Greetings Families,

It is so AMAZING to watch all of your children build relationships with one another.  They are having fun.  They also have been learning from one another and have been the first to help if someone gets hurt or sad.  We are very fortunate to have this beautiful group of kind and caring kinders!



Mark Your Calendars

10/7/25 - Picture Day

10/10/25 - Statewide Inservice Day (no school day for students)

10/8/25 - Walk-n-Roll to School

10/18/25 - Courtyard Clean-up and Cider Press Event- I HIGHLY reccommend coming to this! It is really fun!

10/22/25 -  Early Release @11:50 (Teacher PD)

10/27-29/25 - School Spirit Week

10/30-31/25 - Planning and Grading Days  (no school days for students)

11/11/25 - Veterans Day  (no school day)

11/24-25/25 - Parent Teacher Conferences (no school days for students)

11/26-28/25 - Thanksgiving  Break (no school days for students)



The Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

We will go to Topaz Farm on Sauvie Island on October 29th. 

Please complete a parent permission form and return it to school. It is in Friday Folder that went home yesterday. 

The total cost of the field trip is $18 per student. It includes transportation ($12) and the farm admission ticket ($6). Please, send the money - cash or check to Peninsula Elementary, with specific directions to give the money to the teacher. You also have an option to pay online. Use this link: https://pps.schoolpay.com/pay/for/Peninsula-Kindergarten-Field-Trips-/SchTkRr

Email or text me via Parent Square so that we keep track of the money in case your child forgets about it.

If you have financial hardship, please let us know privately, and we will help. If you are willing to donate more money than the cost per child, we will be very grateful for your generosity.

Volunteers

If you want to volunteer in the class and/or come to our field trip as a chaperone (We need 4 chaperones minimum) please be sure to sign up to be a volunteer ASAP.  It takes some time for it to clear.  Visit the PPS Volunteer page and follow the steps to “Becoming a Volunteer”


Conferences Sign Up

Conferences will be taking place on 11/24 and 11/25.  They are a 20 minute time slot to come (with your child if you can) to check in about how your little one is doing so far.  Pleases sign up for conferences here: https://calendar.app.google/RPtvm9sZLDetkFCX6


Playdates

Do you want to have a playdate for your child?  I will be sharing to your email a playdate sign up sheet that will be available for parents to see so you can have each other's information to make playdates.  It is optional of course. 

Snacks

Thank you for all the snack donations.  I really appreciate it!  They are loving all the different snacks to share.  Also on a side note- for personal snacks please do not send candy for snacks. Save those for treats at home if you will.  Thank you!

Panther Paws/Rewards/PBIS

Rewards in Kindergarten? Do they work?  We are a PBIS school.  PBIS schools use many different techniques to help build community and promote a healthy school community. One aspect of PBIS schools can be rewards- which is the case at Peninsula.  They come in the form of Panther Paws.  Having said that, when I have done rewards in kindergarten it has really squashed the intrinsic motivation of my students. I have also seen kindergarteners in hysterics because they did not have enough panther paws to buy a big item prize from the prize store... So, in kindergarten we want to focus on building intrinsic motivation through building community, routines and celebrating as a whole classroom.  We do whole class panther paws.  When we all work together we celebrate together as a community. We have special days like pajama day, extra play time, bring a stuffie to school day, an extra Danny Go!, lunch with Ms. Roxy, and sometimes (okay often!) the entire class can get a special prize.  In kindergarten if a panther paw comes home (because your child may get one from someone else other than myself) please celebrate this with your child.  In later grades you will see Panther Paws being used regularly.  For more information on Responsive Classroom (my approach) and why I do not use rewards please visit the following links:

Absences  

Please let me and the office know if your child misses school.  Call the office or email Sara Solomon ssolomon@pps.net

New Students

Welcome to our new students Jaine and Goldee. Jaine has been here a while but I am not sure I formally welcomed her here.  And Goldee started last week.  We are very happy to have them both!


Class Wish List

Ms. Roxy and I are doing centers for our students to learn in fun ways.  We currently are in need of some  center materials for our five senses unit.  If you can donate they are as follows (Hopefully you have some of this stuff just already at your house that you can round up for us):  8 balloons, a piece of sandpaper, 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup rice, 1/4 cup raisons, paper cups, 6-13 plastic easter eggs, 2-4 large grapefruits, one jar of pickles, 6 lemons, and 12 paper lunch size bags.  Thank you in advance.  


Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns, always!