was their favorite - dog bones, kitty grass, or bird seed treats? Please note for next week: Specials- art on Monday (day 3), PE on Wednesday (day 5 - remember sneakers!!!), and music on Friday (day 2) Kindergarten's pajama movie day - Friday December 22nd - Wear your favorite pajamas (if you want to!) so that we can be nice and cozy as we watch The Polar Express together. Thank you to the families that sent in cocoa and napkins and those that have told me they will send in cookies. The only thing we are missing is styrofoam cups.
December 1, 2006 Dear families, Welcome to December! What strange weather we've had. Thank you for dressing your children appropriately. Generally, I try to get the classes outside on the days that we have no special (day 1 and 4). I hope that helps!
Here are some things to ask your child about that we have done this week: This week we did LOTS of rhyming activities. We are getting really good at it! A good activity to practice at home would be to say a word and ask your child to think of a word that rhymes with it.
We enjoyed several "How Do Dinosaurs..." stories and voted on which was our favorite. (We read "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?", "...Eat Their Food?", and "...Get Well Soon?")
Practice counting out 20 objects and writing numbers to 20
Sounding out words and writing in our writing folders
Specials - Next week we will have art on Monday (day 3), PE on Wednesday (day 5), and music on Friday (day 2).
Here are some upcoming important dates to remember:
Friday December 8 - report cards sent home Tuesday December 12 - 3rd Grade performs The Nutcracker Friday December 22 - Kindergarten pajama movie day (more details next week)
November 17, 2006 Dear families, Rain, rain, go away! I hope that the weather clears up this weekend so that everyone can get outside and get some fresh air! We've had a long and busy week at school. Here are some things to ask your child about that we have done this week: Completed materials for a story retelling of "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly". Have your child practice telling you the story at home. Sorted pictures by the beginning sound (P,T, R). You could try this at home with magazine pictures, too. Made and read the mini-book "Pick Up The Toys". Have your child read it to you again at home. Used star stickers to "trace" over our names. It looks beautiful hanging in our classroom! Specials - Next week we will have music on Tuesday (day 2). When we return from Thanksgiving break, Monday will be a day 3 (art), then PE will be on Wednesday (day 5) and music on Friday (day 2). Here are some upcoming important dates to remember: No School - Thanksgiving Break - November 22,23,24 Just in case you were not aware of our school's web page, we are located on the web at www.msad35.net/central You can see my weekly newsletter there (and many great links to school events and other important information). Finally, with next week being just two days, I will not be sending home another letter so enjoy your Thanksgiving! kames@msad35.net 384-2333 voicemail ext. 234 November 9, 2006 Dear families, Here are some upcoming important dates to remember: Thanksgiving Break - November 22,23,24 Here are some things to ask your child about that we have done this week: Began making materials for a story retelling of "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly". We have read several versions of this story already. Sorted pictures by how many syllables are in the word. This would be great to practice at home with names or words. We used our writing folders for the first time. We will try to use these once or twice each week. (This week the children drew a picture and tried writing words they knew or sounds they heard when labeling their drawing.) Specials - Because we have no school tomorrow and the specials run on a rotating 5-day schedule, the day that we have our specials will shift a bit. Next week we will have music on Tuesday (day 2), art on Wednesday (day 3) and PE will be on Friday (day 5). I know I have had some families asking if we need any materials for the classroom. We do! I am in need of 3 or 4 packages of self- adhesive multicolored stars. (The package will either call them star labels or foil stars.) I have a project planned for the class but cannot complete it until we have enough stars for all children in both sessions! Also, if anyone would like to send in another large container of goldfish, pretzels, crackers, etc. we are beginning to run low. Thank you so much! Have a great long weekend! Karen Ames
October 20, 2006 Dear families, Here are some upcoming important dates to remember: Kindergarten Pumpkin Week - Oct. 23-27 **If you have not sent in your child's pumpkin yet, please send it Monday** Here are some things to ask your child about that we have done this week: Made jack-o-lanterns using pattern block stencils Attended a bus safety presentation Practiced lots of rhyming through rhyming puzzle cards, a picture sort, and a rhyming bingo game Practiced writing first and last names using lowercase letters and only using uppercase for the first letter of each name Specials - next week's specials will be music on Monday (day 2), art on Tuesday (day 3) and PE on Thursday (day 5 - remember sneakers!) Thank you to all of the parents that attended parent-teacher conferences. It was nice to meet with so many of you. If you did not have a conference with me, I have sent home to you the materials that I handed out during each conference. Please remember to let me know if you will be volunteering for pumpkin carving next Friday or if you will be sending in a pumpkin snack for that day. Enjoy a wonderful weekend! Karen Ames kames@msad35.net 384-2333 voicemail ext. 234
October 17, 2006 Dear families, Here are some upcoming important dates to remember: Daytime parent-teacher conferences tomorrow Wed. Oct. 18 Evening parent-teacher conferences Thursday Oct. 19 Kindergarten "Pumpkin Week" October 23-27 **See info. below** Pumpkin Week Kindergarten will be celebrating "Pumpkin Week" next week (Oct. 23-27), This is a week of fun activities based on pumpkins. We learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin, we create a book about a pumpkin's week at school, and we incorporate pumpkins into our math, reading, and writing. The Kindergarten teachers ask that you send in a pumpkin for your child to use throughout the week. You may bring it this Friday (the 20th) or Monday the 23rd so that it is here for your child to use for our first pumpkin activity on Monday. Please limit it to no more than 10 pounds so that it is easy for your child to handle. (A five pound pumpkin is usually just the right size.) We will be carving our pumpkins on Friday the 27th. Last year we found that we had a lot of difficulty carving the "pie pumpkins". The shells were much harder than the other types of pumpkins so please avoid choosing those when you pick out your pumpkin for school!! I have a couple of volunteers already scheduled for Friday October 27 but it always helps to have extra hands on carving day. If you are interested in volunteering that day, I would need you between 9:00 - 10:30 AM or 1:00 - 2:30 pm. Send me a note, email or phone call if you are interested in joining us that day. Finally, on Friday of pumpkin week, I like to have a variety of pumpkin snacks for the children to eat. In the past, these have included pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin whoopie pies, and even pumpkin ice cream! If you would like to send in a snack for that day, please tell me ahead of time so that we do not have duplicates. Thank you! Have a great week, Karen Ames
kames@msad35.net 384-2333 voicemail ext. 234
September 21, 2006 Dear families, Here are some upcoming important dates to remember: Picture day tomorrow Friday Sept. 22 Open house Tuesday Sept. 26 - 5:30 - 7:00 pm Get volunteer sign-up slips to me by Monday September 25 Here are some things to ask your child about that we have done so far this week: Mini-book "Time for School" - we will be making several mini books this year in Kindergarten. Please find a safe place to keep these so that your child may use them to practice reading!!! Matching pattern blocks worksheet Decorated a cutout person to look like ourselves for a class book Sand table Specials - next week's specials will be PE on Tuesday (day 5 - remember sneakers!), music on Thursday (day 2), and art on Friday (day 3) Thank you to those families that sent in some classroom snacks. We should be all set for a while! Remember to keep sending in those healthy snacks each day in your child's backpack so that we can save the classroom snacks for the children who forget to bring a snack one day. That will help make them last longer. Thank you! Enjoy a wonderful weekend and the first day of fall on Saturday! Karen Ames kames@msad35.net 384-2333 voicemail ext. 234
September 15, 2006 Dear families, We made it through our first full week of Kindergarten! At the end of each week, I will try to send home a brief letter filling you in on some of the things we did during the week. Hopefully the items that I list will encourage your child to think about his/her week and fill in some more details for you. Here are some things to ask your child about this week:
Thank you for the great response to this month's book order! Our class has earned enough points already to get at least eight to ten new books for our classroom. The books should arrive in a couple of weeks. I will be sending information home next week about volunteering in the classroom. I would like to begin my volunteer schedule the first week of October. If you do plan on volunteering for me this year, I will need to know which days you are available and how often you would like to come in (once a week, twice a month, etc.). There will be a space for you to fill in your availability on the paper I send home next week. Have a great weekend, Karen Ames
kames@msad35.net 384-2333 voicemail ext. 234 |
