September 29, 2017

Dear Families,

A huge THANK YOU for those who traveled to Rocky Ridge Apple Orchard with us this week. We picked an apple to eat, went for a hay ride and chose a little pumpkin to get creative with next week, and we had a yummy donut and cool glass of apple juice. The weather was perfect and the children were awesome guests of the orchard! It was so much fun and I hope you heard all about it! 

We will make applesauce next week with the apples we bought at Rocky Ridge and they will bring home an apple core with the attached instructions for planting your own apple tree.Look for that next week.  

In science we are learning about the life cycle of the butterfly and have begun our apple unit. We currently have 4 caterpillars in chrysalis, 5 caterpillars still munching and we have let four butterfly start his journey to Mexico. We have learned so much about the caterpillar life cycle!

Books Read: Big, Red Apple, Johnny Appleseed, Mr. Brown's Magnificent Apple Tree

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we learned this week were;  Actress Annie and Daisy Dragon.

In math we are getting to know numbers 0-10, sorting, discussing a graph, using math manipulatives, five frames, shape patterns, describing 2-D shapes, and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events: 

October 6- NO SCHOOL- Teacher Inservice

October 9- NO SCHOOL- Columbus Day

September 22, 2017

Dear Families,

PLEASE be on the lookout for the field trip permission slips in your student's folder for our upcoming trip to Rocky Ridge Orchard. Remember to include the $5 and signed permission slip on Monday.  Thank you for those earbuds/headphones that came in this week. We will hopefully be starting next week with some guided technology practice. Also a huge shout out for all the classroom supplies that arrived! 

In science we continue to learn about the life cycle of the butterfly. We currently have 10 caterpillars still munching and we have let four butterflies start their journey to Mexico. The one on the bulletin board and the lost one (found on Curious George) were both perfectly fine when they made their grand entrance! We have learned so much about the caterpillar life cycle!

Books Read: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, and many other Eric Carle favorites!

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we learned this week were; Mimi Mermaid and Max the Ox/ Felix Fox.

In math we are getting to know numbers 0-10, sorting, discussing a graph, using math manipulatives, using 5 frames, practicing with quick looks at collections of dots, finger counting, working with shapes and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are still learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events:

September 29- Field trip Rocky Ridge- Please return $ and permission slip

October 6- NO SCHOOL- Teacher Inservice

October 9- NO SCHOOL- Columbus Day

September 15, 2017

Dear Families,

Books Read: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, A Caterpillar's Wish, Butterfly Suits, I'm a Caterpillar, Butterfly Life Cycle and a variety of Eric Carle books. We also acted out the Very Hungry Caterpillar story with props and ate a fruit salad that had all of the yummy fruit in it that the caterpillar ate through. 

Animated Alphabet is our approach to phonemic awareness and spelling. The letters are taught through a multi sensory approach of music, dance, characters and signs which help the students hold onto that information. The characters we have learned about so far are; Polly Panda, Uncle Upton, Ollie Ostrich.

In math we are getting to know numbers, introducing attributes and sorting, multisensory counting, patterns and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard).

ITEM NEEDED: Each student is being asked to provide either earphones or earbuds for use with or Chromebook time. I will place them  in an individual bag with your student's name on it. They will be kept at school for daily/bi-daily work. Thank you so much!

Other~ Some have asked about things they can donate to the classroom and the following are items we are in need of all year long; plastic spoons,  hand sanitizer, tissues, and extra snacks to keep on hand in case someone forgets theirs. Again, thank you!

Upcoming Events:

TBD- Rocky Ridge Field Trip 

October 6- NO SCHOOL- Teacher Inservice

October 9- NO SCHOOL- Columbus Day

September 8, 2017

Dear Families,

It has been a very busy week. We are continuing our procedures and community building. We have enjoyed going to the different specials classes and meeting many new faces and doing fun activities. Today we traveled to library and we were able to sign a book out to take home. Please make sure it comes back by next Friday (or before) and that when it is not being read there is a safe place to keep it. One other detail I forgot to mention in my opening letter is that folders come home on Fridays with student's work from the week, this newsletter and other pieces of information.

Books Read: The Little Engine That Could, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, I Like Myself, What Will I Be?

In math we are getting to know numbers, introducing attributes of shapes, sorting, graphing birthdays, and our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observation, tracking the number of days we have been in school and the days  of the week.

 Many reading and writing assessments have taken place these first few days of school. We will begin a more structured approach to reading and writing beginning next week. 

A huge THANK YOU to Sawyer and his mom for bringing in  monarch caterpillars to observe. I have been unable to find any in my faithful spots. We also ordered some monarch caterpillars in the mail and they should arrive any day now.

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events!

September 14~ Picture Day and Open House at 5:30
October 6- Professional Day-No School
October 9- Columbus Day- No School

August 31, 2017

Hello!

WOW! What a fantastic first two days of Kindergarten! I am so impressed by the way we are blending together as a community. We are learning our schedule, classroom expectations and how to be a good friend. Our word for this week has been-Respect.

All of the students will be assessed this week and next in the areas of reading and writing. These assessments are fun for them and act more as a game then stressful work. They will probably be tired and hot this afternoon when they come home, but know that they have spent 2 full days adjusting to a new schedule and a whole new life. Exciting!

You have noticed a flurry of paperwork coming home. Please take time to fill it all out and send it back to me. Having updated addresses, telephone numbers and other important information is the key to keeping your child as safe as I possibly can. Thank you!

The best way to get in touch with me is through email at ssample@rsu1.org. I check my email a few times a day and I will do my level best to get back to you as soon as I check it. I feel like too much information is better than too little.

Our specials are: Monday-Art

                           Tuesday- PE (if you haven't sent in sneakers to keep at school, please do)

                           Wednesday- Guidance

                           Thursday- Music

                           Friday-Library (Please help your child keep his/her library book in a safe place and enjoy spending time reading with them.) Books are due back the following Friday.

I will try to add to this blog each week as well as when there is any special event going on. When I receive your paperwork about publishing pictures, I will know who I can and cannot publish on this blog. Paper copies will come home as well.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Sarah~

June 9, 2017

Dear Families,
 It is that time and I am feeling sadness as another year comes to a close. It has been a remarkable year and I can't believe it is over. Many highs and lows came with 2016/2017. The worst is the injury I sustained in March and is not going to be healed anytime soon. The students have been incredibly helpful and loving during this time! Graduating from UNE with my Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction was an absolute thrill for me. 

The last day of school for students is June 20th and it will be an 11:50 am dismissal. Lunch will be served.
Thank you all for such an amazing year and best of luck for a bright future and a happy summer!

June 2, 2017

Dear Families,

Pen Pals from Pittston School visited us today~ SO FUN! Our 8th grade book buddies also spent their last session with us as they get ready to head to Washington DC. Plus the lovely weather allowed us to spend a great deal of time outside! Along with summer weather comes summer/ beach/ coastal Maine studies.

Wow! I can't believe we are wrapping up our Kindergarten year together! Assessments are going to be key for the next weeks. 

As we experienced a "summer" day this past week, it reminded me to remind you about the importance of sunscreen. As our skin becomes re-introduced to the sun, we want to be sure we are safe! Please either slather sun block on your child before they come in to school or you could send in a tube (with their name clearly stated) and I am happy to apply it before they venture outside. The same with bug spray~

Books Read: One Morning in Maine, Rainbow Fish, Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale, Make Way for Ducklings and Fun Dog, Sun Dog, and Thunder Cake (I have included the recipe for thunder cake in their folders this week-yum!) 

During writing time they are; thinking of ways to write that will persuade people to do certain things, or not do certain things, adding words (letters) to their pictures, rehearsing what they want to say about what they wrote, taking turns sharing their ideas and writing with partners, adding spaces between words and punctuation at the end of a sentence, going back into their writing pieces and revising what they have written by changing or adding to what they wrote and continuing to build up their confidence as writers. 

In math we are working with two digit numbers, formation of numbers, addition and subtraction practice, counting and number recognition, solving number stories, and continuing our calendar routines. Our routines at calendar time include; counting to the calendar number of the day, weather observations, tracking the number of days we have been in school and days of the week. 

We are learning about the Woolwich Way! The Woolwich Way is made up of 6 qualities that will help us to be the best we can be! (Courtesy- I can use good manners, Compassion-I can help others, Respect- I can treat others kindly, Honesty-I can tell the truth, Responsibility- I can take care of myself and my stuff, Quality- I can do my best even when things are hard)

Upcoming Events: 

June 20- Last School Day at WCS 1/2 day~ Dismissal at 11:50