Hello Rainbows! 

Gingerbread Man

  Our Gingerbread Man has been busy traveling abroad. 

Last week, we received several special deliveries from:

•  Israel: we learned about Hanukkah, and made a Dreidel 

• Iran: learned about Nowruz, made a decorated egg

• Jordan: learned about Ramadan, made a moon and stars

• Russia: learned about New Years/Christmas, made a "New Year's tree"

• Germany: learned about Christmas variations and similarities, made a German boot for a hopeful surprise from Christkind!

Upcoming Treats

   This week brings some optional treats!  Please let me know if you do NOT want your child to have any of these, and if there is an alternative you or I can help provide.  Monday students will receive a candy cane treat in their German boot.  On Thursday (shh!), the Gingerbread Man will return and, after sending us on a search around the school, will leave Gingerbread cookies in our classroom. Finally, on Friday the 19th our class will have a winter party with some treats. I will email a list of exact ingredients in the next day or two. 

School Counselor - Lesson for Kindergarten

    In December, one of our school counselors facilitated a classroom lesson about flexible thinking. 

Flexible thinking is the mental ability to adapt to change, switch between different concepts, and find multiple solutions to a problem, rather than getting stuck on one rigid approach. Students were introduced to this topic by listening to A Little Spot of Flexible Thinking by Diane Alber; this book taught students to think like a palm tree. A few ways to support your child's growth with flexible thinking is to model flexible thinking, use household objects in a new way (hairbrush as a microphone, etc.), change things within a routine, and involve your child in decision making activities. Remind your child to think like a palm tree and not a rigid oak tree!

December Dress-Up Days

Students can join the teachers for some of the dress-up days this month.  Students can dress up on Fridays. 

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - Kindergarten Green Day, wear as much green as possible

Friday, December. 19, 2025 - DECK THE HALLS - get decked out in your favorite holiday shirt.

No Homework This Week

  This week is dedicated to reviewing all subjects through fun, seasonal activities.  There will be no homework assigned.  To help your child's learning during this time, we strongly encourage you to keep up the daily routine of: 

1. Reading: have your child read aloud or read together for a short period each day (~ 10 mins)

2. Sight Words: review their current list of sight words (check the "Learning Objectives" tab above)

Consistent reading practice will solidify their reading skills and serve as a vital safeguard against knowledge drift during the downtime. 

Winter Break Homework

   During the two-week break from school, the best thing you can do to maintain your child's progress in school is to maintain even a slight routine, read every day, and to let them play!

  *Fun Kindergarten Challenge: learn to tie your shoes!  After winter break, I will no longer be tying shoes! (okay okay, I won't actually say no, but I'll encourage them not to rely on me).  If your child wears shoes with laces, please help them practice a couple minutes every day. Like many new skills, this is a hard thing to learn! But if you stay patient, they will learn!  There are a lot of helpful YouTube tutorials and children's books out there, but please let me know if you need help finding any more resources. 

Have a colorful week!

~ Michelle Lobban ~