Edgewood Drama Club presents Charlottes Web March 30 7:00 pm and Saturday, March 31st.2:00 pm
No school- Good Friday, April 6
Report Card Conferences Monday, April 9th-Thursday, April 12
Early Dismissal- Friday, April 13
Vacation- April 16-20
International Night- April 25
Lighthouse Beach Class Trip- All parents are encouraged to join us- June 1
Sunday, March 25, 2012
March 25
March CMT madness is over and although there was very little disruption to our schedule and routine I am glad it is behind us for another year.
Room 1 had lots of special activities going on in March. We went to the Eli Whitney Museum and made beautiful xylophones- Thank you to all the parents who chaperoned. Room 1 was also visited by veterinarian Kathy Jackson who talked about her work with sled dogs and a teacher from Whitney Water Works came and showed us how water gets into our homes. Room 1 also celebrated by sharing their writing with a 2nd grade writing buddy.
In math we are working on putting the days of the week in order, counting to 100 and identifying coins- penny, nickel and dime. A great activity to try at home is to give your child your penny jar and have him/her count and sort coins.
A quick anecdote worth sharing...
I asked the children what they thought we should turn dramatic play into now that we have grown tired of the hospital. Without hesitation they said they wanted it to become a school- just like room 1. So now Dramatic Play is Room 1 complete with morning message, muscle words, fair share cards etc. Who said learning wasn't fun!!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
March 4
A little bird told me that a blog entry was long over due!
Pictures of classroom happenings- reader's workshop and buddy reading, Room 1 hospital, blook building and reading for enjoyment!
March is here- what happened to February? I have to admit I haven't missed the piles of snow that we had last year. Putting snow pants, boots, mittens, hats, scarves on 26 5/6 year olds was tiring. It has been wonderful enjoying this mild weather. I can't help but wonder what March will bring.
March is already off to a busy start. Here is just a peak of what will be happening in Room 1 over the next few weeks.
First, CMT's are happening at Edgewood over the next two weeks. Exhale! Not for kindergarten (yet) but our schedule will change a bit to accommodate the test takers. We will be having gym on Friday instead of Thursday -don't forget sneakers, we probably won't have library, Sensei will be proctoring so he won't be in the room and we will be having student helpers. Your children may mention these helpers.
We will be having a visitor on Wednesday, March 7th. Her name is Kathy and she is a vet in the area. Her area of special interest is caring for sled dogs who race in the Iditarod. We read "Balto" and she will share with us how she cares for the dogs. No dogs will accompany her but she will present a slide show for the students and bring her equipment.
On Thursday, March 8th Whitney Water Works will be coming to talk with us about how water is supplied to our neighborhoods. The children always enjoy this hands on activity.
On Wednesday, March 14th we will be taking our annual trip to the Eli Whitney Museum to make xylophones. I need lots of parent volunteers! Please let me know if you can join us. We will leave at 9:30 and return by 11:30.
PARENT SURVEYS ARE DUE!!! Please, if you haven't already, please fill out your survey and return to me. If you fill out online please return the bottom portion of the notice. It would be wonderful if we could get 100% participation. Many classrooms are offering incentives to their students to get participation. I would prefer to not resort to that!
Volunteer needed to wash our white stools... Viv O'Connor, Isabella's mom brought the stools home a few months ago and said it was very easy to just throw the stools into the bathtub with a little bleach. They cleaned right up. Viv has offered again but maybe someone else could step up to the stool duty (no pun intended)
Pictures of classroom happenings- reader's workshop and buddy reading, Room 1 hospital, blook building and reading for enjoyment!
March is here- what happened to February? I have to admit I haven't missed the piles of snow that we had last year. Putting snow pants, boots, mittens, hats, scarves on 26 5/6 year olds was tiring. It has been wonderful enjoying this mild weather. I can't help but wonder what March will bring.
March is already off to a busy start. Here is just a peak of what will be happening in Room 1 over the next few weeks.
First, CMT's are happening at Edgewood over the next two weeks. Exhale! Not for kindergarten (yet) but our schedule will change a bit to accommodate the test takers. We will be having gym on Friday instead of Thursday -don't forget sneakers, we probably won't have library, Sensei will be proctoring so he won't be in the room and we will be having student helpers. Your children may mention these helpers.
We will be having a visitor on Wednesday, March 7th. Her name is Kathy and she is a vet in the area. Her area of special interest is caring for sled dogs who race in the Iditarod. We read "Balto" and she will share with us how she cares for the dogs. No dogs will accompany her but she will present a slide show for the students and bring her equipment.
On Thursday, March 8th Whitney Water Works will be coming to talk with us about how water is supplied to our neighborhoods. The children always enjoy this hands on activity.
On Wednesday, March 14th we will be taking our annual trip to the Eli Whitney Museum to make xylophones. I need lots of parent volunteers! Please let me know if you can join us. We will leave at 9:30 and return by 11:30.
PARENT SURVEYS ARE DUE!!! Please, if you haven't already, please fill out your survey and return to me. If you fill out online please return the bottom portion of the notice. It would be wonderful if we could get 100% participation. Many classrooms are offering incentives to their students to get participation. I would prefer to not resort to that!
Volunteer needed to wash our white stools... Viv O'Connor, Isabella's mom brought the stools home a few months ago and said it was very easy to just throw the stools into the bathtub with a little bleach. They cleaned right up. Viv has offered again but maybe someone else could step up to the stool duty (no pun intended)
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
February 8
The days are rolling by and I realized that an entry was long overdue.
On a personal side I want to say that I had an amazing visit to Teachers College at Columbia University last week. I learned so much about implementing Readers Workshop and aligning the work we do at Edgewood to the new Common Core Standards. Visiting other schools only reinforced to me what great things are happening in Room 1 and what exceptional children and families we have. Most importantly a thank you to Sensei (and of course the kids) for holding down the fort. I don't think I was even missed!
We had a fabulous trip to the Yale Center for British Art. The children were in awe of the colors, the rich textures and the shapes that they noticed all around them. We are certainly using much of what we experienced at the gallery in "reading" paintings at school.
As part of our Readers Workshop it is important that the children carry over the reading that they are now able to do at school to practicing at home. Your child will be choosing one book to bring home each night to read to you, a sibling, a stuffed animal, anyone. The book must be returned each morning. Everyone will have a special bag for the book. Please help your child to get into this important habit of being responsible for his or her own things. This practice will begin next week.
A few classroom happenings that I want to share. Our hospital is up and running in Dramatic Play- just in time to tend to Ross's broken arm! Thanks to everyone who made such fun donations to stock our hospital- bandages, stethoscopes,blood pressure cuffs, band aides and the list goes on.
Library Books- If you DO NOT want your child to bring home library books please let me know. Otherwise, library books will come home on Wednesday and MUST be returned the following Wednesday. We go to library every Wednesday and a new book may not be checked out unless the previous one was returned.
Valentines Day- Room 1 will be exchanging valentines on Feb. 14Th. If your child would like to give valentines please be sure there is one for everyone and PLEASE NO CANDY!! I will send a list of children in an email attachment.
Upcoming Dates:
Report Cards will be sent home on Friday, February 17th. Please be sure to check your child's Friday Folder.
Pasta and Jazz Dinner with raffle baskets Feb. 15th 6:00-8:30
early dismissal 2/17
February Vacation-Feb. 20-24
March 14th -Field Trip to the Eli Whitney Museum
On a personal side I want to say that I had an amazing visit to Teachers College at Columbia University last week. I learned so much about implementing Readers Workshop and aligning the work we do at Edgewood to the new Common Core Standards. Visiting other schools only reinforced to me what great things are happening in Room 1 and what exceptional children and families we have. Most importantly a thank you to Sensei (and of course the kids) for holding down the fort. I don't think I was even missed!
We had a fabulous trip to the Yale Center for British Art. The children were in awe of the colors, the rich textures and the shapes that they noticed all around them. We are certainly using much of what we experienced at the gallery in "reading" paintings at school.
As part of our Readers Workshop it is important that the children carry over the reading that they are now able to do at school to practicing at home. Your child will be choosing one book to bring home each night to read to you, a sibling, a stuffed animal, anyone. The book must be returned each morning. Everyone will have a special bag for the book. Please help your child to get into this important habit of being responsible for his or her own things. This practice will begin next week.
A few classroom happenings that I want to share. Our hospital is up and running in Dramatic Play- just in time to tend to Ross's broken arm! Thanks to everyone who made such fun donations to stock our hospital- bandages, stethoscopes,blood pressure cuffs, band aides and the list goes on.
Library Books- If you DO NOT want your child to bring home library books please let me know. Otherwise, library books will come home on Wednesday and MUST be returned the following Wednesday. We go to library every Wednesday and a new book may not be checked out unless the previous one was returned.
Valentines Day- Room 1 will be exchanging valentines on Feb. 14Th. If your child would like to give valentines please be sure there is one for everyone and PLEASE NO CANDY!! I will send a list of children in an email attachment.
Upcoming Dates:
Report Cards will be sent home on Friday, February 17th. Please be sure to check your child's Friday Folder.
Pasta and Jazz Dinner with raffle baskets Feb. 15th 6:00-8:30
early dismissal 2/17
February Vacation-Feb. 20-24
March 14th -Field Trip to the Eli Whitney Museum
Monday, January 16, 2012
January 16
Room 1 has had a face lift and thank you to everyone who donated to the Holiday Fund. We now have a beautiful new rug and a reupholstered "take a break" chair. Things are looking good for the New Year!
The new year has begun with lots of new exploration and discovery. The biggest hit has been the new "take-a-part" center. The children are using real tools to take apart old electronic equipment. Everyone is so excited when they get a tough screw loose or figure out how to remove a stubborn piece. It is a wonderful activity for strengthening fine motor skills, building problem solving skills and learning about cause and effect relationships. We are in need of new items. Clock radios, wind-up clocks, VCR's, record players (remember those!) are perfect take apart items. Sorry we can't accept computers or TV's.
We have also been studying about winter and how it effects us and our environment. Last week we learned about hibernating and migrating animals as well as animals who "stay active all winter". The children have been writing their own hibernation and migration books, singing songs, and sorting and classifying animals. In math we are talking about sorting by different attributes and will begin counting by 5's and using tally marks.
In artists/writers workshop the children earned their very own sketch journals by proving to me that they are able to consistently do important and thoughtful writing and drawing. Everyone was very excited!
I would also like to share with you that I am going to be out of the classroom for professional development from Monday, January 22-Thursday, January 26. I will be at the Teachers College at Columbia, NYC to learn about aligning the new common core standards to readers/writers workshop. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to be apart of such an important workshop and I am eager to share and use what I will learn. Your children will be in good hands with Sensei!
A few important upcoming dates-
Town Meeting- January 27th 2:00
Field Trip to Yale Center for British Art- January 31* I need a couple of parent chaperone's. If you are interested please see me.
The new year has begun with lots of new exploration and discovery. The biggest hit has been the new "take-a-part" center. The children are using real tools to take apart old electronic equipment. Everyone is so excited when they get a tough screw loose or figure out how to remove a stubborn piece. It is a wonderful activity for strengthening fine motor skills, building problem solving skills and learning about cause and effect relationships. We are in need of new items. Clock radios, wind-up clocks, VCR's, record players (remember those!) are perfect take apart items. Sorry we can't accept computers or TV's.
We have also been studying about winter and how it effects us and our environment. Last week we learned about hibernating and migrating animals as well as animals who "stay active all winter". The children have been writing their own hibernation and migration books, singing songs, and sorting and classifying animals. In math we are talking about sorting by different attributes and will begin counting by 5's and using tally marks.
In artists/writers workshop the children earned their very own sketch journals by proving to me that they are able to consistently do important and thoughtful writing and drawing. Everyone was very excited!
I would also like to share with you that I am going to be out of the classroom for professional development from Monday, January 22-Thursday, January 26. I will be at the Teachers College at Columbia, NYC to learn about aligning the new common core standards to readers/writers workshop. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to be apart of such an important workshop and I am eager to share and use what I will learn. Your children will be in good hands with Sensei!
A few important upcoming dates-
Town Meeting- January 27th 2:00
Field Trip to Yale Center for British Art- January 31* I need a couple of parent chaperone's. If you are interested please see me.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
December 21
I am having a hard time believing that it is actually December 21 and Christmas break is almost here. Time flies when you're having fun!
Last week we did our unit on The Gingerbread Man (boy, girl, baby, friends). We did a lot of comparing of books-(the fancy CMT term is comparing texts for similarities and differences!) We ended with making gingerbread people. Yum!
In math we have been using the terms greater than and less than, as well as using the symbols for each. A great way to reinforce this at home is the good old card game WAR- some night over vacation take out a deck of cards and try it. The children also learned to play Dreidel- everyone brought home their own Dreidel. Again a great math game. I was amazed how fast everyone learned what the Hebrew words meant and how quickly half of a quantity was learned.
After vacation we will be starting a "take-a-part" center. If you have any old land line phones, clock radio's, tape recorders etc. we would love to use them to take a part.
Thank you to everyone who so generously donated to the holiday fund. We are reaching our goal- we will get the "take a break chair" reupholstered and a new rug!
We have been very lucky with the mild weather so far this winter but I am sure the cold temperature's are coming our way. Please! make sure your child has a warm jacket, a hat and gloves or mittens every day. As I mentioned in September- we go outside everyday!
I wish everyone a very peaceful and healthy vacation week and I look forward to the New Year.
Last week we did our unit on The Gingerbread Man (boy, girl, baby, friends). We did a lot of comparing of books-(the fancy CMT term is comparing texts for similarities and differences!) We ended with making gingerbread people. Yum!
In math we have been using the terms greater than and less than, as well as using the symbols for each. A great way to reinforce this at home is the good old card game WAR- some night over vacation take out a deck of cards and try it. The children also learned to play Dreidel- everyone brought home their own Dreidel. Again a great math game. I was amazed how fast everyone learned what the Hebrew words meant and how quickly half of a quantity was learned.
After vacation we will be starting a "take-a-part" center. If you have any old land line phones, clock radio's, tape recorders etc. we would love to use them to take a part.
Thank you to everyone who so generously donated to the holiday fund. We are reaching our goal- we will get the "take a break chair" reupholstered and a new rug!
We have been very lucky with the mild weather so far this winter but I am sure the cold temperature's are coming our way. Please! make sure your child has a warm jacket, a hat and gloves or mittens every day. As I mentioned in September- we go outside everyday!
I wish everyone a very peaceful and healthy vacation week and I look forward to the New Year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
December 11
Either Room 1 is cutting edge or back to basics.
The New York Times ran an article on the importance of block play in the classroom. Check out the important block building going on in room 1!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/28/nyregion/with-building-blocks-educators-going-back-to-basics.html?scp=1&sq=block%20play&st=cse
Last week we had a wonderful trip to Manjares! Thank you so much to all the parents who accompanied us on our trip. But most of all thank you to Josephine's grandmother and mother who welcomed us into their already busy restaurant and served all of us hot chocolate with whipped cream, corn muffins and chocolate croissants. I don't think the children will ever forget that trip. We then came back to school and set up our own Manjares in the classroom, complete with menus, cash register, food and even a bakers hat! Thank you again to Chris for the amazing pictures!
Our trip to Manjares was a wonderful way to introduce the concept of using transitional words such as first, next and finally in our own stories. We wrote a group story about our trip using those words.
Friday we completed our theme of the Gingerbread Man by baking our own gingerbread people. Yum! They were delicious.
Just a couple of important reminders-
Bus trip to Mitchell Library on Wednesday 12/14. I will confirm with parent helpers on Monday.
Holiday Gift store will be open for children to shop for their families on Wednesday 12/14. If you would like your child to shop please send money in an envelope on Wednesday and I will see that they go shopping.
Holiday Sing-a-Long will be held on Friday, December 16 at 2:00
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