Weekly+Newsletter

Oct 7, 2012 Dear Parents, Harvest time is apple time and our room was filled with apple activities this week. We sorted apples by color (red, yellow and green). Each child sampled the 3 apple types and we graphed the flavors we liked best. We began talking about patterns and even used the apples to make a red-yellow-red-yellow patterns and green-red-green-red patterns. We learned to write the number 3. Extra practice at home is always beneficial. Many children write the number 3 like the letter m. So, please correct this as you see them doing this. We will continue practice next week. We read the story "Apples on Top" by Dr. Seuss. A book was ctreated as a spin off from this story. It is a counting book which will eventually come to your home to see. A large cardboard tree was used to tell story problems. For example, there were 5 apples in the tree and 2 fell out. How many apples are left in the tree? We did these problems as a group and the children came and shook the tree to see how many apples would fall out. We created our own apple trees out of paper plates. These trees had 2 apples in them. Use the tree while reciting the verse below.

// Way up in the apple tree // // Two little apples were looking at me // // I shook that tree as hard as I could // // Down came the apples, Mmmmmm were they good. // Apples were made to hang from the ceiling in our classroom. We learned to write letter "A" and "a".

Our favorite story was about red, yellow, green and blue apples. Have your child read this book to you. Encourage them to point to the words on each page. It's good practice because there are only two words. Hopefully, they will read this to you with expression. We discussed the ? and the ! in the story. We talked about the difference between letters and words. For snack we had applesauce, apples and apple juice.

Please return the farm and fire station permission slips.

Continue to save containers for painting.

I encourage each of you to be involved with the PTA. We are always looking for volunteers. Meetings are held the first Monday of every month at 5:00 in the library or the office conference rooms. Hope to see you there.

Sincerely, Mrs. Picciolo

Oct. 7 - Book order due Banking Day - No School Oct. 11 - fire station Field trip Oct 13 - Conferences in the evening Oct 18 - Conferences in the evening Oct. 20 - Halloween costume Dance 7-8:30 sponsored by PTA. This is for Kdg-2 grade. I'll be there. Hope to see you. Parents must attend with their child. Admission is free. Concessions will be sold. Oct. 21 - No school due to the 2 evening conferences

Dear Parents, The weather is quickly changing and so we noted that in our instruction this week. We went for a walk and noted all the fall things we saw. There were different colored leaves, squirrel nests called "drays" and geese flying south. One of the learning outcomes this month is to recall some of these details. We learned the poem below to add to this information. Outside we had rakes to gather up the leaves and jump in them.

// I like to rake the leaves into a great big hump. // // Then I go back a little way, bend both my knees and JUMP! //

Leaves were sorted by shape and color. We created graphs depicting leaf color. Beautiful fall trees were made out of sticky tape and are hanging in the hallway. "L" is for leaf. Books were made including other things that begin with the sound of "l". L is for Larry Lion. We talked about the different types of leaves (maple, oak, and elm). We looked for each of these trees on our walk. The book we created titled "Leaves" has rhyming words. See if your child can name them. We also introduced the word "the". When you read bedtime books at home see if your child can find this word.

We learned how to make the number 4. the rhyme goes like this. Down and over and down some more, that's the way you make a 4. We practiced counting groups of items with four things. We sequenced numbers 0-4. We played a game about "more" and "less."

Please practice zipping ocats with your child. We will help when they get stuck. The majority of children are doing well with this. As the cooler weather approaches please make sure mittens, hats, boots, and snow pants are labeled. Children should also practice putting these items on independently. Please consider buying boots with Velcro closings over laces.

Sincerely, Mrs. Picciolo

Oct 28 - no school-Professional Develoopment Day Nov. 1 - book order due - class code GL9N7 *** We will have a Mother Goose Show in our classroom on November 23. There will be 2 shows 8:15 and 1:00. It will last about 30 minutes. Bring your cameras and video equipment. *****

Oct. 12, 2012

Dear Parents-

This is Fire Safety Week so our theme revolved around this topic. We discussed fire safety and the job of a firefighter. Helmets were made for the children to pretend to be firefighters at home and act out what they have learned in school. The kids have really been listening to all the facts presented. Fire hydrants were made this week with the numbers “911” written on it. We suggested to the kids that these may be hung near the phone in their house in case they need it. We practiced dialing the number on a pretend phone in school and stressed how and when this number should be dialed. Fire engines were created out of circles, rectangles, and squares. Details were added and they are hanging in the hallway. A class book was also created depicting the children acting out different tasks a firefighter might do.

The song we learned is listed below:

// Fire, fire, fire, fire //

// Hear the siren blowing //

// Fire, fire, fire, fire //

// Everyone is going //

// Climb the ladder //

// Squirt the hose //

// With a swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh out the fire goes //

Letter “F” was our focus for reading. The “F” book was shaped like a fish and contained words that begin with the “F” sound. Have your child read it to you. Fifi the fish is the character that represents this letter in our classroom. Each letter we learn has a character to help remember it. J was Jumping Jill, D was Dudley Duck, and H was Hattie the Horse. If you hear references to this at home you will know what your child is talking about. This month our reading program also discusses community and family.

Thanks to all of you for being so diligent in returning the homework. It really isn’t busy work. I can see that the children are gaining from it. Remember to include their name on the papers. I still get a few without. Our coatroom was changed into a fire station. There was a fire engine, hats and jackets to wear. A large water table held pretend flames which were extinguished by water bottles. I believe there are some future firefighters in the group.

In math, we learned the #4. The rhyme for making the number goes like this. Down and over and down some more that’s the way you make a 4. We continued to talk about shapes.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Picciolo

Oct. 11 and17 conferences- times have been assigned

Oct. 19- NO SCHOOL- Due to the 2 evening conferences

Oct. 30- Halloween Dance 7-8:30 - Parents must chaperone-admission free-wear a costume

Oct. 29- No school-Professional Development Day

__ October 5, 2011 __

__ Dear Parents, __

__ The first few days of the week we learned the rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle. We acted out this verse and sequenced pictures to tell the story. A shape game was created where the characters from the verse were matched to their appropriate partner. For example, the cat had the fiddle. Not only can you match characters in this game, but have your child identify the shape the 2 pieces create. There is a directions sheet in the bag with the pieces. Have fun playing. We are working toward having the children identify a circle, triangle, square, rectangle, oval and rhombus. We are just introducing the names at this time and will reinforce the names of these shapes frequently. We also made a “D” book. Have your child read this book in the following manner. D is for door, D is for duck, D is for deer, and D is for dinosaur. Notice that the cover is a door. This activity reinforces the sound the letter makes. It also helps children associate something with this letter form. We practiced writing “D” and “d”. We continued talking about rhyming words. We made fiddles out of cardboard and rubber bands. Have your child strum the fiddle and sing the rhyme. __ __ In the Hey Diddle Diddle book notice that the children found the letter “D” and circled it. Have them read the book to you. __

__ Many games were played teaching the value of the numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3. The children are doing very well with this. This was the first week of writing the number 3 so a few may look a little shaky. __

__ Thanks for the dryer sheets that have been coming in. You can stop at this point. I am still in need of small margarine or yogurt containers. They must have covers so that our paint does not dry out. By small, I mean the type of margarine containers that come in a two pack. Larger ones will not fit in our paint easel trays. __

__ Also have your child practice putting their coats on. Most of the children are now able to do this. They should be able to do this independently before the snow flies. Zipping usually comes along later in the year. However, it is not too soon to start. Thanks for your cooperation. __

__ Our trip to the fire station was very informative. Thanks to all the chaperones and especially the Alwin family who bought treats at the fire house for the entire class. We will have a unit on fire safety and letter “F” next week. __

__ Our reading program included the fable “The Lion and the Mouse” and “The Wide Mouthed Frog”. One of the vocabulary words focused on was “bragging”. We discussed how this behavior is not indicative of a friend. __

__ Have a wonderful weekend. __

__ Sincerely, __ __ Mrs. Picciolo __

__Oct. 11 and16- Evening Conferences__ __Oct. 19- No school__ __Oct. 30- Halloween Dance K4- 2 grade- Parents must attend with their children. Wear costumes. Free admission.__ __Beverages, treats, glow sticks will be available for purchase. Hope to see you there. Another great way__ __to meet parents and your child's classmates.__ _

September 28, 2012

Dear Parents,

This week, we learned the rhyme “Hickory Dickory Dock.” See if your child can recite the verse to you. Ask them about the rhyming words. We made clocks for Hickory Dickory using the shapes we have been learning. A game with mice was sent home for you to use with your child. Children can say the rhyme and have the mouse run up and down the clock. Also, use the mice for counting. For example, show me 1 mouse, 0, 2 mice. We even started simple story problems. There were 2 mice, 1 ran away. How many are left? I had 1 pet mouse. Mom bought me another 1. How many mice do I have? Also, make 2 piles of mice. Ask your child which one is “more” and which one is “less”. These are words we will work on all year.

Our reading series taught us about concepts of over, under and off. Ask your child to move the mouse accordingly using the clock. We continue to discuss shapes. Ask your child to name and describe the shapes on the clock that came home. We continued working in stations too. The letters H and J were reviewed. Children should be able to identify these letters, write them, and give the sound the letter makes. Have your child practice. A few are still making “J” backwards.

In math, we practiced the numbers 0, 1 and 2. We worked on the values that these numbers represent and also wrote them. The rhyme for “2” is “around and back on the two-two track.” We played a game where we counted and sorted shapes by color.

The children are doing very well. Thanks for sending us great kids.

Sincerely, Mrs. Picciolo Oct 2- Field trip to the fire station- Hope for good weather Oct. 5- Book order due class code GL9N7 ( Go to Scholastic Books)

Oct. 11 and 17 – Conferences 3-6:10- Forms will come home. You will indicate which day is best for you. Return the forms and you will be assigned a specific time. If your child has other siblings in the building we will arrange conferences back to back for your convenience.

Oct. 19- No school – due to the evening conferences__

September 21, 2012 Dear Parents,

We continued Mother Goose rhymes this week. We spotlighted Jack and Jill. The verse was acted out and a picture was made. Pulleys were used to demonstrate how water was retrieved from a well. A small wooden well gave the kids and idea of what a well looked like. Children brought home a “Jack and Jill book.” Again, have them read the book to you in this memorized way. See if your child found all the “J’s”. The children are learning to turn pages. They have to look at the pictures to make the correlation that the words and pictures work together in a book to tell a story. Stations for reading were begun. There are 8 stations in which children rotate through. Letter writing, book browsing, computers, making words, phonics are examples of work done in stations. If you would like to volunteer on a regular basis to help with the stations, please let me know. The time is 8:30-9:20. A huge thank you to Mrs. Fraser who is currently helping us. We learned the letter “J”. This means we practiced the sound the letter makes, learned to form the letter, and can name some things that begin with this sound—like Jack and Jill. We viewed J in different fonts. In math, we practiced the numbers 0 and 1 and 2. We wrote the numbers and talked about the quantities. We also began talking about shapes. We will be learning the names and how to draw them.

Homework was 2 times. Be sure your child’s name is on the paper. There were at least 2 each day that did not have identification. Do not worry about printing being in the lines at this time. If your child can form the letter and know the name and sound that is fine. The writing between lines will develop in time. If you forget to return homework – just send it the next day.

Every Friday is Spirit Day at Fairview. Our school colors are blue and gold. Please dress your child in these colors or purchase school apparel to wear on this day. Every Monday is Sports Mania Day. Students wear their favorite teams t-shirts or jerseys.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Picciolo

Sept. 24- No school – Banking Day

Oct 2- Trip to the Fire Station

Oct. 5- book orders due - class code GL9N7- Please note I send the order in at the end of the school day. If you order after this time your order will be placed the next month. Sorry I did not make that clearer on the first order.

Oct. 11 and 16- Conferences in the evening- information will come later

Oct 19- No school due to the 2 evening conferences

Sept. 14, 2012

Dear Parents,

This week we enjoyed learning about Humpty Dumpty. Ask your child to recite the rhyme. Each child made their own Humpty by tracing an egg shape and adding features. We learned he has an oval shape. We have them hanging in the hallway. We also acted the story out and sequenced pictures to depict the rhyme. A class book was made where every child made a picture. This book will be sent home with each child to share with their family. (Please note we have 33 children, therefore it will take that many days to circulate through every home.) Individual Humpty Dumpty books were made. Have your child read the Humpty Dumpty book that was brought home. This is memorized reading which is an important pre-reading skill. We worked on words that rhyme too. The first homework was sent home for letter “H”. H is for Hatie the Horse and Humpty.

In math, we worked on the numbers 0 and 1. Each number we learn has a rhyme. For example, “One is fun” and “around we go makes zero”. We are writing the numbers and practicing quantities. We had plastic eggs that we sorted by color and counted. We made a Humpty Dumpty puzzle in which we practiced cutting and visually organizing the pieces. Cutting and gluing are skills practiced regularly**.**


 * Please send in your used dryer sheets and yogurt or butter containers with covers (the smaller sized ones). The used dryer sheets are erasers for our dry erase boards. The containers will be used for painting at the easel. **

Remember we go outside daily. Please make sure your child is prepared with the changeable Wisconsin weather.

To access this letter online go to the Fairview Home page. Click on “Meet the staff.” Find my picture and name. Click on my name. On the right side you will see “Weekly Newsletters.” Click on that and you will find this same information.

//**The classroom directory was sent home with telephone numbers and contact info. Please use this for play dates and birthday party arrangements. The school will not send out this information. **//

//**We went to the library for the first time and books were checked out. You may return the book at anytime. If it is not in before next week Wednesday your child will not be allowed to take another one home. **//

//**Sept. 15- Fall Festival – Hope to see you there!!!! **//

Sincerely,Mrs. Picciolo

Sept 7, 2012

Dear Parents,

We are off to a great start!!! We are learning how to put things away and how to line up. There are so many new routines to learn but we are all doing a great job. We began the week reading Curious George stories. George is pretty silly and gets into trouble. We giggle at all the naughty things he does. The finger play we learned is listed below: See if you child can repeat it and use the hand motions. //Open shut them// //Open shut them// //Give a little clap// //Open shut them// //Open shut them// //Lay them in your lap.//

// We practiced cutting and drawing. We are learning to recognize our names and learn the names of our classmates. //

// Please remember to check your child’s backpack daily and empty the papers. Please have their names on their backpacks and lunch boxes. //

// Remember to send the bedtime books back to school each day in the zip-loc bag. Some of the books are oversized and do not fit. If your child selects a larger book, just put the bag inside the book. //

// Art is every Monday so please no dresses or party shoes for the girls. // // Gym is Wednesday so dress appropriately. //

// Please return any paper work that needed to be completed. Fees etc. //


 * // Sincerely, //**
 * // Mrs. Picciolo //**
 * // _ //**


 * //Sept. 14 - Scholastic Book order due Class code GL9N7 //**


 * //Sept. 15 Fall Festival - //**
 * //Games, inflatable’s, food, fun- Held in front of Fairview. //**
 * //It’s a great way to meet families and your children’s friends. This is sponsored by the PTA. //**
 * //This is not a fund raiser. Fees cover items purchased. The event is hopefully affordable to //**
 * //all. Some games are free. //**