Playing Outside

Playing Outside

May 23, 2011

May 23, 2011

A note from Ms. Poteet…

Our Kindergarten Field O’Fun Day is on Thursday!  Our class will be competing against the other kindergarten class in several different outdoor events.  Please have your child wear orange, tennis shoes, and apply sunscreen before they come to school.  Please have your child bring a sack lunch, water bottle, and beach towel for our kindergarten picnic after the competition.

Harmony Elementary’s annual trip to The Louisville Zoo is this Friday, May 27th.  We plan to leave school around 9:15a.m.  Upon arriving at the zoo, we will split into chaperone-led groups.  Groups will have the opportunity to take a self-guided trip through the zoo and have a picnic lunch.  We will depart from the zoo around 1:15p.m. and return to school by 2p.m. 

Each student needs to:
  • Wear weather appropriate clothing (don’t forget to wear your class T-shirt)!  Also, please wear tennis shoes, and hats or sunglasses are acceptable.
  • Apply sunscreen before school.
  • Pack a snack, a disposable water bottle, and sack lunch. A disposable camera will be allowed.
  • NO MONEY.  To be fair to everyone, we (teachers, chaperones, and students) will not make any purchases on this trip.

Information for chaperones:
  • Meet inside the front gates in front of the train station entrance no later than 10:00am to get your child/group and as well as an itinerary.  
  • Please bring a backpack to carry children’s lunches and water bottles. 
  • You may not make any purchases for any students (including your own) or allow them to spend any money.  This includes food, rides, gifts, etc.
  • Meet us back at the same spot (near first aid, zoo membership area) near the front entrance promptly at 1:00. We have to be loaded on the buses by 1:15pm.
  • Please e-mail me your cell phone number.  This is a safety measure that will allow us to have access to every student since we will be touring the zoo in small groups. 

On May 31st from 5:00-6:00pm we will have our End of the Year celebration in the library!  You will receive your child’s scrapbook and have a chance to watch a slide show of our favorite kindergarten memories.   The celebration will be “open house” style, so your family may come and go as you please.  Please park behind the school in the bus parking lot and enter through the library doors.  I hope to see everyone there! 

May 31st is also our Orange Pack Extravaganza.  We will play several outdoor games with our friends from our hallway.  Please have your child wear orange, tennis shoes, and apply sunscreen before they come to school.  Please have your child bring a sack lunch, water bottle, and beach towel for our kindergarten picnic after the competition.

On June 1st our class will be singing a song for the 5th grade graduation.  Please have your child dress up (kaki’s, ties, dresses, skirts, etc) for this event!  The graduation ceremony is in the morning.  You may send an extra outfit for your child to change into afterwards.  Due to limited number of seats kindergarten parents are not permitted to attend (I am going to try to video tape their performance so check our blog the following day). 

Important Dates this Month:
May 9-27: State Assessments (No volunteers or guests for lunch at permitted during this time period)
May 26: Kindergarten Field O’Fun
May 27: Zoo Field Trip
May 30: Memorial Day- No School
May 31: Orange Pack Extravaganza
May 31: End of the Year Celebration in the library from 5:00-6:00pm
June 1: Mega Skills Assembly
June 1: Our class will perform for the 5th grade graduation
June 2: Last Day of School & Early Release Day

Related Arts Schedule
Monday                      No School
Tuesday                     Art
Wednesday               PE
Thursday                   PE
Friday                         No School

May 13, 2011

Earth Day 2011

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May 16, 2011

A note from Ms. Poteet…

State Testing for the third, fourth, and fifth graders continues this week.  In order to limit the noise and commotion in the hallways, parents are not permitted to volunteer in classrooms or eat lunch with their child from May 9th-27th.  Thanks for your understanding! 

Ms. Theresa will be helping administer the tests, so I will be the only one teaching guided reading groups.  I will continue to meet with one guided reading group per day, so you may notice guided reading books will not come home as frequently.  Our related arts schedule will also be very different so please check your child’s weekly planner carefully. 

On May 31st from 5:00-6:00pm we will have our End of the Year celebration in the library!  You will receive your child’s scrapbook and have a chance to watch a slide show of our favorite kindergarten memories.   The celebration will be “open house” style, so your family may come and go as you please.  Please park behind the school in the bus parking lot and enter through the library doors.  I hope to see everyone there! 


Important Dates this Month:
May 9-27: State Assessments (No volunteers or guests for lunch at permitted during this time period)
May 17: Election Day- No School
May 26: Kindergarten Field O’Fun
May 27: Zoo Field Trip
May 30: Memorial Day- No School
May 31: Orange Pack Extravaganza
May 31: End of the Year Celebration in the library from 5:00-6:00pm
June 1: Mega Skills Assembly
June 1: Our class will perform for the 5th grade graduation
June 2: Last Day of School & Early Release Day

What are we learning?
Reading Workshop
Since we are writing our own poems I thought would be great if we studied a few famous poets.  We will read several poems, discuss how poems look different from other types of texts, and learn about rhyme and rhythm. 

Writing Workshop
In writing we are continuing to work on our poems.  We will learn how poets show and not tell their thoughts, use poetic language, and show their feelings through poetry.   Family journals will be sent home on Friday.   Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond. 

Word Study
This week, we will explore short and long o (-oke, -ope).  We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: brown, black, white.  Have your child sing you the songs for these words.

Math
In math, we will practice collecting and displaying data.  Students will formulate their survey question, poll the class, and create their own graph on our computer program “Graph Club."

Social Studies
This week we are learning about animal characteristics and their needs.
Reminders
*Send in a healthy peanut-free snack and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes.  Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack. 
* Sign your child’s weekly planner every night!
* Library book due every Friday!

Related Arts Schedule
Monday                      No Related Arts
Tuesday                     No School
Wednesday               PE
Thursday                   Art
Friday                         Art

May 6, 2011

May 9, 2011

A note from Ms. Poteet…

State Testing for the third, fourth, and fifth graders starts this week.  In order to limit the noise and commotion in the hallways, parents are not permitted to volunteer in classrooms or eat lunch with their child from May 9th-27th.  Thanks for your understanding! 

Ms. Theresa will be helping administer the tests, so I will be the only one teaching guided reading groups.  I will continue to meet with one guided reading group per day, so you may notice guided reading books will not come home as frequently.  Our related arts schedule will also be very different so please check your child’s weekly planner carefully. 

Important Dates this Month:
May 9-27: State Assessments (No volunteers or guests for lunch at permitted during this time period)
May 17: Election Day- No School
May 27: Zoo Field Trip
May 20: Memorial Day- No School
June 1: Mega Skills Assembly
June 1: Our class will perform for the 5th grade graduation
June 2: Last Day of School & Early Release Day

What are we learning?
Reading Workshop
In reading, we are reading several different fairy tales and folk tales.  After reading each tale we will discuss its story elements.

Writing Workshop
In writing we are learning how poets listen to poetry and what poets do.   Family journals will be sent home on Friday.   Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond. 

Word Study
This week, we will explore short and long i (-ice, -ide, -ine).  We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: orange, yellow, red.  Have your child sing you the songs for these words.

Math
In math, we are learning how to read digital and analog clocks, how to solve missing addend problems, about the ten dollar bill, and how to measure an objects weight with nonstandard units of measurement.
Everyday Math Home Link
Family Note:
Help your child become a problem solver.  Keep in mind that children need to talk about their ideas and have someone listen and offer encouragement.  We have been telling number stories in school.  Take turns telling and solving number stories with your child.  Children enjoy number stories that relate to their own lives.

Activity:
Have your child tell a “5” number story (a story with 5 as the answer) to you.  Encourage them to use people in their family in their story.

Ask your child to tell a number story about something in the kitchen.

Example:  We have 1 can of tuna, but we need 4 for this recipe.  How many more cans do we need to buy?

Make up number stories for your child to solve too!


Social Studies
This week we are learning about animal characteristics and their needs.
Reminders
*Send in a healthy peanut-free snack and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes.  Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack. 
* Sign your child’s weekly planner every night!
* Library book due every Friday!

Related Arts Schedule
Monday                      PE
Tuesday                     No Related Arts
Wednesday               Music
Thursday                   No Related Arts
Friday                         Art