I hope everyone is enjoying a nice week off, and you were able to enjoy some time with friends and family. We will be getting back to our regular schedule again, and are excited to have parents back in the classroom for the next two weeks for classroom centers. We have just three busy weeks before we will be headed off for winter break-- it will go by quickly!
I have added some 2025 dates to the Sign-Up Genius for library & center helpers. These dates run through to our next break, President's Week. Additionally, we still have several openings in the upcoming weeks for both library & centers. If you are new to volunteering, please be sure you have filled out your Volunteer Code of Conduct form at least two weeks before the first time you help out.
Nutcracker
This week, you will receive a note telling you what your child's part will be in the Nutcracker, and what items you may need to round up for your child to wear for the performance. I did not hear from anyone else that they are going to be out of town for the performance on the 19th, so I'm assuming I'm assigning 21 students to parts. After reviewing what clothes your child needs to wear, please let me know if there are any problems with gathering up the various clothes needed-- most parts call for either leotards or 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 we do not intend for you to have to buy anything. We have several leotards that have been donated over the years that can be borrowed, and a few pairs of ballet slippers. Again, the performance of the Nutcracker will be at 9:15 on the 19th. As with the Halloween Parade, you will have to go through the office and scan your driver's license into the Visitor Management System & get a visitor's badge. You can do this starting Monday the 16th, either before or after school. If you wait until the 19th, you will want to allow plenty of time to do this so that you are in the cafeteria when the performance starts at 9:15. There are plenty of seats, and the doors will not open before 9:00, so there is no need to line up early. If you are really hoping for a front-row seat, there will be an online auction for front row tickets that will be held next week. Look out for an email from the Home & School Club about that!
Field Trip
We are looking forward to our trip to the Center for Performing Arts on Friday to see a production of The Nutcracker. Please remember to send your children wearing their Grasshopper t-shirt (not optional) and please pack a snack & lunch for your child if you did not order a school bag lunch. Those who ordered a school lunch also get a snack provided in their to-go bag. Thank you to Emily & Charlien for volunteering to chaperone for this trip.
Language Arts
This week's letters are Xx and Yy. For the letter Xx, we focus on the ending sound, as in fox and box. The home support letter can be found in your email. Our sight words this week are yes and no. For the next two weeks, we will be reading different versions of The Gingerbread Man. I have a collection of many fun variations on this book that are perfect for this time of year.
Math
We are continuing our module on Comparison. This week, we will cover Topic B, where students learn to use a balance scale to compare the weights of two objects or groups of objects. They make comparison statements by using the terms heavier than, lighter than, and about the same weight as. In the last half of the topic, the balance scale serves as a tool to explore units and conservation. Students consider what happens when you use different units to balance the same object. They also investigate what happens to the weight of an object when you change its shape.
We are also doing an exciting math collaboration this week with the UMS 8th grade math teachers and students! The middle school students will come to Alta Vista on Thursday and run some fun math centers for them. We have done this for the past few years, and it is always a big success.
**Library is every Wednesday. Please return your child's library book by Tuesday each week.
**School spirit days are every Wednesday. Wear your Alta Vista t-shirts or your Grasshopper t-shirts to show your school pride.
This Week's Helpers & Activities
Monday: Centers (Emily & Ellen)
Tuesday: Centers (Shelbie & ?????)
Wednesday: Library @ 9:10 (Emily: Reader, ????: Checkout), Music, Dismissal @ 1:15
Thursday: UMS Math Students come
Friday: Field Trip: Wear Grasshopper t-shirts & pack a lunch
Upcoming Events
Friday, 12/6: Field trip to Center for Performing Arts
Thursday, 12/19 @ 9:15 am: Nutcracker Performance
Friday, 12/20: Classroom Holiday Party
12/23-1/5: Winter Break
Monday, 12/6: School resumes
Monday, 1/20: No School: MLK Holiday
