6/10/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

Ah, the last week of kindergarten. It was glorious. See the photos🔗 of our last week together.

Thank you for entrusting your sweet and wonderful children to my care. Today, I give them back to you a little bit older, quite a bit taller and a whole lot smarter. All that hard work has paid off. Your little ones have come a LONG way! We have studied, learned, laughed, sung, and grown together.

After our conversation about Stranger Safety, one kiddo raised her hand and said, "I can't believe I thought of you as a stranger at the beginning of the year!" It's true. We were strangers. I replied that we are no longer strangers, and will not ever be strangers again for the rest of our lives -- now that we've shared an amazing kindergarten year together.

I wish you all the best in your journey through Stephenson and beyond. Don't be strangers!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

Old News, but Still relevant

PPS Summer Enrichment Offerings

Still trying to figure out summer activities? Take a look at PPS' new Summer 2022 Enrichment website.

Reminders

• Here are photos from the past week: Photos🔗 or you can view them at any time by clicking the photos tab of my website.

6/3/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

Our balloon countdown to the end of the school year continues! Monday will be ice cream sandwich day and Wednesday will be popsicle day, so if you'd like to make a substitution, please let me know. Thanks!

Conversation Starters

• Are you having fun doing the balloon countdown? I hear you did drawing day, popcorn day, scavenger hunt day, and sidewalk chalk day. Which special day was your favorite?

• Can you sing the Beginning, Middle and End Song? (It starts, "The beginning is...what happens first...the beginning is...what happens first...")

• In Writer’s Workshop, we listened to the book Duck! Rabbit! Which did you see? Why did you feel that way?

• What piece of writing from our opinion unit did you choose to edit and share?

• What number comes after 49?

• Can you count to 100 by 1’s?

• Can you remember some of the Protect Yourself Rules?

• What did you like about the Variety Show?

Field Day

We will be participating in Field Day on Wednesday, June 8, in the afternoon. All kindergarten students should wear a WHITE T-SHIRT. This will help us keep track of our littlest students on this busy and exciting day! I promise you that your child will sleep well on Wednesday evening! Many thanks to those of you who have volunteered to help out. Many hands makes for light work.

On Monday, we will go through the behavior contract that our P.E. teacher, Mr. Pierson, has given all Stephenson students. It helps us understand what kind of student behavior is expected during Field Day. We will discuss it, sign it, and put it in our orange folders to bring home. Please read it and discuss it with your child, if you would. Thank you!

Health/Science

We completed the Health Unit called, Growth and Development and Violence Prevention. Students brought home a few little black and white paper books that have the key points of several of the lessons. We recommend reading them together and having a follow-up conversation with them about these topics.

Writing

We finished up our Persuasive/Opinion Writing Unit this week with an opinion piece about the best dessert and finally, whether we saw a duck or a rabbit in the book, Duck! Rabbit!, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. We selected our favorite writing piece and fixed it up with our Super Writer Checklist. It is in your child's orange folder for you to see.

Chromebooks Over the Summer

If you would like to borrow a PPS student Chromebook during the summer, please fill out this form and return it to school.

I can't believe we are down to the last week of school! It has been an amazing year. Thank you so much for raising such lively, curious and entertaining children. I am going to enjoy your sweet kiddos as much as I can next week. 😥

Have a lovely weekend.

Dana Bussey

5/27/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

We started a 10-day countdown today. Each day we pop a virtual balloon and inside is a special activity we get to do that day. Today was Extra Recess! They were so excited. We were going to have real balloons that we pop, but the K Team decided that in light of current events, loud popping sounds in the school building was a bad idea. 😕

Next week Wednesday will be a popcorn party, so if you'd like a snack substitution, please send it with your child that day. Thanks!

Conversation Starters

• What is a kiln?

• What happens to clay after it goes in a kiln?

• What is glaze? What color or colors did you glaze your dinosaur? (A few children have not glazed yet.)

• Who is someone who influences you -- shares likes or dislikes with you?

• Can you count to 100 by 10s? What did you notice about a hundred chart?

• After reading Hey Little Ant, did you think the boy should squish the ant or not squish the ant. Why?

Health/Science

Our Health Unit on Growth and Development/Violence Prevention is off to a good start. This week we talked about positive influences in our lives, appropriate and inappropriate touches, body parts that we all have in common, and body parts that are different. We also discussed families and how just like people, all families are different. I am very impressed with how seriously the students are handling the subject and material.

Assessment Results coming home

I send some end-of-year assessments home for you to see. Please keep your eye out for these in your child's orange folder. They are things like snap words and math assessments. As always, if you have any questions about them, please reach out.

Dinosaur Sculptures

Ceramics Artist, Karie Oakes, returned this week and taught the kiddos about the firing process. She showed them the samples of clay in five stages of the ceramics process: wet clay, greenware (dry clay), bisqueware (fired clay), glazed bisqueware (glazed) and glazeware (glazed and fired). Students got to handle the samples and notice their differences. We watched as Karie submerged each in water and observed what happened. We noticed that some dissolved and others did not. We learned that artists use glaze (not paint) to give color to their ceramics. Then, students glazed their dinosaurs, which went into the kiln on Wednesday. Today we got to see them in their full glory. They are dino-mite!

School Shooting Resource

We are deeply saddened by the news of Tuesday's school shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The kindergarteners did not bring it up and we have not have a conversation about it. We wanted to recommend a resource for you if the topic comes up at your house. There is a book series called, "A Kids Book About..." Many teachers like this series because it explains tough topics in kid-friendly language, gives adults language to use with children and encourages conversations around those topics. The company has provided a free copy of A Kids Book About School Shootings. We hope it useful to you, if you need it.

Field Day - white shirts, please!

We will frolic in the fields on Wednesday, June 3rd! Parent volunteers run field games such as relay races, tug-of-war and dunk tank. The kiddos will buddy up and run footloose and fancy free. Kindergarten students need to wear WHITE SHIRTS that day. It does not need to be solid white -- mostly white will do. Other grades will be wearing other colors so that we will have an easier time picking our students out from the crowd. If you find yourself with the day off on Wednesday and would like to help out, please contact Mr. Galindo (cgalindo@pps.net) to volunteer.

Have a safe and restful Memorial Day weekend!

Warmly,

Mrs. Bussey

5/20/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

It's the home stretch and students are soaring. We know each other so well and we feel like a family -- which is lovely, but it also means we are squabbling like siblings. Keep reinforcing those problem solving skills with your kiddos (Kelso's Wheel).

Conversation Starters

• I hear you are doing opinion writing in Writer's Workshop. What opinions have you written about? (Some topics we brainstormed so far: colors, seasons, pets, coloring tools, and holidays)

• Tell me about the story Stone Soup? Who are the characters? What happens in the story? What part did you read aloud when you read the script?

• Which teen numbers' names don't follow the pattern of "___teen?" (11, 12)

• Which teen numbers have the names of smaller numbers in them? (fourteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen.)

• Which teen numbers don't have the names of smaller numbers in them? (eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fifteen)

• How do humans harm the environment for plants and animals? How do humans help the environment for plants and animals?

Science

We wrapped up our unit on the Interdependence of Living Things, by looking at what happens to the basic needs of plants and animals when their environment is changed. Specifically we talked about what happens when humans change the environment and how we can help preserve the basic needs of plants and animals when we do. The culminating activity for the unit are the birdfeeder cookies students made and brought home today.

Snap Words Final Assessment

I gave the final assessment (60 snap words) to students today. I am very pleased with how well the students did. I sent home the results in their orange folders today.

Toy Day

Students filled their marble jar and have earned the privilege of bringing a toy to school on Wednesday. Please make sure it is small enough to fit in a backpack and is not violent in nature.

Growth & Development/Violence Prevention Health Unit

Our next Health Unit is called Growth and Development/Violence Prevention. In this unit, students begin exploring external influences. They think about who they are, what they like and dislike, and how those things are connected to important people and activities in their lives. Students will also practice accessing valid and reliable resources through the trusted adults in their lives. They will learn basic, medically accurate vocabulary for reproductive anatomy. There is an opt-out letter for the lesson focusing on anatomy if you choose for your child not to participate.

This unit also includes violence prevention lessons that help students understand personal space, the difference between safe and unsafe touch and how to advocate for themselves and others in situations involving abuse.

PPS Summer Enrichment Offerings

Still trying to figure out summer activities? Take a look at PPS' new Summer 2022 Enrichment website.

We hope to see you at the Day of the Child party this afternoon on the Stephenson playground (6-7:30 pm). It looks like we may have nice weather this weekend to get outside for a muddy hike or to start on that vegetable garden. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Dana Bussey

5/13/2022 NEWSLETTER 🦖🦕

Dear Families,

Nineteen days of school left. Can you believe it!? The next few weeks will be fun and will fly by.

Conversation Starters

• What kind of dinosaur did you sculpt?

• How did go about attaching legs to your dinosaur?

• What three things do you include in problem-solving writing? (What's the problem?; Why is it a problem?; How can we fix it?)

• What story did you read like a play with a script? (Little Red Hen)

• What character were you?

• In a teen number, what does the 1 stand for? (one group of ten)

• What did you plant in the garden? What creatures did you see while you were planting?

Science

It was a great experience planting our kindergarten garden boxes. We searched for evidence of city animals and insects fulfilling their basic needs (food, shelter, water & air.) Most exciting was the junco bird nest with eggs that was found under the weeds of one of the garden boxes. We left that box undisturbed so that mama junco could finish raising her family. The kiddos spotted lots of critters as they dug in the soil. Our focus is now turning to animals that live in the forest and how they meet their basic needs.

Clay Workshop

Young Audiences collaborating artist, Karie Oakes, taught us a lot about clay on Tuesday. We learned how to shape our dinosaurs' bodies by rolling, squeezing and pinching. We learned how to attach legs by scratching the clay with a fork to make hashmarks, spreading slip (a water/clay mixture,) and pressing and smoothing the pieces together. We also learned that we had to make holes in the thick parts of our dinosaurs to promote air flow. Otherwise, the sculpture may explode in the kiln. 😬 Fingers crossed our sculptures come out in one piece! 🤞

Our sculptures will be drying for the next two weeks and Karie will return to teach us about glazing and the firing process.

Snap Words Final Assessment

I will be giving the final assessment (60 snap words) to students this next week. You might want to run through them this weekend to shore them up, if needed.

We hope to see you at the Day of the Child event next Friday evening! See Mr. Galindo's Friday News Notes for details. Have a great weekend.

Warmly,

Mrs. Bussey

5/6/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

We are getting ready for first grade and the first grade teachers are starting to look at the kindergartners with interest. They are so impressed with how our responsible and respectful our class is as we walk down the hall. I'm a proud kindergarten teacher. 😊

Conversation Starters

• Who are Tom and Tabby Cat? (They help us learn social skills.)

• What is a teen number? (A number that has a group of 10 and some extra)

• How can you show a teen number on your fingers? (Hint: what else does your body have ten of?)

• What are the four things animals need to survive?

• What is a copy cat poem?

• What did you see under the microscope?

Clay Workshops with Artist, Karie Oakes - Two Volunteers Needed

We are looking forward to our first of two workshops on Tuesday with Karie Oakes, longtime collaborating artist with Young Audiences. She will teach the kindergartners clay hand-building and glazing methods to create dinosaur sculptures. They will learn about the properties of clay and the firing process. Here is a photo montage from similar workshops that Karie Oakes has done with kindergartners in the past. It looks dino-mite! 😋

We could use a couple parent volunteers to help set up, support students as they work and clean up after the sessions. Click here to SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER. Please note that volunteers must have already filled out a PPS volunteer application and have been approved by the school district.

Garden Box Planting

Thank you to Holly Morrison (Lilah’s mom from Mr. Graham's class) for volunteering to take on managing the Stephenson Garden! This fits in very well with our life sciences unit and the class is very excited to help plant. Thanks to Holly also for supplying us with seeds and starts, tools, expertise and time. We will be planting next week, weather permitting.

Microscope Experience

Many thanks to Rachel Rey (Olive’s mom from Mr. Graham's class) for bringing in their family's microscope and allowing the class to look at some very cool prepared slides.

This Teacher Feels Appreciated

Thank you all for the flowers, kind words, and special gifts this week! I am one lucky teacher to be working with such sweet and supportive students and families.

Happy weekend to you all. May this weekend boost your energy for the upcoming week.

Best,

Dana Bussey

4/29/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

If we can survive the rain on Saturday, it looks like we have some more recess-friendly weather coming next week.

Conversation Starters

• Can you name a strategy from Kelso's Wheel that you might use if you were having a conflict on the playground or in the classroom?

• Your radish plants came home on Wednesday. Where did you keep the radish plants at school? Why were the plants in one cup so green and the plants in the other cup so yellow? What do think would happen if we put the yellow plant in a sunny window?

• We had our class photos taken on Wednesday. Where did the photographer take our photo? (the library)

• What problems did you write about in Writer's Workshop? Did you create a sign? If so, where did you hang your sign?

• Are you still an avid reader? What have you been reading lately during Reader's Workshop?

Science

Students were excited to observe the differences in their radish plants this week. We realized that there is enough energy in seeds for plants to start growing without sunlight, but then they start to wither after a while in the dark. We were able to get outside this week to explore and make observations about how living things impact their environment. We also started discussing what living things eat and why they eat those particular things. Next we will start sorting carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.

Have a wonderful weekend with your family. Stay healthy!

Sincerely,

Dana Bussey

4/22/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

Happy Earth Day! We spent time today discussing the importance of caring for our one and only earth. The kiddos were excited to be upstanders for the planet.

Conversation Starters

• What are some ways you can help the earth?

• What other Kelso's choices (i.e., strategies for solving conflicts) did you learn about this week? (3. Wait and Cool Off; 4. Go to Another Game; 5. Talk It Out; 6. Share and Take Turns)

• What's the fancy math word for the numbers that you add together? (addend)

• What are you noticing about your growing radish seeds? Which ones seem to be growing better, the ones in the window or the ones in the dark?

• What is a living thing? Can you sing the song? (Something that breathes air, moves or grows, and needs food and water.)

• What living and nonliving things did you spot on your science walk this week?

Writing

We finished up our letter-writing unit this week and started our new persuasive writing unit. Students started writing about problems they see at school, home, in the community or our world. Today we tried to include ideas for solving these problems.

Science

We have been focusing on living and non-living things. In addition to the radish seeds we planted last week, we have discussed what kinds of living things we see in the city (animals and plants), went on a science walk around the playground to make some observations and drawings of the living and non-living things we were able to see. Next, we will begin to focus on how living things affect their environment.

First Grade Placement

Have thoughts about your child's placement next year for first grade? Stephenson has an optional Student Placement Questionnaire. You can provide input for us to consider when we are making balanced classes for next year. If you choose to fill out the questionnaire, please do not comment on or make requests for specific teachers. Final decisions are made by Principal Galindo. Surveys should be submitted preferably by Tuesday, April 26 and no later than Monday, May 2, 2022

Guess what's supposed to make an appearance this weekend... the sun! Enjoy! 🌞

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

4/15/2022 NEWSLETTER🌱

Dear Families,

Did we really have only four days this week? We have been so busy. I hope this newsletter finds you well and getting ready for the holiday weekend.

Conversation Starters

• I hear you are learning strategies to help you solve conflicts. What strategies have you learned so far? (1. Apologize if you made a mistake, 2. Make a Deal/Compromise)

• What did Mrs. Bussey use this week as a pointer to stretch vowel sounds?

• Did you get any new nonfiction learning books for your book box this week? What are they about? Did you find any cool topic words (i.e., vocabulary)?

• What do plants need to survive?

• What did you plant in class today? (radish seeds) Why did you plant seeds in two cups? (One will grow in the sunlight and one in the dark)

Report Cards

These went home today. Please keep the report card, sign the envelope and return it in your child's orange folder. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the grades you child received this quarter. My email.

Homework Log - oops

I believe I forgot to send home a homework log on Tuesday. If you'd like to print one at home, here it is: homework log. Or, you can simply send a note your child's orange folder saying they did their homework this week.

Earthquake Drill

We had an earthquake drill on Wednesday afternoon that went smoothly. The children know that the sound from the phone tells them that we need to crawl under our tables, cover our heads, and hold on to the table leg. Do you have an earthquake plan at home? https://www.ready.gov/kids/make-a-plan

Letter Writing

This week we wrote letters to people or pets that live in our home. Several children wrote letters to a parent and then on the next day wrote letters to their pet. On Friday, we listened to the story, The Day The Crayons Quit, and then wrote a letter to our favorite color of crayon telling them how important their color is to us. Next week, we will write a letter to our teacher and then we will celebrate the end of this mini-letter-writing unit. Up next: Persuasive Writing!

Keep crossing your fingers that spring comes back soon. 🙃 Enjoy the holiday weekend.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

4/8/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

It was an exceptionally lovely spring day yesterday and we had an opportunity to spend time with the whole school outside -- dancing the Hustle and taking a Lions' Lap around the soccer field. Here's a LINK to the song so you can dance along with your kindergartener.

Conversation Starters

• What sound does ck make? Where does it usually fall in a word? (at the end)

Here is a nice LINK to help us understand when to use k or ck at the end of a word.

• What is a mathy word for "take-away?" (minus or subtraction)

• When you are doing subtraction, what is the difference? (those that are left/the answer).

• What are the parts of a letter? Can you do the hand motions? (Date, Greeting, Body, Closing, Signature)

• We wrote letters to our classmates on Thursday. To whom did you write a letter?

• We are learning some new reading strategies when reading non-fiction books. Can you tell the adults in your home one or two new strategies? When reading learn-about-the-world books we need to Think: Wow!, Ask Questions, and Use fancy topic words.

Snap Words, Set 5

Snap words, Set 5 came home on Friday in orange folders. Let me know if they did not arrive so I can send home another copy.

Connect to Kindergarten

The event for parents of incoming kindergarteners went well this last Wednesday. If you know of any families that have yet to register, please send them this LINK to our school's Connect to Kindergarten website.

Staying Healthy

With masks off, germs are flying. A nasty cold has been circulating around the classroom recently. Please reinforce with your child about how to stay healthy (e.g., keep fingers out of noses, wash/sanitize often, cover coughs with inside of elbow, etc.).

Ramadan

From April 2 - May 2, our Muslim students and families are celebrating Ramadan. Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims during which there is an observance of fasting. The celebration that marks the end of Ramadan is called Eid al-Fitr (Celebration of the Fast Breaking). If you are a non-Muslim and would like to learn more about Ramadan and how to be respectful of this observance, please read “A Ramadan Etiquette Guide for Non-Muslims.”

I hope the kiddos are enjoying their extra day off school. I'll be thinking of them a lot today as I grade and write report cards. I am very pleased to say that everyone is showing growth. We have become a sweet, curious, motivated team of learners. I enjoy watching them mature and grow. Enjoy the weekend.

Sincerely,

Dana Bussey

4/1/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Back in the saddle again! This is the long haul to summer break with 11 weeks of nearly uninterrupted school weeks (except this coming week.) Tons of learning happens during this last quarter of school. This is when we tell the kiddos that they are "getting ready for first grade." We want to be to super ready!

Conversation Starters

• What can we do when it is time to get off a screen? (Pause, breathe, finish up.)

• What can we do if something we see on a screen makes us uncomfortable? (Pause, think, ask a grown up for help)

• Do you like the Letter Sound Challenge song? (starts at 00:51)

April Fool's Day

This morning, I told the students that I made brownies for them, and I brought out a tray wrapped in foil. They were thrilled! I passed out plates and peeled back the foil to reveal brown construction paper cut into the shape of the letter E. Get it? Brown E's. 😆 I pranked them good! Later, in the afternoon, I brought out another tray wrapped in foil and again told them that they could have brownies for their snack. They promptly gave me their best side-eye and were not to be fooled again. To their delight, I presented them with Entenmann's fudge brownies! I also had special brownies that were dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, for students with allergies. We sent home a paper plate with their brown E wrapped in foil. Hopefully, the prank continued at home for all to enjoy.

Fire Drill

We had an impromptu fire drill on Wednesday. The class did an outstanding job of remembering to exit quickly, quietly and safely. Of course there were the instantaneous rumors that there was a "real fire," or that "a fifth-grader" had pulled the alarm, but they are just rumors. Truth is we need to practice an unannounced drill to see how it is handled, and the kindergartners were amazing!

Writer's Workshop - Letter Writing Unit

Over the next two weeks we will be working on a brief letter writing unit. We will be reading several books that have the characters writing letters to each other to solve a problem. We will write letters to a special staff member, to a classmate, to you, and to a fairy tale character. We will be learning hand gestures to accompany the parts of a letter. Hopefully by the end of the week, we can show you these movements.

Connect to Kindergarten Event (for incoming families)

Do you know any families with incoming kindergarteners for the 2022-23 school year? Please forward them the information that we have a Connect to Kindergarten event for parents on Wednesday, April 6, 6:15-7. Meeting Link

Have a fun-filled weekend and stay healthy!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

3/18/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

The class was bubbling over with excitement all week. "When is the leprechaun coming to visit?" "How many more days until vacation?" "Why did we change the clocks?!" "I'm tired!!" 😆

Conversation Starters

• What did you do during the lockdown drill on Tuesday?

• What are some of the new sounds you are learning during Foundational Skills? (ch, sh, th, ck, wh)

• Do you have rules for using electronic devices at home? Do adults in your home have similar rules?

• Did a leprechaun visit your classroom? How did you lure him? Did you earn any gold, and what did you have to do?

• If you found a pot of gold, what would you do with it?

• What makes a rainbow?

Health Unit

Using the Common Sense Media curriculum, students will learn about safety and wellness when it comes to using technology. They will explore how technology makes them feel, think about who is in their online communities, and understand ways to stay safe online and when using apps. Students will be encouraged to seek guidance from trusted adults as they make decisions about technology. This week, we shared about the rules we have at home for screen time and focused on what we like to do that does not involve electronic devices.

Reader's Workshop

This week we reviewed all of our Reading Superpowers and chose three strategies that we feel are our personal strengths. We put gold stars next to those skills. We also chose one reading strategy that we most need to improve upon. Please encourage your child to share their super reader sheet with you.

Missoula Children's Theatre Production of Hansel and Gretel

We watched the Hansel and Gretel production on Friday. We enjoyed viewing other students from our building (including our Shira). Way to go, Shira. We are so proud of you!

St. Patrick's Day, Thursday, March 17

The wee children of Room 114 were visited by our leprechaun, Flannery McNugget. He was particularly tricky and turned over all of our table bins. We had to clean them out and put everything back before we could begin our day. There was green tinsel all over the classroom. We also found a pot of gold chocolate coins. In exchange for a coin we had to complete a snap word search. We listened to several books, played games, and danced along with a group of Irish step dancers.

Science: Learning from Jane Goodall

This week we learned about Jane Goodall and her study of the chimpanzees in Tanzania. Here is an optional learning activity you and/or your kiddos can do to learn about the natural world, just like Jane Goodall. No matter where you live, you can probably find a certain wild critter: ants! All you need to observe them is a pencil and a piece of paper (on a clipboard). Sit and watch them for a while. Pay attention to everything they do. How do they move? Are they carrying food? Can you figure out where they live? Write and draw everything that you notice!

Enjoy your week with family. Rest, read, and rejuvenate!

Warmly,

Mrs. Bussey

3/11/2022 NEWSLETTER 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♂️

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Happy Friday!

Conversation Starters

• I hear you read a story about remembering to treat yourself as a friend, too. What does it mean to "treat yourself as a friend?" Listening With my Heart, by Gabby Garcia

• What true stories are you writing about during Writer's Workshop?

• When you write a story, what goes in the beginning, middle and end? (Beginning -- what you were doing just before the exciting part happened; Middle - when the problem or event happens; End - how the problem was solved or how the event affected you.)

• Are you an avid reader during Reader's Workshop? What do you do?

• When using play-doh to form 3D solid shapes (sphere, cylinder, cube, cone), which shape was hardest to make? Which shape was easiest? Can you build these shapes at home somehow?

• How do we get real gold? Can we make it?

• Are mermaids real?

Missoula Children's Theatre Production of Hansel and Gretel

The show will be taped on Friday, March 11 and a link sent to teachers soon thereafter so that we can share it with our classes. Our very own Shira is performing!

Masking Optional starting Monday, March 14

Masking becomes optional next week, so it is time to have a conversation with your kindergartener about how much masking you would like them to do at school. Here are some slides, Masking Conversation with Kids, that we used to help students understand the masking change coming up next week. We recommend having this conversation at home, too.

Stuffy Day on Monday, March 14

The class earned a stuffy day on Monday, March 14. 😊 They can bring one stuffy small enough to fit in a backpack.

Lockdown Drill, Tuesday, March 15

We will be having our second lockdown drill on Tuesday morning. Here is how we frame it for students: Lockdown Drill Procedure.

St. Patrick's Day, Thursday, March 17

A leprechaun will visit our classroom in the wee hours of St. Patrick's day and will leave behind some gold (milk chocolate) coins for the laddies and lassies of room 114. Each child will get one. Please let me know if you would like to substitute some other treat for your kindergartener.

Enjoy the weekend!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

3/4/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying watching the kiddos play outside without their masks. Their smiles are so precious. I also get to remove my mask outside and I find children staring at me and saying, "So that's what you look like!" Someone else said to me, "You don't even LOOK like Mrs. Bussey! 😆

Conversation Starters

• Tell me about a story your class listened to this week? What parts were windows for you and what parts were mirrors for you? Papa, Daddy & Riley, by Seamus Kirst; Marlene, Marlene, the Queen of Mean, by A. E. Mikesell and Jane Lynch; Julian is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love; All the Way to Havana, by Marguita Engle. About Window and Mirror stories

• What are the vowels? Do you know the short sounds AND the long sounds that they make?

• What do avid readers do? (They find every opportunity to read)

• What did you notice about the new liquids in Science (red shampoo & corn syrup)? What happened when you raced them with other liquids?

• In Math, what shapes did you use to make a square? How about a rectangle?

• How do you make your writing easier to read?

Science

We ended our science unit on solids and liquids this week. Students had fun exploring two new liquids (corn syrup and red shampoo). We observed how transparent or opaque they were, how they moved and felt, and how they reacted in water. We’ll be transitioning to a new unit called The Interdependence of Living Things after spring break. In the intermittent time, we will be exploring various science bite-sized concepts and topics.

Reading

We have started Unit 4 - Becoming Avid Readers. We will be reviewing all of our Reading Superpowers and strengthening our skills at being an engaged reader. This week, we discussed traits of an avid reader and modeled what an avid reader looks like (e.g., reading under the covers with a flashlight.) The first part of this unit focuses on reading fictional stories and on thinking about characters, settings, and plot.

Writing

We are transitioning to Unit 2 - Writing for Readers - for just a few lessons to review about how we make our writing easier to read. We need to always reread our writing as we work, and make sure that we use capital letters correctly, spell our SNAP words correctly, add spaces between words, and include punctuation. In April, we will begin a brief poetry unit, before moving on to persuasive writing!

Wishing you a dry and spring-like weekend.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

2/24/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

I am sending the newsletter a day earlier than usual as I will not be here tomorrow. Guest teacher, Mrs. Noyer, will be running class on Friday and Monday. The students are excited to welcome her back after she taught them one day last month while I collected data for report cards. Nanci Noyer taught at Stephenson for over three decades and spent many of those years at kindergarten. She is magical and generations of students adore her.

Conversation Starters

• Which liquid sank or floated when mixed with water?

• Which liquid stayed mixed with water? Which liquids did not mix with water?

• Was it difficult to make triangles using straws and play-doh?

• Which 100 collection was your favorite? If you could do it again, what would you bring?

• Can I see your 100 day book?

• What happened to the 10 blue chains of 10 when Eva waved the magic wand? (They turned into a giant rainbow-colored chain of 100!)

100 Day -- A big success

Our 100th day of Kindergarten started off with an exciting blanket of snow! We started the morning with 100 jumps, then set up the displays of our 100 collections. We enjoyed traveling from kindergarten room to kindergarten room on a "Museum Walk" to view all of the terrific and creative collections. We saw 100 hair bows, 100 cubes, 100 coins, 100 Q-tips, 100 stickers, and so much more. During Writer's workshop everyone worked on their My 100 Wishes Book. Some students wrote that they would wish for 100 candies or 100 ice cream sundaes, but would never want 100 servings of vegetables, or 100 slugs. We celebrated the creative and funny things that our classmates wrote. We were worried that we would eat 100 of something, and were surprised that our snack spelled the number 100! We ended the day making our 100 day necklaces (with 100 beads, of course.) We celebrated that we are 100 days smarter! Thank you for helping your child make a collection of 100 items to bring in. They were so excited to share their collections and to view the collections of others.

End of How-To Writing Unit

We are currently revising/editing a favorite How-To writing piece. On Tuesday, we will have a writing celebration and students will share their polished piece to share with others. We plan to "have a toast" with a piece of toast and apple juice. Please let me know if you'd like to substitute any food items.

Coats and Gloves

Yesterday was a good example of how cold it continues to be during the day. Please remember that we have the windows wide open and most of the children are choosing to stay bundled up while in the classroom. We continue to have lunch recess, gym class and snack outside, so we need to wear a warm winter coat during these outdoor breaks.

Supplies

Thank you for sending in crayon boxes. Your help is most appreciated.

I hope you have a restful and enjoyable weekend!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

2/18/2022 NEWSLETTER 🌱

Dear Kindergarten Families,

The kiddos are growing by leaps and bounds -- much like the spring shoots popping up all over the place. Academically, reading is taking off and writing is flowing. Socially, they are often solving problems on their own and using kind words. It is fun and satisfying to watch.

Convo Starters

• What are window and mirror stories? Can a book be window AND a mirror story?

• What are four ways you can be an "Upstander?" (Be a Buddy, Interrupt, Speak Out, Tell Someone)

• I hear you had a fire drill this week. What happens during a fire drill?

• What makes writing readable? (Leaving spaces between words, using mostly lowercase letters except for the first letter of a sentence, punctuation, writing a letter for every sound in words)

• I hear you've been adding beginnings and endings to your How-To books. What is a beginning for? What is an ending for? Can you remember yours?

• When you raced drops of the four different liquids (water, glue, oil & shampoo), which liquids were fastest? Which were slowest? How did you race them? Did you help your teacher clean up?

• How did the liquids feel in baggies?

• What does the President do?

• What do you know about Abe Lincoln? George Washington?

Eating 100 (Top Secret!), Thursday, February 24

In the lead-up to the 100th day of kindergarten, we will build suspense by telling the students that they will "eat 100." Students have fun guessing what it is they will eat. They usually guess things like, "100 pieces of cereal?" "100 Hershey's kisses?" "100 blueberries?" It will be...shhhhhhhhhhh... a cheese stick, a mini-bagel and a cookie (Keebler fudge-striped). When put next to each other, they look like the number 100. 😄 Please feel free to substitute anything you would like that fits your child's dietary needs and let me know if you are planning a substitution. They will get the opportunity to eat their 100 at snack time on Thursday.

Missoula Children's Theatre Production of Hansel & Gretel

Stephenson students can sign up to participate in this popular week-long theater artist-in-residency by the Missoula Children’s Theatre. Students rehearse several days after school during the week of March 7-10. Due to Covid restrictions, there will be no live-audience performances. All students are welcome, but space is limited. Sign your student up on Tuesday, February 22, starting at 6 PM HERE. Applicants will be accepted in the order in which registrations are received. See the flyer for more information. A hard copy was sent home in the orange folder on Friday.

More Crayons, Please

We are running low on crayons. Please send two more cartons, if possible. If anyone knows of a sale let me know. Thank you!

Enjoy the three-day weekend. My family is heading off to the Blue Mountains for a ski trip. I hope to come back in one piece.

😊Dana

2/11/2022 NEWSLETTER 💖🧡💛💚💙💜

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Happy Friday!

Convo Starters

• What do the friends do in the friendship stories you've been reading in class? (Stick and Stone, by Beth Ferry, Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli, This is Not a Valentine, by Carter Higgens.)

• What do you like about practicing your snap words at school?

• What makes a cylinder a cylinder? What makes a cone a cone?

• Do you know any position words? (above, below, beside, next to, in front of, behind)

• What liquids did you explore this week? What did you notice about them? (water, glue, shampoo, cooking oil)

• What is going to happen to your Pattern Power (one of their super-reader powers) as the books get harder?

• Do you like Reading A-Z (a.k.a., The Robot Reading App)?

• Who is Merbet the alien? (A stuffy that helps us read "alien words" such as zot.)

Friendship Day - Candy hearts and more

The kiddos are so excited for Friendship Day on Monday. They can bring a stuffy friend with them to school to share in the celebration. During Math time, we will do a sorting, counting, & graphing activity using candy hearts. I plan to allow students to eat six hearts (one of each color), if they like. Please let me know if there are any dietary concerns about this.

Thanks for your help with preparing the valentines. This work can count as several days of homework, if you like. Just mark "Other" on the homework log and write in "V-Day" or something similar.

Students are bringing home a special valentine for their families this afternoon. You can find it in their orange folders. 💕

100th Day of Kindergarten, Thursday, February 24 - Action Needed

I know that you are probably busy with valentines this weekend, but I wanted to put something on the back burner for you to start thinking about. The 100th day of kindergarten is on Thursday, February 24, and will be a special day with fun activities centering around the number 100. Students will bring in a collection of 100 things that can fit into a gallon size ziplock bag. Preparing this collection can count as a 1-2 days of homework on your child's homework log, as long as they are the ones doing the counting. 😉 The collection should all be of one kind. Some ideas are: puzzle pieces, hair ties, bolts, nuts, pennies, pieces of raw pasta, raw beans. craft pom-poms, etc. Students are going to need parental help to count out 100 accurately. Counting out groups of ten is one strategy. Please avoid: food items that crumble easily (e.g., pretzels, cereal), items that roll away (e.g., beads, marbles) or tiny things that are hard for students to handle. On the 100th day, students will make a display of their collections. The other two classes will be invited to visit and see our 100 day collections. Thanks for your support with this!

Volunteering

Starting in March, the kindergarten team will welcome two essential volunteers to assist in the classroom. They will each visit once a week to help with our most pressing need: writing support. Our writer's workshop happens daily between 9 and 9:45 AM. Volunteers will listen to the writing lesson and then support students as they work independently.

All incoming volunteers will be required to submit a volunteer application and provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. “Fully vaccinated” is defined as having received both doses of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or one dose of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine and at least 14 days have passed since the individual’s final dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Boosted individuals are especially welcome. 😉 We have several students who are unvaccinated as well as family members of students who are high-risk.

If you are interested, available 9-9:45 AM once a week, and willing to do all the required paperwork, please email me by Monday, February 21, 2:30 pm. If there are more than two people interested, I will randomly select two.

I hope you and your family get some good outdoor time this weekend. It is supposed to be pretty nice. 🌞

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

2/7/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

The groundhog may *think* winter is here for six more weeks, but we've been noticing the daffodil shoots and the daphne buds. Shadow or no shadow, spring is just around the corner, groundhog, my friend.

Convo Starters

• Who is Moby the robot? (A character in the social studies videos we watch.)

• What happened when Moby swallowed all the dumplings for Lunar New Year? What do you know about Lunar New Year?

• What is the difference between 2D flat shapes and 3D solid shapes?

• What are some 2D flat shapes that you know? What are some 3D solid shapes that you know?

• What do you know about groundhogs? Can they really predict when spring will come?

• Can snap words have disguises? Can you think of an example? (played = play + ed)

• What sounds make up the word, fan? How about these words: big, pod, let, run?

• Have you added any warnings, tips or advice to your writing?

• What is the Lion Lap?

Report Cards - "What am I supposed to return to school?"

Report cards went home on Friday, February 4. Please keep the report card, sign the envelope, and return the signed envelope to school in your child's orange folder.

I am happy to answer your questions about your child's report card. Did anything surprise or confuse you? Do you wonder how a subject is graded? Please let me know. This is the first official PPS report card for many of you, so I am expecting some parents to have wonderings. If you would like to talk, send me a text on Remind and let me know when you can meet virtually. I am available pretty much anytime between 2:30 and 4 pm on most days. Text me and I can hop on Google Meet, sometimes within a few minutes. You can think of this time as office hours. Use this MEETING LINK.🔗

Please remember that our goal is to establish the building blocks for academic success and to instill a love and excitement for learning. If your child is not meeting benchmark in a particular area, just remember that children do not learn at a constant rate, but rather in spurts -- much like how they grow in height. Our job as educators and parents is to collaborate to find the conditions that work best to help our children learn and grow.

Hope it is a lovely weekend for you all.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

1/27/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Quarter 2 is a wrap! The kindergarten teachers will be working on report cards tomorrow and sending them home on Friday, February 4.

Convo Starters

• What do you know about Jane Goodall? How is she an upstander?

• Can you think of some capital letters whose lowercase are just mini versions of themselves?

• What How-To book are you working on right now?

• What was the one property of solids you tested this week? (magnetism) Which solids were magnetic?

• What objects did Mrs. Bussey hide in the paper bag for the Guess the Object game during Science? Did the class guess what it was?

• Why did Mrs. Evans ask for free donuts at a donut shop? (The sign actually read "fresh donuts") What should we remember to do as super readers? (Read through the whole word) Silly Mrs. Evans!

1/21/2022 NEWSLETTER

Hello Kindergarten Families,

The new year is off to a great start. We are working hard and having fun.

Convo Starters

• What makes you feel calm, happy or at peace? How can you use this to help you at times when you are feeling stressed or upset?

• Can you name some "Friends of Ten"(number pairs that make ten)? Can your fingers help you find some?

• What properties of solids did you explore this week? (bounciness, hardness/softness, sinking/floating) How did you test them? What did you notice?

• What is the song you sing so that you remember what characters are? Who are some of the characters in the book, The Mitten, by Jan Brett?

• I hear you added a materials list to your How-To book. What materials did you list?

• What do some animals do to survive in extreme cold temperatures.

Opt-in Covid Tests due on Thursday this week

Tests will go home on Wednesday and should be returned on Thursday this next week as there is no school on Friday. The schedule goes back to normal the following week.

Quick Cards in Orange Folders

As you likely noticed, I taped a copy of your child's Quick Card on the inside of their orange folder. Should be easy to keep track of now. This card uses a QR code to sign your child into My.PPS (ClassLink) where they can access their learning apps.

Weekend News Support

We do Weekend News writing every Monday morning. It may give your kindergartner a boost if they could chat with you about the events of the weekend and choose something to write about before school on Mondays. Remember, it doesn't have to be anything momentous. Small moments such as, "I snuggled with my dog," work great, too. Thanks!

Hope it's a good weekend for you and your loved ones.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

1/14/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

So far, our classroom is unaffected by the omicron surge. Score! Keep up the good work, everybody!

Convo Starters

• Can you think of a time when you were strong and kind instead of mean?

• What is bullying? What is an upstander?

• Let's keep our eyes out for the snap words, me, with, and she, this weekend. Can we find those in our bedtime stories?

• Can you write the capital and lowercase letters A-H? Letter Formation Guide for Parents🔗

• What properties of solids have you explored in Science this week? (color, size, rolling and stacking) What did you notice?

• What How-To books did you work on this week? What are you thinking about writing about next?

• What do good readers do when they finish a book? (Think about the characters and the story or facts they learned)

Weekly Opt-in Covid Test

OHSU does not share the results of your child's Covid test with Stephenson. Please report to the school if your child's test comes back positive. Thank you. 503-916-6318

Extra Mask

Many families do this already, but it is helpful for every student to have a back-up mask in their backpacks in case the first one gets wet or broken. Thanks!

New Science Unit: Liquids and Solids

We started a new science unit called Liquids and Solids, in which students will expand their awareness of the properties of solids and liquids. It will introduce students to two key concepts of physical sciences--that solids and liquids represent two states of matter, and that each state of matter has identifiable properties. They will be using their senses, performing tests with lots of hands-on materials, organizing their results and analyzing their findings. This week we explored a few properties of solids--color, size, rolling, and stacking. Next week we'll examine the properties of hardness and sinking/floating.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

Did you know that MLK day is designated as a day of service? It is the only federal holiday to be so. Congress passed legislation making it so in 1983 and participation in the day of service has been growing in recent years. Want to give it a try? Check out these ideas for volunteering with children in the Portland area🔗 from PDXparent.com.

We learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. during social studies today. Here is the book we read: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.,🔗 by Johnny Ray Moore.

Hope you enjoy this dry and (hopefully) sunny winter weekend.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

1/7/2022 NEWSLETTER

Dear Kindergarten Families,

It is FUN being back in the classroom with your wonderful kiddos. I think they grew about an inch over winter break. They are certainly acting quite grown-up and I am proud of them for remembering all the school routines even after such a long break.

Convo Starters

• What do you enjoy about returning to school after your winter break?

• What are some things you could do or say to be kind to others?

• What makes a book harder to read? (More words, more lines, longer patterns, surprise endings.) What super reader powers can you use to read these harder books?

• What is the new kind of writing that you have started? (How-To writing) What are you writing about? What are some other things could write about to teach kids?

• Is Earth the only planet with life?

New Writing Unit: How-To Writing

We started a new writing unit called How-To writing in which students teach others how to do something they know well. They will be working on planning out their multi-page books, adding details and advice for readers, drawing/labeling detailed diagrams and writing intro & conclusion pages. It's a fun unit where students get to share their knowledge and interests with their classmates.

Thinking Ahead (Possible Virtual School)

Just a heads up, PPS has asked teachers to be ready to transition to virtual learning should it become necessary. It would include 3 hours of whole-class synchronous (live) virtual instruction, small group virtual meetings, asynchronous (independent) assignments, and virtual teacher office hours. The school would provide every student with a Chromebook and charger. Verizon Hot Spot devices may be available as well, if needed. The teachers would set up materials pick-up events where families could drop by the school during a window of time to pick up materials.

As a reminder, all learning apps are accessible through My.PPS (ClassLink) and the Quick Card (a badge with a QR code) sent home earlier in the school year. Please let me know if you need another copy of the Quick Card.

The kindergarten teachers taught most of last school year virtually, so we are ready and able to take this on, if it happens. Fingers crossed that it doesn't.

I hope it's a good weekend for you and your loved ones. Stay healthy!

Sincerely,

Dana Bussey

12/17/2021 NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

Snowflakes remained elusive this week, much to the vexation of the kindergarteners. We kept our eyes peeled so that we could rush outside and catch them on our tongues. Fingers crossed that it happens at some point this winter!

It was a busy week with lots of learning and fun happening in the classroom. We finished our Celebrations of Light social studies unit and have multiple crafts to show for it.

Convo Starters

• What winter holidays did you learn about this week? (Winter Solstice, Diwali, & New Year)

• How many sky line letters can you think of? What makes them sky line letters? Why isn't lowercase letter d a sky line letter? (It starts on the plane line.)

• Which gingerbread book is your favorite so far? Who are the characters? What happens in the story? Why do you like it?

• In the class gingerbread book, what did your gingerbread man run away from?

• What happens if you make your astronaut spaces too big when you are writing?

• Are you using mostly lowercase letters when you write now?

• How do you know if a number is greater than another number?

Homework Over Winter Break

There will be no additional homework required over winter break—just the regular homework log, which went home this past Monday. I sent home a worksheet packet of optional work for students that enjoy that kind of thing. No pressure.

I hope you have plenty of time during winter break to enjoy things like story time together on the couch, cocoa after coming in from the cold, and board games at the kitchen table.

Best wishes for a restful and merry winter break and a happy and healthy new year!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

12/10/2021 NEWSLETTER

Hello, wonderful kindergarten families!

Convo Starters

• What is your favorite GoNoodle right now?

• What winter holidays have you learned about so far? (Hanukkah, Christmas, Las Posadas & Kwanzaa)

• How do periods, questions marks and exclamation marks change your voice as you read?

• What do the letters q and z sound like? Can you write them? Can you remember how to write an f, d or e?

• What does fewer mean? For example, if you have the numbers 4 and 9, which one is fewer?

Celebrations of Light (Social Studies Unit), Continues

We learned about a few holiday traditions this week: Hanukkah, Christmas, Los Posadas, and Kwanza. Next week, we will learn about Diwali, Solstice/Yule, Saint Lucia Day, and New Year.

Handwriting Lowercase Letters...check!

With letters q and z in the bag, we've finished learning about lowercase letters. Phew! Next week we will be reviewing the tricky ones and playing games to help solidify our knowledge.

Show and Tell Writing Unit Celebration

On Thursday, we divided up the kindergarten classes and sent students out to present their revised and edited writing to classmates in the other kindergarten rooms. We had a wonderful time and the photos are on our photo page. Today, we cleaned out our writing folders, which explains the copious amount of paper in your child's orange folder. Sorry.

Hot Cocoa on Friday - Dietary Concerns?

I plan to bring instant hot cocoa for kiddos on Friday. Let me know if you plan to send an alternative for your kindergartner.

I know this is a busy time for many of you, and the children are so keen for the holidays. Each day we continue to countdown to winter break. Only a handful of rings left on the countdown chains! I wish you (and me) a productive, yet restful weekend. Can they be both?

😏 Dana Bussey

12/3/2021 NEWSLETTER 🐻

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Excitement is in the air as families prepare for the winter holidays. The kiddos are sharing all about the decorations and traditions of their families. It it delightful to hear how everyone's customs are similar and yet unique.

Convo Starters

• When talking about Thanksgiving Break, what did you and your table partner have in common? What did you draw?

• What kind of pattern is your countdown chain? (e.g., AB or ABC or AABB, etc.)

• What do the letters x and y sound like? Can you write them? Do you remember how to write an a? Letter Formation Guide for Parents🔗

• Do you have a cozy spot in the house where you can take a break when you are angry or upset? Is there a spot like that at school?

• What have you learned about what animals and insects do in winter? Here is the hibernating bear guided drawing video🔗 that we did in class, if your child wants to try it again.

• Pick a number between 0 and 10. What number is one more?

Finishing Show & Tell Writing Unit - Please send back next week

We have come to the end of Writing Unit 2: Show & Tell. At the end of this week, students were introduced to editing a single piece of writing. They were given a checklist to make sure that they included all the parts of a Show & Tell book. It included thing like, "I stretched words and wrote the sounds I heard," "Each picture has labels," and I have astronaut spaces between words. On Wednesday we will have the three kindergarten classes share their writing with one another and we will send home their work at the end of next week. Note: There were several children who wanted to work on their writing over the weekend and brought it home. If your child did this, please return it to school on Monday.

Celebrations of Light - Dietary concerns?

This social studies unit started today and introduces children to a sampling of holidays celebrated by people around the world. It is interesting to note how similar many holiday practices are among people thought to be very different from each other. The celebration of light and hope during winter is something that connects the diverse communities of the world.

The holidays we will be studying include: Hanukkah, Christmas, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa, Diwali, St. Lucia's Day, Yule/Winter Solstice and the New Year. On Monday, students will learn about Hanukkah and play dreidel. They will receive a milk chocolate coin called "gelt." If this does not fit with your child dietary needs, please send an alternative treat and let me know that you are doing so. Thanks!

Vision and Hearing Screening, Wednesday

All K/1 students will have vision and hearing screening on Wednesday. Parents will receive results only if the student is flagged for further evaluation.

Individual Hand Sanitizer

We sanitize our hands multiple times a day and some children have run out of their individual hand sanitizer. Please check with your child to see if they need more. It is a real timesaver if students can sanitize independently instead of waiting for me to come around and give them sanitizer.

Toys and Other Personal Items

The kindergarten team would like to remind families that toys and other personal items should stay at home to avoid distraction at school. Thank you!

Patterned Countdown Chains

I hope you are enjoying these! Many thanks to the Logans (Clara's parents) for helping find winter jokes for the links and to the Calls (a former student's family) for cutting all the strips. Tonight your child will remove their third link from the bottom of the chain. I think I can hear the groans from afar every evening as you read the jokes. 😆

Enjoy the weekend!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

11/19/2021 NEWSLETTER 🦃

Happy Friday!

Parent/Teacher Conferences, November 22-23

We will be meeting virtually on Google Meet (MEETING LINK🔗). Heads up: The same meeting link is being used for everyone's conferences. When you click the meeting link, you will be taken to a "Ready to Join?" room. When there, if you see that someone besides the teacher is in the meeting, please wait to click "Join now" until those parents have left and only the teacher is present. Thanks and I look forward to chatting with you.

Convo Starters

• What is an astronaut space? (The space we put between words.)

• What did you learn about Ruby Bridges?

• What super reader powers do you have?

• Who likes to show off their feathers, the male or female turkeys? Can you think of another bird that does that?

• What were in the mystery boxes?

Dyslexia Brochure

Earlier this week, a brochure about dyslexia went home. I wanted families to know that every kindergarten student received this brochure from the school district, not just certain students.

Chocolate Milk

Chocolate milk has arrived at Stephenson cafeteria! As of last week students having school lunch can make the choice to grab one. I give you this information in case you want to have a conversation with your child about how often they can choose chocolate milk. In the past, some families have allowed chocolate milk only on certain days (e.g., Fridays.) I will support any decision you make. Just let me know if you need any support (i.e., monitoring of milk choice.)

Reading Super Powers

In November, we started an interactive and engaging unit of study titled Super Reader Powers. Throughout the school year, we will continue to refer to our “Super Powers” as we read. Each time we learn a new strategy we will share slides with families. These slides contain an explanation of the different strategies (powers), along with the common chart symbol, some verbal prompts and a brief video tutorial of how to encourage your child to tap into their own super powers as readers. Super Reader Powers as of November 19🔗

Humane Society Classroom Visit

Unfortunately, this had to be rescheduled. It will likely happen in early December.

Countdown to Winter Break Chain - Paper shopping bag needed

This is a math project we do every year for a bit of fun. Students will create a patterned paper chain with the number of links to match the number of days until winter break. We will send this home on Tuesday, November 30. Please send a paper shopping bag (or two) to school on Monday or Tuesday so they can bring it home on Tuesday afternoon. Thanks!

It will be nice to take a few days to focus on family and friends. My twin brother is flying in from Wisconsin and our friends are joining us for the feast. Sending you warm wishes for a holiday filled with things that bring you happiness.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

11/12/2021 NEWSLETTER 🎖🪖🇺🇲

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Thank you, Veterans! I hope you were able to honor those that serve and have served in one of the branches of our country’s military; we had a good discussion in class this week around veterans and how they serve. If you’re looking for a artsy activity to do over the next few days, here is an Art for Kids Hub - How to Draw an Armed Forces Ribbon🔗 (6:00 min.)

Convo Starters

• Can you remember some of the branches of the military? (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard)

• Do scientists know why people get car sick? (not exactly) Video🔗 about the science of motion sickness

• What did you notice when you started looking for emotions/feelings in magazines? Which emotions did you find?

• What sounds do l (L) and h (H) make? Can you write them? Letter Formation Guide for Parents🔗

• Can you sing The Itsy Bitsy Spider song? What is the snap word that keeps repeating in this song?

• Let's keep an eye out for something to write about for your weekend news this Monday. It doesn't have to be anything big or exciting. Small moments work well, too, such as, “I watched my favorite TV show,” or, “I snuggled with my stuffy.”

Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, Wednesday, November 17, 9:50 AM

This is an opportunity for students to learn about the civil rights movement and a young girl's brave contribution. We will celebrate Ruby’s courage in the face of great adversity by having a parade around the school. Everyone will practice social distancing. To learn more about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, click on the San Mateo County's website.🔗

Humane Society Visit, Friday, November 19 🐕

The Humane Society is visiting our classroom with a canine friend on Friday! We will visit with the dog and learn about dog safety. For more information, check out the Humane Society web page🔗 about their classroom visits.

Grow Light Donation

Thank you to the Altmans (Shira's family) for donating the grow light for our baby lemon tree. Lemons, the tree, thanks you from the bottom of its heartwood.

Kindergarten Memory Books

Families with older children who were previously in my class will remember receiving a Kindergarten Memory Book at the end of the school year. Unfortunately, with the lack of in-school volunteer help and the increased workload due to Covid-19 precautions, there will be no Kindergarten Memory Books this year. Therefore, I recommend keeping special things that come home from school in a file of your own, if that is important to you.

Looks like this atmospheric river dries up next week. Phew! Hang in there! ☔

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

11/5/2021 NEWSLETTER 🤧

Dear Kindergarten Families,

I was sorry to miss work this week and was glad to be back with the kiddos Thursday. I am on the mend and regaining my energy. You'd never believe it, but it takes lots of energy to teach kindergarten! 😏

Conversation Starters

Questions you can ask your child this weekend:

• When activating Pointer Power, how many taps does each word get? (one) What do you do if you are reading a word with more than one syllable? (It still gets just one tap.)

• When you looked at the pictures of families, what did you notice? (Hopefully, they noticed that everybody's family is different. The message was: there are lots of different kinds of families.)

• I hear you started writing about things that are important to you. What are you writing about? What other ideas do you have?

• In science, you learned about the history of candy and chocolate. What do you remember about that?

• Can you show me how to write the lowercase letters p and j?

• Do you know what to say to help you write your numbers 0-5? (See verbatim instructions sent home this week.)

Family Pictures

If you didn't get a chance to send a picture of your family and you still wish to, no problem. Send it when you can and we will look at it then.

Drawing a Fall Tree

We did guided drawing on Thursday from Art for Kids Hub, a student (and teacher) favorite. It proved to be a pretty difficult one for kindergartners, but I promised to send out the link so students can try again this weekend, if they like.

Art for Kids Hub - How to Draw a Fall Tree 🔗 (6:58 min)

Covid Screening Tests

These should be returned on Monday as there is no school today.

Grow Light Donation for Our Lemon Tree

I am wondering if anyone would be interested in supplying us with a grow light to help our baby lemon tree get through the dark season. I was thinking of this one from Amazon. Please email me (dbussey1@pps.net) or text me on Remind if you are interested. Thanks for considering it!

Having trouble signing in to learning apps?

Let me know so I can help you troubleshoot. I recently updated the Technology Page of my website, so these new tips might help.

What are we going to talk about during Parent/Teacher Conferences on Nov. 22 & 23?

Here are the kinds of questions we will discuss:

• What is your child and family enjoying outside of school this fall?

• How is school going for your child and family? What would you like me to be aware of?

• What is working well? Are there any difficulties you would like me to know about?

• When your child talks about school at home, what do they get excited about?

• What strengths are you seeing in your child this fall - any new interests or skills?

• Here is how your child did on some recent assessments. If skills were not yet gained, how can we scaffold the learning?

• Do you have any questions about kindergarten?

• Is there any other way I can support you and your child this school year?

Even though it is our only official time to sit down and talk about your child's progress, you can always set up a meeting (virtual or in person) with me to talk about how your child is doing in kindergarten. Quick matters or questions can be addressed on Remind or email, of course. Always feel free to reach out.

Stay well and I hope it's a good weekend for your family!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

10/29/2021 NEWSLETTER 👾🎃👻

Dear Kindergarten Families,

What a fun week full of monster madness!

Conversation Starters

Questions you can ask your child this weekend:

• What kind of zombie is Mrs. Bussey?

• What did you do in the monster cave?

• What did Reader-Man and Spider-Man leave in the classroom?

• What were some of the ingredients in monster soup?

• What is special about the lowercase e? (It is the only one that doesn't start on a line. It start between the plane line and the grass line.)

• Why do lizards lose their tails? Do you find that creepy or cool?

• Can you think of some numbers that make five? (e.g., 0 & 5, 1 & 4, 2 & 3, etc.)

Family Picture Needed by Monday Afternoon

Next week Tuesday, we will be doing a lesson called, The Groups We Belong To. One of the most important groups we belong to is our families, of course. If you are comfortable doing so, would you please email me (dbussey1@pps.net) a photo of your family this weekend (by Monday afternoon at the latest), so that we can share it with the class?

Parent/Conferences - Please Sign Up🔗

Please take a moment to sign up for a Parent/Teacher conference. This is the one time in our school year for us to get together to talk about your kindergartener's progress. These conferences will take place on Monday, November 22, and Tuesday, November 23. I look forward to chatting with you all about your awesome kiddos.

New Reading Unit: Super Powers

This week we started Unit 2 - Reading Super Powers. We will be concentrating on "activating" three important reading powers this coming week:

1. Pointer Power - We tap under each word just once.

2. Reread Power - Does what we read makes sense? If not, go back and read it again.

3. Snap Word Power - We can find words that we know "in a snap."

Math News

We finished up Unit 1: Numbers 0-5 this week. Next week, we will be playing math games to review concepts and will take our Unit 1 assessment on Thursday. This would a good to practice numeral writing 0-5 for homework. We will send home some optional numeral writing worksheets early next week.

Article from PBS about Prepping Kids for Trick-or-Treating

I can't wait to see how we all feel on Monday morning after a full evening of festivities and the consumption of more sugar than normal.😬😆

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

P.S. Time to order the turkey?

10/22/2021 NEWSLETTER 🌧☂

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Happy Friday!

Conversation Starters

Questions you can ask your child this weekend:

• What does it mean to, "stand in someone else's shoes?"

• What is the story with Plane-Line-Round letters? (They start on the plane line and duck the airplane.)

• What do you notice about the leaves in your leaf collection?

• I hear you are writing books about special places during Writer's Workshop. What special place are you writing about? What other ideas do you have for special places you could write about?

• Can you say the Five Little Pumpkins poem? Which is your favorite pumpkin?

• If students drop paper towels on the floor in the bathroom, who has to pick them up?

• What are some ways to be safe at school?

New "Old Favorite" Book

This book came home this week with the hope that you would help your child create a new "old favorite." Please read it a bunch over the weekend and return it on Monday. By the way, you can do this with any favorite book in your home. Happy reading and thanks for your support!

What is a Student Reader?

One homework option on the homework log is the "student reader." These are the little black-and-white paper books that your child brings home. It is a great idea to start a collection of these -- in a shoe box, for example.

Lexia Core5

Your family may start choosing Lexia Core 5 for homework. Please remember that the program is adaptive, so students should work independently. Feel free to observe them working and provide support for tech issues, but please do not provide answers. If the student makes a mistake, that is fine! The app will provide further instruction.

Monster Week - Flashlights needed on Thursday

Monster shenanigans are happening next week! We will be drawing and watercolor painting monsters, reading in a "monster cave," (under the tables) and making monster soup. Please send your child to school with a flashlight on Thursday so that they can see in the monster cave. 😉 I'll send a reminder on Wednesday.

Magazines

The kindergarten teachers appreciate having kid-friendly magazines for collages and such. Do you have any lying around the house? We'd love to take them off your hands!

Parent/Conferences - SIGN-UP🔗

We have one time allotted in our school year for parents and teachers to get together to talk about your kindergartener's progress. These conferences will take place on Monday, November 22, and Tuesday, November 23. I look forward to chatting with you all about your awesome kiddos.

Do stay dry and try not to float away this weekend! 😅

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

10/15/2021 NEWSLETTER 🍃🍁🍂

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Happy ides of October!

Conversation Starters

Questions you can ask your child this weekend:

• What name got the most votes when naming the lemon tree? (Lemons) What name did you want to name the lemon tree?

• How do you write a "big-belly 5?" What do you say when you write it? ("Down, around, boing! and over.")

• How do you finger breathe? (Trace your fingers and breathe in as you go up and breathe out and you trace down.)

• What does it mean to "chew on words?" (Pretend a words is a piece of gum. Stretch it out and listen for sounds)

• Can you tell me a word that begins with the sound, "g" (sounds like the g in "game")? What is that letter?

• Did your umbrella beat Mrs. Bussey's umbrella? Why do you think so?

Orange Folders

• Red letter/sound flashcards: You can cut them out and start using them as a homework choice.

• Math papers galore: Many of these were unused this week, but they were sent home in case your family chooses to use them as homework.

• QuickCards: This a QR code that signs you in to My.PPS (ClassLink) without having to enter a username and password.

Wind-Resistant Umbrellas (based on trees)

On Thursday, we looked at trees for inspiration to design beach umbrellas that won't blow over as easily in wind. I made a typical umbrella (no modifications) and students added areas where the air/wind could pass through, just like a real tree. Then, we tested each student's umbrella at the same time as mine (side by side) by fanning it with poster board. Most of the time, their umbrella designs beat my umbrella and mine fell over first.

"Old Favorite" Stories

We have been reading several books over and over again with the goal of making them "old favorites." Old Favorites are great for young readers because when they've memorized the story, they can "read" the book by flipping through the pages and telling the story. Sometimes, they even start reading the text! A few of these books are Mrs. Wishy Washy, Where Is the Green Sheep?, and Owl Babies.

As Storybook Readers, we have been working on the following reading strategies.

• We look at the pictures, remember, and read.

• We make the words and the pictures match.

• We talk like the characters.

Next week we will add the next two strategies.

• We read more and more exact words.

• We find, point to, and read some of the words.

On Tuesday, we created Mrs. Wishy Washy puppets so that we could practice talking like the characters. They went home on Thursday so you could hear the story.

Old Favorite Book Room 🔗 (Thank you, Mrs. Evans!)

How to Make an Old Favorite Chart 🔗

Lexia, initial log-in and placement

On Thursday and Friday we started the placement piece of our Lexia lessons. I would like your children to become more independent with the computers and the Lexia program before families add it as a homework option. So, for now, we will do Lexia only at school for the next couple weeks. I will let you know when it will be okay to work on this at home.

Show & Tell Writing

Thank you all for helping us get started on our Show & Tell Writing unit by helping your child bring in a special item this week. Special items can stay at home from now on.

Your children are always telling me about cool places you are going. So, for the next week or so we are going to write about places that matter to us!

Pumpkin Week Activities

The kindergarten teachers are prepping for a week of pumpkin activities for next week. We will read pumpkin books, make Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate, and learn about the parts of a pumpkin. We are also planning for a kid-friendly monster week for the last week of October.

Take care and I hope you have a restful and enjoyable weekend!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

10/7/2021 Newsletter 🌳🌲🌴

Dear Kindergarten Families,

What a great week! Fancy Day was a hit and the kiddos are super excited about a special package arriving soon for science.

Conversation Starters

Questions you can ask your child this weekend:

• What is arriving for Science soon?

• What is the biggest word we know how to read? (little)

• Where do we find the missing green sheep when we read the book, Where is the Green Sheep?, by Mem Fox.

• On the page with all the different sheep, which sheep do you wish you could be?

• Will you show me how you write numbers 0-4? What does it mean when you have to "boing" during the writing of number 4? (We say, "Down, over, boing! and down" and "boing" means you pick up your pen and jump to the top.)

• What was one time this week that you didn't give up, even it was hard?

• Why don't trees fall down in the wind?

• What do you have to do if you want to leave my spot in the classroom? How does that keep you safe?

Your child's first published book!

We celebrated the end of our writing Launching unit today. We cheered, we danced, we shared our books. They were so proud of themselves! Your child's book came home in their orange folder today. Remember that "kindergarten writing" is not the same as adult writing or even big kid writing. To read more about kindergarten writing, click here: Kindergarten Writing.🔗

Bring to School on Tuesday, October 12: One special item

We are starting a new writing unit next week called, Show and Tell. The children will be writing books about special things in their lives that they want to show and tell about. On Tuesday, students will need to bring ONE special thing from home -- maybe a stuffed animal, action figure, doll, etc. They will be writing about it over the following few days. If it is something they need to sleep with, they can bring it home each evening.

Lexia Core5 Placement Test on Wednesday

Lexia Core5 is our supplemental reading app provided by the district and an option for homework. Students will take their placement test on the computers on Wednesday. They will be ready to work on Lexia for homework after that. We will also be working at least once a week on the app in the classroom. Please note that the program is adaptive, so students should work independently. Feel free to observe them working and provide support for tech issues, but please do not provide answers. If the student makes a mistake, that is fine! The app will provide further instruction.

Logging in to My.PPS

This is where your child will be able to access Lexia Core5 and other learning apps. I will be sending home a log-in badge soon, but if you wish your child to get started on learning apps sooner than later, you can log in by following these (rather complicated) instructions:

1. Go to my.pps.net.

2. Enter your student’s PPS username. Usernames follow the pattern of first initial, last name and last four digits of their student ID, For example, Jane Doe’s student ID number is 123456, so her username would be jdoe3456.

3. Everyone has a temporary password: P@ssw0rd2627 (that’s a zero in the place of the o). If you are prompted to change the password, please enter a new password in the form of MMDDFirstLast, where MMDD is the month and day of their birthday and FirstLast is their first and last names with capital letters included.

Lemon trees come to kindergarten

The kindergarten classes will be growing saplings in the classroom as part of our science unit on trees. These Meyer lemon saplings arrive in pots on Friday and will stay in the classrooms all school year -- provided we can keep them alive. 😉 If you have any experience keeping Meyer lemon trees and have advice, please let me know. Also, anyone have a grow lamp they can lend?

Take care, wonderful kindergarten families, and enjoy the three day weekend.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

9/24/2021 Newsletter 🍎🍏

And...September is done. Yay us! We did it! The kiddos are getting more and more independent. They are putting away their reading mats by themselves, walking themselves into the cafeteria for school lunch. and managing to (mostly) keep track of their various school supplies.

Conversation Starters

Questions you can ask your child this weekend:

• What do we do in the bathrooms? (Go, flush, wash, & leave.)

• What is the difference between conifer and broadleaf trees? (One answer: conifers have cones and broadleaf trees have flowers.)

• What is hidden inside of every apple? (a star)

• Which color apple was the yummiest to you?

• What did the inside of the yellow apple look like?

• Who is Sir Monkey Rhymesalot and what does he like to do?

Talk About Trees

Lisa Wilcke, a scientist from the Talk about Trees Program, came to visit all three kindergarten classes on Thursday, September 30th. We learned about what a tree needs to live and thrive. We looked at a variety of leaves and seed pods and learned the difference between broadleaf and conifer trees. This visit kicked off our science unit on Trees, which officially starts next week.

Math Papers

You may have found a bunch of math papers in your child's orange folder on Friday. These were from the week's math class. Some of them are finished and some are blank. The blank ones are optional extra practice of the concepts we worked on this week. Feel free to complete them at home, if you like, as part of your child's 4 days of homework per week.

Fancy Day/Writing Celebration, Wednesday, October 6

The team filled our marble jar again, so we've earned our next "party!" This time it will be Fancy Day. Students can wear fancy clothes to school on Wednesday, if they choose, and I will serve them "tea" (hot apple cider) in fancy teacups and shortbread tea cookies. If you'd like your child to have something different to eat/drink during our party, please feel free to send an alternative.

The party conveniently coincides with our End-of-Unit Writing Celebration on Wednesday. Perfect! Keep an eye out at the end of next week for a copy of their "published" writing.

Opt-in Class Directory

Here is our Opt-in Class Directory.🔗 It's not too late add your contact info. Just click the link and type it right in.

Enjoy the weekend, folks.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

9/24/2021 Newsletter 🍁🍂🍃

Fall is upon us! The leaves are starting to blow around the playground as they do this time of year. The kids noticed how they spin in "mini tornados." Our lunch tree's leaves are nearly all red now, and they'll be joining the mini tornados soon.

Conversation Starters

Questions you can ask your child this weekend:

• What happened when your class got your tenth green link on the tenth day of school? (Hint: Did something magical happen?)

• Who is Z the alien?

• What is a nonfiction learning book? Is it different than a fiction story? How? What are the hand motions that your class does with those?

• Can you show me how to write the lowercase letters n & m? What about t, b & f?

• What beetle is your favorite from the Beetle Alphabet Book?

• Which animal has the biggest heart? (Hint: it's a sea creature.)

• What is the book you wrote in Writer's Workshop about?

Virtual Open House - Thank you

Thank you for taking time out from your busy schedules to visit with me during our virtual open house on Tuesday. Remember that many of the resources we talked about that evening are linked on the Resources for Parents tab of my website, included the slides from the presentation

Library Books

Please remember to return library books on Monday. If they return their books, they can check out a new one!

Homework Logs

I will be sending home the year's first homework log on Monday. We haven't started Lexia and Dreambox yet, so you can ignore those options for now. It will be due back to school the following Monday.

Apple Week

Next week, we will have an apple theme! We will be doing apple art, apple science and apple stories. I'm getting hungry just writing that.

Photos

To see photos from this past week, click on the Photos 🔗 tab of my website.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend, and I hope you get to spend some precious time outside with your family and friends. See you soon.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

9/17/2021 Newsletter

Happy Friday, wonderful kindergarten families!

We got loads of compliments this week from other school staff about how respectful and responsible our team is. For example, Ms. Jacobs, the music teacher said, "Your class is delightful!" A first grade teacher said, "Look at how patiently they are waiting!" I'm a proud kindergarten teacher.

Conversation Starters

Questions you can ask your child this weekend:

• Who are Super Kindergartener and Blooper Kindergartener?

• Who is Herbie the Worm?

• What happens to Mrs. Bussey when students make beautiful letters on their writing grids?

• Can you show me some feelings in sign language?

• Can I see your Go to School book? Will you read it to me?

• Why does your class do Listening Puzzles?

• What is a Lion's Roar? How do you get one?

• How does the class earn a marble for the marble jar?

Lockdown Drill, Monday, 9 AM

Monday is our first of three (I believe) lockdown drills. A real lockdown is activated when there is a threat inside the building. The steps taken by students and staff help create a time barrier that allows First Responders to reach the building. We will practice these steps on Monday and talk about it beforehand.

We will be in our classroom for the drill. A message will come over the intercom, "Lockdown: locks, lights, out of sight." I will lock the classroom door, cover interior and exterior windows, turn out the lights, and maintain silence. The kids will find a spot on the floor away from the door and windows. I will take attendance and we will wait silently for the principal or school counselor to open the door.

How do you frame this for students so that they aren't scared? I talk about how "not every person in the world is safe for children." I tell them that it is very unlikely, but if a person like that enters the school, we need to know what to do.” I remind them that this drill is practice and there is no dangerous person in the building.

Virtual Open House, Tuesday

You are invited to attend our Virtual Open House on Tuesday, September 21, 6:30-7:30. There will be two sessions (same content) to choose from:

6:30-7:00 PM Meeting Link🔗

7:00-7:30 PM Meeting Link🔗

We will be talking about topics like homework, curriculum and more.

Joke Party, Wednesday

Due to class excellence, we have earned a joke party!😁 We will spend some time on Wednesday doing stand-up comedy in the classroom. It is optional, but I encourage students to participate. If your child is interested, it would help for them to rehearse the joke at home with you beforehand. Thanks!

Daily Schedule

Wonder what our day is like? Here's a sample of our daily schedule.

Opt-In Class Directory

If you're interested in being part of an optional class directory, please click this LINK.🔗

Have a restful and enjoyable weekend, and stay dry!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

9/10/2021 Newsletter

Dear Kindergarten Families,

It was a great first week! They are doing a really good job learning all the new things about being in elementary school and it is A LOT! They worked and played hard this week, and I am so proud of them.

Conversation Starters

Here are some conversation starters you can use with your kindergartener this weekend.

• What does a table manager do?

• What is the Jellyfish song?

• What are airplane arms?

• Who are Mama Echo and Baby Echo?

• Can you do the Characters Chant? ("Characters, characters, who are they? They're people, animals, and talking things, in a story!")

• What are hand motions for the letters b, f, & t (hint: b, bat, /b/; f, fun /f/; t, top, /t/)

• What is a mathematician?

Orange Folders & Backpacks

If you can, please peek in your child's folder every day and empty it of its contents. Send any signed papers or notes to me back to school and I will find them in the morning.

Please keep child's backpacks free of extra things (e.g., toys, art supplies, etc.). They are constantly using their backpacks during class for storage because it conveniently hangs on their chairs. Extra stuff in their backpacks makes it hard for us to use it in that way. Thank you!

Going Home Plans

Below is my Transportation Plan. Please take a look and see if you child's plan is correct. If ever you need to make a change, you can send me an email or remind message to let me know. A note in the orange folder works, too. If it is a last-minute change, call Ms. Kristina in the office at 503-916-6318, and she will communicate the change to me.

Photos

To see photos from this week, click on the Photos 🔗 tab of my website.

After School Restraint-Collapse 🔗

Meltdowns after school are a common occurrence. Here is an article from Today's Parent about this phenomenon with tips for how to handle it. Mrs. Evans recommends having a snack right at pick-up time to raise the child's blood sugar. Good advice!

Have a wonderful and restful weekend, and we'll be back at it on Monday!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

9/6/2021 Newsletter

Dear Kindergarten Families,

It was wonderful to spend the day with half the class on Friday. They were so brave and excited and I'm thrilled to be their kindergarten teacher. I am looking forward to having the other half of the class on Tuesday. Photos from Friday can be seen on the Photos 🔗 tab of my website.

On a group text with Nanci Noyer, (former Stephenson kindergarten teacher,) Mrs. Evans, and Mr. Graham, Nanci asked how Friday went. I replied something along the lines of, "They were such cutie pies!" Mr. Graham replied poetically,

Cute ones,

Scared ones,

Smart ones,

Confident ones,

In a hurry ones,

Missing Mommy ones,

Hungry ones,

Thirsty ones,

Sleepy ones,

Go outside ones,

Gotta go ones,

Wash the hands ones,

Pull up the mask ones,

All great ones and the other half to come ones!

As a fellow kindergarten teacher, I thought Mr. Graham's sentiments were right on and very well said!

Change of Clothes

Please remember to send extra clothes in a ziplock bag labeled with your child's name. It should include an extra mask, underwear, T-shirt, pants or shorts, and socks. I will store them in the classroom.

School Supplies - Thank you!

Thank you for bringing in school supplies! It relieves pressure on school budgets when parents contributes these supplies. We can't thank you enough!

Individual Hand Sanitizer

One item that didn't make it onto the supply list is an individual bottle of hand sanitizer. If you could please send one (travel size with a snap top) labeled with your child's name, that would be fantastic.

Enrichment Schedule

We have our schedule for enrichment classes! Check it out. These are taught by specialists and are often a big hit with students.

Remind Messages

In the settings menu, you can change the way notifications reach you (e.g., as text messages on your phone, or by email, or both).

I hope you are enjoying the long holiday weekend. Say hello to those cutie pies from me and tell them I look forward to seeing them soon.

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

8/31/2021 Update

Going Home Plan🔗 -

Please click the link and let me know your child's transportation plan before the Ramp-Up Days (Sept. 3 and 7).

Family Visits - Details

I am so excited to meet you and your kindergartener! When you arrive for your visit,

• Go to the main entrance, ring the buzzer and tell them who you are and why you are there. Office staff will buzz you in.

• Head down to the office to sign in and get a visitor's badge. Look for the red and white "Office" sign straight down the hall and on the left.

• Staff will walk you down to the classroom.

• All family members are welcome. Everyone must wear a mask and must have none of the following symptoms: fever, undiagnosed cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, vomiting, diarrhea or undiagnosed rashes or sores.

• You can bring your school supplies, if you like, but it's not required.

Remind

I sent out a Remind message on Monday. If you didn't receive it, please let me know so we can troubleshoot. The Remind App will be my primary mode of communication this year.

8/26/2021 Update

Hello Kindergarten Families,

The start of the school year is just around the corner and we're getting excited over here at Stephenson! I have a few updates and reminders to share with you today.

Ramp-Up Days, Friday, September 3 & Tuesday, September 7, 7:45 AM - 2:12 PM

PPS recognizes that our youngest students may need a different kind of start this year. The kindergartners are new to our school, of course, but also, last year’s kindergartners were unable to be in the building full-time or at all because of the pandemic. As a result, all PPS schools will have a K/1 ‘Ramp Up’ schedule. Our goal with this schedule is to give students a gradual introduction to full-time, in-person school at Stephenson in smaller groups before attending school all together.

These days will happen on Friday, September 3 and Tuesday, September 7. Half of the class will attend at a time for the full school day. We will be focusing on community building and introducing basic school routines. The class will be split based on last names: A-L and M-Z.

Ramp-Up Day 1: Friday, September 3, 7:45 AM - 2:15 PM, Last names A-L.

Ramp-Up Day 2: Tuesday, September 7, 7:45 AM - 2:15 PM, Last names M-Z.

Updated Supply List: Printable🔗

I added a couple items to the list recently (pencil box and computer headphones), so you may want to reprint the list. The most recent one says, "Updated 8/26/21" at the top.

1 backpack labeled with the child's name and big enough to hold a 9 x 12 folder

1 box 12-count Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils, sharpened

3 boxes 24-count Crayola crayons

2 small Elmer's glue sticks

1 box 24-count Crayola colored pencils

1 pencil box (e.g., plastic 5½ x 8½ with snap lid); labeled with child’s name

1 box 10-count Crayola fine line markers

1 box facial tissues

1 half-ream white copy paper

2 packs fragrance-free baby wipes

1 set of children's headphones (not earbuds, please), labeled with name and placed in a gallon ziplock (also labeled with child's name)

Optional: 2 Paper Mate Flair felt-tipped pens - black

Family Visits, September 1-2, 8 am - 4 pm

This is an opportunity to visit with me before school begins. If you haven't already, please sign up HERE.🔗 You will choose either a classroom visit, playground visit, virtual visit, or home visit to happen on Wednesday, September 1 or Thursday, September 2. Please note that if you choose a home visit, these will take place on Thursday afternoon and will have to be outdoors (e.g., on the porch or in the yard).

The purpose of this visit is for us to get to know each other and for me to answer questions you or your child may have about kindergarten. Siblings are welcome.

If none of these days/times work for your family, please contact me (dbussey1@pps.net) to see if alternative arrangements can be made.

Please reach out if you have any questions!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey

8/23/2021 Newsletter

Welcome new kindergarten families! Here is where you'll find the latest information about what's happening in my kindergarten classroom. I will send a link to this newsletter every week, but feel free to visit as often as you like!

Supply List: Printable🔗

1 backpack labeled with the child's name and big enough to hold a 9 x 12 folder

1 box 12-count Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils, sharpened

3 boxes 24-count Crayola crayons

2 small Elmer's glue sticks

1 box 24-count Crayola colored pencils

1 pencil box (e.g., plastic 5½ x 8½ with snap lid); labeled with child’s name

1 box 10-count Crayola fine line markers

1 box facial tissues

1 half-ream white copy paper

2 packs fragrance-free baby wipes

1 set of children's headphones (not earbuds, please), labeled with name and placed in a gallon ziplock (also labeled with child's name)

Optional: 2 Paper Mate Flair felt-tipped pens - black

Kindergarten Intake Survey🔗

Please take a few moments to help us get to know your child and your family a little bit better.

Family Visits, September 1-2, 8 am - 4 pm

I am excited to meet you and your kindergartener! This is an opportunity to visit with me before school begins. To set this up, please sign up HERE.🔗 You will choose either a classroom visit, playground visit, virtual visit, or home visit to happen on Wednesday, September 1 or Thursday, September 2. Please note that if you choose a home visit, these will take place on Thursday afternoon and will have to be outdoors (e.g., on the porch or in the yard).

The purpose of this visit is for us to get to know each other and for me to answer questions you or your child may have about kindergarten. Siblings are welcome.

If none of these days/times work for your family, please contact me (dbussey1@pps.net) to see if alternative arrangements can be made.

Ramp-Up Days, Friday, September 3 & Tuesday, September 7, 7:45 AM - 2:12 PM

PPS recognizes that our youngest students may need a different kind of start this year. The kindergartners are new to our school, of course, but also, last year’s kindergartners were unable to be in the building full-time or at all because of the pandemic. As a result, all PPS schools will have a K/1 ‘Ramp Up’ schedule. Our goal with this schedule is to give students a gradual introduction to full-time, in-person school at Stephenson in smaller groups before attending school all together.

These days will happen on Friday, September 3 and Tuesday, September 7. Half of the class will attend at a time for the full school day. We will be focusing on community building and introducing basic school routines. The class will be split based on last names: A-L and M-Z.

Ramp-Up Day 1: Friday, September 3, 7:45 AM - 2:15 PM, Last names A-L.

Ramp-Up Day 2: Tuesday, September 7, 7:45 AM - 2:15 PM, Last names M-Z.

Community Care Day

On Saturday, August 28th, 9:00 AM -12:00 PM, the community has a great opportunity to show their care for Stephenson Elementary. If you can, please join us in sprucing up our grounds with tasks like raking, mulching, and weeding. Be sure to bring your rakes, gloves, and other yard equipment.

I am looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Warmly,

Dana Bussey