Valentine's Day Items

In the next few weeks, we will be using Valentine's candy during math. If you would like to donate, we specifically need Candy Hearts (as shown below). They can be in individual boxes or in one large bag. We will be classifying the candy by color and creating graphs. Of course, we will also get to eat them!!!

Run, Run, as Fast as You Can. You Can't Catch Me...

...I'm the Gingerbread Man! Today the Gingerbread Man will visit our class. Ask your child what happened! It is sure to be a day full of laughter as the Gingerbread Man escapes from our classroom, runs around the school, and even loses a few limbs. However, we will eventually catch and eat him! Pictures will be posted soon on my website under January pics.

A Great Way to End the Week!

This afternoon we explored some of our class Christmas presents from Angelina. Initially, each child received a small plastic ball. These balls were animals and dinosaurs that would expand once placed in water. They were all different colors and the kids didn't know what their colored ball would turn into until they placed them in the bucket of water. The students were so excited as they watched them expand. It was a fun way to end the school week!

Don't forget to find time this weekend to practice some of our kindergarten skills. If you look back on the blog from a few weeks ago, you will see many of the kindergarten skills listed. They are also on my website.

No school Monday, so see you Tuesday!

Union Pacific wants you to route the steam excursion!

Click on the Excursion Adventure picture to vote for the train to make its way through Dexter! We are less than 1,000 votes behind the winning route!

What's been going on?

We are back on track for our second half of the school year. The kids are busy working hard and are grasping concepts very quickly.

• Science: We have started studying life science. This means we have already learned animal and plant science. If we have time at the end of the year, we will go back and do more experiments related to plants and animals. Our final unit will be physical science, and we should begin that in a few months.
• Math: Every Monday we take time to write to 100. Many of the kids have made it to 160! If the child makes it to 100, he gets to add a sticker to his sticker chart. If he fills up both the front and back side of the handwriting paper (usually to 160), he gets two stickers on his sticker chart. When he fills up his chart, he gets a prize! Hopefully, the stickers are incentives to the kids to work hard and make it to 100! However, if your child does not write to 100 in class, she may finish it at home and return it to school the next day. Then, your child will still get a sticker on her chart. Also, if you practice at home, your child should be able to write to 100 by herself within 30-40 minutes. If she can not do that, keep practicing! She will get it!
• Reading: Keep practicing those sight words. At first quarter conference I gave each of you sight word flash cards. Please practice these as you have time. You would be amazed how much easier it is for your child to read when she knows a few extra sight words. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Things to Practice over Break

Things to Practice

Identifying and writing numbers 1-100 (without a guide)

Identifying a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter and what it’s worth

Recognize geometric shapes in student’s environment
(dice= cube, ball=sphere, soda can= cylinder)

Telling time to the hour

Sounding out/blending three letter words (i.e. cat, pig, Pam, etc)

Practicing sight word flash cards until all have been mastered

Naming numbers 1-31 (parent writes a number and student can name it)

Writing sentences that include capitals and periods

Reading the nightly reading book and weekly phonics readers until they are read fluently

Christmas Party Day!

Today has already been a fun-filled day! We are about to watch The Polar Express and enjoy hot chocolate. Later on, we will have our party, eat all of our treats, and they will get to open their gifts from me. Thank you to those that sent gifts for me and gifts for the class. The kids were excited about each one of them and were happy I could receive some gifts too. They are already asking to play with some of the games and toys the parents sent today. I know it will be great to start out the second part of our year with new things to do! You all are so generous, and it is such a blessing to have caring and supportive parents. Also, I have been receiving some "Secret Words" here at school. Be looking for another one after break! Enjoy your Christmas and Remember the Reason for the Season. :)

Love- Mrs. McGarity

Secret Word Reminder

Don't forget...the secret word is look. Have your child write it three times on a piece of paper, along with his/her name, and bring it to school. Your child will get a small treat for doing this. :)

Letters to Santa

The students wrote letters to Santa last week. I have typed them up exactly as they were written and they will be published in local newspapers. Also, I have told the kids that I will be emailing the letters to Santa, so they will get to bring home the actual letters they wrote. I hope you enjoy them and keep them for years to come. Here are the letters, as they will appear in the newspaper:

Der Satu,
I wot a Noo DS and a Pupe that walks! I have bin god at Scol!
Love,
Kaylee

Der Santu,
I wat a Beyblades Launcher and a Hotwels Ras Trac! I like yo!
Luv,
Tristan

Dear Santa,
I want a Fier Breven Dragin and a Haw to Tran Your Draggan Play Set and a little Jon Daeer Gatoor!
Love,
Joel

Der Situ,
I wot a Iron Men Set and a Gtor and Brd Gams! I ben gid at scl!
Lovu,
Gabriel

Der Santu,
I wut Nrf Guns and a For Welr! I like a Rasr Drifter to!
Love, Hunter

Der Santu,
I wut a Razr Driftr ad Bakugans! I am a good boy.
Lov,
Tucker

Der Sant,
I wuld like a Nuo Car an a Citjun! I like yoo Santu!
Luv,
Leslie

Der Satu,
I wut Beyblades Launcher and Battl Set!
Luv,
Zach

Dir Sant,
I like Papr Gam and a Batl Set! I have bin a god boy!
Lv,
Trey

Der Santu,
I wunt a Fur Real Friends, a Barbie, and a Sit and Spin!
Love You,
Deandrianna

Der Santu,
I wunth Papr Jamz, Aqua Sand, and a Magic Fabric!
Love you santa!
Giana

Der Santu,
I wut Nrf Gns ad a Pikup Truk! I like a Razr Driftr.
Luv,
Nathan

Der Santa,
I wat a Nrf Blastr and gatr golf. I wat a Unicorn ????,
Love, Caitlin

Der Santu,
I wunth Paper Jamz, Aqua Sand, and a Magic Fabric!
I love you Santa,
Gabby

Der Santu,
I wunt a Barbe Swim Pool and Barbe Townhwse!
Lucenda

Dir Santu,
I wt a Video Camru an Mome Wolcg Gigl Dog! I am exsit for Crismas!
Lve,
Draven

Der Sant,
I like Toy Stre Cr and a Bayblads Batl Control!
Lv,
Braedon

Dir Santu,
I wat a Dans Gam and a Dol with a Kamr! I love u Santu!
Love,
Angelina

Dir Santu,
I like Papr Jams and a Rolr Kostr! I am a god boy!
Luv,
Logan

Nightly Reading Books

Don't forget--I will log when I read with your child on the back of his/her behavior log (either on M/W or T/Th). Please note when you read with your child on the back of the behavior log also. Please place the decodable reader in your child’s blue folder every night. This way it will be there for us to practice in class. Thanks for your help!

December Book Order

If you are ready to order from Scholastic for this month, go ahead and visit the Scholastic website and take a look around. I will be sending the paper book order form home Monday and it will be due back in class or online by December 10th (Friday). If I get the class orders submitted on that Friday, we will have them before the kids leave for Christmas break. Also, if you are ordering items for your child that are for a surprise Christmas gift, send me a note or an email, and I will keep the Christmas items in my classroom until you can pick them up from school.

Here is the information to access the website:
1. SIGN UP at www.Scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Don't have a User Name and Password?" link, then register for your own username and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation: GQVPR . This code ensures that your order is sent to me. Or LOGIN at the link above with the username and password you created for the September book order.
2. SELECT the books you would like to order from over 500 titles available online...and take advantage of online-only specials and discounts.
3. SUBMIT your order to me online by the due date. Your credit card payment will go directly to Scholastic’s secure server, and the books you ordered will be delivered directly to our classroom for your child to take home.

Communication Arts Skills for Second Quarter

These are the communication arts (reading, writing, language) skills your child should have mastered before we leave for Christmas break. Please be practicing these at home.

* New this Quarter
1. Sight Words (see complete list below)
2. Color Words
3. Write First and Last Name (capitalize and spell correctly)
4. Write Letters
5. Identify all Letters of the Alphabet
6. Letter Sounds
*7. On a Book…locate title, pictures, author and illustrator

Math Skills to Practice

These are the math skills your child should have mastered before we leave for Christmas break. Please be practicing these at home.

Second Quarter Math Skills
* New this Quarter
1. AB Patterns
2. Positional Words
(above, below, front, behind)
3. One-to-One Number Correspondence
4. Recognizing Written Numerals
5. Counting
6. Shapes
(triangle, square, circle, oval, hexagon, rectangle, diamond, trapezoid, rhombus)
*7. Coins: Penny and Nickel (identify and know value)
*8. Sort Objects
(size and other attributes)
*9. Describe Passage of Time
(today, tomorrow, yesterday)

School website is updated!

I have updated my Bernie school website with pictures from November. Click on the link at the top, right hand side of the blog to go directly to my site.

Stockings

If you did not get a chance to decorate the stocking over break, it is not too late! Just send it to school as soon as you get it finished. We already have some neat ones hanging in the hallway, and the kids really enjoy looking at each others creations. The kids have been very creative on their designs! Great job so far! I am looking forward to seeing many more good stockings.

Thanskgiving Break-- Stocking Activity

Don't forget about Thanksgiving Break. It is November 24th-26th (Wed-Fri). I have sent home a large red stocking and would like for you to decorate the stocking with your child over break. Be creative and use items from around your house (candy, beads, crayons, glitter, markers, stickers, noodles, ribbon, cotton, etc) to make the stocking unique. Please send these back to school on Monday the 29th so I can display them in the hallway. I hope to see some creative stockings.

American Education Week

American Education Week
"Bernie Schools: Where Everyone's A Super Star!"

November 14-20 is American Education Week, and we will be recognizing this week with different daily activities.

Tuesday
Nov. 16-- Dress up as your Super Star Hero Day!
Send your child dressed as his/her favorite super star or hero (Spiderman, Hannah Montana, etc).

Wednesday
Nov. 17-- "Let Your Super Star Shine" and do something nice or kind.
We will be collecting winter wear (gloves, hats, etc). The class that collects the most items wins a popcorn party.

Thursday
Nov. 18-- "Everyday Hero Super Star"
Decorate or put the name of your personal hero on a star to hang in the hallway. (These will be made at school.)

Friday
Nov. 19--"Super Star Spirit Day"
Students and teachers will wear Bernie Spirit shirts.

New Nightly Homework Assignment

Next week your child will begin bringing home a short decodable reader (a small book with color pictures and about eight pages). These decodable readers are in addition to the black and white phonics reader sent home once a week. Your child is supposed to read the decodable reader for homework nightly until it can be read fluently with no errors. I will be splitting the students into two groups, and your child will either read with me every Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs. As each book is mastered, s/he will receive a more advanced book to read. I will log when I read with your child on the back of his/her behavior log. Please note when you read with your child on the back of the behavior log also. Please place the decodable reader in your child’s blue folder every night. This way it will be there for us to practice in class. Thank you for helping your child learn to read!

Scarecrow Ice Cream Cones

Thank you to those parents that were willing to donate supplies for our scarecrow ice cream cones. I received an abundant supply, and I even have extra. With the extra we will do doing another fun activity! Don't worry, nothing will get wasted! We can always use what you send!

However, we are running low on snacks. We still have juices, but we need a fresh supply of other snacks. Recently, parents have donated cereal bars, granola bars, fruit snacks, teddy grahams, cheese crackers, chips, cookies, and so much more. Basically, the class will eat anything you send! :)

Veteran's Day

Remember: No school on Thursday in honor of Veteran's Day. However, we will be having school on Friday. Please remember to send your child to school in his/her Bernie Blue on Friday.

Also, the kindergarten shirts are being printed and will be picked up later this week. I will send them home with your child as soon as I get them.

Fall Festivities Update

It has been a while since I last posted. Here is a recap of what has been going on in our classroom:

Painted Pumpkins

Right before conferences, the kids had the opportunity to paint their own pumpkins. These were actually small gourds shaped liked pumpkins, but the kids had fun getting messy and creating their "masterpiece" as one student called it!

Fall Festival

On Monday, October 25th, our students participated in a Kindergarten Fall Festival. We had many fun activities that included face painting, sack races, Halloween story time, marshmallow ghosts, paper ghosts, pin the nose on the witch, and witch hands. We had tons of parent volunteers to help make the event a success. It was a memorable day for all of the kindergarteners.

Book It:

Pizza Hut has a reading incentive program called “Book It.” The idea for this program is that the teacher sets a monthly goal for each student in reading, and if the student reaches the monthly goal, s/he receives a coupon for a free personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut. Every student received a Book-It coupon on Monday for their effort in October. Enjoy your free pizzas!

Kindergarten T-Shirts:

The picture below is the final design for the t-shirts. The large design with the paint splash will be on the back of each shirt, and the small design on the bottom (white hand print with "Bernie Kindergarten Class of 2023") will be on the front "pocket" area. We should be getting those shirts sometime next week. If you ordered one, be looking for it in your child's backpack very soon! Don't forget to have your child wear his/her shirt on Bernie Blue days!

School Website:

Hopefully, pictures from October will be posted on my school website by the end of this week. The update will also include the October newsletter and second quarter skills to practice.

New Video!

Exciting news!!! I have posted an updated video of the kindergarten kids. It is on the right side of this blog and includes pictures from August until now. If you click on the bottom, right-hand side of the video where you see the square, the video will go to full screen. Enjoy!

New Slideshow Coming Soon

I am working on updating the slideshow on the right-hand column of this blog. Right now, those are my kids from last year. Soon I will have a new video from this year's kindergarten kids. Keep a watch for it! It should be on here around the last week of October.

Picture Retakes

October 14th is picture retake day. If your child missed school or there is something wrong with the picture you received, please have your child get his/her picture remade on the 14th.

Blue Folder (October 11)

There is a lot to look at in your child's blue folder tonight.

Please make note of the:

1. Scholastic Information

(Orders due this Friday, Oct 15 before 3 pm)

2. Conference Information and Sign-Up Sheet

(Please return ASAP to get the time slot of your choice.)