Parent Math Night With Greg Tang September 11th 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm Clever EleMiddle FEMA/Cafeteria 

Clever EleMiddle is extremely excited to host one of the premier leaders in math education, Mr. Greg Tang. Greg is called the "math missionary" for the dedication and passion he has shown in sharing his love of math with students, teachers and parents. Since 2001, he has done over 2,500 conferences, workshops and author visits, taught more than 350,000 children and adults, and accumulated more than 1,000,000 frequent flier miles on three different airlines! He has also visited more than 750 schools across the United States, Canada, and Asia. Principals, teachers, and parents rave about Mr. Tang’s ability to engage and excite even the most reluctant learners. Whether it’s 50 or 500 students, Greg makes math a true joy for children of all ages. Greg and his colleagues believe a successful family math night is the single best way to generate excitement about math and bring families together. When it comes to math facts, we need our parents’ help. Strategies can be learned in class, but practice begins at home. During math night activities, Greg makes sense of new and unfamiliar teaching methods by focusing on three important aspects of effective math instruction: visualization, reasoning and number sense. Parents come away with an instant appreciation of visual models, number bonds, and the work our teachers are doing. Greg’s parent workshops are some of the most important work he does. As previously mentioned, Mr. Tang is also an author. Greg’s Math Appeal was voted Best Non-Fiction eBook by teachers, joining Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Hunger Games and Huckleberry Finn as Gold Medal winners. In 2001, Greg’s first book, The Grapes of Math, spent three incredible weeks as a New York Times best-selling children’s book. That same year, it won both Oppenheim Gold and Parent’s Guide Awards, was named Best Math Book by Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club, was a Book Sense 76 selection, and was voted an IRA Teachers’ Choice in 2002.

Friday Note - 8/25/2017

 This will be the last week for a paper copy of the Friday Note unless I have written confirmation that you need one.

Events of the Week:  It’s hard to believe that we have two and a half weeks of school under our belt- and what a busy week it has been.

Math: In math, we began Topic 1 (same/different).  Our school is new to Eureka Math this year, so if you have older children, you may notice several changes from prior years.  There are practice sheets that you should see coming home in your child’s folders.  This is a timed portion of the lesson that they complete (as much as they are able in the allotted time) and then we review together.  You will notice that I do not correct these or mark on them.  When we review the answers, your child should change his/her responses to the correct one.  During the time that they are completing their daily practice sheet, I am walking around and observing who has a strong grasp of the material and who is struggling.  I then meet with students individually or in small groups based on their needs.  Please take the time to review your child’s work with them each night to ensure that they understand the lesson.

Language Workshop: We continued our theme of All About Me.  Our Shared Reading for the week was Me Too.  We also introduced the sight word is.  Your child should now be familiar with two sight words: I and is.  Practice finding these in books and other writing.  We continued with the Name Game.  We’re learning more about our classmates every day.  What a fun way to make new friends!

Reading Workshop:  This week we started a unit over reading routines.  During these lessons we will be learning who we are as readers, how to take care of books, what rules we follow during Independent Reading (IR) time, and how to share books with friends. I also introduced all the literacy centers and we talked about rules and procedures so next week we are ready to begin.  

Writing Workshop:  Each day we wrote a daily message.  As a class we looked for sight words, capital letters, counted words in a sentence, learned how to return sweep when writing a new sentence, and found periods..  We also practiced tracing different pre-writing lines  that we will use when we begin introducing letters next week.

Word Study: We had fun as we continued to practice writing our names this week.  We practiced cutting up our names and building them by putting the letters in the correct order.  We also built our names with magnetic letters and sentence strips.  Be sure to have your child practice writing their name at home.  Remember: only the first letter in your child’s name should be capitalized.

Important Dates:

• Sept. 4 - No School-Labor Day
• Sept. 8th- Grandparent’s Day 9:00-10:00am (see below for information)
• Sept. 11 - No school
• Sept. 11 - Math Parent Night (more info to come)
• Sept. 12 - No school - Teacher Professional Development Day

Grandparents Day   

A letter was sent home earlier this week asking you to RSVP to this event.

There will be a light grandparent breakfast served from 9-9:30am.   During this time, you will also have the opportunity to pose for photos.  From 9:30-10:00am, grandparents will take a tour of their grandchild(ren)’s classroom.  Weather permitting, visitors may park in the open field west of the school as parking around the building may become limited.  Visitors should enter using the K-4 office entrance or the 5-8 office entrance.  

Important Information and Reminders:

1.       When the weather gets too hot, too cold, or too rainy, we will have inside recess.  The new school policy is that toys are no longer permitted at school.  If a toy comes to school, then teachers have been authorized to take the toy and it will not be given back until the end of the day or the parents come and claim it.

2.   Please make sure to write your child’s name inside of his/her lunch boxes, jackets and coats.  It is amazing how quickly our lost and found fence gets filled up!

SIGHTWORDS

Has your child said anything about sight words??  In kindergarten, we learn sight words.  These are common words that tend to “pop up” all over the place.  By mastering words, such as our sight words, children become more fluent readers.  Also, it is so much fun to see the boys and girls get excited when they find a sight word in a book and can read it!  These are the sight words we have learned so far.  Your child should be able to read each of these words.  Please practice them at home with your child.

I    is     

Next Week:

• Our theme will be Families.  Please complete the family page that was sent home today and return it on Monday.  We will share these with the class.    
• In math, we will begin a new topic on sorting and classifying.
• Our sight word will be “my”
• We will begin introducing letters, their correct handwriting formation and the sounds they make.  

Have a Great Weekend!!

Mrs. Vaughn

Friday Note 8-18-17

Events of the Week:  I can’t believe how quickly the week has gone and how much we are learning each and every day. The children are working hard to follow the rules and are enjoying their special classes.  Below you will find a “sneak peek” of the week.  Our literature block is divided into different workshops.  These workshops each have a specific format and target.  For example, in Language Workshop we focus on a Shared Reading book and discuss/find vocabulary, sight words, concepts of print (amongst other things) and complete literature responses.  In Writing Workshop, we focus on learning and practicing the strategies necessary to be good writers.

Language Workshop: This week we started our “All About Me” theme.  Our Shared Reading for the week was Things I Like.  We introduced the sight word “I” this week.  Be sure to practice finding "I" in books and other writing. 

Writing Workshop: We are working hard on writing our names. We have practiced tracing our name, writing our name with pencil and crayon. We also practiced writing our name on whiteboards and with shaving cream.  We also built our names out of Playdough. We are focusing on only capitalizing the first letter.

Reading Workshop: We started playing the Name Game.  This is a fun way to learn more about our classmates and the letters in their name.  What a fun way to make new friends!

Next week we will be going over all rules and routines for literacy centers.  Then the following week we will begin literacy centers as a class.  Students will be actively engaged in smartboard center, writing center, art center, big book center, iPad center, reading center, bucket center, and games center while I am meeting with small groups on specific skills.  I am looking forward to this and I think they are too.  

Sight Words:  Sight words are common words that tend to appear often when reading and writing.  By mastering words, such as our sight words, children become more fluent readers.  Each week we will add a sight word or two to our list.  Students will be assessed each quarter over these words.  They should be able to “read” each sight word within 3 seconds. A great way to practice these words with your child is to make a set of flash cards.

Important Dates:

Sept. 4 - No School-Labor Day

Sept. 11 - No school

Sept. 11 - Math Parent Night (more info to come)

Sept. 12 - No school - Teacher Professional Development Day

~The beginning of the school year can be a difficult time for families.  Getting back into a routine can be challenging both for children and parents.  One idea to help your kindergartner get calmed down for bedtime is to read together each night before tucking him/her into bed.  Reading to your child has SO many benefits—not to mention giving your child some of that precious one-on-one time that kids love so much.  As the year progresses, you’ll be amazed at all the letters and words your child will be able to find while you are reading together.  In fact, we have already learned to look for the word “I”.  Happy reading!   

Next Week:

• We will continue our All About Me theme. 
• We will continue to do our Name Game each day until every student has had a turn.  
• Our sight word will be: is

Have a Great Weekend!!

Mrs. Vaughn

Just a reminder that Care To Learn's Clever Wear online store is open!  View, place your order and make your payment online  following this link:  

https://cleverwear2017.itemorder.com/

There is a wide selection of sizes ranging from toddler to extended sizes in several styles.  

The online store will close on Sunday.

Friday Note 8-11-17

FRIDAY NOTE (8/11/17)

Events of the Week:  Wow!  The first two days of school have already come and gone.  You won’t believe what all we have learned so far!  I hope your little ones had as much fun this week as I did.  They really are a great group of kids!  We are working on routine activities, such as using the bathrooms, eating in the cafeteria, walking quietly down the hallways, and so on.  The children have made much improvement in only two days.   

Important Dates:

• Sept. 4 - No School-Labor Day
• Sept. 11 - No school
• Sept. 11 - Math Parent Night (more info to come)
• Sept. 12 - No school - Teacher Professional Development Day

Reminders:

• We will have P.E. on Monday and Wednesday.  Coach Wise asks that your child wear tennis shoes & appropriate clothing on these days due to the activities they will be doing.

• If you have not reviewed the items in your child’s packet that was sent home Tuesday night, please do so and return the signed forms on Monday.  

• Mrs. Ramey has asked that no toys be brought to school (even for inside recess).  I will provide toys and activities for inside recess times.  Sorry for the confusion!  This is a new rule this year.  

• Please place an extra outfit (including socks and underwear) in your child’s backpack.  Sometimes accidents happen and it is better to have extra clothes and not need them.  

Next Week:

• Our theme will be All About Me & My Community.  We will play the Name Game to learn everyone’s names.  
• We will continue working on routine activities, such as using the bathrooms, eating in the cafeteria, walking quietly down the hallways, following the classroom rules, etc.  
• We will work on our fine motor skills, such as tracing, cutting, and using glue neatly.  We will also do a lot of name-writing practice.

Important Info. & Reminders

CLASSROOM BLOG

This year I will use a weekly newsletter to keep you informed.  In an attempt to help the environment, we try to communicate through a classroom blog.  Our blog will contain information about what’s going on in our classroom.  Occasionally I will post group pictures of our class on this blog.  Your child will not be photographed alone, nor will he/she be identified by name.  Also, last names are never used on the blog.  Our classroom blog is up and running.  I have entered the email addresses that you provided to me at Open House to subscribe you to the blog.  Be sure to verify the email from FeedBurner to activate your account.  

ABSENTEE POLICY

Please be sure your child is at school and on time each day!  If you know your child will be absent, please let me know ahead of time or send a note from home.  In the event your child is sick, please call the office (743-4810) or email me.  If your child has been sick, we must receive a doctor’s note if you wish for your child to stay in at recess!  

BREAKFAST & LUNCH

Kindergartners will be eating lunch from 11:00-11:20.  If you plan to join your child for lunch, please notify the office as early as possible for lunch count purposes.  Also, please check-in at the office when you arrive.  If you will be eating a school lunch with your child, you will need to purchase a lunch ticket in the K-4 office.  Mrs. Ramey asks that you do not bring carryout food for yourself or your child.

The price for breakfast is $1.50 and lunch is $2.00.  You can check your balance on www.myschoolbucks.com.  If you send breakfast/lunch money to school with your child, please send it in a sealed envelope with your child’s name and “lunch money” written on it.

BIRTHDAYS

If your child celebrates his/her birthday during the school year, please feel free to send treats to share with the class.  In order to include every student, please consider sending peanut free snacks.  A little secret I’ve learned is to send individual treats such as cookies or cupcakes.  It is hard to cut up a cookie cake and make sure that each student gets an equal amount.  Birthday invitations may not be passed out in class, unless EACH child in the class is receiving one.  

POLICY REMINDERS

• Students will report directly to our classroom upon arrival.  Breakfast will be served in the classrooms.  Please notify me if you do NOT want your child to eat school breakfast at school.
• Students may not be at the school before 7:45 a.m.  If they arrive after 8:05, they will be considered tardy.

• If you will be picking your child up after school in the circle drive, please use the nametags that were sent home at Open House.  Since each child will be safely escorted to your car, these nametags really speed up the process.  
• Also, please remember that if you plan on your child doing anything different than the normal routine at the end of a day (for example, getting picked up instead of riding the bus like usual), please send a note or call the office before 2:00.  We cannot allow a child to do anything different without permission from you, so this will make everything run smoother.  Thanks for your cooperation!
• In an effort to promote the safety and welfare of our students, parents picking up PreK-4 students should use the north circle drive and parents picking up 5-8 students should use the south circle drive. For some, this will mean two separate pick up locations but we are trading convenience for much greater security.

Seesaw is an app we are using in our classroom to share what we are learning.  Seesaw is a digital portfolio of your child’s work.  The students and I can take pictures and videos and upload them to the app.  Then you will receive an email notification that your child has a new post.  You will only be able to access your child’s portfolio.  The students and I are very excited about using this app.   I sent out an email yesterday about how to sign up but if you haven’t had time to do so yet I have attached a paper copy of how to get set up.

Have a Great Weekend!!

Mrs. Vaughn