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!