Sunday, December 11, 2011

Week of 12/11

Dear Parents,

Of course, the main "business" of this week is all things Nutcracker! We will be practicing daily this week, so I am canceling centers. We do not have a new letter or any new sight words. Therefore, there will also be no homework/red bags this Wednesday.  Enjoy a stress-free week to focus on your holiday preparations!

Please be sure to check the "Helper Schedule" link on the website for the schedule for the next trimester. Let me know if there are any problems. Thanks!

We will be doing some reinforcement pages on addition this week, as we finished the chapter last Thursday. Many students had a difficult time with the chapter test on addition, so this is definitely a concept that needs continued reinforcement at home as well. This week's share is Song, Poem, Nursery Rhyme. Children can choose a song or poem that they are familiar with, or sing an Alphafriend song or a color song that we've learned in class. Songs and poems in other languages are always welcome, too!

We have a Wacky Wednesday this week for the p.m. class, and then afterward, at 1:25, we will be having a costume-making party in K1. We are asking a few parents from each class to come in and help us make the paper costume pieces for the Nutcracker. We have patterns for everything, and it shouldn't take too long. Kids are welcome to play in the room while we work. Thanks to those who have volunteered to come in!

Please continue e-mailing the room moms to let them know what you can bring for our Nutcracker post-party. We will really need everyone's help with a little something for this party-- thanks so much!

A reminder about clothing for the Nutcracker: please remember to dress your children in the clothes suggested in the letter sent home last week. Children should come to school dressed in these items. Girls can wear something over the top of their leotards when they arrive and change into their ballet shoes for the performance. As a reminder, here is the list:

FRITZ: Bathrobe & slippers
NUTCRACKER/SOLDIERS/RUSSIAN DANCERS: White Shirt & Dark Pants w/ dark shoes
MICE: Dark Shirt & Dark Pants & dark shoes
SUGAR PLUM, RIBBON CANDY, FLOWERS: Light colored leotard/light colored tights/ballet slippers or light colored shoes-- leotards with tutus are fine & encouraged for Sugar Plum Fairies & Flowers, especially.
ARABIAN: Light colored fitted shirt w/ leggings OR leotard (we provide the Harem pants)
CHINESE DANCERS: Shirt doesn't matter so much (will be wearing jacket we provide) dark pants.

Please borrow whatever you need to borrow-- we don't intend for anyone to have to buy anything.

Please arrive promptly in the cafeteria for the Nutcracker, as we intend to start the show right on time. We want everyone to enjoy the performance, so please refrain from standing and blocking the aisles as much as possible. Thank you!

Remember to bring your blue bags tomorrow. Starting in January, a journal will be added to the blue bags so that your children can write a response to the book in the bag each week. No blue bags this Wednesday, but there will be Wednesday envelopes. Please return those on Thursday so that they don't get lost over the long holiday.

Happy Holidays!

Upcoming Events:
12/14: December's Wacky Wednesday & Nutcracker Paper Party @ 1:25 (Parent Help Needed!!)
12/16: Kindergarten Nutcracker Performance @ 1:30 (p.m.)  
12/19-1/2: Winter Break  
1/16: MLK Holiday  
1/25: January's Wacky Wednesday  
2/20-2/24: President's Week Break
2/29: February's Wacky Wednesday

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Week of 12/4

Dear Parents,

I will be letting your children know about their Nutcracker parts this week! You will be receiving a notice regarding your child's part, and what s/he should wear on the 16th in this week's Wednesday envelope. Please let me know if there are any problems with gathering up the various clothes needed-- most girls (not all) will be wearing leotards, and most boys will be wearing dark pants and either a light or dark shirt. Hopefully, if there is a clothing item you do not have, you can borrow it, as I do not intend for you to have to buy anything. Again, the performance of the Nutcracker will be at 1:30 on the 16th. Get there a little early (the invitation we are sending home this has a time 10 minutes before the start) so that you can be seated when the performance begins. You won't want to miss it!

Next Wednesday the 14th at 1:20, we will have the "Paper Party" for the Nutcracker costume pieces. I would love to have parent helpers from our class join helpers from all the other kindergarten classes to cut and prepare the paper costume pieces for the Nutcracker performance, using patterns, samples, and materials that we will have ready to go. We will be meeting in K2 to work for no more than an hour on all the bits and pieces.

This week's letter is Cc, and the Alphafriend is Callie Cat. We have two new sight words this week: that and at. We will be continuing with our math unit on addition.

This week's sharing is Letter of the Week share. Please have your child bring in something that starts with Cc. Please write clues and hide it in a bag.

Blue Bags are due tomorrow, and will go home again this Wednesday the 7th. That will be the final Blue Bag before the holidays. When we return from Winter Break, the journal component will be added to the Blue Bags. Your children will be asked to use a page from the journal to respond to the story they read. We would like them to write a sentence about what they liked about the book, and draw a nice picture to go along with it. More details will follow in the Blue Bag on the week of the 2nd.

See you all tomorrow!

Upcoming Events: 12/14: December's Wacky Wednesday & Nutcracker Paper Party @ 1:20 (Parent Help Needed!!)
12/16: Kindergarten Nutcracker Performance @ 10:00 (a.m.) & 1:30 (p.m.)  
12/19-1/2: Winter Break  
1/16: MLK Holiday  
1/25: January's Wacky Wednesday