Scholastic Book Orders

You can now place your Scholastic Book Orders Online. Our class activation code is HN3MY.  Each time you place an order online, our classroom library gets $3. I also created a classroom wishlist if anybody is interested in helping our classroom library grow!  Visit www.scholastic.com/bookclubs.  On the parent page, click the “Register” button in the “First Time Here?” section. Register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code shown above. This unique code ensures that your order is sent to me. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Hubbard Park

The rain from last week turned to snow this week but the frigid temps didn't seem to bother our kids.  We warmed our bodies by walking all the way to Hubbard park today.  The focus this week was on using our sense of hearing.  We put our fox ears on, and listened for the sounds in nature.  This task only lasts about 30  seconds for this age group, but the
more we practice, the better we'll become.  This morning during morning meeting we chose species out of a hat that became our new names.  Ask your child what his/her chosen animal was.  We also did some exploring throughout the forest.  I'd like to instill a community snack for future NAP days so we don't have to lug all the extras from the snack fairies. If you'd be interested in supplying snacks for a day, please let me know! I'm not sure if this is definite, and am interested in your feedback.
              

Art Class

Terry Hodgdon meets with our students once a week for 45 minutes.  Here is some information concerning student's work in the art class.  Here are some of the activities that they have been involved in on Thursdays.

• Drawing about something you Love to do - color in all of the work
• Drawing shapes as a building block for drawing animals -  add color
• Leaf rubbings with crayons and a watercolor wash for a resist 
• A study of Claude Monet and his Water Lilies - Tempera painting with mixing of primary colors and use of brush strokes as the Impressionists do
• A study of fish creating interesting patterns on the body as well as working objects in the background - overlapping   
• Use of key vocabulary words for all of the above

Trouble Seeing Photos?

You can always click on pictures to make them bigger!

Forest Recipe

Guidance

Last week, Mrs. Baker came to our classroom and read us a story called Personal Space Camp.  In this story, Louis, the world's self-proclaimed space expert is invited to Personal Space Camp.  He was so excited to be chosen to attend the camp until he learned that this camp had nothing to do with Saturn's rings or lunar landings. The camp taught him all about personal space. In our classroom we call this our "bubble." We role played different scenarios and practiced keeping our body in our own bubble.

Today, Mrs. Baker brought some friends along with her. Mi-Shell and Shelley, (did you guess they were turtles), acted out some examples of using a too loud voice, a too soft voice, and a just right voice when solving a conflict they had over whether to play on the structure or the swings.  Mrs. Baker taught us how to use the right tone of voice when we are solving our problems.

Partner Reading

The students practiced partner reading today for the first time. They learned how to sit next to their partner (knee to knee and elbow to elbow) and practiced retelling the story of the first thanksgiving. The students had picture cues to help them and also had the help of their partner if they got stuck. I was impressed with the respect each child showed one another and the patience they exhibited in listening to one another.  Ask your child to tell you the story of the first thanksgiving!

Another Change to Dismissal

The car and bus release time for students is being changed to 2:40 beginning November 29th.  The walkers will be released at the same 2:45 time.  This allows for 10 more minutes of instructional time during the day! 

NAP this Friday

Don't forget to dress appropriately for NAP on Friday. It is supposed to be chilly so remember to pack hats, mittens, etc.

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

 

Oh No! My students turned into turkeys this morning!

Music

Mrs. Scudder-Chase is the Music Teacher at Union Elementary. She works with the children twice a week for 20 minute blocks. Here is an update on what the focus in Music has been so far this year.

"The Kindergarteners have been working on discovering and using their singing voices through echo singing using movable "do" and singing seasonal and fun songs. They have also been working on echo clapping simple rhythmic patterns. They have begun to learn how to take simple rhythmic notation (quarter and eighth notes). They have also been working on their listening skills through creative movement: identifying fast and slow tempos, loud and soft dynamics and soli and full ensemble, while listening to music from Vivaldi (Four Seasons), Haydn (Surprise Symphony) and Rossini (William Tell). Most recently, the Kindergarteners have begun to identify and learn how to play simple percussive instruments while learning how to keep a steady beat. They will continue to work on these skills, beginning to build a foundation of knowledge of musical elements and awareness through singing, dancing, listening, creative movement and playing instruments as well as learning to follow directions and work together."

Innisbruck Orders

If you ordered from Innisbruck, please pick your order up tomorrow (Wednesday) between 2:00-5:00!

FIT

This week marks the beginning of Focused Instructional Time (FIT) for literacy in Kindergarten! We’d like to tell you how it works.

Every Monday through Thursday we dedicate thirty minutes to teaching our students literacy skills appropriate for their needs. The Kindergarten team has created different size groups to work with a FIT teacher at this time. Our class is traveling to different Kindergarten classrooms during this time. At the same time, a Kindergarten teacher meets with a small number of students in different instructional spaces around UES to teach targeted skill-building lessons.

Your child may be working with any one of the following literacy teachers at this time, including Ms. Thine, Mrs. Michaud, Mrs. Brigham, Mrs. Guyette or Mrs. Burke. Or your child may be working in a small group with a Kindergarten teacher.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Did You Know?

That the Mayflower was as big as two trucks?
That the children on the Mayflower had no toys?
That on the Mayflower there were 2 dogs and 1 cat?
That the children slept on the floor on the Mayflower?
That their clothes were torn and smelly?
That the trip lasted 2 months and 3 days?
That the first houses built in Plymouth had straw roofs that often caught fire?
That benches were used for tables?
That there were no glasses for the Pilgrims to use?
That their mugs were made of leather and wood?
That there were no forks to eat with?
That the Pilgrims used shells for spoons?
That each family had one pot which was used for stews, soap, and candle making everyday?
That the Native American who helped the Pilgrims the most was named Squanto?
That the children in Plymouth did not go to school the first year?
Did you know that in Colonial days, good manners meant children stood for all meals, all family members wore hats while eating, and children only spoke when spoken to at meal time?
That the first Thanksgiving was in October?
That the first Thanksgiving lasted 3 days?
That on the Mayflower only salted beef, fish, and a bit of butter was eaten?
That the Native Americans brought a gift of 5 deer to the Pilgrims?
That the Pilgrims ate lobster, clams, oysters, fish, carrots, cucumbers, cabbages, turnips, beets, radishes, onions, turkeys, geese, duck, deer, fruits, and popcorn?
That 90 Native Americans came to the first Thanksgiving?
That not one Pilgrim chose to return to England when the Mayflower sailed back?


I thought you might enjoy hearing about a few facts that your children are learning about the first Thanksgiving!

We are Thankful!

Over the last few days we have been discussing the reasons why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Today, we talked about what it means to be thankful and brainstormed a list of people in our school who we are thankful for.  The students then chose one person to thank and wrote why they were thankful for them.  We were thankful for the people who keep our school clean, teach us music, physical education, art, read to us, help us solve problems, take care of us when we are sick, answer phone calls from our parents, make us lunch, and for those people who help to keep us safe.  We are so grateful to have so many great people at Union! 

Computer Lab

This morning, our class used the Computer Lab for the first time.  During this time, the kids were able to use the program, One More Story.  One More Story is an online literacy program that reads books aloud to students.  Each student learned how to enter their login and password to access the program and enjoyed listening to books of their choice.  The words are shown and highlighted as they are being read for those kids interested in tracking the print.  Throughout the year, the students will have the opportunity to access other educational programs in the lab and learn computer lab etiquette. 

Annual Thanksgiving "Dinner"

The UES Parents Group presents the annual Thanksgiving lunch.

Wed. Nov 17th,  12:25 in the UES cafeteria

Roast turkey & all the fixings including squash raised by students at MHS!

Vegetarian option (Quiche)
Apple and Pumpkin pies

All UES parents & grandparents are welcome!
Adults $4.00

Veteran's Day Parade with our Buddies!

Thank You!

I want to express my gratitude for all your support you have shown me in my first year of teaching. Also, I want to thank all the parents who have been volunteering their time in our classroom, on nature adventure days, 4 Winds, sending materials and snacks in, and helping to create contraptions to make our space more manageable! I can't thank you enough!

Sorting

We took the "ingredients" we collected from the forest and sorted them in Math today. Later this week, we will measure and count each ingredient and together write a recipe to send to Amy and her friend!

Singing in the Rain..

Literacy Update

In literacy, we have been focusing on recognizing and producing rhymes.  Being able to notice and work with the sounds of our language is an important early literacy skill.  We have been reading poems, books, and singing songs with rhymes. We have also played fun, engaging oral language games, sorted picture cards, made puzzles, built snake chains, and created a book based on Oh, A Hunting we will Go.    A favorite of the students was using "magic" tape after listening for rhymes in interactive texts and color coding these words.  While using interactive reading charts, the students are learning where to start when they read, what a period means, the difference between a letter and a word.  Some students are even learning how to get their mouth ready to read a word that is unfamiliar to them.  We have started to integrate a new high frequency word every week into our learning.  The students practice rainbow writing these words, finding them in messages, using stamps and tiles to make the words, and playing interactive games such as, "Oh No!"  So far, your child should know how to read and write the following words: I, me, see, like, the, and is.  The children are also continuing to review letters, sounds, and letter formations.  Ask your child about the sky line, plane line, grass line, and worm line!

Veteran's Day Parade

On Thursday at 10:00, we will be walking to the front of Hubbard Library to watch the Veteran's Day Parade march down Main St. If you are out and about, feel free to walk with us or meet us there!

Rainy NAP

Despite the rainy weather, we had a great morning for NAP on Friday.  We extended the morning circle and played charades with the focus on what we are thankful for. The students showed an enormous amount of creativity when acting out what they were thankful for.  From the number seven and popsicles to snow and the earth, our responses ranged immensely.  During snack, we used our eagle eyes to observe a real stuffed owl!  When we got outside after a flying squirrel movement game and song, Amy described a recipe a friend gave her to make a forest and brought the ingredients with her to test it. We were not impressed that the ingredients included cocoa (soil), vinegar (water), candy corn, and garbage, etc and went into the forest to search for the right ingredients.  This week we will sort these ingredients, measure what we have, and write out a real recipe for a forest with ingredients that we believe make a forest!

WINTER WEATHER

Winter has arrived, and in our classroom that looks like stray mittens and gloves between my toes! Please label everything you send your child into school with. More often than not, they don't know what their own clothing looks like!  This is going to help me and help each child become more independent. The students are working on building their independence when it comes to keeping track of their jackets, gloves, sweaters, and boots and learning the importance of dressing appropriately for all kinds of weather.  Our classroom is EXTREMELY warm and it is okay for them to dress in t-shits, as long as it is layered.  I have been stressing the importance of putting those layers back on when we go outside.

Smoke Free Puppet Show

Today, our class enjoyed, "Smoke Free Zone," a puppet show about secondhand smoke featuring lovable puppets Kimmie and Kyle. The students were excited to hear about Kimmie's escapades in Randolph with her Aunt Gertrude and how she dealt with secondhand smoke for the first time.  The children enjoyed learning the song, "Thank You for this Smoke Free Zone" sung to the tune of "This Old Man" and practiced rehearsing what to say to someone that might be smoking near them. 

NAP tomorrow!

Please prepare your child for rainy cold weather tomorrow. We have Nature Adventure Program and will be going outside regardless of the weather. 

Book Fair

On Thursday our class will be attending the book fair to browse. During this time, your child will create a wish list of books they are interested in buying with names and prices.  Please look at this sheet Thursday night and decide whether you would like your child to purchase any books. If you decide to purchase books, please send in the money and indicate which book(s) you would like them to get.  I am looking for a parent volunteer to come in on Friday afternoon to bring small groups of students to purchase their books. Please let me know if you have any interest in helping me out. Thanks!