Walk & Roll
Next week is an event at Alta Vista that encourages families to find other ways of coming to school than just by car. "Walk & Roll" weekis a twice annual week where we encourage children to try and walk to school or ride a scooter/bike/something with wheels. Obviously, this encourages fitness in the children as well as reducing congestion around the school. Even if you normally drive, if you just park a few blocks further away next week to encourage some walking, that would be great. There are prizes involved with this event, so make sure you find the parents out at the front of the school who will be distributing different prizes each day as well as tokens that you will put in our class collection tub to work as a class to earn a class prize.
Language Arts
In language arts, we continue introducing letters and letter sounds, along with the handwriting of those letters, using the Fundations program. We have introduced Tt, Bb, and Ff, which are all "sky-line letters" and this week, we will introduce Mm and Nn, which are "plane-line letters." If you'd like more information about the formation of these letters to support your student at home, as well as posters that are similar to the ones we use in the classroom, please read this week's home support letter.
Math
This week, we will begin Topic E: Counting Up to 10 Objects. Topic E builds on the work of topic B as students apply number core concepts to sets of 6 to 10 objects. As the size of the group gets larger, tracking the count becomes more challenging. Students consider how to choose an accurate counting strategy. Here are this week's Family Math ideas.
Kimochis
This week, the Kimochis® Character named Cloud will join our classroom to teach your child about the feelings happy, sad, and mad. Cloud is the Kimochis® Character who can be moody, so sometimes it is hard for him to get along with his friends. When Cloud is happy, he spreads sunshine everywhere, which makes everyone feel fantastic! But when Cloud feels mad or sad, he might snap or yell. Because he has a hard time controlling his anger, he might do things that hurt feelings, even though he doesn’t mean to. Cloud helps children develop patience, tolerance, and understanding for friends who are still learning how to express upset feelings in positive, healthy ways.
Music
We have begun our music lessons with Mr. Patrick, and he usually comes on Thursday. This week, we will actually see Mr. Patrick twice because he is coming for a make-up lesson on Tuesday as well as on Thursday. Thanks to your donations to the AVHSC Cage Drive, the music program is fully funded & music lessons are offered to grades TK through 3rd (4th and 5th have a music teacher funded through the school district).
CAGE Drive Update
It's still not too late to donate to the CAGE drive! The CAGE drive helps to fund things like the crossing guards, our art, music, and clay programs, field trips, and for 1st graders and beyond, p.e. and recess programs. We are still quite short of our goal to continue funding all these programs. Please help spread the word and encourage others to make their donations-- we truly couldn't have all the programs that make Alta Vista so great without the support of parents like you. Please click here to donate if you haven't done so already, and if your company offers donation matching, be sure to do that as well!
Classroom Center Update
I am hoping to start classroom centers on the week of 10/5, and they will be two days per week, Mondays & Tuesdays. I like to have two parent helpers each day that I run centers (4 helpers per week). I will be adding center helpers sign ups to our Sign-Up Genius in the next few days.
**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
Wednesday: Library: Yishan (Reader), Cherie (Check-out)
Upcoming Events
Week of 9/21: Walk to School Week
Friday, 9/25: Alta Vista Movie Night
10/9-10/12: No School: October Mini-Break
10/16: Boot Scootin' Walkathon
