It's the Final Countdown...

Well, Spring Fever has hit!  The kids are amped up, and so am I!  It's hard to believe that we are just 28 days from the end of our year!  I have a lot to let you know about, so stick with me!

NWEA:  We will be taking our final NWEA test next week from 12:40-1:20.  Please do your very best to make sure your child is here to take this every day.  Also, be sure to chat with them about taking their time to answer each question, as well as making sure they get a good night's rest and healthy breakfast each day.

DIBELS:  We will also begin taking our end of year DIBELS and TRC (Reading) tests here soon.  I will be doing the reading portion with each child individually, and Mrs. Boshears and her assistants will be administering the rest.  The scores for DIBELS and NWEA will go home once the testing window has closed.

Field Day:  I just can't believe that we are talking about the end of the year!  Field Day will be taking place on Wednesday, May 28.  This is an ALL DAY (OUTDOOR) event that is so much fun for the kids, teachers, and parent volunteers.  If you would be willing to help out and volunteer this day, please email Mrs. Boshears.  boshearse@franklinschools.org   Today, in your child's folder, is an order form for a Field Day T-shirt.  Please be sure to fill this out and return it by May 2 so your child will get their t-shirt.  Each grade level gets their own unique color!

Kindergarten Awards Day:  This is a very special event taking place on Tuesday, May 27 from 1-2pm. The kids have been working very hard on practicing 6 of our favorite Superkids songs to sing for you on the stage in the gym.  Each of the students will be able to dress up like their favorite Superkids character!  You can look through our Superkids books or the online portal to help your child begin to think about what their costume might look like!  After our songs, each child will receive their Kindergarten diploma.  Then we will return to our classroom for our own special awards and an end of year video!  Make plans now to be here that day!

Vietnam:  We finished up our trip to Vietnam yesterday.  Austin and Jason's Mom and Aunt were back to share some great things with us.  The kids had the chance to make the Vietnam flag, as well as try a special snack, Pocky, which they LOVED!

Jason and Austin with their Vietnam flags

Fletcher, Skyler, Grant, and Lane trying Pocky

The 2 kinds of Pocky the kids could choose from

Have a great weekend!!

Welcome Back!

From the talk in our classroom, it sounds like everyone had a great spring break!  The nice weather we had a few days made it especially great!  However, we are back in the swing of things and (can you believe it...) in the home run stretch!  We are down to 8 full weeks of school left before summer break.  There will be a lot taking place in terms of testing during the month of April.  The month of May will be jam packed with great events you won't want to miss out on!!

Superkids:  This week we worked on the letter Vv.  We finished up this unit today and will begin our new unit letter on Monday.  Please continue working with your child on correct letter formation (top to bottom) and also on letter sounds.  The kids are doing a great job here at school!  As you have probably noticed, our reading skills and book difficulty have really taken off!  Please be sure that you and your child are reading every night!  Even if it is not listed as part of the homework, take time to read a book from your own collection at home, or reread one of our many Superkids books that have come home or can be found on line.

Handwriting:  I have started pushing the kids to make sure their full name is written correctly on all their papers.  Not just spelling, but handwriting as well.  If they are being extra careful about their handwriting at home, it is because I'm really watching for it here in the room!  Keep working with them to make sure they are forming everything neatly AND correctly!  The homework sheets are a place where I'm noticing some of the sloppy writing.  Make sure your child is making their letters correctly for you as well, especially on the homework pieces.

Math:  This week we have been working with all kinds of number skills.

• We have practiced counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's.  
• We made number scrolls to help us practice writing our numbers to 100+.  
• We played a game using dice and counters to try and fill a tens frame board.  The dice had + and - numbers where we were able to add or take away our counters.
• We learned how to "decade" count to help us with place value.

Franklin College:  We will be taking a Field Trip to Franklin College on Tuesday, April 29.  This is a free field trip for your child.  All they will need is a sack lunch.  Your child is coming home with a permission slip inside their Green Folder today.

Purple Up! Day:  On Tuesday, April 15, all students are encouraged to wear Purple to show support for our Creekside students who have a parent in the military.

Around the World:  Yesterday we had a special guest come and share about our new country.  Jason and Austin are Vietnamese and their Mom and Aunt came to share with us about Vietnam yesterday!  They will also be back next week to help us with our craft.  Check out some of the great places we got to see:

Mrs. Land showing us a map of Vietnam 

The Forbidden Purple City, used to be home to Vietnam's Emperors

The Hai Van Pass.  A winding road through the mountains.  Known for being very steep, there is a parking lot at the top of the summit for cars to take a break at the risk of overheating the engine

Halong Bay.  A beautiful area filled with 1,600 little islands.  The Vietnamese used the islands to hide during battles with China

Hoan Kiem Lake.  Legend states a giant turtle appeared here and took the sword of a Vietnamese warrior.  A giant turtle was caught in 2011.  There are said to be 10 other giant turtles living in the lake

Marble Mountain Caves.  Marble Mountain consists of 5 mountains made of marble and limestone.  Caves underneath are visited frequently 

Saigon Central Post Office.  A beautiful building, we compared the Franklin Post Office to this one 

Water Puppet Theater.  A popular form of entertainment, this show often depicts the history of Vietnam 

Ben Thanh Market.  A vast open air market for all your shopping needs

Be sure to check out the SNACK CALENDAR as well as the CLASSROOM CALENDAR for this month's happenings!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the beautiful spring weather!!

Guest Day!

We had a great time during Guest Day today!  Thanks to everyone who was able to come hang out with us for a bit this afternoon.  Enjoy the pictures from this special time and have a WONDERFUL SPRING BREAK!  See you April 7th!!

Almost Spring!

I don't know about you, but I am ready for some warmer weather!!  I am hoping this cold weather gets out of here and spring break will be gorgeous!  I have some big projects I want to work on at home!  But, before break can get here, we do have a few things going on this week!!

Superkids:  This week we are working on Unit 5 and the letter Pp.  Please continue to work with your child on identifying the letter and saying its sound, along with writing it correctly!  Also, the Parent Portal is updated so be sure to take advantage of this website over Spring Break!

Math:  This week in math we will be doing the following:

• Making 3-D shapes from toothpicks and marshmallows
• Playing some addition and subtraction games with dice
• Making a graph of all of the box tops we collected last week (over 500!!)
• Using craft sticks to help us count by 10's and 1's

Don't forget to keep playing the games on our Everyday Math website.  There is a link to this website on the right hand side of this blog.  Your child's log-in and password were sent home earlier this year.

Spring Pictures:  These will be taken this Wednesday.  Don't forget this is PREPAY only.  Your child will only be photographed if you have ordered pictures online or have returned the order packet.  Remember the company has a 100% guaranteed satisfaction with the pictures.  If you do not like them, your money will be refunded.

Scholastic Book Orders:  These came home on Friday.  Orders will be due to me on Thursday.  I will be placing the order after school and the books should be here when we return from break.  In your child's green folder is a coupon for a free book when you spend $10 or more.  These were sent as a gift from the company.  Please disregard the February expiration date.  Scholastic has informed me these are good through March 31.  Remember you can order online using our class code J2PCY or by returning the paper form and a check.

Guest Day:  Don't forget that Guest Day is coming up on Thursday.  Guests may arrive at 1:25.  We will begin at 1:30.  If you intend for your child to be able to go home with their guest on that day, be sure to send in a note that morning in your child's green folder.  If I have not received notification from you, your child will be sent home in their normal manner.

Potato People:  Today we finished up our Ireland craft from Friday.  We talked a bit about the potato famine and read the book "Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato."  Then today each kid made their own potato person.  We gave it a funny Irish name and tomorrow we'll be doing a writing piece about it being "No Ordinary Potato!"  These are hanging up in the hallway!

Info Galore!

St Patrick's Day-  On Monday we celebrated St. Patrick's Day.  While we were at recess, a leprechaun visited our classroom.  He left behind a trail of gold dust and when we followed it, we found a surprise that was hidden!  The leprechaun left behind a black pot that had chocolate gold and green coins, along with green necklaces.  How cool!

Hat Day-  On Friday, students at Creekside were able to wear a hat for school if they brought in a donation for Riley Hospital.  Our school raised $400 for Riley that day!  The money was taken to the High School and combined with the money they raised for their Dance Marathon on Saturday night.  Altogether, the corporation raised over $36,000 for Riley Hospital!  The High School's Dance Marathon is the 4th largest in the state!!  What a generous group of students we have!!

Spring Pictures-  Your child is coming home with an order form for spring pictures today.  This will take place on Wednesday, March 26.  Unlike fall pictures, these pictures have a more relaxed and fun look to them.  Only students who purchase photos will get their picture taken.  You MUST PREPAY by either sending in the envelope and check, or ordering online.  The photos are 100% guaranteed.  Should you not like them, you will get a full refund, no questions asked.

Guest Day-  I am still missing a few slips for Guest Day.  Please send these in as soon as possible.  Remember, if you do not have anyone to come in with your child, we will pair them up with a staff member to participate in the scavenger hunt.  Guest Day is on Thursday, March 27 from 1:30-2:05.  Your child may go home with their guest, just be sure to send in a written note indicating this to be okay.  If there is no note, I will send them home in their normal manner.

Character Cafe-  Our school counselor, Mrs. Vidal, has started a Character Cafe.  This is for children who are always showing good manners and behavior.  These children get to have lunch at a fancy table all decorated up.  Kindergarten got to go on Monday.  Congratulations to Aubrey H and Cash who were chosen from our classroom!

Art Show-  Our Creekside Art Show will be on Wednesday, April 30 from 5-8pm.  Be sure to talk with your child about the project they have been working on in art class for this special event!  A half sheet of paper came home about this the other day.

Report Cards-  Report cards will be coming home on Friday.  Unlike last time, a paper copy will be in your child's green folder.  As always, if you have questions about something on the report, please contact me.

Attendance-  We have had a hard time getting our whole class here and on time every day.  So far this school year, we have only had 39 days where the whole class has been here.  This means we have had almost 100 days where friends have missed all or part of our day.  When your child is really sick, it is best to keep them at home.  But otherwise, we need them here.  When your child comes in late, they spend the rest of the morning trying to get caught back up on everything they have missed.  Please do your best to get them here on time every morning.

Luck of the Irish!

In honor of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day, today we traveled to Ireland!  We saw some pretty amazing and beautiful sites!

Blarney Castle, home of the blarney stone!  Kiss it and you will have good luck!

Cliffs of Moher

Dublin Castle

Giant's Causeway, an area near the sea, is 40,000 interlocking basalt columns created by a volcanic eruption.  Ask your child about the legend of this site!

Kilkenny Castle

The lush Irish countryside

Yearbooks:  If you purchased a yearbook, it is coming home with your child today.  If you did not, and would like to, we do have a limited number of extras.  They are available for $14, first come first served. 

Guest Day:  If you have not yet returned your child's slip for Guest Day, please do so as soon as possible.  I will need to plan accordingly and find guests for those children who can not have anyone come.

ISTEP:  Our 3rd and 4th graders were working really hard earlier this week taking the important ISTEP test.  To help pump them up, our class made little treats and delivered them to Mrs. Spicer's 4th grade class this week.  We also did a few little cheers to help get them ready to do their best!  The 4th graders made us a big poster to thank us for cheering them on.  In addition, the Creekside Staff made this video to let our kids know they were going to do AWESOME!  The kids have LOVED watching this every morning!  Ask them about the 'special' footage from the cutting room floor that I let them watch as well!

Lots to share!

Well, it has been a while since I have posted.  I meant to several times last week as we did so much, but the week was so busy it just got away from me!  So... here is our week in review!

Dr. Seuss Day:  Monday was Read Across America Day in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday!  We did some fun activities during centers that morning, and finished our day in the hallway, as the whole school took time to read!

We each got to make our own Cat in the Hat hat!

We worked on dividing words into groups of nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

We unscrambled some of our sight words.

Looking good in our matching hats!

Around the World:  On Friday we finished our trip to Japan.  The kids and I tried our hands at origami making a dog face.  They did a really good job of following directions and folding their papers just the right way!

Superkids:  We finished our unit on the letters B and R.  Last week we started unit 3 which works with the letter N.  This coming Friday we will begin unit 4 which works with the letter M.  Keep working with your child on these letters and sounds.  Also last week, we created our own Superkids pyramid on the wall outside our classroom displaying Super US!!

Language and Writing:  In Writer's Workshop recently, we have begun working really hard on writing 1-2 sentences in our journals.  Please have your child continue to work on this at home.  As you work with them, remind them to check their sentence for these 5 things that I check for each day:

• Capital letter at the beginning
• Punctuation at the end
• Finger spaces in between each word
• No capital letters in the middle of the sentence (unless we've used a proper noun)
• Ask myself, "Does this make sense?"  "Is it a complete sentence?"

Math:  This past week we worked on the following skills in math:

• Counting by 2's
• Dividing groups in half and even and odd numbers
• Played a game to find a mystery shape by asking questions about its attributes
• Learned about time and used a clock to see how fast we could skip across the room
• Used a calculator to skip count by 2's, 5's, and 10's

Guest Day:  In your child's green folder on Friday, a note came home about Guest Day.  Usually there is question about how many guests your child can invite.  Your child may have as many guests as they like, there is no limit.  During this time, your child will be going on a scavenger hunt with their guests to find different things around the school.  Please return the slip to me by Friday, March 14 so that I can plan accordingly.  If your child is unable to have a guest come that day, s/he will be paired with a staff member in the building, or another student and their guests.

DIBELS Math:  These scores came home with your child on Friday.  Remember, this is a test that is done 3 times each year.  It is just a small piece of information we collect on your child to use to better help in the classroom.  If you have any questions about your child's scores, please let me know.

Fuzzy Jar:  Last week we started a class fuzzy jar.  This jar is a way for us to earn rewards based on things the whole class does.  We can earn a fuzzy for lots of different things.  Some of these include:

• All students on green or higher on our behavior chart at the end of the day
• All classes getting a 5 in specials
• No names written down for behavior in lunch
• Receiving a compliment from another teacher or staff member
• Excellent behavior at school convocations

Likewise, if your class behavior is not on par, we can lose a fuzzy.

As of today, we have 6 fuzzies in our jar.  We will receive a class reward when we get to 20!