Happy New Year and Welcome Back to School!

I hope that you had an enjoyable and safe Christmas vacation! I am excited to be spending this second semester with all of you and your children. Remember to check out our weekly newsletter every Monday. In the newsletter, I will share our Kindergarten experiences during the previous week, inform you of upcoming events and classroom happenings for the present week, and detail changes in curriculum and/or classroom procedure, which frequently occur as the year progresses and the children mature. You will be able to contact me through email, directly from our classroom weblog, or you may email me at jmatsumoto@midpac.edu. You may also reach me in the classroom at 441-3820.

If you were like me, part of the enjoyment of Christmas vacation was being able to sleep in and not having to wake up early in the mornings. That said, we will have a rest time after lunch and recess in the afternoons, as we begin this second semester. Though the children may not actually sleep, their bodies and minds will need the extra rest as they readjust to their school routine and adjust to a new teacher. (The children will be slowly weaned from this rest period as we near Spring Break.) Please send your child’s nap mat/blanket to school in a large bag (tote, garbage, duffel), which will be used for daily storage and transportation at the end of the week.

Everyone looks forward to the Guest Reader on Friday afternoons. If you are interested in coming into the classroom to read to the children, please contact Sabrina Ako.

Parent volunteers are such a help and blessing to us, especially when projects arise. If you are able to volunteer your time (no skill or experience needed, training provided), please contact Sabrina Ako.

Beginning next week Monday, I will send home a list of Family Learning Activities. These activities are optional; please enjoy them as your family’s schedule and available time will allow. Through these activities, concepts will be reinforced for your child and you will gain a deeper understanding of what we do in the classroom. As you and your child complete each activity, your child is encouraged to share the completed assignment in school. Every week, you will find art, math, reading, and writing activities that correspond to the work that we will be doing in school that week. Some activities may carry over into the next week(s).

Beginning in February, we will highlight a Student-of-the-Week. Each student will have an opportunity to bring in pictures and other items that show who they are as a unique individual. Parent volunteers for the week will help that student assemble their bulletin board "showcase" which will be up in the classroom for a week. During the week, the bulletin board will be used as a sharing tool as we celebrate the student-of-the-week. Also during this week, the next student will begin to bring in his/her items.

Posted on January 7, 2008 10:46 AM | Permalink