Ellie's Weekly Newsletter. 15 December 2013

Can you hear it?   The sounds of Christmas!  They abound in kindergarten - in song and squeals of excitement!  The joys of the season fill our classroom. 

We have been very busy creating Christmas wonder.  Just wait to see all your surprises!  A large package will be coming home this week.  

If your little one hasn't already brought home his/her math book, it will also be sent home this week.   You cannot miss it, it is huge!  It's contents are well behind the ability of your child, however, the little ones love working in their big books - it makes them feel big to do homework, and the practice in writing numerals and review is beneficial.  So enjoy.  We will keep volume 2 at school!

We are so excited about our pageant: showcasing Thursday, Dec. 19 in Fellowship Hall.  The little ones will process into the room as they sing, and will depart the room after the program singing a song never before sung - thanks to Mrs. Nelson!  You may meet your child back in our classroom after the program.

Friday we will celebrate Jesus Birthday with a birthday party!

This is the last newsletter of 2013!  May each of you enjoy a most blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!  We will meet again on Epiphany!

Ellie's Mid-week Newsletter 11 Dec.2013

What a wonderful weekend!  What a blessing it was that I could attend my newest grandson's baptism.  He is an absolutely perfect child!  As is his big brother!!

I imagine you have heard all about our upcoming Christmas pageant:  Mary Had a Baby.  Each little one has a very important part; some parts were cast and others were chosen.  Now we are making and collecting simple costumes.  I am including each child's part in the program, and may ask for costume collection.

Our amazing Mrs. Hammer and her art interest is creating all animal head wear!!!

Narrators may want to be in "dressy, church clothes" for Audrey, Julia, Simon.

Inn keeper, Noah - done!

Stage managers: Fynn and Jordan, school clothes or dressy, their choice

Props manager Keira, school clothes or dressy - her choice

Angels Elissa and Blythe: we have borrowed angel costumes,but may need a set of wings.

Mary, Louisa - said she had a bath robe!  Perfect!!

Joseph, Lincoln - done

Donkey, Remke - please wear gray or brown pants and shirt.

Cows: Madison and Jocelyn - please wear black or white pants or leggings and shirts

Star, Meredith may wear dressy clothes.  She will be decorating the star she will hold.

Wisemen: Andrew, Mia, Ryan.  Ryan will be perfectin his Halloween king costume.  If Andrew and Mia have colorful capes or colorful fabric, that would be perfect.  We can make crowns.

Camels: Alec, Amee, Hailey.  Pleasr wear brown pants or leggings and shirts.

Shepherds and sheep are JKs and the multitude of angels is the pre-K class.

Our program is Thursday, Dec. 19 at 10:30 in Fellowship Hall.

Our Christmas party will be Friday, Dec. 20.

Kindergarteners do not have to attend school on Monday, Dec. 23.

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter #2. 1 Dec.

There will not be a weekend blog sent next week.  I will be in Spokane, Washington attending the baptism of my newest grandson, born Nov. 8.  I will be taking a personal day from school on Dec. 9.  Ms. Johnson will be teaching for me!  Have fun!!

PS.  Please begin saving empty, plastic milk/water jugs.  Lids are not needed.  After Christmas we will begin construction of our igloo.  Drink lots of milk - we need over 300 jugs!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 1 December 2013

I hope each of you enjoyed a most blessed Thanksgiving!

Already we arrive at The season of Advent.  This is a word we will explore for the next four weeks.  We learn the meaning of patience as we await the birth of Jesus.  Stop by and see our Christmas tree countdown in the hall outside our classroom  ( it should be ready for view by Wednesday).  Your little one will be bringing home an Avent door hanger.  Please keep it handy, as each week we will be sending home another bell to hang from it.

It has become a tradition in SK to study Christmas traditions around the world.  So it is that tomorrow we will learn about Hannukah.  Friday we celebrate St. Nicholas Day.  You will see the celebration book after Christmas break- it is then we remember Boxing Day in England.

This week we'll learn about the working of the heart, half and symmetry, what makes a house a home, and we will fly hoopsters - a study of half while adding aerodynamics.

Thank you to those of you who sent in payment for our field trip to see Charlotte's Web.  If you forgot, please send the $10.00 this week.  We want to get our reservation in as soon as possible.

Keep Thursday, Dec. 19, 10:30 on your calendar.  Location: Fellowship Hall is where the Pre-K, JK, and SK classes present the Nativity.

I regret that since my lap top ceased working, I have not been able to attach photos on the blog.  But the photos do exist and will be saved.

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 24 Nov. 2013

It was wonderful meeting with each of you last week.  It seems hard to believe that it was already  conference time!

This week - all two days of it - will be busy as usual!   Thanks to the timely return of hand prints, our Thanksgiving gifts are well under way, and should be ready just in time!  Our Halloween pumpkin has been cut, seeded, cooked, and the puréeing will be finished tomorrow, in time for our pumpkin pie making.  Look for the recipe on Tuesday.

Our Thanksgiving actors are ready to perform!  We hope many of you will be able to attend our "performance" Tuesday, 10:00 in the Seminar room - just down the hall from our classroom.  WARNING:  it is a short production!  Do not be late!

SAVE THE DATE:  Dec. 19, Thursday,  Pre-k, jk, SK Christmas pageant, 10:30 am, Fellowship Hall.

May you each have a most blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 17 Nov. 2013

Our theme this week will be one of thanksgiving.  We will study the history of the first Thanksgiving, and of the hardships overcome for the Pilgrims of long ago.

Many of our projects will deal with turkey's: book making, "turkey dice roll" ( adding ), reviewing right and left,  word scrambles, and more!

Our SURPRISE project will be a work done at home, and then returned!  This will make more sense when you see the bag of construction paper coming home Monday.  Please trace a hand print for each member of your family,cut them out, and return them in the ziplock bag BY THURSDAY THIS WEEK. Your little one has told me each member of his/her family's favorite color, thus the selection of paper in your bag.  I am excited to see the final result!

For our Thanksgiving celebration next week Tuesday (Nov 26), we will be performing an ever popular Kindergarten version of the First Thanksgiving.  The production will take place at 10:00 am, just prior to our class party.  We hope you will be able to view our play.  Please do not arrive late!  The play moves quickly!

Friday you should have found a conference schedule in your child's bag.  If not, please let me know!

Ellie's Weekly newsletter 10 Nov. 2013

I begin with the FOOT homework.  Friday we learned the history of why the foot ruler is called a foot ruler. So the homework was to find out how many SK dads have a 1 foot ruler sized foot!  Return the papers after the measuring!  It will be fun to chart the results.

This week we will complete our good foods study.  I hope this has spurred an interest in eating healthy foods.   It certainly has become a hot topic at snack and lunch times.  The little ones are becoming quite proficient in categorizing their foods into the carbohydrate, protein, vitamin, and calcium food groups.  Be sure to ask what these different foods do for the body.  We will be making placemats as reminders!

This week will also include reminder lessons on germs:  what they do, how to prevent them, and how to help prevent their spreading.  Maybe we can have fewer flu symptoms this year.

A chemical garden will be one major science "experience" this week.  Hailey loved our dry ice "experiences" last week!  I personally think the word fits much better than experiment!

On  Wednesday the faculty will schedule parent teacher conference times.  Please return your preference sheets prior to Wednesday afternoon.

Friday evening Gage Carl Beveridge entered the world, weighing in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. (it is good he arrived early!). Grandma and Grandpa Schnack cannot wait to meet him!!!!!   Gage entered the world the same day  my uncle departed from this earth.  The Lord gives and receives!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 2 Nov. 2013

Halloween is past, but the memory of the incredible costumes will long remain!  There were angels, princesses and a king, super heroes and a robot, an octopus and a horse, and lots of giggles and "boos!"  It was a fun day of "pretending" to be something/someone else.

Now we are back to normal with the theme /f/ - for frogs, fish, friends and family.

We will learn what fire needs to burn (and why we do not play with fire!).  Kitchen chemistry will produce "fizzies" to observe the reaction of vinegar and lemon juice when added to baking soda. 

We'll write and illustrate rhyming words with the story "Farmer in the Dell," and will study foods and the importance of eating a balanced diet.  You should be hearing words like "carbohydrate, calcium, protein, and vitamins."  Hopefully you will also hear why we need each of these foods in our daily diets.

In math, we'll concentrate on counting by fives, seeing the pattern made when counting by five.  We'll also discover why the foot ruler got its name. (Be ready to be "tested,"  dads!) 

The construction of a  family flag will end our week.

Fossils will be an important free choice activity!  Mrs. Hammer has been hard at work creating fossils to be chiseled apart to find the contents!

View a few of our Halloween photos!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 27 Oct. 2013

Last week was "electrifying" - static electrifying, that is.  As you will see from a couple photos, we had balloons clinging to walls and clothing.  Our egg in a bottle failed to completely enter the bottle, but did make a popping sound as it was pulled from the bottle!  Large eggs must be a larger size this year!  Green eggs (aka deviled eggs) were a hit with no left overs.  Those who were leery, did try the egg whites though!

This week's activities will be filled with pumpkins and pretending mostly.  We will predict and hows and whys of spinning and flipping paper ghosts, though.  A spider book and a pumpkin book will include practice inventive spelling.  Pasta skeletons are an exercise in following detailed directions, and our jack-o-lanterns will NOT be scarey.  You will see for yourselves the reason why!

Thursday will be a day for pretending to be someone or something fun and different!  Your little one may come to school in Halloween attire (those staying in the afternoon, may want to bring a change of clothes to keep costumes semi-clean!).  We will parade throughout the school building, showing off our painted pumpkins and singing a jack-o-lantern song in Spanish.

Friday we celebrate the birthday of the Lutheran Church (aka Reformation).  We also will find out how the Lutheran Church got its name (thank you, Martin Luther!).

Have a fun and safe Hallow's Eve!  

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 20 Oct. 2013

Welcome to the world of /e/!  This week we'll have no cows or dinosaurs, but we will move to Egypt to study their hieroglyphic alphabet.  Look for paper Egyptian cartushes (sorry if that is misspelled!) coming home this week.  they will spell your child's name in hieroglyphics.

We'll also make our hair stand up by experimenting with static electricity.  We can even make water bend!  You will see a model drawing of your child's eye, and we'll learn what constitutes an emergency and what doesn't.  Then we'll practice dialing 911 (on broken phones).

Last week we created our own equations using dots on dominoes, this week we will continue creating equations using dice, as we become mathematical geniuses

We'll make books about favorite food choices (an intro to next week); and we'll find out who will eat green eggs (we'll hold the ham).  I think we only have one child who is allergic to eggs.  Right?  

In religion, we have arrived at Moses, and now begin his trials with Pharaoh, resulting in the 10 plagues.  This will be in book form also.

Another busy week!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 16 Oct. 2013

Sorry to be sending this late, but I was doing grandma duty on the long weekend, helping my grand-daughter celebrate her second birthday.  It was a perfectly glorious weekend! (Today is the official day!)

This week is dinosaur week.  We'll be identifying the difference between herbivores, carnivores, omnivores.  Thanks to my son's extensive dinosaur model collection, we have many samples. We even have a dinosaur bone at school, so a "field trip" will be happening tomorrow.

Math activities will center around the concept of "dozen."  Today we tally counted to 12, learning the concept of 5 and "some more" (6,7,8,9) and two 5s and "some more" beyond 10 to 12.

Birthdays have been high on our list of excitement this week.  Two more little ones are 5 and 1 more!  (see the photos!)

no new out breaks of "head bugs!"  Let's hope this is over!!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 6 Oct. 2013

Bones, bones, bones - that was the highlight of last week's free choice time.  The little ones are quite proficient in identifying the many horse bones: rib, leg, skull, vertebrae (otherwise known as airplanes!), jaw, knee; plus comparing their size to similar pig bones.

This week's free choice activity will be milking the classroom cow.  She doesn't have a name yet, but be sure to ask!

Science activity will include the study of caterpillars, becoming moths or butterflies - and finding out specific characteristics of each.  Plus we'll find out why Eric Carle is wrong in his book about the Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Several years ago the kindergartners did send him a letter asking why his caterpillar cocoon became a butterfly.  He did respond with his explanation, but I personally think he was just trying to cover his mistake!!

Additionally, we'll investigate crystals (salt, Epsom salts, sugar) - growing them, painting with them. Since it is fall now, we'll find out why leaves turn brown in the fall - no matter what color they have turned: red, yellow, orange.

Telling time with clocks (hour and half hour will be introduced), and addition "cross outs" are math subjects.

A compound words game will introduce how two small words can become one word with a completely different meaning.

Do you hear your little one "pounding and sounding" words?!  They are loving the segmentation of words and are doing a great job of spelling!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 30 Sept 2013

Last week was fun transforming into mini Statue Of Liberties.  The little ones liked wearing their crowns (which no one shared!) and holding their torches high!  It was a week filled with what it means to be American.  Come see our American flag flying proudly above a group of lockers in the classroom.  Each little one had a hand- or two - in creating our flag.

The apple pizza's were a great hit.  Using the apple/peeler/slicers was the most fun!

Hot lunches were delivered to us Friday by 7th grade "elves."  The delivery made for a much more "comfortable" lunch time for the little ones.  This will be our new routine for Hot Lunch days.  (It will be especially great on rainy or snowy days - we can stay inside, stay dry, and have lunch delivered warm!)

We also had our first German lesson with Frau Ewald.  So if you hear any songs about "hase's"  sleeping or being "cranc," that was the highlight of the song and story of two bunnies.

This week we'll study bodies, bones, and brains.  If you hear that Mrs. Schnack has a collection of dinosaur bones, be assured that I'm really not that old, but I do have a great collection of horse bones, along with a cow skull and pig jaw bone. (all thanks to my former 4th grade class from rural Wisconsin)  It's fun to compare the sizes of the animal bones to our bones.  We'll also be making "bubble brains."  That will make much more sense when you see them come home!  Be sure to ask how they were made!

I really hate to say this, but another case of head lice has appeared.  We continue to check heads, and remind the little ones to not put their heads on the carpet.  We've reminded the little ones to not hug each other or to sit closely to friends at group times.   Resting mats have been disinfected, the carpet has been sprayed with preventative louse spray, the head phones have been disinfected - and packed away.  Unfortunately, if you notice any living bugs and nits (eggs attached to the hair and are unable to be pinched off) in your child's hair, they have probably been there for some time already.  If your little one takes gymnastics, please ask at the center if the mats are nightly disinfected.  Theaters are another common source of contamination. I think prayer helps, too!

Friday is picture day!!  Many of you have already sent in order forms/money.  Please return your orders before Friday.  The school photographer is fantastic, taking time to shoot the very best quality photos - while doing a great song and dance act to put little ones at ease (when needed!).

Friday we'll also celebrate Amee's 6th birthday!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter. 22 Sept. 2013

Another week has passed in SK.  Now we enter the study of what it means to be an American, sort,graph, create equations, and cook with apples.  We will review addresses, alphabetized animal names, and experiment with air pressure.  Are you seeing a theme here!?

From this week on, our weekly themes will center on alphabetical order topics.  That way we won't miss out on any subjects!

This week we also begin small group formal SLANT instruction.  Last week we worked in half class groupings, writing, spelling, and "pounding" words.  We also wrote in our kindergarten word families journal.  I do think I have the best job in the world, as I am able to see little ones discover the mystery of spelling and the pride of reading!  It always is accompanied by some sign of  "great gusto," too!

I mentioned working with apples this week. By Friday, could each child please bring in one raw apple for our work.  We'll be baking apple pizzas for our snack on Friday.

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter 15 Sept. 2013

Week number three and going strong!  The fun of saying "tertiary" created lots of desires to mix, mix, mix color.  We have one more activity (I'll tell the little ones it's a "test,"  so the word won't panic them in years to come!)

To Remke's delight, we started "reading class" on Friday!  I told the class we would be reading the hardest word to read - because the letters in the word, did not sound their names.  The letters were t-h-e - and everyone shouted "the!"  How smart they felt to read the hardest word!  If you peek in the room you will see "the" cards posted all over the room.  We have "the desk," "the workbench," "the wall" - you get the idea!

After "the" we began forming words (and practicing handwriting) with 7 introductory letters (a,b,f,m,p,s,t).  We spelled many three letter words with a vowel in the middle.  We even spelled a Martian word, and the little ones even read it: a word that isn't even a word!

This week will begin group reading lessons, working with the class in two groups.  Next week we'll begin small group work, when Mrs. Dorsey will return from her trip to New York, to help me teach SLANT to groups of 5 or 6 little ones.  Can't wait!!

We'll also concentrate on two and three dimensional shapes this week.  So you might be hearing things like "isosceles, equilateral, prism, rhombus, sphere..."  I certainly don't expect mastery of such geometric words, but they are fun to introduce and work with.

Frequently you will be asked to collect/bring in/supply the class with often strange items.  So here goes!  Most frequently we like to take things apart at our workbench.  If anyone has broken appliances (small size!), we'd love to disassemble them!  We have goggles and lots of screw drivers.  My favorite quote from a child went something like this: "Lets put it back together without the parts."  A group of little ones had just finished disassembling a toaster and hair dryer.  Their finished product resembled a robotic alien!

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter. 8 Sept. 2013

We begin this week at day number 8.  You can see by following the arrows posted around the room.  You will hear more about that at Curriculum Night on Tuesday at 6:30 pm.

This will also be the week of secondary and tertiary colors.  We'll be doing lots of blending and mixing of color this week. We'll also complete the color books and "mouse books" we've worked hard on.

Reading assessments will be completed this week, so that we can begin our formal reading program later in the week.  You will hear about this on Tuesday night, too!

After 41 years of teaching little ones,I thought I had heard it all,but no, here is another quote of the week:  When asked to raise their right hand, Lincoln looked with puzzlement at his outstretched hands and said, "How can I tell the difference, they both look the same."  Perfectly logical thinking!

One more note for Curriculum Night:  the program will begin at 6:30 with introductions, etc.  At 7:00    
Classroom sessions will begin.  During this first session, I will concentrate on explaining life in Senior Kindergarten.  In the following session, beginning at 7:30, I will explain the extended day afternoon multi-age program.  I call it "lunch bunch."

Ellie's Weekly Newsletter. 2 Sept. 2013

Welcome to the official SK blog!  From this day forward, you will be hearing about the happenings in the classroom.

We began the school year with smiles, hugs, and cheers.  Each year I say that the children are the best class ever.   This year tops them all!  Your little ones are the very best!

Last week we studied  "firsts," beginnings,  and names of our new friends.  As we begin this week, we will continue to study names through syllabication and rhyming.

We'll learn the difference between letters, numerals, and numbers.  We'll add the study of color to the next two weeks, emphasizing a different color each day.  We'll learn the spelling of the word, rhyming with the color of the day and creating color books.  This week will cover RED, BLUE, YELLOW - the primary colors.  Next week will include the secondary colors and tertiary colors.  Big words!

Your little one might tell you about "getting ready" activities, as I will begin reading assessment games this week also.  So if your child begins to talk in syllables, rhyme or emphasizes beginning, middle and ending sounds, don't be alarmed!

The fun of SK begins!