Week of 10/28

 This is a short week, with no school on Friday due to a Professional Development Day for the staff. Additionally, we have the added excitement of Halloween, so academics this week will mostly be review.

If you plan on attending the parade on Thursday at 9:00, and haven't had the chance to go to the office yet for a visitor's badge, I highly recommend that you go into the office on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, either before school or after school (until 3:00). If you do not get a visitor's pass prior to Thursday morning, you will most likely miss the parade, as the line will be very long. Please plan accordingly! 

More Halloween Info

Children should come to school in their costumes, as we won't have time to get 23 children changed into their costumes for the parade at 9:00. Also, I plan on taking pictures of the children before the parade. After the parade, children will be going straight to recess. At this point, costumes should be removed to avoid spilling on or damaging costumes during recess & lunch, and I encourage you to take costumes home with you if you are on campus for the parade. If you are not coming for the parade, please send your child with a bag for their costume, especially if it won't fit inside their backpack. Please have your children wear a layer under their costume that they will be comfortable wearing for the remainder of the day. Thank you to Shelbie, Anna, and Mallory for planning a Halloween party for the kids to enjoy following recess on Thursday.

Center and Library Help

I have just added dates all the way up to the winter holidays (which are approaching quickly!) on the Sign-Up Genius. We also have some immediate openings, including library check-out this Wednesday and center help next Tuesday. If you can help with these dates or any of the future dates, it would be greatly appreciated!

Nutcracker Performance

Speaking of the Winter Holidays, an annual kindergarten favorite is also fast approaching-- our performance of The Nutcracker! This is a very improvisational version of the classic ballet. All children have parts in the performance, and it is a must-see event. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, 12/19 at 9:15 am. 

Conferences

Conferences are coming right up-- thank you everyone for signing up for a time. During the two weeks beginning 11/14 and ending on 11/22, 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 directly. 

What We're Learning this Week

Language Arts:

As mentioned previously, this will be a review week with sight words and in Fundations. No new letters or words will be introduced this week, but we will be working in our new Red Word Workbooks to review previously taught sight words and their spelling. 

We will be studying pumpkins this week, so we will read both fiction and non-fiction books about pumpkins. In centers, we will take a closer look at a real pumpkin, and measure and weigh mini pumpkins.

Math:

We are moving onto Topic B in Module 2. Students continue to focus on defining attributes and extend the list to include features of three-dimensional, or solid, shapes: faces and edges. Through sorting, they discover that some attributes are common to both flat and solid shapes, such as corners. Their spatial thinking evolves as they consider how geometric attributes affect the way a solid shape can be moved or the type of imprint it leaves.

**Library books are due by Tuesday each week

**Grasshopper/AV T-shirt Days are Wednesday each week

This Week's Helpers & Activities

Monday: Centers (Emily & Ellen)

Tuesday: Centers (Meeta & Barbara)

Wednesday: Library @ 9:10 (Emily-Reader, ??-Check-Out) Dismissal @ 1:15

Thursday: 9:00 Schoolwide Halloween Parade-- get badge in advance. Halloween Party following recess (Shelbie, Anna, Mallory)

Friday: NO SCHOOL

Upcoming Events

Thursday, 10/31: Halloween Parade & Party

Friday, 11/1: No School

Monday, 11/11: No School: Veteran's Day

11/14-11/22: Parent-Teacher Conferences 

11/25-11/29: Thanksgiving Break

Thursday, 12/19 @ 9:15 am: Nutcracker Performance 

12/23-1/5: Winter Break

Week of 10/21

There are several upcoming October/November events coming up that you should know about, especially if you are new to Alta Vista. Please read carefully for some important information.

Book Fair

The Book Fair begins on Monday! There are special kindergarten hours on Tuesday the 22nd at 1:40-2:30. Only kindergartners and TK students will be in the book fair (with parents) at that time, since the rest of the school is still in session. If you can't make it on Tuesday, you'll have to brave the after school crowds on Wednesday, or return to school on Thursday or Friday at 2:40. The children do not go to the fair during class time, since they need to be with a parent to purchase books. 

Conferences

If you haven't had an opportunity to do so yet, please sign up to meet with me for your child's conference. I think there are just a couple of families who still need to sign up. 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. 

Halloween

Alta Vista will be celebrating Halloween with a costume parade that includes ALL of our TK through fifth grade students. The Halloween Parade will be on Thursday, October 31st at 9:00 AM. During the school day, all visitors (Grandma and Grandpa too) must check into our office through our Visitor Management System. Safety remains a top priority for our school and district and the check in process takes a couple of minutes for each guest. The Halloween Parade has always been a popular event and we are expecting quite a crowd. To help expedite the check in process on Halloween, please help us by pre-registering into our Visitor Management System prior to the 31st. It's a simple process:

1. Stop by the office with your driver’s license anytime the week before Halloween, starting on Wednesday the 23rd, between 8:00 and 3:00. Let Mrs. Keenan 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.

In Class this Week

Language Arts:

We will introduce the letters e and r. Please see the Fundations Family Letter for tips on how to form these letters correctly. Our sight words this week are the, I, and a. Both the and a are what we call "red words" or "heart words," which simply means that they are not sounded out using the expected phonetic sounds (in both those words, the vowels are schwa sounds). We will be practicing these red words in multiple multisensory ways to help make them stick.

We will be reading the book Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds this week, as well as the sequels Creepy Pair of Underwearand Creepy Crayons. We will be creating our own Creepy Carrots during center time this week!

Math:

This week, we begin Module 2, Two and Three Dimensional Shapes. In this module, students analyze and describe two and three-dimensional shapes by considering their attributes. This allows students to identify shapes in the world and create their own examples through building and drawing.

Science/School Garden:

This Friday, we will take our first trip to the school garden! We will be planting some winter vegetables. We look forward to watching the garden grow in the upcoming months.

**Sign up here for centers/library helpers

**Library books are due on Tuesday each week

**Grasshopper t-shirt day is every Wednesday

This Week's Helpers & Activities:

Monday: Centers (Emily & Tim H)

Tuesday: Return library books, Centers (Anna & Barbara)

Wednesday: Library (Emily & Rachel), dismissal @ 1:15

Thursday: Return Weds. Envelopes

Friday: First trip to the school garden

Upcoming Events

10/22-10/25: Scholastic Book Fair, special TK/K shopping hour 10/22 @ 1:40

Thursday, 10/31: Halloween Parade & Party

Friday, 11/1: No School

Monday, 11/11: No School: Veteran's Day

11/14-11/22: Parent-Teacher Conferences  

Week of 10/14

I hope you are all able to come out and enjoy Alta Vista's "Walk on the Wild Side" Walkathon today. This is a fun community event that goes on until 3:00. Stop by for a bit-- there are other activities than walking, too!

Centers Begin

We are excited to welcome parents into the classroom for centers this week! It's not too late to join in on the fun-- there are still a few openings in both centers and library. If, for some reason, you are ever unable to join us on your scheduled day (illness in the family, etc.), please email me as soon as possible so that I can put an email out to the class and get a substitute for you. Please come to campus at about 12:15 so that you can check in at the office. Remember to bring your driver's license so that you can be scanned through the Raptor system to get your visitor's badge. Then head down to K2, and just enter the classroom through the front door (redwood tree side) and wait at the back while I explain the centers to the students (and you). Discuss with your child ahead of time that when you are in the classroom, you are another teacher, and will need to be helping all the students-- in fact, sometimes parents may not even be at a center that their child goes to on that day. We look forward to seeing you on your center day!

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. 

Language Arts

Our letters this week are Dd and Ss. These are more difficult letters to form in handwriting, and it's really important to form both letters correctly to prevent reversals. Please check the Fundations letter formation guide for these letters, and reinforce this as much as possible at home.

Our sight words this week are at and can. You can find the sight words we've introduced on the classroom website. Go to the tab called "High Frequency Word List."

Math

We have just two lessons left in Module 1. Children should now be very familiar with numbers to 10, their value, and how to count objects in different arrangements. Next week, we will begin Module 2, Two and Three-Dimensional Shapes.

Music

The start of our music program at Alta Vista was delayed by a week. We should be having our first music lesson this Wednesday.

Kimochis

This week, the Kimochis® Character named Bug will join our classroom to teach children about the feelings left out, shy, brave, and scared. Bug is the Kimochis® Character who is thoughtful and very careful. He is very smart and loves to talk. But Bug is afraid of change, and because he is a caterpillar, this is hard for him. Although Bug is afraid, he secretly dreams of flying, but it is hard for him to try new things. 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. 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, 10/17, 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 books are due on Tuesday each week

**Grasshopper t-shirt day is every Wednesday

This Week's Helpers & Activities:

Monday: Centers (Emily & Barbara)

Tuesday: Return library books, Centers (Mallory & Barbara)

Wednesday: Library (Emily & Meeta), Music begins, dismissal @ 1:15

Thursday: Return Weds. Envelope, Great Shake-Out

Upcoming Events

Saturday, 10/12: Alta Vista Walkathon, 9:00-3:00

10/22-10/25: Scholastic Book Fair, special TK/K shopping hour 10/22 @ 1:40

Thursday, 10/31: Halloween Parade & Party

Friday, 11/1: No School

Monday, 11/11: No School: Veteran's Day

11/14-11/22: Parent-Teacher Conferences 

Week of 10/7

We have an exciting week ahead with the field trip on Tuesday, the start of our music program on Wednesday, a schoolwide spirit day on Friday, and the "Walk on the Wild Side" walkathon on Saturday!

**There are still several center & library openings, including this Wednesday's library time (both slots)! Check out the Sign Up Genius here.

Field Trip

We are very excited for our first field trip on Tuesday to YSI Vasona! We've been learning about plant/animal/human needs, and we will get a hands-on presentation on animal adaptations, as well as a five senses nature walk. Please send your children to school in walking shoes and their new Grasshopper t-shirts! This is essential to enable us to easily keep our eyes on all the students. We will leave at 8:30 on a school bus, and return to school at around 12:15. We will eat lunch at Vasona, so please pack a sack lunch (unless you ordered a school bag lunch). Please also make sure you send a water bottle and a small snack. If you pack your child's lunch in a disposable bag, that would be helpful so that we don't have to keep track of lunch boxes at Vasona. Please put your child's name on the bag, since there will be many similar bags. Thank you Emily & Awais for chaperoning the field trip.

Music Program Begins

This Wednesday, we will have our first music lesson with a teacher paid for by Home & School Club enrichment funds. We have really enjoyed this program the past two years, and thank you for your support of the HSC to make programs like these possible.

Schoolwide Spirit Day

We have our first schoolwide spirit day on Friday the 11th, dress like a tourist or animal on a safari. Participation in school spirit days is totally optional, but it is always fun to dress up to a theme with friends from school. 

Walkathon

The "Walk on the Wild Side" Walkathon is this Saturday the 12th, and we can't wait! It's wonderful to have this event back on a Saturday so that the whole family can come out for Alta Vista's biggest fundraiser, which is a true community event. The fun starts at 9:00 am, but you don't have to show up at that time! Come anytime between 9 & 3:00 to enjoy walking laps, face painting, a crazy hair booth, balloon animals, and more! You can still register through October 10th by going to this link. Come out and join in on this fun & worthwhile event, which supports Alta Vista's enrichment programs-- see you there! 

Language Arts 
After this week, we will have introduced 11 letters and sounds. The letters your child should recognize & know the sounds of are: Aa, Bb, Cc, Ff, Gg, Ii, Mm, Nn, Oo, Tt, and Uu. This week, we are introducing another vowel, Aa, as well as another consonant, Gg. We will also learn two new sight words: on and not. If you notice 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.

We will continue rolling out our literacy centers this week so that I can soon launch small group instruction in reading and writing. 

Math
We have now introduced all numbers 0-10 and practiced writing those numbers in many different ways. I have noticed that many children need additional reinforcement on correct number formation. All numbers should be written by starting at the top and moving downward. Please work with your children to ensure they are forming their numbers correctly. This week, we will begin Topic G: Analyze the Count Sequence. Students analyze the count sequence focusing on the ideas that each successive number is 1 more when counting forward and 1 less when counting backward. The number stairs model clearly illustrates these patterns.

**Remember to send in your child's library book by Tuesday each week so that s/he can check out a new book on Wednesday

This Week's Helpers & Activities:

Tuesday: Return library books, Field Trip-- wear Grasshopper shirt & pack a bag lunch

Wednesday: Library (need helpers! ), first music class, dismissal @ 1:15

Thursday:  Return white envelopes

Friday: Dress like a person or animal on safari

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, 10/8: Field Trip to YSI Vasona

Saturday, 10/12: Alta Vista Walkathon

10/22-10/25: Scholastic Book Fair

Thursday, 10/31: Halloween Parade & Party

Friday, 11/1: No School

Monday, 11/11: No School: Veteran's Day

11/14-11/22: Parent-Teacher Conferences (Sign-Up Coming Soon!)