STOCKINGS:

 

This afternoon, you will find a plain red stocking in your child's folder.  Over Thanksgiving break, please help your son/daughter decorate this stocking with items from around the house.  This project is optional, but I hope you will take a few moments to complete the activity over the next few days.      

Items that have been used in the past:

*crayons/markers

*cotton balls

*cereal

*candy

*glitter

*wrapping paper

*small beads

*stickers

Please have the completed stocking back at school on Monday, December 2^nd.  Also, be sure to incorporate your child’s name into the stocking design so we will be able to identify it.  These stockings will be displayed in our hallway during the month of December.  Thank you for participating!

 

CHRISTMAS PROJECTS:

 

During the next three weeks, our classroom will be busy with Christmas activities and projects!  We will be making a Tasty Christmas Tree, enjoying Polar Express Day, and so much more!  There are a lot of items we need to make these projects successful and enjoyable for your child.  These items include: 

Hot Cocoa Mix (in large 20 oz container)

Small Foam Cups

Mini Marshmallows

Waffle Cones (to decorate as Christmas Trees)

Mini or Original M&Ms

Tub of Icing (Green if available, if not get white)

WRITING:

Now that we have finished working on forming our letters with the Handwriting Without Tears program we have begun more independent writing. Most recently the students have been writing one sentence about a topic of interest and drawing a picture to match the sentence.  We have also been working on our letters to Santa this week and hopefully will finish those tomorrow. I will be emailing Santa each child's letter, which allows them to bring their letters home for you to enjoy and see how well they are doing in writing. The kids know I am emailing Santa and are excited to get to show their letters to their parents! If you want to mail the letters to Santa once you receive them, feel free! :)  Please be practicing sentence writing at home using sight words and sounding out any words s/he does not know. Thank you for your help!

MISS BERNIE:

 

The 62^nd Annual Miss Bernie Pageant will be held Friday, December 7 in the school cafeteria.  Mrs. Williams has been directing this pageant for the past several years.  All proceeds from the pageant go to supplies for our kindergarten classrooms and our PAT program. We use the money for classroom projects, last minute items for lessons or special occasions (ex. small supplies for the PAT Booth at the Bernie Fall Festival or items not donated for certain classroom events), special snacks, and so much more! If you would like to enter your child or know someone that does want to enter, please email me and request an application and send it back to me with the entry fee for that age category.  If not, please come out support our kindergarten and PAT programs by being a spectator and cheering on the contestants!

REMINDERS:

 - The food drive for the local food pantry is going on this week.  Please send in cans or boxed items to be donated to the less fortunate. 

- November 18-22 is American Education Week.  All week the students are encouraged to donate "Bucks to Better Kids' Futures." All donations will go to the Stoddard County Children's Home.  Also, this Friday is "Career Day." The students are encouraged to dress up as their chosen profession. 

SANTA AT THE BANK:

 We will be visiting Santa at the bank on Friday, December 6th.  A permission form will come home with your child this afternoon. 

HOMEWORK:
Your child will bring home at least one book per week to practice. These are simple, one page, front and back, paper books that should be practiced nightly. The books emphasize our weekly sight words and help your child become more familiar with them. So far, our sight words have been I, AM, THE, LITTLE, TO, A, HAVE, IS, WE, MY, LIKE, HE and FOR.

NOUNS!
We have been busy learning about nouns.  Ask you child to tell you what a noun is and to give you examples.  Check out this fun youtube video to reinforce the skill. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcXy6_Mqe54

NAME WRITING:
Please work with your child on writing his/her first and last name with a capital letter at the beginning and the rest of the letters lowercase. We use the Handwriting without Tears method for writing our letters. This teaches them to always start their letters at the top and gives catchy rhymes to help the students remember how to properly form each letter. This method helps the students develop neat handwriting. Earlier in the school year I sent home a form that gave directions on how to form each letter and number following the Handwriting without Tears format. Please reference that form when working with your child. Thanks for your help and enjoy your time as you help your child! Handwriting takes a lot of patience with little kids! Good luck!

TOM THE TURKEY!
Wow! You guys created some wonderful disguises for our turkeys. I will post pictures of them at the end of this month. Thank you for your hard work. The kids would stand in the hallway and stare at them forever if I would let them. :) They don't seem to get tired of the creative outfits the turkeys are wearing.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS:
Orders are due in class or online by Friday, November 8th.

Online Ordering Information
Web address: http://www.scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GQVPR

Remember, Christmas is coming soon! If your entire order or only part of your order is for a Christmas gift, please write me a note.  I will contact you when the order arrives, and we can set up a time to meet so that your child does not see the gift.