Gingerbread and Reindeer

Gingerbread and Reindeer

Three More Days!

Three more days till break!  I imagine that the kids will be very excited this week.  We will be finishing up our Gingerbread unit this week and hopefully get in some review before Wednesday.  On Wednesday, we will have Christmas sing-a-long in the gym with the whole school and then have our Christmas party in the afternoon.
I hope you and your family have a blessed and happy Christmas!

Eight Days Till Christmas Break!

Just a reminder that there is no Late Start on Wednesday, December 21, 2011. Instead, FCSD will dismiss students at 2:30 to begin our Winter Break.

This week we will go to the Sondheim Center to watch the Third and Fourth Grade Music Program.

This week's theme is Gingerbread!  We will be reading several different versions of the Gingerbread Man. We will work on some writing and math in connection to this unit.  We will also be sampling gingerbread cookies.  Later we will take a survey and find out who likes gingerbread and who does not.  We will graph the results.   

I am sure this week will fly by!  Let me know if you are in need of anything. Have a great week!

Ben Boatright- Student of the Month

Ben is a wonderful example to his peers for being a hard worker.  Ben knows that it is important to do work first, then have fun.  Ben always puts his learning first before engaging in fun activities with peers.  He stays focused on learning at all times.  I never have to worry about Ben finishing his work.  I am proud very proud of Ben.

Partner Reading!

First we read the book together!

Second, my partner reads the book to me while I track the words.

Third, I read to my partner while they track the words.

We are Super Readers!

Weekly News!

We have been so excited getting ready for Thanksgiving.  The kids are sharing their Thanksgiving traditions and are looking forward to spending time with their families as I am.  I can hardly believe it is almost time to put up the Christmas tree and lights.
In math, we are learning about tally marks, tools that measure, beginning addition and subtraction word problems, and sorting objects by color and size.  At calendar time, we practice making different amounts of change to learn the values of the coins.  I am surprised at how quickly they are learning to count by 10's and 5's. What super, smart kids!
In reading, our focus in on sight words and word family words.  So far, we have worked on "at" words and will soon start "an" words. 
Every day we are writing in our journals. The leader of the day gets to say what they are thankful for.  At the end of November, your child will have a nice journal to bring home and share with their families what our class was thankful for!  The kids get excited waiting to see what the leader is thankful for that day.  
I am glad I was able to see most of you at conferences.  Next parent teacher conferences will be in February. 
I hope you all have a Happy, Safe and Blessed Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Feast

Dear Parents,

On November 21, both kindergarten
classes will be celebrating the First
Thanksgiving of the Pilgrims and the Native
Americans feast.

IF possible, please encourage your child to
eat the school lunch on this day.

Our classes will be eating together in Mrs.
Spalla’s room.

Sincerely,

The Gleason and Spalla Team

Keeping the End in Mind- Habit #2- Student of the Month

Cecelia and LeLaina Coplea are Mrs. Spalla’s Wonder Twins.  They are so conscientious about doing the right thing and how their actions affect others.  They work hard and diligently every day and treat others with the utmost kindness and compassion.

Next Week

Next week we will begin to talk about tally marks.  We will be using wooden sticks to practice making groups of 5.  We will practice writing numbers 1-15.  
Of course, we will be focusing on everything that has to do with Thanksgiving.  I can't believe it is almost here.  Where is this year going?
In reading, we are now working with  the "at" word family.  We practice reading words by blending the beginning sound and the word family  chunk "at" together.  Example, b    at    - bat
                             c    at     - cat
                             f     at     -fat
This is called onset and rime. The onset is the beginning sound, "b" in bat.  The rime is the word family chunk, "at." 
After the "at" word family, we will start the "an" family.
                

November - Things to Work On!

Count to 30
Count objects to 30
Shapes: rhombus, circle, rectangle, triangle, oval, square
Color words: red, yellow, orange, purple, pink, green, black, brown, blue, white
Word family words: at, bat, cat, fat, hat, mat, Nat, pat, rat, sat, that, vat, splat
Hi-frequency words: I, my, see, like, has, can, go, we, be, me

Progress reports will be coming home in the next week! 

Thanksgiving Feast

On November 21, Mrs. Gleason's and Mrs. Spalla's Kindergarten classes will be having our annual Thanksgiving Feast.  Both classes will join together to eat the Thanksgiving meal prepared by the school.  We will be dressing as Pilgrims, Native Americans and turkeys!  

MORE PICTURES

http://mrsgleasonskindergartenblog.blogspot.com/

For more pictures of our Halloween Parade click on Mrs. Gleason's Blog!

Slideshow of the Park

Click to the right to see a slide show of Jefferson County Park Field Trip!

Jefferson County Park-

To culminate the end of our Reading Program, Washington Elementary Students will head to Jefferson County Park on Monday, October 24th.  We will leave around 10:05 and return back to school by 11:45.  We will play games at the park and eat s'mores.  We will eat lunch when we return.

Note from Mrs. LaVan, Computer Teacher

The kindergarten classes at Libertyville and Washington are doing great and I am enjoying time with them!  I wanted to pass along to you some of the terms and techniques we are using with the laptops.


 When using the trackpad we talk about using a real light touch.  We have practiced a touch on our arms, a touch with one finger, that is so light that it almost tickles.  We transfer that light touch to the trackpad. 


We use "bunny ears" to scroll, instead of using the scroll bar.  Bunny ears amounts to two fingers (separated like bunny ears) on the trackpad.  Bunny ears down to scroll down and bunny ears up to scroll up.  Also a very light touch. 


To quit a program we are practicing the keyboard shortcut. While  holding down the command key, they tap the "q" key one time.

To shutdown the computer, they press the power button once and then press the return key.

Kindergarten Report Cards

The time is here for Kindergarten testing for report cards.  Kindergarten Report Cards will be handed out at Parent-Teacher Conferences.  We use  Standards-Based Report Cards and your child will receive a score from 1-5.  A score of "3" means that your child is on grade-level, exactly where they need to be for this time of the year.  A score of "5" indicates that your child is  extremely proficient and higher than grade level.  Parents often become upset if their child does not receive "5's", however very few fives are given out.  A score of "1" would indicate an area of concern for your child.  

The first conferences are very important to attend. You will gain a lot of information about your child's progress at that time.  Our goal is to help your child grow and develop in all areas of academic and social growth.  We do not expect any child to be perfect but encourage all children to do their best and with that we can work together on areas that might need a little extra attention.

I encourage all parents to attend conferences.  Please come with any questions or concerns you may have.  I will do my best to attend to your concerns. Because we only have 15 minutes to meet,  if needed we can always schedule more time outside of conferences to further discuss any concerns.

Skyler- Student of the Month!

Being Proactive! Character Trait #1

Skyler is always paying attention and doing what is expected of her.  She is takes care of her own stuff and consistently chooses to the right thing. She is happy and helpful at all times.

Student of the Month

Pumpkins, Owls, Bats and Spiders

We are now in my favorite time of year.  October is one of the greatest months to teach.  There is  barely have time to fit in all the activities about pumpkins, owls, bats, spiders and Halloween.  We will be studying nocturnal animals, migrating and hibernating animals and all the fun themes surrounding fall!  Of course, Fire Safety Prevention Week is coming and Christopher Columbus Day is around the corner.  Kindergarten testing, report cards, Parent-Teacher Conferences.... I think this month will fly by!!


Don't forget about Pastries For Parents on October 14th!  Cinnamon Roll, donut holes, coffee, juice and milk will be provided.

Reading Logs .....

Reading logs will need to be returned each Monday.  Students will  receive their prizes that week.  Each class will be compiling all the minutes read to get a grand total for the school.  We encourage kindergarten parents to read at least 10-20 minutes per day to their child.

Upcoming Events.................

The October Reading Program will be kicking off soon.  All grades will be counting minutes that they read outside of school.  More information will be coming soon.  Kindergarten will have a reading log to fill out daily. Students will return the log (probably on Monday) to receive a prize.  Kindergarten students are expected to read 10 minutes daily or 70 minutes a week.  Of course, that is just the minimum amount of minutes and we always encourage students to read more.
The Scholastic Book Fair will be coming at the end of October.  This is a fun time for staff and students.  It's fun to see the new books that kids are reading. Kindergarten students are always amazed at how the library transforms into a little shop of books. Information will be sent out closer to the end of October.
Pastries for Parents will be October 14th.  Come eat donuts before school with your child.  It's free and we welcome parents to come and visit the school.
Kindergarten testing for report cards will be beginning soon. Children will be tested on letter and number identification, sounds of the letters, rhyming, shapes, address, phone number, counting, and several other areas.  Report cards for Kindergarten will be passed out at Parent Teacher Conferences will will be help the Tuesday and Thursday following Halloween.
Atwood Pumpkin Farm informed us that we will not be able to visit the Pumpkin Farm this year.  Of course, we are very disappointed since this is usually our first field trip.  But the owner has just had a new baby and I definitely understand how busy she is.  Hopefully, your family can go out and visit anyway.
I appreciate all that you have been doing for your child and the patience you have shown me.  The fall is a very busy time for the children as well as the school staff.  We are always experiencing a lot of change  and sometimes have to adapt at the last minute.  I do try to check my email at least once during the day but there are several days where I am unable to check it until after school. Kindergarten is a very busy place.  If there is any type of routine change such as picking up your child please call the office or send a note with your child.  If I have a substitute for some reason and you send me an email about a routine change I will not get it, nor the sub.   Thanks for understanding!!
As always, if you need to contact me- do not hesitate.  I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.

Mrs. Travers!!!!!

Kindergarten welcomes Mrs. Travers each Thursday morning to read a new book to the class.  Mrs. Travers volunteers at Washington Elementary each Thursday just because she loves reading children's books.  We can't wait to see what Mrs. Travers will read next!

Dan Wardell From PBS Kids!!

The kids were so excited when I told them that Dan Wardell from PBS kids was coming to our school.  Most of the students knew him from television.  So, it was like having a celebrity pop in. Dan gave an exciting presentation about turning off the television, using your imagination, going outside to play and of course, reading.  The whole school, including staff, got engaged as he had us acting out the story, Rumble In The Jungle, by Giles Andrea.  The students were memorized by his high-energy performance.  I absolutely loved it! I found out  that a few of my students had seen him at the Fairfield Public Library this summer for story-time.  Later that evening I was able to listen to him speak at the Jefferson/Van Buren  Iowa Reading Association.  He spoke about his travels during the summer to reach out to communities to help libraries with their summer reading program.  He is in high demand and I can definitely see why.  He has a true passion for children and helping kids live a healthy life.

Rose The Snack Lady

We are very fortunate to have Rose from the Iowa State University Extension Office visit our school to teach the kids about healthy snacking.  Rose comes twice a month and prepares healthy snacks for the kids to enjoy.  Each student is allowed to try new foods and recipes.  On Monday, Rose came for the first time this year.  The kids were not sure of her cottage cheese dip and cut-up zucchini.  However, after taking a small bite several children discovered they actually like it.  Rose brings stories about vegetables and fruits, coloring sheets, and information about healthy living.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Kaden, Emily, Jazlyn, Ben and Isabelle

Chicka  Chicka Boom Boom
Will we have enough room?

Last week, we read the story Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault.  They kids loved repeating the lines with me over and over.  So...we decided to make our own Alphabet Tree and decorate uppercase and lowercase letters to put on the tree.  After several readings of the story, we watched the movie version of the book.  

September 5-8th

This week we will review the color word "red."  Skyler was our leader on Friday and I let her decide what color word we are going to learn next.  She said "purple," so purple it is!  We will practice writing purple and red and learn a new song for purple. 
We will continue to learn the sounds for the letters.  I am teaching the students motions to help them remember the sounds that each letter makes.  So far, we are up to the letter "I,i"  Every couple of days, I show them a few more motions.  Soon, we will be able to do the whole alphabet.  
In math, we will learn a new poem about squares.  We have started to work in our Math Journals.  An example of something we might do in our Math Journal would be solving problems such as : 1 rat and 1 hen.  How many legs?  We would draw out the problem and practice counting the legs.   We will work on counting out objects and will continue to practice writing numbers 1-5.
Our butterflies were supposed to be here last week.  I am hoping they come soon!! The kids keep asking and I have never had them be this late before.  We will keep our fingers crossed.
Questions the students and I will be discussing this week about reading are: Why do people read?  What different kinds of things can you read?  Where do you like to read? 
The first home football game will be Friday!  Thankfully the weather has cooled off and we can enjoy being at school.  Hope you all had a great weekend and I look forward to seeing your little ones tomorrow morning.

What We Are Working On!

This week, we have been working on writing our numbers 1-5.  We will continue working on proper formation into next week and practice counting out objects.  Shapes and patterns will be our focus for a while. We are reading a poem called, Cindy Circle.  This poem will be added to their Poetry Journal. 
In reading and writing, we are learning the color word red.  You may hear your child singing the red song.  They love to yell, "STOP!" in the middle of the song. We practice writing the word red on our mini whiteboards. 
Today, we talked about the kinds of books we like to read.  Pablo likes to read books about chameleons and Makenna likes to read books about princesses.  We decided that good readers know what kind of books they like to read. We will be having several conversations each week on what good readers do!
In the mail this week our butterflies should arrive. It will  be exciting to watch our caterpillars change and grow to become butterflies.
The District Math Inventory was taken this week.  This test is taken three times a year.  As teachers, we measure each child's growth in math concepts such as: geometry, data analysis and probability, measurement, algebra and number operations.  We use the test to determine areas of weakness in students and in our curriculum.

The Red Song- (Three Blind Mice)
R-e-d, r-e-d
I like red. I like red.
Red is the color of signs that say, "STOP!"
Wagons, apples and strawberry pop.
I like red. I like red.

Click To The Left To View A Slide Show of the First Three Days

School begins at 8:20 starting Monday, August 29th!

Schedule- PE, Music, and Art

We will be having physical education and music on Tuesdays and Fridays.  Please send your child in tennis shoes on those days. Art will be on Wednesdays. 

First Day!

See me skip. See me run. 
I’m going to school
like everyone.
See me smile. See me grin. 
When the bell rings, I walk in.
See me jump. See me play.
I’m in kindergarten.
Hip hip hooray!!

 gigglepotz.com

Getting Ready for First Grade

http://school.familyeducation.com/first-grade/parenting/36064.html

http://www.pbs.org/launchingreaders/parenttips_3.html

http://www.education.com/grade/first-grade/

Fireflies

Kindergarten has started a mini-unit on fireflies. Students have been engaged reading fiction and non-fiction books. We have learned that adult lightening bugs live only a few weeks. They also use their lights as a form of communication. Fireflies drink water. The kids were excited to learn that a particular species of fireflies trick other species to come close to them and then eat them up!
The Lonely Firefly is a wonderful book by Eric Carle. Several students shared they had read this book in preschool. We also enjoyed the fiction book Sam and the Firefly. We will be writing facts about lightening bugs and practice some non-fiction reading strategies as we continue to learn about this incredible insect.

Last Day of School

We are asking that on the last day of school, all students bring a sack lunch. The school will not be serving lunch on this day. Thanks!

Looking Ahead!

Wow! We are almost to the end of the 2010-2011 school year. Where did the time go? I cannot believe we are down to 21 days left. In Kindergarten, we are spending a lot of time talking about First Grade Expectations! Your children are reading, writing, and solving addition and subtraction problems.
We will be studying plants and working more intensely on addition and subtraction. I will be going over word-attack strategies for reading. We will finish up our reading series learning short "e" and "u" word families.
One thing I ask is that you spend time this summer reading with your child! Nothing can benefit your child more than developing a life-long love of reading! Your children need to be read to and they need to be reading to you!

Easter Egg Hunt!

Easter Egg Hunt on PhotoPeach

Grandparents Breakfast

Grandparents on PhotoPeach

Marshmallow Bunnies- Sorting and Graphing

Marshmallow Bunny Graphs on PhotoPeach

Mask Parade

Ms. Carradus and  her fourth grade art classes at Washington led a parade to show off their masks!  They paraded around the school showing off their awesome creations!  Each mask was to mean something to them personally.   What awesome artists we have in our district!

I think this was one of my favorites!!!   What a cute house!

A Few Pictures From the Schoolwide Pajama/Movie Party

Character Counts Award!

 Trustworthiness- Belle Meador- I can always count on Belle to do the right thing. She is able to work independently and get her work completed.  Belle can be counted on to tell the truth.  She is conscientious about her school work and doing the right thing.  She is a joy to have in class.

Caring-  Ana Camila Carminhato is a genuine sweetheart.  She is kind and considerate to her classmates always bearing a smile.  I can count on Ana to play with anyone who needs a friend.  She is a joy to those around her!

Word Attack Strategies: How to Help Beginner Readers!

Word-Attack Strategies
Word-attack strategies help students decode, pronounce, and understand unfamiliar words. They help students attack words piece by piece or from a different angle. Model and instruct students:

Use Picture Clues

• Look at the picture.
• Are there people, objects, or actions in the picture that might make sense in the sentence?

Sound Out the Word

• Start with the first letter, and say each letter-sound out loud.
• Blend the sounds together and try to say the word. Does the word make sense in the sentence?

Look for Chunks in the Word

• Look for familiar letter chunks. They may be sound/symbols, prefixes, suffixes, endings, whole words, or base words.
• Read each chunk by itself. Then blend the chunks together and sound out the word. Does that word make sense in the sentence?

Connect to a Word You Know

• Think of a word that looks like the unfamiliar word.
• Compare the familiar word to the unfamiliar word. Decide if the familiar word is a chunk or form of the unfamiliar word.
• Use the known word in the sentence to see if it makes sense. If so, the meanings of the two words are close enough for understanding.

Reread the Sentence

• Read the sentence more than once.
• Think about what word might make sense in the sentence. Try the word and see if the sentence makes sense.

Keep Reading

• Read past the unfamiliar word and look for clues.
• If the word is repeated, compare the second sentence to the first. What word might make sense in both?

Use Prior Knowledge

• Think about what you know about the subject of the book, paragraph, or sentence.
• Do you know anything that might make sense in the sentence? Read the sentence with the word to see if it makes sense.
  
  

Models, Maps, Symbols and More!

In Social Studies, we will be learning about maps.  We will first identify how a map is a model.  Students will recognize how models are representations of real things.   Then, we will find out how a map is model.  We will also discuss the difference between a map and a globe.  We will make our own maps and discuss how symbols help us identify items on a map.
Our next reading unit is called "Down On the Farm," which coincides with our Social Studies unit that compares the difference between a town and a farm.  Also, in reading we will begin working with the short "o" sound.  Your child will be responsible for identifying words with short "o" ending such as: pot, got, hot, fox, box, log, frog, dog.
In math, we will continue our inquiry into addition and subtraction. We will be solving addition and subtraction problems using different strategies.  Some of the strategies will be; using manipulatives, a number line and creating their own word stories.  Students will also understand the terms: number sentence, equal, plus, minus, counting on from ten, graphing, patterning, and tally marks.
Your child can benefit by being able to identify and write numbers up to 30.  Your child should be able to count by 1's, 10's and 5's to 100.  We will also practice counting by 2's. 
There are so many things going on in the last few weeks of Kindergarten!  I cannot believe the school year is three-fourths of the way finished.  Your child will grow and  learn so much in the next few weeks.  Remember, that as the days get longer and warmer, your child will probably be spending more time outside.   It is not unusual for them to get a little bit more tired, especially if involved in t-ball.  But summer will soon be here and they will be ready and on their way to First Grade!!!

Happy Spring Break!
March 21-25 
Classes resume Monday, March 28th!
 

Reading Strategies

Reading Strategies:
When we come to tricky words what do we do?
1. You can look at the picture.
2. You can look at the first letter in the word.
3. You can ask yourself what makes sense.
4. You can re-read.
5. You can look for chunks (small parts) in the word.
6. You can sound (search) through the word.

Comprehension Strategies
When I am finished I should be able to tell:
1. What happened in the beginning, middle and end of the story.
2. Was there a problem?  If so, what was it?
3. What was the resolution (solution)?  How did they fix the problem?

If the book is Non-fiction, I should be able to name 3 facts, from memory that I didn't know before.

Dancing in PE with Mr. D

Mr. Dunlap brought in a Wii and Just Dance for the PE class on Monday at Washington.  The kids absolutely loved it!!!!  I should say- the kids AND ADULTS absolutely loved it!!! 

Who Let The Dogs Out Video

 

Watch These Awesome Dancers!!!!!!!

Report Cards

Third Quarter Report Card testing is under way.  Report Cards will be sent home with your child on March 30th.

High School Students Read to Kindergaraten!

Fairfield High School Students from Mrs. Mayer's class comes to Washington School to read to selected classes. The students enjoyed having "big" kids to hang out and read with. Sophmore Tyler Gilmore and freshman Erica Topping are the first to read to our class.

Cian listens as Tyler reads.

Erica Topping and Tyler Gilmore read the books- Is Your Mama a LLama? and There's a Nightmare In Your Closet.

Justin Leonard  reads about Curious George.

 

 

 

 

               Thanks for reading to us! We enjoyed having you!

Lion or Lamb?

Lion or Lamb on PhotoPeach

Mrs. Spalla Is Back in School!

I have been back in the classroom learning  about new technologies to integrate into the classroom.  For the next month, I will be participating in the class Web 2.0 Tools for the 21Century Teacher.

I will be learning how to use tools such as Twitter, Diigo, Wordle, Moodle, and many more to enhance learning in the classroom.  This will be a great addition to all the work we have been doing with Mrs. Breen.  The kids love doing anything that has to do with a computer!

Words to Know For Third Quarter!

Short a words: at, bat, cat, hat, mat, Nat, Pat, rat, sat, vat, an, ban, can, Dan, fan, Jan, man, Nan, pan, ran, tan, van

Short i words: bit, fit, hit, it, kit, lit,pit, quit, sit, wit, big, dig, fig, jig, pig, rig, wig, zig

Short o words: cot, dot, got, hot, jot, lot, not, pot, rot, tot, box, fox, ox

Hi-frequency words: a, and, are, for, go, have, he, here, I, is, like, my, play, said, see, she, the, to

Tips for Reluctant Readers

 The following article is taken from the following website.

 

hubpages.com/hub/10-Top-Tips-To-Overcome-Objections-If-Your-Child-If-Your-Child-Is-A-Reluctant-Reader

Tips to Encourage a Reluctant Reader

• Ask your child why he does not enjoy reading – is it because it is too easy, too hard, does he not like the genre of book he is being asked to read, would he prefer reading a non-fiction book? His answers may give a clue as to why he is a reluctant reader.
• Set up a reward chart to encourage daily reading for a given period of time. The reward should be chosen by your child and could be anything, for example, extra time on the computer, being allowed to watch a favourite tv show, extra time playing football, etc.  Motivating the reluctant reader is key in improving reading skills

• Choose an appropriate time for your child to read. If he is very young, he may be very tired at the end of the day and this would not be a good time for him to read to you.
• Set a timer so he can see exactly how long he has to read for and how much longer there is to go. If your child is between 4 and 7, a maximum time of 15 minutes per session should be set. If he is older, 20 – 30 minutes is probably about the right length of time.
• Take your child to the library or the bookshop and encourage him to make choices about the books he wants to read. He is more likely to want to read if he has made these choices for himself, rather than having the book he has to read chosen for him.
• Make sure that you have a place where your child feels comfortable reading. Have him help setting it up, choosing the chair, cushions, etc. Maybe have a bookshelf with the books he has chosen close by. Make sure that this is a place where he can read quietly without interruption.
• Encourage your child to develop his reading skills through accessing different types of texts. For example, non-fiction, magazines, comics, using the computer (for example, the CBBC website).
• Use your child’s hobbies and interests to advantage. For example, if he is interested in sharks or has a favorite team, find books on these subjects and share them with him
• Encourage your child to play reading-based games. A useful resource is the Letters and Sounds website. This is a great site and brilliant fun for parents and children alike - although it is particularly aimed at primary age children.
• Make sure that your child’s school is aware of the situation. They may be able to offer you additional advice. Most English Primary Schools will hear ‘daily readers’ and these often comprise reluctant readers or those who refuse to read at home.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences are February 15th and 17th.  Attendance is very important to your child's school career.  Your child will appreciate your effort to attend conferences to know that you care about their education and well-being.
Below are some websites with tips for parent/teacher conferences.

school.familyeducation.com/parents-and-school/parent-teacher-conferences/38586.html
www.squidoo.com/parent-teacher-conference-tips

Please remember that we will dismiss school at 2:20 on both days.  There is no school on Friday, February 18, 2011.

A few tips ......

1. Ask your child if there is anything that he would like you to discuss with the teacher.
2. Arrive promptly or a few minutes early.
3. Jot down everything that you want to talk about at the conference.
4. Begin with positive comments about the teacher or classroom.
5. Avoid lengthy discussions of topics that are not related to the purpose of the conference.
6. Be open-minded to suggestions from the teacher.
7. Keep your emotions under control.
8. Take notes about what has been discussed to share with your child.
9. Express appreciation for the conference.
10. Do not stay beyond your allotted time.

Ahoy Matey! Come Aboard for Reading!

On February 21, Washington Elementary will begin their Spring Reading Program.  We are having a pirate theme this year, using the theme song, "We Are the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything But Read!". Every student will be expected to participate in the Reading Program.  Reading Slips will be sent home and students returning slips each Monday will receive a weekly prize.  At the end of the four weeks, students who have returned 3 out of the four slips will be able to go to an all school movie party! Please help your child by setting aside a time to read and by signing their reading slips weekly.
The prizes for meeting the reading goal--
week 1- ring pop, bookmark
week 2- root beer floats
week 3- sword pen, pirate tattoos
week 4- movie in the gym, schoolwide pajama party (Peter Pan)

Valentine's Day Party!

We will be having our Valentine's Day Party on Monday, February 14th.  Please have your child bring a decorated Valentine holder on or before the 14th.  Children will be passing out Valentines to each of their classmates. I have included the class list below.
Girls: Ana, Alisha, Alison, Kiya, Kate, Kayla, Paige, Gabbie, Lily, Rowyn, Jacy, Makenna, Belle, Mrs. Deb, Miss Courtney, Mrs. Kaufmann

Boys: Adrian, Max, Jace, Tate, Hunter, Myles, Izayah, Cian, Ben, Nathaniel
We have 23 students and 3 associates in our classroom!