W Week - Warm as Wool and Wacky Wednesday

October 27-30

Sound of the Week - W

Book of the Week - Warm as Wool

Mom of the Month – Kate Wilson

Habit of the Month - Attention

Thank you to Kate Wilson for providing our “Green Eggs and Ham” for our Exciting special E event last week!  I was so busy having fun with egg relay races I didn’t get to take any pictures!

Our book this week Warm as Wool, by Scott Russell Sanders, is a wonderful story set in 1803, and describes the pioneer life of Betsy Ward and her three children.  After traveling by covered wagon to the woods of Ohio, she seizes a chance to buy eight sheep.  Raising sheep and children proves to be quite difficult.  This great story of a pioneer mom providing for her family spurs much great conversation with this age group.  Moms, prepared to be blessed by a page that the students will complete about the wonderful ways that you provide for them.

Looking forward to a full four-day week of great activities with the sound "W".  Kindergartners commonly confuse the sound of  "W" so it will be "w"onderful to go ahead and hit this one head on.

"W" Week includes WACKY WEDNESDAY (based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name) the children will arrive to a classroom turned upside down, the calendar numbers in the wrong order...just like the book.  Since it is Wacky Wednesday your child may wear mismatched socks, crazy hair, hats or even their shirts turned backwards.  They may add to their regular dress code clothes, just not wacky costumes instead of them.   We will also be having Waffles with Whipped cream so plan on a little protein for the early morning, first breakfast before school.

What a blessing it was to meet with you last week in our parent conferences.  It is evident that the hearts of your children are your priority.  I am privileged to be a part of the life of your family for this school year (and longer).  

I have shared with some of you that I will not be at school on Monday.  My husband and I will be going to Charlotte to be with Kylie, my sister and brother-in-law while Kylie has scans done early Monday morning. We will have a consultation with the doctor that afternoon.  The results of these scans will determine treatment plan going forward.  I know so many of you are praying faithfully for her.  Please pray that the results of these scans will be good news!  I am so thankful that Tara Rose, who taught kindergarten last year, will be with the class.  They will be in excellent hands and I know they will have a great day!

One more note, at PCS, we don't mention Halloween, as many families respectfully don't participate.  Have a Wonderful, not so Wacky Week (especially Wednesday).  I love your children.

Exciting E Week!

Week of October 20-22

Sound of the Week – E

Book of the Week – Exodus

Habit of the Month – Attention

Mom of the Month – Kate Wilson

“E” week promises to be Exciting!  We will have a fun special Egg event on Wednesday.  Your child will travel with our Mom of the Month to each kindergarten classroom and take part in many wonderful Egg Activities…reading Green Eggs and Ham, eating green eggs and ham, Miss Gail’s Shake Your Eggs song and dance, and egg relays. 

Our book of the week is Exodus by Brian Wildsmith.  This is a gorgeous book and a wonderful re-telling of the Biblical events surrounding the years the Israelites lived in Egypt and the Exodus.   We will be reading this book differently than the others.  We will read this book little by little rather than over and over.  (It takes a little more time than most of our books so don’t wait until bedtime to read it when your child brings it home!) We will discuss Egypt, God’s power, following His leading and the 10 Commandments.  Look for other equally gorgeous Brian Wildsmith books – you’ll be glad you did!

On Wednesday all grades will be dismissed at noon.  Those days always make for longer, busier carpool.  You may want to consider meeting us on the sidewalk that day or trying to be early in the line. 

I am looking forward to talking with you and praying with you for our conferences on Thursday.  This is the link to our sign up schedule if you need to double-check your time. 

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C044CA5AF29A6FA7-parent

Cooler temperatures are here! We go to recess and snack at 10:00 and some mornings are chilly even if it warms up later in the day.   Don’t forget to send jackets on cool days – we will still go outside – and please don’t forget to put your child’s name in EVERYTHING!

"U" Week and The Ugly Duckling

Week of October 14-16

Sound of the Week – U

Book of the Week – The Ugly Duckling  by Hans Christian Anderson – adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and other Fariy Tales

Mom of the Month – Kate Wilson

Habit of the Month - Attention

We loved “S” week and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.  Thank you Aubrie Crais for coming to read to us!

We are looking forward to fun with “u” this week!  Try some fun “u” things at home.  Practice doing and undoing many self-help skills: tying and untying, sipping and unzipping, buttoning and unbuttoning.  Make a “tent” and spend some special time under it playing or reading.  Play “Up, up, up” – blow up a balloon and see how many times you can hit it before it touches the ground. 

We will enjoy watching the ducks on our very own pond as we read The Ugly Duckling.  It is a beautifully illustrated re-telling of the classic fairy tale (and a Caldecott Honor book.)  This week as we read The Ugly Duckling, we’ll talk about God’s plan for each of us…that it’s revealed a little at a time as we grow.  Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29:11 and Proverbs 19:21 will guide our discussion this week.  We will also be learning a little more about the genre of fairy tales and other stories written by Hans Christian Anderson.  Feel free to send in any you may have at home.

I am looking forward to meeting with you all next week!

"S" Week with Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

October 6-9

Sound of the Week  - S

Book of the Week – Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Habit of the Month – Attention

Mom of the Month – Kate Wilson

We had a great week!  We enjoyed having Ben’s dad read to us on Monday!

Kylie surprised us with a visit on Wednesday.  I want to take this opportunity to thank each of your families for praying for her.  It is evident the way your children pray for her at school that you are praying for her at home.  Those prayers are mighty and I am so grateful for them every day!  Kylie LOVED meeting your children and wants to visit again soon. 

Thank you so much to Kate Wilson for leading our class service project on Thursday!  Thank you to Jan Reynolds, Amy Adkison and JR Wilson for serving with her.  I know the children had a wonderful time!

We will begin focusing on a new Habit this month, the Habit of Attention.  (Of course we will continue to practice the Habit of Obedience as well!)  I will be sending home a one-page version of the information on this Habit.  It is also on the next page of the Habit book you received at our parent meeting.  Please talk about this at home with your child. 

Our book this week is Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.  Ms. Burton is an outstanding, Caldecott Award winning author.  You’ll enjoy ALL her books!   Plan at trip to your library to find some of her other books.  Our “big idea” this week is that God has made us to do work, and that all our work should be done for him, not to please men.  Biblical application topics include:  *Trusting God when we don’t know what the future holds – Matt. 6:33, Phil. 4:6, Luke 12:7  *Stewardship – taking care of what we’ve been given – John 6:12, Matt 25: 14-34  *Changing plans without complaining –Phil 2:14-15*Doing what’s right when no one’s looking - Col. 3:23

There are so many fun “S” things you can try at home! 

*Sorting socks – help with the laundry, how great is that!?!

*Eat soup, salad, sandwiches, steak or salmon!.

*Senses – what can you identify  just by its sound?  just by its smell?

*Scribble – use lots of colors and create “scribble art”

I believe most of you have already signed up for a time for our parent teacher conference.  If you have not yet, please see the previous email for the link to sign up.  I am looking forward to having a time to share with each of you about the wonderful ways your child is learning and growing! 

I really cannot wait to see your children in the morning!