We have a busy couple of weeks heading into the holidays, so keep your calendars updated! A reminder that I sent an email Friday about getting logged into CodeSpark on your child's iPad. Please make sure that is done by Monday, as well as cutting apart the gingerbread men for math.
Classroom Set-Up
I will be taking two days off this month in order to set up the classroom for the return of in-person instruction in (hopefully) late January. Those days are Thursday, 12/10 and Wednesday, 12/16. On those days, we will have an 8:30 a.m. Zoom, along with work in SeeSaw. There will be no other meetings that day-- no small group meetings, and no 11:00 Zoom. I am very excited about the hopeful return to in-person instruction.
Parent Meeting
In anticipation for our return to in-person instruction, I'd like to hold a parent meeting to answer any questions you may have and discuss my plans for 2021. I'd like to hold this meeting at noon on Wednesday the 16th. If you are unable to attend, please send me a message if you'd like a recording of the Zoom meeting sent to you.
Materials Pick-Up
A reminder that we have a materials pick-up this Tuesday the 8th from 12:00 to 12:30 in the kindergarten parking lot (same lot we've used for the last two pick-ups). Please follow all the same protocols: place a sign on the passenger-side windshield so I can start grabbing your child's bag, wear a mask, and drive up as far as you can go so that other cars can get into the parking lot. Thank you!
Office Hours
Unfortunately, due to the materials pick-up on Tuesday, and my set-up day on Thursday, there will be no office hours this week. As always, please feel free to email me with any questions and concerns during the week & hopefully, we can resolve them over email.
Sharing & Lunch Bunch
We will have both sharing & lunch bunch this week only for the month of December (next week is too busy with a few crafts & our holiday party). Please see this document for your child's sharing & lunch bunch date.
Grasshopper Spirit Day
Let's do one final Grasshopper Spirit Day for 2020 this Wednesday the 9th! Wear your Grasshopper t-shirt on Zoom all day.
"Art & Science"
We have another special presentation by the California Academy of Sciences this Friday the 11th at 10:00-10:30. This livestream is called "Art & Science." As with the last presentation, if your child has any difficulties logging in, please have them join my Zoom at that time. I will be screen-sharing the presentation. For this presentation, your child needs to bring a few things:
- a piece of paper
- a pencil
- something from nature they'd like to make a scientific sketch of: a leaf, a seed, a branch, a nut, or a fruit.
- The livestream will be linked in SeeSaw
Curriculum This Week
Word Family: an
Sight Words: on & we
Math: Continuing with addition
Theme: Gingerbread Man books: Compare & Contrast
STEAM: Hour of Code: This week we are coding with CodeSpark app
ELA Small Group Materials
- Sight word sentence pack-- we are now in the 2nd pack that has "big" on the cover
- Warm Up Pack (When I Come to a Tricky Word I Can...is on the front) Butterfly group needs the "Sound Up" chart
- Whiteboard, marker, eraser
- The "Sound Boxes" page in the sleeve in your child's language arts folder.
Math Small Group Materials
- Monday & Tuesday: This page and the page that is attached to it. Remember to cut out the gingerbread in advance!
- Wednesday only (no math groups on Thursday): This page that we used in SeeSaw last Friday.
- All Days: Flat marbles, whiteboard, marker, eraser
Hour of Code
This week, we will switching to another coding app, CodeSpark, as we participate in Hour of Code, a worldwide movement, this week. If your iPad is not logged into this app yet (many are), please use the code: KUEVQ to connect it to my class. Go into the upper left corner after tapping on the app, click "Schools," then "Students," Then "Use Classroom Code" and enter the above code. The video your children will be viewing to get set up is here. This code is only good for a week, so make sure you log in ASAP if your child isn't already logged in.
Holiday Party
On Friday, 12/18, we will have our holiday party on Zoom. Faye Yang has done another amazing job preparing a goodie bag for each child, which they will receive on Tuesday at the materials pick-up. Please put the holiday bag that will be inside the grocery bag aside until the 18th. We will be doing a PJ day and hot cocoa (provided in bag) party on that day, and we will start the Zoom at 10:30 for our craft, hot cocoa, and stories.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, 12/8: Materials pick-up at noon
Wednesday, 12/9: Grasshopper t-shirt day
Thursday, 12/10: No Small Group Zooms or 11:00 Zoom
Wednesday, 12/16: No Small Group Zooms or 11:00 Zoom
Wednesday, 12/16: Parent meeting @ noon
Friday, 12/18: Class Holiday Party @ 10:30-11:20
12/21-1/3: Winter Break
