Week of 10/31

We had a great time at the walkathon on Friday and I was so impressed by the walking stamina of our Grasshoppers! Thank you to Maria for putting together our walkathon banner. We are looking forward to more fun on Monday at both the Halloween party (thanks to Taryn, Danielle, Maria, and Brittny for helping with this) and parade at 11:00. Hopefully, you were all able to register in advance for the parade, because the line may be quite long on Monday. Everyone at the parade must have a visitor's badge, and must come through the office to access campus. Thank you for keeping our campus safe.

 

More Halloween Info
Children should come to school in their costumes, as we won't have time to get 24 children changed into their costumes for the parade. After the parade, children will be going straight to lunch. At this point, costumes should be removed to avoid spilling on or damaging costumes during lunch, and I encourage you to take costumes home with you if you are on campus for the parade. Please have your children wear a layer under their costume that they will be comfortable wearing for the remainder of the day. In addition, we do have PE that day with Coach Amy. Children will need shoes and clothes appropriate for afternoon P.E.
 

**Thanks to Olive's family, there will be a balloon arch in the kindergarten yard (by the gate where we exit) for Halloween photos. If you'd like to take a photo of your child under the balloon arch, you can do that in the morning before school, or right after the parade. I will also take pictures of the children during the party.
 

Conferences 

This is the last week of our regular school schedule before conferences begin on 11/7. During the two weeks beginning 11/7 and ending on 11/18, dismissal will be at 1:15 daily.  Please note that this sign-up can no longer be edited. If you need to reschedule your conference, please email me.
 

Special Family Project
In this week's Wednesday envelope, we will be sending home a turkey for your child to "disguise." This project goes along with a book called Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano. In this book, the turkey does not want to become Thanksgiving dinner, so he disguises himself in many different costumes to avoid getting caught. Your children will receive their own turkey to disguise, along with directions for this project, in their envelope. Examples of this project can be found here and here, but please let your child lead this project with their ideas on how to disguise the turkey. We love seeing these projects year after year and look forward to this year's editions!
 

Please note, the projects are due back in the following week's envelope, which will go home on a Tuesday due to the holidays on 11/10 & 11/11. Therefore, you will return the project in your child's envelope on 11/9.
 

In Class This Week

Language Arts
We will introduce the letters Vv and Ww. To help your child form these letters correctly, please see the Fundations Family Letter. Our sight words this week are be and we.
 

Math
We will wrap up our module on shapes this week, and we will continue to review all concepts introduced so far as we near the end of the trimester. Children should continue working on counting to 100 by 1s and 10s, counting on from any given number, and writing numbers legibly and correctly to 20.


Kimochis
This week, your child will learn the first Kimochis® Key to Communication: Get someone’s attention. Your child will learn that when we want to get someone’s attention, it is important to call that person’s name. This alerts the person to look. If your child waits for the person to look or make eye contact before speaking, it increases the odds that the people communicating will really listen to each other. Sometimes calling someone’s name is not enough. Your child will learn to use a gentle tap on the shoulder to get attention. When your child knows that the listener is ready to listen, the likelihood of having a positive connection is increased. These are the three communication habits your child will learn: 1. Call the person by name. 2. Wait for eye contact before speaking. 3. Use a Communication Tap (a gentle tap on the shoulder two or three times) to gain attention or eye contact. Now it’s time to speak because we are both focused on the communication interaction.

**Library is every Wednesday. Please return your child's library book by Tuesday each week.

**Remember to wear shoes and clothes appropriate for fitness on Mondays.
 

This Week's Helpers & Activities:
Monday: Halloween Party (Danielle, Taryn, Maria, Brittny), Parade @ 11:00, PE-- wear shoes & clothes appropriate for fitness
Tuesday: Centers (Betsy & Kay)
Wednesday: Library (Irena & Kami), dismissal @ 1:15
Thursday: Return white envelopes, centers (Mike M. & Brittny)
Friday: Art Vistas @ 10:30 (Mike I., Shereen, Natharin), Centers (Fadime & Jessica)
 

Upcoming Events
Monday, 10/31: Schoolwide Halloween Parade @ 11:00
Friday, 11/4: Art Vista Lesson
11/7-11/17: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, 11/9: Return completed turkey project to school
Thursday 11/10: NO SCHOOL: Staff Development Day
Friday, 11/11: NO SCHOOL: Veteran's Day
Friday, 11/18: Friendship Feast @ 10:30

Week of 10/24

There is a lot going on in the upcoming weeks with the walkathon, a spirit week, and Halloween.  In a quick summary:

• Please register for the walkathon to help earn money for AV's enrichment programs. All kids will participate this Friday, but only those registered are eligible for prizes.
• There is a spirit week this week leading up to the walkathon
• If you plan on attending the Halloween parade at 11:00 on 10/31, you must register in advance to be on campus-- details below
• New dates have opened up on the Sign-Up Genius, specifically for the Halloween party, and some new dates in December

Walkathon
The Mummy Mash Walkathon is this Friday, 10/28! All kindergarten students will participate at school on Friday between 10:30 and 11:30 and do as many laps as they can. All students will receive a t-shirt to keep track of their laps, but in order to be eligible for prizes, you must register your student & pay the $40 registration fee. This money all goes to support Alta Vista's enrichment programs, so it's a win for all! For more information about prizes, and to sign up, please see this flier.
Leading up to the walkathon this week, we have daily spirit days. Spirit days are totally optional, but are a way to show our Alta Vista pride. Here are the daily themes:
MONDAY: Jersey/Sports Day
TUESDAY: "Tacky Tourist" Day
WEDNESDAY: "I Woke Up Like This" Day
THURSDAY: Neon Day
FRIDAY: Alta Vista Spirit Day

Going forward, I'd like to start having us wear our class t-shirts every Friday, (not mandatory-- just for fun) showcasing our class spirit! 

 

Halloween Parade & Party

As you may have already read in Mrs. Bailey's newsletter, all parents who plan on attending the Halloween parade on 10/31 at 11:00 MUST register to be on campus. It is recommended that this week, you go into the office to scan your driver's license into the Visitor Management System. Here are the steps:

1. Stop by the office with your driver’s license anytime during the week of Monday, October 24th during school hours (8:00-2:45). Let Salina know that you would like a visitor’s sticker for the Halloween Parade.

2. Keep the sticker in a safe place until the day of the event. You will need to wear the sticker in a visible place on your shirt when you come for the parade on the 31st.

3. There will be two lines on the morning of the event. One will be for those who have pre-registered and have their sticker on. They will have their stickers checked and let in through the gate closest to the office. The other line will be for those that have not pre-registered for the event.

**Please note, if you are unable to pre-register and pick up a sticker during the week prior to the parade, we anticipate a long line the morning of the event. It can take up to 2 minutes in some cases to check in each person. We highly suggest you come early so that you don’t miss the fun. No adult will be allowed on campus without a visitor’s sticker from the office. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we prioritize keeping students safe during school-wide events.

Party:

I have added 2 additional spots to the Sign-Up Genius for the Halloween party. Thanks to Taryn & Danielle, we have a party all planned out from 9:15 to 10:30 (followed by recess, then the parade). If you are interested in helping at the party, please see the Sign-Up Genius. Please note that we only need 4 total parents at the party. All other parents are invited to the parade at 11:00. Thank you for helping keep things as routine as possible in our classroom on this very exciting day for the children.

**Please note that I also added a couple more dates for classroom centers and library readers on the Sign-Up Genius as well.  

 

Conferences

If you haven't had an opportunity to do so yet, please sign up to meet with me for your child's conference. Just a reminder that conferences are for parent(s) only so that we can talk openly about your child’s progress, and there is one conference per child.

In Class This Week

Language Arts 

We will introduce the letters Hh, Ll, and Kk. To help your child form these letters correctly, please see the Fundations Family Letter. Our sight words this week are he and we.

We have been working our way through a drawing unit, using shapes to draw people, houses, playgrounds, and this week-- vehicles. Drawing a picture provides a pre-writer the opportunity to plan, brainstorm, and develop new ideas. When a child draws a picture, he/she is telling a story. "Picture writing" is an important first step in the writing process. When pre-writers use picture writing, they are expressing ideas through illustrations. As their literacy skills develop over time, the picture will serve as a plan for their writing. A picture sparks ideas, provides details, and serves as a framework for a piece of writing.

Math

We will continue our module on shapes. This week, we will continue to focus on 3D shapes. The shapes we study are sphere, cylinder, cube, and cone. Children should be able to identify how many faces, edges, and vertices these shapes have. Parent tips for this module can be found here. 

 

Kimochis 

This week, the Kimochis® Character named Cat will join our classroom to teach children about the feelings curious, cranky, and sorry. Cat is the Kimochis® Character who knows what she wants, when she wants it, and why she wants it! When the group needs a leader, Cat is always ready to help. She loves to be in charge, but she can be a little bit bossy. Cat may seem mean on the outside, but on the inside, she is very sweet. Cat has lots of bandages to help her redo times when she makes a mistake and hurts someone’s feelings. Children who have a temperament like Cat’s can benefit from learning how to lead in strong, kind ways. They also need to practice following positive leaders, rather than always being the leader themselves. This week, your child learned how to say, “Talk nicely” when others forget and use bossy talk.

**Library is every Wednesday. Please return your child's library book by Tuesday each week.

**Remember to wear shoes and clothes appropriate for fitness on Mondays (and for the walkathon on Friday) 

This Week's Helpers & Activities: 

Monday: PE-- wear shoes & clothes appropriate for fitness

Tuesday: Centers (Lauren M. & Mike M.)

Wednesday: Library (Bora & Brittny), dismissal @ 1:15

Thursday: Return white envelopes, centers (Marina & Fadime)

Friday: Walkathon @ 10:30, Centers (Tiffany & Katy)

 

Upcoming Events 

Friday, 10/29: Alta Vista Walkathon

Monday, 10/31: Schoolwide Halloween Parade

11/7-11/17: Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thursday 11/10: NO SCHOOL: Staff Development Day

Friday, 11/11: NO SCHOOL: Veteran's Day

Friday, 11/18: Friendship Feast @ 10:30

Week of 10/17

Field Trip 

Our field trip to Prusch Farm is this Wednesday! Children should come to school at the regular time, when we will start off our day with our usual routines. All students will board the bus so that we can leave at 9:30. Parent chaperones (Fadime, Taryn, Brittny, Shereen), please arrive at school at about 9:10, sign in, get your volunteer badge, and come down to the classroom. Even though you are driving separately, I will need your help to get everyone all packed up and onto the bus. Reminders for the students:

• Please send a snack and a lunch. We will eat snack before we leave, but we will be picnicking at Prusch Farm for lunch. Only Emmi, Owen and Kai ordered a bag lunch. Everyone else needs to bring a lunch from home, preferably packed in a disposable bag so that we don't have to keep track of too many things. Please label lunches with your child's name.
• Children should wear their class t-shirts. This helps us keep track of all students since they are wearing the same color-- they are much easier to spot. 
• Children should wear close-toed shoes appropriate for walking. We do walk around the farm and will probably also visit Prush Farm's playground.
• Dismissal time on Wednesday is 1:15, as usual on Wednesdays

Walkathon

The Mummy Mash Walkathon is coming right up on Friday, 10/28. All kindergarten students will participate at school on Friday between 10:30 and 11:30 and do as many laps as they can. All students will receive a t-shirt to keep track of their laps, but in order to be eligible for prizes, you must register your student & pay the $40 registration fee. This money all goes to support Alta Vista's enrichment programs, so it's a win for all! To clear up some confusion about the permission slip: TK and K students do not need to submit the permission slip to come back at 2:40 and walk. This is because if they come back to school at 2:40, they will be accompanied by an adult. Grades 1-5 need to submit the permission slip because some of them may just be continuing to walk after their bell rings at 2:40, and need parent permission to stay on campus. For more information about prizes, and to sign up, please see this flier. 

Picture Make-Ups

Picture day make-ups are on Friday, 10/21. If you would like your child to participate in a picture retake, either because you missed picture day or were dissatisfied with your child's picture, please email me. I will only send those students whose parents emailed me down to the cafeteria for retakes.

Conferences

Thank you for scheduling conferences so quickly! If you haven't had an opportunity to do so yet, please  sign up to meet with me for your child's conference. Just a reminder that conferences are for parent(s) only so that we can talk openly about your child’s progress, and there is one conference per child. 

In Class This Week

Language Arts:

We will introduce the letters Jj and Pp. To help your child form these letters correctly, please see the Fundations Family Letter. Our sight words this week are and and to. Our literature this week will be pumpkin-themed, both fiction and non-fiction, in preparation for our trip to the pumpkin patch.

Math

We will continue our module on shapes. This week's focus will be 3D shapes. The shapes we study are sphere, cylinder, cube, and cone. Children should be able to identify how many faces, edges, and vertices these shapes have. Parent tips for this module can be found here. 

Kimochis

This week, the Kimochis® Character named Bug will join our classroom to teach children about the feelings left out, shy, brave, and scared. Children who have a temperament like Bug’s, benefit from learning how to be brave in order to manage shy and scared feelings and try new things. It is helpful to tell your child that bravery means you might feel afraid, shy, or unsure, but you can still get yourself to say and do something that is right or try something new. In this week's lessons, your child will learn to use positive self-talk to help Bug take his wings out and fly. This self-talk tool will help your child manage emotions and develop confidence and resiliency.

Great Shake-Out

This Thursday, 10/20, Union School District is participating in the Great Shake-Out.  This is an event where people across California will be practicing earthquake safety. We will have an earthquake drill and practice exiting the building safely. I encourage you to talk with your children about earthquake safety at home and develop a plan in the event of an earthquake while in your home. 

**Library will be canceled this week due to the field trip. You can keep your books an additional week-- no need to return them until next week.

**Remember to wear shoes and clothes appropriate for fitness on Mondays.

 

**There is still a need for more lunch time yard duties for TK/K from 11:30 to 12:15, especially on Mondays & Wednesdays. If you can help, please email Salina at nelsons@unionsd.org

This Week's Helpers & Activities:

Monday: PE-- wear shoes & clothes appropriate for fitness

Tuesday: Centers (Brittny & Natharin)

Wednesday: Field Trip (see reminders above), dismissal @ 1:15

Thursday: Return white envelopes, centers (Marina & Lauren M.)

Friday: Art Vistas @ 10:30 (Lauren D., Michael I., Natharin, Shereen), Centers (Fadime & Jhoann)

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, 10/19: Field trip to Emma Prusch Farm

Friday, 10/21: First Art Vista lesson

Friday, 10/29: Alta Vista Walkathon

Monday, 10/31: Schoolwide Halloween Parade

11/7-11/17: Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thursday 11/10: NO SCHOOL: Staff Development Day

Friday, 11/11: NO SCHOOL: Veteran's Day

Week of 10/10

 Our first week of extended days went well! A few suggestions:

• Continue reminding your child what is for snack, and what is for lunch
• Go over the hot lunch menu with them in advance
• Make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep! They were all very tired by the end of last week.

This week, we will be making a craft to decorate our class banner for the Monster Mash Walkathon! We are so excited to participate in this schoolwide event on October 28th, which is Alta Vista's biggest fundraiser, and a true community event. We will start the walking at school, but any kindergartners who would like to come back and continue walking are invited to do so after school on Friday (2:40) with an adult (parent or friend's parent) accompanying them. Come out and join in on this fun & worthwhile event, which supports Alta Vista's enrichment programs.

Conferences 

Parent-teacher conferences are coming up quickly. Kindergarten conferences will begin on November 7th and end on November 17th. All conferences will be in-person in the classroom. Please note that during conference weeks, dismissal is at 1:15 daily, instead of 1:40. Conferences are for parent(s) only so that we can talk openly about your child’s progress, and there is one conference per child. Please see your email to sign up to meet with me for your child's conference.

Language Arts
After this week, we will have introduced over half the alphabet! The letters your child should recognize & know the sounds of are: Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Ii, Mm, Nn, Oo, Rr, Ss, Tt, and Uu. This week, we are introducing our final vowel, Ee, as well as Rr. if you are noticing that your child is having difficulty recognizing letters and knowing letter sounds, please provide additional reinforcement at home. Watching and singing The Better Alphabet Song is a great way to continually review letters and sounds. It is also important to keep checking your child's letter formation in handwriting. Reading the weekly Fundations Family Newsletter is a great way to support your child's learning.

Our sight words this week are is and at. This week our stories will be from the author Aaron Reynolds: Creepy Carrots, Creepy Pair of Underwear, and Creepy Crayons.

Math
In math, we will begin a new module on shapes. We will be covering both 2D and 3D shapes over the next few weeks. We will learn shape names and attributes of those shapes. Children should understand how many sides, corners, faces, and vertices different shapes have. Going forward, most of our math involves hands-on activities in small-group centers, so you won't see as many math papers in the Wednesday envelopes. Parent tips for this math module can be found here.

Kimochis 

This week, the Kimochis® Character named Huggtopus will join our classroom to teach your child about the feelings silly, frustrated, excited, and proud. Huggtopus (or Huggs) is our Kimochis® Character who is strong and affectionate, but she sometimes gets a little carried away with her big, friendly personality. She might hug too tightly or play too roughly, which upsets her friends. This can be confusing and frustrating to Huggs because she doesn’t know why her friends say, “Don’t bother me.” With Huggtopus, your child is learning to read social cues, such as facial expressions, body language, and sounds from peers. Huggtopus also teaches children how to celebrate our differences. Huggs is a six-legged octopus and is proud that she is so unique!

Rhythm & Moves P.E./Indoor P.E.
Just another reminder that students will have weekly P.E. with either Rhythm & Moves or indoor P.E. in the OT Room.

• Children should wear shoes and clothing appropriate for fitness on Mondays.
• Shoe choice is extremely important, since when we go to the OT room, children will be removing their shoes and putting them back on again.
• Children need to be able to do this independently. I highly recommend slip-on/velcro sneakers every Monday, unless your child already knows how to tie shoes on their own (a great skill to start working on!)

This Week's Helpers & Activities: 

Monday: P.E.-- wear shoes & clothes appropriate for fitness

Tuesday: Return library books, centers (Brittny & Fadime)

Wednesday: Library (Katy & Bora), dismissal @ 1:15 

Thursday: Return white envelopes, centers (Katy & Barbara), Clay (Marina, Ruby, Mike M.) 

Friday: Centers (Srivatsan & Mallory)

 

Upcoming Events

Thursday, 10/13: First Clay Lesson

Wednesday, 10/19: Field trip to Emma Prusch Farm

Friday, 10/21: First Art Vista lesson

Friday, 10/29: Alta Vista Walkathon
Monday, 10/31: Schoolwide Halloween Parade
11/7-11/17: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thursday 11/10: NO SCHOOL: Staff Development Day
Friday, 11/11: NO SCHOOL: Veteran's Day