Franklin College Visit

We had a PERFECT day for our Field Trip yesterday!  The weather could not have been any better.  The kids and I had a great time walking around.  Check out some pictures below!

Art Show:  Please don't forget about the Creekside Art Show tonight from 5-8pm.  It is Open House style, so feel free to come and go as you please.  There will be a craft station for the kids as well as the opportunity to purchase a framed piece of your child's artwork!

Self-Control Lesson:  Mrs. Vidal came to our room for a lesson today on self-control.  She had lots to share with the kids and they had the opportunity to color a picture showing ways they can have self-control.  We talked about how even though sometimes you may not want to sit still or be quiet, you must use your self control to help you follow directions better.  Please continue having this conversation with your child at home as well!

Franklin College Visit and Reminders

Franklin College Visit:  Don't forget tomorrow is our field trip to Franklin College.  With the threat of bad weather, we will make a game time decision on if we are able to go.  Please have your child come dressed in their painted t-shirt (coming home today) and with a packed lunch just in case the weather holds out for us!  Even if we don't go, we will be eating the sack lunches tomorrow in the cafeteria.

Art Show:  Mrs. Shearer is anxiously awaiting our Creekside Art Show.  This is taking place on Wednesday from 5-8 pm.  EVERY child at Creekside will have a framed piece of art that is available for purchase.  Please refer to the email you will be receiving from her or Creekside's Facebook page to get more details!

Field Day T-shirts:  Don't forget to send in your child's order form for their Field Day t-shirt.  PTO is helping with part of this cost, but is asking for a $4 donation to help with the rest.  However, every child will get a t-shirt.  Even if you can't help with the donation, be sure to send in the order form so your child gets the correct size for their shirt.

Recess and Dress Code:  As the weather is warming up, we are finally able to head outside for recess more and more.  However, we go to recess at 9:45 am.  Even if the weather forecast is calling for higher temperatures, it is often still chilly this early in the morning.  Please pack a light-weight jacket or sweatshirt with your child on cooler mornings to help make recess more enjoyable for them.  In addition, please refer to the Student/Parent Handbook in regards to dress code.  Shorts are acceptable to wear to school, however spaghetti strap clothing for the girls is not.  Please read the Handbook if you are unsure of other types of clothing.

Library News:

• The last day for students to check out books is Friday, May 9th
• All books must be returned by Monday, May 19th
• BOGO (Buy One Get One FREE) Book Fair is May 14th-20th during school hours
• There will be an After Hours shopping for Parents on Wednesday, May 14th from 4-7pm

Fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow!!

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!!