A New Year, a New Theme, a New Unit

It's that time again, time for fresh starts, new beginnings, and the smell of new crayons and pencils. It's time for the first day of school. Ever since I was a kindergartener, I have looked forward to this day. And now, 23 years later, I am more excited than ever. I cannot wait to get started!

This year is all about history. Over my years as a student and now a teacher, I have come to see history as less of a series of dates and events and more of a story; the story of humans throughout time, the things we got right and the things we got wrong, and all of the crazy, mad, wonderful things we’ve done in between. I see history as a way to realize who we are and where we come from, to show us how even one person can make great changes. I see it as a way to learn from our ancestors and make wise decisions as we step forward in time. It’s going to be a great year for making connections and I cannot wait to begin.

News to Know

• Will Rester is this week's snack helper.
• Lunch menus / money for August and student forms are due on August 15. If you have any questions, please let me know.
• In order to include more hands-on centers and in-depth activities with the text during language arts, students will now be required to read some of our novel during the week. Our set reading homework night will be Tuesday, and a short quiz and activities will follow on Wednesday. We will begin next Tuesday, August 23, and I will put the required pages on the homework sheet.
• Students will need a shoebox of any size for our first reading activity by August 24.
• Please remember to set up a Gmail account for your child. We will be setting up student blogs the first week of school.
• Don’t forget to sign up for email updates to my blog. This is the easiest way for you to know when I update.

August 15 - 19
Monday will be a meet and greet from 9-12. Students and parents can meet the teachers and drop off supplies. Tuesday is our first day of regular school, and we’ll begin with some fun “getting to know you” activities and learn how to use the Smart Board.

Language Arts
We will begin reading our novel for this unit and making some connections with our history theme. Please send it with your child on Tuesday. We will set up our blogs and talk about the steps of the writing process. In grammar, we will discuss what separates sentences and fragments, and begin discussing the types of sentences.

Math
We will begin with a few brainteasers about numbers. On Wednesday, we will take a placement test to show some of our strengths and weaknesses. We will then begin Topic 1: Numeration and participate in place value centers. Please encourage your child to look for numbers of all sizes this week!

Conceptual
I can’t say much just yet, as it’s still a secret. Just know that it happened a very, very long time ago and we have some exciting things planned for this week!

Science
We will discuss the steps of the scientific method and participate in some fun experiments to get us thinking like scientists.

One Week to Go!

Hi parents! We are down to one week and counting. I am so excited for the new year. I can't wait to see all of you again and meet some of you for the first time. I have a lot of fun things planned for the first week and I think we are going to have a great time getting to know one another.

As we are getting down to the last few days, please let me know if there is anything you need. My tonsillectomy went well and I am on my way to recovery. I expect to be back to full speed by next week, but if there is anything you need now, please contact me.

I have posted at the top of the blog our lunch menu for August and September. Lunch will work a little differently this year than last year. Now, students will have the option of choosing which days they would like to eat lunch and paying only for those days. Of course, students are welcome to eat school lunch every day as well. We are asking that you print these calendars, place a check mark next to each day your child will be eating at school that month, and then multiply that number by $3. That is your amount due for that month. Students must bring a lunch from home on any day they do not check. Please return these forms as soon as possible so that we can get everything organized. Menus and payment for August are due on Meet and Greet Day, August 15.

Things are moving forward as we prepare for our journey into the past! Please let me know if you have any questions. See you guys next week!

Gmail Accounts

We are getting closer and closer to the beginning of the year. I am so excited!

Please remember to set up a Gmail account for your child before the first day of school. We are going to begin setting up blogs the first week of school. Your child needs to know his or her gmail address and password. The blogs are such a fun way for the students to express themselves and I love reading what they write.

Also, if you would like to comment / follow my blog, you will need a Gmail account as well. Of course, I am always available via email or phone, but commenting on a particular blog is a great way to stay in touch with other parents and me. You can still receive email updates on my blog without a Gmail account, though. Just enter any email in the space.

Please let me know if you need anything!

First Day of School

On Monday, August 15 we will be having a meet and greet from 9 - 12. This is a day for you and your child to meet the teachers, bring supplies, and explore the classrooms and school. Tuesday will be the first full day of school. I am so excited about meeting everyone and getting started!

This year, arrival will be from 8:00 to 8:15. This is a time for your child to put away his or her things and turn in homework. School will begin at 8:15 so that we have time to incorporate the many activities we have planned. We are striving to set a routine early in the school year. Any morning work missed will be sent home as homework.

I'll be posting more information soon! Please let me know if you have questions. I look forward to working with you and your children!

Preparing for Next Year

We are down to about 5 weeks and counting. I am getting so excited about next year. I've got some great things planned!

If you would like to get your child ready, there are a few things you can do:

1. Set up a gmail account for your child. During the first week of school, we will be setting up blogs. We will often record journal entries and reader responses in these journals. Once your child has a gmail account, he/she is one step closer to setting up the blog. Also, I often email students links and reminders. To set up the account, please go to http://www.gmail.com. From here you can create a new account for your child. Note: email accounts ask that users be 13, so you will have to set this age for your child.

2. Make sure your child can surf the internet easily. We will often research, email, and do many other things on our laptops. If your child is familiar with Google, checking email, and entering web addresses in the address bar, then he/she will be off to a great start!

3. Practice typing skills. Familiarity with the keyboard will help your child as we type blogs and publish copies of our writing. The first site is great for teaching the basics and the second site has games once your child knows the correct finger positions. I recommend repeating the steps of the first site several times over the course of the next few weeks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

http://www.freetypinggame.net/play.asp (This site also contains typing lessons, but they are not as kid-friendly as the one above.)

I look forward to working with all of you this year! Please contact me if you have any questions!