We hope that you have a WONDERFUL spring break!  School for the Monday/Wednesday class will resume on Wednesday, April 4^th and on Thursday, April 5^th for the Tuesday/Thursday classes.

Don’t forget that our first field trip is the Friday we get back!  On Friday, April 6^th, ALL Kindergarten students will attend school from 8:00am to 11:45 PM.  Students WILL NOT eat lunch at school unless they are in Kindergarten Enrichment.  This morning is also our class pictures, so we will take those before we leave.  It is extremely important that your child comes to school on time so that we are able to take class pictures and depart for our field trip on time!

If your child still has not returned his or her permission slip it must be in our hands no later than Thursday, April 5^th.  If we do not have your child’s permission slip they will not be able to attend the trip!

Homework for break:

Please read and write with your child every day!  We have included journal pages for the writing.  We look forward to hearing about your adventures at home/if you travel anywhere!

Hey Kindergarten Parents!

We need your help!  We would like to go on a field trip to the Denver Zoo on a Friday in May, but we can’t book the trip or go without knowing we will have enough adult chaperones!  The zoo is a big field trip and ideally we like to have groups of 3-5 students max per adult.  With the new requirement of having to have a background check before being able to volunteer we want to make sure we have enough volunteers.  That means that we are looking to have a MINIMUM of 15 adults join us on this trip.  Ideally, we would like around 20.  On this field trip, the more the merrier! 

The two Fridays we are looking at are Friday, May 4^th or Friday, May 11^th.  Our first choice is for May 11^th, but it depends on if the zoo has availability.  May is a very busy month for the zoo and spaces for schools to visit fill fast.  We need to know if we will have enough volunteers before we can book the trip so we don’t lose money.  If you would like to come on the trip with us as a chaperone please let your child’s teacher know as soon as possible so we can book the trip.  Remember, you must get a background check before being able to go.  The fee is $15 for the background check, if this is a problem please let us know and we can try to make arrangements for the fee to be covered by Birch.  To get a background check, visit this website: www.tclog.com/bvsdv.  The good news is that the background check is good for 12 months, so if you sign up now, you will be all set for volunteering through next March too!  J

Thanks!

Beth Murphy

Beth Zorgdrager

IMPORTANT!

Dear Kindergarten Families,

NEXT Friday, March 2^nd is the “Are You Smarter Than A Bulldog?” fundraiser!  Kindergarten will be teaming up with their buddies for a fun event from 9:30-10:45. 

What this means is that ALL Kindergarteners will attend school in the morning from 8:00-11:30.  Ms. Murphy’s classes have both won a pizza party from the Physical Fitness for Fun competition in gym, so we will have our pizza party directly following the fundraiser. 

What this means for MS. MURPHY’S KINDERGARTNERS ONLY is that BOTH my classes will attend school in the morning. 

If your child is in my M/W class they will come to school in the morning, eat pizza with me and be dismissed to go home at 11:30.  (8:00-11:30 on Friday, March 2.  Fundraiser + Pizza Party).

If you child is in my T/Th class as well as KE they will eat pizza with me and then go to KE as scheduled in the afternoon.    (8:00-2:35 on Friday, March 2. Fundraiser + Pizza Party + KE in the afternoon).

If they are in my T/Th class and ARE NOT in KE they will come to school at 8:00 as usual, eat pizza with me and be dismissed later at 11:30.  (8:00-11:30 Fundraiser + Pizza Party with me).

Mrs. Z’s schedule will stay the same!  (8:00-10:45)

I apologize for any confusion it may cause—this was the only way we could schedule a time for ALL kindergartners to be able to participate in the fundraiser fun and the pizza party!  In the event that anyone in my M/W class has a major conflict with this changed schedule for next week please contact me and we can try to work out an arrangement if necessary.

Please let me know as soon as possible if your child will NOT be attending school on Friday morning!  Thank you!

Beth Murphy

Elizabeth.murphy@bvsd.org

720-561-8839

P.S. We would like EVERY child to participate in the fundraiser, even if it is only a penny!  Return those envelopes!  J

Dear Kindergarten Families,

At the beginning of the year we let you know about a Friday in January where there would be no Kindergarten for the T/Th classes and a full day of Kindergarten for the M/W class.  I like to call this Friday a “Funky Friday” because it tends to cause a lot of confusion.  The “Funky Friday” is coming up next week, so we want to give you another reminder so you can plan for any childcare arrangements that you might need to make.

Next Friday, January 20^th there is NO KINDERGARTEN for the Tuesday/Thursday classes. 

If your child is in KE, they will have KE at their normal time from 10:30-2:35.

It is a FULL day for the Monday/Wednesday class.

So…

If your child is in Ms. Murphy’s M/W class:  Your child will come for the FULL day on Friday, January 20^th.  Drop off and pick up are the same as on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Please be sure to send a lunch or plan for them to each hot lunch at school.

If your child is in Ms. Murphy or Mrs. Zorgdrager’s T/Th class:  Your child will NOT have Kindergarten on Friday, January 20^th.  Please make other childcare arrangements if necessary.  Please do not bring your child to school as they will not have class.

If your child is in Mrs. Pollock’s Kindergarten Enrichment Class:  Your child will have Kindergarten Enrichment on Friday, January 20^th from 10:30 to 2:35.  Your child can line up outside on the KE line at 10:30.  Mrs. P will be outside to greet them.  They will eat lunch at school.

Why is there no school for the T/Th class on Friday, but a full day for the M/W class?

Kindergartners are required to be in school for “seat time” for a certain number of hours each school year.  Our school is one of a few in the district that has an alternative schedule where our Kindergarten classes meet for two and a half days a week instead of five half days a week.  This unique schedule means that we have to be careful about making sure that the M/W Kindergarten section and the T/Th Kindergarten sections have an equal number of hours in school.  As a result of days off of school for holidays or teacher professional development, the M/W Kindergarten section ends up having fewer hours of “seat time” than the T/Th classes.  This year, the calendar has worked out such that the M/W class had one day less than the T/Th class.  To make up for that, the Monday/Wednesday Kindergarten class will come to school for the FULL day on Friday, January 20^th, and the Tuesday/Thursday Kindergarten classes will have the day off.  We know this can cause some confusion, so we hope this helps explain it a little better. 

·       This Friday is Veteran’s Day so there is NO SCHOOL.  Enjoy your long weekend!

Thursday is an all-school hat day.  The M/W class will have a hat day on Monday.

·        Physical Activities for Fun!  Our PE program promoting physical activity is in full swing.  Don’t forget to fill out your activity slips and send them in!  Kindergarten has a good chance of winning, so get out there and get moving!  J  New slips were sent home today!

·        Don’t forget to read your little books EVERY day!  This is an important piece of Kindergarten homework and I’ve noticed more and more kids forgetting their book or bag at home.  Please help your kids get their books read and back to school.

·         Classroom items needed! 

o   If you get a newspaper with color grocery store inserts please send any you don’t want/need to Kindergarten for a food project we will do next week!

o   Personal CD players/unwanted iPods.  We need these for “listen to reading” during our Daily 5 literacy time.  If you have an old personal CD player or iPod that you no longer want/need please consider donating it to our classroom!

·        Mark your calendars! Tuesday, November 15^th  5:00-8:00pm is the Birch fundraiser at the Chipotle Mexican Grill on 120^th and Sheridan.  Bring the flyer that went home today and 50% of the proceeds will go directly to our school!  This is an AMAZING deal for our school.  Hope to see you there!

Assessment Day and No School Reminders

Just a reminder that this Thursday (Sept. 1^st) is an assessment day so your child will only come to school for the hour appointment you signed up for!  Friday (Sept. 2^nd) is a professional development day for teachers and Monday (Sept. 5^th) is Labor Day, so there is no school for students on those two days either.  Have a wonderful long weekend!

If you have not signed up to bring your child to assessments on Thursday, September 1^st.  Please call or email to make an appointment.  720-561-8839 or Elizabeth.murphy@bvsd.org

I have a few spots open in the following appointment times: 10:00-11:00; 11:00-11:45; 12:30-1:30; 1:30-2:30.

Please arrive 5 minutes early to drop your child off at the back Kindergarten door.  Please wait with your child at the gazebo until their assessment time.  We will pick all kids up from outside and dismiss them from out the Kindergarten doors.  Thanks!

For updated information about Kindergarten events please visit our Kindergarten website!  You can access the website by visiting the Birch website and clicking on the Kindergarten link (http://www.bvsd.org/schools/birch/Pages/default.aspx) 

Or directly by visiting http://sites.google.com/site/msmurphyskindergartenfamily/