Seeds and Flowers

This week our theme was "Seeds and Flowers".  We painted large flowers and learned about the life cycle of plants.  We also talked about spring and the changes we see between winter and spring.  Our letter of the week was Uu and we reviewed the number 9. This week we had a visit by Mrs. Weiler, she spoke to us about good and bad touches. 

We enjoyed our field trip to Huey's Hideaway Children's Museum this week! If you haven't visited it as a family, please do. There is a lot to see and do there with the kids!!

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us for the beach party that was rescheduled for this week after missing it due to a snow/ice day.  Even though snow is in the forecast soon, I hope winter is behind us. :-)

Next week our theme will be "Farms". We will be focusing on the letter Xx and the number 10.

Reminders
--The notes for the Final Families Being Involved event have been sent home. May 10th we will be going to Rainbow Gymnastics! If you plan to attend please return the participation waver and the sign up slip.
--Next week the Pre-K teachers will be completing a literacy screener on their classes, the results from this will be shared with the final report card.

Easter

This week is the start of the two-week theme "Easter and Spring".  We are learning about the letter Ee and reviewing the number 8.  This week we started decorations for the spring season and ended the week with two snow/ice days.  

Next week we have two extra fun activities happening: Hairy and Company comes to entertain us on Tues/Wed. and we have a Pre-K movie time for Easter with a special treat. 

Our Beach Day Party Potluck has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 24th from 5:00-6:00. We are sending out a new sign up page so we can get an accurate count of who can attend on that Wednesday. Hope to see you all there!!

Reminders:
--Saturday, April 13th: Celebrate the Young Child with a movie at The Broadway Theatre. Wonderpark will be showing at 10:00 for $5 admission and half off popcorn and soda. 
--Spring picture day is Wednesday, April 17th. Please send back the slip indicating the background/pose you would like your child to do. If your child is a T/Th student, you will need to bring them to school for their picture to be taken on the 17th.
--No school Friday, April 19th
--Field trip: Huey's Hideaway Children's Museum April 24th and 25th

Oceans

I hope everyone had an enjoyable spring break.  We are getting back into the swing of school by having two weeks of "Oceans".  So far we have started a hermit crab project, made starfish, and jellyfish.  We focused on the letter Oo and reviewed the number 6.

Next week we will be making sharks, an octopus scene, and scuba divers. We will focus on the letter Bb and review the number 7.

Report cards went home this week, if you have any questions please contact me. Only 9 more weeks to go! Summer will be here soon. There was a summer school flier that went out yesterday and the link is active for accessing the booklet online at www.medford.k12.wi.us (click on the summer school box). I have attached the flier for the Mon/Wed class it won't be in the folders until Monday and registration begins Monday at 6:00 am.

Reminders:
-Thursday, April 11th: FBI event- Beach Party Potluck and Dance 5-6:00 p.m. Please bring a  towel/blanket to sit on and a dish to pass.
-No School Friday, April 19th

Zoo

Our theme this week was "Zoo Animals".  We made all sorts of crafts! We also focused on the letter Zz and reviewed the number 4.

Next week our theme is "St. Patrick's Day".

Reminders:
--Parent/Teacher conferences are Thursday the 14th from 3:45-6:30 for those requested by the teacher or parent.
-- Our FBI for March has been cancelled due to work being done on the pool deck.
--No School March 18-22 for Spring Break.
--March 15th and April 18th are now full days to make up snow days.
--No school April 19th for Easter.

Nursery Rhymes

This week our theme was "Nursery Rhymes and Rhyming".  We talked about what it means to rhyme and we made rhyming pairs with real and non-sense words. We also focused on the letter Nn and reviewed the number 2.

Next week, we will continue with rhyming in our theme of "Dr. Seuss".  To help celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday and the wonderful stories he wrote we are having school wide dress up days. Mon: Crazy Hair (Whoville), Tues: Wacky Socks (Fox in Socks), Wed: Crazy Hat Day (Cat in the Hat), Thurs: Wear red or blue (One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish), Fri: College Shirt Day (Oh, The Places You'll Go!)

For those wondering what will be happening with our make up snow days, a discussion will be taking place at the school board meeting on Monday...stay tuned for the decision.

Reminders:
-Mon and Tues the Smencil fundraiser for the Taylor County Humane Society will take place for PK right away in the  morning, if you want your child to purchase a smelly pencil, please indicate the scent on the form and send $1 per pencil with your child.
-Wed and Thurs we will have a visit from Dr. Ben and Dr. Sally to talk with us about dental health.
-March's FBI event will be Friday, March 15th from 9:00-10:00, swimming at the MASH pool. A note is coming home next week.
-Spring Break: March 18th-22nd.
-Pre-K Beach Party and Pot Luck Dinner and Dance: Thursday, April 11th from 5:00-6:00 in the MAES commons.

Valentine's

This was another short week for students due to weather. We were able to do our Valentine's celebration with the Thursday group, we will have our other celebration for the Monday group in the afternoon. With the time that we were in class, we focused on the letter V and reviewed the number 2. I am going to extend the book order due date until the 21st due to the missing school days. 

It was great to see so many families able to join us at Huey's for February's FBI event!
Next week our theme will be "Nursery Rhymes and Rhyming". The ability to make up or find rhyming words is a beginning reading skill, please practice this with real or nonsense words with your children.

Reading Logs (30 books in 30 days page) can be turned in at any time when you get them filled, if you still have some floating around from the past few months, fill them out so I can send a Subway coupon home with your child. Share the love of reading nightly!! Point out things in the pictures, find letters on the page, ask them what do they think will happen, was their guess right, ask how the story could have changed. There is more to reading a story than just the words on the page, extend this quality time with your kids.

Reminders:
-We will have dentists Dr. Sally and Dr. Ben visit us on the 27th and 28th to talk about dental health.
-Spring Parent/Teacher conferences will be March 14th from 3:45-6:30. More info will come home soon-these are only for those requested by the teacher or parent.
-Spring Break: March 18-22

Games

This week our theme was Games. We were unable to play games with the 4th graders as we had planned due to the snow days and trying to fit our field trip from last week in there somewhere. After many rescheduled attempts, we were able to get both groups to the Broadway Theatre to see Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs! They had a great time and enjoyed their popcorn and drink snack too. :-)

On the theme of games, we talked about being a good sport, taking turns, and waiting patiently. We encourage you to play games with your families frequently. There are many out there to help with our school skills and cooperative play skills.

We also focused on the letter Gg and reviewed the number 1.

Reminders:
--Valentine's celebrations: Feb 13th and 14th in the afternoon. If you choose to send a treat, we have 15 students in each group. Treats do not need to be edible!
--Early Release: Thursday, Feb. 14th. Dismissal is at 1:57.
--Feb. Families Being Involved event: Friday, Feb. 15th 9:00-11:00 at Huey's Hideaway Children's Museum. Slips went home this week and will be due next Mon/Tues.
--Parent/ Teacher conferences are coming up. March 14th, 3:45-6:30-these are only held for those requested by the teacher or parent, a note will be coming home soon.
--Spring Break: March 18th-22nd.

Dinosaurs Cont.

Well it ended up being a short week for the students due to the windchill school cancellations.  We continued our theme of dinosaurs and focused on the letter Mm and the number 10.
Our field trip has been rescheduled for Mon (4th) and Tues (5th) of next week.

Next week our theme will be "Games".  We will be practicing taking turns, waiting, and being a good sport. We encourage you to play games at home to help with these skills too. There are a lot of games out there that focus on colors, shapes, letters, and rhyming.

Reminders:
--If you have not sent in $4 to cover the drink and popcorn at the theater, please do so Mon/Tues.
--Valentine's celebrations will be the 13th and 14th. You are not required to send a treat but if you do please help your child address them "To my friend" to help the giving process go a little smoother. Treats do not have to be edible!!
--Early Release: Feb. 14th Dismissal at 1:57.
--Feb. FBI event: Feb. 15th from 9-11 at Huey's Hideaway Children's Museum-more info will be in folders next week!
--Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences are coming up March 14th 3:45-6:30. These are only conducted for those requested by the parent or teacher. More info will be coming soon.
--Spring Break: March 18-22nd

Dinosaurs

This week we began our two week unit all about "Dinosaurs". We talked about how these animals were all different sizes, some with two legs, some with four, some that could fly, and some that could swim. We also focused on the letter Dd and the number 9.

We will continue next week with our dinosaur theme and end the week with our first field trip. We will be going to see Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Please be sure to send your child's $4 for their drink and popcorn by Wed./Thurs. if you haven't already! Next week we will be focusing on the letter Mm and the number 10.

Our classroom Zipper Club is getting fuller!!! Thank you for helping your child be independent in getting their jacket on and latched all by themselves.

Reminders:
--Next Mon./Tues. we will be having our brush-on varnish days for those that signed up at the start of the year.
--Our Valentine's Celebration will be February 13th and 14th in the afternoon. More info will be coming next week.
--Early Release: Thursday, Feb. 14th-dismissal at 1:57.
--February's FBI event will be the 15th from 9-11:00 at the Huey's Hideaway Children's Museum. More information coming soon.
--Spring Break: March 18-22nd.

Arctic Animals

This week our theme was "Arctic Animals" and we learned about polar bears and penguins and how they never would really meet in the wild.  We made a few animal crafts and practiced our cutting, gluing, and direction following skills.  We also focused on the letter Pp and the number 8.

Next next two weeks, our theme will be "Dinosaurs".

Reminders:
--The January FBI event is tomorrow for those who signed up.
--No school Monday, Jan. 21st due to teacher inservice.
--Our first field trip is coming up, the notes went home this week!
--Pre-K Valentine's celebrations will be Feb. 13th and 14th, more info to come soon.
--Early Release Thursday, Feb. 14th for all grades

Snow & Snowmen

These last two weeks we have been talking about snowmen, snow, things we wear to stay warm in the snow, and what happens to snow and ice when it gets warm.  We have been focused on the letter Ww and the number 7 as well.  

This week our theme is "Arctic Animals".  

Reminders:
--Report cards will be coming home this week, if you have any questions about them please ask. Remember, the goal is to have "B's" by the end of the school year. 
--Our Families Being Involved event will be this Friday for those who signed up for ice skating at the Simek Center.
--No school on Monday, Jan. 21st due to teacher inservice.
--Our first field trip will be on the 30th and 31st, we will be going to the movie theater! More info coming home soon. 

Christmas

We have been working on special Christmas gifts for our families and singing our songs for our concert.  We also focused on the letter Ii and the number 5 this week. Thank you to everyone who has sent back the Christmas tree family project! We have had many compliments on how great they turned out for our bulletin board.

Next week we will be making lots of decorations for our room which can decorate your homes over the holiday break. We will also be focusing on the letter Ss and the number 6.

Reminders:
-- We are doing a $5 gift exchange in our classroom on Dec 19th and 20th before the concert. Girls bring a "girl" gift and boys bring a "boy" gift. Please bring these in by the 13th and 14th. If this will be a hardship for your family this year, please let me know.
-- Our Dec. Families Being Involved event will be the 14th at 2:00 in the Stetsonville gym for those who signed up.
-- The PreK concerts will be Dec. 19th and 20th beginning at 9:30 in the MAES gym. There will be juice and cookies following the concert. You are able to take your child home with you after stopping by the room to collect their belongings. Please know that most students will be going home following the concert, if your child stays for the remainder of the day there are not any planned academics for the day.
-- No school Dec 24th-Jan 1st

Cookies & Christmas Trees

This week we started gearing up for the holiday season by talking about cookies and Christmas trees. We were even able to decorate and enjoy a cookie for filling the big shield in the lunchroom by making good choices at school. We also focused on the letter Cc and the number 4. Our Christmas song practice has been going very well, we hope you are able to join us on Dec. 19th or 20th at 9:30 in the gym for our Pre-K concerts. 

Reminders: 
--Dec. 14th is the next Family event-cookie decorating at 2:00 in the Stetsonville lunchroom/gym. Please be sure to send back the sign up slip so we have enough cookies for everyone joining us. 
--We are having a $5 gift exchange before our Christmas concerts. Girls bring a "girl" gift and boys bring a "boy" gift. Please have the gifts sent to school by Dec 12th or 13th. If this will be a hardship for your family this year, please contact me. 
--No school Dec. 24-Jan 1st. 

Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys the extra days with friends and family. We have been very busy these last two weeks learning about turkeys, pilgrims, feasts, and what it means to be thankful. We have also been reviewing colors, shapes, and patterns. Last week we learned about the number 2 and letter Tt, this week we learned about the number 3. We also made pumpkin pancakes Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The Wednesday class had a special treat, pumpkin pie with 3rd grade buddies for snack time. The 3rd graders were excited about making these pies on their own and being able to share them with our class!

We practiced our Christmas songs for the first time and will be continuing to do so until our concert on Dec. 19th and 20th at 9:30 in the morning. Invites were sent home which included a portion for you to sign and return letting us know your plans to take your child home with you following the program or if they will remain at school for the rest of the day. Please note, there is not going to be academics this day as the majority of students go home after the concert so do not feel your child will be missing out on anything if they do not stay here. Enjoy the extra time before Christmas!

Reminders:
--No school Nov. 22nd and 23rd for Thanksgiving
--December's FBI event: Dec. 14th at 2:00 in the Stetsonville gym/lunchroom. Please be sure to sign up by the deadline so we have enough cookies available for everyone to decorate.
--No school Monday, Dec. 24th-Tuesday, Jan. 1st

Scarecrows

This week was all about "Scarecrows". We practiced shapes and cutting skills with a few scarecrow projects and painted colored corn cobs. We also focused on the number 1 and the letter Hh.

We have been gearing up for Thanksgiving by talking about the things that make us happy and thankful. Our turkeys are getting full with the wonderful feathers our families have helped us decorate.

Report cards went home this week. If you have any questions, please contact me. Remember the goal is to have B's by the end of the year, we continue to work on our skills throughout the year!

Next week Monday and Tuesday, the Pre-K teachers are going to be at a conference so if you feel your student needs to be further prepped that there will be a substitute in the room, please feel free to continue the conversation about a different teacher helper being here.

Reminders:
--Our Nov. FBI event is on the 16th (8:00-9:00 M/W and 9:30-10:30 T/Th) for those who signed up for bowling at the Sports Page.
--Early Release: Nov. 21st-dismissal at 1:57
--No school: Nov 22nd and 23rd
--December FBI: cookie decorating in Stetsonville on Dec 14th at 2:00
--Pre-K Christmas Programs: 9:30 on Dec. 19th and 20th (more info coming soon)
--No school Dec. 24-Jan. 1st

Fire Safety

Our theme this week was "Fire Safety". We learned about the role of fire fighters, the type of gear they use, what we should do in a fire drill at school, what we might do if there was a fire at home, and made some fun crafts representing our theme. We also focused on the letter Ff. 

We had a visit from our school social worker, Mrs. Weiler. She talked about following school rules, listening, and making good choices. She will visit us again later in the year as well. 

Thank you to all of the families who were able to attend our first Families Being Involved event today. The pumpkin carving went great!

Next Monday, we will have a Packer/Brewers T-shirt/jersey to help cheer on the teams as a whole school. Our theme will be "Hibernation & Migration". There will not be a Classroom News sent because of the short week. 

Reminders:
--No school for Pre-K Oct. 17th  due to Child Development Day for kids age 2-4 (not already in Pre-K)
--No school for all grades Oct. 18th and 19th due to parent/teacher conferences
--Vision and Hearing screenings will be done Oct. 22nd and 23rd. 
--Picture retakes are Oct. 23rd and 24th. Please send the original packet and a note if you would like your child's photo retaken. 
--Pajama Day will be Oct. 24th and 25th. We will still be going outside for recess so please either send your child wearing warm ones. ☺
--MAES Fall Fest will be Oct. 25th from 4:30-6:00 p.m. A note will be coming home this week to fill out and return so plans can be finalized. There will be a light supper served as well as games and prizes for the kids. 
--Pre-K fluoride will be given Oct. 29th and 30th for those who choose to do so. Forms will be sent home next week. Please fill these out completely and return them!
--Pre-K Halloween parties will be Oct. 31 and Nov. 1st. When thinking of a costume, please label parts with their name or leave some of the smaller parts at home for trick-or-treating. The costumes should fit over their school clothes, we will be doing a parade through the school. ☺

Leaves and Fall

This past week was all about "Leaves and Fall". We painted leaves and acorns. Our Halloween decorations got a head start too with our hand print jack-o-lanterns. We also talked about how different types of trees have different leaves and that they change colors in fall. We also focused on the letter Ll. 

This week our theme is "Fire Safety" and a focus on the letter Ff. 

Reminders:
--Families Being Involved (pumpkin carving) event October 12th for those who signed up. 
--No school for Pre-K October 17th, early release for other grades dismissal at 1:57
--No school for all grades October 18th and 19th
--Picture Retakes October 23rd and 24th-please send back the originals with a note if you want retakes done. 
--Pajama Day Oct 24th and 25th

5 Senses

This week our theme was "Our Five Senses". We were able to go on the Kuse trail to find out how we could use our senses in the woods. We saw deer trails and beds, birds, sap from a tree, and bird/duck houses. We heard crickets, birds, the wind, crunching over rocks, and construction. We felt a bumpy milk weed pod and the soft seed fibers on the inside. We also focused on the letter Yy and our cutting skills. 

Next week our theme is "Leaves and Fall" with a focus on the letter Ll.

Reminders:
-Our first Families Being Involved (FBI) event will be Oct 12th at 9:00 for those families who sign up. Please return the slip that went home this week if you intend to come so we can be sure there are enough pumpkins. 
-No school for PreK on Oct 17th-Child Development Day
-No school for all grades on Oct 18th and 19th
-Parent/Teacher Conferences are Oct 18th and (Oct 26th for my classes). Reminders about times will be coming home soon.

Apples

This week was all about apples! We learned about the life cycle of an apple tree, how there are different sizes, shapes, and types of apples, and even made applesauce in the classroom. Thank you to everyone who brought apples, we had enough for applesauce and sliced apples for snack and even a few left over for next week's snack. ☺We made our first real art projects of the year-a mosaic apple and a painted paper plate apple core. This week we also focused on the letter Aa and practiced long and short a sounds. 

Picture day went well, I will send the photo packets home as soon as we get them. Usually we have them in a few weeks. We also had our school expectations review with Mr. Miller (our principal). We saw there are big shields around our school that tell us the rules for that area and voice charts to let us know how loud we can be there. Our main expectations are respect, responsibility, safety, and fun. We can earn little shields for making great choices and doing extra special things for others and place these on the really big shield in the lunchroom. When this gets filled, the school has a celebration. This week we filled it and received Raider beads to help celebrate homecoming week!

Next week our theme is "Our Five Senses" and we will be focusing on the letter Yy. There is an early release day on Tuesday, Sept. 25th. Dismissal will be at 1:57. Please send a note with your child if they will be going home differently than their usual dismissal location. 

Reminder:
-If dropping off your student before 8:00, please have them find our table in the lunchroom so we can all meet together before coming to the classroom. 
-Please be sure to send your child's white homework folder back with them each day. 
-Monday and Tuesday we will be taking a nature walk on the Kuse Trail, weather permitting. Old shoes or even mud boots are a great idea!
-P/T conferences are coming up soon, I will be sending reminder slips home with the day and time that you signed up for at conferences. If changes need to be made please let me know!

Welcome!

Hi everyone!

We are off to a great school year. We are working hard to learn our routines and expectations. We are also increasing our stamina for long school days with lots of projects and play time. This week our theme was "Shapes". We sang the shape hokey-pokey, drew them in the air, used our cutting skills to make a shape train. We will continue to focus on shapes throughout the year, please help your child learn to identify circle, triangle, square, and rectangle. 

Next week our theme is "Apples" and we will be making a special treat! Please send a baking apple (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Braeburn, or McIntosh) to school by Wed or Thurs so we have plenty of applesauce to taste. 

Reminders:

-Please send your child's folder back to school each day as we will be sending home practice sheets, important information, and projects completed by your child each day. 

-Please send a complete change of clothes in a bag labeled with your child's name if you haven't already. 

-Early Release on Tuesday, Sept. 25th-dismissal at 1:57. Please send a note if your child is going home differently than their day to day schedule. 

-No school for Pre-K on Wednesday, October 17th due to Child Development Day

-Parent Teacher Conferences are Thursday, October 18th and Friday, October 26th for my classes. If you have not signed up for a time please contact me to do so. Reminders of times will come home as it gets closer. 

-No school for all grades October 18th and 19th

Have a great weekend!