Dear Barn Swallow Families,
The Barn Swallow class has had a great beginning to the school year! We have been spending a lot of time getting to know each other, building class culture and community, and learning the procedures and the routines of the classroom. We have learned a few new games, for example, the Freeze Game and the Name Game. We've learned the songs Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Do Your Ears Hang Low, and My Bonnie. Students have been practicing the 'Hand Shake Hello' greeting during our Morning Meetings. We practice giving a firm, but gentle hand shake, with eye contact. Students also learned about the three ways to read today (Read the pictures, read the words, and retell the story).
Last week students visited the Backyard garden, helped water the many dry plants, and taste tested a variety of garden plants. Some favorites were borage (leaf and flower) and calendula petals. Students have also been working on their self portrait water color paintings. They will be finished and on display very soon!
We will continue to build our class community this week and begin to form our classroom rules as a class. I am going to begin introducing the main parts of our literacy structure, which allows students to work productively and independently while I meet with reading and writing groups, as well as confer with students one-on-one. Math by grade also began today. We will have math on Mondays through Thursday every day after the morning recess. First graders will have math with Ms. Karen and second graders will be with Ms. Sherry. Students will also meet their P.E. and art teachers this week. Please refer to the weekly schedule below to ensure that your child is prepared for each day at school. We will have our Out and About on Thursday afternoon at the Backyard garden this week and hope to pick and sample fresh vegetables. We will also begin to think about how to use the garden space so that our classes can grow an abundance of fresh food this year!
Students have a morning snack before their first recess and classroom families take turns bringing healthy snacks every day for a week (Monday through Thursday). On average, families bring the class snack 2 times during the entire year. We currently do not have any food allergies. Students will be working on brainstorming a snack list this week which will include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Good snack choices are foods that are substantial, low in waste/wrappers, and ready to eat, as we do not want to use up a drop of our reading time! The students and I will not have time to cut apples or peel oranges, for example, because we will be busy working on literacy goals and will be reading up a storm! The snack schedule will be sent out by the end of this week.
Birthdays are a special time for students and birthday kids are welcome to bring a simply prepared favorite vegetable or fruit in the morning of his or her special day. (If you would like to.) Party invitations are allowed at school only if the entire class is invited.
*Weekly Schedule: *Occasionally there are changes!
Monday: Art
Tuesday: Art & Sometimes Garden
Wednesday: P.E.
Thursday: Out and About
Friday: Sometimes Garden
Thank you Barn Swallow families. I'm really looking forward to our year together.
We have a GREAT class!
Please email me with any questions, ideas, or thoughts at: S.Reuter@fgcschool.org
I look forward to hearing from you!
In the future I will also post classroom news to our classroom blog at: BarnSwallowClassroom.Blogspot.com
Sincerely,
Sherry
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