A "Star Week"

Lots of pink, purple, polka dots, pretzels and popcorn this week as we studied the letter "P". We all agreed that it is a very popular letter! To reinforce the letter and its sound the children enjoyed playing with play dough, making patterns with pom pom and pencils, learning  how to the game, Perfection, and playing interactive puzzle games on the computer.

We enjoyed stories about pigs, and  reading some poetry. 

A District wide initiative to educate the children  on bullying was addressed this week.  I read the book, Weekend with Wendell, by Kevin Henkes. After reading the story we took time to share our thoughts about bullying and discussed ways that we can address this issue. The children also had an opportunity to illustrate a time when someone hurt them, their belongings, or their feelings. Talk to your child and continue the conversation at home. Some words used were: bullying (someone who does something that hurts you or your belongings over and over again), victim (the person that is being "picked on") and the bystander (the person who sees and hears the bullying). We will continue to have these discussions throughout the year. 

We also enjoyed another Wilson School Spirit Day assembly. We were the "stars" as Mr. Gil asked both the AM and PM classes to stand before the whole school and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. We also sang This Land is Your Land. They did a fantastic job! 

Congratulations to the Star Students this month, Jemma Nazarali, Michael Bonomo, JoJo Schluter and Theo Errig. 

To conclude the assemble we all danced to "Tooty Ta". Don't know it? Ask your child to sing and dance it for you!

In your child's folder today there are several important papers. 

One is a brief Teacher Comment Report on your child for the First Marking Period. This is for your information and does not need to be returned. 

Another was an assignment for December, which is to decorate and cut out a gingerbread character. As the cover letter stated, we will be reading  many versions of the Gingerbread Boy and will also be decorating the Main Bulletin Board in the hallway for December and would like to use these as a festive decoration. When doing this, although I encourage parent support, please allow your child opportunities to cut and color. Thanks to all who encouraged their child to complete the Scarecrow assignment. They ALL look fabulous and will be on display on our bulletin board. 

Fridays will now be our Computer Lab day and today the children did a follow-up activity 

to the Halloween book, Go Away Green Monster. They had to use several Kid Pix tools to replicate the construction paper face that they made in October. Next week I will introduce the keyboard to the children, so if possible, do a little pre-teaching and show your child how to type their first name. This is actually quite a challenge for many children, as being able to identify the letters in random order can be difficult. 

We continue our studies on the 5 Senses and in your child's folder there is a plastic magnifying glass.  We discussed  the proper use of magnifiers,  we used them to look at words and letters in newspapers and books. Take time this weekend to look at objects around your house and neighborhood. (Holiday gift item: Child- friendly magnifying glass)

Please return these on Monday as they are part of the school's Science program and need to  be shared with other teachers.

 As of this writing I have received only 4 responses for the Kindergarten Night gathering this Weds. Nov. 19th at 7PM. 

If you plan on attending, please respond by Tuesday, Nov. 18th to judithcfisher@gmail.com

Have a fun-filled weekend!