Important Upcoming Events!

 Happy almost Halloween!

Friday we are celebrating Halloween. Your child is welcome to wear their costume to school. Remember though, not inflatable costumes and no full face paint or masks. We need to recognize who is in the costume. No weapons either. If you'd like to bring in a little treat for our mini party, you are welcome to. We could use plates, forks and spoons, juice boxes, and a few goodies. If you would like to bring something in, please email me to let me know. Thanks so much!!

Every Thursday is popcorn day. It is $.50 for a bag.

We have some time off next week that you need to be aware of. On Monday we have an early release. Pick-up time will be at 11:30. The next day is voting day. It was originally planned as a remote learning day, however, it is now a day off for the children. The teachers will have a workshop day and the kids will not have any remote type of work. 

November 8th is Picture Retake Day. We are checking to see when pictures are scheduled to arrive. It should be very soon. Next week you will get a slip with information regarding what to do if you want retakes. 

The week of the 8th I will be holding parent-teacher conferences. They will be done on zoom. I will be
sending out a sign-up genius form asking you to sign up for a time that we could meet and I will send you the link for your conference once the schedule is finalized. If none of the times work for you, please let me know and we'll try to find something that works for both of us. Conferences will last about 15 minutes and we will be checking in to see how your child is doing so far academically and socially and any questions or concerns you may have. Report cards won't be going home at this time though. That will not happen until December. 

November 11th we have no school because of Veteran's Day. 

Halloween, Popcorn, and Hats

 This week has been full of important information that has been relayed to the kids. First off is that Popcorn Thursdays are coming! Students can order bags of popcorn for .50 I told them that if they brought in a dollar, I could hold onto the change for the following week. It is optional. Your child can still get free breakfast so they will have something to eat- even if it isn't popcorn.

The school board voted last night and said that hats can now be worn inside the school. This does not include hoodies. Also, the school store has opened, however, it is geared towards the middle school. Your child will not be visiting the school store this year, so they do not need any money for that. 

Halloween is next weekend. The children will be participating in a door decorating contest. 4th and 5th grade students will be decorating the classroom doors and the administration will be voting o the winning classroom next Friday. That day we will have a small holiday celebration. Children can wear their costumes to school. Weapons, inflatable costumes, and masks that cover the entire face are not permitted. Full face paint is also not allowed. Children can have subtle face paint, and partial masks, but we need to be able to recognize who is in the costume. Our day will be holiday-themed. Reading and math activities will be related to what we are learning but will have a Halloween spin to them. At the end of the day, we will have a small party for about 25 minutes or so. It won't be anything over the top, but if there are families who would be willing to bring in some snacks, drinks, forks/spoons, or plates, that would be appreciated. 

Lastly, there has been an influx of fidget toys being brought in. These are now getting to be a distraction as children are sharing them, swapping toys, talking about them, etc... These are not being used as tools to focus and are becoming more of a hindrance to their learning at this time. I am asking that the toys remain at home. If you could help in making sure your child keeps these at home, it would be very much appreciated. I do have some quiet fidgets that the children can use if they need to take a break and self-regulate, but those would be used in the take-a-break spot in the room as a calming tool. 

Stories and Science

 We have been doing an author study of Tommie DePaola's Strega Nona. We identified common themes throughout the books. We looked at characters, settings, and problems throughout the books. They are now working to create their own Strega Nona book. They will include these common themes in their book. They will even get to look up some Italian words to see if they can incorporate them into their writing. 

We are starting novel studies. the children are reading books at their level and we are doing a variety of activities to build comprehension, critical thinking, and reading stamina. 

We are about to begin our 2nd math unit on multiplication. It's a review to start off with but adding in some new concepts on comparing the numbers in a multiplication problem. 

We have begun our first science unit. We are looking at energy, and the renewable and non-renewable resources used to produce the energy. This leads us to the main focus which is how people impact the environment. 

Book Fair!

 As many of you know the book fair is up and running. I plan to do a class visit on Wednesday. There are a few options you have if you'd like your child to order from the fair. 

1. Set up an e-wallet - Directions were included on the flyer
2. Send some money in an envelope (bag)
with their name, teacher, and grade level on it for Wednesday
3. Children will write a wish list and include prices. You can look at their wish list and send in an exact amount and we can get the books to them. If you do it this way, please include the wish list and mark on there the book(s) you're purchasing.

Most books are between $4-$10. There are a few special items that cost more. Things like journal kits, craft books, hardcover specialty books, and book sets. 

Please don't feel like you have to order anything. However, if your child does want to order something and you are in need of financial assistance, we do have the means to help your child get a book. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me privately if we can help you and your child in this way.