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.
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.
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!)
