Week of 5/13

Thank you also to all the moms for joining us on Friday. It was great to see you all and celebrate. Please let me know if you weren't able to open the video. I will also be sending out your green screen photographs as soon as I can get those ready. Happy Mother's Day weekend!

Another thanks to all of you who came out for the Fantasy Faire. It looked like a great time was had by all at their first Faire as AV students. Thanks to all those who helped with our class booth, especially Sarah K., who made the cute beanbags & the jungle-themed bean bag toss cut-outs! I don't know if everyone heard, but it was a Grasshopper sweep in the kindergarten cake decorating contest! Congratulations to Jon, Ellianna, and Amy for their first, second, and third place wins!!

We are beginning to have our "lasts" in kindergarten. This is our last week of centers, and I'd like to thank all of the volunteers for their commitment to coming in weekly to help us in the classroom.  This was an amazing year for classroom help-- whenever somebody was unable to come in, someone else stepped right up as a sub.  That small-group instruction time is so important, and without all of the helpers, it would not have been possible. Thank you, thank you!

This is also our last week of Daily 5/Guided Reading. This is our second year using the Guided Reading program, which offers targeted small-group instruction in literacy, ensuring that we reach the many needs of all students in the classroom. We believe it really encouraged a love of literacy in the children and they have all greatly improved in their reading skills.

This is also our last week of Blue Bags. Our final Blue Bag will go home this Wednesday the 15th!

Language Arts
We will introduce our final two sight words, as and too. The link to the first grade list of words for those who want to get a jump-start on those, can be found here.We will also review previously introduced sounds, especially focusing on digraphs. We will be finishing our own version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and doing some other butterfly-themed projects, which will be on display at Open House next Wednesday the 22nd.

Our sharing theme this week is song, poem, and nursery rhyme. Children can present short songs and poems such as Twinkle, Twinkle, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Hickory Dickory Dock, songs we've learned in class, and songs or lullabies that they may know in another language are always wonderful to hear as well.

Math
We are continuing with Module 5, Numbers 10-20. This unit covers number names and counting to 100, as well as foundations for place value. Parent tips for this unit can be found here. I have also been and will continue to be administering the final round of assessments to evaluate your children for the 3rd trimester report cards. Those report cards will come home with your children on the last day of school.

Science
We are continuing our unit on the life cycle of a butterfly. The caterpillars arrived in class last week, and we are looking forward to watching them go through their metamorphosis.

Cornerstone
Our last Cornerstone lesson will also be presented this Wednesday! We will return to a story we enjoyed at the beginning of the year in class, The Recess Queen. Thank you to the many parents who were involved in Cornerstone: Nisha, Claire, Kassie, Erika, and Sarah.

Art Vistas
Please come join us this Wednesday the 15th for the Art Vistas Art Show in the cafeteria. The art show will be open from 5:00 to 8:00, and every student in our class will have a few pieces of art on display. The art show is truly amazing to see and I definitely encourage you to stop by! A huge thank you to Kassie for leading up Art Vistas this year.

Upcoming Events
For your future planning-- please review all dates in the "Upcoming Events" section below. Critical dates (where I'd really like a parent to try to come) are: Open House (May 22nd), and the Promotion Ceremony (June 6th @ 1:15). The Promotion Ceremony is our big last "hurrah" together, where we look back on our year & celebrate the children. Remember that due to this event being in the classroom, this is for parents and younger siblings only. Also, please be aware that the last day of school, Friday the 7th, all K classes are on a morning schedule (8:05-11:25)-- there are no celebrations or parties as we will have 42 kids in the classroom and don't have room for any extra bodies!  

This Week's Helpers & Activities:
Monday: Return Blue Bags (Yvonne), Daily 5, Centers (Jenny & Gee)
Tuesday: Daily 5, Centers (Hiromi & Mary)
Wednesday: Recess 101, Cornerstone (Erika/Nisha), Last Blue Bag, Art Vistas Art Show (5:00-8:00)

Thursday: Daily 5, Centers (Pablo/Erika & Barb)
Friday: Last Daily 5, STEAM Centers (Amanda & Sarah)

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday 5/15: Last Blue Bag goes home Wednesday, 5/15: Art Vista Art Show, 5:00-8:00
Wednesday, 5/22: Open House
Monday, 5/27: Memorial Day Holiday
Friday 5/31: Alta Vista Variety Show
Monday, 6/3: "Splash Bash" end of year party
Wednesday, 6/5: School-wide Olympic Day
Thursday, 6/6: Kindergarten Promotion Ceremony @ 1:15
Friday, 6/7: Last Day of School, all K students attend from 8:05 to 11:25