Ms. Amy, Ms. Hilary & Ms. Sam’s Monthly News

         Happy Spring!! It was so nice having a warm end to winter. The kids loved being able to be outside on those very warm days, without their jackets. We are sending out our newsletter before Spring Break so that we can prepare you for April but also so we can give suggestions for great activities to engage your children over the break.

Our current unit is Simple Machines. We have worked hard to discover what simple machines are and even made our own catapults which was a fun hands on connection to what we have been talking about. Shortly after break we will be switching in to the Making Music unit which we are all really looking forward to.

 Have a great Spring Break! We can’t wait to see you back in class Monday April 3^rd.

Upcoming STEM Profile: Making Music

“Music is what feelings sound like.”    -Unknown

·       The science of sound

·       Instruments

·       How music makes you feel

·       Genres of music

·       A fieldtrip to Thunder Valley (TBA)

Important Dates

March 24 through April 2 – myOn Reading Challenge            http://stvra.in/myonlogin

                           (Prizes awarded to the schools with the highest average minutes read per student)

March 27 through March 31 – SPRING BREAK

April 3 – First day back from Spring Break

April 5 – Butter Braid orders DUE

April 6 – Library

April 10 – All school movement

April 13 –  Computer Lab & Butter Braid Delivery 3pm (Delivered to Spark!, must be picked up)

April 14 –  PTO Carnival: 4 –7pm

April 16 – Happy Easter!

April 20 – Library & $1 PJ Day

April 27 – Maker Space & PDIS reward party

Day & Time TBA – Frederick Easter Egg Hunt

Day & Time TBA – Field Day (April or May)

Preparation for Kindergarten

For those moving onto Kindergarten or those who want additional challenging work, here are some things to work on over break and at home through the summer.

·       Sight words (listed below) to assist in pre-reading

·       Name writing, both first and last

·       Letter recognition

·       Recognition of consonants and vowels

·       Rhyming

·       Number recognition & counting

·       Shapes and colors

·       Following directions

Things to work on at home

·      Name writing and lines/circles on the laminated sheets sent home

·      The alphabet in and out of order: Flash cards are a wonderful tool

·      Sight words:

 A        am         my       can      in      to      see       look      you

 I          go         the      not      is      up      and      like       do     me

·      Manner words: Please, thank you, excuse me, please pass the _____

·      Self-help skills: Putting on own jacket and backpack, putting on shoes, washing hands, pouring water from a pitcher to cup, asking for help or what is needed.

Butter Braid Fundraiser

Dates: March 17^th – April 5^th

The proceeds go to indoor & outdoor play and learning equipment

Delivery date: April 13^th

Check payable to: Spark PTO

Reminders

·       School starts at 8:30 am & 12:25 pm each day. The time before class allows us to get the classroom set up for the day. If you choose to bring your child into the classroom at drop off (due to cold weather or needing the bathroom) please aim to by in class only 5 minutes early. Thank you for the understanding.

·       Please check your child’s backpack daily and especially on Thursdays for important information.

·       Remember to collect the items from your child’s Thursday folder and then to send the folder back on Monday. We put papers in it throughout the week.

·       READ, READ, READ and fill out your monthly reading log as you do. Your student can turn in a completed log for a prize. MyON is also a great reading option. Your account information should be on the front of your child’s Thursday folder.

Donations

We are in need of:

·      Small Dixie cups (5oz)

·      Napkins

·      Playdoh (store bought)

Ideas for Spring Break fun

·       The kids loved making catapults and seeing what would “fling” the furthest. Instructional videos are easy to look up online and most the materials needed can be found around your house. Get creative and have fun with this learning activity.

·       Compete in the district wide myOn reading challenge

·       Go for a family bike ride. Did you know the wheel and axel are a simple machine?

·       Playing I Spy: I spy something that starts with a B, I spy something with 5 leaves, I spy something yellow, I spy the letter M…. etc.

·       Creating something simple and yummy in the kitchen. Young children love getting their hands messy and helping.

·       Go check out the local library

·       HAVE FUN!!