January 5-9, 2009 Newsletter

January 5-9, 2009
Weekly Class News
From the kindergarten classroom of Mrs. McCrohan

HIGHLIGHTS

Happy New Year! This week in math, we will be working on reviewing all numbers up to 20. Keep working on number recognition, especially out of order. We're also working on counting by 5's. The letters we're working on this week are C, G, W, Y and Z. This week, we'll be learning about Polar Animals and the environment they live in. Book order is due on Friday, January 9, 2009.
More news

I now have a blog at dmccrohan.blogspot.com. Please visit the blog and read what is going on in the classroom. I've actually got it updated!

Remember to be reading each night. I would like for you to read to your child, at least, 18 nights this month.

Our gym day is Thursday, please remember to wear gym shoes.

Our library day is Friday. Please be sure your child returns their book!

I will have a substitute on Friday, January 9, 2009. I will be gone to a teacher seminar.

My treasure box is running low on goodies. If you would be so kind to send little toys for me to replenish the box, I would appreciate it. The Dollar Tree is a wonderful place to get goodies.


Homework Alert!
We are beginning our 3rd Quarter soon. Only 5 months until 1st grade – time is flying by. With the new semester beginning, I will send home homework, to be returned the next day. Monday night will be reading, Tuesday will be handwriting, and Wednesday will be math. None of the work should take more than 10 minutes to complete each night. If it does take longer, please let me know.
Your child will bring home a yellow homework folder on each homework night. Their homework and an assignment sheet will be included in the folder. I will leave a spot on the assignment sheet for you to write any comments or concerns about the homework. Please sign the assignment sheet that your child completed the homework and return the homework and folder. When your child returns the homework, they will earn a sticker. When their homework chart is full of stickers, they can make a trip to the treasure box.
Please help me get the kiddos ready for 1st grade and used to doing homework.

Helpful Hints
**If your child's red take-home folder is ripped or torn-up, please get another folder. Since we will be using these folders all year for sending home our daily work and communication between you and me, these are very necessary. Maybe you can find a folder that is plastic, those might hold up better.

REMINDER!!!!!!!
With the cold weather and windy days, we still go outside. I have seen many kids, not necessarily from my class, wearing no coats or mittens. Their little hands were raw and red and they were freezing. I just want to remind you to send coats and gloves and anything else you want you're child to wear. I'll make sure they have it on, if they have it. I hate to see any of my babies freezing. If you need one of the weather sheets the kindergarten teachers sent out, just let me know and I'll send it home.

January Book-It Calendars
I'm sending out the January Book-it calendars. Try to read 18 nights this month for 20 minutes a night. The calendars are due by January 31 or February 2.

School Boxes
Over the years, I've tried many different ways to handle the supplies issue in the classroom. We start out with community supplies, that works for a while, then the fighting starts. So, we progress to our own supplies, which we put in ziplock bags. Usually that works fine. But, I'm finding that the ziplock bags are not holding up the way I would like. Unfortunately, I only have 7 school boxes that I have collected over the years (from my children). If you could get a school box for your child by January, that would be wonderful. That will help us corral our supplies and keep it off the floor.

School Supplies Alert!!!
We are running out of glue sticks and glue bottles. We do a lot of work with glue and we're using up everything we have. If each child were to bring another 6 glue sticks and 1 bottle of Elmer's glue, that should last till the end of the year.
Also, our crayons are disappearing or breaking. If you could also send 1 more box of 24 crayons, we would all appreciate it. Keep your fingers crossed!!