March 30, 2009

This Week: Letter Qq

Next Week: Letter Uu

This week’s activities:  We will be working on the letter Qq this week, “Quail on a Quilt”.  We will practice our letter q handwriting, make quilts on the computer, create a listening quilt by following the directions for each box on the quilt, and create a class book based off the story Quack and Count.  In this story some of the ducks are in the pond and some are outside the pond.  Students will roll two dice to see how many ducks will be in and out, illustrate their picture and write a number sentence. In science we will explore the difference between sawdust and wood shavings and see what happens when they get wet.  We will also make our own sawdust wood.  We will welcome in the month of April with our April calendars.  This week we will focus on the parts of 6, seeing the different number sentences that equate to 6: 0+6=6, 1+5=6, 2+4=6, 3+3=6, 4+2=6, 5+1=6, 6+0=6. 

Conferences:  It was so nice to meet with all of you at Spring Conferences last week.  I always enjoy celebrating the success of each child and talking about goals for the remaining months of the school year.  I hope this opportunity was valuable to you as well. 

It’s amazing that we are almost upon Spring Break.  The year is going by so fast and I’m sure as parents it’s even more amazing to see the growth in your child since September.  I’ll bet it feels like just yesterday that you were sending your baby off to their first day of kindergarten.  As I prepare to become a new parent myself I have been thinking about how fast time will go, and that I must remember to appreciate each moment.  As a teacher you get so caught up in each day’s activities that when the last day arrives it takes you by surprise.  This Friday, April 3^rd will be my last day with your wonderful children.  Looking back on the pictures I took throughout the year brought tears to my eyes as I noticed how much they’ve changed and remembered all the fun I had with them.  I wanted to take the opportunity to sincerely thank each of you for sharing your very special kinder with me and for all of the support you have given your child and me throughout the year.  Your kids are simply wonderful.  They have been so much fun to work with!  The growth they have made in academic, social, and emotional areas is amazing.  They have a lot of growing left to do in the remaining months, and I am confident they will continue to flourish with Mrs. Schmidt.  Your children are becoming readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, artists, have learned to follow rules and get along, to solve problems, and hopefully to be excited, life long learners!  They are kind, helpful, hardworking, compassionate, bright, and eager young people.  I look forward to seeing you and your child again in the POD next year.  I will be in to visit later in the year and will also try to check in with Tina regularly to hear the progress of the students.  When your child returns from Spring Break, they will have Tina Schmidt as a teacher for the remainder of the school year.  Tina will make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone.  Tina will be checking my school email daily: dealexander@osd.wednet.edu and my voicemail: 596-6850, so please contact her through either of these as well as sending notes in your child’s Bee Book.

Supplies Request:  We are in need of more gluesticks to get us through the remainder of the school year.  Please send some with your child if possible.  Elmers gluesticks are really the best, most of the other brands are not sticky enough.  Thanks for your help!

Upcoming Events:

March 30-Kindergarten Registration Begins

April 1-Jefferson Middle school Band, Choir and Orchestra concert @ 10:00 a.m.

April 6-10-Spring Break-No School