December 1, 2008

            Thank you to all the mothers who helped with the Christmas sweatshirts.  They really are quite a tradition here at school and are darling.  The children will wear them for our Gingerbread Day and then again for our Christmas Concert.  We’ll do our shopping at Santa’s Workshop tomorrow, so please send in the money and gift list tomorrow if you haven’t done so already.  Our Thanksgiving feast was so nice last week.  I think the children really enjoyed entertaining and preparing.  They did a wonderful job!  We’re in need of some hand sanitizers, if anyone could send in a bottle, that’d be great.  I also need your help in another matter.  I’ve been worried lately about sending children home with a different adult without written permission.  I really need a note telling me it’s ok.  I realize that sometimes things happen last minute during the day and that isn’t always possible, but in that case, please call the office and they’ll let me know.  If you’ll be having someone else pick up on an on-going basis, could you write me a note giving general permission for that specific person? 

THIS  WEEK’S FOCUS

                 We’ll finish the Ll Letterbook this week. The children will be blending sad, glad (and other -ad family words), lad, even salad!  In Math, we’ll continue to work on our numbers, number words, ordinal numbers and number order.  Since Advent began on Sunday, we have many activities geared toward Advent.  We’ll read about the first Christmas from the Bible. We’ll be working on gifts for Jesus.  Mary and Joseph begin their journey in the classroom.  Each day a child will move them around the classroom to a star on which is a gift for Jesus that they can do at home or in the classroom.  In the mornings we’ll make a Christmas chain in which each link is a gift.  Our Advent season seems so short this year, I’m hoping our chain will be long enough to decorate our classroom tree before the 12^th.  Don’t forget to send in an extra shoe Thursday for St. Nicholas to fill and an can of vegetables for his horse. Our collection for Josi has ended. We’ll be counting the money we collected this week and write him a letter.  The Kindergarten does not send report cards in December. Over the next couple of weeks, I try to give you each a call in the evening just to “check in”.  If you’d rather meet after school for a few minutes, I’m generally available Mon., Thurs., and Fri. until 3:15.

                                                   Looking Ahead

     I know this is a hectic time of year and so much to remember for school.  Please check the “Checklist” I sent last week, although I forgot to put the coloring book on it!  We’re scheduled to see a play at Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township on Dec. 11^th along with the first, second and third grades.  The cost is $7.00 for the bus and should be sent in by Friday.  Also due Friday are the class items we’ll use to decorate the gingerbread houses.  I need to get these to our class mothers to separate over the weekend.  The Scholastic/Angel Book Club orders came in.  Please let me know how to give them to you “on the sly”.

Calendar of Events

Dec. 2^nd... Secret Santa Workshop...KD will go at 11:00

Dec. 4^th...Bring in an extra shoe and a can of vegetables for his horse so that St. Nicholas can leave                     a treat

Dec. 5^th.... 12:05 Dismissal....No After Care...Gingerbread supplies due

Dec. 8^th.... No School....Immaculate Conception

Dec. 9^th.... Individual Gingerbread Supplies due 

Dec. 11^th....Play at IHA

Dec. 12^th....Gingerbread House Making Day...Guests arrive at the classroom at 12;15